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, 196.

For Psalm 16, Prof. Calvin discusses the full contentment of the believer whose mind is stayed on God.

ISBE on Genesis: Prof. Harrison notes the subjectivistic criteria of older sources was never applied to the Enuma Elish document. Had that been done, they would have found as many sources as there were deities. He ditches the Names-argument, Elohim and Jehovah for their respective sources. Never mind that one name appears allegedly in another source and vice versa. Yet, this doesn’t fall easily to Princely ears unaccustomed to hearing in the first place. The Prof. is promising more in the slap-down of Teutonic pride.

For Genesis 1: Prof. Keil elaborates on the trifold classification of Law, Prophets (Earlier and Latter) and the Writings.

For Joshua 15, Joshua gives a description of the Philistine territories for resettlement.

For Isaiah 4.2-7, Prof. Henry talks about the reformation needed by the women, proud of their trinkets, a replay of chapter 3.

ISBE on Matthew: Dr. Dagner is assessing various genres that might apply to Matthew. He offers the standard tripe about this “not being a biography in the modern sense.” Get past it, Dr. It’s a history and biography, condensed yes, but still a retelling of Jesus’s Words and works.

For Mathew 3.13-17, Prof. Jamiesson rhapsodizes beautifully on the Trinity at the baptism, noted by the early Fathers. More specific to Christ—His whole life and public work: “his character, life, spirit, carriage, actings, endurances, everything that constituted Him to be pure, inoffensive, gentle and that beauteous Dove…”

For Romans, Prof. Hodge discusses the Jewish-Gentile composition of the church at Rome, notably, that the relations appear at rest by comparison to Galatia.

For Revelation 11.1-2, Prof. Henry dilates briefly on the command to John for him to measure the Temple.

For Systematic Theology, Prof. Hodge describes the Transcendalists and Mystics, recognizing that the latter term has a diversity of employments.

For Theology Proper, Prof. Reymond treats more names of God: El Elyon, Adonai and El Shaddai.

For Soteriology, Prof. Berkhof finishes his lexical survey of the OT and NT use of words related to justification.

For Apostolic Christianity, Prof. Schaff closes the chapter on the Jewish-Heathen context. Next up is Jesus Christ, the table having been set historically in the lead-up to the Incarnation.

For Medieval Christianity, Prof. Schaff tells the story of Charlemagne, coming to the Frankish throne in 768, wanting to unite France with the German Anglo-Saxons—either by submission and Christianization (by baptism) or death. The work of subjugation took 33 years, from 772-805.

For the Swiss Reformation, Prof. Schaff tells the story of the mortal wounds and final moments on Zwingli on the battlefield, wounded in several respects, and then finished off by an enemy’s sword.

For the Creeds of Christendom, Prof. Schaff speaks of the two Papal bulls against the Jansenists including the subsequent murders of Jansenists, the destruction of the Cathedral Church of Port-Royal, and the disinterment of buried heroes. The gross brutalities, the Prof. assures us, bred a generation of skeptics and infidels that banished the Church and religion from France with its Revolution, approved by none other than Thomas Jefferson.

Westminster Larger Catechism 196:

Q. 196. What doth the conclusion of the Lord's prayer teach us?
A. The conclusion of the Lord's prayer (which is, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.) teacheth us to enforce our petitions with arguments, which are to be taken, not from any worthiness in ourselves, or in any other creature, but from God; and with our prayers to join praises, ascribing to God alone eternal sovereignty, omnipotency, and glorious excellency; in regard whereof, as he is able and willing to help us, so we by faith are emboldened to plead with him that he would, and quietly to rely upon him, that he will fulfill our requests. And, to testify this our desire and assurance, we say, Amen.