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Calvinism, Reformation (Reformed) Worship, the Second Commandment, and the Regulative Principle of Worship (1/2) by Dr. Steven Dilday (Free MP3, the pertinent portion starts part way into this message)
Superb teaching on Biblical (Reformed) worship and the meaning of the second commandment.
Calvinism, Reformation (Reformed) Worship, the Second Commandment, and the Regulative Principle of Worship (2/2) by Dr. Steven Dilday (Free MP3)
For further study see Why Is Reformed Worship So Important? The Puritans, Covenanters, Reformers and The Regulative Principle Of Worship (RPW) by Dr. Steven Dilday, John Calvin, Greg Price and Others (Free MP3s)
This portion of the original Westminster Larger Catechism is excellent on the second commandment (regulative principle of worship),
Q. 107. Which is the second commandment?
A. The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.[517]
Q. 108. What are the duties required in the second commandment?
A. The duties required in the second commandment are, the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath instituted in his Word;[518] particularly prayer and thanksgiving in the name of Christ;[519] the reading, preaching, and hearing of the Word;[520] the administration and receiving of the sacraments;[521] church government and discipline;[522] the ministry and maintenance thereof;[523] religious fasting;[524] swearing by the name of God;[525] and vowing unto him;[526] as also the disapproving, detesting, opposing all false worship;[527] and, according to each one's place and calling, removing it, and all monuments of idolatry.[528]
Q. 109. What are the sins forbidden in the second commandment?
A. The sins forbidden in the second commandment are, all devising,[529] counselling,[530] commanding,[531] using,[532] and anywise approving, any religious worship not instituted by God himself;[533] tolerating a false religion; the making any representation of God, of all or of any of the three persons, either inwardly in our mind, or outwardly in any kind of image or likeness of any creature whatsoever;[534] all worshipping of it,[535] or God in it or by it;[536] the making of any representation of feigned deities,[537] and all worship of them, or service belonging to them,[538] all superstitious devices,[539] corrupting the worship of God,[540] adding to it, or taking from it,[541] whether invented and taken up of ourselves,[542] or received by tradition from others,[543] though under the title of antiquity,[544] custom,[545] devotion,[546] good intent, or any other pretence whatsoever;[547] simony;[548] sacrilege;[549] all neglect,[550] contempt,[551] hindering,[552] and opposing the worship and ordinances which God hath appointed.[553].
Q. 110. What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment, the more to enforce it?
A. The reasons annexed to the second commandment, the more to enforce it, contained in these words, For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments;[554] are, besides God's sovereignty over us, and propriety in us,[555] his fervent zeal for his own worship,[556] and his revengeful indignation against all false worship, as being a spiritual whoredom;[557] accounting the breakers of this commandment such as hate him, and threatening to punish them unto divers generations;[558] and esteeming the observers of it such as love him and keep his commandments, and promising mercy to them unto many generations.[559].
- Westminster Larger Catechism text from Reformed.org at https://www.reformed.org/documents/wlc_w_proofs/WLC_091-150.html, numbers link to the Scripture proofs on the page at Reformed.org
Dr. Steven Dilday Reviews and Recommends the Puritan Hard Drive
Dr. Steven Dilday
Pastor of Liberty and Grace Reformed Church in Northern Virginia
For a number of years now, I have followed, and benefited from, the work of Still Waters Revival Books, particularly the Reformation and Puritan Bookshelf CD sets... and now the Puritan Hard Drive.
The Puritan Hard Drive is a remarkable accomplishment!
The common Christian can now have a world-class Presbyterian and Reformed library at his fingertips, for only pennies per volume.
I do not think that it is an exaggeration to say that the Puritan Hard Drive presents an historic and singular opportunity.
The works on the Puritan Hard Drive have been invaluable to me in sermon preparation and in improving personal and familial piety. If these had been the only blessings attached to the reading of these documents, the expense (even if it had been much greater) would have been justified; but there is more here.
In this present time, a great many Presbyterians (particularly in North America) have forgotten and implicitly (perhaps unwittingly) rejected their Presbyterian heritage. Strangely, Westminster confessing churches have rejected the theological distinctives of the Westminster Standards.
Although the Westminster Assembly produced a beautiful statement of soteriological Calvinism, the histories clearly demonstrate that soteriology was not the principle focus, nor chief interest, of the Assembly. The Westminster Assembly was primarily concerned with uniformity in worship (in accordance with the Regulative Principle), the form of church government (Presbyterianism jus divinum), and Church-State relations (the Establishment Principle). It is a sad irony that the great and distinctive attainments of the Westminster Assembly have been ignored and rejected by so many Westminster confessing churches.
However, we may yet entertain the hope that these great attainments are rejected largely because of ignorance. The best books on these subjects have not been readily available; but (thanks be to God) they are available again on the Puritan Hard Drive.
For anyone interested in recovering our Presbyterian and Reformed past, the Puritan Hard Drive is a must.
It is my hope and prayer that the Puritan Hard Drive will be used by God to bring to light the things that were hidden, to call to remembrance the things that were forgotten.
- Dr. Steven Dilday, Pastor of Liberty and Grace Reformed Church in Northern Virginia and https://www.sermonaudio.com/PRCNOVA, President of The Matthew Poole Project , Professor of Hebrew and director of the Ph.D. program in Puritan History and Literature at Whitefield Theological Seminary https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=82911013359, also directs the Master of Theology degree in "Ecclesiastical Latin." Dr. Dilday is currently translating the "Synopsis" written by the Puritan Divine, Matthew Poole . This project when completed will consist of approximately 82 volumes.
VIDEO INTRODUCTION TO THE PURITAN HARD DRIVE
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