Reformed Presbyterian Minutes of Synod 1947

REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 111Messiah (v. 2); the Psalmist (vv. 3-13); the Father (w. 14-16). Thevery structure of the Psalm inwreathes it with sublimity.So much, then, by way of a merely casual reference to individualPsalms. On a vaster scale, however, the same is true of the Psalteras a whole. In it an onward movement by stately steps is discerniblefrom the very first word of the First Psalm until the course ofChristian experience can be expressed by nothing less than rapturousgrandeur of the Hundred Fiftieth. The end is a virtual ascension, ananticipation of the day when believers shaU be caught up "to meetthe Lord in the air" to be with Him for ever. Christianity has"blessedness" to begin with, and closes with "hallelujahs''. In short,the Psalter is a book of poems which the living and true God selectedthe best men on earth and the finest thinkers in the tides of time towrite for His praise. The field for explanation, accordingly, isillimitable. The need is radical. The mine is rich with precioustreasure. The reward is incalculable, really "past finding out".We recommend that our ministry be urged to make an intensivestudy of the Psalms and to keep alive the time-honored custom ofexplaining them Sabbath by Sabbath in the morning worship.Respectfully submitted,W. J. McKnight W. R. WhiteT. Richard Hutcheson B. M. FergusonThe report of the special Committee to which paperNo. 7 was referred was read. The part of the sentence referringto pre-millennialism was stricken out. In the samesentence, the words "do protest" were amended to "did protest".The report was adopted as a whole and is as follows:Report on Committee on Paper of George S. ColemanChrist said: "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out ofthe world but that thou shouldest keep them from the evU."It is a well known fact that our members cooperate with theW.C.T.U. in our common fight against our great enemy the liquortraffic and with many different groups whose actions we do notwholly approve of, in missionary and reform efforts. We are verymuch pleased to have people of other denominations aid us in ourefforts for a Christian amendment to the constitution of The UnitedStates. We fight along with our country's solders in defense of civiland religious liberties and we pay taxes for the support of our publicinstitutions, while we protest against our nation's sin in rejectingJesus Christ as our nation's Lord, by our poUtical dissent.In harmony with aU such actions we approve of Synod's actionlast year in joining the National Association of Evangelicals. Inaddition to the action taken then, we did protest against the use ofuninspired songs and instrumental music in the worship of God, asis the custom in the devotions of the Association.We approve of cooperation with other groups in a common cause,and at the same time we bear a true and faithful witness against