glorycloud's Diaryland Diary

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an old diary entry on reading Reformed Theology

The history of Reformed Theology[ edit | delete ]
March 22, 2006 | At: 6:28 PM | Permalink
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an old journal entry I sent to Sarah yesterday to show her where I come from spiritually speaking [wrote this entry on 7/24/05]

joy to the world the King has come

It is 9:05 AM Saturday morning. I have been up since 8
o'clock AM. I went to be around Midnight. Before going
to bed I read some of the book "Jack's Book: An Oral
Biography Of Jack Kerouac" by Barry Gifford & Lawrence
Lee. I got out these books to look at today---
1."The Flowering of New England: Emerson, Thoreau,
Hawthorne and the beginnings of American Literature" by
Van Wyck Brooks
2."Reformed Dogmatics: Prolegomena Volume One" by
Herman Bavinck (yesterday I ordered Volume Two
Reformed Dogmatics: God and Creation by Bavinck)
3. "A Theology Of Word & Spirit: Authority & Method In
Theology" [Christian Foundations] by Donald G. Bloesch
4. "God The Almighty: Power, Wisdom, Holiness, Love"
[Christian Foundations] by Donald G. Bloesch
Last night I looked at these books-reading the
material on Herman Melville
1. "God and the American Writer" by Alfred Kazin-chapter
4. "Melville in the Holy Land"
2. "Contemporaries" by Alfred Kazin

I do not remember what I did last night? I looked at a
novel I wrote 20 years ago. I read stuff on Melville
and Kerouac. I messed with the computer and listened
to music. I need to order another edition of the Works
of St. John of the Cross today. I need to pick up a CD
order at The Full Circle today. I want to order the
new Woven Hand CD "Consider the Birds" and the
Slowdive 2CD "Catch the Breeze" (right now I am waking
up to my sabbath day to Handel's Messiah
"Messiah-Boston Baroque-Martin Pearlman Director)
I have these CD's next to me this morning-
Joanna Newsom "The Milk-Eyed Mender"
Pearl Jam "reaviewmirror (greatest hits 1991-2003)
Pedro the Lion "Achilles Heel"
M. Ward "Transfiguration Of Vincent"
The Microphones "Live in Japan Feb. 2003"
Slowdive "Pygmalion"
I like to order these CD's today when I am downtown
Holland at the Full Circle-
My Morning Jacket "Chapter 1: Sandworm Cometh"
My Morning Jacket "Chapter 2
Cocteau Twins "Victorialand"
Moose

Like to listen to music by these bands someday-Sway,
Silver Screen, Titania, Blue Boy and Lovejoy
Wish I had all the music of The House of Love on CD
instead of cassette. So much to read and so much music
to listen to-but I hear the voice of time calling me
to the grave.

At work yesterday I thought about all the theology
books I have read over the years. I am thinking I
might write out today the history of reading theology.
I like writing down my life since that is all I know
for certain in this world of shadows. I do not believe
in ghosts. I do believe there are demons (fallen
angels) active in the dead american world. We are to
put on the armour of God to protect ourselves from the
fiery darts of the Devil the deceiver.

So much to write and yet I know so few words to
describe it all. I am not a word smith. I am a man of
few words. I am not educated. I am a poor factory
worker hoping the Lord Jesus Christ will save my never
dying soul. I do not want to die and wake up in hell.
The main problem is writing down my theological
development is my library is downstairs in our open
basement-I have to carry up a TON of books if I am to
write it all down in detail-but maybe I could just
write what was in my Mind space yesterday as I hauled
egg carts in and out of the giant ice box. Why write
everything down when in the end who really cares? I am
writing for my own personal enjoyment not to gain the
popularity of the mob.

When I go back into my memory locating when I started
reading theology I go back to the days I lived in
Richmond Calif. when I worked and lived at the
Richmond Rescue Mission-what years was that? I think
the early or mid 70's. I have a bad memory when it
comes to dates. Anyway I remember reading the writings
of A. W. Pink and being introduced to the writings of
the 17th. cent. English Puritans-getting into Puritan
Theology-reading William Bates, John Owen, Richard
Baxter and others. Around the times I was reading the
English Puritans I joined the Orthodox Presbyterian
Church in Berkeley, Calif. I started reading books by
B.B. Warfield the last of the great Princeton
Theologians-read book by John Murray-his book titled
"Redemption Accomplished and Applied" (I now have in
my library all the writings of B. B. Warfield and John
Murray). Next remember reading these theological
works-
"Systematic Theology" by R.L. Dabney
"Outlines of Theology" by A.A. Hodge
"Reformed Dogmatics" by Herman Hoeksema (Josiah has this
volume and needs to return it to me)
"Systematic Theology" by L. Berkhof (this theology book
was also my text book for my classes in Reformed
Theology when I was a student at Reformed Bible
College. In this fine book in the back is a
bibliography which I used to buy other books on
different doctrines like the doctrine of Christ or the
doctrine of Man etc. . .)

When I left Calif. and went to Reformed Bible College
Carol bought me when I graduated from college the
-also while in college I bought these Reformed
Theology works-
"Systematic Theology"-three volumes by Charles Hodge
"Lectures on Theology"-two volumes by John Dick (a
famous Scottish 19th cent. theologian)
"Dogmatic Theology"-four volumes by William G.T. Shedd
"Body of Divinity"-two volumes by the great Puritan
Baptist theologian John Gill
"The Collected Writings of James Henley Thornwell" (a
famous 19th cent. Southern Presbyterian theologian)

Over the years I have also bought these theological
works-
"Institutes of Elenctic Theology"-three volumes by
Francis Turretin
"The Christian's Reasonable Service"-four volumes by the
great Dutch Puritan theologian Wilhelmus a Brakel
"The Systematic Theology of John Brown of Haddington"
"Theology For The Community Of God" by Stanley J. Grenz
"Reformational Theology: A New Paradigm for Doing
Dogmatics" by Gordon J. Spykman
"Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical
Doctrine" by Wayne Grudem

I read theology for over 28 years and realized in the
end there are limits to what we can know about God. We
as finite sinful beings can not fully understand God.
His ways are past finding out. In the end all we can
do is adore God and not try to make Him fit our ideas
about what God should be like or do. As I was typing a
two volume work came to my titled "Sermons Of The Rev.
James Saurin-Late Pastor Of The French Church At The
Hague published in 1832-the volumes I have is falling
apart it is so old-but there are in volume one of
"Saurin's Sermons" a series of sermons on the doctrine
of God-Sermon I. The perfection of Christian
knowledge. Sermon II. The Eternity of God, Sermon III
The Omnipresence of God, Sermon IV. The Grandeur of
God, Sermon V. The Greatness of God's Wisdom, and the
abundance of his Power, Sermon VI. The holiness of
God, Sermon VII. The compassion of God, Sermon VIII
The Incomprehensibility of the Mercy of God, Sermon IX
The Severity of God, Sermon X The Patience of God,
Sermon XI The Long-Suffering of God . . .etc

The point is that Christians can know God and proclaim
that God revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ to lost
perishing sinners. Christians do not proclaim a God
wrapped in mystical darkness but set forth clearly in
His Word the Bible. We are to tell the world the Good
News of salvation. We are not to sit in our tombs
waiting for a vision of the Holy One but to go out
into the lost world and be salt and light. Is that not
what Christ Mass is all about Joy to the world the
King has come?
Well I need to take a break. I need to face my day of
rest.

10:27 p.m. - 2008-07-13

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