Evening Prayer (1662 Book of Common Prayer)

LECTIONS. John Calvin on the Psalms. ISBE: Genesis. Keil: Genesis. Keil & Delitzsch: Joshua. Matthew Henry: Isaiah. ISBE: Matthew. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown: Gospels. Romans: Prof. Hodge. Matthew Henry: Revelation. Prof. Hodge: Systematic Theology. 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, 194. For Psalm 16, Prof. Calvin in an aside throws some theological stones at the heads of Nicodemites, an historical allusion to troubled French Huguenots forced to attend Papist services, but hide their faith for fear of their lives. These “Nicodemites” was not an easy subject for Frenchmen more widely. This includes Calvin himself, but, here, he tosses some stones where, at other places, he’s more sympathetic to the plights. ISBE on Genesis: as usual, Dr. Harrison gives his handy summary of the skeptical, positivistic, Hegelian, prejudicial, dogmatic, lying and unbelieving dissectionists. For Genesis 1: discusses further, the stages of OT history after 1-11, to wit, Abraham, secondly, Moses and the covenant of grace with shadows and promises, and, thirdly, the progressive revelation from the Mosaic to the post-Babylonian period. The Prof. never loses sight of God and revelation in contrast to the hostile, lying, anti-supernaturalist, metaphysical “know-it-alls.” For Joshua 15, Joshua gives additional geographic lessons on land-allocation. For Isaiah 4.2-7, Prof. Henry expounds on the “elect according to the remnant of grace,” those who survive the darkness of those days. ISBE on Matthew: Dr. Hagner dilly-dallies on more structural issues. For Mathew 3.13-17, Prof. Jamiesson camps on the words of God, “This is my Beloved Son, hear Him.” For Romans, Prof. Hodge wonderfully discusses the Jewish diaspora—with his usual clarity and economy of words. For Revelation 10.8-11, Prof. Henry finishes the chapter, noting the great communications are contained in the divine revelations, predestined and foreknown to God. For Systematic Theology, Prof. Hodge discusses the inductive, speculative and deistic methods of theology. For Theology Proper, Prof. Reymond introduces the subject of God’s names, progressively revealed with progressive insight. The Prof. will treat the 10 most commonly used names. Send the memo over to the dissectionists with their hostilities to divine revelation. For Soteriology, Prof. Berkhof concluded his chapter on faith—describing Rome’s variations. For Apostolic Christianity, Prof. Schaff described the widespread diaspora of the Jew around the Mediterranean basin, including Rome. For Medieval Christianity, Prof. Schaff described the monastic efforts of Boniface’s pupils, Gregory, Abbot of Utrecht (d. 781) and Sturm, first Abbot of Fulda (d.779). For the Swiss Reformation, Prof. Schaff discussed the final days leading to the Second Battle of Cappel, 1531. Zwingli has premonitions of his death thereat. For the Creeds of Christendom, Prof. Schaff further describes the Roman Catechism, 1566, as well as the proliferation of other Roman catechisms (including Jesuits who disliked the Augustinian and Aquinian tact of the 1566 catechism. One requirement: catechetical compliance with the decrees of the Council of Trent (1545-1563). In this, we are reminded of the historic malice and contempt towards the Lutheran and Reformed faiths. Westminster Larger Catechism 194: Q. 194. What do we pray for in the fifth petition? A. In the fifth petition (which is, Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors), acknowledging that we and all others are guilty both of original and actual sin, and thereby become debtors to the justice of God; and that neither we, nor any other creature, can make the least satisfaction for that debt: we pray for ourselves and others, that God of his free grace would, through the obedience and satisfaction of Christ, apprehended and applied by faith, acquit us both from the guilt and punishment of sin, accept us in his Beloved; continue his favor and grace to us, pardon our daily failings, and fill us with peace and joy, in giving us daily more and more assurance of forgiveness; which we are the rather emboldened to ask, and encouraged to expect, when we have this testimony in ourselves, that we from the heart forgive others their offenses.