Morning Prayer and the Litany (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, 77-79. For Psalm 11.4-5, Prof. Calvin is better eclipsed by the verses themselves that are perspicuous. MARCION-ALERT. 11.4-5: “The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. 5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.” For Joshua 11.1-3, Joshua again gives geographical details on cities conquered in the north. For Isaiah 2.6-8, Prof. Henry notes that Israel will be “cut off.” The remnant is saved. The 7000 who have not bowed the knee to Baal will be preserved and protected, yeah, strengthened. However, God also closes churches. He will close and shut down the northern tribes. Want to grow a church? Live like a Christian. One PR executive once said, “Good PR is 9/10ths just being who you are and 1/10th of speaking humbly.” For Mathew 1.1-18, Prof. Jamiesson elaborates more on Jesus’s name. For Revelation 6.3-8, Prof. notes that Jesus gives authority to the other horses—red, black, and pale horses—to wreak divine judgments throughout the earth, or, the three judgments of war, famine and pestilence. Like the churches of Rev 2-3, the elect overcome but, in some cases, e.g. Hitler, abortion, some have “divested themselves of all humanity, delight to be the instruments of the destruction of others.” Such, themselves, do not escape His righteous detection nor His destruction. Sobering chapter and, definitely, not for the Marcionites and, instead of the Church Triumphant, have become the Church Impotent. For Bibliology, Prof. Reymond is still talking about Van Til and Gordon Clark, bringing in John Frame as Van Til’s apologist with his “multi-perspectivalism” which he hawked and peddled at Westminster back in someone’s time. It sounded then, as now, like a theological hat-trick. Every theological omelet was fried in the skillet of “multi-perspectivalism” as an hermeneutic. The omelet always seemed half-baked. For Soteriology, Prof. Berkhof attempts to defend his view of the bona fide and well-meant free offer of the Gospels. The old and new lights in Reformed theology differ. For Apostolic Christianity, Prof. Schaff talked to two famed Protestant historians: Gottfeld Arnold (d.1714) and J.L. Mosheim (d.1755). For Medieval Christianity, Prof. Schaff described the typical Celtic monastery without an elaborate stone structure, but with a rude village of huts surrounding a small, simple chapel and generally near a river. Elder monks worked in Scripture-copying and books, while the younger monks worked the fields. Of note, mandatory clerical celibacy was unknown. For the Swiss Reformation, Prof. Schaff discusses three leaders of the Reformation in Grissons: Comander, Gallicus, and Campell. For the Creeds of Christendom, Prof. Schaff described the Confession of Metrophanes Critopulus, 1625, as an expression of Greek Orthodoxy but with a “more liberal and progressive aspect of Eastern Orthodoxy” (53), whatever that means. Schaff does not explain. Westminster Larger Catechism, Q. 77. Wherein do justification and sanctification differ? A. Although sanctification be inseparably joined with justification, yet they differ, in that God in justification imputeth the righteousness of Christ; in sanctification his Spirit infuseth grace, and enableth to the exercise thereof; in the former, sin is pardoned; in the other, it is subdued: the one doth equally free all believers from the revenging wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life, that they never fall into condemnation; the other is neither equal in all, nor in this life perfect in any, but growing up to perfection. Q. 78. Whence ariseth the imperfection of sanctification in believers? A. The imperfection of sanctification in believers ariseth from the remnants of sin abiding in every part of them, and the perpetual lustings of the flesh against the spirit; whereby they are often foiled with temptations, and fall into many sins, are hindered in all their spiritual services, and their best works are imperfect and defiled in the sight of God. Q. 79. May not true believers, by reason of their imperfections, and the many temptations and sins they are overtaken with, fall away from the state of grace? A. True believers, by reason of the unchangeable love of God, and his decree and covenant to give them perseverance, their inseparable union with Christ, his continual intercession for them, and the Spirit and seed of God abiding in them, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.