these truths are to the mind, the more piously do we venerate, and the more fervently do we worship God, and the more delightfully do we taste, "how sweet is the Lord, and how blessed is the man that hopeth in him." [1] Encircled by light from above, then do we also discover our own lowliness, and how exalted is the majesty of God: "Give me," says St. Augustine, "to know thee; give me to know-myself." Distrusting our own strength, we thus throw ourselves unreservedly upon the goodness of God, not doubting that he, who cherishes us in the bosom of his paternal love, will afford us in abundance whatever is necessary to the support of life and the attainment of salvation. Thus do our hearts beat with warmest gratitude to God, and our lips, in accents of rapturous devotion, speak his praise; following the example of David, who commenced by praying; " Save me from all them that persecute me;" and concluded with these words: " I will give glory to the Lord according to his justice; and will sing to the name of the Lord the Most High." [2]
There are extant innumerable prayers of the saints, which breathe the same spirit, beginning with sentiments of reverential fear, and ending with consolatory and joyous hope. This breathe spirit, however, is eminently conspicuous in the Psalms of David. Agitated by fear, he says: " Many are they who rise up against me: many say to my soul, there is no salvation for him in his God;" but at length, armed with fortitude, and filled with holy joy, he adds: "I will not fear thousands of the people surrounding me." [3] In another Psalm, after he had lamented his misery, reposing confidence in God, and rejoicing exceed ingly in the hope of salvation, he says: " In peace in the self same, I will sleep, and I will rest." [4] Again, with what terror must he not have been agitated when he exclaimed: " O Lord, rebuke me not in thy indignation, nor chastise me in thy wrath;" yet, on the other hand, what confidence and joy must not have beamed upon him when he added: " Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping." [5] When filled with dread of the divine wrath, with what lowliness and humility does he not implore the divine assistance: " Save me, O Lord, by thy name, and judge me in thy strength;" [6] and yet, in the same psalm he adds these words of joy and confidence; " Behold, God is my help; and the Lord is the helper of my soul." Let him, therefore, who has recourse to holy prayer approach God his Father, fortified by faith and animated by hope, not despairing to obtain, through the divine mercy, those blessings of which he stands in need.
The word " amen," with which the Lord's prayer concludes, contains, as it were, the germs of many of those reasons and reflections which we have already evolved. Indeed, so frequent was this Hebrew word in the mouth of the Saviour, that it
