Evening Prayer (1662 Book of Common Prayer)

LECTIONS. John Calvin on the Psalms. Keil & Delitzsch: Joshua. Matthew Henry: Isaiah. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown: Gospels. Matthew Henry: Revelation. Dr. Robert Reymond: Systematic Theology. Prof. Berkhof, Systematic Theology: Soteriology. Dr. Philip Schaff, Apostolic Christianity, Medieval Christianity, Swiss Reformation and Creeds of Christendom. Westminster Larger Catechism, 120-121. For Psalm 14.1, Prof. Calvin notes that God is the Speaker in this telling Psalm. Psalm 14.1: The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. For Joshua 13, Prof. Keil continues his geography details of land-allocation to the tribes. For Isaiah 3.ff., Prof. Henry outlines how God will kick out the “props” and “stays” of leadership for Jerusalem and Judah. If one falls, the other falls. For Mathew 2.13-25, Prof. Jamiesson describes the anguishes of mother Rachel for her destroyed children, first those of the Babylonian conquest, but also those victimized by Herod’s blood-lusts. For Revelation 7.13-17, Prof. Henry further describes the indescribable delights, joys and satisfactions of the saints above. It’s exquisitely attractive. For Bibliology, Prof. Reymond describes how scientists cannot face the irrationalism of their own assumptions. For Soteriology, Prof. Berkhof describes regeneration for the communalists (e.g. Schleiermacher), Arminians and classical liberals (Pelagians). For Apostolic Christianity, Prof. Schaff gives a bibliography as he opens up, officially and finally, the Apostolic period. For Medieval Christianity, Prof. Schaff further describes the 150 monks on Iona with Columba. For the Swiss Reformation, Prof. Schaff continues to discuss Vergerius’s work in the Italian valleys near Switzerland, to wit, his abhorrence of all Popes, especially Saul IV (Paul IV, AKA Cardinal Caraffa), the vicious and bloody Pope of the Counter-Reformation. For the Creeds of Christendom, Prof. Schaff describes the advance of Byzantine Christianity into Slavonic areas, translations of the Scriptures in the Slavonic languages, and developments in the 9th-10th centuries. Westminster Larger Catechism, Q. 120. What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment, the more to enforce it? A. The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment, the more to enforce it, are taken from the equity of it, God allowing us six days of seven for our own affairs, and reserving but one for himself, in these words, Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: from God's challenging a special propriety in that day, The seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: from the example of God, who in six days ... made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: and from that blessing which God put upon that day, not only in sanctifying it to be a day for his service, but in ordaining it to be a means of blessing to us in our sanctifying it; Wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Q. 121. Why is the word Remember set in the beginning of the fourth commandment? A. The word Remember is set in the beginning of the fourth commandment, partly, because of the great benefit of remembering it, we being thereby helped in our preparation to keep it, and, in keeping it, better to keep all the rest of the commandments, and to continue a thankful remembrance of the two great benefits of creation and redemption, which contain a short abridgment of religion; and partly, because we are very ready to forget it, for that there is less light of nature for it, and yet it restraineth our natural liberty in things at other times lawful; that it cometh but once in seven days, and many worldly businesses come between, and too often take off our minds from thinking of it, either to prepare for it, or to sanctify it; and that Satan with his instruments much labor to blot out the glory, and even the memory of it, to bring in all irreligion and impiety.