THE BENEDICTION M B K R . M . B . D EV A. WILLIA H OLBEE , , W ITH AN INTRODUCTION B Y F D H B N D D P . A I O US . R L , Of W i t t n b r h o l o i c al S e m i n a r e e g T e g y , - an d Pr s i d n t o f t h e G n r al S n o d 1 0 1 0 . e e e e y , 9 5 9 7 PH I AD H L ELP I A , PA LUTHERAN PUBLICATION SOCIETY LIBRARY o fGONGR ESS Two Co py R ece ive d NOV12 i g07 co ny rlzm En try L ‘ fl/0V v I 40' u A c ss N , M1 2. S q CO PY B . PY R I H T 1 0 CO G 9 7, B Y T H E B I L UTHERAN PU L CATION SOCIETY. Ein snriptiun . To F IE MY R ND , TH E . A. H . G R D . D . REV SPAN LE , , o f Y a r t o w n Pa . e g e , , Thr o ug h Who s e s ug g e s ti o n th e wr i t e r was di r e c t e d t o t h e s t ud y o f t h e e c t o f\ w i c t e se a e s t r e at j h h h p g , THIS W ORK I I N B D S GRATEFULLY S CRI E . CONTENTS. FOREW ORD I NTRODUCTION I CHAPTER . D EFI NITION I I CHAPTER . PATRIARCHAL BLESSINGS I I I CHAPTER . TH E AARONIC BENEDICTION I CHAPTER V . TH E SIGNIFICANCE GIVEN To TH E ACT OF BLESSING B Y THE LORD ’S WORDS CHAPTER V . THE EPISTOLARY SALUTATIONS V CHAPTER I . TH E PAULINE OR APOSTOLIC BENEDICTION (V) v i CONTENTS VI I CHAPTER . PA G E TH E AARONIC AND APOSTOLIC BENEDICTIONS COMPARED 71 CHAPTER VIII . THE APOSTOLIC BENEDICTION AND EPISTOLARY SALUTA TIONS COMPARED CHAPTER I ' . THE OFFICIAL CHAR ACTER OF THE ACT UNDE R THE G o s PEL ' CHAPTER . IMPORTANCE OF THE ACT I CHAPTER ' . MANNER OF PRONOUNCING AND RECEIVING THE BENE DICTION ' I I CHAPTER . WHERE AND WHEN PROPER To MA K E USE OF BENE' DICTIONS ' CHAPTER III . MISTAK ES CORRECTED H ' IV C APTER . RESUME H ' V C APTER . CONCLUSION W R D FOR E O . TH E writer did not suppose he would ever b e — come an author and write a book e ven a very little one . But a door has been opened before him fi into an unoccupied eld , and an overruling Provi . R e d ence has seemed to beckon to him to enter. c e n t l y he was appointed to read before Conference “ ' d a paper upon The Benediction . The stu y which the preparation of that paper required r e vealed the following facts r s t ffi Fi . The subject is important . The o cial act of pronouncing the benediction has in it a fi greater signi cance than is commonly supposed . Its importance is second to no other ministerial function . e co n d n S . Upon examination it proves to be an i e r e t i n t s g subject . It is one which ought to enlist the attention of both clergy and laity when once is acquired a true conception of the real meaning and purpose of the act. b i r d T . Information upon the subject is a press (Vi i ) viii FOREWORD . o f i m ing need the day. The irregularities and proprieties so frequently seen I n this part o f the ’ services of God s house are sufficient evidence o f r the want of proper information . The ministe who o ffic i at e s in holy things should understand fully what he is doing when he blesses the congre at i On I n g the name of the Lord , and the congrega tion ought to have an intelligent understanding as ‘ to what is the Significance o f that blessing . Fo ur flz . There is little literature upon the sub e c t . j , and what there is is not easily procured It is fi con ned to a few expositions , commentaries , brief It articles in cyclopedias , and works on liturgics . was a cause of surprise to fin d how little available material there is bearing upon the subject . This fi d work seems to occupy a el all its own . These facts are an ample apology fOr attempting ‘ ff such a work as is here o ered . It is only because there are such good reasons that it is written . In this day of many books it would be an o fie n s e against good taste to enter the field o f authorship without urgent reasons for so doing. This small volume might have been greatly enlarged by his t o r i c al data , and by references to the many curiosi ties which l i ave been evolved under the name o f i x FOREWORD . b ut add t o benedictions , this would little of value the discussion . A simple, plain , thoughtful pre s e n t at i o n of what the Scriptures teach on the sub jcet is attempted , and this can be done with some brevity . v th e Reader, if you have gi en but little time to o f u S b e study the benedictions sed in divine ervice , grateful that the perusal o f these few pages will not draw heavily upon the moments which have become so precious in this strenuous age . If you have given the subject but little thought , be lenient if you fin d this effort is altogether serious . and thoughtful , requiring the study of some truths which may appear to be truths only after careful examination . If you may have prejudices against anything which seems to tend towards stricter practices in l worship , be charitable, and reserve judgment unti the contents o f this book are thoroughly examined o f G o d h and carefully weighed by the word , whic a is the rule in all f ith and practice . To the ministry and laity o f the Lutheran Church in particular, and to the body of Christians ' FOREWORD . i n f general , this work is o fered , with the prayer that it may help all who read it to attain a fuller ’ c onception of the exceeding riches of God s grace ' t owards us . TH E AUTHOR . INTR ODUCTION. REGAR D and esteem for the Christian character and attainments o f a brother with whom he was associated years ago , when both were in the de lightful days of student life, and both preparing for o f the work the ministry, have prevailed with the writer in the request with which he has been hon ored , to prepare this introduction . Because the real benedictions authorized in the Scriptures are few in number is no reason why par t i c i p at i o n in this function o f Christian worship should be perverted from its real design or i n dul e d g in carelessly . Nowhere is it more fatally easy to fall into unwarranted license o r unspiritual ’ o f c formalism . In no part the servi es of the Lord s house are some pastors as much inclined to go b e yond what has been written and indulge in e xt e m o r an e o us o f p , infelicitous , and undevout productions o w n o r their , in unauthorized additions to what s is , in its unadorned and stately simplicity, alway a unimproved by human dditions . (xi) INTRODUCTION . The benedictions are rich in devout feeling. They are something more than the expressi on o f a n earnest Christian wish for the welfare of the people. Even the ancient peace greeting among t h e — — Hebrews as , for example , in Ruth ii . 4 when not observed as a mere polite ceremony, at last returned to something of its religious significance . ‘ Congregations assemble to hear the word o f the Lord at the mouth of the accredited and qualified t o f i n eacher the Church , and to participate what are designated , in liturgical language , as the sacri fic i al f and sacramental acts o worship . The last o f word that teacher, when the people disperse and o f depart, should certainly be a veritable word the fi Lord , unmodi ed and unembellished by any human a ddition . In the ancient Church , by divine com t hE mand , Aaron and his successors in priestly o fi c e were to bless the people with a particular o f form sound words . In the early Christian churches it soon became the custom to dismiss the c ongregation with some form of blessing, such as “ ' “ ' o r . The Lord be with you , Depart in peace In o ur day the richer and much more significant 1 apostolic benediction (2 Cor. xiii . 4) is used also i n r dismissing the people from the sanctua y. INTRODUCTION . xiii It should always be remembered that in all soundly Protestant usage the benediction is in no sense sacerdotal .