Evening Prayer (1662 Book of Common Prayer)

PSALM 10-ALERT. 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. Westminster Larger Catechism, 10-14. For Psalm 10, Prof. Calvin comments on how the godless want God divested of his role as Judge. Sound modern? We want a Teddy Bear with warm, gauzy fuzzies, and a happy-chatty chat show. For Joshua 9, Prof. Keil talks about Joshua’s reduction of the Gibeonites to slaves of the tabernacle worship—hewers of wood and drawers of water. For Isaiah 1, Prof. Henry talks about God’s call to “reason.” To wit, God’s “reasons” have been laid out. The defendants are called to court to defend themselves “with reason” (a fool’s errand) or, better, to come clean, repent, and get a deep sulfuric bath cleansing oneself from sin. For the Introduction to the Gospels, Prof. Jamiesson offers introductory remarks on Luke’s Gospel, giving the 50s to 60s as a date. For Revelation 4, Prof. Henry talks of the works of adoration in the Heavenly Throne-room. For Bibliology, Prof. Reymond continues with the sufficiency of the Canon itself. For Soteriology, Prof. Berkhof deals with Arminian objections to the Reformed view of common grace. For Apostolic Christianity, Mr. Schaff talks about the high value of Hebrews 11, the cloud of witnesses, but the larger church of history with its heroes and martyrs. For Medieval Christianity, Mr. Schaff talks about the epitaph in Canterbury Cathedral that exalts Augustine “for reducing” King Ethelbert to Christianity. Hear the germs of pride in that? God alone effectually calls and saves, not a Proud Poobah. Schaff doesn’t seem to get it, although he did a few pages back. The winners, as it were, write the narratives. For the Swiss Reformation, Mr. Schaff talks about Oecolampadius’s marriage, home life and children passing to the heavenly throne room in November 1531. For the Creeds, Mr. Schaff gives a brief bibliography on the Athanasian Creed. For the WLC, 10-13: Q. 13. What hath God especially decreed concerning angels and men? A. God, by an eternal and immutable decree, out of his mere love, for the praise of his glorious grace, to be manifested in due time, hath elected some angels to glory; and in Christ hath chosen some men to eternal life, and the means thereof: and also, according to his sovereign power, and the unsearchable counsel of his own will (whereby he extendeth or withholdeth favor as he pleaseth), hath passed by and foreordained the rest to dishonor and wrath, to be for their sin inflicted, to the praise of the glory of his justice.