Evening Prayer (1662 Book of Common Prayer)

ISAIAH-ALERT. Isaiah’s on the loose again at Westminster Abbey and DC’s National Cathedral. The masks are off and there are fights in the Cathedrals. He’s too mean and his tone too! 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 and Swiss Reformation. Dr. Philip Schaff: Creeds. Westminster Larger Catechism, 61-70. For Psalm 10, Prof. Calvin escorts Prof. Berkhof on his mistaken exaltation of common grace…out to the middle school with this: “The ungodly, on the contrary, despise them [DPV, God’s terrors and judgments], and yet, in order not to be disturbed or tormented with the fear or apprehension of them, they would banish them from heaven, just as the Epicureans….[DPV, thinking] He [DPV, God] indulges Himself idleness [DPV, think Deists and Western Dead-liners], without taking any concern about what is done here below. From this infatuation flows their presumptious confidence of which David speaks, by which they assure themselves of being able to destroy, with a puff or blast alone, all who are enemies to them [DPV, God’s people].” Caveat lector. For Joshua 10, Prof. Keil talks of Joshua’s execution of the southern conquest in smiting and bringing retributive justice to Noah’s line of Canaanites and idolaters. God is a life-giver and a life-taker, not a popular in an age of a “fundamentalistic and militant religious secularism” with the rise and triumph of “the modern self,” quote Dr. Carl Trueman. For Isaiah 1.21-31, Prof. Henry says, “Grab the helmet and flak-jacket. Isaiah is cutting lose at Westminster Abbey and at DC’s National Cathedral. They'll try to kill him!” A city once known for righteousness, Jerusalem, once known for righteous living and righteous thinking, has become the haunt of devils and idolatry. Prof. Henry dates this as 738 BC during Ahaz’s reign. We infer that Isaiah’s preaching helped with Hezekiah’s clean-up operation? Pending. For the Introduction to the Gospels, Prof. Jamiesson describe the character of St. John alleging him to be the youngest of the twelve. ??. For Revelation 4, Prof. Henry finishes on that glorious scene above where all bow and worship Him on His throne. For Bibliology, Prof. Reymond continues to speak of the confused uncertainties of Rome with their “tradition” as a source of doctrine. Even they have conflicts about what is infallible tradition from the organic mass over centuries with their own conflicts, fights and more. E.g. Aquinas v. Scotists. Francis v. Dominicans, etc., but will cut that short. For Soteriology, Prof. Berkhof retails how the Anabaptists, Moravians and others commonly reject common grace, pulling back from the world. Actually, had a most wonderful discussion a few weeks back with some Mennonites—godly, amiable, and kind. Not combat veterans, but we’ll be surprised in the next world of who’s “in” and who’s “out.” For Apostolic Christianity, Mr. Schaff talks more about the duties of the church historian. For Medieval Christianity, Mr. Schaff deals with the Synod of Whitby, 664, where Gregorianism and Roman control was asserted by King Oswy’s submission and false theology that Peter holds the keys of heaven. The King wanted to be accepted by Peter at the gates. Jesus “opens and closes,” not a mere mortal. We hear of Wilfird, Theodore the Greek scholar who became the ABC, and Bede, ever-favorable to Rome. Some Celts never accepted Whitby, but the Norman Conquest would extend the Gallican and Roman dominion more expansively. For the Swiss Reformation, Mr. Schaff begins work on Glarus, Switzerland and the slow, but steady reforms adopted. For the Creeds, Mr. Schaff holds forth on the 9th century Athanasian Creed, now a casualty in the West. For the WLC, 12-16. 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.