Morning Prayer (1662 Book of Common Prayer)

LECTIONS. John Calvin: 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, 193.

For Psalm 16, Prof. Calvin is not doing well in this section. While the Institutes are crystal clear and lucid, there’s some turgidity in the Psalms. But, like Augustine, one sees the love of Scriptures without question.

ISBE on Genesis: Dr. Harrison discusses the JEDP speculators, practitioners of source-expansionism, textual emendators to avoid embarrassments, invokers of anonymous redactors, revisionist historians restructuring history, enchanters of myth, legend and folklore, and self-indulgent speculators whose work resulted in valueless histories.

For Genesis 1: Prof. Keil brings forward a focus on “Word and deeds” as intentional and revelational events by the Infinite God.

For Joshua 15, Joshua gives more real-estate lessons.

For Isaiah 4.2-7, Prof. Henry focuses on the beauty of the Branch of the LORD, roots downwards and fruits upwards through Him, the Vine.

ISBE on Matthew: Dr. Hagner continues to discuss the 5-fold structure of Matthew.

For Mathew 3.13-17, Prof. Jamiesson lingers on a discussion about the dove descending on Jesus—the dove of the Ark for one. Symbolizing the permanence of the Spirit of the LORD being with and on Jesus in this formal service of recognition and annunciation.

For Romans, Prof. Hodge marvelously and clearly outlines Paul’s life, education, Greek background, Jewish education, his peculiarities, style and preparation as the Apostle to the Gentiles. One has forgotten how good Prof. Hodge is.

For Revelation 10.8-11, Prof. notes that God’s elect rejoice in God’s Word. Well, pass the memo to the dissectionists and Graff-Wellhausians who drank from Kant’s poisoned chalice.

For Systematic Theology, Prof. Hodge with his Princetonian clarity talks about the necessity and inescapability of doing systematics. Quick—get these three volumes over to GTS and VTS, that is, if they read systematics there.

For Theology Proper, Prof. Reymond concludes the chapter on the introduction to God, bidding farewell to the “fideistic” (our term) evidentialists, and ushering in the Westminster Shorter Catechism as the structure for the doctrine of God. Simply grand!

For Soteriology, Prof. Berkhof beautifully discussed the assurance of faith, including trust, assurance and the sense of safety and security. High views of the Trinity, Christology, and soteriology shapes and informs the subject of “faith.” The half-measures of Rome, Arminianism and other semi-Pelagians choke here.

For Apostolic Christianity, Prof. Schaff gives a history of Jews in the ancient city of Rome—beginning with Pompeii’s importation of Jews, the exclusion by Claudius, and repatriation after that. 1000s of Jews dwelt on the right side of the Tiber, a population that would be introduced to Paul’s Israel of Jesus.

For Medieval Christianity, Prof. Schaff introduced a pupil of Boniface the Apostle to the German. Willibald, an Anglo-Saxon, widely travelled to Rome and the Holy Land. He spent several years at Benedict’s Monte Cassino. Willibald established Benedictine monasteries in Germanies. He died on 7 July 781.

For the Swiss Reformation, Prof. Schaff talked about Zwingli’s final days in 1531. Notably, Zwingli to Bullinger: “May God protect you, dear Henry; remain faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church.” 30 years later, Trent will damn Zwingli. The Greeks will be equally vociferous in their damnation of all Lutherans and the Reformed. These damnations have never been repealed.

For the Creeds of Christendom, Prof. Schaff discussed the genesis of the scholarly process in generating the Roman Catechism, 1566. It’s a Dominican product but it had its Jesuit opponents.

Westminster Larger Catechism 193:

Q. 193. What do we pray for in the fourth petition?
A. In the fourth petition (which is, Give us this day our daily bread), acknowledging that in Adam, and by our own sin, we have forfeited our right to all the outward blessings of this life, and deserve to be wholly deprived of them by God, and to have them cursed to us in the use of them; and that neither they of themselves are able to sustain us, nor we to merit, or by our own industry to procure them; but prone to desire, get, and use them unlawfully: we pray for ourselves and others, that both they and we, waiting upon the providence of God from day to day in the use of lawful means, may, of his free gift, and as to his fatherly wisdom shall seem best, enjoy a competent portion of them; and have the same continued and blessed unto us in our holy and comfortable use of them, and contentment in them; and be kept from all things that are contrary to our temporal support and comfort.