Mornining Prayer (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, 155-156.

For Psalm 15, Prof. Calvin is started. As David looks over the crowd of worshippers in Zion, many have God on their lips, “as to outward ceremony,” a “confusion and medley of characters,” but God can distinguish between those that “follow justice and righteousness.”

For Joshua 15, Joshua is giving land to Judah, to the south.

For Isaiah 3.9-15, Prof. Henry notes that God is the Prosecutor in the Court and that all, including the great leaders, are not exempt from divine scrutiny. The case will be proven and is evident with “notorious facts.”

For Mathew 3.1-12, Prof. Jamiesson reminds one of Matthew 25.41-46 while chiding the Pharisees. John the Baptist notes that good trees will be preserved. The others chopped down and cast into, as it were, the wood-chippers. Here’s an enlargement: Mt.25.46: “⁴¹ Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:⁴² For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: ⁴³ I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. ⁴⁴ Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? ⁴⁵ Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.⁴⁶ And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”

For Revelation 8, Prof. Henry summarized Revelation 8 and the four angels with trumpets. Revelation 9, tonight, will begin with angels #5-7.

For Bibliolog, Prof. Reymond is still long-talking “natural theology” v. “revelation theology” for God’s existence. At least the Professor is a close thinker and reason, although the points have been taken for some time.

For Soteriology, Prof. Berkhof finally finished “conversion,” thankfully. On to “saving faith” tonight.

For Apostolic Christianity, Prof. Schaff closed off the discussion of 1^st century Judaism as he turns now, with his notable bibliography, to discuss 1^st century heathenism.

For Medieval Christianity, Prof. Schaff discusses the ascetic and Celtic life of Columbanus’s life in France and his conflicts with the more world French faith and the dissolute court.

For the Swiss Reformation, Prof. Schaff compares and contrasts Luther as the loyal monarchialist and Zwingli as the free republican, as he discusses the first war of Cappel.

For the Creeds of Christendom, Prof. Schaff outlines three Creedal areas in Romanism: Oecumencial Creeds, Tridentine (including Trent, Pius IV’s Confession and Catechism) and the Vatican era. He calls attention to the Old Catholics who are stuck-on-stink with Trent, but not Vatican 1 and following.

Westminster Larger Catechism 155-156:

Q. 155. How is the word made effectual to salvation?
A. The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching of the word, an effectual means of enlightening, convincing, and humbling sinners; of driving them out of themselves, and drawing them unto Christ; of conforming them to his image, and subduing them to his will; of strengthening them against temptations and corruptions; of building them up in grace, and establishing their hearts in holiness and comfort through faith unto salvation.

Q. 156. Is the Word of God to be read by all?
A. Although all are not to be permitted to read the word publicly to the congregation, yet all sorts of people are bound to read it apart by themselves, and with their families: to which end, the holy Scriptures are to be translated out of the original into vulgar languages.