Morning Prayer and the Litany (1662 Book of Common Prayer)

LECTIONS. John Calvin on the Psalms. ISBE: Genesis. Keil & Delitzsch: Joshua. Matthew Henry: Isaiah. ISBE: Matthew. 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, 177-179.

For Psalm 15, Prof. Calvin continues to discuss usury as the license to plunder and rob one’s fellow man.

ISBE on Genesis: we hear the sage notes of Dr. R.K. Harrison, the sage OT man of Wycliffe College, U. of Toronto, about the embarrassing imprecision of and defiant efforts at identifying the varied, shifting, uncertain, puzzle-piece, 1000-piece parts and 4 sources of J,E,D, and P in Pentateuchal composition.

For Joshua 15, Joshua is still working the land-deals.

For Isaiah 4.1, Prof. Henry notes that men have been killed in war, the numbers between the sexes is imbalanced as a result, and women outnumber men by 7 to 1.

ISBE on Matthew: Dr. Hagner offers little new on Papias that he has already offered.

For Mathew 3.13-17, the story about Jesus’s baptism by John the Baptist was read.

For Revelation 10.1-7, Prof. Henry introduces the seventh angel with the trumpet. This angel has a book too. John begins to write, but is forbidden and things are sealed.

For Theology Proper, Prof. Reymond gets more marmalade on his bib as his drivels and drools on about the evidentialists. Of course, done with very long sentences and for a long time after his earlier points were well-established. Move along Professor.

For Soteriology, Prof. Berkhof offers nothing new on “faith” that he has offered earlier. Ask a question, get an answer, but, for a theologian, expect more pages of explication. Let’s move along Louis. 

For Apostolic Christianity, Prof. Schaff continued discussing the Pax Romana and its extent.

For Medieval Christianity, Prof. Schaff discussed the abundant results of Boniface’s work in Germany—many monasteries founded and bishoprics established.

For the Swiss Reformation, Prof. Schaff discussed the literary products of the ever-industrious writer, Zwingli, and also the Diet of Augsburg of 1530 which excluded the Swiss.

For the Creeds of Christendom, Prof. Schaff continues to discuss the partisan, un-Ecumenical Council of Trent with no Greeks and no Protestants, but a product of Rome and 255 subscribers signing the work of small committees.

Westminster Larger Catechism 177-179.

Q. 177. Wherein do the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's supper differ?
A. The sacraments of baptism and the Lord's supper differ, in that baptism is to be administered but once, with water, to be a sign and seal of our regeneration and ingrafting into Christ, and that even to infants; whereas the Lord's supper is to be administered often, in the elements of bread and wine, to represent and exhibit Christ as spiritual nourishment to the soul, and to confirm our continuance and growth in him, and that only to such as are of years and ability to examine themselves.

Q. 178. What is prayer?
A. Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, in the name of Christ, by the help of his Spirit; with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies.

Q. 179. Are we to pray unto God only?
A. God only being able to search the hearts, hear the requests, pardon the sins, and fulfill the desires of all; and only to be believed in, and worshiped with religious worship; prayer, which is a special part thereof, is to be made by all to him alone, and to none other.