Covenanter Witness Vol. 53 - Rparchives.org

won!"LESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 25, 1954VOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 1954 NUMBER 1In God We Trustby J. Edwin HartillOn April 8, 1954,this United Statespostage stamp was introduced to the publicand to the world in anunprecedentedceremony, The Presidentof the United States,Secretary of StateDulles, PostmasterGeneral Summerfield,andrepresentativeleaders of our greatreligious faiths tookpart in the unveiling.The stamp will beused primarily for international regular mail. It symbolizes to the worldthe high ideals for which this nation stands."In God we trust." What a wonderful testimonyto the world as 200 million of these stamps will circlethe globe yearly!This country has put her trust in God. One hasbut to look back over the centuries to see how Godhas intervened in our behalf.During the first world war, the Germans, afterdiscovering that the wind would blow in one directionfor several hours,released a greenish, poisonousgas to float like a cloud over the enemy. Five thouthrough,sand Canadians gasped and died. It was so unexpected, and the Allied soldiers, all unprotected, fellin heaps. They were piled up like cords of wood. Allthat Germanyneeded to do now was to marchtake the English Channel, and the worldwas hers. Why didn't she do it? The MeteorologicalDepartment announced to the German General incharge that the direction of the wind was fixed andsettled for 36 hours to come, and that it would carrythe gas far out over the Allied lines so the gas wasturned loose. But the wind changed, and flung thegas back on the German army, and the Germans,gasping and strangling, staggered by the thousandsto their death. A German reporter said in 40 years ofmeteorological records of the German government,the wind never acted so peculiarly before. God hadintervened.In 1917 the Germans planned to solve the problem of growing food and grain, and perfected it asnever before. They said Germany would have theof all time. But a beetle swept over thepotato croppotato fields of Germany, and in a day they werescorched, scabbed and shriveled as though a fireswept over them. Ludendorf, in his "History of theWar,"says that it was the failure of the potato cropin 1917 that lost Germany the war. God had intervened.In 1917 the German submarine strength was atits peak. Night and day they had been turning themout. There were enough submarines to sweep theseas of Allied ships, and the soldiers shouted, "Thewar is Then the seas roared and raged, anda great storm came. Many submarines, unable to return to their bases because of the fury of the seas,were forced to come to the surface and were capturedor sunk. The back of the German submarine warfare(Continued on page 7)

Current EventsBy Prof. William H. RussellBRITISH PEACE HOPESAnthony Eden recently surprised Americans by a speechbefore the House of Commons. On the eve of the Washingtonmeeting between Churchill, Eden, Eisenhower, and Dulles,the British Foreign Minister proposed a system of mutualagreements, like the Locarno pacts, for Asia. The Locarnotreaties, made in 1925, guaranteed peace between Britain,France, Belgium, Italy, and Germany. They marked the restoration of defeated Germany to full status in internationalaffairs, and helped ease European tensions for & few years.But there was no means of enforcement for the Locarno system, and Hitler smashed it ten years later. The U. S. wouldhave practically no faith in any non-aggression treaty signedby Communist China. Creatingsuch a system would alsoimply full diplomatic recognition of the Peiping government,which we have refused to grant. But the plan will be popularin many European and Asiatic countries. Eden's speech won.applause from all parties in Britain, and American leaderswill find it hard to talk him out of the idea.EUROPEAN DEFENSE PLANSSome kind of a showdown is approaching on the Eurofor the creation of apean Defense Community. The treatyjoint army to defend Western Europe was signed over twoyears ago, but the French and Italian parliaments still havenot ratified it. The treaty would restore West Germany tafull sovereignty but integrate her armed forces into EDOChancellor Adenauer now demands that his country receiveits sovereignty immediately, ending nine years of militaryoccupation, regardless of what happens; to EDC. If Francerefuses to ratify EDC or continues stalling, West Germanymight come into NATO on a basis of full equality; butFrance is not likely to permit this. Britain and the U. S.might allow West Germany to go ahead and rearm outsideNATO, but this would bring a serious split with France. Theforeign ministers of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxemburgare asking West Germany to join them in proposing a meetingwith France and Italy to urge early action on the treaty. Theywill not discuss any alternatives to EDC until France acts on.the present treaty. But Premier Mendes-France will not putthe treaty before the French parliament until he gets; peace inIndochina. Something will surely be done within the next fewweeks, but the solution is not apparent.ASIATIC LEADERS MEETChou En-lai, Premier and Foreign Minister of RedChina, has gained considerable prestige in Asia by a meetingwith Indian Prime Minister Nehru at Delhi. Chou was givenan enthusiastic popular reception. Aside from general expressions of good will, the conference results have not yet beenannounced as we write. But both Chou and Nehru want toavoid internationalizing the Indochina war, and they maynon-aggression pacts. Officialsjoin in sponsoring a system ofof the two countries have also held talks on the possibilitiesof expanding their trade. From Delhi, Chou goes on to Rangoon, in response to an invitation from Premier U Nu ofBurma. He may also visit Indonesia, which like India is tryon good terms with Peiping.ing to keepSTEEL CONFLICTThe year's first important labor difficulty has come in thesteel industry. The contracts coveringworkers expired June 30,650,000 C.I.O. steeland preliminary talks for newcontracts quickly broke down. The union insisted on higherhourly wages, a guaranteed annual wage,and increased welfare and pension benefits. Management refused, claiming itcould not grant these requests without raising the price ofsteel. Two years ago we went through a very expensivestrike which lasted eight weeks and cost 17 million tons ofsteel and $300 million in wages. A longstrike is considered:very unlikely this year, however, for the steel inventories arelarge, the millsi are operating at only 73 per cent of capacity,and many workers are unemployed or on short hours. Furthermore, the steel workers probably will not find the nationalgovernment as sympathetic as it was under Democratic administrations. It would seem to be a bad year for a strike.CONGRESS AT WORKHope is nearly gone for securing a flexible farm pricesupport system, in place of the present requirement of 90 percent of parity. Both the House and Senate Agriculture committees have voted to extend the rigid supports for anotheryear. President Eisenhower could still veto the extension. Thiswould permit a 1948 law to come into effect, letting the supto disports go down to 75 per cent of parity when necessarycourage surplus production. But such a veto would be verydangerous in an election year, so the taxpayers may expect tokeep on paying for unwanted farm products.Congress also turned down Eisenhower's original requestfor liberalization of the Reciprocal Trade Act. They granteda one-year extension of the present act, though some Republicans opposed even this. General tariff revision is scuttledfor this session. Congress (apparently will be more liberal,however, in carrying out the President's foreign aid program.COFFIN NABLSThe American Cancer Society has released new evidenceof a definite link between cigarette smoking and both cancerand heart disease. Nearly 188,000 men between the ages of50 and 70 have been studied over a two-and-a-half-yearperiod. Thus far the results show that heavy cigarette smokershave a death rate, from all diseases, 75 per cent higher thannon-smokers. Their death rate was from five to sixteen timesas high from lung cancer,and twice that of non-smokers forheart conditions. The heart death rate, for which this is thefirst reliable evidence, probably comes from the well-knowneffect of nicotine in constricting the blood vessels. On the release of these findings, the stocks of the major cigarette companies!, already in a slump, fell several more points.ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENTThe prophets of gloom who think that modern civilization is weakening the human race are not borne out by athletic records. For many years the four-minute-mile was considered the ultimate goal of runners, the fastest that manwould ever go. Progress toward it was measured in tenthsof a second. Then in May Roger Bannister of Britain brokethe barrier by running a mile in 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds. NowJohn Landy, an Australian, has lowered the record to 3:58,and manypredict that an even faster mile will be run yetthis season. New world records have also been made in theshot put,one of the best tests of strength and coordination.July 7, 1954

worship."private."shepherd"arise"you."prayers"Opportunities for Growth in Grace and Christian ServiceGeorge S. Coleman, Ph.D."We do promise to avail ourselves of opportunities."Whether that means little or much, in connection with the general expressions which follow,depends on whether these expressions remain general in the thoughts of the various individuals, or areturned into specific ideas of actual steps which theythink of as their personal applications, steps whichthey intend, and promise to themselves and to God,to take. Such specific steps may be as numerous anddifferent as there are individuals. But the inspirationand power of the promise depends on the Christianimagination definitely looking toward real actionabout to begin.So one person, who has thought hard for manyyears about the problems of the Covenanter Church,offers some specific aims and steps which have cometo his mind. He hopes to start others upon thoughtsof their own which will make the words of promisingin the Covenant of 1954 more significant to each onepersonally."Opportunities, public andHow different they will be in the various congregations!These are large and small, located in village or cityor open country, under this pastor and that, somewith young people who have a leader, some whereeach young person must plan for himself since nogroup is ready to act. But "We . . pledge ourselves.to pray and labor ACCORDING TO OUR POWER,"says the Covenant of 1871 in one place ; and that isall God expects of any one. Nevertheless we need tohave eyes to see, as David had, the first time heheard the challenge of Goliath, which others hadheard morning and evening for forty days only todraw back. With the challenge to be met, and no oneelse meeting it, David saw "opportunity." Then hepower."acted, "according to hiscoming"Including The Covenanters are bemore and more alone as to worship. If ourworship is right, it should have power. "As menlive."worship, so they But our worship will nothave fullness of power unless Covenanters know thePsalms better, so that we cannot help thinking aboutthe inspired words rather than the tunes chiefly.That means more than committing the verses. Weare making gains in singing better, knowing thetunes and the parts, keeping time and keeping together. But we sing best, we worship most when thespirit of the Psalm as a whole, the Spirit of the Godof the whole book, sings in our hearts. Then indeedwe worship, "in spirit and in truth." "Christ in thePsalms"is to be presented again at Grinnell. Othergroupings of Psalms have been prepared. More canbe done. Why not know all the Psalms by the devicethat works for the 23rd and 121st, which we alsoknow as "The Lord's myand "I to thehills"? whv not also, "Let God and "0 ye mypeople, to my law," and so through the one hundredand fifty? There are other steps, too."Prayer."Someone said that the best prayersare those based on promises from God to do the kindof thing we ask. Jesus said, "If ye abide in me, andMY WORDS abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will,and it shall be done unto That is where Hetalked of the Vine and Branches, and of much fruit.We need to know the promises, and also the plans ofGod.Did you ever notice that the Covenant of 1871promises three times that we will "pray and labor"?then twice more it says "labor" alone, except in thelast instance it says "by our only three linesbelow. One of the prayermeetings the writer remembers best as earnest, was a short one on aSabbath afternoon when volunteers returned to theChurch, prayed and then went out to canvass fromhouse to house for Sabbath School scholars. Andprayermeeting could be transformed by one simpleidea. Spend the first half hour discussing what needsto be done, the best person or persons to do it, thenpray about it. Once all but two stayed to pray till thetwo sent on the errand of grace would return to report their result. That made the praying earnest!Half an hour in planning and praying, then half anhour in labor, would put a new thrill into the deadestmeeting. Listen to a sermon with a purpose to dosomething that Sabbath afternoon in application;and the sermon will have a new sound. "Pray and labor"is almost the Covenant of 1871's motto. It is agood motto."Study of the Scripture." It is astonishing howmany books of the Bible are almost a complete blankto many Christians. Many know the Bible only asverses. We need to know the whole Bible, and theBible as one whole, with a plan. It is not merely aplan of salvation for each individual, one by one,but a plan of God for the world. What are the prophecies applying to the times now, and ahead ? If Covenanters saw the great outlines of the Bible as awhole, they would have firmer convictions aboutthings which others are abandoning, or never knew.We might then be leaven indeed."Keeping holy the Sabbath day." If more peopledid what is here promised, they would absolutelyhave to keep the Sabbath wholly. That would helpthem to keep it holy. There would not be time enoughto cover all there was to do. It would be interesting,too."Observing the appointed Yousacraments."might request your pastor to preach at least once ayear on the neglected one of the two, on the sacrament which sets the aim of life, the sacrament therefore performed only once. If there were more consciousness of the Christian aim of life, people wouldfeel more the need for the repeated sacrament, theLord's Supper, which symbolizes the continual supplies of power. Some of us know only too well howhard it is to bring children up to holiness of life, in aworldly atmosphere even in the Church itself. If sessions at each communion read the roll of the baptized, and checked how each child was having thebaptismal vows kept in his case, there would bestirrings in many sessions. Perhaps a definite requirement for a report from each member at eachTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

mandments."communion time, by being present or stating his attention by letter and his desire to remain on the roll,would help keep touch and quicken life. If the sacrament of Baptism is not lived up to, the children willnot enter full communion. If absentees are not required to take some action, they will lose their senseof taking part."Giving regularly to the Lord'sneed to review how much they get. Theywork."Peoplewould bemore thankful. The tithe would be fuller. But thechief gains must be with the young people. If theyoung people's camps and conventions discussedstewardship earnestly, the young people would besafer from worldliness when they make money. Presently the Church would have more money to hastenthe victory which God has promised."Seeking to win others to Him." What a changeit makes in one's viewpoint on many subjects, whenhe begins to think earnestly of winning some particular person to Christ. Marriages would often be ona higher level if the two persons came to unity infaith while it was still a question whether they wouldbecome companions for life. Not so many marriageswould come apart if the persons had come morefully together. The Bible puts a great emphasis onwhole-hearted. The greatest commandment isbeingto love God "with all . . . and with all . . . and with all. . . The Ten Commandments set God's own standard in the words, "That love me, and keep my comBut when we love Him, it is natural toseek to bring others into the same devotion. "Thekingdom of heaven is like unto leaven." When thereis love enough, that is leaven ; and the leaven works.Financial Builders of the Covenanter ChurchRev. Joseph M. CaskeyThe privilege and honor of making a large bequest to the Master's work does not come to manyof our members. In the main, our people are notwealthy; neither are they, for the most part, poor.Rather they belong to the industrious middle classwhich constitutes the bone and sinew of our nation.Tlie practice of the high Christian virtues which weas a church stress, is altogether consistent withmaterial prosperity. "They shall prosper that lovethee."Consequently in every community where ourcongregations are located, some of their most substantial citizens are found in the Covenanter membership.One of the chief honors which comes to theperson who provides a legacy for the Church's worklies in the fact that thus his period of service isprojected almost indefinitely into the future. That initself is a great honor. The Lord is always looking forefficient service on the part of those who serve Him.Evidently, the span of life is not the most importantfactor. Jesus Christ Himself showed us, once and forall, how much of lasting service could be packed intoa few short years of time.We cannot estimate, nor ever repay our debt tothose who have gone on before. Through the legaciesthey placed in our hands, they are still with us,serving in a real and lasting fashion, and aiding immensely in the tasks of the present hour. This appliesprincipally to invested, or endowment funds, the income from which becomes available for the Church'swork,year after year.Truly the obligation to do just this sort ofthing comes to all to whom God has dealt with abountiful hand, and in a sense, we are all rich bothhereafter. The matter of giving a goodhere, andaccount of their stewardship has been recognizedall down the years by many of our faithful members.Our Synod has made most careful provision for thecustody and disbursement of bequests. Our Boardsare incorporated under State laws, and are carefullyrestricted in the nature of their investments. As aresult of wise and careful handling, the dividends onour investments have remained comparatively high,not under three per cent during the depressionof the thirties, and currently five and one-half percent. The sum total of endowment funds handled byour Synod amounts to over one million dollars, andindicates clearly the confidence of the Church in herBoard of Trustees. The care and management of ourpermanent funds now require as much time and attention as the conducting of a good-sized bank.Most of the legacies received by the Church arerelatively small, although throughout the years therehave been some exceptions to this ; it is not the purpose of this article to bestow honor only upon thosewho have bequeathed great sums. Jesus commendedthe poor widow for putting her two mites into theLord's work far more highly than he did those otherswho put in great sums. The church of Jesus Christhas been supported mainly by the faithful and sacrificial giving by those of lesser means.It would have been difficult to continue our missionary work, the work of the seminary, and of Geneva College through the lean years of the depresfrom those whosion, had it not been for such helphad long since passed on to Glory. The Lord wouldhave used other means to supply the needs, hadthere been no legacies, but it is evidently His will toprovide surpluses to be saved for use in times ofleanness. All honor to the faithful of former days,whose "works do follow them" to aid us in the tasksof the present hour !To kind friends yet with us who plan a legacyfor the Master's work, we assure you the CovenanterChurch will accept gifts for her work with profoundthanks, and accord the utmost freedom to the donorsin prescribing their manner of use and distribution.A similar article was written about twentyyearsago,and the committee has used some of thematerial contained in it, to prepare this article. Theauthor of the original article is unknown to the committee.July 7, 1954

Don't Wait For The Next TimeAnticipating the national gathering of ourchurch at Grinnell, July 14-21, for the Synod, theWomen's Synodical, CYPU, Junior Hi and children'sgroups, those who have been there previously relishthe thought of meeting our friends from all over.Florida greets Washington, Ontario greets Californiaand all of the areas within limits.With missionaries home from Cyprus, fromSyria and from Japan, this is going to be a missionary-minded assembly. And in the mind of everyone,doubtless, the leading thought will be that of covenant-renewal. Surely, no one who has the opportunity, at all, to attend will lightly pass it by.These national gatherings, since they began inWinona Lake in 1926, have been of incalculable valueto the maintenance of the spiritual life of the church.Distance has been overcome to establish and to maintain the ties of acquaintance, friendship and devotion.Memory recalls the pictures of assemblies heldin 1926, 1930, 1934 and the memorable assembly in1938, when the Lord' Supper was observed in theAuditorium, memoralizing the 300th anniversaryof the Covenant of 1638 and the martyrdom of Patrick Hamilton.The question comes to the mind of the writer,how long may it be again, after this year, beforewe may have another national convention ? The normal recurrence was planned, at first, to have beenonce every four years. But war intervened after 1938preventing our comingtogether again until 1947.That year we met for the first time in Grinnell,Iowa. It was a glad resumption. Many who hadserved in World War II were present and gave ustheir testimony. Serious minded dedication to Christcharacterized our youth. We can never forget DarbyHall. Those were days of fervent petition for God'sblessings upon those who went to Washington for theintroduction into Congress of the Christian Amendment. Thanksgiving went up to the Throne of Gracefor the granting of the petitions while they werebeing offered.Who will ever forget the response to the appealof the Foreign Mission Board for the Sabbath Dayofferings to purchase the JEEP for the workers inJapan. The offering plates spilled over with greenbacks.Three years later we re-assembled in the samespirit for a packed program. Memorable features,such as Christ in the Psalms, the Historical Pageant,the Temperance Orations, the tape recordings fromCyprus and Syria are more than can be recounted.They were a lasting contribution.Now, this year, with the dark clouds of wardarkening the skies and with the rattling of thesabers, it just could be that another interruption bywar might prevent our assembling again after 1954for a good while. So let us make the most of this one.If the indication of the spirit of consecration inour youth in the summer camps of last year meanswith God's blessing, suchanything, we may expect,a surge of readiness to follow the Lord Jesus Christin our young people, as never before animated our6national assemblies. May the Lord grant that this betrue.So mend your old dress, press your old suit, andpolish your old shoes, pack up and come along. Seey'all at Grinnell.Alvin W. Smith"What the Covenant SigningWill Mean to Me"As far back as I can remember, the idea ofcovenanting was a prominent subject. Early in lifeI heard the thrilling tales of our Scottish forebearslaboring, and sacrificing, and evendying in defenseof the Scriptural Ideals embodied in the Covenants.Our fifth Term of Communion always was givena prominent part in Communion Preparation. TheCovenant of 1871 has had no small part in influencing my ministry since 1926.Now, as the prospect of renewing the Covenantin 1954 draws nearer and nearer, I have been asking myself just what it will mean to me. Whatfollows is only a partial answer.(1) It will mean the fulfillment of a long cherisheddream. The Covenant Renewal Times in the Biblewere thrilling both in experience and results, andwere limited in their blessings only by the failureof man to keep what he had pledged. The same hasbeen true of Covenant Taking Times in Scotland and America. And even as my father longedfor Covenant Renewal in his generation, so have Icherished the dream for mine. Now it is about tobe a reality.(2) It will mean an opportunity to publiclypledge anew my loyalty to Christ and the Covenanter Church. Not that this is a matter for greatparade and display. It is not. But it is a matterof humble testimony that we take our stand withHim, and under His leadership as the Head of ourChurch, we will follow where He leads as "the Way,Life."the Truth, and the(3) It will mean to me a visible evidence thatour Church is in reality "The Covenanter Church."That has been an honored name since ReformationDays, even though some would use it in ridicule.The years 1581, 1638, 1643 and, in America 1871,are outstanding as mountaintop experiences inCovenant Signing.But 83 years have passed without renewal,and although the "old home base" still standscure as a perpetual document, it's binding obligationsare less and less keenly felt as the years roll by.The renewal of the Covenant of 1954 brings us backonce more to reality.(4) It will mean to me a renewed hope andassurance for the future of our church. And that,I trust, is not mere wishful thinking. Covenantingis a two-sided arrangement. God stands on one sideman on the other. God never breaks His promise,and when man keeps his part of the agreementthere are blessed results. That is true over and overagain in the Bible records. It has been demonstratedlikewise again and again in the covenants referred to and others that might be recalled. TheseTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of July 25, 1954C.Y.P.U. TOPICJuly 25, 1954THE COMMANDS OF CHRISTIANGROWTHScripture Passages: Eph. 3:14-19;4:14-16; H Peter 2:18.Helps and comments:Psalms:Rev. Paul E. Faris84; 1, 3-4, page 20563; 1-5, page 153144; 10-13, page 3491; 1-4, page 1References: Ps. 92:12; Jer. 32:1,2;Hos. 14:4-7; Eph. 2:19-22; H Thess.1:3; Heb. 5:12-14; n Peter 1:5-9;I Peter 2:2,3Life and growth are both possibleonly by the grace of God. Growth ispossible only where there is life. Christian growth is found only where theperson is united to eternal life throughChrist. It is different from physicalgrowth in that our bodies reach maturity and then decline as we approach old age. In the Psalms 92:12-14the opposite is shown to be true to thespiritual life, for here we read, "Therighteous shall flourish like the plamtree: he shall grow like a cedar inLebanon. Those that be planted in thehouse of the Lord shall flourish in thecourts of our God. Theyshall stillbring forth fruit in old age. they shallbe fat and flourishing."Our problem for this meeting is howto get people to see that growth mustcome with "Christ in My Life." It isnot a decision which we make and thenrest easy for the rest of our lives. TheBible presents the Christian life as aperiod of growth here in this world inpreparation for the next life. We enterinto spiritual life as a babe; we desirethe milk of the Word;we must be caredfor, guided and taught; we advance andtake stronger food which the Bibledescribes as strong meat.The passages of Scripture which havebeen chosen for this topic present thefact that this is a command of God. Itis not wishful thinking on my part or onthe part of the young people who madeup the topic committee for this year.God actually states as a direct commandto usknowledge of"But grow in grace, and in theour Lord and SaviourJesus Christ.'' This is a command asreal and as binding as the commandwhich says, "Thou shalt not kill;" Godhad a reason for asking us to respectand protect life; He has just as muchreason for asking us to grow. We needto feel as guilty for breaking this command as any8other command of God.If we fail to heed this command, theresults are as tragic as those for themurderer. If we were to kill someone,we would feel guilty; yet people havelittle guilt about disobeying God's command, "Grow."In the passage in the third chapterof Ephesians we have a description ofthe vision which Paul had for thosepeople and their development in theChristian life. Read those verses overand over and see for yourself the waysin which you may grow in Christ. Thisis Paul's prayer for those people; it canmake us realize what God's hope for usis. The prayers of the Bible are patterns for us; while you may say this isthe prayer for my pastor to pray forme, I would suggest that it might wellbecome your prayer for yourself. TellGod you want to grow; talk it over withHim in prayer, and don't forget to listento Him as you read His Word.In the fourth chapter of Ephesiansit will give you the background if youbegin with the eleventh verse and readthrough the verses assigned from thechapter. Here we have the organizationwhich God set up for our helpand guidance, and again it is all for the one purpose that we "may grow up into him inall things, which is the head, evenChrist."We see the purpose of our beingin Christ a vital part of the body toperform a specific function. The causeof Christ suffers if we do not grow andcarry out our duties. The Body ofChrist can not work effectively.In the Brief Covenant of 1954, "We dopromise to avail ourselves of opportunities, public and private, for growth ingrace and for Christian service, including worship, prayer, study of theScriptures, keeping holy the Sabbathday, observing the appointed sacraments,giving regularly to the Lord's work,and seeking to win others to Him."In response to God'scommand asChristians we have promised as a churchto obey the command, "Grow."It would seem natural to go into thethings that would help us grow; thetopics for the coming month are "Aidsto Christian Growth," so we will waitand allow someone else to describethese things for you. If you study andprayover this topic that you will beconvicted of your sin in lack of growth,then the coming topics will be steppingstones in your Christian growth. Thatis our hope for each of you.FOR DISCUSSION:1. What would you suggest as themeans by which this command of Godmight become a real conviction on thepart of our people?2. Give reasons for your lack ofgrowth in Christ.3. What have been your greatest inspirations for growth? (they may include friends, the Bible, Christianliterature, conferences, etc.)4. Why was this matter of growthgiven such a prominent place in theBrief Covenant?5. What would you suggest as thingsyou might domediately?to start growing imRead also the article by Prof. GeorgeS. Coleman in this issue. Editor.JUNIOR TOPICJuly 25, 1954By Mrs. Wilbur J. KeysENOCHGenesis 5:21-24, Hebrews 11:5,6Memory Verse:"And Enoch walkedwith God: and he was not; for Godtook him." Gen. 5:24Psalms:Psalm 48, page 122, verses 1, 10Psalm 84, page 205, verses 1, 3, 6Psalm 15, page 26, verses 1, 2Psalm 116, page 282, verses 1, 2, 5, 6References:Men who loved GodGen. 6:8, 9; Job1:1; II Kings 20:3Our example: Ps. 16:8; Rom. 8:1; Gal.5:16;How we are to walk: Micah 6:8, IThess. 2:12; Phil. 1:21; I John 1:6,7Last week, you will recall, we studiedabout the two offerings of Cain andAbel. Which one was acceptable to Godand why? Yes,Able offered a bloodsacrifice which was in obedience toGod's command and acceptable.Today, we study another man whodid that which was right in God's sight.Enoch was a man who walked with God.What does that mean? If you and I wereto walk together we would have toagree as to where we were going. Amos3:3. Suppose I wanted to walk to thewoods and see the beautiful trees andwild flowers,and you wanted to gowindow-shopping. We could not go together, could we? So when it says thatEnoch walked with God, he wanted togo where God wanted to go and do whatGod wanted to do.According to verse 22, Enoch walkedwith God three hundred years. Thisseems like a long time to us, but inthose days it was about one-half of thelife span of other men. Because Enochwas so close to God and obeyed HisTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

.manyought"aspray."ceasing''morrow."nothing."yet."you,"busy, noisy world, prayer seems toWord, his work on earth was finishedJuly 7, 1954much sooner.to be out of place.There were only two men who did Although prayer is our means ofnot die Enoch and Elijah. Genesis 5: communication with God, the masses, by24 says, "he was not; for God took him."and large, live without prayer. OurThis seems to be proof of our faith andhope in heaven. Those who walk withGod shall be forever with Him.Boys and girls, we too must walkwith God if we are to please Him. Wemust be born into His family by accepting Jesus Christ as our Saviour.Then we shall be ready when God callscivilization could not get along for asingle day without telephones, radio andteletype; communication between manand man is absolutely essential to ourwell-being. But thousands live day afterday, year in, year out, without talkingwith God through prayer. Prayer is notregarded as a real necessity, but just aus to be with Him forever.crutch in emergencies. For the trueChristian, however, prayer is not aNOTEBOOK WORK:luxury. Realizing that he needs GodDivide your page in half. In the topevery hour, he prays "withouthalf paste a black heart about three(I Thess. 5:16-18 Memoryinches high and beside it print, "ForIsaiah 40:30-31. Onethe wages of sin is death." of the blessingsPut the"but"gainedword, in the center of the by the Christian through prayerpage.is strength. This includes courage toOn the bottom half paste a whiteface the circumstances and challengesheart the same size as above and colorofa red cross in the center of it. Beside life; and faith, not merely to meetthe great issues ofthe white heart print, "the gift of Godlife, but the wearisome ways of common experiences. Weis eternal life through Jesus Christ ourLord."should realize,Rom. 6:23.however, that thestrength or power has its source in GodFlashcard: Sketch a cloud in the cen and not in prayer itself. A very commonter. Print, "Enoch" at the top and print,misconception of prayer is that it is a"Gen.5:24" at the bottom. Be sure to kind of force that is able to do greatreview the memory verses by flash things for us. We often read about "thecards each week so the children shallremember them.power of if prayer," prayer were aforce like electricity or atomic energy.In the city of Denver there is a churchQuestions:1. What is man's chief end? I Cor.10:31building which has a gigantic sign onits roof in neon letters: "Prayer ChangesThings."This is very impressive, but it2. What two ways did Jesus tell us is also very wrong. For prayer does notabout? Which way should the Chris change things; GOD CHANGEStian choose? Matt. 7:13,143. What happens to those who do notobey God? Ezekiel 18:4THINGS in answer to prayer, accordingto His will. Prayer itself has no powerwhatever; the power to make changes in4. What did Enoch preach about?our lives comes from God, who hearsJude 14,15and answers prayer.5. How can we have the faith ofEnoch? Rom. 10:17Luke 11:1-13. How often have some ofus prayed, as the disciples did, "Lord,6. List some duties of a Christian who teach us to We need divine indesires to walk with God.struction in prayer, not only becauseof our human limitations, but even moreSABBATH SUNDAY LESSONbecause of our fallen, sinful condition."We know not what toJuly 25, 1954pray for as we(Romans 8:26). God gives us theby Rev. Joseph A. Hill(Lessons based on International Sunday School instruction that we need for properLessons ; the International Bible Lessons forChristian Teaching, copyrighted by the International Council of Religious Education.)prayer, through the Bible and throughthe Holy Spirit.GROWING THROUGH PRAYER The word in Christ's parable transLesson Material: Psalm 46:10; Isaiah lated as "importunity" means literally,40:30-31; Luke 11:1-13; Philippians 4:It implies that we"shamelessness."6-7; Hebrews 4:14-16.While dining in a restaurant a fewdays ago, I noticed an unusual folderought to have no sense of shame beforeGod when we ask Him to fulfill ourdeepest needs, even if we must, as itplaced in the middle of the table. In were, God in prayer. This does"pester"side there was a statement to the not mean that we are to keep askingeffect that it was becoming popular to God for permission to do somethingask a blessing before meals, even inrestaurants. To make it easy for thosenot accustomed to praying, there wereprinted three brief prayers, appropriatewhich we know to be clearly wrong. Itdoes not mean that we are to keep praying when we know that God's answeris a plain "No." It means that we are toat meal time. Unusual? Yes, in this persevere in our prayers to God whenGod seems to say, in answer to ourprayers, "Not God sometimes putsHis children to the test through prayer;He proves their faith and strengthens itthrough prayer. We should not beashamed when God seems to say to us,"Not yet. Wait awhile. Come back toWe talk over our problems freelywith our friends; we share our innermost thoughts and the desires of ourhearts with our loved ones. But God,who knows our innermost thoughts, andhas the answer to all our needs, and thesolution to all our problems, can helpus more than any human friend or lovedone (Luke 11:13). The trouble is thatwe talk too much with men, and toolittle with God.forPhilippians 4:6-7. "Be careful forIn the R. V. it is, "Be anxiousnothing."The Greek word means "tobe troubled withcares."Compare I Peter5:7 "Casting all your care upon him;for he careth forwhere the sameGreek word is used; and Psalm 55:22"Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and heshall sustain thee," where the same wordis used in the Septuagint (Greek version of the O.T.). The meaning is plain:instead of worrying, PRAY; instead ofdoubting, TRUST IN THE LORD.Another popular view of prayer whichis distorted is the idea that prayer isa sort of tonic for the soul. It is supposedto have a therapeutic value and is tobe used to brush away the gloom andbring sunlight into the chambers ofthe soul. It is true, according to Philippians 4:7, that one of the blessingsgained by the Christian through prayeris "the peace of God which passeth understanding."But this inner peace, oftenreferred to as "peace of mind," comesonly to the Christian. We should realizethat prayer by itself does not bringthe peace of God. Prayer alone cannot produce the serenity of soul forwhich people are yearning. No man canhave "the peace of God" until he firsthas "peace WITH GOD" through theatonement of Christ. "The foundationof the peace of God which passeth allunderstanding is peace with God. Bynature we are at enmity with God, atwar with God. But when the foundationof peace with God has been laid, thenthe way is open for the peace of God tocome into the person's life. Hence Christoffers no spiritual peace except to thosewho first of all make their peace withGod by receiving Jesus Christ as theirSaviour.'Justified by faith, we havepeace with God through our Lord JesusChrist'(Rom. 5:1). It is one of thegreatest and most prevalent blundersof our day to offer the subsidiary benefits of the Gospel to people who havenot received, do not want and will not

need."spirit."purified..."widow."evil."righteousness."us."accept the main benefit of the Gospel.Those who do not want peace with Godcannot have the peace of God." ("BlueBanner Faith and Life," April-June,1953, p. 83).Hebrews 4:14-16. It is through thehigh priesthood of our Redeemer, JesusChrist, and only through it, that ourprayers are heard and answered by God.Christ is our Mediator, and our prayersreach the throne of Grace only throughHim. Moreover, all our prayers are certain ofbeing answered (although sometimes the answer is "No") because ofChrist's intercession before God in ourbehalf.I have heard ministers address thenprayersto God directly, without anyrecognition of Christ as the Mediator.They end their prayer with these words:"In thy name, Amen"; or else they say,"Amen."simply, Such prayers are dishonoring to Christ, and they are unacceptable to God.Through Jesus Christ, our great highpriest, we may "come boldly unto thethrone of grace, that we may obtainmercy, and find grace to help in timeofPRAYERMEETING TOPICJuly 28, 1954GREAT PROMISES IN ISAIAH:Psalms:The Blotting Out of Our Sins.Isaiah 1: 16-18Rev. James D. Carson85:1-4, page 20732:1-6, page 74103:1-4, page 24625:7-12, page 59References:Lev. 4:12; II Chron. 7:14; Isa. 55:7;Jer. 31:34; 33:8; Ezek. 36:25-27; Acts5:31; 26:15-18; Eph. 1-7; I John 1:9.This topic begins a series of six on thegeneral subject "Great Promises inIsaiah."This lesson concerns the promise of forgiveness of sin. Nearly alwaysa promise is given only after certainconditions have been met, and the conditions for the promise of the blottingout of our sins are given here for us.CONDITIONS OF THE PROMISE"Repentance consists of two partsthe mortification of the flesh and thevivification of the (Calvin) Manhas no power by which to change hislife, and live a new life; but when Godhas instilled within a person that newspark of life, he then expects us to seewhat He has given to us. God promiseddeliverance to the children of Israelfrom the bondage of Egypt, but theywere expected to usehandthe means atnamely, their feet, or whateversmall conveyances they may have had.God promises us deliverance from the10don with His reproach. . And this isbondage of sin; but we are at the samethe only one that can combine His par ness in our lives by forgiving others:time expected and commanded to usethe means which God has placed at ourdisposal.what we find in this promise.The blotting out of our sins does notcome as a result of compromise. GodThis is the meaning of the two open does not overlook sin. He does noting verses of our text, for God commands us: "Wash you, make you clean;put away the evil of your doings fromignore it. But when the penalty hasbeen paid for sin, then He casts thatpaid bill behind His back; He blots itbefore mine eyes; cease to do out: "as far as east is from the west,This is the first condition of the prom so far hath he removed our transgresise the crucifying of the flesh, and the sion from And Jesus Christ paidcleansing of the heart. And this can that penalty for every person chosen ofcome to us only as we measure our lives God. And so the blotting out of sinagainst the perfect standard of the holy is the result of the complete paymentlaw of God as found in the Scriptures. of that debt.The reading of the Word, attended by The blotting out of our sins does notthe blessing of His Spirit, enables us to come as a result of anything that wesee the sin and the shortcomings of our can do. We read that we shall be madelives.white. We are passive. God does theThe second condition told here is the forgiving. And because it is God whopositive aspect. "Learn to do well; seek forgives, we have the assurance thatjudgment, relieve the oppressed, judge our sins shall indeed be made white,the fatherless, plead for the As for He is altogether righteous, and canwe are given the power to see the sin in turn make us white also. We haveof our hearts, and so to put those things the responsibility of seeking God, andaway from us, so also are we required of turning away from our sins, but Godto put good things in place of those. alone can forgive us.Salvation does not come to us because The blotting out of our sins bringsof good works, but good works must renewed fellowship with God. Sin breaksfollow as a fruit of salvation. "As jus our relationship with the Father, andtice and charity will never atone foronly by confessing our sins, and seekingatheism and profaneness, so prayers and forgiveness can we possibly renew thatsacrifices will never atone for fraud and fellowship. And so it is necessary thatoppression; for righteousness towards our sins be blotted out, for if they aremen is as much a branch of pure renot, then we cannot come into the presligion as religion towards God is a ence of the Father. No person then canbranch of universalsee God who first of all has not ex(Matthew Henry). Upon these condiperienced the goodness of God and thetions rest the fulfilment of the promisepromise of God in forgiveness.to us. In these days when the FatherThe blotting out of our sins bringshood of God and the Brotherhood ofto us joyMan are taught and believed byso uniproduct. This does not mean that ourversally, it is important that we emphalives will involve no pain and suffering.size the conditions upon which theIt does mean, however, that we canpromise rests. "The greatest sinner, ashave the assurance that we are in felsoon as he has performed two or threelowship with God. It is said that theduties of the law, doubts not but they inscriptions on the catacombs in Romeare accepted of Him for righteousness;spoke of rejoicing in the Lord. Evenbut the Lord positively denies that anythough the Christians were enduringsanctification is acquired by such acsuffering, had hardships and even death,tions, unless the heart be previouslyyet they could rejoice, because theywell(Calvin).knew that it was for the cause of theTHE PROMISEglory of Christ. The world does not andcannot understand this sort of action,And the promise is found in these because it is completely foreign to thewords: "Come now, and let us reason general understanding of the world,together, saith the Lord: though your where selfishness and self-seeking amsins be as scarlet, they shall be as white bitions reign.as snow; though they be red like crimThis certainly is a "Great Promise,"wool."son, they shall be as Georgebecause it stands at the very root of ourAdam Smith writes in this connection:relationship"Conscience is not the Lord's God, because withoutpersecuforgiveness of sin, we cannot approachtion, but His jealous pleading, and notthe Father.the fierceness of His anger, but thereproach of His love." And further: Prayer Suggestions:"And therefore, because of all books the 1. Thanksgiving for God's mercy andBible is the only one which interprets grace in forgiving our sins.conscience as the love of God, so it is 2. That we may exhibit that forgiveTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

man."all.""Forgive us our debts, as we forgive ourdebtors."3. That we may be more faithful inpreaching the Gospel, and that the HolySpirit may be pleased to use our effortsfor His glory.4. That the vows we have made atGrinnell may beapplied.earnestly kept andW. M. S. DepartmentMrs. Ross Latimer. Editor.Prayer Hour. 1:00 P.M. MondayCONDENSED REPORT OF SYNODICALTHANK OFFERING SUPERINTENDENT 1953-54Out of a total of 92 societies, 89 reported. Out of the 89 which reported, 78had special Thank Offering meetingsand 23 had special Self Denial meetings.The Total Thank Offering for 1953-54was $11,725.00, an increase of $399.00over last year. The Total Self Denial Offering for 1953-54 was $3,114.00, an increase of $42.00 over last year. Thus theincrease in Thank Offerings and SelfDenial Gifts was $441.00 over last year.The Thank Offering Meetings wereconducted in various ways. Most of theprograms included special speakers :some meetings the Juniors took part.Some of the societies were privileged tosee the pictures from Latakia and tohear the tape recording at their ThankOffering meeting.Following is a list of guest speakerswho addressed various Thank Offeringmeetings : Miss Mary Adams, Mrs. Chester Hutcheson, Miss Eunice McClurkin,Dr. and Mrs. Wilbur W. Weir and Mr.Harold Harrington. Miss Eleanor Fariswas scheduled to speak at variousThank Offering meetings but was notable to attend because of her accident."Thank-off'rings, Lord, to Thee I'll give,And on Thy name will call,I'll pay my vows now to the LordBefore His peopleinRespectfully submitted,Mrs. Frank L. Stewart"You cannot whitewash yourself byothers."blackeningto"The debts we owe to God are payableThe nation has no better friend thanthe mother who lives for Christ andteaches her children to pray.Between the great things we cannotdo and the small things we will not do,the danger is that we shall do nothing.July 7, 1954LARNACA: Two of our graduatingclass of 1954 and one of our teacherswho graduated two years ago expectto enter Geneva College this fall. Thiswill make eight former Academy students in Geneva.LOS ANGELES: Sabbath, May 9,Bruce Lloyd, son of Mr. and Mrs. LloydChambers was baptized.ORLANDO: Our June W.M.S. meeting was held at the home of Miss Lidaand Margaret McClure in Orlando.BLOOMINGTON :Mr. and Mrs. DaleShaw and son, Bobby Dale, of Rochester,Indiana spent the week-end with Mrs.Shaw's parents, Dr. and Mrs. R. S. McElhinney. We were happy to have themattend our services.UNION, MARS, PA.: Mrs. AldineWoodruff of our congregation is conducting a unique ministry to "shut-ins."At her request names are sent to her byWPGH broadcasting program to "shutins."With seven other ladies she hasset apart 10:30 each morning in theirown homes to pray for these lonely people. Once each month she sends Christian messages and tracts to approximately 100 persons, together with a smallgift at the Christmas time. She feelsgreatly rewarded by the many appreciative letters she receives in reply. Perhaps this suggestion may be acted on bywilling workers in other sections ofthe country. D.H.E.OLATHE : We were delighted to haveMr. and Mrs. James A. Carson of Philadelphia in our midst. They were weekend guests at the manse. Dr. and Mrs.Stewart greatly enjoyed their fellowshipbecause of their close association for 27years of friendship and hearty cooperation in the work of the Lord in ourCovenanter Church in Philadelphia.LOS ANGELES: A pot luck dinnerwas held at the church on May 21. Afterdinner a film about The Pacific Garden Mission of Chicago was shown.On May 17,1954 Terry Keith Clawson arrived to gladden the home of Mr.and Mrs. Dell Clawson of the NEWALEXANDRIA, PA. R. P. Congregation. His brother Barry also welcomedhim.OLATHE: The June Meeting of theWomen's Missionary Society was held atthe home of Mrs. James Redpath. Therewere 22 who sat down to a very delightful luncheon. We were happy to havethe following guests present: Mr. andMrs. Clyde Redpath, Dr. Clarence E.Wilson, Mrs. Ray Gillihan and Mary RayGillihan. We were happy, too, that ourPresident, Mrs. Frank Redpath, wasagain with us after her visit of sixmonths to Phoenix, Arizona: also thatMrs. Ninnie McGee, our member wholives at Sterling, Kansas, and Mrs. IdaMoore were able to be with us.LOS ANGELES: On Sabbath, May 9,we were happy to have Dr. W. WilburWeir of our Larnaca, Cyprus, Missionas our guest speaker.LARNACA: The dates for our YouthConference on Troodas this summer areAugust 4-9. Pray that it will be a greatblessing to all.GENEVA: Mr. and Mrs. M. F. Murphy recently motored to Syracuse tovisit Mr. Murphy's brother who is ill.ORLANDO: Bob Oliver is throughcollege now and in Florida. We hope hefinds work here that he likes and decides to stay.PHOENIX: Welcome home! SteveBagwell is vacationing with his familyafter finishing his first year at Geneva.He plans to return to Beaver Falls afterattending Grinnell.BLOOMINGTON:Communion services were held May 23 with Rev. JohnMcMillan of Sparta assisting.LOS ANGELES: A surprise babyshower was given for Mrs. MarjorieSmith by the Covenettes at the home ofMrs. Evelyn Birdsall. She received manypretty and useful baby gifts. The evening was enjoyed by all even thoughMarjorie and her husband Esmond aregoing to spend the next year in Cincinnati, Ohio, where Esmond will furtherhis medical studies. They will be greatlymissed.OLATHE: We are always happy tohave Mrs. Ninnie McGee of Sterling,Kansas visit Olathe. She was a guest inthe home of Mrs. Mary Tippin. She wasalso entertained by a number of relatives and friends who greatly enjoyedher visit.We are glad to have in our midstagain, Mr. Walter Frank Redpath, whoreturned from Phoenix, Arizona toOlathe. He is making his home with hisparents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Redpathand has returned to his former workwith the Hyer Boot Co. of Olathe.11

monuments."weeks'TOPEKA: Rev. Sam Boyle and familyarrived in Seattle, Saturday, June 19.Mr. Boyle preached for the Portlandcongregation on June 20, and is preaching for the Topeka congregation June 27and July 4. Their present address is 914,Clay St., Topeka.Members of the WOMEN'S MISSIONARY SOCIETIES attending the Women'sSynodical at Grinnell are requested tobring along their uniform Programs.Plan of Work Chairman.ORLANDO: expects to be pretty wellrepresented at the convention in Grinnell, Iowa this year. Some of thoseplanning to go are Dr. and Mrs. Smithandfamily and Mr. and Mrs.LouisDonahue and family. There are otherswho hope to be able to be there.The first in a series ofFamily Nightsocials, to be held by the WILKINSBURG congregation each two months,was in charge of the Y.P.M.S. the eveningof June 24. Various groups in the congregation will have the planning of theprograms for succeeding Family Nights.The ALLEGHENY congregation gavean individual shower in honor of Miss ArleneJufer and Mr. Robert Bennett onFriday June 4. A program was put onfollowing the pattern of the skit "Thisis Your Life," which was enjoyed byeveryone. Refreshments were served anda social hour followed.A successful vacation Bible schoolwas held at the LAKE RENO Covenanter Church June 7-18.Thirty- threepupils were enrolled full time, with onlyone absence to break a perfect attendance record for the ten daysi. A goodprogram was presented to an interestedaudience June 18.Teachers and workers in the school were: Mrs. WaldoMitchel, director; Miss Willa Hogan,Mrs. Charles Peterman, Mrs. ErmelBlair, Jean Ewing, Jean Mitchel, Joanne Wild, and Rev. Mitchel.GENEVA: "Come to Vacation BibleSchool, June 14 to 25 in the GenevaReformed Presbyterian Church," was thetheme of "Dodgers" given to each schoolchild in College Hill as they were dismissed from their public school dutieson June 4. A corps of workers headedby Mrs: Leslie Fallon had the task ofdistributing the notices.They includedMrs. Merrill Robb, Kathie Willson, Mary Mitchell, Mrs. Ernest Lathem, Mrs.W. G. Dodds, and Mrs. George Coleman. Besides these smaller notices,large posters were placed in store windows in the College Hill area and Moradodwellings.ORLANDO: The Fellowship andBuilders for Christ classes were hosts to12the Sabbath School children on Fridayevening, June 18, when a picnic supperwas enjoyed in the social parlor of thechurch. The previously planned swimming party had to be omitted, due toinclement weather, but the rain failedto dampen the spirits of the childrenwho entered into the games and singingfollowing the supper.Though the rains had held off in theCHICAGO area for a good many days,showers were forecast for the eveningof June 4. Indeed, a shower arrived, amost pleasant and surprising one for itschief recipient the pastor's wife. Themany gifts were lovely and gratefullyappreciated, as was their expression oflove. The Lord is ever ready to provide.Our sincere thanks to the ladies of thecongregation and to Mrs. Alice Bowes,in whose home this event took place.Norman and Beverly CarsonDENISON: After eight months thefinal cast was removed from EleanorFaris'leg on June 21. She has made asplendid recovery and will soon be walkingquite normally.KANSAS CITY: The visit of Dr. andMrs. Wilbur Weir to our church wasmuch appreciated, especially the evidencetheypresented that Christian educationmay be a fruitful method of evangelism.WILKINSBURG: Miss Lottie Harriswas one of the several hundred longtime supervisors of the Bell TelephoneCompany in the Pittsburgh district whohad the privilege of a few days at Atlantic City.ALLEGHENY: We were glad to havewith us Mrs. Frank Tedford of Minneola, Kansas who brought the TemperanceMessage to the Sabbath School June 13.We were also happy to welcome herdaughter Mrs. Robert Cunningham andnew granddaughter Lynette Diana.Other welcomed visitors who worshipped with us recently were Mr. JosephFleming, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Greerand children, and Dr. Robert Park andtwo sons.Mr. and Mrs. Ronald McCrory ofLAKE RENO are the parents of SharonAdelaide, born April 5. Her eight brothersand sisters are quite proud of her.Rita Ann Blair arrived June 3.Sheis the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. GeorgeBlair. (LAKE RENO).GENEVA: Special features of ourBible School were a studyof the Bookof Acts conducted by Dr. Willson duringthe opening exercises. Each childwas given a copyat the close of theschool. Rev. Tweed conducted the closingexercises invitingdifferent members ofthe congregation to participate. Mrs. C.M. Patterson gave two interesting flannelgraph talks on "Two ways from theplace of decision" and "Building life's"Temptations."Joe Lathomtalked onMrs. Merrill Robb readseveral missionary stories, illustratingthem with items directly from the mission field. Mrs. Stewart McCready gavea temperance talk. Mrs. George Coleman held their attention with severalstories about day-by-day living. A guestfrom Beaver Falls, Mrs. Howard Elliott,gave an object lesson on "The Bible."ORLANDO: Close to 100 people attended the reception given by Mr. andMrs. E. N. Harsh in our church parlor,in honor of our newly-wed couple Mr.and Mrs. Edwin Forrest who have returned from their honeymoon trip andare residing for the summer in the homeof Mr. and Mrs. Cameron Patterson at114 E. Concord, Orlando.The WILKINSBURG congregationmissed Mrs. William Esler, who ishome again after severalvacation with her sister, Mrs. Samuel Wiley,at Van Buren Point, N. Y., on LakeErie.We are happy to welcome Dr. SusanWiggins of New Concord, Ohio,as anew member of The Home and to theservices and activities of the ALLEGHENY Church.Bruce Dale, infant son of Mr. andMrs. Dale Blair, was baptized at theLAKE RENO church May 16, 1954.KANSAS CITY: After our plans hadbeen made for vacation Bible school anddates announced, a series of sicknessesamongthe members of our staff madeat least a postponement necessary.Mrs. E. J, Butkie (Martha Huston) ofHarrisburg, Pa. worshiped with theWILKINSBURG congregation on June13, while making a short visit with hersister and friends.DENISON: The Young Adult Groupenjoyed a pot luck supper at the homeof Mr. and Mrs. Stewart Robb, June 18.COMING THROUGHIf anySYRACUSE?minister or licentiate plans tocome into the Syracuse area during themonth of August, Syracuse congregationwould be glad to have a day's preaching from you. Please contact Mr. CharlesD. Murphy, 109 Dougall Avenue, Syracuse 5, New York.Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Bayles and theirthree children made a short visit in WILKINSBURG en route to his regular army headquarters in Maine after specialtraining in the South. On June 20 littleMary Ann Bayles was baptized. Mr.Bayles is a nephew of Dr. T. C. McKnight.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

ORLANDO: Our Daily Vacation BibleSchool was well attended with an enrollment larger than last year, and closedwith a program given by the children,showing something of the work accomplished during the less than two weeksin session. A collection of $21.50 willbe used to help a weaker congregationwith their Daily Vacation Bible School.GENEVA: Teachers for our BibleSchool held in the church were VirginiaHenery, Beginners, with Donna Saibenehelping; Grade 1, Mrs. Ernest Lathom;Grade 2, Mrs. W. G. Dodds; Grade 3,Mrs. Leslie Fallon the first week andMrs. Merrill Robb the second week;Grades 4 and 5, Kay McCready and Mary Lou Swager; Grade 6, Mrs. WilliamDunlap. Kathie Willson had charge ofthe older children at recess time. Mrs.Stewart McCreadyGrades 1was substitute forand 4. Dr. J. B. Willson hadcharge of the school, assisted by our pastor, Rev. Robert Tweed.Mrs. Phoebe Blair has made an extended visit in Seattle at the Don Crozier home. Friends at the LAKE RENOchurch will welcome her home again asher attendance and interest in churchactivities are so helpful.DENISON: Seven Juniors and MissAnetta Knowles presented "The NailFamily"in the morning worship service,June 13. This graphic illustration of God'sdrawing power was presented by theBeuhlah Juniors at the Kansas Women'sPresbyterian meeting in May. We areindebted to Rev. C.copyof it.E. Caskey for aWILKINSBURG: Timothy John Harris, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Harris,was baptized onMay 30 by our pastor, Dr. T. C. McKnight. Timmy is afavorite brother of Jimmy, four years ofage.GENEVA: The closing exercises ofour Bible School were held ThursdayJune 24. Each class presented the Psalmsand the Bible verses they had learnedand displayed some of the handworkthat they had done. Perfect attendanceawards were presented to 45 childrenwith certificates of attendance being given to every child who attended threedays or more. On Friday the childrenwere rewarded for their attendance andtheir work with a trip to Bradys RunPark for a picnic lunch, followed bygames and races.High school graduates this year(LAKE RENO) were Janice and Joanne Wild from Villard High School,and Jean Mitchel from Glenwood HighSchool. Jean won a $15 prize for' anhistorical essay, and also had an essaypublished in the National Anthology ofJuly 7, 1954H.S. Essays. Jean plans to enter Geneva College this fall.ALLEGHENY: The annual SabbathSchool Picnic was held Friday evening atthe Chapel in Riverview Park. Dinner wasserved at 6:30 o'clock. Mrs. DonaldFox was in charge of the dinner. Mr.Donald McCracken had charge of thegames. A very enjoyable evening wasspent.ORLANDO: We are so glad that Mr.A. G. Alexander is able again to be outto the church since his accident lastFall which resulted in breaking somebones one of which was his hip andit was feared he would not be able towalk again, however he was going verywell with only the aid of a cane.Mrs. S. Bruce Willson was in chargeof the Vacation Bible School held in theWILKINSBURG church June 7-18. During the same period many Bible SchoolsChurches,"were in session in this "City ofbut the attendance at our school increasedas the days passed. In the closing program the children showed how well theyhad learned the Psalms, Bible verses,and the life lessons taught them duringthe two weeks. One of the DVS pupilssaid that the refreshments, served soattractively each morning by Mrs. T.C. McKnight, "helped a lot!"DENISON: Miss Mary McCrory underwent major surgery at the Stormont-Vail Hospital Topeka, June 18. She ismaking satisfactory recovery.GENEVA: We who have worked withDr. Willson these past 15 years certainlyrealize the effort he has made to bringthe gospel of the Lord Jesus to the children of College Hill through the Vacation Bible School. During the closing exercises, the School presented him witha gift for the faithful work he has done.We know that "his labour has not beenin vain in the Lord."ALLEGHENY: At the meetingWednesday evening June 3. the following were elected officers of the SabbathSchool: Assistant Superintendent, PaulBennett; Secretary, Mrs. Donald Fox;Assistant Secretary, Mrs. Paul Bennett;Treasurer, Henry G. Henning; Temperance and Missions Superintendent, JohnW. Anderson; Home Department Superintendent, Miss Edith McWilliams;Cradle Roll Superintendent, Mrs. JohnM. Allen; Donald W. Fox was electedSuperintendent by the Congregation. MissElizabeth McWilliams is chairman ofChildren's Day, June 27.Mrs. Gwen Elsey held "open house,"June 11, in honor of the 84th birthdayof Dr. J. R. Elsey. (LAKE RENO).Mr. Robert Ewingand Miss DeloresFlatebowere married atGLENWOOD,June 19. Mr. Ewing is now farming,following two years in the service ofhis country. He saw service at the frontin Korea.A very attractive set of four chairs,and a table(appropriately inscribed) lenddignity and beauty to the auditorium ofthe WILKINSBURG church. Thechairs, used by our quartette, were presented by the W.M.S., using memorialfunds contributed earlier by members andfriends of the congregation. The tablewas the gift of Miss Minerva Marshallin memory of her sister, Miss ElmiraMarshall.ORLANDO: Don Windham, we areglad to say, passed upall the work ofhis Spring term in College and is hackattending the Summer term at Gainsville,Florida.Mr. L. L. Dudley and his father havereturned from a week's visit with friendsand relatives in Georgia and South Carolina.GENEVA: Rev. and Mrs. J. K. Gaultform Fullerton, Calif., spent severalweeks at the homeof their daughterand son-in-law, Dr. and Mrs. Leslie Fallon. They enjoyed seeing their four grandchildren, John, Rachel, Libbie, and Archie and also visited their many friendsin this area.They made a trip to Mahoning where Rev. Gault was pastor of theBear- Run -Mahoning congregation.Wednesday evening June 16, The Central-Pittsburgh andWilkinsburg Congregations united with The ALLEGHENYCONGREGATION and heard Miss.Eunice McClurkin give a very interestingmessage on the mission work in Latakia. We were glad to see the coloredpictures which Miss McClurkin showedus and to hear the Christian testirrlonialsof the Young people with whomshe works. Refreshments were served andwe enjoyed an hour of social fellowship.QUINTER: Mr. and Mrs. HarryGraham celebrated their 25th weddinganniversary, Saturday, June 5. A basket dinner was served to about thirty.An enjoyable evening was spent by all.NEW CONCORD:We are missingDr. Susan Wiggins from our services asshe is now at the Home in Pittsburgh.For more than twenty years she wasone of the "pillars" in the congregation,helping in every department of the congregational work. While Mrs. Jennie Coxwas her faithful companionall thoseyears, their home was "given to hospitality" as many in the Church at largewill agree. We know she will be a valuable member of the Home as the wasto our congregation.THANK YOU, SYRACUSE: We want13

to express our thanks to the Syracusecongregation for the very generous bonus and the raise in salary which werevoted at the congregational meeting. Wealso want to expressour appreciationfor the many other kindnesses shownus.G. M. and Ruth R. Robb.Another Californian who has been attracted to WILKINSBURG this summeris Mrs. A. J. McFarland of Santa Anna. She has been visiting in the S. BruceWillson home, and is now with herdaughter Grace and family of Buffalo,N.Y. We welcome Mrs. McFarland tothe "far East!"Mr. M. C. Black was accompaniedhome from his wife's funeral by his sonGeorge's wife of Mechanicsburg, Pa.,with Mr. Black for a fewwho will stayweeks and help him get unpacked andsettled in his new home at 111 E. Washington St. ORLANDO.GENEVA: Sabbath afternoon June20 a groupof workers covered GenevaHill distributing "Dodgers" which announced the Bible School sponsored byour congregation to be held June 28through July 9 in the Geneva Hill Fire-Station. The group included David Willson,John Fallon, Mrs. Ray McFarland,Mrs. Willard Hemphill, Marion McFarland, Mary Lou Swager, Billie Hemphill, and Mrs. Leslie Fallon. SabbathSchool is held each Sabbath afternoonin the fire-station with Miss AdellaLawson in charge. Mrs. C. M. Patterson and Joe Lathom are the other teachers with several others substituting whennecessary.DENISON: The Chairman of the Congregation, following the regular prayermeeting,June 23, presented a lovelytable lamp as a wedding anniversarygift, to our complete surprise. Then refreshments were served. One can nevertell what his flock will do. We deeplyappreciate this kind remembrance.cordRev. Mr. and Mrs. M. W. Dougherty.NEW CONCORD: The New Conand White Cottage congregationsobserved Communion on the second Sabbath of May with Dr. Bruce Willson ofthe Seminary as Minister. It was Mr.Willson's first service to our congregations and we appreciated his serviceverymuch. His messages were such aswould inspire any group of Christians.We were so glad to have Mr. Willson'sfamily also,and hope all will come again.QUINTER: Mrs, G. R. McBurneycame to Quinter to make her homewith her son Mr. and Mrs. WaldoMcBurneyand family.KANSAS CITY: We are thankful toreport that Mrs. Grace Dodds is in her14own apartment again after more thanthree months in the hospital. Also, thatMiss Jean McElroy is able to be backat work again after her accident andagain in her place as the leader of oursinging.At a lovely double-ring ceremony inthe ALLEGHENY Church Saturdayevening June 19, Miss Arlene N. Juferand Mr. Robert Bennett were united inmarriage. A very lovely reception waaheld in the church following the ceremony attended by some 200people.or moreGENEVA: The address of our Pastoris Rev. Robert B. Tweed, 1805 4th Ave.,Beaver Falls, Pa.Mrs. R. F. Layne and her daughterPriscilla of California are guests in thehome of Mrs. Layne's parents, Mr. andMrs. J. R. Wilson, and in the home ofMr. and Mrs. John Hicky. Priscilla washere in time to enjoy the second weekof the WILKINSBURG VBS.ORLANDO: Mr. and Mrs. RichardBowes of Chicago, 111., and childrenTommie and Jeannie worshipped withus on June 20 and visited differentplaces and people of interest for overa week in Florida. One place visitedwhich had not been planned for beforecoming was Marine Land near St.Augustine, Florida.QUINTER: Miss Eleanor Faris visited during part of May at the home ofher brother and wife Rev. and Mrs.Paul Faris and family. Shealso gavea very interesting and informing message on the work in CYPRUS.ALLEGHENY: We extend our congratulations to Mrs. Richard Georgewho graduated Tuesday morning June8, from Geneva College..To the members of the BLOOMINGTON R. P. CHURCH, we say againwhat we have said verbally so often inthe past weeks;a heart-felt "thankyou."A permanent home and an opportunity to serve Him after five years ofwanderingwould have been rewardenough but it was only the beginning.For the well cleaned parsonage, the supplies of food, the furniture loaned andgiven, the reception and dinner at thechurch, the many kindnesses and expressions of concern in our recent illness andsorrow; for the continuing indications ofyour love and care; for all these andthose things not mentioned, we thankyou. And we thank the Author of thatlove for putting it in your hearts. MayHe use us together with all this goodness to serve Himself in the years whichlie ahead. May we never be ashamed orhindered by any of our relationships buthave only reasons to rejoice as we standbefore Him on His Great Day, surveying the progress they have helped usmake in the work of His Kingdom.The BlackwoodsDONALDSON-MARSHALLNUPTIALSMary Irene Marshall, daughter of Mr.and Mrs. Clair E. Marshall of HomerCity became the bride of Ronald L.Donaldson, son of Mrs. Dolly Donaldsonof Homer City Saturday, May 15 at 2:30in the afternoon.The ceremony took place before analtar beautifully decorated with yellowgladiolus and ferns in the ReformedPresbyterian Church, Dr. R. C. Fullertonof New Alexandria officiating.The bride was given in marriage byher father.Appropriate music for the ceremonywas played by Mrs. Dessie Steele ofMarion Center, R.D. This included "OhPromise Me," "I Love You Truly," andDawning.""AtMiss Grace Marshall,sister of the bride, was maid of honor.The groom's niece, Nancy Lee Zimmerman, was flower girl.Mr. Donaldson chose his brother, William Donaldson of Indiana as his bestman. Ushering were Robert Kepple ofNew Alexandria, and LeRoy Zimmerman, brother-in-law of the groom.A reception for many friends and relatives took place immediately followingthe ceremony.KANSAS CITY: On Saturady afternoon, June 12, Miss Carolyn More andMr. Robert G. Skeens of Kansas Citycongregation were united in marriageby their pastor, in the presence of achurch full of relatives and friends. Thecandles werelighted by Nancy DunnandNancy Wright. The bride's attendants were Mrs. Joanne Schick, matronof honor, and Miss Bernice Schrader,bridesmaid. Miss Carolyn came in on herfather's arm precededby little MargieWeimer scatteringrose petals in theaisle. The groom's companions were Mr.Don Bannon and Mr. Robert More, Jr.Mrs. Coleman provided the piano musicand the accompaniment of the two songs."Wedding Prayer" and "The Lord'sPrayer,"sung by Miss Bernice Worthington.Ben Duffett, Jr., Wilbur Moreand Jim Wright were the ushers.Following the ceremony, a receptionwas held in the social room of thechurch. Mrs. Alice Hauser had chargeof the wedding book; Maxine Musselman, Mrs. Marjorie Hunter and MissMargaret Hall served the refreshments.Mr. and Mrs. Skeens have long beenactive in the work of the church. He isat present superintendent of the BibleSchool. The bride's attendants and thesoloist are classmates of the bride inTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

salvation.". .poor."this summer's graduates in nursing atBethany Hospital.Mrs. Calvin Russel passed away suddenly on Sabbath morning, May 30, asfor Church. Sheshe was getting readyhad been a life-long member of SYRACUSE CONGREGATION. She came toknow and love the Lord early inlife. She was a woman who expected tobe in her place in the House of God.She was endowed with certain rich gifts,among them a delightful sense of humorand a rare diplomacy. She will be greatlymissed by her loved ones and by herChurch. "He hath clothed me with thegarments ofMISS LENA MCFARLAND: TheJonathans Creek congregation were surprised and saddened by the death ofMiss Lena McFarland who passed toher eternal reward Tuesday, June 8,1954. She had been a lifelongmember ofthis congregation and was always faithful in church attendance. She had beena precentor for almost fifty years, andwill be greatly missed in this capacity.Miss McFarland was noted for herkind hospitality. She was a lover of rosesand during the summer the pulpit wasalmost always decorated with roses fromher beautiful rose garden.Miss McFarland suffered a strokeabout six weeks before she passed away.Funeral services were conducted in thehome on Fridayafternoon by Dr. JohnColeman of Beaver Falls, Pa.FREEDOM OF THE PRESSAs freedom-loving Americans we thinkof ourselves as standing for the Freedom of the Press, Freedom of Speech,Freedom of Worship, Freedom of Conscience, etc. But do we actually believein those things? Most of us favor theBryson bill, forbiddingthe advertisingof liquor. We would favor a law restricting printing vicious comic books. Wefavor restrictions concerning profanity,blasphemy, slander, and falsehoods; thatis, limiting freedom of speech. We arefor freedom if we may be allowed todefine the word, to confine its meaningto freedom to do right.It is probably true that the Churchof Jesus Christ is the greatest objectorto freedom in the broad sense of freedom to do and sayand think as youplease. We are members of the leagueof decency. The Word of God restrictsus and we are glad it does. We endeavor to extend some of those restrictions so that others will have thepleasure of clean livingthinking.and cleanAre there at least two sides to everyquestion? When a youngman appliesfor a license to preach the Gospel weinquire into his theology, his knowledgeJuly 7, 1954of the Bible and the teachings of ourchurch. Does he believe in the Trinity,the inspiration of the Bible, the VirginBirth of Christ, the atoning blood, andother fundamental truths? We do notexpect him to discuss both sides ofevery question, for the Church is apropaganda organization whose charterreads, "Preach the Gospel."A special committee reported on recommendation to govern its PublicationBoard to the Synod in 1948 (see Minutespp. 97, 98). We quote: "5. The Covenanter Witness shall have an EditorialCommittee of three members chosen bythe Board to aid in securing helpfulmaterial for the paper and to pass judgment on all special articles and openletters ofquestionable character anddoubtful value whether from inside oroutside our own membership. ... 7.General Editorial policy: shall involve:(a) Doctrine and standards of theReformed Presbyterian Church shall beadhered to in selection of material to bepublished.During(Unquote)AN EXPLANATIONrecent weeks.a number ofpetitions (individual and congregational)have come to the Editor asking that acertain article "The Christian Conscience and the New Covenant" bepublished. The Editor followed the instructions of Synod and referred it tothe Editorial Committee and theiranswer is given below. The Editor hadhoped that the article could be revisedby the writer of it in such a way aswould permit of its publication, but itseems that more copies of the articlehave gone out by direct mail, and thechairman of the Editorial Committeefeels that in justice to them and to theEditor their decision and the reasonstherefore would be printed in full.Topeka, KansasDear Dr. Taggart:The Editorial Committee of THECOVENANTER WITNESS has read thearticle The Christian Conscience andthe New Covenant, by Dr. R. H. Martin, and has examined the accompanyingletter and petitions.The Committee notes that Dr. Martinand others request the publication ofthis article in THE COVENANTERWITNESS.Dr. Martin's article expresses dissatisfaction with the Covenant of 1954 as itwas approved by the Synod of 1953,and urges a change in the Covenantprior to its beingsigned and sworn to.The Editorial Committee does notpropose to enter into a discussion of themerits of the questions argued by Dr.Martin in his article.The decision of the Editorial Committee is that Dr. Martin's article cannotproperly be published in THE COVENANTER WITNESS, for the followingreasons :1. The article is in effect a complaintagainst4an action of the Synod of 1953.If Dr. Martin and others have objectionsto an action of the Synod of 1953,their proper remedy is to present apetition to the Synod of 1954. TheEditorial Committee does not deem itproper to allow THE COVENANTERWITNESS to be used for publicationof criticisms of actions of the highestcourt of the church.2. The form and wordingof the newCovenant was discussed at length andin detail at the Synod of 1953.TheConstitution of the Church (page 269,par. 13) provides for the recording ofdissent and the reasons therefor, butrequires that notice of the dissent mustbe given at the time the action is taken.In view of the fact that no member ofSynod expressed dissent at the timeSynod'saction was taken, the EditorialCommittee believes it improper to openthe columns of the church paper to astatement offormulated sinceSynod.dissent which has beenthe adjournment ofThe Editorial Committee thereforefeels that Dr. Martin's article and theaccompanying papers should be returnedto him, together with a copy of thepresent letter signed by the members ofthe Editorial Committee.Very sincerely yours,THE EDITORIAL COMMITTEEOF THE COVENANTERWITNESSJ. G. Vos (Chairman)Lester E.John L. WrightKilpatrickAll in attendance at the Women'sSynodical Convention at Grinnell, Iowa,and the members of the Home and Foreign Mission Boards, are cordially invited to attend an informal tea to be givenin honor of our Home and Foreign Misat2:30 P. M.The Courtesy Committee, Mrs. FrankL. Stewart, Mrs. Will Dunn, Mrs. AlvinSmith, Mrs. Norman Spear, Mrs. AlbertFerguson."Worldly pleasures trouble us in seeking them, do not satisfy us when possessing them, and make us despair inlosing them.""The nearer you live to the world, theless power you have over it.""The consecrated missionary church isnot a cistern, but abubbling fountain.""You may give until you are rich, oryou may keep until you are15

C. A. M. NewsALABAMASTATIONS CARRYING"THE WAYOUT"Piedmont, WPID, 12:45 P.M., Sab.ARKANSASFayetteville, KGRH, 9:45 A.M., Sab.Forrest City, KXJK, 8:30 A.M., Sab.Harrison, KHOZ, 5:15 P.M., Sat.Morrilton, KVOM, 5:30 P.M., Sat.Paragould, KDRS, 8:00 A.M., Thurs.Russellville, KXRJSearcy, KWCB, 5:15 P.M., Sab.Springdale, KBRS, Sat.CALIFORNIAPetaluma, KAFP, 10:15 A.M. Sab.COLORADODenver, KLIR, 5:45 P.M. Sab.FLORIDAJacksonville, WRHC, 1:30 P.M., Fri.GEORGIAGainesville, WGGA, 9:45 A.M. Thurs.ILLINOISCairo, WKRO, 10:30 P.M., Sab.Carmi, WROY, 4:00 P.M., Sab.Champaign, WDWS, 2:45 P.M., Sab.Chicago, WCFL, 9:00 P.M. Sab.Clinton, WHOW, 6:15 P.M., Sat.Danville, WDAN, 3:45 P.M., Sab.Jacksonville, WLDS, 10:30 A.M., Fri.Kewanee, WKEI, 2:00 P.M., Wed.Lincoln, WPRC, 2:45 P.M., Wed.Marion, WGGH, 6:30 A.M., Sab.Olney, WVLN, 5:15 P.M., Sab.Wheaton, WETN, 10:00 P.M., Thurs.INDIANAAnderson, WCBC, 7:15 A.M., Sat.Bedford, WBIW, 9:15 P.M., Thurs.Frankfort, WILO, 8:15 A.M., Sab.Ft. Wayne, WANE, 6:00 A.M., Tues.Lebanon, WINL, 8:45 P.M., Sab.Marion, WBAT, 7:30 A.M., Sab.Madison, WORX, 9:15 A.M., Mon.Muncie, WLBC, 13:30 P.M., Sab.Portland, WPGW, 10:45 A.M., Sab.Salem, WSLM, 7:15 A.M., Sab.Seymour, WJCB, 1:00 P.M., Sab.IOWAAtlantic, KJAN, 10:45 A.M., Sab.Boone, KWBG, Sab.Ft. Madison, KXGI, 8:15 A.M., Sab.Keokuk, KOKK, 8:00 A.M., Sab.Waterloo, KNWS, 12:15 P.M., Sab.KANSASEmporia, KTSW, 12:15 P.M., Sab.Leavenworth, KCLO, 4:45 P.M., Sab.Liberal, KSCB, 3:45 P.M., Fri.Pittsburgh, KSEK, 9:15 A.M., Sat.KENTUCKY16Fulton, WFUL, 5:00 P.M., Sat.Madisonville, WFMW, 6:45 P.M., Sab.Murray, WNBS. 7:15 P.M., Sab.Princeton, WPKY, 7:15 A.M., Sab.Russellville, WRUS, 5:30 P.M., Sat.LOUISIANARuston, KRUS, 4:00 P.M., Sat.MASSACHUSETTSGreenfield, WHAI, 9:45 A.M., Mon.North Adams, WNAW, 10:30 A.M.,Wed.MICHIGANFlint, WFDF, 1:30 P.M., Wed.Grand Rapids, WFUR, 6:45 P.M., Mon.Rogers City, WHAK, 2:00 P.M., Mon.Sturgis, WSTR, 7:00 P.M., Sab.MINNESOTAMinneapolis, KTIS, 12:15 P.M., Sat.MISSISSIPPIBiloxi, WVMI, 1:15 P.M., Sab.MISSOURICharleston, KCHR, 9:45 A.M., Sat.Clinton, KDKDFulton, KFAL. 8:15 A.M., Sab.Jefferson City, KWOS, 10:45 A.M.,Sab.Joplin, KSWM, 5:15 P.M., Sat.Maryville, KNIM, 7:45 A.M., Sab.Neosho, KBTN, 6:30 P.M., Sat.Osage Beach, KRMS, 1:15 P.M., Tues.Poplar Bluff, KWOC, 9:45 A.M., Sab.Ste. Genevieve, KSGM, 9:30 A.M., Sat.Sedalia, KDROSpringfield, KWTO, 6:45 A.M., Sab.NEW HAMPSHHIEPortsmouth, WHEB, 6:30 P.M. Mon.NEW MEXICOClayton, KYMX, 6:30 P.M., Wed.NEW YORKAmsterdam, WCSS, 10:30 A.M., Sab.Dunkirk, WFCB, 10:00 A.M., Wed.Houghten, WSSL, 8:15 P.M., Thurs.Little Falls, KLFH, 6:45 P.M., Sab.NORTH CAROLINALexington, WBUY, 6:30 P.M. Thurs.Sanford, WEYE, 3:30 P.M., Sab.Smithfield, WMPM, 8.00 A.M., Sab.NORTH DAKOTABismarck, WFYR, 12:00 M., Sab.OHIOCoshocton, WTNSDayton, WINGForstoria, WFOB, 9:30 P.M., Sab.Mt. Vernon, WMVO, 7:00 P.M., Sab.Steubenville, WSTV, 12:45 P.M., Sat.Kent, WKSUToledo, WSPD, 8:15 A.M., Sab.OKLAHOMAArdmore, KVSOBlackwell, KBWL, 6:30 P.M., Sab.Duncan, KRHD, 10:00 A.M., Sab.Durant, KSEO, Sab.Pauls Valley, KVLH, 9:30 A.M., Mon.Tulsa, KOME 9:45 A.M., Mon.Wewoka, KWSH, 7:30 A.M., Sab.PENNSYLVANIAApollo, WAVL, 5:45 P.M., Sat.Lancaster, WLAN, 1:00 P.M., Tues.McKeesport, WEDOMontrose, WPEL, 2:00 P.M., Sat.New Castle, WHST, 10:15 P.M., Sat.Washington, WJPA, 8:15 A.M., Sab.SOUTH CAROLINANewberry, WKDK, 9:30 A.M., Sab.TENNESSEEDyersburg, WDSG, 10:15 A.M., Sat.Jackson, WTJSMemphis, WMPS, 5:45 P.M., Sat.Paris, WTPRUnion City, WENK, 6:30 P.M., Sab.TEXASAthens, KBUD, 5:45 P.M., Sab.Ballinger, KRUN, 9:30 P.M., Sab.Big Springs, KBSTBrady, KNEL, 3:15 P.M., Mon.Brownfield, KTFY, 4:15 P.M., Sab.Brown wood, KBWD, 10:00 A.M., Sat.Dalhart, KXIT, 1:45 P.M., Sab.Dumas, KDDD, Sab.Fredericksburg, KNAF, 8:15 A.M., Fri.Hereford, KPANJunction, KMBL, 12:45 P.M., Sab.Kerrville, KERV,, 6:15 P.M., Sab.Kilgore, KOCALamesa, KPET, 9:30 A.M., Fri.Levelland, KLVT, 9:45 A.M., Sab.Longview, KLTILubbock, KFYO, Fri.Mt. Pleasant, KIMP, Sat.Sherman, KTAM, 12:15 P.M., Sab.Sulphur Springs, KSST, 10:45 A.M.,Sat.San Marcos, KCNY, 1:30 P.M., Sab.Taylor, KTAE, 5:00 P.M., Sat.UTAHOgden, KVOG, 6:45 P.M., Sab.WASHINGTONSeattle, KTW, 7:30 A.M., Sab.WEST VHtGINIAMatewan, WHJC, 4:45 P.M., Sat.WISCONSINMonroe, WEKZ, 10:30 A.M., Sab.FOR CHRIST'S SAKEDoctor Mason of Burma once wanteda teacher to visit and labor among a warlike tribe. He asked his converted boatman, Shapon, if he would go, andtold him he would only have fourrupees a month as a teacher,whereas hewas then earning fifteen rupees a monthas a boatman. After praying over thematter, he returned to the doctor, and thefollowing conversation ensued:"Well, Shapon," said the doctor, "whathave you decided. Will you go for fourrupees a month?""No, teacher," replied Shapon, "I willnot go for four rupees a month, but Iwill go for Christ."And for Christ's sake he did go.Selected.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

LESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 1, 1954THE FIELD IS THE WORLD, THE SD CS THE WORDOf GODVOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 1954 NUMBER 2The Church Goi ng HabitWhere were you last Sabbath morning? Youwere not at church, for your pew looked lonesomewithout you. The call of the country with an automobile at your disposal may explain the absence. Youwere tired after the recreation of Saturday night andyou slept overtime. Perhaps you saw in your newspaper that the regular minister would not be in hispulpit and you complimented him by staying home.The regular habit of going to church was broken.People go to church through force of habit. Thenthey stay away from church through force of habit.When people go to church regularly for a time, thehabit is formed and it is easy to go. When people stayaway from church a little while, it becomes easyto stay away. There are two habits: the habit ofgoing and the habit of not going. Which habit has itsgrip on you ?What would happen if every member of thechurch in your town next Sabbath made a determined effort to be at the worship? The churcheswould not hold the people who would come. Thechurches would take on new life and ministers wouldpreach with new power. This message is directedto the man and woman who once went to church andthen dropped out. You could hardly tell why you quitgoing to church. If you treated your profession oryour business as you treat your religion, you wouldsoon go bankrupt. We have so many people who arespiritually bankrupt. They are ready to follow anynew voice that calls. There are church members whohelp to swell the audiences in clubs where movingpictures are shown on Sabbath evening. Can theworld see any difference in your life and that of itsown?You need the church. The church can get alongwithout you better than you can get along withoutthe church. There are six days for work, for recreation and for pleasure. The Sabbath belongs to theLord for praise and prayer and worship. "Rememberthe Sabbath day to keep it holy" and it will help tokeep you wholly. The worship of God meets a need ofthe human soul that cannot be satisfied anywhereelse. The church is a place of self-examination. It isa place of correcting our moral standards. It is aplace of refreshing our souls. It is a place of fellowshipwith the Saints. It is a place where we meetupon a common level. The banker and the baker, thelawyer and the bricklayer are on the same footing.It helps to keep us human and it whets our souls forthings divine. Fill your pew next Sabbath. Bring ablessing to the worship and take one home with you.Form the habit of going to church, and let the habitgrow until it becomes second nature.If you like our leaflets and would like to haveadditional copies for distribution, they will be gladlysent you by writingTHE CHRISTINA PUBLISHING COMPANYDiamond Bank BuildingPittsburgh, Pennsylvania

propaganda."nobody."own.'motto."nothin'Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D.Southern BaptistsThe Southern Baptist Convention, which has been meeting recently, has a membership of 7,886,016, with 29,496churches. During the past year there were 361,835 baptisms,and they gained an average of almost 2 new churches a day.Their giving amounted to more than $6,000,000 per Sabbath.Pennies that had been exposed to atomic radiation at OakRidge, Tenn., were passed out to 12,000 messengers at theConvention. The irradiated coins were intended to suggest thatthe delegates should start a chain reaction in spiritual matters through revivals in their home churches next fall. Theywere told to think of another power greater than atomic energyspiritual power.Christian AdvertisingThe Executive Committee of the Southern Conventionwas directed to study the advisability of undertaking widespread use of newspaper advertising to promote the work anddoctrine of their church. The resolution stated in part: "Newspaper advertising is one of the most effective means of disseminating information to the public. Some other religiousgroups are using this channel with apparent effectiveness fortheirThe last sentence probably refers; toCatholics and Christian Scientists. Therefore, the SouthernBaptists are considering whether they too might present theirmessage and doctrine through advertisements to older andnew areas: into which they are expanding. One of their ministers, who was born in Russia, is engaged in ministering thegospel to Russian exiles. He has had many interesting experiences.Missions in ColombiaDuring the meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention,in the discussion of foreign missions, Mr. H. W. Schweinsbergtold of the intense persecution which is being heaped uponProtestants in Colombia where he has been serving. Duringthe past five years, 42 Protestant church buildings have beencompletely destroyed by dynamite or fire. This is apart from31 other buildings partially damaged. This was true of theBaptist building in the city of Bogota where he was ministering. During the period 110 Protestant schools have beenclosed, 51 church members have been murdered, including fivenative pastors. Last year, 1953, there were 49 different attacks by the national police upon congregations that weregathered together for worship. Careful investigation by theEvangelical Confederation of Colombia has revealed that 70per cent of these attacks were personally inspired or directedby some priest of the state church. In spite of all these persecutions, attendance at all the churches that can operate haveincreased. Persecution such as that just related is what takesplace when Roman Catholicism has full sway in a nation.This, too, is what happens under the dominance and with thewill of the Pope who frequently appeals for peace, good will,and the prayers of the people of the world.Changed to HonoluluBishop H. K. Sherrill of the Protestant Episcopal Churchhas announced that the General Convention of that church,to be held in 1955, will not meet in Houston, Texas, as hadbeen planned, but will be held in Honolulu. The main reason18for this change is because the Houston racial segregation anddiscrimination would have emharrased and shamed the convention. This is in part a sequal to the decision of the Supreme Court on segregation in the public schools.Communism vs. ChristianityThe editor of the Free Methodist tells of a little girl whowas telling of Jesus feeding the 5,000. The teacher asked herwhat would have happened if the boy had said he could notspare his lunch? She replied, "It would have squinched upand squinched up and there wouldn't have been forThe little girl had learned that sharing and givingis the good way of life."Someone has professed to find in Christianity and Communism a similaritysince both advocate some kind of redistribution. But the difference is radical. Christianity says,'Give of yours to another, and both shall be blessed.' 'Communism says, 'Take from another his goods, his rights and hisliberties, and make these your The one is altruistic andChristlike and is practiced in every mission field and wherever a hospital or a home is maintained for needy ones. Tothe measure that this teaching has infiltrated business andgovernment these give ministry and freedom and the highesthuman efficiency. Communism makes of the individual aservant of the state and something to be easily disposed ofwhen he no longer contributes to the ends of the ruling class.This system would take and in millions of cases does take allthat is most precious from human life. 'There is that scattereth,and yet increaseth,' is the ChristianIt was the theoryA Lie Reaches its Climaxof Hitler that the larger the lie themore likely people are to believe it. That must also be theview of Jacob A. Malik who stated in a session of the UnitedNations, "We all know that missionaries have always beena weapon of aggression and that they have served to promotethe conquests of the ruling circles and to enslave peoples whowere a source of income." An accusing conscience must have(Continued on page 24)THE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street, Newton, Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka, Kansasto promote Bible Standards of Doctrine, Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writers ;not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen, D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll, D.D.Remo I. Robb, D.D.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdgarMrs. J. O. EdgarMrs. Ross LatimerSubscription rates: $2.50 per year ; Overseas, $3.00 ; Single Copies-10 cents.The Rev. R. B. Lyons, B.A., Limavady, N. Ireland, Agent for theBritish Isles.Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Newton, Kansasunder the Act of March 3, 1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

Current EventsBy Prof. William H. RussellRETREAT IN INDOCHINAIndochina seems doomed to Communism. France is prepared to make a truce which will give much of the countryto the Communists, and leave the rest of it open to theirgradual occupation. The French have withdrawn their armiesfrom a large sector of the Red River delta. The abandonedarea included 1500 square miles of valuable rice land and fivefortified cities. About two and a half million people are thusgiven over to Viet Minh. One million of them are RomanCatholics, and it will be interesting to see how theyCommunist rule.react toFrance claimed that the retreat strengthened her militaryposition around the Viet Nam capital of Hanoi. But the VietNam government apparently was not consulted, and thenatives can have little incentive left to resist Communism.Many of the Indochinese, and many Americans also, now believe that France will abandon all of northern Indochina.Truce talks have begun in Indochina, and the Communistswill probably prolong these as long as theyeasy military gains.AGREEING TO DISAGREEcontinue to makeThe meeting between Churchill and Eisenhower apparently did nothing to resolve the basic differences between Britishand American foreign policy. The British are more frightenedthan we are at the possibility of an atomic war. This: is understandable considering England's small territory, dense population, and closeness to Russia. Churchill still believes in thecoexistence"possibility of "peacefulwith Russia and is willingto give the Communists the benefit of every possible doubt.Our government, on the other hand, is convinced that Communism is basically aggressive and that only force or thethreat of force can stop it.The differences between the Allies may reach a crisis thissummer or fall over the admission of Red China to theU. N. The British openly favor such a move, and want toexpand trade as well. Leaders in our Senate Have threatenedto work for our withdrawal from the U. N. if Red China isadmitted. Eisenhower and Dulles oppose such extreme statements, and there may be difficulties within the Republicanparty over foreign policy. Personally, though we do not favoradmitting Red China as one of the United Nations, we cansee little good in pulling out of the U. N. Such a move wouldleave us in diplomatic isolation and put the U. N. underCommunist control, making it a positive menace.NEW REGIME FOR GUATEMALATwelve days of revolution were sufficient to overthrowthe pro-Communist government of Guatemala. The fightingconsisted mainly of attacks by a few old fighter planes whichgave the rebels air superiority. Guatemala's army apparentlyheld few Communist sympathizers, and army leaders joinedwith the rebel chief, Col. Castillo Armasi, in forming a fivemanrevolutionaryjunta. The government is still far fromsecure, as the two leading colonels have not been friendly inthe past, and can hardly continue to rule jointly. The juntahas promised to choose a permanent president by July 17, andto form a new constitution, after which there will be apopular vote for president.The Guatemalan developments have given Russia clearJuly 14, 1954notice that the American states will take drastic action ifnecessary to keep Communism out of this hemisphere. SomeLatin Americans resented the open opposition of our government to the pro-Communist regime in Guatemala; butonce the revolution was on, the Organization of AmericanStates; backed the U. S. The Council of the O.A.S. scheduleda meeting for July 7, but postponed it indefinitelyrebels gained control.BANANA MONOPOLYwhen theThe Justice Department has brought an anti-trust suitagainst the United Fruit Company, which has dominated thebanana trade for more than half a century. The company ischarged with controlling banana prices and eliminating competition, through monopolistic control of the banana-growinglands and transportation and communication facilities,. It isalso accused of price-cutting and other unfair practices. Thecompany has called the charges groundless, and pointed to itslarge contributions to the development of backward areasof Latin America. The suit has political implications, since thepro- Communist government of Guatemala asserted that U. S.foreign policy in Central America was designed to protect theUnited Fruit Company's land holdings.United Fruit has total assets of about $580 million, and isone of the largest American companies engaged in foreignoperations. It not only imports two-thirds of our bananas,but also deals in sugar, cacao, and other tropical products.It operates 1500 miles of railroads and a fleet of 65 ships,owns about 3 million acres of land, and has nearly 100,000employees. In early days the companycontrolled LatinAmerican governments and ruled its native workers with aniron hand. Its policies now are much more liberal, but manyLatin Americans still feel that it is an obstacle to social reform.AIR ACADEMYAfter weeks of controversy, Colorado Springs has beenchosen as the site of the nation's new Air Academy. This willserve the same purpose for the Air Force as West Point forthe Army and Annapolis for the Navy. It marks an importantstep in building up the tradition of a separate Air Force. TheAir Academy will eventually have an enrollment of 2,600, butabout half the officers will still come from R.O.T.C. and othersources. Congress has authorized $126 million for construction,but much more will eventually be required. Besides schoolbuildings, the Academy will have an air field and the inevitable football stadium.EDUCATIONAL TV LAGGINGThe future of educational television is hanging in thebalances. Two years ago the Federal Communications Commission set aside over two hundred TV channels for noncommercial educational use. But thus far, applications havebeen filed for less than 20 per cent of these channels. Meanwhile commercial networks aredemanding more outlets thanare available. If the channels reserved for educational use arenot soon taken, there will be very strong pressure to turnthem over to commercial sponsors, so that we may be edifiedwith more crime shows, beer advertisements, etc. Some very(Continued on page 22)19

The Shape of Things to ComeThe following is the main text of the addressdelivered at the commencement exercises atGeneva College by Dr. Albert J. McCartney, retiring religious consultant to the United States Information Agency and minister-emeritus of the National Presbyterian Church, Washington, D. C.Standing in this pleasant environment so evocative of the memories of my childhood and adolescentyouth I trust you will not begrudge me some personal references to early Geneva College days. Whenthe College was removed from Northwood, Ohio, andestablished in its imposing position on the hillsideoverlooking the Beaver River, my father rented asummer cabin from Mr. Reeves, a name associatedwith the Valley for more than one hundred years,just yonder, this side of the railroad tracks, whileour home was in course of construction. Thus mymemories are tangled in the topography, the housesand the personalities comprising the little communityof College Hill,which has now grown to such extensive dimensions across the years.Long before 1 was able to read, I had a firsthand familiarity with the catalogues of Geneva College, for on wet days, in our play room in the atticof Fern Cliffe, we employed our energies and expressed our artistic sensibilities in cutting out babydolls and baby clothes from the pink, blue, yellow,gray and white discarded catalogues which lay inwasteful abundance about the attic.I have a vague recollection of the college and ofour home when they were in course of construction.I have a very distinct recollection a year or two laterof the dramatic event of hoisting the bell into thebelfry, that bell which was the gift of my grandparents in Scotland, and whose silver tones haveechoed up and down the valley throughout the years.But it is about the cultural environment that Iwould speak in special appreciation of the influenceof Geneva College in early days. Family worship wasconducted in every home, which gave us a familiaritywith the classic language of the King James Versionof the Bible, and a working vocabulary of the greatest Book in the English language. Church serviceson the Sabbath mornings were conducted in theChapel, each member of the faculty taking his turnat preaching the sermon. The members of the facultywere few, but each one's image and personality wereindelibly stamped upon our juvenile minds, President H. H. George, with his Lincolnian stature,Dr. Pollock Johnston, with his classic manner andgold headed cane, Professor Kennedy of literaryeminence, Dr. McAllister with his clerical dress,and Professor J. L. McCartney,with his irenic disposition.But perhaps more than all other things combined our cultural life was molded and inspired by theliterary societies. All that the movies, the radio, andthe television mean to youth of today were bracketedfor us and compressed within the dramatic walls ofthe literarysocieties. Our heroes were the winners of20the debates, the oratorical and declamation contests,The Elises, the Reeds, the Blackwoods, the Wilsons, the Murlatts, the Coverdales and Johnstons. Welistened in wide-eyed wonder and awe to the Fridayevening programs of the Aletheorian and AdelpphicSocieties, each with its orchestra to break the continuous monotony of the program.It was out of such academic environment thatmany of us absorbed these influences that make usdebtors to Geneva College to the end of our days.When we look on that picture and now on this,one can not help thinking of the changes that havebeen registered through the years. Wars were thenjust something to read about in history books. A soldier's uniform was known only to us in Webster's dictionary; the only airplane we had ever heard aboutwas "Darius Green and His Flying Machine." Sincethose peaceful settled days our Geneva College boyshave fought in five campaigns across the world, andhave paid the toll of their precious lives for thecause of human liberty. They played their part inan effort to make the world safe for democracy.That problem still confronts us, and will confront usin years to come, and you, sons and daughters ofGeneva College, will have your part to play in shaping the condition of that world to come. Amazingchanges have taken place, and overtaken the mannerof our lives, and altered our whole outlook upon theworld. Most of these changes have been bracketedwithin the short compass of mylifetime.own professionalA few years ago I made a pilgrimage to Springfield, Illinois, to pick up some local color for an address on Abraham Lincoln, and I there visited at thebedside of Henry Rankin who had been in the lawoffice of Mr. Lincoln, and he recounted to me certain things that he could remember. As I was leavinghe reached out his long bony hand and pointed hisfinger at me he said "Dr. McCartney, I have liveda long time in this world, and have seen greatchanges, but I would like to live a hundred yearsfrom now to see the changes that will have come inthat period, changes that will be far more astonishwitnessed."ing than the ones that I haveYes. We live in a constantly changing world;but how little we realize it as the days and the weeksand the years pass seemingly so undramaticallyaway. I have lived in Washington the past twentyfiveyears, and they have witnessed some of themost eventful and at times cataclismic changesthrough which this nation has ever passed. But asthe days and weeks slip quietly by we scarcelyrealize the significance of the events through whichwe are passing.So the first thing that I have to say to you whoare setting forth on your professional careers, isthis: KEEP YOURSELF SENSITIVE TO THECHANGES THAT ARE GOING ON ALL AROUNDYOU, AND ADJUST YOUR THINKING TO ATHE COVENANTER WITNESS

equal"ordered."other."FLUID SOCIETY, AND REGISTER YOUR INFLUENCE BY GIVING DIRECTION TO THE CURRENT OF THE EVER-CHANGING LIFE ABOUTYOU INTO USEFUL AND CONSTRUCTIVECHANNELS.Those of us who entered upon our professionalcareers about the turn of the century were veryconscious of what we called "progress," and we littlerealized how far that progress was to carry us awayfrom our comfortable, secure, and somewhat smugmanner of life. No one, then, was talking about national security, social security, old age security, orincome taxes! If I would venture any special criticism upon my own generation, it would be that wetook too many things for granted and as permanent,in what we considered a fixed order of society. Yetall the time the waves of the future were carryingus away unconsciously as on a slow moving tide fromour once familiar landscape. We were not sufficiently alerted to the fact that the world is constantlychanging and presently we woke up to discover thatdramatic and tragic events were going on all aroundus, revolutionary events of which we were not onlyspectators but actors, ourselves.So I ask you to adjust your thinking to a fluidsociety, and bend your best energies to directing thecourse of world events as they touch you, and havea real man's part in shaping the things to come.One thing is certain, if we read the signs of thetimes correctly, there will be abundant call upon youto lend an intelligent and energetic hand to the molding of the society of tomorrow.On Monday May 17, 1954, the United StatesSupreme Court startled the nation with its unanimous decision sweeping away all constitutional support of segregation in public and tax supported institutions. It is ninety-one years since the EmancipationProclamation was written, and the implementationof its noble purpose has passed through slow andcontroversial processes. Twenty-two legislative enactments and decisions of the Supreme Court havemarked the progress of this up to May 17, 1954. Itis eighty-six years since the 14th Amendment wasproclaimed a part of the United States Constitution.It is fifty-eight years since the Supreme CourtJustice Harlan dissenting established the doctrineof "separate andprovision for white andnegro races on interstate carriers. And now thewords of Justice Harlan, (used in his lonely dissentin 1896) become in fact a part of the law of the land.Justice Harlan said : "Our constitution is color blindand neither knows nor tolerates classes of Americancitizens . . . The arbitrary separation on the basis ofrace ... is a badge of servitude wholly inconsistentwith the civil freedom and equality before the law established by the Constitution." While the recent decision dealt exclusively with segregation in theschools, there is not a word in Chief Justice Warren'sopinion that was inconsistent with the earlier viewof Justice Harlan. Here is an instance in which alonely voice crying in the wilderness finally becomesthe expression of a people's will, and in which justiceovertakes and thrusts aside a timerous inexperience.This has been a cause which has been traditionally dear to the heart of Geneva College. TheJuly 14, 1954old Academy, revived after the Civil War, openedits doors to students of the Negro race; and withrare exception they have achieved their degrees,without let or hindrance because of race or color.With this doctrine of the brotherhood of man woventhroughout the fabrics of Geneva College history,your sons and daughters can carry forward the torchof brotherhood and have your part to play in creating a fraternal atmosphere throughout our country.The opinion of Chief Justice Warren ended, "Itis so But that is not the end. The orderlypractical implementation of this decision fraughtwith such complicated perplexities, waits upon yourintelligence and patience. The customs and ingrainedhabits of decades can not be erased overnight. ButI believe that common sense will prevail in makingthese adjustments and eventually justice will be donenot merely because the Court has so ordered, butbecause the nation's conscience has reached the pointwhere the specified kind of injustice can no longerbe tolerated in a democratic age.3.It is in the realm of education that Americalooks to the universities and colleges for specific contributions to a creative social order. Without doubtwe have made great advances in the methods andtechniques of our school systems. It is a far cryfrom the one-room red brick Chippawa Townshipschool house, so recently demolished,with its redhot stove in the center, and its common drinkingdipper for us all,to which Clarence and I trudgedtoback and forth through weather foul and fair,the modern well equipped school buildings, with theirbus delivering pupils to the door. But the fundamental principles of our intellectual disciplines are thesame. Perhaps our search for knowledge might beeven more rewarding today if we laid emphasis uponmodern comforts and conveniences. A few days agothere appeared an article in the New York Times,telling how educators at the University of Michiganhave just completed what they call "a classroom oftomorrow,"as a kind of pilot edition for architectsof schools to follow ; it boasts of complete flexibilityand freedom of design, freedom of decoratibn, andchoice of equipment. The effort is to achieve the ideallearning environment, and the objective is to relievethe drab and dour appearance of so many classrooms, and provide light on dark days. Cocoa coloredmosaic tile covers one wall, while others are in natural birch paneling. Desks and chairs are portable,and the class can shift from a more formal arrangement to a bull session atmosphere as occasion demands.This is a far cry from the classic definition ofa university "A student on one end of a log, andJohns Hopkins on the But whether by roughor easy routes, the quest for knowledge must go on.The drive for research stimulated sotoday by government grants and foundations stems from man'sinstinctive nature which impels him to seek for anunderstanding of himself and the universe. In themore primitive stages of his quest for knowledge, upto the turn of the 18th century, research was motivated to a large extent by man's instinctive inquisitiveness.The work of the astronomer, for instance,was the child of wonder. Emanuel Kant, you willremember, exclaims something to the effect that he21

steam,"wrought!"me!"a'upward!"cents'was baffled by two reflections, 'The starry heavensabove me, and the moral law within But as thescientific work of the 18th century was coming tomaturity, and making such strides "on its ownwe began approaching everything scientificin the riddle of the universe from a pragmatic orpractical point of view. Kepler exclaimed "O God,I am thinking Thy thoughts after Thee !"The first message to pass over the telegraphwire was a quotation from Scripture "Beholdwhat God hathWhen the long distanceconnection was set up between New York and Chicago, Mr. Thayer, the President of the Company,opened the connection with the exclamation "Thisis Thayer talking." In other words, the Creator hasbeen gradually elbowed out of the picture, and ourscientists are more or less prompted by secular andmaterial hopes.Although scientific research has its feet onmuch more solid ground than of yore, the researchersof a materialistic era are tempted to overlook orforget that there are other valuable forms of knowledge that lie outside of that area, and the currentexclusive emphasis on utility is hazardous. Let usnot forget that research has other motives thanutility, and to pursue science it does not follow thatwe must disparage the things of the spirit. It is notenough to dedicate ourselves to the search for knowledge. We must dedicate ourselves to the search fortruth. It is a short step from pragmatic science tofull dialectical materialism, and ultimately to a denialof the unseen, of religion, and even of virtue itself,except such virtue as produces sheer strength. Overthe gateway of the University of Virginia, ThomasJefferson had inscribed these words from theGospel of St. John: "Ye shall know the truth andthe truth shall make you free." We are never free unless we have free experimental access to the truth,wherever and whenever it is found, past, present orfuture. The shape of things to come will depend to alarge extent on the room we make for truth in ourresearch.on to live through difficult times. But this is not thefirst of difficult times. When I went to Washingtontwenty-five years ago there were still a number ofpeople in the parish who could remember the Warbetween the States. Whenever I encountered one ofthese people I made it a point to enquire of tfieirrecollection of Abraham Lincoln. Calling one afternoon in a home the woman told me of her mother,then in her 90's, who was confined to her apartmenton the third floor, and invited me to visit her. ThereI found her surrounded with mementos reminiscentof days long gone by. I said to her, "What are yourmost distinct recollections of Abraham Lincoln?"Then she told me of a day when her father tookher down to the Capital Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue, where The President was in the habit of reviewing the troops from the balcony as they cameand went. When the review was over Mr. Lincolncame down to the lobby, and her father took her upto meet The President, who put his great hand uponher head, and exclaimed "My child ! What a worldwe are living in !" I said to her, "Mrs. Pierce, let meput my hand on your head, the same head uponwhich once rested the hand that wrote the Emancipation Proclamation, and let me exclaim after him,"What a world we are living in !"It is your lot to be living in this world and itis your lot to have a part in changing it. In the midstof all this confusion, frustration and tension it is ablessed privilege for all of us whose moorings areon the Rock of Ages, to be in the midst of the turmoil.As I came away from opening the Senate withprayer one day, I was introduced to a doorman by thename of Bellany, and I bromidically exclaimed"Bellamy looking backward?" "No," he said, I amBellamy looking forward." His little eight-year-oldgrandson was standing by his side, and exclaimed,"And I am Bellamy looking It is time tolook up, and seek the counsel and the wisdom aboveand live beyond hatred, and do what we can to bringin the day when "man to man the world o'er, shallbrothers be for that and a that !"So our quest for truth brings us to a climactericconclusion that it is in the realm of the spirit thatyou will find the clay most plastic to your individualtouch. No one will challenge the statement that forthe past 100 years our interests, commercial, andindustrial, have dominated our undertakings in areaswhich have made such amazing strides. This Valleyitself is a witness to that fact. All this advance inmaterial things has deflected the emphasis on spiritual values, and consequently many of our tribulationstoday are attributable to acceptance of the doctrineof dialectical materialism, with the resulting declinein moral standards. No political or economic formulas, however realistic, will suffice to give us a peaceful world unless they are interfused with somethingbetter than a place in material wellbeing. What weneed is not so much a high standard of living as astandard of high living. Unless we keep our constantattention focused upon the aims of religious faith inGod, on social justice, on political and personal integrity, we shall fail of our quest for human libertyand happiness.22It is your lot, my young friends, to be called up-We are rich only through what we give;and poor only through what we refuse andkeep.CURRENT EVENTS .... Continued from page 19good educational programs have been produced, but their highcost is a serious obstacle.RATIONING ENDSAfter fourteen years, the last of Britain's wartime austerity controls has disappeared with the end of meat rationing.Instead of the ration of thirty worth per person perweek, the British housewife will now be limited only by herpocketbook and the available supplies. There is some concern over what may happen to meat prices. Under government controls, the prices were kept very low about half theU. S. average by heavy government subsidies). With the government getting out of the meat business, it will also be necessary to increase the number of packing establishments andretail outlets. But the British are willing to face these problems in order to put an end to rationing.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

meeting."march!"Roadblocks LimitingChurch EffectivenessA series of four lectures given at White Lake Christian Workers' Conference, 1953by the Rev. J. G. Vos, D.D.Lecture III.The Roadblock of Anarchy, or Contempt for the Governmentand Discipline of the Church(Continued)4. Church Discipline and RevivalThere is much discussion of revival today. Butreal revival will never come until the church becomesserious again about drawing a clear dividing linebetween itself and the world. That dividing line is acredible profession of faith and obedience, maintained by proper exclusion of those lacking such aprofession, and proper discipline of those who violatetheir profession after becoming members.A Matter of HonestyChurch discipline is really a matter of honesty.Just plain honesty requires that the dividing linebetween the church and the world be drawn andmaintained. God is an honest God, and He requireshonesty of His people and His servants. When thatdividing line is faithfully drawn and faithfully maintained, we will receive spiritual blessings that we cannever get by programs, drives and campaigns.Church discipline is a matter of honesty ; it is amatter of facing realities. God will honor and blesshonesty in His church and people. Without honestywe cannot expect God's blessing and we have noright to pray for revival. If the treasurer of a congregation were to report to Synod that he had paidthe pastor $100 more than he had really paid him,that would be dishonest. All right-minded peoplewould object to it and would call for correction ofthe false statement. But for a session to report toSynod that there are, say, 150 communicant memberson the roll, when the real truth is that several ofthem are "paper" members only and could not beconsidered in good standing by any stretch of theimagination, is also dishonest. It is really an untruth ;it gives a false impression of the facts.We must maintain honesty even if half of themembers become angry and leave the church. Wedo not glorify God nor accomplish His purposes bydealing in dishonesty and untruth.Suppose that half the members do become angryand leave the church. That would in itself be agreat calamity. But there would also be somethinggained. The name and honor of Christ would havebeen vindicated, and the purity of His Church safeguarded. The dividing line between the church andthe world would have been faithfully maintained.God Will Bless His Own OrdinanceChurch discipline is an ordinance of God, instituted for these purposes. Where it is faithfullyand honestly used, God will honor and bless it. Sometimes the attempt to exercise discipline is objectedto on the plea that "It won't do a bit of Butgood."how do we know that it won't do a bit of good ? Remember, it is an ordinance of God, commanded inJuly 14, 1954His Word. Then how dare we say that it won't doa bit of good? Do we not have faith in the Wordand promises of God ? If we do what God commands,He will honor His own Word and bless His Church.This involves stepping out by faith. But thereis no other way. We have to step out by faith, counting on God to honor His Word. Those denominationsthat maintain Scriptural church discipline, such asthe Missouri Synod Lutheran Church and the Christian Reformed Church, have proved in actual practice that God honors and blesses this divine ordinance. Of course, they have lost some members ; butthey have been greatly strengthened spiritually atthe same time. And they have reclaimed many, manyerring members over the years.Scriptural Discipline Necessary for RevivalThe prevalent prayer for revival, in the face ofneglect of Scriptural church discipline, is dishonestand hypocritical. God will not bless it, for it disregards His own Word, and commands. Prayer forrevival when the church is unwilling to exerciseScriptural discipline is hypocrisy and escapism.There is much talk today about the need formore prayer, for morerevival, and for more evangelism. We can readily agree that there is need formuch more of all of these. But prayer is no substitute for obedience to the revealed will of God. Ifear that many people today regard prayer as asubstitute for the action that God calls them to do.When God called Abraham to offer his only sonIsaac as a burnt offering on Mount Moriah, Abrahamdid not say: "This is a difficult situation. We needmore prayer. I will call a prayer He alreadyknew what God required of him, and he went aboutdoing it.When the children of Israel at the shore of theRed Sea were paralyzed with fear because of the pursuing Egyptians, the Lord said to Moses: "Wherefore criest thou unto me ? speak unto the children ofIsrael, that they go forward" (Ex. 14 :15).There is no Substitute for ObedienceWhen God has clearly revealed His will in HisWord, He requires us to obey it. Nothing else willtake the place of obedience to the revealed will ofGod. Prayer will not do it; revival will not comewithout it ; evangelism will not serve as a substitute.The first requirement for real evangelistic advanceis the integrity of the church itself. An army honeycombed with disloyalty, disobedience, threatened desertion, and contempt for discipline, is in no shapeto face the enemy and win any battles. Simply togive the order, "Forward, without firstmaking sure of the soundness and loyalty of our23

army, is not faith but foolhardiness, and will leadto disaster and disillusionment rather than to successand victory.There is a crying need for more evangelism. Igrant it. I believe it. But the first essential for trueand successful evangelism is the moral and spiritualintegrity of the church itself. Without that, evangelism will be a mere flash in the pan, and its anticipated benefits will prove a mere mirage.(To be continued)Book ReviewBy R. C. Fullerton, D.D.CHALK TALKS FOR THE AMATUERLionel A. HuntThis book, as the name suggests, was not written for the expert but for the beginner. It is theauthor's belief that those with the willingness topractice and with the courage to make the effort cangive effective chalk talks. He makes it seem possible.The first chapter is entitled "Basic 'Know-How'for Everyone." This deals with the value of suchtalks and the best kinds of materials to use, and thegeneral rules for presenting such talks. These suggestions would be of value for anyone interested.Then there are twenty-five Bible stories suggested for chalk talks. In each case, there is a suggested drawing, and the list of the colors needed.Then there are the facts which need to be told andthe Gospel application.While the reviewer is not an artist, the suggestions of the book seem very worthwhile and practical. Those working with children in the SabbathSchool or Junior groups could get helpful materialfrom the book. There is no doubt of that.It is a paper covered book of 64 pages and sells for75c. It is published by Moody Press of 820 N. La SalleSt., Chicago 10, 111.R. C. F.BIBLE READINGS FOR THE FAMILY HOURMartin P. SimonThis is a book of devotional material for familyworship. It contains material for an entire year.First there is a Bible reading, then the prepared devotional material dealing with the Scripture passage,then questions on the Bible story and finally a suggested brief prayer for those who are just startingsuch a practice as family worship. It is all writtenin language which youngsters can easily understand.that children shouldThe aim is not merelylearn facts or even memorize Bible verses, but thatthrough hearing and knowing these Bible stories,they may know what they are to believe and to do,and to encourage them to accept Christ as theirSaviour.The material in this volume is taken from theGospels and from the biographical parts of the Old24Testament. The material for the first 122 days dealswith the parables of Christ, His suffering, death andResurrection and how He dealt with three individuals, the Woman at the well, Nicodemus and the manborn blind.The Old Testament material deals with Moses,Samuel, Elijah and Esther. Thus these great characters are studied in sufficient detail that the readershould know their lives quite well.The author was a missionary in China until expelled by the Communists. He is now pastor of aLutheran congregation of the Missouri Synod.This book has many commendable features. Thelanguage is plain and simple. If a home already hasfamily worship, possibly they do not need such abook. But if a home does not have family worshipsuch a book should be a great help in getting it started. By the time this has been used for a year, thefamily ought to be able to continue the practice without such helps.It is published by the Moody Press and sells for$3.00.R. C. F.GLIMPSES Continued from page 18departed from a man who talks like that, else he would beashamed to look at himself in a mirror.Results of DivorceOne of the magazines informs us that there are threetimes as many suicides among divorced persons as there areamong married people, and there are many more delinquentchildren in homes broken by divorce than in homes whereonly one parent is left byreason of death.Christian Reformed SynodAmong the decisions: of the Synod of the Christian Reformed Church at its recent meeting were: A request to reconsider the decision on the withdrawal from the NationalAssociation of Evangelicals was refused. The Revised Standard Version of the Bible is not to be used in public worship.University of B. C. Rules Out IVCFThe editor of The Evangelical Christian states: "For whatis probably the first time in its history, the Inter- VarsityChristian Fellowship has been suspended in a university onthe ground of religious discrimination. This strange proceduretook place at the University of British Columbia, and theground on which it was based was that members must sign aform that 'the Lord Jesus Christ died for my sins and roseagain the third day for myjustification.'Why in the nameof common sense members of Inter- Varsityshould not signsuch a statement is beyond us. We never yet heard of anychurch, organization, club or order that did not require of itsmembers some declaration written or verbal that they agreedwith the principles and beliefs on which that particular inyears the Inter-stitution was founded. In the past twentyVarsity has done a magnificant work among the students inuniversities over the English-speakingworld and on the continent of Europe as well. Through its efforts a great numberof young men and women have been led into a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. It has been left to the University of British Columbia to find its rules and regulations'repugnant to the ideals of a democracy.' " The editor believes that that Universityof democracy and what it means.needs to rethink its understandingTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

perfect."righteousness."er."chips."TheCovenanter JuniorMrs. Philip MartinTHE BOBCAT WEST CLUBHello, Juniors,Are you still reviewing your questionsand proof-texts?Darlene, what two blessings or benefits have we talked aboutwhich come from answering God's call?Yes, Justification and Adoption. Todaywe want to talk about another benefit.Justification and adoption take placein an instant. As soon as weanswerGod's call we are made just-as-if wehad never sinned because Jesus has paidthe penalty for our sins. We also haveGod's name put on us. We are adoptedinto His family and even Satan himself can't take us out of God's family.But Satan doesn't like to see us inGod's family. He does his level best toget us out of God's family. So, we havea war going on in our souls. Let us turnto Galations 5:17. Here we have theword "lusteth" which gives us the ideaof a battle in which one side will finally win. Ronnie, in this verse what islusting or fighting against what? Yes,the two parties in the fight are the fleshand the Spirit. Now by the "flesh" wedo not mean a piece of meat, but wemean that part of us which is the sin"I."ful And the Spirit is the HolySpirit, the third person of the Godhead.As long as there is any sin left in usthis battle will go on. We know that thebattle continues until God frees my spirit from this sinful body and my spiritgoes to be with my Saviour. We call thistime "death."What must happen to the flesh orto the sinful "I"? Let us look at John3:30. Roy, to whom does the "He" refer, in this verse? Yes, in my life Jesusmust increase (get to be more), but"I"must decrease (get to be less). Nowlet us turn to Galatians 2:20what mustto seehappen to the old "I" inus. Kaye, what must happen? Yes,"I"which is full of sin must be crucifieduntil we are full of not I, but Christ.In Matthew 5:48, Jesus said "Be yetherefore PERFECT, even as your Father which is in heaven is Perfection is what God requires, but I cannot be perfect so long as any sin is inmy heart. What shall I do! But hereagain God has given another benefit tothose who are made to answer His call.He requires me to be perfect. He knowsI can't make myself perfect. So His Holy Spirit in my heart is constantly winning battles against the devil in my heartso that really I am dying every dayJuly 14, 1954and living every day. I am dying untosin and I am living unto righteousness.This constant process of dying and living is the way to perfection. God makesus perfect or SANCTIFIES us. We callthe process SANCTIFICATION, the process of making us holyin God"s sight.Let us use Galatians 2:20 for our prooftext."W.S.C.,"Our good old friend,hasdone a fine job of putting into a fewwords the definition of SANCTIFICATION."W.S.C.,"what is sanctification? "Sanctification is thework of God's free grace, whereby weare renewed in the whole man after theimage of God, and are enabled more andmore to die unto sin, and live untoEmblem of the R.T.F.The Chinese writing means"The Word oi God is not Bound."NATIONAL JUNIOR PROJECTThe Reformation Translation Fellowship is an organization started by Covenanter missionaries, which publishesChristian books and magazines in Chinese. It sends these not only to people inChina, but also to Chinese living in many other countries. Right now over 100Chinese in America are getting thesebooks and papers.The R.T.F. has just celebrated itsfifth birthday. It is now much biggerthan it was three or four years ago.It supports a Chinese Christian workerin Japan and one in Hong Kong. Thereis also a branch of the R.T.F. in England.Wehope that sometime the R.T.F.can publish a Chinese Bible story bookfor children. It it does, perhaps the Covenanter Juniors in America can help topay the cost. Right now, the R.T.F. needsa filing and storage cabinet for its papersand records. This will cost about$35.00. Any Covenanter Junior Societythat would like to help pay for this cansend their contribution in the same wayas for other "National Junior Projects."If more than $35 is received, a largercabinet can be purchased, or the moneythe cost ofcan be used to help payprinting Christian books in Chinese.Any Junior Society that would liketo have a sample of one of the R.T.F.Chinese tracts or booklets can haveone by writing to Rev. J. G. Vos, Route1, Clay Center, Kansas.Chinese Christian Children in ManchuriaDON'T BLAME MY HANDSThe Rev. Thomas K. Beecher despiseddeceit in any form. Finding that a clockin his church was habitually too fast ortoo slow, he hunga placard on the wallabove it, reading in large letters: "Don'tblame my hands the trouble lies deepThat is when; the trouble lies with uswhen our hands do wrong, or our feet,or our lips, our thoughts. The troubleliesso deep that only God's miraclepower can deal with it. Sin goes deep;but Christ goes deeper and changes theheart and the will.Christian Witness"He is not the best carpenter whomakes the most25

Lesson Helps for the Week of August 1, 1954C.Y.P.U. TOPICfor August 1, 1954AIDS TO CHRISTIAN GROWTHHearing, Reading, Studyof the WordPsalm 1; I Timothy 4:12-16Rev. Charles SterrettHearing, Reading, Studyof the WordPsalm 1; I Timothy 4:12-16Rev. Charles SterrettReferences: 2 Kings 23:1-3; Luke 4:16-22; Acts 8:26-39; Acts 17:11; Romans10:14; 2 Timothy 2:15; Rev. 1:3.PsalmsPsalm 1:1-3, page 2Psalm 119:1-2, page 299Psalm 43:3-6,Psalm 25:1-6, page 57Psalm 78:l-5;page 109page 187.It is hard to anticipate the passing oftime. It was not so long ago that wewere making ready for our Conference atGrinnell. Now Grinnell is but a memory.What do we remember about this conference? Did we face Christ's Charge?Do we realize His Charge is my challenge? I trust that each of us may haverealized a challenge in our life. May wedesire to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Him who is our Lord and Saviour.Growth is a recognized phase of living.If we fail to show growth in our physicallife we want to do something about it.The mother takes her offspring to thedoctor's office for the first time afterthey have come from the hospital. Thedoctor wants to know how this little childis doing. He is weighed and if there is nosign of growth, the doctor is concerned.If growth is a necessary part of thephysical, should it not also be a necessarypart of the spiritual? If we accept Christas our Saviour and as the King of ourlife should we not also be expected toshow growth in Him?Exercise is helpful for development. Aperson recovering from an operation istold to take certain exercises. (Of courseit depends upon the type of operation).A young boy would like to develop biceps and so he starts to take exercises toaid him in his program of development.As there are exercises we may taketo develop our physical self there are certain exercises which should aid us in ourspiritual life. These aids are: hearing,reading, and study of the Word. TheC.Y.P.U. Pledge holds these forth for us."Aiming to Live for the Glory of Godas my Chief End, I will in Reliance uponGod's Grace and feeling my inability toperform any spiritual duty in my own26strength, diligently attend to Searchingthe scriptures, Religious Conversation,Private Prayer, Family Worship, thePrayer Meeting, and the Sanctuary, andwill seek in them to worship God inSpirit and in Truth. ..As Christians we should engage in theexercise of to develop ourspiritual life. We should not turn asidefrom this exercise. That means that weshould be in attendance at our churcheswhere we hear the Word explained. Weshould be faithful in our attendance. Weshould be ready to hear the explanationof the Word at any time. If we have nodesire to hear the Word and if we are notregular in our attendance, perhaps adanger signal is indicated and we hadbetter check our ways.byWe must also show our desire to learnreading. The Ethiopian Eunuch wasreading the Word of God when the Evangelist came upon him. His mind wasbusy, he was thinking, he was in a receptive mood. From his reading it was possible for him to make a proper and intelligent inquiry. Reading opened the wayfor hearing. The incident closes withthese words: "and he went on his way rejoicing."The exercise of reading led tothe exercise of hearing and the eunuchwent on his way rejoicing because he accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour.We also must engage in study to growin knowledge. We read the Word of Godand we use helps which have been prepared to help us reach a better understandingof the Word. Of course we donot look upon these helpsThey mayas perfect.contain error and we mightnot get the proper interpretation of thepassage we study, but this does not meanthat aids are to be overlooked in helpingus study. It is the Word of God thatnever changes, it is ever true. We accept these helps only as they agree withthe Word.We are told by some that they onlywant the religion of Christ and theNew Testament. Therefore they are notgoing to use any of the commentaries,catechisms, etc. to help them. Whyshould we turn down the accumulatedChristian knowledge of the centuries?These people would not want to ridearound in a 1910 Ford. They are readyto accept the accumulated automotiveknowledge of the past 50 years of the industry. They would not want to buy a"make it yourself kit" and assemble a1910 Ford and then make all the moderninnovationssuch as a self starter, etc.When put on this basis we see the foolishness of such an argument."Study to shew thyself approved untoGod, a workman that needeth not to beashamed, rightly dividing the word oftruth."An intelligent workman is a workmanthat knows his tools and knows how touse them. He knows that tools differand that they are not all to be used forthe same type of work. At one time acarpenter knows it is proper to use acrosscut saw. Another time it is properto use a rip saw. In the army a soldierknows his weapons. He must be able toassemble and dismantle his weapons. Helearns that there are certain limitationsand they must be acknowledged. (I donot mean to imply that there are limitations to the Word of God as His Wordis not bound.) As workmen of God wemust study.As Christians we are to grow. Wemust use all the means of grace if weare to develop properly.FOR DISCUSSION:1. Is it possible not to exercise in ourChristian life and yet have a vigorousChristian witness?2. If we do not feel in the mood shouldwe forget to read our Bible? Explainyour answer.JUNIOR TOPICAugust 1, 1954THE GREAT FLOOD AND GOD'SCOVENANTBy Mrs. M. K. CarsonScripture: Genesis 6 to 9.Memory Verse: Genesis 9:15. "And Iwill remember My Covenant."Psalms105:1, 2, 6, page 25737: 3-4, page 91125: 1-2, page 320.Let us have a Psalm-of-the-Monthfor August, and since we are to learn ofGod"s covenants with His people, let uschoosethe Psalm of God's Faithfulness, Psalm 105. For this week, let ussing verses 1, 2, 6 at the beginningand iftime permits, also at the close of themeeting.^References: Five things that Noah did:(Perhaps you would like to put these inyour note-books.) Genesis 6:8; 6:9;Hebrews 11:7; Genesis 7:5; 8:20. Fivethings that God did: Genesis 7:1; 7:16;8:1; 9:1; 9:9.How many of you were at the GrinnellConference? Were you at the meetingwhen the Covenant was renewed byallthe people? There we promised by God'sgrace to live for Him,and for Him only;THE COVENANTER WITNESS

nothing."provoke,"on,"urge."works."anger."stimulate,"works"to love Him and to serve Him and towitness for Him. That is the reason we arecalled "COVENANTERS." From timeto time, ever since the days of John Knoxin Scotland, we have made special covenants as a Chifrch. Sometimes it was because the people were in great troubleand under great persecution and bandedtogether in a covenant to be true tothe Lord. Sometimes, as at Grinnell, itwas because we knew our need of God'sspecial grace to work through us in themidst of perilous and troubled times.Today, in the story of Noah, we aretold of one of God's long-ago covenantsthat He has promised never to forget norto break. Then, as now, it was a time ofverygreat wickedness and offorgetfulnessof God and of His Word. You remember that in the Garden ofEden,Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sincame into the world. Their children, too,were sinners, though some of them asAbel and Seth, turned to the Lord andfollowed His ways. But the sons of thesefaithful ones married the godless daughters of the other families, like that ofCain, and as the years went by, moreand more families forgot God, fewer andfewer were true to Him, until finally onlyone family remained that feared theLord, the family of Noah. Did you everthink how very lonely they must havebeen, no one to worship with them, noone with whom they could be real friends,for real friendship is based on the loveof God. How very wicked the world musthave been! We feel that we live now invery godless times, yet how many thousands of real Christians there are in theworld! Then, only one lonely, solitaryfamily!We are told that Noah walked withGod and they must have had many talkstogether. One day God came to Noahand told him to begin building an arkthat was to shelter him and his familywhen a great flood would come to destroy all the wicked from the face of theearth. For a hundred and twenty yearsNoah worked on the Ark. How the neighbors must have laughed at him, makingthis big boat on dry land with no signof water near by! Perhaps Noah hiredsome of his neighbors to help him buildand they, too, would laugh at "Noah'sFolly," as they may have named thisbig combination of floating barn andhouse. Noah must have had great faith,as we are told in Hebrews, to keep ondoing what God told him to do, to comfort his family when others ridiculedthem. If sometimes you are in ,a placewhere boys and girls make fun of you fordoing what is right, just remember thatwicked people made fun of Noah for onehundred and twenty years, and yet he believed God in spite of it all.One day, when every one was goingJuly 14, 1954about the usual business, eating anddrinking, having parties and weddings,God called to Noah to come into theArk with his family and the animals theyhad collected. Then God shut the door.The same hand that shut them in shut allothers out. "There goes that crazy familyinto their big house," said the neighbors."Well, we won't have to listen to Noah'spreaching any more sure."; that's for Andthey were right, for while they were stilltalking, clouds covered the sky and therain began to fall. Not just showers, butgreat sheets of rain, that soon coveredthe ground, then flooded the houses,drowned those who had climbed into thetrees and finally covered the highestmountains many feet deep in water.Every living thing that was on the earthperished, except those who were in theArk.Many months later when the water hadfinally dried off the earth, God calledNoah and his family to come out into aclean new world,empty of all livingcreatures but themselves. Read for yourselves the Covenant God made that daywith Noah, and name some of the thingsHe promised. Genesis 8:22; Genesis 9:8-17.And for a sign that He would alwayskeep these promises, He set the rainbowin the sky. When God sees the rainbow,He remembers, and when you see it, youwill know God will never forget what Hepromised so long ago to Noah.Questions:1. Why did God destroy the old world?2. What did God use to dry up thewater?3. How longwas the Ark afloat?4. How did Noah know when to leavethe ark?5. Tell some ways in which the arkis a picture of our Saviour?6. How many doors did the Ark have?How many doors to heaven?7. Name two other famous Bible menwith whom God made covenants.Suggestions to leaders: For the flashcard for this story, draw the figures ofthe Ark, with the rainbow arching over.On the ark, write the word, "SALVATION."Below give reference of the memory verse.For review, hold up the cards (younow have five) one at a time giving thereference of the memoryverse on each.The first Junior to repeat the verse correctly, may hold the card. Or put up thecards, one by one, and ask for the storysuggested byeach one."When joy is lacking, position, money,success, and fame meanThough I have all faith, but do noworks, my faith is dead.Wilson.SABBATH SCHOOL LESSONAugust 1, 1954by Rev. Joseph A. Hill(Lessons based on International Sunday SchoolLessons; the International Bible Lessons forChristian Teaching, copyrighted by the International Council of Religious Education.)CHRISTIAN WORSHIP ANDFELLOWSHIPLesson material: Acts 2 :46-47 ; Colossians3:12-17; Hebrews 10:23-25.Memory verse: Hebrews 10:24 "Andlet us consider one another to provokeunto love and to goodThe word "provoke" in this memoryverse comes from a Greek verb which inits primary sense means "tocommon usage it means "to"to spur"toused in a had sense"to arouse tosharpen."InIt may also be"to irritate," "toSometimes when we "consider" (the Greekverb may be translated, "mind carefully") the spiritual welfare of others andurge them to do well, we provoke them toanger rather than love and good works.It takes much love of the brethren andpatience and sympathetic understandingto "provoke unto love and goodthose who are falling behind in the life offaith. If we are to carryout this responsibility toward others, we must be ofsuperior piety ourselves (although always with humbleness of mind).Suppose you urge a church memberwho is lax in his church attendance tocome to the evening service, and he replies, "Sunday is my day of rest. I liketo stay at home and enjoy my leisuretime. Besides, I can enjoya good sermonon television." How can you bring sucha person to a true understandingof theSabbath-rest as submission to the willof God and the hope of eternal life withGod? Yet that is our task. We are ourbrother's keeper.I. THE FELLOWSHIP OF THEEARLY CHRISTIANS, ACTS 2:46-47.If someone should ask you why you goto church, what would your answer be?Do you go to church because of custom,because since father and mother rearedyou in the matter of church-going it hasbecome a habit with you? Just why doyou go to church? Most Christians wouldprobably answer this question by sayingthat it is our duty to go to church. Weattend church because God has commanded us to worship him with His people. That is a good reason, but is itenough to say that it is our duty to goto church? Israel was a church-goingpeople, yet there were times when theprophets told them that God was notpleased with their "temple treading" andwould not accept their sacrifices nor heartheir prayers. If our church-going is27

. . . Onsongs"me."songs,"sermon?"morning."effect."motivated only by a sense of duty it islikely to become mere formalism insteadof real spiritual worship.The early Christians were drawn together for worship because together theymet in fellowship with God. It was "withgladness and singleness of heart" thatthey came together. They found abundance ofjoy in the presence of God.They praised God (verse 47) spontaneously, out of thankful, glad hearts. Nodoubt they sang Psalm 84: "How lovelyis thy dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!"And Psalm 122: "I was glad when theysaid unto me, Let us go into the house ofthe Lord." Do we go because we love tomeet with God, or because we feel thatwe must go? If so, our church-going mayone day rise up and condemn us. Worship is a great privilege: let us perform itcheerfully and gladly.II. APOSTOLIC PRESCRIPTION FORIDEAL FELLOWSHIP, COLOSSIANS3:12-17.The Apostle Paul here sets forth thedivine directions for the kind of fellowship of God's people which is honoring toGod. This is the perfect remedy for thesins of enmityand strife which so frequently divide a church into factions.Jealous feelings and unfriendliness aresins of the flesh, that is,of the old natureuninfluenced by grace, which Paul saysChristians have put off (Col. 3:9-10).Enmity or hostility is the fundamentalexpression of all sin (Romans 8 :7) and isevidence of a basic defection of character. What graces must replace enmity inthe Christian's life? (see verses 12-14)."Let the peace of God rule in yourhearts . . Theword rule contains aword-picture in the Greek. It is that ofan umpire at the games, looking downon the arena, watching the athletes, arbitrating between them and deciding thewinner. How does the peace of God settle matters between Christians in thearena of God's Church?It is unfortunate that a scholar suchas Bishop Lightfoot misunderstood theexpression, "psalms and hymns and spirsongs,"itual verse 16. He writes: "Thereference to psalms is especially, thoughnot exclusively, to the psalms of Davidthe other hand, hymns wouldmore appropriately designate thosehymns of praise which were composed bythe Christians themselves on distinctlyChristian themes." The reference of"psalms and hymns and spiritualis to the Psalms of the Bible exclusively,Lightfoot notwithstanding. ThisBishopcan be shown from the fact than in theGreek version of the Old Testament(Septuagint)which Paul and the ColossianChristians used, these three termsare found as the titles of the Psalms(which appear in fine print in our Eng-28lish versions). For a full discussion of"psalms, hymns and spiritualsee a fine article by the Rev. Frank D.Frazer in "Blue Banner Faith and Life,"April-June, 1948. Should not our Psalter,The Book of Psalms With Music bearthe inscription on its cover: Psalms andHymns and Spiritual Songs? Perhaps inthe next printing of the present Psalter,the title should be revised to bring itinto line with the Scriptures.III.SOCIAL WORSHIP ESSENTIALTO THE LIFE OF FAITH, HEBREWS10:23-25.These verses show that our faith is sustained and strengthened by mutual helpand the fellowship of the Church. In thelife of faith we have not only a relationship to God, but also to others wholove and serve God as we do. In becoming members of the Church, we becomeresponsible, before God, for the faithand practice of all the other members. Asmembers of the body of Christ we areidentified with the other memmorallybers. This social concept has far-reachingimplications bearing on the question offellowship in the Lord's Supper and thequestion of the corporate testimony whichthe Church as a unit bears before theworld. (See Minutes of Synod, 1953, pp.143-146).Finally, it should be noted that according to verse 27, church fellowship hasan eschatological significance, that is,the fellowship in the visible church anticipates the communion of the saints ineternity. "Not forsaking the assemblingof ourselves together .... as ye see thedaythe dayapproaching.""The day" refers toof Christ's return on the cloudsof heaven to gather His people togetherin one body, that they might "servehim day and night in his temple" forevermore (Rev. 7:15). Worshipand communion on earth is an imperfect sampleof worship and communion in heaven.Church fellowship is an expression of ourhope of participatingof the saints in eternity.WRONG BOOKin the communionA little girl was asked, "Well, Mary,how did you enjoy the"Not sowrong book withgrand,"she said. "I took theShe did, as was her habit, take herBible to church, but she said, "It was adictionary I needed thisWords! Words! How Paul feared thatkind of preaching: "For Christ sent menot to baptize, but to preach the gospel:not with wisdom of words, lest the crossof Christ should be made of non(I Cor. 1:17).Selected.PRAYER MEETING TOPICAugust 4, 1954COVENANTING: It's PurposePsalm 89:28-37Comments by W. O. Ferguson, D.D.Psalms111:6-9, page 276119: part 14, page 30161: 5-8, page 15033:1-5, page 7772:13-17, page 173.References: Acts 13:21-23; Ps. 103:19;II Chron. 23:16; Jer. 50:4-5; Acts 11:23;n Chron. 7:1; Eph. 2:10, 11.Spurgeon calls Psalm 89 the "MajesticCovenant Psalm." Much is said in thisPsalm concerning the covenant God madewith David. The historical record of thecovenant itself is given in II Sam., 7thchapter. The Davidic Covenant was inharmony with the covenant made withAbraham but was in advance of it. It notonlystated that the Messiah was to beof his seed but that He was to sit uponthe throne of His father David (Isa. 9:7).It was this added element that not onlymade the covenant a source of joy toDavid, but also gave it its great significance in Old Testament prophecy. Itwas called "the sure mercies of David,"since it was understood to include all theblessings of the Messiah's kingdom. Inthis Davidic Covenant three truths areoutstanding: (1) the PURPOSE of Godthe goal of history; (2) the METHODof God the Covenant relationship; (3)the DEPENDABILITY of God's promisethe faithfulness of God.God's purpose in Creation is very evident. The Psalmist says "The heavensdeclare the glory of God" (Ps. 19:1-4).God's purpose in providence and historyis given by Paul in Acts 17:24-28. InEph. 2 :6-8 we have a statement of God'spurpose in the redemption of mankind.With these facts in mind, it is not surprising to find that the various covenant transactions given in the Bible areall definitelyrelated to a supreme purpose. The covenant with David is specifically related to the purpose of God asit unfolds itself in the historyredemption.I.GOD'S PURPOSE IN THEof man'sCOVENANT RELATIONSHIPEach covenant should be studied in itsown historical setting. This one we areconsideringin the 89th Psalm must bestudied in its special relation to Christin His kingly office and service. However we wish to take an all-inclusiveview of God's purpose in the Covenantof Grace. We believe that that purposecan be well stated in the four followingdivisions :1. To maintain the sovereignty of God;2. To sustain and promote the trueTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

worship of God; (both of these purposeswere present in the covenant with Adambefore sin came and are still uppermost in the mind of God) ;3. To maintain and advance right relations among the peoples of the world;(such relations may be called the "true"peace,"righteousness) ;4. To preserve and enlarge the knowlbrotherhood,"edge of God.That the purpose of God as thus outlined might be fulfilled Divine revelation was given; the prophets of old spakein the name of God; to-day the churchserves under the authorityCommission.II.of the GreatTHE PURPOSE OF COVENANTING,FROM THE STANDPOINT OFCHRIST THE MEDIATOROF THE COVENANT1. To secure obedience on the part ofall who enter into the covenant relationship. Note that it is one thing to promise and quite another to perform (Matt.21:28-31). Adam may be understood tohave promised but he failed to obey. Themembers of Messiah's Kingdom will oneday be both able and willing to perfectlykeep the commandments of God. We aretaught to pray "Thy will be done onearth as it is in heaven."2. The second part of the purpose is toestablish an abiding relationship betweenthe people of the kingdom and the provisions for life made available throughthe grace of God. The Redeemer has aspecial care for His own chosen ones. Inthis 89th Psalm provision is made andthe promise given to David that if hisroyal descendants should sin, they willbe chastised but not forsaken as wasSaul (Ps. 89:30-33).3. The third part of the purpose is tocertify that true religion is a revelationfrom God; and since Christ occupies thepreeminent place in it, we must acceptand acknowledge Him in all relations oflife.4. The fourth part of the purpose isto furnish man a firm basis on whichhe may plead the covenant promises inprayer. Such covenant promises had alarge place in David's prayer life. It ison this basis that we today may pleadthe covenant promises for the coming ofthe kingdom.III.THE PURPOSE OF COVENANTING.OUR PART.the Christian life is a life lived underthe controling influence of the love ofChrist (II Cor. 5:14).4. The fourth part in the Covenant isthat it shall be an expression of Loyaltyto Christ, with a determination to giveHim first place in our hearts.We have passed in review the purposeas we have looked at it from God's essential purpose, Christ's interest as theMediator, and our own well-being; andhave found it to be that which honorsand dignifies life by lifting it up intofellowship with God in Christ. It is onlyin such a covenant relationship that onemay fulfill the high purpose for whichhe was both created and redeemed. HereWHITE LAKECOVENANTER CAMPWhite Lake, New YorkA weekend retreat,with emphasis"PRAYER"we find something satisfying to the soul,strengthening to the faith, stimulatingto fidelity, sustaining in its hope for thefinal triumph in the kingdom of God.Topics for Discussion:1. Is covenanting a divine ordinancefor the individual, the family, the churchand the nation?2. Is covenanting a testimony for Godin a world of sin?3. Is covenanting a means of grace andthus essential to our good and God'sglory, and if so how should it be observed?News BriefsonFriday evening, August 20 toMonday morning, August 23CENTRAL PITTSBURG: The EmmaElliott Missionary Society was extremely happy to have in their midst, EuniceMcClurkin, a former member of our congregation, now serving as a foreign missionary, (at the home of Anne Schlederon June 17).ORLANDO: The monthly meeting ofthe B.W.M.S. was held at the home ofMrs. Clarabelle Worsham July 2 in theevening with a picnic supper on the lawn.A shower of articles was brought for Mrs.Catherine Price Geisen of New Castle,Wyoming.FRESNO: On May 30 there were 80 inBible School; a year ago there was anattendance of 85, and the yearly averagewas 78. Our pastor challenged the BibleSchool to average 80 for the month ofJune while he was on vacation. But otherpeople are vacationingeither in themountains or at the ocean, so our attendance has fallen down.4. Would it be fitting in this connectionto use the expression "with full purposeof and endeavor after new obedience"?with us on June 6. Mr. Harrington wasrecently called to our congregation inNew Castle. We do wish him the Lord'sbest as he goes forth in his new congregation ministering unto all.Mr. Glenn McFarland appeared beforeOhio Presbytery which met at HETHERTON on may 11 and 12, and gave hispieces. All who heard him were impressedwith his fine delivery and the materialgiven. Glenn is preaching at Lisbon,N. Y., this summer and Southfieldmisses him. Rev. Harold Thompson, MissEdna Eley and Mrs. George Henning attended the Presbyteryand Presbyterialmeeting and wish to thank Hetherton fortheir splendid hospitality.ALLEGHENY: We were pleased tohave with us Miss Sally Wehby, fromAustralia. Miss Wehby was visiting hercousin, Mrs. Jack George.Mr. and Mrs. Samuel O. Carson werehonored on their 50th wedding anniversaryat SHARON church June 9 whenmany friends and neighbors met to helpthem celebrate the occasion. A gift ofmoney was presented to the honored couple.FRESNO: The Session elected M. L.Richardson as delegate to Synod, withR. S. McCloy as alternate. The latteris in Texas on business this month andplans to be at Grinnell.1. The first part of our purpose is toexpress sorrow for sin and the desire fora better life.2. The second part of our purpose isto consecrate our present relationshipand to pledge our future cooperation withChrist and His cause.3. The third part is to maintain thatJuly 14, 1954PHOENIX: Recent visitors in the J.G. McElhinney home were Mr. and Mrs.Leyba and family of Denver, Colorado.Mrs. Leyba, the former Ellen McFarland,is a niece of Dr. McElhinney.CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: It was aprivilege to have Mr. Harold HarringtonSEATTLE: The trend is changing!After reviewingabout ten little girlsplaying in the corner of the church basenight"ment at the last "family gathering,Mr. Donald Crozier decided somethingshould be done. So that night, followingthe program he whisked his wife Paulineoff to the hospital, where at 2:00 a.m.,29

June 15, she presented him with a babyboy which has been named James Renwick. Mother andbaby are home fromthe hospital and both doing fine. Jimmyis the second boy in seven months in theSeattle congregation and theyonly two in the last several years.are theCENTRAL PITTSBURGH: Mrs.Grace Price and her familyhad an enjoyable trip to Philadelphia for the ordination of her son George. Mrs. Piper,Rev. Price's mother-in-law, motoredwith the Prices through Philadelphia foran hour and half while they were tryingto find the correct wayout of the city.Though they may have confronted manydifficulties in making this trip with theircar, they have experienced personal anddirect impressions of the events whichoccur in an individual's life in enteringthe ministry.GENEVA: Congratulations to theYoung Family. A granddaughter, KarenLouise, was born June 20 to Ruth YoungDixon. The Dixons, new members of theRose Point congregation,are welcomevisitors to their home congregation. Lenordand Lena, are staying with Grandmaand Uncle Bob and Aunt Helen whileMother is away.PHOENIX: On the evening of June25 the congregation honored Miss Marjorie McElroyand Robert Cox with amiscellaneous shower. Many beautifuland useful gifts were given to the brideand groom to be.SHARON was the scene of a prettywedding on June 25 when Miss GladysMcElhinney became the bride of DeanParish of Wapello. The ladies of thecongregation honored Gladys at a bridalshower at the church on June 17.Jean Fullerton became the bride ofEdward Forest on Thursday eveningJune 10 at 7 :30 in the NEW ALEXANDRIA CHURCH. She was given in marriage by her brother, Robert R. Fullerton,and her father, Dr. R. C. Fullertonperformed the double ring ceremony.Miss Shirley Snoke played the weddingmusic and Rev.Kenneth Smith sang.Miss Margery Poppe was the maid ofHonor and Dr. William Dill of Orlando,was the best man. Mr. James Pierce, Mr.Donald Crawford, and Mr. WillardHarsh were the ushers. A reception followed in the garden for 200 guests. Theaids were Mrs. T. H. Clarke, Mrs. R. L.Brown, Bertha Sengenwald, ElizabethLawrence, Catherine Smith, Mrs. EugeneDavis, Mrs. Ronald Donaldson, GraceMarshall, Sally Shaw, Wilma Shaw,Dorothea Clarke, Jean Willson, Mrs.Robert Fullerton, Margaret Long, EthelLytle, Agnes Lytle, Mrs. C. W. Steele,Ensign Ruth White, Dorothy Duffield,Laura Duffield and Nancy Elder.30Mrs. Forest is a graduate of GenevaCollege and taught in the Christian DaySchool of Wilkinsburg. Mr. Forest is theson of Mr. and Mrs Ernest Sengenwaldof New York City and is a graduate ofGeneva College and is employed in Orlando, Florida.ORLANDO: Mrs. Mabel Dill andGladys Dill gave the new bride, Mrs.Edward Forest, a shower at the homeof Mrs. Mabel Dill Thursday eveningJuly 1at which Jean received manybeautiful and useful gifts.DENISON: The evening sermon, June27, on "The Psalms In History" was asinging one, in which the congregationjoined in singing the Psalms cited.CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: Dr. J.Ren Patterson attended the Institute onAlcohol Study for the Prevention ofAlcoholism at Loma Linda, Calif., June14-25, on a temperance scholarship andfellowship. There were around 150 students attending, 36 states were represented and 15 foreign countries. From theirmany field trips, lecturesments, theyand experistudied the effects and theresults alcohol had on the body.The Junior Sabbath School had chargeof the Mother's Day Church service atSOUTHFIELD; the children under theleadership of their superintendent, Mrs.Raymond Stevenson and their teachershad an excellent service. At the closeof the service every mother was presenteda corsage by the children. We had 8 or 10mothers present who do not usually attend. Also in connection with our JuniorS. S. work the children had several contests. One that proved very exciting waslisting all the animals in the Bible. Afterseveral weeks of feverish searching, papers were turned in and 14 silver dollarswere given out as prizes. We are glad thechildren have newly painted S. S. roomsto work in.FRESNO: On June 6 the Session wasin charge of the morning service, soMr. Willard Buck led the prayermeeting,using the topic; "Supernatural Power fora Superhuman Task." On June 13, Dr.E. G. Russell preached for us. His sonArthur and family brought Dr. and Mrs.Russell up from Glendale where they areliving. They came Saturdaynight andoccupied the manse, as the pastor andhis family are still at Hume Lake Conference grounds.At a meeting of the INTERIM COMMISSION OF IOWA PRESBYTERYon May 12, Ray Joseph of Hopkinton,Iowa gave a trial sermon and DonaldMcClurkin of Sharon, afterfulfilling therequired assignments, was licensed topreach the gospel. Donald is assistingwith the work at San Diego, California,for the summer.CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: We werehappy to welcome into the fellowshipand membership of our congregationYunker and children. Mrs.Mrs. DorothyYunker transfers her certificate fromOrlando, Fla.,where she was a member.GENEVA: At an informal receptionheld June 30"Our Church"in the church basement,officially welcomed ournew Pastor, Rev. Robert Tweed. "OurChurch"was a flannelgraph picture ofthe church, drawn by Miss Yvonne Lathom. Cut in pieces, representing bricks, theChurch was rebuilt as each organizationextended their greetings to Rev. Tweed.The organization extended their greetingsto Rev. Tweed. The organizations represented were: Session C. B. Metheny;Deacons James Bowser; Trustees William Garrett; Senior W.M.S. Mrs. J.Vale Downie ; Lillian McCracken W.M.S.Mrs. Ernest Lathom; Geneva GuildVirginia Henery; Young PeopleWendell McBurney; Sabbath School WillardHemphill and son Bobbie; the JuniorsJohn, Rachael and Libbie Fallon. Aspecial feature of the talks was the re-callto the past by James Bowser. He showedthe group the original communion setconsistingof an urn and two cups. Fewof us younger folks remember actuallyusing them. "Mortar"for the bricks included a piano solo by Jeanne Garrett;a flute solo by Kay McCready; a reading, "It isn't the Church, it'sSandra Hemphill; and two songs,original, by a groupyou"byoneof male singerswhich included Lauren Walcott, MarionMcFarland, Kenneth Hemphill, RobertDean and Merrill Robb. The originalsong entitled "Preachers" was written byKathie Willson and Virginia Henery.Rev. Tweed responded to these pledgeswith a promise to work and pray for allof us. Mrs. Fenton Farleyacted astoastmistress.The reception was preceded by a covered dish dinner with Mrs. Samuel Lathom and Mrs. Ray McFarland in charge.The tables were decorated with summerflowers arranged by Mrs. John Baxter.Special guests for the occasion wereRev. Tweed's Mother, his Aunt Mrs.Rutherford who makes her home withthem ; his brother John and fiancee, MissAlta Blackwood.SEATTLE: It was a rare privilege forthe Seattle congregation to have the Rev.Sam Boyle family dock in Seattle upontheir return from Japan. They landedJune 12 and we were able to have theirfellowship until the 18th. A "familynight"potluck dinner under the directionof Miss Roberta Dodds was held Tuesday June 15 in their honor, after whichMr. Boyle showed moving pictures andgave a talk. He also preached for usmorning and eveningon June 13 andTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

showed slides after ourWednesday evening prayer meeting. Don't miss hearinghim!PHOENIX: Mrs. Margaret Curryplans to leave for the East July 1. SheThe Wayne Fischer familyingtains near Huntington Lake.are spendthe last week of June in the mounRecent visitors at SOUTHFIELDhave been Glenn McFarland, NadineHunter, Anna Coleman and Miss EstherLatimer. Also the following families:Tom Jameson, Dick Bowes, Don Lowe,Ed Roby, Don Cummings and GeorgeTodd.ORLANDO: A little baby girl named,Debora Gail, was born to Mrs. LauraDonahue Bass June 26Memorial Hospital. Babyare both doing nicely.in the Orangeand motherMrs. B. C. Terry is also in the hospital recoveringfrom a minor operationand is reported to be on the recovery listand is expected home in a dayor two.CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: Thosevacationing this month were: CarolynMcCune to a girl's scout camp, RedWing, Renfrew, Pa.; Bob Oliver to visithis aunt in Orlando, Fla.; Dorothy McKissock and Vida Grace McKelvy serv-July 14, 1954ingas teacher and nurse at children'scamps, Pennsylvania and Ohio, respectively.FRESNO: Mr. R. J. Crawford, Sr. ofThird Philadelphia congregation wor-shiped with us on June 13. We do hopeI! all visitors will be as faithful as he hasbeen in attending services on the Lord'sDay. This same week-end, Dr. and Mrs.Francis Buck and two sons came upfrom Los Angeles and brought Mrs.Elsey Dill with them.During the past year a landscapingproject was carried out on the Churchyard at SHARON. Evergreens and various shrubs were planted and an, outdoorfireplace wasconstructed back of thechurch. This year picnic tables havebeen provided.NEW ALEXANDRIA: Deboral LeeNewhouse, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.Ray Newhouse was born June 24.CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: Our sympathies are extended to Mrs. John Oliverwhose oldest brother passed away quitesuddenly while visiting his daughter inManitowoc, Wis. The late Mr. James,a graduate of Princeton University, wasone of the original group who chose thepresent site of the Allegheny MemorialCemetery,resting place.which now serves as his finalFRESNO: Mrs. Matt Chestnut underwent a major operation on June 1fromwhich she is recovering very rapidly. Shewas at the morning services on June 20.The Blue Banner Daughters were incharge and the President, Miss Lois JeanCopeland, led the prayermeeting on thetopic, "The Christ for Your Crisis."PHOENIX: Our Daily Vacation BibleSchool closed on Friday, June 18 with aninteresting program bythe students andteachers. For the two weeks the averageattendance was eighty.On Friday night June 11, 1954,SOUTHFIELD ordained and installedMr. Buford Abbott, Mr. George Henningand Mr. Raymond Stevenson as elders;Miss Clara Elsey and Mr. Tom Halliday as deacons. We surely pray God'srichest blessings on these new officers. Atthe close of this beautiful service thecongregation celebrated the 10th WeddingAnniversary of their pastor and wife. Amost beautiful cake centered the refreshment table. Then because it was a tinanniversary a tin cup of money was presented to the Thompsons. We never knewro much love, kindness and money couldbe crowded into a tin cup! Thank youagain Southfield!CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: Sabbath,June 20, we observed "Children's Day"for the Sabbath School. A special program had been planned including anobject lesson on the effects of alcohol onthe human body by Rev. Smith. Therewas good attendance of the children andthe parents.SOUTHFIELD Social Committee,namely, Mrs. E. R. Robb, Mrs. RaymondStevenson and Mrs. Harry Clark put ona "Father's and Children's" banquet inMay. A large crowd attended and enjoyed a delicious dinner and a fine Magician Show presented by "Waldo theMagician."He is a Christian that presents the gospel in a unique way.ORLANDO: Dr. and Mrs. W. E. Dillpresented their little son, William RobbDill, in the sacrament of baptism June27.Miss Elizabeth McElroyspoke of herwork in Syria at a joint meeting ofMORNING SUN AND SHARON MISSIONARY SOCIETIES on July 2 and atthe evening service at Sharon on July 4.CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: M/Sgt.Robert Dumrauf, USAF, husband of theformer Nellie Walsh, leaves his home inPittsburgh, July 9, en route to his pointof embarkation, California, for Korea.DENISON: Miss Mary Adams gavean interesting talk on mission work inChina and Japan at our Family Night,June 30. The dirplay of curios added interest. Mr. and Mrs. Warnock Patton ofSterling brought her and visited in thehomes of Mrs. Mary Braum and Rev.and Mrs. M. W. Dougherty.SEATTLE: A heartywelcome to theVerd Dunn family who have recentlymoved from Bremerton to Seattle andhave bought a home in the vicinity of theChurch. Mr. Dunn has been employed inthe Bremerton School System and thisfall begins teaching in the Seattle System.FRESNO: Vacation Bible School willbe August 2-15, between Grinnell Conference and Pacific Palisades Conference.GENEVA: Miss Yvonne Lathom,daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. RussellLathom, is spending the summer atCamp Ellis, located near Philadelphia.She is directing some of the outdoor activities with special interest in horseback riding.CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: All themen of the congregation attended an evening of fellowship at the parsonage onTuesday, June 29. Dr. John Oliver whorecently, after 31years, retired as headof the History Department, University ofPittsburgh, spoke during the course ofthe evening on his work regarding thehistorical development of Pittsburgh.31

you."gift."me."yet,"The Ordination ofROBERT BRUCE TWEEDas minister of the gospel and hisinstallation as pastor of theGeneva R. P. ChurchOn the evening of June 11, RobertBruce Tweed was ordained to the gospel ministry by Pittsburgh Presbytery.He preached his trial piece from theassigned passage in I Kings 8:1-11, using for his subject "The Ark and ItsMeaning Today." Following his preaching, he was examined in theology by Dr.George Coleman, and in distinctive principles and personal piety by Rev. T.Richard Hutchinson of Rose Point.Adherence to the call was given firstby the congregation and then by Mr.Tweed.Dr. R. J. G. McKnight then preachedthe ordination sermon using as his text,Exodus 3:11, 14. "And Moses said untoGod, Who am I, that I should go untoPharaoh, and that I should bring forththe children of Israel out of Egypt. AndGod said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM;and he said, Thus shalt thou say untothe children of Israel I AM hath sent meuntoDr. J. B. Willson led in the ordinationprayer. The Signingof the terms ofCommunion completed the ordinationservice.In the installation service that followed, Rev D. Howard Elliott addressedthe congregation, reminding us that wemust be willing to be judged by thesame standards we expect of our pastor.Elder Adam Wissner addressed ourpastor admonishing him to love God, tostudy His Word, to prayand to seekguidance while caring for his flock. Weremember with pleasure that 1st Beaver Falls was the home church of Rev.Tweed.After adjournment of the court ofPresbytery by Rev. Willard McMillan,a Psalm was sung and Rev. Tweed pronounced the benediction. The right handof fellowshipwas extended to our newpastor by members of Presbytery, thecongregation and the many friends whogathered to witness the occasion.Rev. Philip Coon, Jr., Moderator ofPresbytery, conducted the service withDr. Frank Lathom, College Hill, voicingthe invocation. Miss Adella Lawson, precentor of the Geneva congregation ledin singing several Psalm selections.A reception was held in the churchbasement immediately following theservice.Rev. Tweed was born in Beaver FallsApril 18, 1926, son of the late Dr. J.Boyd Tweed and Mrs. Tweed with whomhe makes his home. He graduated fromGeneva College in 1948 and from the32Seminary in 1951. After graduating hesailed for Scotland where he spent twoand a half years studying in the DivinitySchool of Edinburgh. University. Whilethere, he resided with his sister AlisonTweed Blair.PhoenixMrs. Redpath and I have just returned from a six months stay inPhoenix, Arizona. With a populationbetween one hundred-thirty and onehundred-forty thousand, it is a beautiful city, about fifteen miles square, lying in a valley surrounded by mountains.This valley is called "The Valley of theSun."The sun shines almost every dayand penetrates almost like an electriccurrent; a wonderful place for peopleafflicted with rheumatism or arthritis.It is a very level city, and made beautiful with its tamarack, palms, orange,grapefruit, lemon, olive, and many evergreen trees. Roses and other flowers ofevery kind and color bloom in greatprofusion.Phoenix is a city of many churchesand good schools. As it is a tourist citythere are plenty of cocktail and drinking parties. There are several air basesand a number of large manufacturingplants, so anyone who can qualify, canget a good job with good pay. There aremore nationalities than I had ever seen,and theyand schools.all go to the same churchesNothing grows there without irrigation and fertilization, so in a spiritualway, there is plenty to be done. Thereis a live congregation of thirty-fourmembers and an average attendance inthe fifties. With their "Good NewsClubs" and "Child Evangelism" a welcome is extended to all who come totheir services. We enjoyed our stay andfellowship with them very much. Dr.and Mrs. McElhinney are putting in fulltime telling the good news of salvation.BROTHERHOODF. M. RedpathA famine was on in the land, and abeggar on a street corner reached outhis hand to Tolstoy, who was passingby. Russia's great man stopped, searchedhis pockets for a coin, but found none.With genuine sorrow, he said to the beggar: "Do not be angry with me, mybrother; I have nothing withThe beggar's face lighted up as he replied, "But you called me brotheris a greatAdvocate.'No evil isconscience.thatNorthwestern Christianintolerable but a guiltyIFIf you want to be distressed,If you want to be defeated, look back.look within.If you want to be distracted, look around.If you want to be dismayed, look before.If you want to be delivered, look toChrist.If you want to be delighted, look up.If you want to be rich, give.If you want to be poor, grasp.If you want to be needy, hoard.If you want abundance, scatter.War CryTHE SWORD MOST NEEDEDWhen Edward VI was being crowned,three swords were brought to him, signsthat he was king over three countries.But he was not satisfied. "There is onewantinghe said. When the noblesabout him asked what he meant, heanswered, "The Bible. That Book," headded, "is the Sword of the Spirit and tobe carried reverently before him. Thosewho know the history of his short reignknow how he ever tried to rule accordingto its precepts. Sunday School Times.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

see."sleep"nothing."come"LESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 8, 1954VOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, JULY 21,1954 NUMBER 3Getting down to business for God !Awake, Church of God! It Is Near TwelvePeter Wiseman*Condensed from "The Alliance Weekly*St. Paul, in his letter to the church in Rome,said, "And that, knowing the time, that now it ishigh time to awaken out of (Rom. 13:11).The slowness of Christian people to realize thetime is, in itself, startling and distressing. The scientific world appears to be more concerned over thesituation than the religious world is. Outstandingscientists, with their knowledge of the danger ofatomic destruction, said some time ago that it was8 minutes of 12. Since the Korean conflict, some ofthem have moved up the hands a bit, but the Churchstill sleeps!The sweeping advance of atheistic Communismis alarming. It has spread so rapidly that one cannothelp but wonder if the way is not being readied forthe Antichrist to come. But the Church still sleeps!Tlie creeping paralysis of this Laodicean Age ishaving a deadening effect on spiritual people. Insteadof the Church realizing this, and guarding against itby doing something vital about it, she still sleeps !The trouble with the church of the Laodiceanswas her complacency. She said, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need ofGodsaid, "Knowest not that thou art wretched,andmiserable, and poor, and blind, and naked : I counselthee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thoumayest be rich ; and white raiment, that thou mayestbe clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness donot appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve,that thou mayest The church was neither coldtacks.nor hot ; and that was to God a sickening thing (Rev.3:14-18).We listened to a radio broadcast recently, abroadcast contacting the great centers of populationin America, seeking to know what preparations arebeing made to cope with probable atomic-bomb atThe revelation as to what has been done andwhat is being done is heartening indeed ; but the conclusion as to the probable loss of life during such attacks was most distressing: approximately 50 percent, provided a warning had been given. In the caseof sneak attacks the percentage of loss would greatlyincrease. I could not help but wonder what thechurches in such centers are doing about a greater.loss, that eternal loss of the soul. Who is concernedabout this? But for a few earnest Christian peoplehere and there, the Church still sleeps !If you have not a deep concern over present conditions in the world and in the, Church, will you notask God to put such concern on your heart ? Will younot ask God to give you a new vision of the need andthe possibility ? then, act !What is the time ? and what are we going to doabout it?God's visitation here and there among us revealsHis willingness to pour out His Holy Spirit in mightyrevival power when we meet the conditions. But willthe Church really awake to this fact ? Will she awaketo this opportunity which presently may pass, neverto return? Will she? It is true "that in the last daysperilous times shall (II Tim. 3:1-5), and itseems clear that "the last days" are upon us; butit is equally clear that "in the last days, saith God,I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh" (Acts 2:17).We are still living in one of the "day," "the last days"of which the day of Pentecost was the first, and during which days God has promised to pour out HisSpirit!Read the challenge of the Almighty, "If I shutup heaven that there be no rain, or if I command thelocusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence(Continued on page 40)

council."Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D.The Reformed CalendarDevout Christians should keep their eyes and ears openas the effort is continued to reform the calendar and is beforethe Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Thereform which is being promoted and of which we write wouldrequire some long weeks and therefore a moveable Sabbath.Every year there would be an eight-day week, and on leapyear two eight-day weeks. This proposed reform has beenendorsed by a number of both Protestant and Catholic churchleaders and by the governments of a number of countries including some that are dominated by Catholics.Catholics DividedNow it appears that the Catholics are divided over theapproval of this reformed calendar. Recently the Vaticannewspaper Observarore Romano, which is supposed to speakfor the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church, came outwith a front-page article approving the adoption of this calendar. Theywould set Easter on a certain date each yearwhich they have desired for a long time.But three days after this article appeared another statement was published by the dailypress which affirmed that"The Vatican has informed the United Nations secretariatthat it does not support the project for calender reform nowbefore the economic and socialIf it is true, as it appears from this statement,that thePope is opposed to the calendar reform it will have greatweight with the United Nations, and line up a strong opposition along with conservative Protestants.For our part we think that the present calendar could beimproved, but let us set our faces like flint and be outspokenon every opportunityagainst such a change of the calendaras would shift the Sabbath from time to time and give us anything other than a God-given seven-dayweek. Men or nationscannot disregard the Fourth Commandment without great sin.We need to be on our guard especially because of the Sabbaththat it would not trouble them if the calendar should call foran eight-day week occasionally.Killing of Attorney General ElectWhy was the assination of A. L. Patterson, attorney general designate of Alabama of nation-wide significance? Hewas a lawyer of Phenix City, Ala., and had fought the viceand liquor interests in that wide-open town for years. Localefforts to clean up the mess had failed and so he ran for thenomination to the office of attorney general of the state andwon. This was equivalent to his election in that state.Phenix City has become deluged with liquor, gamblingand prostitution. It is just across the river and state line fromFort Benning, Georgia, and Fort Benning, Ala., is probablythe largest infantry training center in the U.S. defense system.This town was very insignificant until Fort Benning was established, and since that time it has become a byword in theSouth because of its moral corruption. Mr. Patterson hadpromised to use his state powers to clean up this town, butwhen it became apparent that he would be in a position to fulfil his promise someone stepped up to his car which wasparked outside the building where he had his office and shothim to death through its open window. The gunman, it wouldseem, had little fear that the existing state authorities woulddo much about it.This is an indication of the moral corruption in the armycamp and of the temptations placed in the way of boys notyet out of their teens who are drafted. President Eisenhowerhas recently asked Congress for a special appropriation of$103,000 to maintain "publicorder"in the District of Columbia when the American Legion holds its national conventionthere starting August 30.Segregation on the Way OutIt is reported that the Army has almost completed its effort to end segregation in the forces under its control. A largehospital in Dallas, Texas, known as St. Paul's, a RomanCatholic institution, has opened its facilities to negro physicians. The decision was unanimously approved by the 300white physicians on the hospital staff.Millions of RefugeesThe number of poor, homeless refugees in Korea is said tototal more than 9 million. In the Middle East there are aboutone million Arab refugees poorly fed and scarcely housed. InEurope there are about 11 million refugees manyof whomhave been in camps for six years. In Hong Kong there are300,000 refugees from Communist China living in crowdedconditions and temporary huts. In India there are far moremillions living on a mere subsistence diet. There is need forclothing, food and employment for all of these. The ChristianChurch is helping and the nation continues to give aid toneedy nations, but all of this merely touches the tremendousneed. It is too bad food and labor may not be more adequatelydistributed as the U. S. does not know how to procure enoughstorage bins for the surplus grain. It the Christian spirit prevailed in these and other lands the problem could be quicklysolved.The Communist WayA contrast between the Christian and the Communist way ofdealing with the weak, suffering and needy, was shown notlong ago near Hong Kong. Christian love and sympathy havegone out to the lepers in many lands and colonies in a(Continued on page 40)THE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street, Newton, Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka.to promote Bible Standards of Doctrine, Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsKansas'Opinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writers jnot necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen, D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll, D.D.Remo I. Robb, D.D.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdgarMrs. J. O. EdgarMrs. Ross LatimerSubscription rates: $2.50 per year; Overseas, $3.00; Single Copies-10 cents.The Rev. R, B. Lyons, B.A., Limavady, N. Ireland, Agent for theBritish Isles.Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Kansasunderthe Act of March 3,Newton,1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

Current EventsBy Prof. William H. RussellATOMIC STRIKEA brief but ominous strike recently brought a crisis inthe government's atom-bomb program. The Oak Ridge andPaducah plants ofthe Atomic Energy Commission areoperated, under government contract, by the Union Carbideand Carbon Corporation. When the company refused demands for a wage increase, about 4,500 C.I.O. workers lefttheir jobs. An equal number of A.F.L. men stayed at work.Rivalry between the two unions was partly responsible forthe walkout. The government immediately prepared tosecure a Taft-Hartley injunction forcing the strikers backto work. But the Oak Ridge employees returned after twodays, and the Paducah workers gave up a day later. Thestrike undoubtedly made poor public relations for the C.I.O.This was the first major strike of atomic workers, andwill lead to a reexamination of labor policies in this field.The position of the workers is unusual, in that technicallythey are employed by private industry, but the governmentinsists that they have no moral right to strike.RACE AND POLITICSThe Union of South Africa will hold provincial elections in August, and the Nationalist party of Prime Minister Daniel Malan is putting on a vigorous campaign. Theoffices at stake are not imporant; but Malan hopes tostrengthen his party sufficiently to amend the constitution,so as to eliminate the mixed-blood Negroes from the votingrolls in Cape Province, the largest of the Union's fourprovinces. If Malan gains enough power he may also overthrow the Supreme Court, which has blocked some of hismore extreme measures.South Africa has 1,000,000English-speaking whites,1,600,000 whites of Dutch descent who form the bulk ofthe Nationalist party, and 1,000,000 "Cape Coloreds," orNegroes with white blood. The latter hold the balance ofpower, which is why the Nationalists want to disfranchisethem. Unfortunately, the Negro organizations which aremost active in politics have been infiltrated somewhat byCommunism and the Nationalists are likely to use this asan excuse to stamp them out.LABOR PEACEWalter Reuther and George Meany, presidents of theC.I.O. and A.F.L., recently celebrated the ratification oftheir no-raiding pact, which is intended to restrict competition between branches of the two federationsThree important labor leaders, however, did not adhere tothe pact. They are John L. Lewis of the United MineWorkers, David McDonald of the C.I.O. United Steel Workers, and Dave Beck of the A.F.L. Teamster Union. Instead,these three have formed their own alliance, and apparentlyintended to exert some political influence. McDonald wona major victory when the steel industry granted his1,200,000 workers a five cent an hour pay raise and otherbenefits, totalling nine to twelve cents an hour. As expectedsteel prices were promptly raised, by $3 a ton. Other majorindustries are likely to follow the same pattern.TEMPERANCE FOR RUSSIAThe rulers of the Soviet Union have recently decreedan all-out temperance campaign. The Communist press isJuly 21, 1954highlighting stories of crime and social abuses causedby drink, and party and social organizations are beingcriticized for failing to provide worthwhile leisure activities.The journals of the Communist youth movement are leadingthe crusade. The effects of drinking on industrial productionare mentioned, but the main emphasis has been on thepersonal and social evils. The Communist regime imposedcomplete prohibition up to 1924. Since World War n,however, there has been almost no restriction. The Russians traditionally drink hard liquor, especially vodka, andlots of it. American-type whisky has recently been importedas a novelty. Human nature is much the same everywhere,and it is interesting to find that the Communists havemany of the same social problems that we face.TROUBLED WATERSRelations between India and Pakistan are again seriously disturbed. The issue is the opening of a new dam onthe Sutlej River, in the Indian province of East Punjab. Thedam is part of a huge flood-control and irrigation project,with a main storage dam still to be built. The flood watersof the Sutlej River will be diverted to irrigate nearly400,000 acres of new land in East Punjab and adjoiningprovinces, which has been one of the worst famine areas ofnorthern India. But the river eventually flows into Pakistan, where the water is used to irrigate an grain-importantgrowing area. The Pakistan government is protesting bitterly against the opening of the new Indian dam withouther consent. Pakistan fanatics claim that India will reducePakistan to "an economic and political vassal."An Indianspokesman, however, claims that neither country is usingmore than ten per cent of the available river water. Thequestion may be taken to the U. N. for arbitration. Thereis a very similar dispute between Transjordan and Israel.NEW TRAINSThough American railway passenger cars have gradually adopted air-conditioning, observation domes and otherluxuries, their basic construction has not changed for manydecades. They may be revolutionized, however, if the railroads decide to adopt a radical new design which has beensuccessfully used in Europe. Known as the "Talgo," thecars are built mainly of aluminum, weighing only one-thirdas much as our conventional cars. Passengers ride betweenthe wheels instead of over them, so that the cars are muchlower. Curves can be taken nearly twice as fast, with thesame degree of safety, as with the old-type cars. The carscost less to build, and because of its light weight the trainuses only two-fifths the fuel of a traditional one. The RockIsland Railroad has already ordered one of the new trains.to be delivered in a year and a half, and Eastern lines areconsidering its adoption.SOMETHING BETTERThough the Talgo train was developed in Spain, American inventors have not been idle. If you find the labor ofwinding your wrist watch too fatiguing, there is now a tinydry cell battery which will do the work for you. It willrun a watch for at least a year, like an electric clock, andcan also be used to power other delicate instruments. Dye(Continued on page 40)35

you."us?"me."earth."nants.Going about the streets of Jerusalem, Isaiah wasnauseated with the naivite of the people. Theidolmakers'The Lord's Brief, Comprehensive, Everlasting CovenantThe Retiring Moderator's SermonD. Raymond TaggartThe stream-lined essence of Isaiah 42:1-9 isfound in the 4th verse, less than 25 words :He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he hathset judgment in the earth: and the isles shall waitfor his law. Isaiah 42 :4.When the triumphal entry procession was descending the Mount of Olives and came in sight of thecity, the Hosannahs ceased, for the ass's colt and itsrider had stopped, and He wept over the city, "0Jerusalem, if thou hadst known the things that werefor thy peace, but now they are hid from thineeyes ; for the days shall come upon thee " Was Hediscouraged ? Had He failed ? Was He frustrated ? Afew days later as He was bearing His cross towardGolgotha a crowd was following, men were shoutingand women weeping, and Jesus said to the women,"Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weepfor yourselves, for the woes that are coming uponHe had not failed. Jerusalem had failed. "0Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killest the prophets andstonest them that are sent unto you, how often wouldT have gathered thy children together, as a hengathereth her chickens under her wings, but yewould not. Now your house is left unto you desolate."Jerusalem had failed, by stoning them that were sentunto her, and now she was killing the heir that theinheritance might be hers.Isaiah had a never-to-be-forgotten vision of theLord, high and lifted up, His glory filling the temple,a realization of his own sin, an experience of cleansing with the coal from off the altar, and hearing thecall, "Who will go for But it took tremendouscourage to say, "Here am I, send For to be themessenger to this disobedient and gainsaying peoplemeant to join the ranks of those that had trial ofcruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover ofbonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, theywere sawn asunder (there goes Isaiah now), weretempted, were slain with the sword : they wanderedabout in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute,afflicted, tormented; (of whom the world was notworthy) they wandered in deserts and mountains,and in dens and caves of the But Isaiah wassaying in his heart, "I would rather be on the sideof those that are losing now, but will eventually win,than be on the side of those that are winning nowbut will eventually lose. He shall not fail nor bediscouraged till he hath set judgment in the earthand the isles shall wait for his law."God's Gift to the WorldYet these despised, mocked, tortured, martyredprophets were God's precious gifts to the world.When Christ ascended on high, He gave gifts untomen. He gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets. They were the gifts of a rejected lover, tornasunder and thrown back in the Giver's face. Theworld would have had no Bible today but for thesegifts of God. But it was not just to give us the Biblethat God gave us apostles and prophets, but for the36sake of having the Body of Christ on earth. "Andhe gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets,some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, forthe equipment of the saints, for the work of ministry,for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain unto the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to themeasure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."Now note that the scripture says "until we all attainunto the unity of the faith and of the knowledge ofthe Son of God." God imparted to certain persons special knowledge, revelations from Himself, that theyshould remain an upper class, apostles, prophets,evangelists, pastors and teachers, the upper tier, the"high brass" of the church ? No, He gave that knowledge that we might all attain to that knowledge ofthe Son of God." God, as it were inoculated them withthe understanding of the mysteries of God, thatthey the teachers might inoculate us with thesesame mysteries. Inoculate is a Latin word twowords in and oculus, oculus meaning eye, furnishingan eye. They used it of budding a fruit tree, whenyou peel up the bark and put a different kind of fruittree there. Insinuate, to put among the sinews.But what has all this introduction to do withour text "He shall not fail nor be discouraged."Just this. Isaiah prophesied that he might inoculatethe whole world with that faith, with that convictionthat Jesus Christ is a Victorious Conqueror whowill change this world. And if you can go home inoculated (your eyes opened to this truth) there willbe a new power in the Covenanter Church. If youcan have the same conviction that Isaiah had thatJesus Christ will not fail or be discouraged until Hehas set judgment in the earth, it will mean newpower in your life. Not that we will all become prophets like Isaiah. The body of Christ has many members, but all members have not the same office.There are diversities of gifts but the same spirit, butwe all have some gift, whether pastors or teachers,healers, helpers, givers, but in order to exercise thatgift efficiently, we need Isaiah's conviction, Christ"shall not fail nor be discouraged."A study of our text and of Isaiah's writings showthat he had a conviction of the almighty sovereigntyof God. He will not fail because He has the powerto fulfill all His promises and predictions His coveshops were rushed with orders, busy workmen making gold-plated idols for rich folks, woodenidols for impoverished folks, choosing trees thatwould not rot, marking out and hewing out the crudeforms of men and fourfooted beasts that could notsee nor hear nor speak and had to be carried aboutfrom place to place. And they had traded the Almighty God for that. "Have ye not known? HaveTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

might, for that he is strong in power; not one fail-"Thus saith God the Lord, he that created theheavens and stretched them is the repeated apeth."out"me."pass."gold"sake."wanting,"ye not heard ? Hath it not been told you from the beginning? To what will ye liken God? Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, andmeted out heaven with the span, and comprehendedthe dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed themountains in scales, and the hills in a balance ? Whohath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or who was Hiscounsellor? Who taught Him judgment? Who taughtHim knowledge ? Who shewed Him the way of understanding. Behold the nations are as a drop in thebucket, and are accounted as the small dust of thebalance; behold he taketh up the isles as a verylittle thing. It is he that sitteth upon the circle of theearth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers ; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain andspreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in Lift upyour eyes on high, and behold who hath created thesethings, that bringeth out their host by number: hecalleth them all by names by the greatness of hispeal of Isaiah. How he must have meditated on thepowers of nature, and it gave him confidence in God ;and it is a privilege we can all enjoy.But it was not just God's power to do things,but his power to bring to pass the things He saysHe will do. We must keep in mind that Isaiah wastalking to the people of his own time who weresaturated with idolatry. To persuade them of thevanity of their heathen gods he challenged them toproduce a single instance where their idols had foretold anything that ever came to pass. "Who hathdeclared this from ancient time? Have not I theLord ? And there is no God else beside (45 :21b) "Remember the former things of old: for I amGod and there is none else; I am God and there isnone like me, declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times the things that are notyet done, saying my counsel shall stand, and I willdo all my pleasureYea, I have spoken it, Iwill also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I willalso do it." (46:9-11). Isaiah boasts in his God butit is not idle boasting. The predicting God is a predictable God, because He has almighty Sovereignpower. When He says He will set judgment in theearth, it will come to pass.Isaiah's prediction He shall not fail was based on God's direct revelation to him. "For prophecycame not in old time by the will of man, but holymen of God spake as they were moved by the HolySpirit"(2 Pet. 1:21) But it was confirmed by hisobservation of God's power in creation, by God'scharacter that would not permit Him to lie, and alsoby personal experience.Prophecy Concerning AssyriaIn the days of Hezekiah Assyria was the Russiaof his day. For forty years Isaiah had been warningJudah that unless they repented Assyria would comeagainst them. Assyria had been growing in powerfor more than a thousand years. Their kings hadtaken over that modest title, "King of the Four-Quarters of the World." In 701 Senecharib came intopower and undertook to make good that title. Hehad crippled Babylon sufficiently that he could nowmove on Egypt and all the intervening countries.When he was ready to close in on Jerusalem hehad a very imposing group of notches on his gun,July 21, 1954Hamath, Arpad, Sephervaim, Hena, Ivah, Samaria,and just about all of Judah except Jerusalem itself,and his Rabshakeh was right outside the wall, breaking down the morale by boasting in the Jew's ownlanguage how many gods Sennacherib had subdued."And don't let Hezekiah deceive you, telling you totrust in Jehovah. Have any of the gods of othernations been able to deliver their nations ? I will giveyou 2000 horses if you can set riders on them. Howthen can you turn back the weakest company of ourarmy? Where are the gods of Hena and Iva andApad and Samaria? Sennacharib has them all in hisbag, and he will get your god too, for he is strongerthan God." There was enough truth in all his boasting propaganda to strike terror to every heart, andKing Hezekiah, like Abraham Lincoln, was driven tohis knees because there was no place else to go. Heshowed God the ultimatum, then sent it to Isaiah.The answer comes back: "Thus saith the Lord, theGod of Israel concerning Sennacherib, He shall notcome into the city, nor shoot an arrow there. Bythe way that he came, by the same shall he return.For I will defend this city for mine own sake andfor David's If Sennacherib's ultimatum wassarcastic, just listen to the answer: "The virgindaughter of Zion hath despised thee and laughedthee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hathshaken her head behind thy back. Whom hast thoudefied and blasphemed? against whom hast thouexalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high?Against the Holy One of Israel. I declared all thesethings in ancient times, and now I have brought it toThen God moved one of his little pawns andSennacherib withdrew to fight Libnah: then Godmoved a knight, Tirhakah of Ethiopia, and Rabshakeh withdrew to fight him though it was only arumor, but shouting that he would be back. ThenGod moved His castle, and 185,000 Assyrians diedfrom a mysterious cause in a single night. And thecheck-mated king returned to his god Nishroch withshame, and was eventually slain by his own sons.That was the last time that Assyria ever botheredIsrael. Israel had sinned but God did not fail in Hiscovenant.Prophecy Concerning CyrusNow Isaiah looks down the vista of one hundredand fifty years. Assyria's star of empire has sunkin the west. Babylon with Nebuchadnezzar, "the headofas Daniel called him, became the aggressornation that subdued the kingdoms of the world, andcarried Judah into captivity along with the others.In the night of Belshazzar's cocktail party, the fingers of a hand wrote on the wall, "Thou art weighedand foundand the army of the Medesmoved in through the river channel and took possession. Historians disagree as to whether the Medeswere conquered by Cyrus the Persian, or whetherthe citizens of Babylon met this very popular generalwith a royal welcome, or whether the Medes werejust the spearhead of the Medo-Persian army thatentered and took Babylon, holding it until Cyrusarrived later. Cyrus was himself a miracle. Herose from being an obscure prince of a small stateto be ruler of Asia Minor and the Medes and Persiansand Babylon, and was universally satisfactory, andthe international hero of the Greeks, a just andmagnanimous ruler. Xenophon and Herodotus praisethis foreign conqueror for his character, but hedidn't measure up to the Hebrew standard. To Isaiah37

none."anointed"exile"sad?"he was just God's tool for liberating the Hebrewcaptives. Isaiah calls him, or rather God calls himshepherd,""My"Jehovah's(messiah).(44:28 ff) Jehovah "that saith of Cyrus (note thatGod calls him by name 100 years before he wasborn) he is ray shepherd (this pagan that wasn'teven a monotheist) and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built;and of the temple, Thy foundations shall be laid(and they had not been destroyed yet.) "Thus saithJehovah to his anointed (messiah) to Cyrus, whoseright hand I have holden to subdue nations beforehim". . . Now Isaiah should have gotten a datedcopyright on those words, and had it notarized, fordo you know that the "Second Isaiah" has piratedall those last twenty-nine chapters, some of thefinest literature in all the world, and claimed it ashis, "because it is too accurate to later history; itmust have been written after the says thecritic. As though it were not a miracle that thereever was a Cyrus who set the captives free, gavethem the vessels that had been stolen, and the brass,and an order to get all the timber they would need.Read about it in Ezra chapter 1. But how does thecritic account for these words ? "For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel my chosen, I have called thee(Cyrus) by thy name: I have surnamed thee, thoughthou hast not known me. I am Jehovah, and thereis none else ; and besides me there is no God Iam Jehovah that doeth all these things." (Is. 45 :4-7).The Fulfillment of Isaiah 53 God fulfills His Covenants and predictions.Now we must not linger and we dare not passby the most important of all Isaiah's fulfilled predictions : He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter,and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so heopened not his mouth. He was wounded for our transgression and bruised for our iniquities, and with hisstripes we are healed." "By his knowledge shall myrighteous servant justify many: for he shall beartheir iniquities."II.God's predictions and Covenants are founded onCalculated certainties. "He shall not be discouraged."Engineers, diplomats, sea captains, army strategists, insurance companies talk in terms of calculatedrisks. God talks in terms of calculated certainties.God is a wonderful mathematician. He weigheth themountains in scales and the hills in a balance andknoweth the result to the last atom, the last nucleus,electron, neutron, proton. He hangeth the earth onnothing, puts His children on it, and sends it whirlinginto space at incredible speeds per second. And callsthe stars out by their names and never a mishap orcollision.Jesus taught practical mathematics. (Luke 14:28) "For which of you desiring to build a tower,doth not first sit down and count the cost, whetherhe have wherewith to complete it ? Lest haply, whenhe hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finishit, all that behold begin to mock him, saying,finish."This man began to build, and was not able toWas Jesus thinking of the councils of Eternity, whenFather, Son and Holy Spirit sat down to figure thecost of our Redemption ? There must be no calculatedrisks, only certainties. "Of those whom thou artgiving me, I must lose38In the flood of 1951 in Topeka, the railroadbridges were swept away. The engineers had calculated the millions of tons of freight and equipmentthat must roll over them at high speeds. They countcrystaliza-ed on vibrations, and rust and weight, andtion but they had taken the risk on the millions oftons of water that might sweep them sideways.In creating a world of spirits, there was the riskthat a mighty archangel would get ambitious andlead a rebellion. "Better to reign in Hell than servein heaven." In creating man in the image ofGod, hemight be tempted by that archangel who might leadman astray, and knowing good and evil, the imaginations of his mind might become only evil continually.There might come a time when God could look fromheaven to see if there were any that was seekingafter God, and find not one. Then there must beshedding of innocent blood for the remission of sins.God would have to give His only begotten Son allthe cost must be counted. And God must never become discouraged at man's murmuring, his lusting,his going after things that are not bread, spendinghis labor for that which satisfieth not, and thus Godforeordained whatsoever comes to pass.Go through your New Testament some timeand mark all the passages where in Jesus' life Hemet discouragements. "He came unto his own worldand His own world received him not. Did any of therulers or the Pharisees believe on Him ? His motherand His brethren, His own disciples? O fools andslow of heart to believe, how long must I remainwith you ? how long suffer you ? No faith as big asa grain of mustard seed. Discouraged ?No, every day, even the darkest was a day ofprogress. The darkest days were often the ones ofmost progress. The darkest day was when there wasdarkness from the sixth to the ninth hour. Thenthey put Him in the tomb and sealed it up, and seta watch. Then next day was even worse. A quietSabbath. The next day two men were walking toErnmaus, so downcast they hadn't eaten for twodays. A stranger said, "Why are you so Whatare you talking about? "Oh, don't you know? Haven'tyou heard about Jesus of Nazareth ?0 slow of heart to believe all that the prophetshave spoken, ought not Christ to have sufferedthese things and to enter into His glory? Then heopened to them the scriptures. This was the greatestday in the history of the world ! Was He discouragedin the working out of the calculated certainties?We must not be defeatists. Every day, in spiteof all that looks so dark, God is marching on tovictory. All Asia on the verge of Communism. Bowing the knee to the Anti-Christ. Fear not. Be notdismayed. They that be with us are more than theythat be with them, though they be 1 billion inhabitants of the world, and though all our allies forsakeus. The Virgin daughter of Zion hath laughed theeto scorn, She has shaken her head behind your backIII.The apparent weakness of God's methods are theassurance of Divine Victory. Note these expressionsin the context:(1) Behold my servant (no form nor comeliness)(2) He shall not cry, nor lift up his voice, norcause it to be heard in the street, (no advertising)(3) A bruisd reed he will not break, and a dimlyburning wick he will not quench.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

great."" - -earth."religion."religion."quench."Surely God's ways are not as man's ways. Behold my servant that is suggestive of slavery.Jesus revolutionized the word service. "The son ofMan came not to be ministered unto but to minister.He that will be great, let him be servant of all. Inall those years of Jesus with His disciples, he couldnot inoculate them with that idea. They stroveamong themselves which should be greatest in thekingdom of heaven to the very last day. They wantedto be like the rulers of the Gentiles, lording it overtheir subjects, terrifying them with a loud voice.But it shall not be so among you. Not until that lastnight did they even begin to learn that lesson. WhenJesus knowing that He came out from God, andthat He was going back to God, knowing that theFather had given all things into His hands, this Sovereign God, girded Himself with a towel, and washedthe disciples' feet. And when Peter protested, Hesaid, "You don't understand what I am doing now,but you will gradually come to realize that service belongs to theHe shall not cry nor lift his voice nor cause itto be heard in the street. But he speaks to the man onthe street. It was a great day in Elijah's life when hemet Ahab in the parched pasture land after threeyears and a half of drought, and told him to gatherall the prophets of Baal and of the Grove, 850 in all,and they had a contest, in which the people proclaimGod the winner for He answered by fire that consumed his sacrifice, the altar and the water. Thenthey slew the prophets of Baal. Elijah prayed forrain, and when a very small cloud appeared, he racedAhab's chariot to Jezreel. But when Jezebel heardthe story of that day, she took over the reigns ofgovernment, and Elijah fled for his life. He restedunder the juniper tree, where God fed him, thenwent on to Horeb. Hid in a cave there, God called tohim, What doest thou here, Elijah? His answer,"L rd, they have slain thy prophets, thrown downt me altars, and I only am left and they seek my\.r. +~ +olr/> iJ- "", ,*-\qitwill be led by a hand of second-hand instruments,bruised reeds put back into harmonious melody."The smoking flax he will not When thebanquet has been served and eaten and the speakerof the evening is about to be introduced, the candlesare snuffed with an inverted spoon, but some of thewicks hold their spark and smoke and send out astench. But Jesus Christ takes ithe burned outcandles and breathes upon them, and they lightinto flame as they have never burned before. MelTrotter was a drunkard but he had a praying wife.But he went from bad to worse breaking promisesof reform and breaking her heart. When one ofhis children died, he came home to weep over thecoffin, but he stole the shoes from off the baby'sfeet and sold them for drink. But Jesus Christ tookthat burned out candle and relit it, and made it aburning and a shining light in the darkestdistricts of Grand Rapids and Detroit, and manyseeing it shall fear, and on the Lord rely.The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and theweakness of God is stronger than men .... Godchose the foolish things of the world that He mightput to shame them that are wise and God chose theweak things of the world to put to shame the thingsthat are strong ; and the base things of the world andthe things that are despised did God choose, yea andthe things that are not, that He might bring tonought the things that are; that no flesh shouldglory before God.Our Covenant God can take our little Church,if we are faithful and humble, and make it a mightyinstrument in bringing about that day when Heshall have set judgment in the earth and the islesshal wait for His Law.IV.What did Isaiah have in mind when he says,"Until he hath set judgment in the earth and theisles shall wait for his law?" Perhaps he meanswhat Paul means when he says (Rom. 8:19ff)"For the earnest expectation of the creation waitethfor the revealing of the sons of God. For thecreation was subjected to vanity, not of its own willbut by reason of him who subjected it, in hope,that the creation itself also shall be delivered fromthe bondage of corruption into the liberty of theglory of the children of God." Moffatt translates"judgment"here as "true(v. 3) "loyallyshall he set forth true(v. 1) I have endowed him to carrytrue religion to the nations.(4) "He shall not fail till he has settled true religionupon It will be a God-filled world, a spiritualage. And the whole creation will be transformed.Look at the vegetation: (35:1,2,6,7- "The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; and thedesert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. It shallblossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy andsinging : the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it,the excellency of Carmel and Sharon. They shall seethe glory of Jehovah, the excellency of our God.(41:18ff) "I will open rivers on the bare heights,and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I willmake the wilderness a pool of water, and the dryland springs of water. I will put in the wilderness,the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle and the oiltree: I will set in the desert the fir tree, thepine and the box tree together: that they may seeand know, and consider and understand together:that the hand of Jehovah hath done this, and the39

sing."plainly."more."off."ette?"all"Holy One of Israel hath created it. (55 :12,13) Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree andinstead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree;and it shall be to Jehovah for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cutNow turn to the animal world: (11:6-9) "Andthe wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopardshall lie down with the kid : and the calf and theyoung lion and the fatling together (strange bedfellows!) and a little child shall lead them. And thecow and the bear shall feed ; their young ones shalllie down together; and the lion shall eat straw likethe ox. And the sucking child shall play on the holeof the asp, and the weaned child shall put his handon the adder's den. They shall not hurt nor destroyin all my holy mountain. For the earth shall be fullof the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters coverthe sea. (35:9)What about the citizens? (35:5) "Then theeyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of thedeaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame manleap as a hart and the tongue of the dumb shall(32:2-4) And a man shall be as a hidingplace from the wind, and a cover from the tempest,as streams of water in a dry place, as the shade ofa great rock in a weary land. And the eyes of themthat see shall not be dim, and the ears of them thathear shall hearken, and the heart of the rash shalland the tongue of the stamunderstand knowledge,merers shall speakWhat of the Church? "And it shall come to passin the latter days, that the mountain of Jehovah'shouse shall be estabished on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills and allnations shall flow unto it (there is the model for theUnited Nations.) And many people shall go and say,Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob : and He willteach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths :for out of Zion shall go forth the law,of Jehovah from Jerusalem. And he will judge beand the wordtween the nations, and will decide concerning manypeoples and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks ; nationshall not lift up sword against nation, neither shallthey learn war anyAnd now for the KING Himself: "For unto usa child is born, unto us a Son is given; and thegovernment shall be on his shoulders ; and his nameshall be called Wonderfui, Counsellor, Mighty God,Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increaseof His government and peace there shall be no end,upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom,to establish it and to uphold it with justice and withrighteousness from hence forth and forever. Thezeal of Jehovah of Host shall perform this."He shall set true religion in the earth. This isour Covenant Keeping God.Glimpses . . .Continued from page 34practical way when they have been fed,clothed and givenmedical care. But according to a Hong Kong paper, the entire leper population of Pak Sa Lan Village in D. JuanIsland, situated about two miles from Macao, was massacredby the Communist garrison, here were about 30 men in thevillage. The tender mercies of the wicked (Communists) arecruel.A Boy and a MonkeyThe Free Methodist quotes this incident: A young cigarette-smoker watching the monkeys in a menagerie said to thekeeper, "Would it do anyharm to offer one of them a cigar"Not a bit," replied the keeper. "He would not touch it.A monkey is not as big,a fool as he looks."Awake, Church of God .. . Cont.from front page.among my people ; if my people, which are called bymy name, shall humble themselves, and pray, andseek my face, and turn from their wicked ways ; thenwill I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin,and will heal their land" (II Chron. 7 :13, 14)."And being let go, they went to their owncompany and when they had prayed, the place. . .was shaken where they were assembled together;and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, andthey spake the word of God with boldness. And themultitude of them that believed were of one heartand of one soul ; neither said any of them that oughtof the things which he possessed was his own; butthey had all things common. And with great powergave the apostles witness of the resurrection of theLord Jesus: and great grace was upon them(Acts 4:23-33).The impossible becomes possible when the believing Church gets down to God's order, down tobusiness for God !* Dr. Wiseman is an instructor at the Missionary TrahvngInstitute, Nyack, N. Y.J/Current Events . . . Continued from page 35manufacturers have patented an electronic device whichmatches colors more accurately than the human eye. Forthe police, there is a new photographic device to trapspeeders. It consists of two cameras set some distanceapart, which photograph the car and register the exact timeit passes a point. Finally, for the benefit of the generalpublic, scientists have discovered that the mating and foodcalls of mosquitoes can be recorded and amplified to lurethe pestiferous insects into death traps.40

Roadblocks LimitingChurch EffectivenessA series of four lectures given at White Lake Christian Workers' Conference, 1953by the Rev. J. G. Vos, D.D.Lecture IV. The Roadblock of Stagnation, or Regarding the Status Quo as Normal(Continued)1. Church reformation according to Scripture is acontinuous process.Ecclesia reformata reformanda est ("Thechurch, having been reformed, is still to be reformed"). This follows from the fact that Scripture is anabsolute and perfect standard, while the church atany point in its history on earth is still imperfectand involved in sin and error.This process of reformation must be continuousuntil the end of the world. At no point may thechurch stop and say, "I have arrived. Thus far butno farther!" Only in heaven can the church triumphant say that.In this process of reformation there are certainhistorical stages and certain outstanding landmarksof progress achieved. For instance, the great historiccreeds and confessions of the church are such landmarks of progress. The Westminster Confession ofFaith, for example, marks true progress in the reformation of the church up to the time when thatConfession was formulated.Reformation Always Incomplete on EarthWe may never regard this process as completedin our own day, or at any point in the earthly historyof the church. We must always forget the thingsthat are behind and press on to the things that arein the future; we must always strive to apprehendthat for which we are apprehended of Christ Jesus.The church's doctrine, worship, government, discipline, missionary activities, educational institutions,publications, and practical life all these are to beprogressively reformed according to Scripture.Reformation has always been a step-by-stepprocess, and it must necessarily be such. Zealotswould attempt to achieve everything at one fellswoop, but they only smash their head against astone wall. God works by historical process a gradual, continuous process and we must conform toGod's wayof working.ways be tested and re-tested in the light of the Wordof God. Such self-criticism on the part of the churchis the corporate counterpart of the self-examinationto which God in His Word calls every individualChristian.Absolute Loyalty to Scripture RequiredSuch self-criticism on the part of the church isdifficult. It calls for effort, intelligence, learning,sacrifice, very great humility and self-denial, andabsolute honesty. It requires loyalty to Scripture, aloyalty that is willing to go to any length in orderto be true to the Word of God a truly heroic andradical loyalty to Scripture.Such self-criticism on the part of the churchmay be embarrassing, and even painful. It may meanthat the church, like Christian in Bunyan's Pilgrim'sProgress, may find itself in By-path Meadow, andwill have to retrace its steps humbly and painfullyuntil it is back on the King's Highway again. Suchself-criticism on the part of the church may be devastating to the special interests or projects of particular individuals or groups in the church. It maydemonstrate that particular features of the church'sstandards, life or program, are not fully in harmonywith the Word of God, and should be re-consideredand brought into harmony with that Word.Past Reformation Attained by Self-CriticismFor these and similar reasons self-criticismon the part of the church is often neglected, andeven stronglyopposed. Those who advocate it orseek to have it undertaken are likely to be represented as extremists, fanatics, enthusiasts, visionaries, trouble-makers, and the like. Yet it is by suchself-criticism that the reformations of the past havebeen achieved. Men like Luther, Calvin, Knox, Melville, Cameron and Renwick were concerned onlyabout the judgment of God in His Word. They werenot deterred by the adverse judgments and attitudesof men.When the church has dared really to look atitself in the mirror of God's Word, in dead earnest,the church has been at its greatest, and has beeninfluential in the world. It has gone forward withnew life and vigor.On the other hand, when the church has hesitated or refused to look at itself intently in themirror of God's Word, it has been weak, stagnant,ineffective and uninfluential.decadent,Constant denominational self-criticism on thebasis of Scripture is a duty implied and recognized in2. Scriptural church reformation requires a searching self-criticism on the part of the church.Not only is advance in study of the Scripturesrequired, beyond the landmarks of the past, butsearchingself-criticism on the part of the churchis called for.The church's subordinate standards must alwaysbe subjected to examination and re-examination inthe light of Scripture. This is implied in our confession that only Scripture is infallible. If only Scripture is infallible, then everything else must be constantly tested and re-tested by Scripture.Not only the church's official standards, but itslife, its programs, its activities, its institutions, itspublications, must be subjected to a searching selfcriticismon the basis of Scripture. These must al-really-our First Term of Communion. But is thistaken seriously? How much zeal, how much concernI will even say, how much tolerance is there forit today?(To be continued)41July 21, 1954

me."exercises"purpose."of names and of "begats"Lesson Helps for the Week of August 8, 1954C. Y. P. TJ. TOPICFor August 8, 1954AIDS TO CHRISTIAN GROWTHMeditation, MemorizingPsalm 119:9-16; James 1:22-25.References: Deut. 6:1-13; 11:18-21;Matthew 26:75; Luke 24:6-8; John 2:13-17.Psalms:Psalm 119:1-4, page 288Psalm 119:1, 5, 6, page 300Psalm 49:1-3, page 123Psalm 5:1, 2, 9, 10, page 7Psalm 77:3-5, 9, 10,page 185.Rev. Charles SterrettTwo more "spiritualwhichshould be of aid to us in our spiritualgrowth are those under discussion thisevening, Meditation, Memorizing.We may consider Meditation as a twofold exercise. One definitation for thisword is"close or continued thought."To meditate is to dwell in thought or reflect. We certainly are to think about thegracious ways of our God; we are tothink about His goodnessi We are alsoto recall our failures. We see that noman can, of himself, stand. If it werenot for the Grace of God, we would notbe able to stand.It is safe to say that none of us wouldclaim that our life has been perfect. Ifwe had the opportunity to live our lifeover again would we not desire changes?Are there certain acts or thoughts whichwe would like to forget? We would notonly like to forget certain acts andthoughts, but we also realize that we ,areonly to resist the Evil one by His grace."Though I should die with thee, yetwill I not deny thee," were the bravewords of Peter. Did he not mean them?We know he did. But he did not havethe strength to fulfill these words. Wecan imagine the thoughts which wentthrough his mind after heheard thecock crow. Peter told the Lord that hewould stand fast no matter what the costmight be. Upon hearing the crowing ofthe cock and meeting the gaze of hisMaster, the realization came upon Peterthat more than will power and resolution was needed if he would fight thegood fight of faith.In his pride of life man has said, "Mygood resolutions and will power will besufficient forTo our sorrow wefind, the same as Peter did over 1900years ago,that more isi needful. This sadexperience has happened to me. Howmany times have we denied our Lord because we trusted in ourselves? Ourthought upon our failure should bring usto the feet of Christ, as it did Peter. Weare what we are not by strength within42us, but by His grace we have been keptfrom evil ways.The Bible also holds forth for us theidea of thinkingupon God's ways. Wecan not understand His wayswe arenot expected to understand them, butupon meditation we must exclaim, "OLord our Lord in all the earth how excellent Thy Name!" Onlyas we thinkupon them can we come to this realization.Memorizing also has a place in our exercise. We are not all blessed with thesame ability to memorize and we do notall have the same capacity. Yet there isa benefit which all maygain from theattempt to memorize passages of scripture, etc.One Sabbath morning a representativefrom the American Bible Society wasspeaking. He mentioned the fact that hismother went blind. Before her sight hadleft her, she had memorized the 119thPsalm. It was the testimony of thespeaker that this work of memorizing hadkept his mother from losing her mind.His mother not only gained spiritually,but she was also comforted from thiswork of memorization.There are certain sources available toaid us in the work of memorizing. (Thisdoes not mean that the course will memorize for us.) They may be secured. Ifyou feel that this is desirable ask yourpastor if these courses can be secured.But it is not necessary to have a specialcourse. Select certain passages whichmean much to you and memorize them.The entire chapter does not have to bememorized.We will find that from our efforts tomemorize that we have gained in ourknowledge. When speaking of our Lordand our faith, it will be possible to saythat this is the Word of God. "All havesinned and come short of the glory ofGod,"is not a saying of man, it is thepronouncement of God. Then there willbe passages to strengthen us and encourage us. "Forgetting those things whichare behind, and reaching forth unto thosethings which are before, I press towardthe mark for the prize of the high callingof God in Christ Jesus." When disasterovertakes us, "All things work togetherfor good to them that love God, to themwho are called according to hisThus wenote that meditation andmemorizing will aid us in the putting onof the spiritual armour. Do not becomediscouraged because you find it difficultto engage in the work of memorizing. Weare never too old or young to memorize.The advantages of this effort certainlymore than balance the slowness of thetask. Having the Word of God in ourheart and mind, and upon our tongue, wewill always be ready to give an answer.The devil quoted scripture to our Saviour and our Saviour put to flight theevil one by correctly quoting God's Wordto him.For thought:1. Ask for Scripture passages from thegroupwhich mean much to them. Findout some passages which mayupon special occasions.be used2. What is the difference between meditation and memorizing?JUNIOR TOPICAugust 8, 1954THE TOWER OF CONFUSIONPsalms:Mrs. M. K. CarsonScripture, Genesis 10 to 11:9105:1, 2, 6, page 257. This is thePsalm-of-the-Month. Sing it from memory.2:1, 3, page 453:1, 2, page 13633:7, 9, page 78.References: Find the answers to the following questions.1. How old did Adam live to be? Genesis 5:52. How old did Methuselah, the oldman, live to be? Genesis 5:273. How old did Noah live to be? Genesis 9:294. How old did Shem live to be? Genesis 11:10-115. Who was Shem's oldest son and howold did he live to be? Genesis 11:12, 136. How many sons did Japheth have?Genesis 10:27. How many sons did Ham have?Genesis 10:68. How many sons did Shem have?Genesis 10:229. How old did Abraham's father andgrandfather live to be? Genesis 11:24, 25,32Sometimes we think that the chaptersmade up mostlyare very dry reading, but the references for this lesson are taken fromjust such chapters to show how manyinteresting things we can discover fromthem. You will notice for one thing howmuch shorter the life time of men wasgetting to be by the time of Abraham.(You will see, too, that although it issaid that sons and daughters were born toall these men, yet the names of the sonsonly are given, for women were not sovery important in the telling of history.)Also you will see that there were so manypeople in the world that cities began tobe built. Gen. 10:11-12. Here also is theTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

start"excellent."gifts"first mention of the Philistines, the people who later gave the Israelites so much-trouble. Gen. 10:14. From which ofNoah's sons did theycome? Can youthink of one reason why so much more istold of the family of Shem than of thefamilies of his brothers? Perhaps you andyour leaders can find otherinterestingfacts in these chapters that we usuallyskip over as fast as possible.Last week we learned the story of theFLOOD and of the new beginning madeby one family left in the world, the family of Noah. God destroyed all the livingthings of the world, you remember, because of the great wickedness He sawthere, and now we hope that in the new"beginning there will be no more sin. Butthough all the wicked people were destroyed, yet Satan was still alive and hebegan to work almost as soon as theFlood was over. He even made trouble inthe family of Noah for he tempted Noahhimself, and Noah, though he was agreat and good man, fell into sin. Did youever make a "newsometimes, atNew Year's, or on your birthday or at aconference, and promise to be a bettergirl or boy? Satan is right on hand tosee that although it is a new beginning, itwill soon be the same old story, unlessthe Holy Spirit helps us keepour promise. Noah was forgiven, but how it musthave grieved the Lord to have the freshlywashed world so soon dirtied with sin.Years go by very fast in these chaptersin Genesis, and soon the families of thesons of Noah moved farther and fartheraway from the mountain of Ararat wherethe Ark rested, and began to spread farand wide over the earth. They came toa very fertile plain in the land of Shinarbetween two great rivers, and there theythought would be a good place to live andto build their homes. Then, because theyproud and thought themselveswere veryto be a great people and forgot to askthe Lord about it, they decided to builda great city and a tower that would reachup to heaven. They wanted to make itso high that it would be seen from a greatdistance, and they would never get lostfrom it. They had many good workmenwho could make -bricks and dry them inthe sun. For mortar to hold the brickstogether they found a sort of sticky slime.So they began to build. Theywould calldirections to each other, to bring morebricks, or more slime, then another loadof bricks. What a busy, noisy place itmust have been! Then the Lord came tosee the city. If you have a Bible withreferences in it, look at the tiny letters inthe first of the fifth verse and the last ofthe sixth verse of chapter eleven.Towhat other verses in the Bible do theseletters point you? To the words of thevery Psalms we were to sing in our meeting. Read those verses in Psalms fromJuly 21, 1&54the Bible. Do you suppose David wasthinking of this very story when he wrotethose words? The Lord is still lookingdown on all that goes on in the worldtoday, and though manypeople forget allabout Him or think that He does notknow about them, yet wenothingknow thatcan happen without His knowledge and .permission. And that is a greatcomfort to all God's people. When Godsaw the great tower, He did not wantthem to continue building it, for He knewthey would think theywere greater andstronger than God and that they coulddo anything they wanted to do.So what did God do? He did not throwdown what they had built by a storm orwind, he did not kill the workmen. Hedid something we would never havethought of His doing. He made themspeak in different languages so theycould not understand one another. Whenone man called for bricks, the otherwould say, "What did you say? I can'tunderstandyou."And the first mancould not understand what the other mansaid to him. They got louder and louderand angrier and angrier, and finally gaveup building altogether. Here in our bigcountry, we do not know so well whatit means to hear some one speaking in aforeign language. But our missionariesknow, and one of the first things theymust do is to spend long, hard hourslearning to speak the language of thepeople whom they want to tell about thespeak throughGospel. Sometimes theyan interpreter, a person who knows bothlanguages: and tells what the missionaryis saying. If the interpreter is not anhonest man, he may sometimes not saywhat the missionary told him to say atall, but just what he wants to say himself, for he knows the missionary cannot tell what he is saying. Many peoplehave spent years of time and greatamounts of money and work to translatethe Bible into the different languages inthe world; that work is not even yetcompleted. No wonder when God wantedto stop the building, he simply confusedtheir language. And that is what Babelmeans,"Confusion."Sincethe peoplecould no longer understand each other'sspeech, they moved away from eachother,and those who spoke one language lived in one country and those whospoke another language lived in a different country. Read Gen. 11:12.Underline the proper answer.1. The people built their buildingswith (brick, wood, stone).2. The people decided to build a (road,house, tower).3. God (wanted, did not want) them tobuild the tower.4. God stopped their work by (sendinga flood, confusing their language, sendinga great sickness among the people).5. The Way to heaven is by (our goodworks, believingon the Lord JesusChrist).For the leader. For the flash card, (No.6) draw on the card the picture of a tower built of brick; over it write in largeletters the word, PRIDE,the reference of the memoryand beneath itverse. Forreview this week, cover the reference oneach card and ask for the memory versewith its reference. The Junior giving verseand reference correctly may hold the card.Put all the cards on the board. Whileeyes are closed, remove one of the cards.Ask for the missing story and memoryverse. Remove one or two more cards inthe same manner. Repeat a memory verseand ask the Juniors to give the corresponding story. The first to answer correctly may hold the card.SABBATH SCHOOL, LESSONAugust 8, 1954by Rev. Joseph A. Hill(Lessons based on International Sunday SchoolLessons ; the International Bible Lessons forChristian Teaching, copyrighted by the International Council of Religious Education.)CHOOSING THE BESTLesson Material: Matthew 6:19-34; Galatians 5:16-23; Philippians 1:9-11; 4:8;1 Thessalonians 5:21-22.Printed Text: Matthew 6:24-33; Philippians 1:9-11; 4:8.Memory verse: Phil. 1:9, 10a "And thisI pray, that your love may abound yetmore and more in knowledge and in alljudgment; that ye maythat areapprove thingsIn shopping for merchandise, whetherit be food, clothing or power lawn mower,every normal person wants the best. Wiseshoppers will not accept second-rate merchandise, even if it is less expensive, provided theycan afford the best. Sometimes, however, when we would choosethe best, circumstances make it impossible to obtain the best, and we mustsettle for the second-best. This is oftentrue of material thingsi.But this is not true of spiritual things.We do not choose the second-best amongthe things of God's spiritual provisionbecause there are no second-best things.There is nothing inferior in the realm ofsalvation. The choice is between the material and spiritual assets of life, between merchandise and saving grace, asa life-value. It is sinful to covet earthlytreasures, but it is commendable to"covet earnestly the best (I Cor.12:31).We might easily spend the entire timeon any one of the passages assigned. Aword about each will have to suffice, andis intended only as a "starter" for theteacher.1. Choosing treasures in heaven insteadof treasures on earth.Matthew 6:19-24. This is part of43

vault"etc."OfAwine,"evil."Christ's "Sermon on the Mount." OurLord uses a figure of speech to teach usthat it is sinful to place our future hopein the security of earthly possessions.They may guarantee us material securityin our later life on earth, but only spiritual treasures laid up in heaven can guarantee security for our life in heaven.Earthly treasures will perish; heavenlyassets, laid up in the "safety depositof heaven will endure forever.Some very poor people will be exceedinglyrich in the mansions of glory, andsome very rich people will be paupers inheaven. What are the "treasures" that weare commanded to lay up in heaven?How are these treasures laid up in heaven?2. Choosir^ the Kingdom of God insteadof daily needs.Matthew 6:25-34. Some of Jesus' followers would reply: "We do not desire tobe rich, but we do wish to have enoughof the treasures of earth to take care ofour daily needs food, clothing,This is a natural desire. Christ recognizesour need of temporal things. But Godwill supply them in His good providence.A natural desire for daily needs may beturned into a sinful anxiety. This is todoubt the goodness of God and turn thenecessities of life into an idol. It is onething to have a prudent concern fortomorrow's needs; it is another thing tohave an anxious worry. It is one thingto lay aside a portion of our living forfuture need; it is another thing to make"security"our chief end in life. If weseek the Kingdom of God first, the Godwho rules in our lives will provide for ourneeds. We cannot live the life of faithand worry about the future at the sametime. We cannot seek first the Kingdomof God and at the same time put earthlyvaluables first.3. The Spirit-governed life choses the"fruit of the Spirit."Galatians 5:16-23. This is part of thegreat chapter on Christian liberty. "Theliberty wherewith Christ hath made usfree"is, in part, freedom from the bondage of sin. The more a Christian's lifeis controlled by the Holy Spirit, the freerhe will be. The more he "fulfills the lustof the flesh," that is, the more he yieldsto the desires of his sinful nature, thegreater will be his bondage in sin. Theunsaved person uniformly desireschooses the "works of the flesh"andthesins of his fallen nature. But the bornagainperson, as his life becomes moreand more controlled by the Holy Spirit,more and more uniformly"fruit of the Spirit"produced by the Holy Spirit.chooses thethe godly qualities4. The root and fruit of choosing the best.manPhilippians 1:9-11. Love for God andthe kind of love that discriminates between right and wrong44is thereal source of moral choices. A desperatefather may steal clothing or food forhis children because he loves them. Butlove which leads men to do wrong doesnot abound "in knowledge and in alljudgment,"that is, discernment. Truelove "rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth" (1 Cor. 13:6). Truelove is intelligent love. Wise love discriminates between right and wrong. It approves things that are excellent, and itdisapproves what is sinful and wrong.The word "approve" in the Greek means"to put to the test." It is the word forputting money to the test to determinewhether it is genuine or counterfeit. Thegenuine coin is "approved"; the counterfeit rejected. Paul's idea of love was noit had anmere sickly-sentimentalism ;intellectual element, based on truth. Its"value"fruit was righteousness, not as afor man's benefit, but for "the glory andpraise of God" (verse 11). Much of thepresent dayreligion is man-centered."Choosing the best" is regarded as profitable for man. If he chooses the bestthings in life he will foe happier and willhave "peace ofmind."Paul's religion isGod-centered. It glorifies God. Whateverbenefit it has for man is subordinate tothe great aim of glorifying God.5. Some of the best things we can choose.Philippians 4:8. Some of the bestthings are thoughts, thoughts about godly things. These are truly beautifulthoughts in Phil. 4:8. If a person thinksevil, he will also do evil. A person is nobetter in character than his thoughts (seeMatt. 5:27-28). The Holy Spirit changesnot only a person's outward manner, butthe very depths of his personality, including his thoughts. "Some people saythat they cannot control their thoughts:.This statement is made as an excuse forhaving sinful, impure, God-dishonoringthoughts ...course we cannot controlour own thoughts absolutely by merelyusing our human decision or will power.But by divine grace we can and shouldyield ourselves to God's control of ourthoughts, and by God's grace wecan cultivate control of ourthoughts ...fied by the Holymore have cleanheart cleansed and puriSpirit will more andand pure thoughts."("Blue Banner Faith and Life," April-June, 1953,p. 84).6. Testing, Choosing, Rejecting.1 Thessalonians 5:21-22. This passageis a command for the Christian to putall things to the tesit of God's Word todetermine whether they be "good" or"evil."Whatever is good the Christianis to "hold fast";whatever is evil hemust "abstain from." "Abstain from allappearance ofevil"is a mistranslation.It implies that things which have theappearance of beingsinful but are notreally sinful are to be rejected by theChristian. There is in our home a delicateglass vase which was purchased in a giftshop. Later, we learned that the vasewe were using for roses was really achampagne glass. Since we are not "givento much"vase"should we discard thisbecause it resembles or has the"appearance"of something which is regarded as evil? This verse, correctlytranslated, does not teach such a conclusion: "Abstain from every form ofWhatever is really evil and not merelyresembles evil, is to be put away by theChristian. He is to choose only good,.only the best things.PsalmsPRAYER MEETING TOPICFor August 11, 1954I John 3:1103:11-14, page 2448:4-7, page 1248:7-10, page 12263:1-4, page 153Comments by M. S. McMillan, D.D.Whom God Loves. 1. Those whom hehas chosen, Lev. 20:26; Deut. 32:9-12;2 Sam. 7:23; Isa. 43:1-4; 49:13-16; 2.Those who walk in His way keeping Hiscommandments, Prov. 15:9. 3. The Father loves those who love His only begotten Son, John 14:21; 16:27. 4. Godloves sinners. "No mere man, since thefall, is able perfectly to keep the commandments of God ; but doth daily breakthem in thought, word, and deed." Goddoes not love sinners because they aresinners but because He has graciouslychosen to save them from their sins. IfGod did not love sinners He would notlove any mere man. Rom. 5:8; Eph. 2:4, 5; Matt. 18:12-14; Luke 15:11-24. 5.God loves the children of the covenantfathers, Ex. 20:6.God's Electing Love is a Sovereignact that does not include all. "God having out of his good pleasure, from alleternity, elected some to everlasting life,did enter into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate of sin andmisery, and to bring them into an estateof salvation by a Redeemer." ShorterCatechism. Deut. 4:37, 38; 7:7, 8; Hos.11:1; Mai. 1:2; Rom. 9:13-15; 11:28.The Love of God is Likened: 1. To thelove of a bridegroom for his bride, Isa.62:4, 5; Hos. 2:19; Isa. 54:5. 2. To thelove of a father for his children, Ps. 103 r13; And to the love of a mother for thebabe on her breast, Isa. 49:15.The love of God is shown by the forgiveness of sins, Isa. 38:17; Titus 3:4.And in the gift of His Son and of the-Holy Spirit, Jno. 3:16; I Jno. 3:8-10;John 14:26. And in chastisments, Ps. 19 r9-11; Heb. 12:6-8.The Love of God is everlasting, 2.Chron. 20:21; Jer. 31:3.God's love turns the evil mendo to His people into a blessing, Gen.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

saved."pleasing."50:20, 21; Deut. 23:5, Mt. 5:11-12.God's love is shown by temporal blessings, Deut. 28:1-13; Matt. 6:25-31.The writer is not suggesting that all theabove passages be read in full, but thatthey foe made the basis of comment.Now, a little of the Westminster Assembly's analysis of the manifestationsof God's love. God did not leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin andmisery but elected some to everlastinglife which is accomplished by a divineRedeemer who reveals to them by Hisword and Spirit the will of God for theirsalvation; who once offered up Himselfa sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, andreconcile them to God and who makescontinual intercession for them; whosubdues them, unto Himself, rules overand defends them,and restrains and conquers all His and their enemies; whojustifies them wherein He pardons alltheir sins, accepts them as righteous inHis sight, only for the righteousness ofChrist imputed to them, and received byfaith alone: God shows his love byadopting them into His family wherebythey are received into the number, andhave a right to all the privileges of thesons of God; and by sanctifying themwhereby theyare renewed in the wholeman after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, andlive unto righteousness. "The benefitswhich in this life do accompany or flowfrom justification, adoption, and sanctification, are, assurance of God's love,peace of conscience, (nothing but assurance of God's love can or should giveone peace of conscience), joy in the HolyGhost, (man's chief end is to glorifyGod and to enjoy Him forever. One whodoes not enjoy doing the things that glorify God is not glorifying God. One whodoes not enjoy praising God may bedrawing nigh unto Him with his lipswhile his heart is far from Him. One whodoes not love God's law does not loveGod. The blessed and happy man lovesGod's law and meditates on it day andnight. The one who does not love God'shouse and the place where God's honordwells does not love God.) The one whodoes not have "joy in the Holy Ghost"will not increase in grace, and will notpersevere therein to the end; and willnot be saved, "He that endureth untothe end shall beThe benefits that believers receive fromChrist at death are that they are madeperfect in holiness. Then it is that thiscorruptible will put on incorruption, andthis mortal will put on immortality. Thenit is that death will lose its sting andthe grave will lose its victory.The benefits that believers receive fromChrist at the resurrection. They are raisedup in glory, and shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the dayof Judg-July 21, 1954ment, "Well done, thou good and faithfulservant: thou hast been faithful over afew things, I will make thee ruler overmany things: enter thou into the joy ofthy Lord" (Mt. 25:21). "Come, ye blessedof my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation oftheworld.""And in God's house foreverbe."more thy dwelling-place shallThe Evidence that one is an object ofGod's Savinghope of glory."Love: "Christ in you the"God is love." If God isin you love will be in you. "If we loveone another, God dwelleth in us, and hislove is perfected in us. Hereby we knowthat we dwell in him, and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit." "Weknow that we have passed from deathunto life, because we love the brethren.He that loveth not his brother abideth indeath"(I Jno, 3:14).W. M. S. DepartmentMrs. Ross Latimer. Editor.Prayer Hour. 1:00 P.M. MondayReport of Literature and MissionsStudy 1953-54The Superintendent of Literature andMissions Study submits the followingreport:The list of books for Mission Studyand general interest was prepared forthe Uniform Programs. I wish to thankMrs. E. J. M. Dickson of Needham,Mass., for her generous help in preparing the list.Reports have been received from 9Presbyterials and a single society;total of 83societies. 77 societies usethe Uniform Programs, 76 societies haveMission study, 69 societies take theCovenanter Witness, according to thecongregational plan.Religious tracts, gospels and bookswere distributed by 50 societies.RecommendationsThat we place Christian books ofgeneral interest in our church, public,and school libraries.That we work for the Bible in ourpublic schools whenever we haveopportunity.aanThat each Superintendent keep arecord of new readers, and the number in her society who read four Missionary books each year, as set up inour Satndard of Efficiency in Article11.The careful distribution of religiousprinted material can be of great valuein leadingindividuals to accept Christas their Saviour, and such methods oftrue mission work can be carried onsuccessfully by every member of everysociety.Mrs. G. E. AlexanderKANSAS PRESBYTERIAL,The theme of the Kansas Women'sPresbyterial which met in the BeulahCovenanter Church, May 4-5, was "Walkin the Spirit."Mrs. M. W. Dougherty, the president,reminded us in her address that waikingin the Spirit implies walking with guidance. It means life wholly yielded tothe will of God, in contrast with livingpartly by our own wills and partly by thewill of God. If we are in the Spirit, Hewill foeas close to us as our closestfriend. He is ready to fill us, if first ourlives are emptied of self. His infilling cancleanse us from sin.The devotional periods took up thestudy of the different fruits of the Spirit.The Bible study was on Titus. Mrs.Paul Faris ably conducted this practicalmeditation. The Apostle Paul gives herequite a list of qualifications of Christianwomen. It was emphasized that we are tobe "keepers at home." Religion does notflourish when domestic duties are neglected. It was also brought out thateverything that happens to us in lifeshould tend to make the heart more holy.The providences of God, however hard,help to purify us; they can split thebarriers open and allow the Spirit intoour hearts.Mrs. C. E. Wilson, literature and mission study superintendent, conducted aperiod in which each society gave a review of some book it recommended.These reviews, though brief, gave thedelegates the theme of the book, a preview of its value and a stimulated interest.The personal testimonywas conducted by Mrs. Lester Kilpatperiod this yearrick, with the text "working in you thatwhich is wellRaised in Christian homes, we have no testimony ofconversion from drunkenness, but shouldhave one of walking in the Spirit, usingthe wonderful provision God has madefor our victory over such things as worryand discontent. Several delegates spokeof things they had asked the Spirit totake out of theif lives.On Tuesday evening, the Beulah andSuperior juniors presented a temperanceprogram; and also a very interestingplaylet, "The Nail Family."Miss Mary Adams, a daughter of theBeulah congregation, gave the addressof the evening. She testified that throughfifty years of missionary experience shehad found the Lord's grace always sufficient. She told of some of our convertsin China, then of the different type ofwork required in Japan. She said that aPsalm book containing about one hundred Psalms is being prepared in Japanese. Rev. Sam Boyle teaches at the Reform Church Seminary and theywish touse the Japanese Psalter when it is ready.45

a'Our book room is the only one in Kobethat sells only Christian books.Miss Adams challenged us to fight thegrowth of Catholicism in this country; tostrive for better textbooks ; to help spreadthe gospel on radio and television; toreach out in our own communities to theunsaved; and to look for new missionstations in our own presbytery.Mrs. Shaw of Beulah conducted amemorial service for the four women ofour presbyterial who had been calledHome duringthe year.Mrs. Ross Latimer had prepared aofSolomon."playlet based on the "SongIts presentation, together with Mrs. Latimer's introductory explanation, led to abetter understandingpart of the Bible.of this neglectedThe closing address by Miss EleanorFaris was on the subject "The Mind ofChrist."of gettingShe suggested the following waysto know the Mind of Christ:1. We must work through humility.2. We must emptyselves.ourselves of our3. We must cultivate sacrificial love.4. We must give sacrificially, not justfrom surplus.5. We must seek His mind in ourhomes, discipliningin anger.in prayer rather than6. We must seek His mind in ourchurch, as sharers of the work, yet realizing we are not indispensible.7. We must find His mind concerningmaterial things, making our decisionson the will of God, not on what we canafford. She suggested Psalm 37:1-9 as ahelpful guide.Officers elected for next year are Mrs.Lester Kilpatrick, president; Mrs. CloydCaskey, vice-president; Mrs. Joe Caskey,2nd vice-president; Mrs. Harvey McGee,recording secretary; Mrs. Warnock Patton, corresponding secretary; Mrs. RossLatimer, treasurer.Your reporter must not fail to mention the pleasant, quiet surroundings ofthe Beulah church, and the wonderfulhospitality of the friends there. The fineprogram was developed by a committeeunder the leadership of Mrs. C. E. Caskey.tem.Mrs. Betty C. Weimer, Secretary proWe must trampwhen principle is at stake.upon our feelingsAlcohol makes a man colorful5. /. Wilson.giveshim a red nose, a white liver, a yellowstreak and a blue outlook.The stops of a good man, as well ashis sfeps, are ordered by the Lord.46George Mueller.AGED PEOPLES HOME: Dr. IdaScott is visiting with her sister Mrs. J.M. McBurney at nearby Cannonsburg.Dr. Susan Wiggins became a memberof our Home family on Friday, June 18.Mrs. Myrta May Dodds also becamea member on Monday, June 21.BothDr. Wiggins and Mrs. Dodds are "settled"in their new home, and both express themselves as being "very happy."Again,we ask the church at large topray for the Home in all of its aspects,especially that God will guide the building committee and the Board in thesemomentous decisions. If we pray believing, there will be no mistakes injudgment.SEATTLE: The Seattle D.V.B.S. wassuccessfully completed this year underthe very able direction of Mrs. M. W.Martin, assisted by Mrs. Jack Lamont.There was a total enrollment of 104 andan average attendance of 79. A programwas given the night of July 1 to a fullhouse of over 175 persons, after whichpunch and cookies were served. Mrs.John Lamont and Mrs. Eleanor Jameson were in charge of refreshments. ACollection amounting to nearly $50.00was brought in by the children andwas to be sent to Korea. The Primarygroup was in charge of Mrs. M. W.Martin and Mrs. Verd Dunn, Mrs. Wilmer Hill and Mrs. Gladys Smith assisting.Beginners were in charge ofMrs. Walter Mitchell with Mrs. S. M.Dodds, Mrs. Joseph Mallen and Mrs.Joseph Lamont, Jr. as assistants. TheJuniors were assigned to Mrs. Jack Lamont with Miss Billie Jean Kersey andMrs. David Barclayassisting. Rev. M.W. Martin had charge of a youngpeople'sclass.LISBON: We have been most fortunate in having Licentiate Glenn McFarland with us from mid-May to Mid-July.We have received inspiration andstrength from his fine sermons and histalks given to the United PresbyterianMission Society and the Interdenominational Christian Youth Fellowship wereof a high character and enthusiasticallyreceived.HETHERTON: During the summermonths, Hetherton always looks forwardto havingvisitors from various parts ofthe country. Recently, Mr. and Mrs.Robt. J. Westmore, Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Westmore, Mr. and Mrs. HarryWestmore, Dianne and Brian wereguests of the Edw. Roby family. Mr.and Mrs. Herbert Harrington and family and Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Harrington and family, all of Detroit, enjoyedshort vacations at their Hethertonhomes. Rev. and Mrs. R. H. McKelvy,Alice and Ralph of Lochiel visited withrelatives the first week in July. Mr.McKelvy preached at Hetherton July4th.COLLEGE HILL: The annual Sabbath School picnic was held at theEast Palestine park on the last day ofJune. The children enjoyed the pennyhunt, the young people enjoyed theswimming, the older people enjoyedshuffle board, and every one enjoyedthe abundance of good food.BLOOMINGTON: Ruth Smith hasreturned from a visit through theSmokies. Miss Maudeline Faris has returned to her position at the Universityafter being hospitalized for severaldays because of a painful leg injuryreceived infall.GENEVA : The Fire-station on GenevaHill, just outside of Beaver Falls wherewe conduct a Sabbath School each Sabbath afternoon was the scene of oursecond Bible School. About 50 childrenattended the school where they learnedsome of our Psalms and studied aboutthe Bible. Teachers for the school wereJim McCreadyand Sylvia Montini, beginners; Grades I and II, Kathie Willson;Grade III and IV, Virginia Henery;grades V and VI, Rev. Tweed. Mrs. C.M. Patterson presented several flannelgraph stories to the group.JoyceBrenson, whose family have attendedthe school since its beginning, was substitute teacher for Grade I. Dr. J. B.Willson had charge of the school.On the last day parents were invitedto come and hear what their childrenhad learned at Bible School. A picnicfollowed, held in a local park. "Sufferthe little children to come unto me, andforbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Luke 18:16.PORTLAND: We were privileged inhaving the Rev. Sam Boyle family withus from June 18 to 20. On Friday evening they showed interesting movingfilms of their work in Japanand gave a good report. Following thesefilms, Mrs. Fred Hinman and Miss IrisHutcheson were hostesses at a reception.Mr. Boyle preached on Sabbath, bothmorning and evening. We were allblessed by these meetings.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

TOPEKA: We are sorry to report thatMiss Eleanor Woodburn, after havingrecuperated from virus pneumonia, fellfracturing her shoulder. Although sheisstill confined in the hospital, shewill be returning home soon.ALLEGHENY: Mr. and Mrs. John P.Mitchell left the first of July for theirnew home at Rochester Mills, Pa. Theywill be greatly missed not only forthemselves, but also for their service inthe work of the congregation.COLLEGE HILL: On the second Sabbath evening, of June our congregationworshiped with the Union congregationat Mars. Thirty-two people made thetrip and felt well repaid. Dr. D. H.Elliott led the service and preached thesermon. Several of our members camefrom that area originally.On the third Sabbath evening of themonth our pastor exchanged pulpitswith First Beaver Falls pastor, D. Howard Elliott. This was in keeping witha practice started a year ago and approved by both congregations.On the last Sabbath evening of Juneour congregation worshiped withtheRose Point Congregation. Thirty-sixpeople made the trip from this areaand entered into the quiet worship ofthis fine old country church, Manyspoke with satisfaction of this opportunity to worship with a neighboring congregation. One of our elders, Mr. GlennMcElwain, came from the Rose Pointcongregation originally. We believe thatit is a good thing to visit the brethrenand to see how they do.BEAVER FALLS: A farewell party inhonor of William (Billy) Erath whoenlisted in the Air Force was held inthe Church basement, Friday evening,May 21.BillyAfter an enjoyable programwas presented with a Testamentand an Elgin wrist watch from members of the congregation.STERLING: The Vacation BibleSchool closed June 9 after a two weekssession. Teachers from our Church were :Mrs. Benhardt Fose, Mrs. ChristineMcCrory, Mrs. Louis Wilkey and Mrs.Margaret Reed, Helpers: Mrs. Joe McFarland, Armour McFarland, Mrs. WillBoyd, Dr. A. J. McFarland and MaryAdams.For the first time in the history ofthe PORTLAND congregation, a D.V.B.S. was held, from June 14 to 25. Weare very pleased to report the successof it. The total enrollment was 40, highest attendance 35, and the average attendance was 29.5. The offering duringthe school was $18.52 and on the closing night $15.20. The total, $33.72, isbeing sent for work in the Japanesemission. Our thanks to the followingJuly 21, 1954people who taught in the school and whoare hostesses for refreshments at theclosing program: Mrs. Thomas Chambers, Mrs. John Fonaas, Mrs. M. K.Carson, Mrs. J. D. Carson, Rev. J. D.Carson, and Miss Elizabeth Knight, MissOreta Everett, Miss Isabelle Chambers,and Mrs. Florence Woodruff.GENEVA: At the June social held inthe church yard, our Juniors elected thefollowing officers to serve during thecoming year: President, David Willson;Secretary, Jack McCready; Treasurer,Fred Lathom; Assistant Treasurer,Nancy Ruth McFarland.COLLEGE HILL: Ann and StewartLee took two weeks vacation and visitedher folks in Greeley, Colorado.The Men's Club had a fish fry on theevening of the 22nd. It was plannedfor the park, but because of heavythundershowers was held in the church.Mr. Albert Hardies arranged a tripfor the Boy's Club to the Williams WildLife Farm near New Waterford, Ohio,Saturday, June 26. Two carloads madethe trip and enjoyed the outing verymuch.BLOOMINGTON: Miss Mary LynnStone, who is to be married to RobertMcCracken on July 10 was honoredwith a shower given in the church basement by her aunts Mrs. Virgil Stoneand Miss Maudeline Faris, and hergrandmother Mrs. Paralee Riggs. Thetables were beautifully decorated andMary Lynn received many useful andlovely gifts.On Saturday, June 5, the PORTLANDSabbath School held a picnic at thefarm home of Mr. and Mrs. ThomasChambers. The picnic climaxed a contest for getting new people in the Sabbath School. Carol Kertzman was awarded a Bible for 39 weeks of perfect attendance in Sabbath School on June 20.BEAVER FALLS: Our Spring Communion was observed on Sabbath April25, with John Tweed as assistant. Wewere helped and enriched by all hismessages. The following were receivedinto membership of the congregation ontheir profession of faith: Mrs. MarianBoyce, Mrs. Esther Littell, Mrs. MarthaMcMahan, Joan Young, Evelyn Waite,Linda Rohm, Melvin Javens, RobertLittell, John Mandeville, Gale Shotsingerand Ronnie Wissner.ALLEGHENY: Daily Vacation BibleSchool was held from June 24 throughJuly 2. Although the session was shorter than usual, it was felt that much wasaccomplished and that the attitude ofthe pupils was fine. The pastor, Mr.Kermit Edgar had charge of the school.Mrs. Kermit Edgar, Mrs. HowardGeorge, and Miss Barbara Campbellwere the other teachers. The enrollment was 34, and the average attendance was 25.BLOOMINGTON: Miss Eunice McClurkin gave a very informative lectureon her work in Latakia. The meetingwas held in the basement of the churchand those attending not only enjoyed thelecture and slides but the coolness ofthe basement as well.COLLEGE HILL: Two ordination andinstallation services took place inneighboring congregations during themonth. Robert Tweed was ordained andinstalled pastor. of the Geneva congregation, and J. Paul McCracken wasordained and installed pastor of theEastvale congregation. Several of ourmembers attended both services.GENEVA: Kathleen Aiken and NancyRuth McFarland attended Camp Fernwood the week of July 4th. RachaelFallon spent two days there. All camehome with glowing accounts of the funand fellowship they had.HETHERTON: Lie. John Tweedpreached for Hetherton congregationfive Sabbaths during May and June. Hedelivered very fine sermons and mademany friends while he was with thecongregation. They all wish him God'srichest blessings as he takes up hiswork as pastor at Youngstown.STERLING: C. Y. P. U. had a swimming and ice cream social July 3. 18were present. Douglas Ward, Virginiaand Georgia Wilson, Stafford, andMartha Caskey, Clarinda, were guests.TOPEKA: The congregation enjoyeda 5th of July picnic at Forrest Park.The men worked up a real sweat playing ball and the children had a big timeplaying games.COLLEGE HILL: Several of ourmembers attended open house at theWest Mayfield chapel June 4. Manywere surprised at the improvmentswhich have been made in the building.Refreshments were served from the newkitchen. The new basement added greatly to the facilities of the Vacation Bibleschool. The school was small this yearbecause of vacations, but the trainingof the children in Bible was up to par.ALLEGHENY: Sabbath, June 27, wasour Children's Day Service. Members ofthe Beginners, Primary, Junior, Intermediate, and Young People's classes allhad a part in the program. Attendanceawards were presented by the Superintendent of the Sabbath School, Mr.Donald Fox. Ruth Bennett and MaryAnn Windisch of the Beginners' classreceived Testaments for having said all47

progress."of the Short and Easy Catechism questions.BLOOMINGTON : An ice-creamsocial was sponsored by theyoung people on the lawn of thechurch June 17Grinnell.to make money forEverybody attending had agood time and a nice profit was made.Several from Bloomington are planningto attend the Conference.BEAVER FALLS: Mrs. Martha McMahan and sons Raymond Warren andThomas Martin McMahan, Mrs. MarianBoyce and sons James Lewis, CharlesLee and Jack Allan Boyce, Judy KayLittell, Richard Nelson Littell and SusanGaye Littell received the Sacrament ofBaptism on April 25, administered bytheir pastor Rev. D. Howard Elliott.PORTLAND: Recent visitors in ourworship services have been Mr. RobertFrazer and son, Charley, from Honolulu,Mr. L. S. Whitney, Lt. Col. Boyd Whitney of the Marines, Mrs. McCoy andson Knox from southern California, andMrs. M. K. Carson from Belle Center,Ohio.TOPEKA: The July meeting of theW. M. S. met at the home of Mrs. W.A. McElroy. Mrs. J. S. McElroy wasdevotional leader. We appreciated thetalk given by Mrs. Sam Boyle andwere interested in the curios which shedisplayed. It indeed has been a privilegeto have the Sam Boyle family in ourmidst these past two weeks and we havebeen drawn closer to the mission workof Japan through the pictures whichwere shown to uswhich they have brought.and the messagesCOLLEGE HILL: Mrs. A. A. Wylieleft June 30 for Pittsburgh to join Mrs.J. S. Tibby and both left for a trip tothe far northwest and on to Alaska.Theyexpect to be gone a full month.GENEVA: James Gault, brother ofMrs. Leslie Fallon, spent two weekswith his sister, visited old friends andattended our church on Sabbath, July4th.BEAVER FALLS: We are glad tohave Marshall Maratta in our midstagain after a serious operation performed in a Cleveland hospital and thenbeingconfined to his home for a number of weeks.PORTLAND: Mrs. J. D. Carson hasbeen ill with Jaundice for the pastmonth. We miss her from her regularplace in the services. We pray for aspeedy recovery.ALLEGHENY: A very special featureof the service of June 27, was the baptism of four babies. They were DavidJohn Anderson, son of Mr. and Mrs.48John W. Anderson; David Paul Bennett, son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul D. Bennett; Gary William Gerstner, son ofMr. and Mrs. Henry W. Gerstner; andEdward Robert Windish, son of Mr. andMrs. John C. Windisch.BLOOMINGTON: Judy Robertson hasrecovered from the mumps. We missedher in the choir while she was gone.STERLING: Sterling Juniors held aparty at the Church, July 3.GENEVA: Recent visitors to our worship service were Mr. and Mrs. McBurney from Cambridge, Mass. Their son,Wendell is a Senior, attending GenevaCollege.BEAVER FALLS: Mr. and Mrs. Albert Spooner are the happy parents ofa daughter born April 26. The Spooner'sare members of our Sabbath School.HOPKINTON: Mr. Thomas Josephhas arrived home from service in Koreaand is now dismissed from the army.He gave a very helpful and interestingillustrated talk in our church on thereligious phasesof his experience inKorea and Japan. He visited our mission in Japan.COLLEGE HILL: Two of our members underwent appendectomies in theProvidence Hospital during June: EvadnaSterrett and David Pasarilla. Bothhave made satisfactory recovery to date.BEAVER FALLS: Members of ourchurch and Sabbath School who havegraduated this spring are: Junior HighSchool: Gloria Klingensmith, SallySchmidt, and John Zelenak. HighSchool: William Erath, Melba Lane,Marjorie Wenkhous,Joan Young andJohn Young. Seminary: John Tweed whohas accepted a call to the pastorateof the Youngstown Congregation.TOPEKA: A miscellaneous showerwas held in honor of Marjorie McElroyJuly 8 at the Church. Miss Doris Drennon and Mrs. Alden Hall were thehostesses.The young people enjoyed a swimming, boating, and water-skiing party atBLOOMINGTON'S new lake on the25th of June. It was well attended andeveryone decided it would be a goodidea to have a similar party in the nearfuture.BEAVER FALLS: At our evening service on Sabbath April 18 we wereprivileged to hear Miss Eleanor Faristell of her work in Cyprus.COLLEGE HILL: Mrs. M. M. Pearceflew to Chicago with her son, Melvilleearly in June. After a week's visitshe flew back alone. Some days latershe suffered another attack of Angina,but has recovered enough to go to hercottage at Lake Chautaugua.PORTLAND: Mrs. Myrtle Whitneywent to be with her Lord on her 69thbirthday, Sabbath June 20, followingthree months of illness. Funeral serviceswere conducted by Rev. J. D. Carsonand Rev.Frank Frazer. We greatlymiss her and extend deepest sympathyto the family, her husband Mr. LeRoyWhitney, two daughters, Mrs. EdnaZenger and Mrs. Gayle Fonaas, oneson, Lt. Col. Boyd Whitney, and sixgrandchildren.Dr. F. E. Allen was elected Moderator of the 125th Synod of the churchon Wednesday evening, July 14.PHILADELPHIA PRESBYTERYOn June 17, 1954, the PhiladelphiaPresbytery met in the Third Church,Philadelphia for the purpose of hearinga sermon by our theological student,Robert Bruce McCracken, as an evidence ofThe assigned textwas John 1:12-13. The presentation wasmost heartilysustained and he was advanced to the second year.Another purpose for the meeting wasthe examination, ordination and installation of George William Price as pastor of Third Philadelphia.The assigned texts for the sermonwere I John 4:13-15 and Galatians 3:25-26. The exposition assignment wasEphesians 4:8-16. These messages, withthe examinations which followed, wereheartily and unanimously sustained.Presbytery then proceeded with his ordination and installation. The ordination sermon was preached by Dr. PaulD. McCracken on the texts Hebrews8:5 and Joshua 1:8, and the Moderator,Dr. F. M. Wilson, offered the ordinationprayer.The congregation extended, rightheartily, the right hand of fellowshipto their new pastor.We rejoice that once again each ofthe three congregations of the Presbytery is blessed with an undershepherd.May it be the beginning of good days tous as a Presbytery.John Peoples, Clerk.There is not a tissue in the humanbody wholly removed from the influence of the Spirit.A day of worry is more exhaustingthan a week of work.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

needful,"up"evil."sort."men."much,"LESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 15, 1954THE FIELD IS THE WORLD,TH SD (S THE WORD oe GODVOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 1954 NUMBER 4"But Mine Own Vineyard"byEdwin Raymond AndersonNothing can possibly take the first place of intimate communion and fellowship with the Lord Jeand realmsus Christ. Nothing in the entire sweepof Christian life and service can rightly fill it. This issurely, "the one thing and he who learnedthis well, has chosen the better part. And the blessedLord will surely "make for all that had beenshunted aside to second-place in order that whole attention be given to this matter.Without doubt this is one of the most "disbelieved beliefs" in the catalogue of Christian truth!It is believed in as a fact, of course, for there is muchof "chapter-and-verse" which indicates, with all ofthe impact of the Holy Spirit, the prime importanceof it. Theologically we render Him the due of the firstplace. But how hardly is it believed upon as a practical act, coloring and shaping the whole course ofgo,"Christian conduct ! We are everlastingly "on theand all too often with that kind of "go" which getslittle or nowhere, spiritually. Many a worker for theLord has learned the truth of that. With all his laborings,there has come upon him, time after time, overand over, that disturbing, disquieting inner sense ofsomething being missed, or lost. He comes to realizethat the Word of the living God has become more ofa text-book than a treasure, and the work has toppledfrom the holy to the hum-drum. While they gothrough the motions, they miss the marvel.Many a saint of God has cried out the warningagainst the snare and subtle danger of this. It is significant to note that those Who accomplish the mosthy way of work for the Lord, say little about that,and far more concerning the Lord of that work.Things are in spiritual balance and proper proportion.Dr. Hudson Taylor for example, terms this one of thepre-eminent dangers of the present time and adds,"the intense activity of our lives may lead to zeal inservice to the neglect of personal communion; butsuch neglect will not only lessen the value of the service but tend to incapacitate us for the highest serviceto God." And on the other hand, and positive side,consider this word from Andrew Bonar regarding theministry of that holy man of God, Robert MurrayMcCheyne "he dwelt at the mercy seat as though itwere his home and spent nights and days in ceaselessbreathings after holiness and the souls of Ofcourse, we moderns might be dangerously inclined tolook upon such with nigh impatience; there is somuch work to be done ; we must work for the night iscoming when no man can work, and the Word doesindicate our need of "redeeming the time because thedays are Yet the Word also speaks of the needof worship, without which, in the most spiritualsense of the term, there can be no true, Christ-honoring, Spirit-directed work. We need to remember thatour works shall be judged not by "how butrather, "of what God is better glorified byquality rather than by quantity, for that is His measure as to value.Recall that plaint in the Song of Solomon in thisconnection; "they made me the keeper of the vineyard ; but mine own vineyard have I not kept" (Songof Sol. 1 :6). It is good to recognize the tragedy whilethere is yet time to make the transfer lest the remaining testimony be further tarnished. The Lordwho commissioned us to work in the field, also commissioned us to fellowship with Himself. There is a(Continued on page 58)

gether"The One Hundred andTwenty-FifthSynodMost of the officials of the Young People's Or_ganization arrived on Tuesday and are ready for thebusiness ofregistering on Wednesday morning.There seems to be a long line of waiting personsready to fill out their registration blanks and paytheir money, so there is plenty of time to talk. Naturally, the weather is the first subject of conversation and opinions differ as to how hot it is. To thosewho have come from Canada and other regions closerto the pole the weather is very, very torrid. To thosearriving from such tropics as Oklahoma, Kansas,Missouri and other points south of the Mason-DixonLine the weather is moderately mild. The first day ortwo was plenty warm for all of us but there are manyremarks to the effect that it is pleasant now afterthat first heat wave passed onward. Something like600 registered during the first day and by Sabbathevening the number had passed to 916, some of whomhad already departed.The first "get-together" in the dining hall wasthe evening meal, call it dinner, supper, or whatever you choose. More interesting than the name ofthe meal were the many faces that you had seen before, some of which you could attach the proper nameto, and sometimes make the wrong guess. That guessis bad because everybody likes to be greeted as if hewere the one person you have been thinking about forthe last four years.Evening ProgramAt 7:30 or soon thereafter the program began.Mr. Remo Robb is presiding and of course the meeting was opened with prayer. The President of the College has resigned and there was no one to representthe College with an address of welcome but Mr. Robbwelcomed us all. Introduction of officers followedwhich included the officers of the Young People'sOrganization, the Intermediate leaders and the leaderof the Juniors, the President of the Women's Synodical and the Moderator of Synod. Paul Robb, beingpresident of the Young People's Organization, gavethe President's address urging that this time ofsigning the Covenant was the important occasion inour life and ought to mean reconsecration and additional activity in Christian life. This was followed bythe sermon by the retiring Moderator of Synod whichwas published in last week's number. The court wasthen constituted with prayer by the Moderator andthe election of officers followed, but first of all therewas the making up of the roll and this was made interesting by the presentation by the Clerks of Presbyteries of such men as had been ordained during theyear. There were eight but David Hanson was absentin Kobe, Japan, and James Carson had not yet arrived. The other names are Roy Blackwood, J. PaulMcCracken, George Price, Robert B. Tweed, DonaldRobb and John Tweed. These men are now filling vacancies in congregations from coast to coast. TheElders who are attending Synod for their first timeas delegates were then presented and the list follows :(See News Notes) All of these men faced the Synodand it was a long impressive row in each case. Itshould be said here that Mr. Awad who has comefrom Syria to be present at this meeting was also inthe line for the first time to be introduced.July 28, 1954Election of OfficersThe Moderator then called for the nominationsfor the Moderator of the Synod, and Dr. T. C. McKnight presented the name of Dr. F. E. Allen andthis nomination was seconded by Dr. R. J. G. McKnight. No further nominations were offered and hewas elected and gave a brief address.The Clerk and assistant Clerk were continuedin office on motion. They are: Rev. D. Howard Elliott, Clerk and Rev. Waldo Mitchell, Assistant. Theseofficers of course concern the meeting of Synod only.The program tells us there is to be a "Mix up get toat 9 :45. I think it was a little later than thatbefore we were able to adjourn but were adjournedwith prayer by Dr. F. E. Allen, the new moderator.When 600 Covenanters from all parts of the land andother lands get together for the first time in fouryears there is no difficulty about conversation. Thiswas made more interesting by the punch and cookiesthat were served. Curfew didn't ring that night butI believe that most people eventually went to bed,Thursday MorningGrinnell Campus quadrangle is bordered on oneside by dormitories, which consist of brick buildingsthree stories high with a basement. There is a separate dormitory for the girls; families and men aremostly in these quadrangle buildings. This makes aconvenient grouping for devotional meetings eachmorning as each building has its own lounge and witha set time for these meetings there is the equivalentof family worship for parties concerned about suchthings and we believe for the most part people wereconcerned. At 8:45 groups all convene in Darby Hallfor a devotional address. This was presided over bythe President of the Young People's Convention forthe first two mornings ; Robert McCracken, first vicepresident for the second two ; James Tempelton, second vice president for the third two. The list ofspeakers and subjects follow and you will observethat all these are centered about the matter oftakingthe Covenant.Dr. R. C. Fullerton spoke on our declaration offaith, Psalm 64, Thursday. Rev. C. E. Caskey spokeon our confession of sin, Psalm 166, Friday. Saturdaymorning our Covenant obligations was spoken on byRev. S. B. Willson, his assigned Scripture being Exodus 24:7. On Monday in reliance upon God's Grace,Isaiah 40:31. Tuesday morning, A Blessing and aCurse Dueteronomy 11:26-28, Speaker, Rev. J. A.Hill.Wednesday morning the Ways before us. Hebrews 12:1, Speaker Rev. K. S. Edgar. We hope thatall these addresses and many of the other addressesof the convention will appear in the Covenanter Witness in the near future. Arrangements are also madefor having these addresses published in a MemorialVolume. It will be on sale, we hope, before anotherSynod, at a reasonable price and will be somethingthat everybody's library ought to contain and too,every person should read.After devotional periods the groups separated totheir various assignments ard the following notes51

will concern the meeting of Synod and we will hopethat the other departments of the Convention willgive their report for publication. There was quite along list of announcements to be made and these wereinterspersed with humor by the Camp Manager D.Raymond Park.First Session of SynodSynod was constituted in prayer by Dr. R. J. G.McKnight and the roll call followed,and the memorialservice with a memoir of Dr. J. B. Tweed Which hadbeen prepared by Dr. Robert Parke and read by Dr.T. C. McKnight was followed by a memoir for Rev.R. W. Piper, prepared by Dr. W. O. Ferguson butsince Mr. Ferguson was not present as yet it was readby Rev. Walter McCracken. The memorial for Rev.Hanna Besna was to have been prepared by Rev. C.A. Dodds but did not arrive in time for this service.and Rev. Awad, fresh from the fields of labor whereMr. Hanan Besna had served, spoke of Mr. Besna'sChristian life and devotional work. The program onthe docket calls for the reports of the Board ofTrustees of Synod, all treasurers, Coordinating Committee, Stewardship Committee, Board of Pensions,Board of Church Erection. In the main this programwas carried out as far as possible but in the absenceof certain persons some of these reports did notcome up until later. This was also the day for the presentation of papers to come before the Synod and tobe referred to the various committees to recommendthe action to be taken. Among these was one concerningclosed communion to be discussed at anothermeeting of Synod, and this matter led to some discussion which threatened to take quite a bit of time,but we suspect that the contention was not moresharp than that between Paul and Barnabas concerningwhether John Mark should be included in theirsecond itinerary. While we were speaking of that subject there was a motion brought in later and passedthat any question that had been discussed by Synodand decided,should not be brought before the Synodagain for a cooling-off period of five years.Rev. John Edgar read the report of the Board ofPensions and one of their recommendations was thatdue to the lack of funds and the threatening furtherlack of funds, that the pensions should be reduced10% with a minimum of $50.00 per month. No pensions except one exceed $700 per year;it was notthought advisable to do this but perhaps a campaignministerial pension fund.could be put on for aThe Coordinating Committee brought in the recommendation that the budget for the coming yearwould be $109,200 which is $3,000 less than lastyear's but all askings had been reduced byat least10%, but this was laid on the table to await the report of the Publication Board which thought thatcould not operate on their share of the Budgettheyon this basis. This matter is still pending at this moment. So much for the first session.Thursday P. M., July 15The program for the afternoon calls for unfinished business ; however, the first matter on the program was the hearing of a representative ol thePresbyterian Ministers' Fund which Fund has chargeof our pension system. The interesting thing thisrepresentative, Mr. Mullinhour stated was that therewas no other insured group that was getting as much52dollar value for their money as was pledged to ourSynod.The paper that seemed to bring out the most interest was a report of the Committee on Practicalsteps toward an implementation of Section 4 of theCovenant of 1871 which section calls for effort tounite all Christians in a Holy Brotherhood and reminds us that Schism is a sin in itself. If our Churchis to work for union on a scriptural basis we mustdiscuss with other Synods of other denominations ourprinciples and their principles and see wherein eachof us may be wrong in regard to the doctrine, worship, government and discipline, and the report recommended a permanent committee to exchangeviews and standards with various denominations. Thereport specifically named the Synod of The Associate Presbyterian Church, General Assembly of theOrthodox Presbyterian Church, Synod of the BiblePresbyterian Church, and the Synod of the ChristianReformed Church, the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church of North America; othersmay be added later. This report was signed by themembers of the committee of which J. G. Vos waschairman. Some discussion as to whether the UnitedPresbyterian Church should be included in this sincethey departed from several of the principles whichwe now hold, but in the discussion a letter was readby Mr. Russell (without giving the name) of a UnitedPresbyterian minister asking if there was room for aman in our Church who believed in the worship of thePsalms and other things for which we stood. Thisman was an entire stranger to Mr. Russell but it wasfelt that he represented a considerable group in theUnited Presbyterian Church who would like to getback to some of the things they have forgotten. Dr.John Coleman said that he and his wife had carriedon some advertising in the U. E. A. concerning ourPsalter for sale and that it had brought some ordersto Mr. Fox, though the number of orders that camein from this advertising was hard to determine. Hespoke of opportunities they had had to sell the Psalter to the Billy Graham Organization and to otherswho were inquiring for Psalms with music.The delegates to the N.A.E. Convention reportedon the value of such a convention and the efforts thatare being made toward keeping the Evangelical message on the air and the benefits to be obtained bybelonging to such commissions as the EFMA with itsand travel divisions. A protestpurchasing, passports,was registered by Rev. S. E. Boyle against any association with the Evangelical Association as being contrary to the aims of our church.Synod adjourned for the day. To be continued.Board of Church ErectionOnce more we record the goodness of God in enabling the board to meet the needs of our congregations.The congregations of First Beaver Falls, CollegeHill, Syracuse, Central-Pittsburgh, Hetherton andQuinter met their annual obligations to us. Southfieldis again far ahead of schedule, and Kansas has completed repayment of her loan. Hebron and Denver alsomade payments.The difficulty met by the new president of theSeminary in finding a home in Pittsburgh presenteda special problem,which was called to our attentionTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

promise"people."contingent"promise"unknown."by Synod's Trustees. If Dr. Willson were a pastor, wecould make a loan on a parsonage for him ; and sincehis call came from Synod itself, we felt justified ingiving some assistance. Last September we loanedhim $5,000.00 at the rate we ask on parsonages, oneper cent per annum ; backed by the offer of Synod'sTrustees to take over the loan if the funds should beurgently needed in our ordinary work.Youngstown congregation wished to purchase aparsonage-and-church combined in a part of the citybetter suited for mission work, and had an offer froma Negro congregation to buy the old church. For atime it looked as though it would take all our resources to help them make the change. But the buyers of the old church increased their offer, and thetemporary loan we made in October was returned tous in January.Eastvale congregation was building an $8,000.00parsonage largely with volunteer labor and with theirown funds, but applied for a loan of $3,000.00 to complete the building. Our board promised the loan ; andEastvale was gracious enough to wait for it till thelast of October when it became clear we would still beable to see Youngstown through the crisis.When United Covenanters of Philadelphia calleda pastor it became necessary to get a parsonage. OurBoard made a loan of $5,500.00 about one third thewhole cost to bejrepaid when one of the two churches would be sold. First Church is now being sold at agood figure.San Diego congregation applied for a loan of$1,000.00 to be part of a down payment on a $12,500.-00 parsonage. The loan was made in March, and is tobe repaid in three years following the paying off theloan on the church. The number of our churches having parsonages is increasing.Union congregation is putting a full basementunder the church, largely with volunteer labor, andat a total estimated cost of $2,500.00. On June 13, aloan of $1,500.00 was made by our board to aid incompleting the task.The sale of the combined church and parsonageof the Boston congregation, discussed in last year'sreport, has been much more difficult than expected.Vandalism did damage to the building, and repairswere needed. At last a contract for sale has beenmade, but at a figure much lower than it should havebeen.Other needs for help have been before us, butthis brings our story up to date, so far as decisionsare made.The terms of D. R. Taggart and R. W. Speer expire at this time. Their successors should be chosen.BOOK REVIEWSDEVOTIONS FOR THE CHILDREN'S HOURKenneth N. TaylorThis is a book of material for forty-eight devotional periods in the home. It is not a Bible storybook, but it can be used with a book of Bible stories,for children do need to know those stories. But theyneed also to know the eternal truth that is behindthese stories.The author says of his book, "It is a book of doctrine for children a 'book that tells what the Biblesays about sin and heaven and about the Lord JesusJuly 28, 1954and about many other Bible themes. It is a book written especially for children ; its words are simple, andits thoughts, we hope, are clear. . There are many. .Bible story-books, but children need doctrine, too,and books of doctrine written so children can understand them have until now been almostThe material in these chapters deals with God,creation, the Fall and sin, and about salvation provided for us by the Lord.One reading will not exhaust the value of thisbook. This material can be profitably used againand again. It was written particularly for childrenfrom seven to twelve years of age.It is published by the Moody Press and sells for$2.50. R. C. F.THE COVENANT OF GRACEby John MurrayThe Tyndale Press, 39 Bedford Square, London,W. C. 1, England. 1954, pp. 32, paper cover. 1 shillingsixpence. Available in U.S.A. from Inter-VarsityChristian Fellowship, 1444 North Astor, Chicago 10,111. ; in Canada, I.V.C.F., 30 St. Mary St., Toronto 5,Ontario.This booklet is a lecture delivered at SelwynCollege, Cambridge, July 6, 1953, to the Tyndale Fellowship for Biblical Research. It is an examination ofthe covenants of the Scriptures both in the OldTestament and the New Testament to determine themeaning of the covenant relation between God andman. The thesis is that a covenant is not a mutualagreement between God and man,nor a conditionalcontract, but "an oath-bound and oath-certified assurance of irrevocable grace and(p. 25).A covenant is "a sovereign administration of grace,fulfilled"divinely initiated, established, confirmed,(p. 22). "The most striking feature is the security,the determinateness, and immutability of the divine(p. 23).The covenant constitutes a union and communion with God: "I will be your God and ye shallbe my Requirements placed upon man bythe covenants are not to be construed as conditionswhich must be fulfilled before the bestowal of thecovenants, "but as the reciprocal responses of faith,love, and obedience apart from which the enjoymentof the covenant blessings and of the covenant relation is inconceivable" (p. .19)As the covenant idea is developed by theprophets, and the New Covenant is shown to bethe fulfillment of the Old Testament covenants, itbecomes increasingly plain that the covenant itselfprovides the means whereby man meets the conditions stipulated (see Isaiah 42:6; 49:8; etc.) ; "Keeping the covenant presupposes the relation as established, rather than the condition upon whichthe establishment is(p. 19). Grace andtruth promised in the covenants of the Old Testament achieve their object in the fulness of the NewCovenant described in Revelation 21 :3, "Behold, thetabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell withthem, and they shall be his people, and God himselfGod."shall be with them, and be theirThe language is technical, the style masterly,the approach Biblical and scholarly. It was preparedfor scholars. It would, therefore, be an asset in everyminister's library ; many Covenanter laymen, schooled in Covenant theology, would find it instructiveand interesting.E. Clark Copeland53

us."evening,"morning."Why A Sabbath Evening Preaching Service?By B. M. Dobbin, D.D.It is a questionfrequently asked in these days,not only in cities where many churches are dark onSabbath night, but in small towns as well. Everywhere one finds church members not bold enough,perhaps, to speak against an evening service on theLord's day, but their actions are louder than words.Of course not all who stay away are against theservice. There are many good Christians who, forvarious reasons, cannot attend church at night.Some because of ill health or advanced years are notstrong enough for more than one service a day, andmorning is the time they can most easily attend.There are some who live far away and are too poorto pay transportation charges twice a day. There arefamilies in which little children make it inadvisable,at least, for both parents to go at night.At certain seasons a farmer's chores may makeit difficult. There are young chickens to be looked after at that hour, and before fly sprays were so common it was almost impossible in fly time to milkearly. Yet even such hindrances can often be surmounted if there be the will. A farm family sixmiles out in mid-summer sometimes let their milkinggo until after they had returned from eveningpreaching. That certainly took Christian grace todress up, go to church, come home, change to workclothes, toil and sweat and then clean upthe night.again forSome church members all Sabbath afternoon areengaged in active religious work, teaching in mission Sabbath schools, visiting the sick, or bringingthe gospel message to inmates of jails, workhouses,county farms and the like. They cannot be blamedwhen evening comes for desiring a little rest andtime for private study and devotion.Perhaps a third of any morning church audiencehas good and sufficient reasons for not being backat night. We should be careful about judging. It is amatter for each Christian to settle with his conscience.,But as a watch needs sometimes to be cleaned andregulated in order to be dependable, so with conscience. Christians need to be reminded that sincethe time that Paul preached that Sabbath evening inTroas, when the young man Eutychus fell into adeep sleep and then fell from the third loft and wastaken up dead, most Protestant churches have heldpreaching services on Sabbath night.The Bible does not say, in so many words, thatchurches should have both morning and evening worship on the Lord's day. It does not say that everyable bodied Christian should attend church twice onthe Sabbath. But through the centuries the Churchhas found it well to preach the Word both morningand evening of the Lord's day.For one thing the Sabbath does not end whentwelve hours of that day have passed. The FourthCommandment does not read, "Remember the Sabbath forenoon to keep it holy." God reserves oneseventh,not one-fourteenth of our time, for Himself.It is the day, not its morning hours which is to bekept holy.54The evening service is a wonderful help in thisregard to any one who is able to attend. What betterway to bring the Lord's day to a close than to witness for Him by seeking the house of prayer ; by oncemore worshiping Him in song and hiding His Wordin one's heart that one sin not against Him? Thesethings may be done in the home, but is that the waythe majority of church members spend their Sabbathevenings when they do not go to Church?It is noticable, also, that where Christian parents who could go twice a day fail to do so, considering attendance at one service sufficient, their children on growing up often decide that even one service per week is too much and are regular in theirattendance only by being there every Easter. Slimevening attendance in time affects that of the morning.A fair proportion of its membership out at nightmakes for a growingchurch. When non-professorsare invited to attend they frequently promise tocome out "someseldom- "someNon-churchgoers are not used to getting up in timeon Sabbath for going to morning worship. They liketo lie a-bed, to take their time to their chores, tobrowse through the Sunday paper. But by eveningthey are rested, they have exhausted home amusements and are willing to try an evening at church asa novelty.But suppose Mr. Non-churchgoer or Mrs. Nonchurchgoer,or both of them, come in the eveningand find a mere handful of persons present. Are theylikely to return ? or is it any wonder if they do not ?Next Sabbath morning as the crowd passes outto the street after the benediction, perhaps Mrs.Faithful remarks to Mrs. Once-a-day, "What a fineattendance and what a helpful sermon Mr. Pastorgave Mrs. Once-a-day replies, "Yes, but do younotice we don't get any out-siders? There are myneighbors the Non-churches. I try so hard to getthem to come, but they just like to lie a-bed Sabbathmorning, don't you know. They haven't had thebringing up we had."Some church members able to attend eveningpreaching may find more profit, as far as they areconcerned, in doing something else ; but "none of usliveth to himself." "Ye shall be witnesses unto Me,"said Jesus. Some may not be able fluently to talk toothers about Him, but they can, at least by their example, encourage others to seek the house of Godwhere the way of redemption is made known.Eveningchurch attendance is one of the bestways of upholding a pastor's hands. A good serviceat night sends him into the work of the week fullof zeal and courage ; but a slim audience, when manymight be there, cools him off like being in a refrigerator. It is several days before he can again get up asweat.There is need for a Sabbath eveningservice.There is need of it being well attended. No Christianshould absent himself unless he feels his Lord approves his reason for doing so.United Presbyterian, Used by permission.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

The Month of May in LatakiaBy Rev. Herbert A. HayesThe above title recalls childhood memories whenthe writer was a student in the little red brick country school house near Sharon. We always looked forward to May Day when we would have a holiday andvisit the forests and collect some wild flowers for ourgardens. If Spring was late, we might have to postpone our trip for a week or so.However, in Latakia, we don't have to wait onany special holiday to have vacation. We can havethat whenever the students decide they want it. Andduring the month of May this year we had Ramadan,the first month of the Muslim year when all goodMuslims fast until sundown, neither eating nordrinkingor smoking. At sundown and until thecannon booms in the early morning, they can eat asmuch as they can hold. At the end of the month of28 days, they have a feast for three days. And ittakes them a day to get ready for this feast, so wehad four days of vacation last week beginning thefirst of June.Spring was not late, but we had it rather coolduring the week that we were to have our SabbathSchool picnic, so we postponed it for two weeks. Wethought at the time that this would prohibit the attendance of our Pastor, Mr. Awad, since he was tosail the 28th of May. But his boat was delayed also.until the 7th of June and so he was with us. A largegroup of the congregation gathered in the shade ofthe pine grove about a mile north of Latakia for theday's outing. It is not our custom to gather togetherfor dinner as we usually do in America, but eachfamily takes their own and they eat in separategroups. The grove is about ten minutes walk fromthe seashore and the children spend their time playing in the sand and wading or swimming in the sea.Several ball games were enjoyed by the young people. All in all, it was a good day.Late in the winter we began planning for a weekof meetings with Mr. Roy F. Whitman of Amman,Jordan, as our guest evangelist. This week was totake the place of our usual summer conference, andthe evangelists were invited to attend. Mr. Whitmanspoke in the Church every evening from Sabbath,May 8, until the next Sabbath, May 15, except Saturday. On Sabbath morning, we took him to Inkzikfor the service there. Besides the evening meetings,he gave a period a day to the evangelists on the needfor personal work and methods of doing it. usingillustrations from the Bible. Rev. Bessam Medanygave us a period a day in Bible study from the bookof Romans. This was well done, very helpful and wellreceived. Mr. Whitman also spoke to the boys andgirls from the fourth grade and up at a special chapel service each morning. While he was speaking tothe older children, Mrs. Whitman spoke to the smaller children, both boys and girls in the Girls School.I have known Mr. and Mrs. Whitman since ourschool days in Jerusalem twenty years ago. Mrs.Whitman finished her course with Mrs. Hays andmyself and we took the final exam together. Mr.Whitman was originally with the Pentecostal groupcalled the "Assemblies of God." He is a keen studentboth of the Bible and of the Arabic language. He hasa marvelous vocabulary and preaches without notes.chil-He is very well liked by our people here and the56dren were asking in the winter when he would comeagain. All the evening meetings were well attendedby our own people and by many from other sects.Although he is a Pentecostal, he was never in sympathy with their doctrine of speaking with tonguesas they believe it. He is a keen pre-millennialist, butnever mentions that phase of the coming of Christwhen he is here. Each evening, he gave opportunityto anyone who wished to stay after the meeting andpray, either for salvation or for the assurance of salvation. Following the Sidon conference, which youhave already heard about from Mrs. Sanderson, thetime was quite opportune and many of the youngpeople were greatly blessed.We have appointed a time for meeting with theevangelists this month to see what thev have beenable to put into practice of what he told them.Mrs. Hays and I were greatly rejoiced to havethe privilege of entertaining our principal of theNewmans School of Missions in Jerusalem where westudied Arabic for two years. The Rev. E. F. F.of theBishop of the Church Missionary SocietyAnglican Church, was principal of the school forabout twenty years. He had to leave Jerusalem whenhis part of the city was taken over bv the Jews. Hereceived a piece of shrapnel or a glancing bullet in hisleft knee and has a stiff leg as the result. He is nowteaching Arabic in Glasgow University and was invited to attend a conference of Christian and Muslimleaders in Brumana, Lebanon. He gave us a report ofthe conference at our mid-week praver meeting. Hespent several days with us, seeing the largest, bestpreserved Crusader castle of the country, called inFrench "Kark des Cheveliers." Also, we showed himRas Shamra, an old city to the North of Latakiaabout seven miles, in which he was auite interested.We were only sorry that his wife and daughter Marywere not with him. We will always be indebted tothem for the many things they did to help makeour life in Palestine pleasant.We had expected that Miss McElroy, Rev. Awad,and Ameera Nassar would all sail during the pastmonth, the month of May. When the Agency inBeirut gave us the promise of passage, thev did notconsult the company in Alexandria, Egypt. When wesent the money confirming the passage, and theycontacted Alexandria, it was found that the ship wasfully booked. Miss McElroy went to Beirut immediately and booked with a Greek company for herselfand Ameera. We were notified that there was asingle cabin on the first ship, so we took that forRev. Awad. Miss McElroy and Ameera sailed fromBeirut on the 18th of May, and should be arrivingtodav or tomorrow. Rev. Awad to Beirut on Saturday June 5, and is supposedly sailing from there today, June 7. He will be in New York on the 26th.Steamship companies say that they have never seensuch a year for travelers. The ships are practicallyfully booked before leaving New York.We are much in prayer for Grinnell. We arepraying that this will be a year of revival in thechurch, that the Holy Spirit will come upon you ingreat power and that the signing of the Covenantwill not be just another formality but will be a timeof reviving in the church. The missions are dependent on the church at home. If you fail, we fail. MayGod fill us all with His Love and Grace and Wisdomand Power, for Jesus' sake, Amen.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

Five New Books in the MoodyColportage LibraryThe Moody Colportage Library is composed of acareful selection of Christian books, paper bound sothat the price is low 35c and yet these are helpfulbooks of about 125 pages.Five new titles have recently been added to thisseries. One is a reprint of the "Christian afterDeath"by Robert Ervin Hough. This makes plainand clear the Bible teaching about the life to come,and has much comfort and hope for all who mourn.It does teach the full hope of the life to come forthose who believe.Two of them are books of Bible study. One ofthese is "Gold from Golgotha," a series of seven sermons on the words of Christ from the Cross, by Russell Bradly Jones. These are up to date, helpful talks.They explain the sufferings of our Lord and draw uscloser to Him. There are many books on these texts,but these are thoroughly in harmony with the Bibleteaching, helpful and thought provoking, personaland practical.The other, Right in Romans by C. Norman Bartlessis not a long detailed commentary on the book ofRomans, but a short treatment that sums up thevalue of this book and its great truths in a practicalmanner. For a brief treatment of the book of Romans, this is very good, and will be helpful to teachers and Bible students.Another of these booklets is "How to rear a happy Christian family" by Charles Farah. This is an intensely practical book, dealing with the matters ofdaily lifeobedience, the family altar, parental affection, work, friends, money matters, reading andschool life. The author is himself a Christian and ispersuaded that one must be a Christian in all things,if he is to be a Christian at all. This book was writtento help parents have the Christian answer to thesematters of daily life. It will do that for all who readin a teachable spirit.The last of these five is "The great opportunityof the Sunday School" by Vivian D. Gunderson. It iswritten primarily for teachers and officers to makeclear how the opportunity of teaching children thegreat truths of the Christian faith and bringingthese children to accept Christ as their Saviour mustbe used. It is written especially for teachers ofyounger classes. It deals with teaching and also withvisiting in the homes of the scholars, making theopening exercises of the school count. It is a practicalbook on a great subject. Any officer ought to behelped bv reading it in getting a greater view of hishigh calling. Any teacher should be helped and encouraged in his work of bringing the saving knowledge of the Lord to the children. Any Christian oughtto be helped in being led to try to bring others intothe church school. R. C. F.DEATH LOSES THE GAMEJohn D. FreemanDr. Freeman, a Baptist minister for many years,saw many people with a morbid fear of death. Hetells, in the Foreword, how the picture of FatherTime with an hourglass in his hand reminded him ofDeath, pictured as a skeleton with a sickle in hishand. Judging by the pictures used of them, he feltthey must be twin brothers.July 28, 1954Before he wrote the book, he realized that thisCommon picture of Father Time was wrong FatherTime is not a grim person, but an umpire over thewhole arena of human life, punishing every violationof law with certain justice, even if the individualthinks that this time will not count. He thought ofFather Time as a kind and considerate coach, alwaysready to help every person. Foolish people refuse toprofit by the lessons of the past, persist in doing asthey please, and suffer for it. We should profit by experience."Time is the referee between Life and Death."Mr. Freeman drew helpful lessons for life from astorm on Lookout Mountain, from fishing and fromsailing, from Pike's Peak, and from other experiencesin life. Because we have many assurances, Death doeslose the game,even though he kills the body. Thebook is unique in its approach. Jesus taught manyparables, based on the common things of life. So doesthe author of this book. The book is so interestingthat it is difficult to put it down, and the lessons areso clear and helpful that they are not easy to forget.It was copyrighted in 1954. It is a book of 188 pages,well written and well bound. It is published by theMoody Press and sells for $2.50. R. C. F.A COMMENTARY ON THE PAULINE EPISTLESby Charles B. WilliamsThis commentary on the Epistles of Paul is written by the same scholar who made the William'sTranslation of the New Testament. He was an ordained minister of the Baptist church for over fiftyyears, and one of the outstanding New TestamentGreek scholars. He was well prepared byeducationand training for writing this commentary.He was prepared for the preparation of thisvolume by His sincere faith. He, too, believed thatthe Scripture is inspired of God. He never belittles inspiration and the truth of the Word.He was prepared for the preparation of this volume by his sound judgment and common sense. Thereare many so-called commentators who accept all theinterpretations others imagine and read many falseopinions into the Bible. Mr. Williams did not. Hemade the Bible its own interpreter.He was a Baptist in his faith. Naturally histhought of baptism is that it is by immersion, but hedoes not find that in every verse, like some peoplewant to find their particular beliefs. He does not sayone thing about baptism to offend others who disagree about the mode. He was also a Calvinist. Nosentence foundstudent is likely to agree witheveryin every commentary, but this book is a worthwhilecontribution to the religious literature of our day. Mr.Williams was a scholar of the classics and history aswell as of the Bible, and the book has many interesting references and illustrations. He here puts intosimple language the great truths of the New Testament. He knew it was a practical book for daily livingas well as faith.Anyone interested in the historical interpretation of the writings of Paul Sabbath School teacher,minister or Bible student will find help in this commentary. This book of over 500 pages sells for $5.95,and was copyrighted in 1953. Mr. Williams died inMay, 1953, shortly after completing the book. It isinteresting and helpful. R. C. F.57

vineyard"you,"HIS BANNER OVER METhe Autobiography of Martha Snell NicholsonThe biography of Henry Parsons Crowell is thebiography of a well known man, a man of nationalreputation. This is the life story of a woman whoseyears were spent in the home, doing the duties ofdaily life. She was a great sufferer, but her sufferingdid not result in either rebellion or hardness of heart.She knew that all things do work together for goodto those Who love the Lord. Her life was spent in patient continuance in well-doing.Mrs. Nicholson was a Christian poet. She wroteseveral volumes of poems expressing her faith in theLord. In these days there are many talking about divine healing, and how Christ brings healing if wehave faith. Mrs. Nicholson was not healed. But shefound, like Paul, that God's grace was sufficient forher, and that His strength is made perfect in weakness.This autobiography does not tell of great thingsdone for the kingdom of God or in the business of theworld. But it does tell of Christian home life, ofChristian faithfulness in the daily duties of life,and in patient acceptance of illness and pain. On thislevel where the most of us live and work, there is theneed of faith, and God does give patience and peaceof heart and hope to those who have this faith. Thislife story tells something of the glory of the commonplace when there is faith in God.It is published by the Moody Press and sells for$2.50. R. C. F.A CHRISTIAN IN BIG BUSINESSBy Richard Ellsworth DayHenry Parsons Crowell of the Quaker Oats Company, Perfection Stove Company and the WyomingHereford Ranch was a man in big business. But hischief interest was not in big business but in the workof the kingdom of God. Early in life, he gave hisheart to the Lord, and he never went back on thatdedication of self to God.He considered himself a steward. He gave muchtime to the work of the kingdom. He knew he was asteward of his money and for over forty years hegave between sixty and seventy per cent of his income to the work of the Lord. He felt that he gainedby that giving. He said, "I have never gotten aheadme."of God ! He has always been ahead ofHe believed that a man who professed to believe the truth of the Bible ought to believe it. Forseveral years he was an elder in the Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago. But in May, 1943, HenrySloane Coffin was elected Moderator of the GeneralAssemblyof the Presbyterian Church. His nomination for that office was seconded by the pastor of theFourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago. HenrySloane Coffin had declared his unbelief in many ofthe plain teachings of the Bible. Mr. Crowell felt hehad to leave the fellowship of any groupwhich wasnot willing to accept the plain teachings of the Bible.He did.He left a considerable sum of money for religious uses and he made the conditions such that nogroup can receive money from this unless it believesin the Bible and its teachings.This is an interesting, well written biography ofa great Christian. Read it and be encouraged in fac-58ing the duties of daily living. It is a good biographyof a great and a good man. It is published by MoodyPress and sells for $3.50. It should encourage thereader in the practice of the Christian life and in accepting the gracious providences of God, even whenthose change our plans. R. C. F."BUT MINE OWN VINEYARD"(Continued from front page)place near to His heart, as well as a place in His hand,and spiritual sensitivity will accord to each theirproper and due season. We need to be continually impressed with the necessity of drawing closer and yetcloser to His precious bleeding side, in order better togo out, further and further, in witness to the bleeding, sin-stricken souls of men. Where such fellowshipand communion becomes spiritually shabby, it willnot, in turn, present the appealing picture of that lifein Christ we preach and work about. It is, "the gospelaccording to in far deeper sense than we everrealized !The early disciples were noted that, "they hadbeen WITH Jesus" (Acts 4:13). Jesus was REAL,the rich and radiant REALITY! and that reaped aspiritual revolution wherever they went. We ought togive due heed, with all our hearts, if we would followin true succession, looking often and well to "mineown that it be well dressed for His delight.Glimpses of the Religious World(Continued from page 50)such religious agency, denomination, or churchIn thecase of denominations which have central administrativecontrol of the local churches, any appropriate body mayapply for coverage, whether it be an individual diocese, asynod, district, or the entire denomination through its central jurisdictional office. Federal officials would leave it upto each religious group to decide which body constitutesthe 'employer.' "Missionary GraduatesDr. Harold J. Ockenga, president of Fuller TheologicalSeminary in Pasadena, delivered the commencement address when 48 seniors were graduated. Two-thirds of themembers of this class are missionary volunteers.Persecution in GreeceThe church at Katerini, in Greece, of which Rev. ArgosZodhiates is pastor, has suffered more persecution from thelocal government. Seven members of the Greek Evangelicalcommunity were sentenced to six-day jail terms by a localcourt. They were charged with leading a mass demonstration that prevented authorities from taking formal possession of a plot of ground along-side the Katerini Evangelical church and belonging to it. Six of those sentencedwere women, two of them deaconesses. The Greek OrthodoxCatholic Church, a member of the World Council ofChurches, brought pressure on the government to seize thisland. The purpose of the Greek government is evidently tohinder in every possible way the work of the Evangelicalchurch. The government charged that the Katerini Evangelical congregation is already holding some elementaryclasses in its orphanage without a license. Funds for thepurchase of the ground that was seized were provided bythe American Committee for the Evangelization of theGreeks of which the Rev. Spiros Zodhiates is General secretary.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of August 15, 1954C.Y.P.TJ.TOPICfor August 15, 1954Rev. Luther McFarlandAids to Christian Growth, PrayerJohn 17Of the three institutions which have avital interest in the training of youth,the home, the state and the church,the home is the first in importance.It is there the most lasting impressionsof life are formed. No matter how farchildren maywander from the scenesof childhood, they never altogether losethe imprint of their homes on theircharacters and habits. It is in the homethat the child learns to pray.There is a certain church in Romewhere the visitor is shown a marble slabwith two indentations in it."These,"'the guide says, pointing to the depressions in the stone, "are the footprintsofJesus."The marks are ofcoursefalse, the product of Mediaeval mythology. But there are footsteps of ourLord in which we may walk. They arefound on almost everypage of theGospels. One of the most striking ofthese footsteps of Jesus isthat leftby His Prayer life. It is well worthyof our careful study.Prayer with Jesus came naturally. ToHim prayer was a self evident fact thatrequired no explanation.There are four paths to prayer thatJesus traveled that we may follow aswe seek to grow in His likeness. Firstthere was His prayer at the Jordanat the time of His baptism. We are toldthat when He prayed the heavens wereopened, and He heard the voice of God.Sometimes we go home in the evening when we are very tired and weary.Because of the sounds which come toourears from this busyworld aboutus. We turn a switch in the wall, andalmost instantly there comes throughthat strange instrument which, for thewant of a better name, we call theradio, the sound of music coming fromfar away that brings comfort and restto our troubled mind.At the Jordan that day Jesus wasweary. He prayed and there came toHim from afar the sound of HisFather's voice bringing comfort to Histroubled spirit.The second path of prayer in whichwe may follow Jesus isthat prayerwhich had to do with the choice ofHis disciples. We read that He spenta whole night in prayer to God.whole night! This does not mean thatHe continued all those hours in speech.We are not heard for our much speaking. How often we ask God for counsel,July 28, 1954Aand then hurry away before he hastime to answer. This prayer of Jesuswas for wisdom in the choice of Hisdisciples. If Jesus needed to pray before choosing His disciples, how muchmore should we seek God"s counselbefore taking a close friend into ourlife. Nothing in life is more importantthan the choosing of friends. Manyyoung people have made wrong choicesin this respect, taking into their lifethose who by their influence drag themdown. Many fatal mistakes in the choosing of friends came from undue haste.It was at least a year after the beginning of his public ministry that hechose the Twelve.The third prayer of Jesus, was thatprayer He uttered upon the Mount ofTransfiguration. Only a little while before this He had told the multitudesthat followed Him that the way He tookwould end not as they had fondlydreamed at a throne, but on a Cross.Many of them,went awaydisappointed in Him,and left Him and He sawthem no more. There were twelve whoremained with Him, but even they werediscouraged.In the spiritual darkness of thathour He took Peter, James and Johnwith Him up into the Mount to pray.It isnot hard to imagine what Heprayed for there. He wanted the Fatherto make known to Him, and his threedisciples there on the Mount that Hewas truly His Son. And while He prayedthe answer came. That was Jesus' wayof meeting doubt and discouragement.With most of us, when doubts begin toperplex us, we go down into the valley of our own speculations, and ourown conclusions,or the uncertain counsel of others, instead of going to thesecret place of prayer. Doubt is something that can never be reasoned away,but it may be removed by prayer. Thatwas Jesus' way.This brings us to the fourth prayerof our Lord, that prayer He uttered inthe Garden of Gethsemane the night ofthe betrayal. This experience of Jesusbrings before us in very clear form oneof the problems of prayer. A commonpopular conception of prayer is, that itis the means bywhich the desire ofman determines the will of God. If thiswere prayer then it would be man andnot God who rules the universe. Prayeris not so much to bring God's will downto ours. It is the bringingof our willup to God's. In the Garden Christ prayed, "Nevertheless, not mythine be done."will butThis is the end and aim of all prayer.God will not answer any man'spetitions until they are in harmony withHis revealed will. Anything but God'swill would be a mistake.Psalms:19:5, 6. 9, page 4261:1-4, page 150143:4, 5, page 347119:1-4, page 312References:Luke 22:41, 42; James 5:16; Psalms66:18; Jer. 29:12, 13; John 14:13, 14:I John 5:14, 15; I Tim. 2:1; Heb. 4:16;Rom. 15:30; Luke 11:9, 10.1. Why is prayer important in thelife of a Christian?2. What is meant by IntercessoryPrayer?3. Who can Pray so as to receivewhat they ask? I John 3:224. What are some hindrances toprayer? James 4:2, 3JUNIOR TOPICAugust 15, 1954THE CALL OF ABRAHAMMrs. M. K. Carson.Scripture: Genesis 12:1-9.MemoryPsalms:Verse: Genesis 12:2.105:4, 5, 6, 7, page 257 This is ourPsalm-of-the-month. This week we areomitting two of the verses we had before and adding two new ones.Psalm 105:25, page 259Psalm 100:1-2, page 237.References: Answer the following questions.1. Who was father of Abraham? Gen.11:26.2. How many brothers did Abrahamhave? Gen. 11:26.3. Who was the wife of Abraham?Gen. 11:29.4. How many of his family did Terahtake from Ur? Gen. 11:31.5. To what land were they going?Gen. 11:31.6. From which of the sons of Noahwere the Canaanites descended? Gen.10:19-20.7. From which of the sons of Noahwas Abraham descended? Gen. 10:10,26.8. What did God want Abraham todo? II Cor. 6:17.9. Did Terah ever live in the landof Canaan? Gen. 11:32.10. Did Abraham's father worshipGod or idols? Joshua 24:2.We learned in our last lesson thateven after the Flood, when the worldhad a new beginning, people began againto forget God and to do wrong. In-59

sinners."stead of worshipping the one true God,they began to worship many others,the sun, the moon, and idols of differentkinds. God had promised to Noah thatHe would never again destroy the earthbya flood because of its wickednessand although the earth was again becoming very wicked, He kept thatpromise. This time, He had a differentplan. As He had before the Floodchosen one man, Noah, so this timeHe again chose one man to be the leader of those who were to be God's ownpeople. The name of this man wasAbram at first, but God soon changedit to Abraham, the father of a multitude, and it is by that name we shallcall him in these lessons. He livedin one of the largest cities of that time,a city called Ur. People have dug upthis old cityand have found the ruinsof large houses, two stories high andwith as many as twenty rooms.Nodoubt it was a rich city and perhapsAbraham and his family had a beautiful home.But it was also a wickedcity and the people worshiped the moongoddess and even offered human beings as sacrifices. So God spoke toAbraham, perhaps face to face as wespeak to our friends, for God calledAbraham His friend (II Chron. 20:7;Isa. 41:8; James 2:23) He told him toleave this rich and wicked city and togo to a place that the Lord would showhim. God wanted him to get away fromthe example of people who worshipedidols and to go to a new land wherehe could worship Godas he wished.How many times God's people haveleft their homes for that reason! Manyof the Scottish Covenanters had toleave home and live in caves and amongthe hills because they wanted to worship God as they thought right. Manyof the people who came to this countryof ours in the early days, came hereso they could worship in the way theywished. So Abraham called together hisfamily and they decided to leave Ur andto go where God would lead them. Justas the neighbors of Noah thought himvery foolish to build the Ark,so the neighbors of Abraham musthave thought he had lost his mind, togive up all he had in the city and tostart out, not even knowing where hewas going. Read Hebrews 11:7-8. Theseverses tell what it was in the heartsof these two men that made them follow God at any cost. Faithful Abraham,the Friend of God! How much betterto be called the Friend of God than tohave all the riches of Ur!Find on the map in your Bible thelocation of the cityof Ur. On whatgreat river was it situated? It wouldbe along this river valley that the greatcaravan would move, many60camels anddonkeys carrying the familyof Abraham, his servants and all their posessions,traveling the river route forshade, food and water. Locate Haranalso on your map. By the scale of milesdetermine the approximate distancethey would have to travel. How longdo you suppose they were on the way?Loaded animals cannot travel fastwhat a long journey! Locate the landof Canaan on the map. Why did theytake such a round-about road to getthere?It seems that when they reachedHaran, they decided to make that theirhome for awhile, perhaps because Terahwas. old and did not wish to travelfarther, perhaps because all of themwere weary of the long days of slowtravel. But after the death of Terah,God again told Abraham to leave hishome and family and to go on to theland that He would show Him. AgainAbraham obeyed God, for he knew thatwhen God was his leader, all would bewell. Read the promises that God madeto Abraham in Genesis 12:2-3. In whatways did God promise to bless him?How is your family blessed through him,as God said all families would be?Though Abraham could see nothing ofall that God promised him, yet he believed God and once more started outwith his wife, his nephew and all thatthey had. In many ways this journeywould be more difficult than the firstone, for this time there was no rivervalley to follow, but with God leadingthe way, they would never lack for anything needful. Finally they arrived inthe land of Canaan, and since they livedin tents and had no settled home, therewere several stopping places mentionedin the story (Gen. 12:6-7; Gen. 12:8).What did Abraham build in each ofthese places? God was always there, nomatter where their stopping place mightbe. God prospered Abraham and madehim very rich in cattle and in silverand gold as well, so that even in aworldly sense,Abraham was a greatman. God always prospers those whofollow Him and are willing to forsakeall for his sake, though their faithmay be greatly tried.Your Note Book1. Draw an outline map locating Ur,Haran and the land of Canaan.Ur?2. Whywas Abraham told to leave3. Did he go directly to the land ofCanaan? Why?4. How old was he when he leftHaran?5. What blessings did God promiseto him?6. What is the most important way inwhich all the families of the earth areblessed in Abraham.7. Name some ways in which Abraham showed his faith.For the leaderFlash card No. 7, should have on ita small map locating Ur, Haran, andCanaan. At the top, place in large letters, the word, "ABRAHAM"; placedvertically down the side, the word,"FAITHFUL"; and at the bottom thereference of the memory verse. Giveout all seven cards, asking the childrento place them in correct order on theboard, giving the memory verse for eachcard. Name the characters so farstudied in this series. Any or all of theprevious methods of review may beused and any others occuring to theleaders. To impress on the minds of thechildren these stories and verses, itmust be review, REVIEW and REVIEW.Psalms:PRAYER MEETING TOPICAugust 18, 1954FAITH IN JESUS CHRISTPhil. 3:8-11Rev. Lester E. HUpatrick116:7-12, p. 282125:1-5, p. 32032:6-9, p. 74References: See the discussion.Read: Confession of Faith, ch. 14; Testimony, ch. 13; Shorter Catechism, 86.Faith in Jesus Christ is to be considered particularlyas it is a requirement for escaping sin's deserts.Our Testimony, 13:2, states that"Faith is the first and immediate actof the regenerate soul, under the powerful influence of the Holy Ghost, embracing Christ as offered by God inthe Gospel to The act of faithis simply accepting as true God's Wordon the authority of God who speaks init.Faith is the gift of God (Eph. 2:8, 9).Also, faith is a requirement if we wouldfind forgiveness and salvation (Heb.11:6). It is the connecting link orchannel bywhich we receive blessingfrom God, and by which our petitionsand obedience are conveyed to Him.In the Scripture passage we see inPaul's ownexperience what faith inJesus Christ did for him. Note thatfaith is here set forth, not as a goodwork, which God requires and whichwe accomplish, in order that we mayescape sin's deserts; but it is set forthas the source of a new and satisfyinglife received from God.Paul has just cited the royal marksof ancestry and legal attainment whichhe could claim. It is specifically fromthese "perfections'' that he turns inorder to speak of faith. In doingso hemust abandon former standards of moralTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

men"resurrection,"alone."rags"suffering."salvation,"means,"and spiritual measurement, and abandon them he does gladly, because ofthe new life which faith has openedbefore him.A NEW STANDARD OF VALUEPaul was no materialistic worldlingbefore becominga Christian, no seekerafter gain and pleasure. He was morefarsighted, sacrificing and denying self,in order to perfect obedience beforeGod. But when that light, exceeding thebrightness of the sun, shone into hissoul he found that what he hadcounted as near perfect, was in God'ssight as total loss, unworthy to be preserved, fit only to be gotten rid of.The chief difference between theoutlook of a Christian and that of aworldlyperson is not that the one hasattained a higher level of moral excellence than the other. In fact, in rarecases the Christian mayappear to beless righteous than the other. The chiefdifference is the standard by whichhe measures value. No matter how rare,costly or esteemed human exploits maybe, they are loss as opposed to being merely of smaller or less valuebecause not yielded to the rule ofChrist. A person who has faith in Christmeasures value by the degree of devotion and heartiness of love towardJesus Christ.A NEW STANDARD OF CONDUCTPaul not only counted his formertreasured obedience to God's law as loss.He actuallysuffered the loss of allthose things. His brilliant mind andfanatical zeal, extendingto madnesswhich gave approval to murder, hadalready brought recognition and profitto him beyond many of his own age. Hewas in the position which led upwardsto higher honors in the Jewish community. Doubtless he had a comfortable home and income and that without pulling laboriouslyat the tentmaker'sneedle. Doubtless he was addressedRabbi,"on the street, "Rabbi, and washeld in public admiration. But now hehad no certain dwelling place,and oftenlabored with his own hands to supplythe necessities of life. He became a"gazingstock,""a spectacle unto theworld, and to angels, and to(Heb. 10:33; I Cor. 4:9). He was scourged, he was beaten with rods, he wasstoned, he was shipwrecked, in continual peril (II Cor. 11:24-28)."Faith without works is dead" (Ja.2:17; see also 1:22). "If ye love mecommandments"keep my(John 14:15).Obedience is the test of faith and oflove.But this obedience is not merefollowing of the letter of the law. Paulhad much of that kind of obedience asa Pharisee. For measuring that kind ofobedience the traditions of the eldersJuly 28, 1954had been devised, an ingenious butcomplicated device, but as a standardfor measuring "the obedience of faith"(Rom. 1:5; 16:26)adequate.it was utterly inBy faith we see that the outwardact of obedience to the perfect law ofGod, must be inseparably united to aloyal and devoted heart prompting theobedience.The place of good works is sadlymisunderstood, even by many Protestants who would be offended if it weresuggested that they have slipped fromthe anchor of "salvation by faithProfessing faith, they excuse or in somecases justify conduct which violatesthat professed faith, on the ground thatsomeone else is so unreasonable or sinful that it makes this conduct necessary.It isn't "suffering the loss of all things,"to say, when the bread and butterjob seems to require of us violation ofour covenant vows, "Well, a man hasto live," or "Most Christians do this,and I don't think they're alllost."Faith in Jesus Christ presents a newstandard of conduct in that our eyesare opened to see blessings of purity,holiness, worship and fellowship withGod, that are wholly unseen by theunbeliever, blessings that are to begained regardless of what may be theloss of other things.A NEW STANDARD OF ASPIRATIONThe finest record of human obedienceto the law of God imaginable, was nolonger Paul's aspiration. Now, becauseof faith in Jesus Christ, nothing shortof His perfect righteousness appealedto him. No doubt, his own best effortsnow appeared to him "as filthy(Jer. 17:9), because he had seen JesusChrist. He desired a more completeknowledge of Him, and set himself immediately after his conversion to gainit. Having no contact with the discipleswho had been Jesus' companions forthree years, he had gone to Arabia,possibly to Sinai, there to study andmeditate on the law that was spokenthere by the voice of God, though healready knew it as well as it may belearned in school. Then he returned towitness to Jesus Christ, apparentlyknowing Him better than even thoseeleven who had the privilege of personal instruction at Jesus' feet, for hewas chosen to write almost half thebooks of the New Testament. (Johnwrote five, Peter two, Matthew one.)Yet it was still his chief aspiration toknow Himin power and in suffering.What is your present standard of aspiration? Most Christians are at leastmildly desirious of having "the powerof Hisbut not so manyare willing to couple with this desire,that of knowing "the fellowship of HisA NEW STANDARD OFSATISFACTIONPaul says later in this epistle that hehas learned in whatsoever state hemight find himself, therewith to be content. He is speaking there of beingsatisfied with God's providences. Herewe find him exerting himself to theutmost to the attainment of greaterspiritual blessing. Whether this 11thverse refers primarily to the "firstresurrection"(as John 5:24-26)or tothe resurrection of the body (as John5:28, 29), is not important. Paul appears to consider the blessings of theresurrection of the just in their totality.In this verse as well as in thosethat follow Paul is not expressingdoubt that he shall have a part in theblessings of salvation in the world tocome, but well illustrates the earnest,dogged perseverance that characterizedthis saint, even when his attainmentswere already far beyond those of manywho are complacent.It should be arebuke to those who are "sure of theirbut who take it as theirright, with no suggestion of need orof desire for strenuous effort in theChristian life. "If by anycarries the idea that, whatever means orsacrifice may be called for, by God, he,Paul, finds it in his heart to give itnot as a price he will pay for salvation,but as a willing thank offering he desiresto render in return for salvation. Thatis evidence of saving faith.FOR DISCUSSION:1. Distinguish, Faith, Object of faith,Historical faith, Implicit faith, Temporary faith, Saving faith.(See BlueBanner Faith and Life, 1951, pp. 17, 177,and Confession of Faith ch. 14.)2. Have the good deeds of the unbeliever any enduring value?3. What does covenant unfaithfulnessreflect concerning faith?4. What does the current movementtoward church union reveal concerningthe faith of the Church?If you start a thing, finish it.WHITE LAKEHenry Ford.COVENANTER CAMPWhite Lake, New YorkA weekend retreat,with emphasis"PRAYER"onFriday evening, August 20 toMonday morning, August 2361

weeks'News BriefsNew Elders at SynodClyde Redpath, OlatheJ. Howard Senior, First Beaver FallsAlbert H. Cunningham, Hot SpringsC. E. Marshall, New AlexandriaArnold Wolf, PhoenixWilbur McElroy, TopekaMaurice Hutcheson, Morning SunWilbur Keys, Belle CenterRaymond Stevenson, SouthfieldHEBRON CHURCH IS ROBBED,RANSACKEDSome time between June 28 and July4 the Hebron church, 7 miles west and4 miles south of Clay Center, wasentered by thieves and property valuedat $27.63 was stolen.The items taken included a pulpit rug,3 volumes of new books kept on handfor sale to members, a new steel cashbox, and two small steel files used forlibrary index cards. The contents of thecash box and files were not taken, butwere dumped on the church floor, according to J. G. Vos. pastor.PHOENIX: A vacation and rest arethe plans for our pastor and his wifeduring July and August. Mr. and Mrs.J. G. McElhinney visited the GrandCanyon en route to Grinnell. Miss LillianMcCracken accompanied them to Grinnell. Miss McCracken is our delegateto the Women's Synodical.CINCINNATI: 48 children were enrolled in the Vacation Bible Schoolheld June 21 to July 2.The teachingstaff included, besides the pastor andhis wife, three youngladies who recently received baptism and united withthe church byprofession of faith; JeanSherrill, Bonnie Williams, and PaulineFerguson. Mrs. Howard Miles servedas substitute teacher. Miss EuniceMcClurkin spoke and showed her colored slides on the evening of June 23 tothe Women's Missionary Society, BibleSchool pupils, and friends. A committee of the W. M. S. served refreshments following the program. Miss McClurkin also spoke to the Bible Schoolon Thursday morning. Her presenceproved to be one of the high spots ofthe twonight, July 1,program. On Thursdaya closingprogram waspresented to a good audience of parentsand friends.NEWBURGH: On Monday eveningMay 10, Miss Eunice McClurkin broughtus a message of the work in Syria,which was most interesting and inform-62ative. A social time followed with refreshments being served by the members of the W.M.S.GENEVA: We would like to introduceour Sabbath School teachers. Mrs. Fenton Farley, assisted by Mrs.StewartMcCready has charge of the Beginners,ages 2-5. Mrs. Robert Hemphill teachesthe 6 and 7 year olds. Mrs. J. B. Willsonis in charge of the class for 8 and9 year olds. The children, 10 and 11are taught by Merrill Robb. The JuniorHigh group is taught by Mrs. GeorgeColeman. Two classes are conducted forthe high school and college age groupwith Mrs. Merrill Robb teaching thegirls and C. B. Metheny, the boys. Theadult classes number three and aretaught by Mrs. John Coleman, withMrs. C.L. Fallon, substitute, FentonFarley, and Mrs. Lucille Henery. Willard Hemphill is Superintendent of theschool with Kay McCready, secretary;and Samuel Lathom, treasurer. We areproud of our Sabbath School and praiseGod for these workers who devote theirtime to the Lord, helpingall of us tounderstand better how to live our all forJesus.SANTA ANA:Seventy-two enrolledin our D. V. B. S. held June 21-30. Thestaff of workers follows: director, Mrs.Robt. Blackwood; beginners, Mrs. Harold Sedgley assisted by Mrs. Wm. Hartzell and Mrs. Frank Ruff; primary,Miss Elda Patton assisted by Mrs. Alfred Johnson; Juniors, Mrs. A. C. Wylie;film. Mrs. Gordon Betts; recreation,Larry Shepard, Jamie Hurd, DorothyLindsey, and Marilyn Swarthout; refreshments, Miss Margaret Walkinshawassisted by Mrs. John Curry, Mrs. BenLinton, and Mrs. Martin Kothe. Closingexercises for the school were held theevening of June 30. A social hour followed the program.CINCINNATI: The address of Rev.and Mrs. T. F. Harsh is 2355 MayStreet, Cincinnati 6, Ohio.NEWBURGH: On May 12, Miss Martha Henderson, Mrs. John White andMrs. Walter Somers, assisted at theSale For the Blind which is held inNewburgh each year by the AlbanyAssociation For the Blind.GENEVA: Pfc. John D. Lathom isnow on board the U.S.S. Wisconsin,headed for Scotland. His new addressis Pfc. John D. Lathom, 1472392, MarineDept. U.S.S. Wisconsin (BB64) % FleetP. O. New York, N.Y.LOS ANGELES: A shower of rain isa rare occurance in Southern Californiaduring July, but we who are supplyingthe Los Angeles congregation havelearned that a "shower" can unexpectedly descend at this season of the year.On a certain Friday evening at thechurch a real deluge came. It includeda most generous supply of most everything that the kitchen shelves are supposed to hold, supplemented by a largesumof money to meet expenses atSynod.We publicly thank you kindheartedpeople for all this, and forall the other deeds of thoughtfulness.And we thank the Lord for the privilegeof ministering amongwayyou in a smallwhile you have no pastor.Dr. and Mrs. E. G. RussellPHOENIX: Mr. and Mrs. Orville Wolcott are visiting in South Dakota duringthe months of July and August.CINCINNATI: The officers of theWomen's Missionary Society for 1954-55 are: President, Mrs. T. F. Harsh;Vice-president, Miss Clara Wagner;Secretary, Mrs. Howard Miles; Treasurer, Mrs. Esty Pickelheimer.NEWBURGH: Mrs. Walter Somerswas privileged to attend the New YorkWomen's Presbyterial held at Syracuse,N. Y. in May. Her report of the meetings was given at the June W. M. S.meeting.Collection for the KentuckyMission was received at this meeting.GENEVA : To make our children moreconscious of the need and supportnecessary to carryout our missionwork both home and abroad, the Sabbath School is taking the offering givenon the second Sabbath of each month,and sending it to one of our missions.On the preceding Sabbath, a talk isgiven, telling something about the mission and how their money will be used.In July, the offering was sent to theSouthern Mission. Mrs. George Coleman spoke for the mission. "And Godis able to make all grace abound towardyou; that ye always havingficiency in all things, mayevery good (II Cor. 9:8).work"all sufabound toKANSAS CITY: We now have fourEagle Scouts among our young men;Robert More, Jr., Ben Duffett, Jr., JimWright who received his award thisspring, and Robert Skeens who joinedour church in March. For much of thissummer, Ben is on the staff of leadersat the Scout camp at Oceola, Mo., justas he was last summer.Robert More has also received the"God and Country" award; Ben, Jimand also Wilbur More are well on theirway toward earning it.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

nell?". . thatCINCINNATI: On June 15, a son,Frederick, was born to Mr. and Mrs.Frederick C. Wagner.NEWBURGH: On Sabbath May 30,flowers were placed in the pulpit inmemory of Mrs. Samuel Smith by herchildren. We also wish to acknowledgethe many bouquets and baskets of flowers that have been placed in the pulpitfrom Sabbath to Sabbath by the various members of the congregation.PHOENLX: Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Wolfeand son, Glen are vacationing in Denver.Mr. Wolfe, our delegate to Synod, andGlen will attend Grinnell, while Mrs.Wolfe remains in Denver to visit withher mother.GENEVA: Elder W. G. Dodds isboasting a new grandson born to Cliftonand Jane Dodds Hood. They have namedhim, Clifton Dodds.CINCINNATI : The Sacrament of Baptism was administered to Rebecca LouCarson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Preston Carson, Oakdale, Illinois, on Sabbath morning,June 13.NEWBURGH: On Sabbath, June 14,a Youth Day was held at the morningservice, with the Sabbath SchoolScholars participating, giving memorywork, etc. Rev. Sterrett delivered asermon on training a child in youth.The annual Sabbath School Picnicwas held at Algonquine Park on Friday,June 25. Following the supper a gameof ball was played with a group fromthe Cornwall Baptist Church. A goodtime was had by the 50 or so members and friends who attended.GENEVA: "Are you going to GrinA good number of our peopleanswered yes. Prominent in the programwere Mrs.Lucille Henery who actedas assistant director of the Junior Highgroup; Mrs. Merrill Robb, recordingSecretary of the Synodical and Mrs.John Coleman, Historian and LibrarianMrs. Stewart McCreadyserved on thenominating committee. Mrs. J. B. Willsonwas our official representative toSynodical. Our young people attending,included Virginia Henery, K a t h i eWillson, Art McClure, Lauren Walcott,Kay and Jim McCready, John and MaryMitchell, Sylvia Montini, Mary LouSwager, Mr. and Mrs. Elwood Woods,David Willson is in the Junior Highgroup. Juniors attending are MargaretRobb, Billy and Bobbie Hemphill, Jackand Ruth McCready. Elders attendingwere S. R. Davis and W. G. Dodds, whowas our delegate to Synod. Mrs. Dodds,Mrs. John Coleman and Mrs. RussellLathom attended Synodical.HEBRON: Ministers or licentiateswishing to preach in Hebron Congre-July 28, 1954gation,whether as candidates or otherwise, are invited to write to Mr. Bernard C. Copeland, R.R. 1, Idana, Kansas.NEWBURGH: Congratulations aredue Jack White upon his graduationfrom N. F. A. and looking forward toattending Geneva College next fall. Also, to Mary Lee Meneely upon hergraduation from South Junior HighSchool. Mary Lee will enter N.F.A.next fall.CINCINNATI: Miss Kathleen Williamswho recentlyreceived baptism and became a member of the church, is serving as assistant secretary and treasurerof the Sabbath School.Robert Crawford Everett, son of Herman and Margaret Everett of ThirdPhiladelphia, was born on July 9, 1954.The many friends throughout thechurch, who extended sympathy at thetime of Herman's death last Februarywill now rejoice with Margaret andMary Lou on the safe arrival of thislittle boy.NEWBURGH: Rev. Sterrett andElder S. J. Robinson, attended the Ordination and Installation services ofDonald I. Robb at Cambridge, Mass.,on June 32.GENEVA: Joe and Beth Lathomtook a vacation trip to WashingtonD. C, Atlantic City, and Philadelphiawhere they visited Joe's Aunt andUncle Mr. and Mrs. Marty Howell.years'CINCINNATI: This graduatingclass from Bloom Junior High Schoolincluded four members of our BibleSchool: Grace McGaha, Jean Sherrill,Roger Goad, and Pauline Ferguson.NEWBURGH: Our sympathy is extended to Elder Edgar J. Lynn and hisfamily on the death of his mother June26. Also to the family of Mr. SamuelMcMeeken who passed away in June.His funeral was conducted by our pastoron June 28th.WINCHESTER: Mr. Will Orr, one ofour oldest members, passed away June19. Mr. Orr would have been 93 thisJuly. He was able to be around untila few days before his death. He leavesMrs. Orr and one daughter, Mrs. VelmaWray.QUINTER: James Leroy Bailey, sonof Eliza Jane and David Douglas Bailey,was born in Jewell County, Kansas,Nov. 4, 1883, and passed away at theSt. Joseph Hospital, Concordia, Kansas,July 6, 1954. He came to Quinter withhis parents in 1887, where they tookup a homestead. Roy was still livingon the homestead farm at the time ofhis death.In 1905, Roy was married to MaryElizabeth Mann of Quinter. To thisunion was born four children, one infant son passed away at birth. MaryElizabeth passed away in 1913 whenthe children were all young, so Royassumed the responsibility of keepingthe family together.On September 30, 1931, he was married to Maggie Francy Hensley ofQuinter. At his parting he leaves hisdevoted wife Maggie of the home, VeraUlrich, Gladys Graham, Glen Bailey, allof Quinter, and five grandchildren.There are two living brothers, LewisBailey of Quinter, and Fred Bailey ofGreeley, Colorado.Roy always enjoyed picnics and community gatherings; he will be greatlymissed by his loved ones and friends.WHITE LAKE: Mrs. Sarah Lynn,widow of Mr. John B. Lynn passed toher Eternal Reward on the morning ofJune 26. She had celebrated her 90thbirthday just two months earlier. Mrs.Lynn united with the Covenanter congregation at White Lake onOctober12, 1912 and has been faithful to hervows until she was called to a HigherService. On the Sabbath before herdeath she was in her usual place atSabbath School and the morning worshipservice.Surviving her are eight children: Mrs.Clara Donaldson, Mrs. Lulu Norris(Victor), Mrs. Jennie Bosch, and Mrs.Grace Weiss, all members of the WhiteLake congregation, and Edgar,an elderin the Newburgh Covenanter church,Emmett, of Monroe, New York, andWilliam, of Highland Mills, New York.In addition, Mrs. Lynn leaves 15 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, andone great-great-grandchild.Funeral services held in the churchon Tuesday, June 29, were conducted byher pastor, Rev. Thomas J. Wilson. Hisaddress was centered around the text"Blessed are they which are called untothe marriage supper of theLamb"(Rev. 19:9). The pallbearers were fourof her grandsons, Lynn and Paul Norris, Edward Donaldson and EmersonLynn. Interment was made in StewartCemetery."Blessed are the dead which die in theLord .they may rest from theirlabours; and their works do followthem"(Rev. 14:13).MRS. M. C. BLACKWe, the members of the Senior Women's Missionary Society of the OrlandoCongregation offer this tribute of loveand respect to our friend and co-worker, Mrs. Lena Hammond Black, whoentered her heavenly home on May 25,1954.Be it therefore resolved:(1) That we acknowledge the goodness of God in giving to our Society63

saints."adjournment."Jr.the testimony of her humble, devotedChristian life. She was deeply interestedin the Lord's work, giving liberally tothe different Mission fields, supportingthe W.C.T.U., faithful in reading theMission and devotional literature andperforming the tasks presented her aslong as health permitted.(2) That we extend our deepestsympathy to her bereaved husband, Mr.M. C. Black, and pray that our HeavenlyFather will bless and comfort him."Precious in the sight of the Lord isthe death of HisMrs. Elsey N. HarshMrs.John HustonCommitteeSTEWARDSHIP COMMITTEEREPORTThe Reformed Presbyterian Churchhas again made an advance in its giving.As evidence we present the comparativefigures for the past three years.Synods BudgetContributed1954 112,000.00 103,401.911953 110,000.00 101,600.001952 101,700.00 95,436.00% Members per member92+ 5021 est $20.5992+ 5071 $20.0594- 5186 $18.40Commendations :We wish to express our thanks forall who helped in any way toward raising the budget set by synod, especiallythose who contributed. We can draw onlyone conclusion for sure,was contributed than last year.more moneyA positive approach was made on theprinted material sent out and otherarticles written for publication becauseyour committee believes that membersinterested and informed will give anddid give as God prospered.We recommend:1. That the budget be set within possible attainment. For three years wehave failed although the individual giving has increased. Why not have the encouragement of success rather than always making an apology for not reaching it.2. That the coordinating committeeconsider the requests that are presentedand adopt a budget within the means ofthe church in a business like way.3. That the decrease in membershipbe given consideration when making upthe budget.4. That tithing, not in itself, but inwhat it does for the giver as well as thereceiver, be presented to each congregation twice a year.5. That continued educational workconcerning giving be carried on by adefinite program to '. inform* tne entiremembershipchurch.64of all of the work of the6. That presbyterial young people'ssecretaries make discussions of tithinga part of the program of their annualgatherings.The term of George Coleman has expired and an appointment should bemade.George ColemanFenton H. Farley, Ch.Norman M. CarsonTHE CHRISTIAN AMENDMENTMOVEMENTI have a letter from Senator Wm.Langer who conducted the hearing onthe Christian Amendment in which hesays:"When copies of the hearing areprinted, theywill be available withoutcharge and you may secure copies bywriting to the Committee and makingyour request."The amendment itself is now pending before the full Committee but hasnot been reached because of the largenumber of bills now on the agenda. Ido hope it will be possible, however, forthe Committee to give consideration tothis matter beforeFrom the above statements, you cansee that if you will write to his office, a copy of the testimonies of thosewho spoke at the hearings can be secured. This will come in booklet form,paper back, and will include testimoniesof all who spoke on both sides.The second paragraph seems to indicate that the Committee may soonhave our bill under consideration. Itisour feeling that everyone who willshould write at least a card to everymember of this Committee urging himto support this Christian Amendmentwhen it is being considered by the Committee.The letter should contain somethingof the following:The Honorable (Senator Wm. Langer)Senate Office BuildingWash. D. C.My Dear Senator:We urge your support of S. J. Res. 87,the Christian Amendment Resolution,when it is considered by the JudiciaryCommittee ....The members of the Committee areas follows:Wm. Langer, N. Dak. ChairmanAlexander Wiley Wise.William E. Jenner Ind.Arthur W. Watkins UtahRobert C. Hendrickson N. J.Olin D. Johnson S. C.Thomas C. Henniss.E. M. Dirksen111.Herman WalkerJohn M. Butler Md.Pat McCarranHarley M. KilgoreIdahoNev.Mo.W. Va.James O. Eastland Miss.Estes KefauverTenn.John L. McClellan Ark.All addresses Senate Office Building,Washington D. C.A letter of thanks should be sent toSenator Ralph E. Flanders ofVermont,for having introduced the bill. Also whenyou write Senator Wm.Langer, theChairman, thank him for having conducted the hearing on May 17.ROMAN CATHOLICENCROACHMENTSRoman Catholic pressure groupsoperating on the local,al level are becoming not onlystate and nationan increasing annoyance to non-Catholics,but a growing threat to our Americanway of life. These groups are robbingProtestants and Jews of their rightsand freedoms as American citizens.While the secular press has been silent on many of the issues, The Converted Catholic Magazine has consistently been bringing the American public factual, up-to-date information onthe pressures brought to bear by Roman Catholic groups.Of particular concern to Protestantshas been the growing infiltration ofCatholic nuns and priests as teachers inour public schools. In most of the states,nuns and priests has been placed on thepublic payroll and are teaching inschools supported by public tax funds.In other areas, public tax funds havegone to Catholic parochial schools. During the school year 1951 to 1952,000 of public funds went into the cof$960,-fers of the Roman Catholic parochialschools in 18 counties of Missouridirect violation of both the Constitutionof the United States and the Constitution of the State of Missouri.In some Roman Catholic neighborhoods, priests have led the Catholicboycott of non-Catholic businesses because they refused to contribute toCatholic charities or Church drives.In come cities Catholic pressure groupshave been successful in banning filmswhich the Church regarded as injuriousto the Catholic cause.Dr. Walter M. Montano, editor of TheConverted Catholic Magazine,warns:"If America is to stay free,ProtestantAmericans must be alert to the Roman Catholic threat and speak outcourageously and insistently against Roman Catholic injustices."THE COVENANTER WITNESSin

can,"me,"me!"Missionary NumberLESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 22, 1954THE FIELD IS THE WORLD,THE 5ED (S THE WORD Of GODVOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY AUGUST 4, 1954 NUMBER 5TheyTHE SPIRESing!Published by Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, N. J."Of course, you can avoid a lot of trouble by juststepping over to my left any of you, excepting Samuel Maa!"Maa, the village chief,looked down along the row of townsmen drawn upto the right of the armed guard. Not a soul moved.at the head of the line,"Good!" said Maa to himself. The words they hadjust heard were grim. Now here was the governmentsoldier offering an easy way out. But in Maa's company no one moved.Some months before, Maa had been sitting withfriends in his palaver house by the side of the road.A group of young people, tired, dust-covered, but obpaused at the doorway and then,viously very happy,with a word of greeting, entered, for the villagepalaver house is open house for friends and strangersalike. Sugar cane was offered and accepted. Conversation was animated for a little while, then lapsed.One of the newcomers began to sing, softly, as tohimself. Another picked up the song; presently theothers joined in."Nice,"Maa remarked when it was finished.There were other nice songs. Would Maa and hisfriends like to hear them? Theywould. Then theyoung men really sang. Villagers drifted in,andwomen and children came to line the walls in raptattention. For these were songs of Jesus and his loveand the singers were members of the African Youthfor Christ, singing with abandon the catchy Christian songs of youth."We have some nice pictures, too." Who in Africa does not like to look at pictures ? "And we havepictures!"a little Book which tells all about theSplendid ! And so that afternoon in song, by picture,and the Living Word, the Gospel was set forth. Thenseveral of the group spoke brieflyof its power intheir lives. Would there be some who would wish toaccept this Christ of whom they sang and read andspoke? There were. And so a little Christian community remained when later the young men passedon their way. "Come back, come back to visit somewhen you Maa urged; and they said theydaywould.Maa and his people started to build a simple littlechapel. It was only half finished when they held theirfirst meeting. A European priest passed by. Off hehurried to report to the District Officer. "Send aguard and bring Samuel Maa to went out hiscommand.. . . Sabbath noon. The guard arrived at Maa'stown and ordered Maa to assemble all the townspeovisitors. Out in the sun-baked street heple and anyaddressed them."Now listen to he barked. "The Captainknows what has been going on here and you are infor it ! Some of you, that is. So, all you who are paganstill, and all of the priest's persuasion, line up hereleft. You shall be left in peace ! But you of thison mynew faith, stand here on my right; and it's prison,beatings and trouble enough for every one of you.Fall in!"More than a score took their stand with Maa andthe members of the Youth for Christ at the right ofthe guard. Not for a moment did one of the new littleevangelical community hesitate. Two rows of men(Continued on page 71)

Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D.Korean ChildrenBible clubs have been organized for Korean children whoare too poor to pay for public school education. They aretaught reading, writing and arithmetic as well as having Biblestudy. The classes meet for three hours a day, five days aweek. The schools are supplied with illustrated gospels by theAmerican Bible Society, and these are beingtextbook.Religious Radio in Argentinaused as the mainThe Baptists of Argentina have been given permission touse radio facilities to broadcast the gospel message. This wasgranted after an interview between President Juan Peron, ofArgentina, and several Baptist pastors. Heretofore Protestantshave been prohibited from broadcasting the gospel over theradio in that country.Graham Meetingin SwedenThe largest religious meeting ever held in Sweden gatheredat the arena at Skansen open air museum near Stockholm whenBilly Graham spoke there. There were approximately 65,000persons present. As this is written Dr. Graham is recoveringfrom an operation which was performed since he returned toAmerica.Negro Chaplain HonoredThe president of the Army's Chaplain Board isChaplain (Colonel) John A. DeVeaux, a negro whowas decorated for outstanding heroism in Korea. He wonthe Legion of Merit, second highest decoration the Army canbestow, for heroism with the 24th Infantry Division in Korea.He was also a leader in setting up a program of ministry toNorth Korean and Chinese prisoners of war.Franco's CelebrationAn editorial in The Watchman Examiner gives us an insight into the power and methods of the Catholic dictator,Franco. The writer states that "on April 1, the anniversaryof Dictator Franco's 'victory' in 1939 was celebrated as usualby the Franco regime. At the head of the military parade rodetwo dozen Patton tanks and other military arms which theUnited States has recently presented to the Spanish Army. Areport of that parade indicates that there was indifference onthe part of the mass of the people who watched it. Absence ofapplause characterized it. Onlyoccasional and rather feeblemanifestation of enthusiasm was exhibited. The same reportstates that the parade was concluded by troops of armedpolice on foot, on horseback, and in trucks who were greetedwith whistles and catcalls during the entire route on theirmarch up to the Tribune where they joined Franco. It givesus an uncomfortable feeling that this dictator government,which does not even hold the pretense of elections, is kept inits repressive power by the support of armaments paid forout of our tax money. How can we reconcile our professedideals of national freedom before the world with the practiceof allyingourselves with one of the worst tyrannies Europehas ever known?" Catholic Teadher ShortageMsgr. Wm. T. Bradley, superintendent of Catholic parochial schools in the Santa Fe archdiocese, indicates that theseschools are requiring66more teachers than the teaching orderscan supply. He affirms that the situation is the same throughout the Roman Church in this country. He fears that if thistrend continues, costs will become so heavy that a parentalrevolt may follow. The Roman Catholic press has carriedmany advertisements inviting Catholic girls to join religiousorders probablymind.with the increase of available teachers inGermany's Religious ProblemMartin Niemoller is reported as being pessimistic concerning the outlook for Protestantism in Germany. He fearsthat if the division of his country continues, his church willbe ground between the increasingpower of the Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Communist tyranny in theEast. He thinks that the existence of Protestantism beyondthe iron curtain can at best continue for only one generation.He refers to the effort of the Communists to indoctrinate allchildren with the communistic view. The situation, as Mr.Niemoller states, is no doubt very serious, but we should notforget that Satan can never destroy the church according toour Lord's own promise. As the church is persecuted and tested it is usually purified.Bible Film ReleasedThe paper Now reports the following: A film describedas the first major movie historyof the Bible has a premiernow in about 30 leading churches across the country. It will beshown later to thousands of other congregations. It will notbe released to commercial theaters.toThis full-length documentary, "Our BibleHow it cameus,''was produced by the American Bible Society. It is theculmination of a 10-year-long project. . . . There has neverbeen any film on the subject approaching this scale. Workon the picture's script began nearly 10 years ago, and theproject since then has involved a prolonged series of consultations with various scholars, and research in many of theworld's museums.Actual shooting of the picture(Continued on page 72)in New York studios withTHE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street. Newton, Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka, Kansasto promote Bible Standards of Doctrine, Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writers :not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen, D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll, D.D.Remo I. Robb, D.D.Subscription rates: $2.50 per year; Overseas,10 cents.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdgarMrs. J. O. EdgarMrs. Ross Latimer1.00 ; Single CopiesThe Rev. R. B. Lyons, B.A., Limavady, N. Ireland, Agent for theBritish Isles.Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Newton, Kansasunder the Act of March 3, 1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

Current EventsByProf. William H. RussellA COSTLY PEACEDepartment clearance, and has been transferred toAugust 4, 1954Americans can find little satisfaction in the armisticeconcluded in Indochina. Our government yielded to Frenchentreaties and sent Under Secretary of State Bedell Smith toGeneva, but we did not ratify the peace settlement. The leadMcCarthy's Senate office payroll. By these moves McCarthyheaded off, at least temporarily, a move by a majority ofhis committee for a general housecleaning of the staff.FOR BETTER ROADSers of Viet Nam also refused to ratify, for they were virtuallyignored in the negotiations. After Speaking to the 1954 Governors' Conference, Presidenteight years of warfare,Eisenhowerthe French and the Communist Vietminh agreed on a peacerecently proposed that the nation spend $50based on the partition of Viet Nam near the 17th parallel.billion over the next ten years for highway building and improvement. This would be in addition to the present federalstateThe French have 300 days to evacuate the northern city ofManoi and Haiphong, its port. Neither side is to bring in highway program, which amounts to about $4 billiona year. Eisenhower believes that the new roads could bemilitary reinforcements, and no new military bases maymade tobe establshed by any nation. Prisoners will be freed andpay for themselves through tolls or increased gasoline taxes. State authorities would be given a share incivilians will be allowed to move from one zone to another,so that, in theory at least, no one will be forced to live planning and control. The governors are to consider theproposal and reportunder Communism. Laos and Cambodia are to be independby the end of the year, so thatlegislationent, but they will be wide open to Communist aggressionmay be introduced at the next Congress.whenever the Reds get ready to move in.Anyone who has traveled this summer will grant thatsomething needs to be done. In the last ten years ourTHAILAND NEXTThe fall of Indochina brings grave danger to Thailand,the neighboring state to the west. Thailand, formerly knownas Siam, has never been a European colonial possession.She is staunchly anti-Communist, and determined to remain free. Since World War II we have sent her over $150million in economic and military aid, but much more isnow needed. The commander in chief of Thailand's armyhas visted Washington and obtained the assurance of increased military aid, both in equipment and in Americanmilitary advisers. The nation's army will be built up tonumber of automobiles has doubled, while the capacity ofthe roads has grown very little. The problem grows worseevery year. Our inadequate roads contribute to the traffictoll of about 40,000 dead and a million injured last year.They also caused a tremendous economic loss in transportation delays. But the proper way to finance roadbuildingis not easily settled. The governors of some wealthy and.heavily populated states, such as Pennsylvania, oppose anyexpansion of federal aid because their states would bearmore than their share of the cost. Some would even abolishthe Bureau of Public Roads and return the highways to100,000. Soon the U. S. may be asked to commit herselfstate control. Such a move, however, would certainly cripdefinitely to the defense of Thailand against Red aggresple interstate transportation, and could be blocked in thesion.CLOSING DAYSU. S. Senate by the sparsely populated states.THHISTY LANDAs we write, Congress is rushing toward adjournment.No more major bills have passed both houses, but many willgo through in the last few days. We will begin summingthem up in our next column. The last big debate, whichA long period of record heat throughout the centralstates in July merely emphasized that the country has neverrecovered from last year's serious drought. Some communities arethreatened to delay thealreadyadjournment of Congress, wasrationing water again, and field crops areendangered throughout the Middleover the Administration's atomoc energy bill. Our basicWest. Colorado, NewAtomic Energy Act was drawn up in Mexico, and Texas, which received federal disaster relief1946, and conditionslastsince then have changed so radically that a general over year, are again eligible. Wyoming, Oklahoma, Missouri,hauling was and Georgia have also applied forobviously in order. The new bill provided foraid, and Kansas is likelyto follow. President Eisenhower hasthe entry of private authorized an emerindustry into the atomic power field,but this was opposed on the ground that it would cater togency program similar to last summer's, whereby droughtstrickenfarmers canmonopolies. A key point in the debate was Eisenhower'sbuy livestock feed from the Comattempt to have the Atomic Energy Commissionmodity Credit Corporation at half the usual marketnegotiateprice.But even this will not be enougha $107-million contract for private power to befor thesent intofarmers andthe area of the TVA.ranchers who suffered serious losses last summer. Unlessthe plains states have good soaking rains in the next twoSTAFF SHAKEUPmonths, the whole area faces disaster.The country seems to feel little regret at the resignation of Roy Cohn as chief counsel for Senator McCarthy's WARMING UPInvestigations Subcommittee. The 27-year-old Cohn said Even the Arctic North seems to be thawing out.his resignation was necessary to enable the committee tocarry on its work, but that it represented "a victory forScientists predict that within 25 to 50 years the ice-chokedArtie Ocean may become navigable. Every year the greatthe Communists." Another McCarthy aide, Thomas W. icecaps, such as the one which covers Greenland, areLavenia, has been denied security clearance by the Pentagon, thus barring him from access to classified documents.McCarthy has protested and demanded a report on thecase. A third member of McCarthy's staff, a former FBIagent named Donald A. Surine, was also refused Defensegradually receding. Some believe that within a few generations, the melting ice will raise the level of the world'soceans enough to flood many of our seaport cities. Thismight even be as great a challenge to modern civilizationas the atomic bomb.67

Covenanting ObedienceBy Rev. E. Clark CopelandDear Covenanter Brethren,12th July, 1954This morning many of you will be setting out forGrinnell. At heart we are setting out with you,though our car is not rolling off the miles on thehighway. We shall be with you in spirit as you meetfrom day to day, and especially as you sign the Covenant. It has been our prayer from the beginning thatthis act will be one step in a great revival to sweepthrough the church from top to bottom. To pledge ourallegiance among men is a solemn act, but to pledgeour obedience to the Laving God is a gracious andfearful privilege, for He knows the very thoughtsand intents of the heart. The signing of the Covenantin 1954 may go down in history as one of the greatestevents of the 20th century in the Covenanter Churchof N. A., or it may be merely a sentence in the account of the Grinnell Convention of 1954. If we cometo this act in the spirit of true repentance, turningfrom sinful indifference to loving, faithful obedience,God may in His grace be pleased to use us for Hisglory in turning many to righteousness and the nation to the acknowledgment of the claims of Christupon her.When Israel was beginning the conquest of Canaan, the disobedience of one man at Jericho broughtdisaster in the battle at Ai, and delay in the Godgiventask. God has given us a special task of conquest in the church and the nation. That task stemsfrom the core of this Covenant absolute obedienceto the revealed will of God without addition theretoor subtraction therefrom. If one holds back from obedience, it will mean delay and maymean disaster.Where all go forward in faith even where the obstacles ahead seem insurmountable, God will removethem as He did the Jordan River at flood stage frombefore the feet of the priests as they marched forward in obedience to God's command.Rev. T. M. Hutcheson and a group have gone upto Troodos this morning to open up camp. I shouldhave gone with them, but workmen are still at thejob of mending the roofs of our buildings here inNicosia after the cyclone we had week before last. I'llhave to see this work done before leaving. Our campthis summer will include only two students for thetime being, possibly one more later, so we look forward to a more restful vacation.Last Thursday evening we signed a contract forthe construction of the Nicosia Academy builidng.is'The contract price for the ground floor 24,200 or$67,760. Beyond that are items that will amount toanother $5,000 or so. That will give us a day-schoolonly. We shall still have to rent property for theBoarding School. Even that, however, will be a greatfacility. We shall have proper class rooms. Theywillbe our own and we can develop them as we like. It willmean much to the public, also. We ask your prayersas the construction goes forward that the Lord willsupply the need, and guide in the work: "Except theLord build the house, they labour in vain that buildit."With this matter, settled, Miss McCrea expectsto sail from Cyprus on her furlough July 28. We are8praying that someone may yet come to help out inher absence. Miss Reade will have her hands full, indeed, in running the school alone. Miss Munnell's being called away by the illness of her mother has leftan empty spot in the Nicosia staff.year of school in LarWe had a very satisfyingnaca. The enrollment was down a bit, but the spiritwas rather high. The effect of more missionaries onthe school staff over the last five years is making itsmark in the general spirit and conduct of the school.It would seem that the greatest problem of the Covenanter Church towards its missions in the Near Eastis not financial, but a personnel problem. We cannotbuild a Covenanter Church on the mission field without Covenanter staffs in our schools. We have hadthis year applications from two evangelicals outsidethe Covenanter Church in America, and one in theNear East, and only one application from a Covenanter. If this continues to be the case, we must face thequestion of whether we wish to conduct non-denominational mission work which results in a non-denominational body of believers. That of course, iscontrary to our Confession of Faith. The CovenanterChurch must therefore implement its Confession ofFaith by developing consecrated Covenanter youthand sending them into the Lord's harvest field.Our youth Conference meets August 4-9 atTroodos. The theme: "POWER." Subdivisions: Sacrifice with regards to Comforts and Discipline. Sacrifice with regards to Friendships and Love, Powerthrough Service. Join us in prayer that God will giveus His Spirit, the only Power of the ChristianChurch.Last week Mr. Thomas Edgar underwent an operation for double hernea. He is getting along fineand expects to be about again soon and at his duties.He will be taking over the responsibility of directingthe Larnaca Academy as Mr. W. W. Weir expects tostay on until the first of January in the U. S. in theinterests of the Building Fund."All pathways of the LordAre truth and mercy sureTo such as keep His Covenantpure."And testimoniesSincerely yours in theBonds of the Covenant,E. C. Copeland.A Navigator's AppreciationThe Covenanter WitnessTopeka, KansasDear Sir,27 July 1954I would like to take the opportunity, throughyour publication, to express to all the members of theReformed Presbyterian Church of North Americamy gratitude and sincere appreciation for the fellowship extended to me by your Mission in Cyprus during the two years it was my privilege to teach in theAmerican Academy at Larnaca.Not only I myself, but the Navigators as awhole, have considered it a privilege to co-labor withyou all in Cyprus. We feel that the Mission in Cyprus,with the two Academies, has been given a uniqueopportunity by God with respect to the evangeliza-THE COVENANTER WITNESS

pleased."old."tion of Cyprus and the establishment of His Churchthere hence our desire to serve your Mission inwhatever way possible.Personally, I am grateful for the fellowship ofindividual members of the Mission. Rev. Clark Copeland and his wife especially have been a real blessingto my life during the past two years. Their homewas always open to me, and I was always assured ofan enthusiastic welcome by their children,who werea constant delight. Rev. Copeland, by advice andencouragement, helped me over several rough spots.Space doesn't permit me to tell of the tokens ofChristian fellowship which came my way from theHutchesons, Miss McCrae, Mr. Edgar, Rose Munnell,Ruth Reade and, during my first year, the Weirsand Eleanor Faris.May God grant more years of effective serviceto your Mission in Cyprus. I look forward to the daywhen Cyprus will be sending its own missionaries toall the countries of the Middle East. "And in verydeed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shewin thee My power; and that My Name may 'be deearth."clared throughout all theSincerely, in ChristWaldron ScottSome Phases of School Work in 1953By Marjorie Allen SandersonHow often this year the Bible verse, "As thyday, so shall thy strength be" has come to my mind,for it was with a feeling of utter inadequacy that Ifinally agreed to take over Miss McClurMn's place ashead of the Girls' School while she would be home onfurlough, but our kind Heavenly Father has answered our daily prayer for wisdom and guidance andgiven us cause to rejoice as we see so many younglives coming daily under the influence of the gospelin our school.The first activity in the school following theclose of the '52-'53 school year was the Workers' Conference, for the meetings were held in the Girls'School. The main speaker was Mr. Fahme Hanoweeof Egypt who brought inspiring messages at leasttwice daily. The evening meetings were held in thechurch in order that a larger group might benefit.The first part of July a Daily Vacation BibleSchool was held in the Girls' Dormitory with nearlyone hundred in attendance, a large percentage ofthese being from other schools as well as havingquite a lot of non-Christians. The teachers weremainly ones from our intermediate group or olderstudents who had a chance to put their study intopractice and did so very acceptably. It thrills ourhearts to see these young people developing andreaching the place where they can take responsibilitythemselves. Two of these same D.V.B.S. teachers became full-time teachers in our school this year forthe first time and are doing well too.School began on October 12 with the largest enrollment for a good many years. The two main reasons for this were the fact that the government decided not to accept any children this year less thaneight years of age, and in the sixth grade only students with more than 410 out of 600 for their finalscore in the Certificate Examination, given at theAugust 4, 1954close of the fifth year. This brought us many students who as the popular song goes were "either tooyoung or too or we might add, had too lowgrades. Of course, we had many old students returning also. So far this year our enrollment is nearly 400,but at the present writing in February the attendance is a little less than 350. It has been the meansof making the school come quite close to self-support.Another change this year has been to have mostof the high school classes in the Girls' School, withthe boys of the high school taking nearly all theirEnglish classes here except the Arabic ones whichare in the Boys' School and the 9-10th girls taking allclasses here. There are no girls in the eleventh andhighest class this year.Last year it was reported that our schools hadbeen directed by the government to apply for officialpermits to function but after waiting for more than ayear they had not been received. We were verythankful this fall to receive permits for both schoolsas well as to have co-education in the high school. Notime limit was placed on this permit, which is anothercause for thanksgiving.All our teachers this year are members of theCovenanter Church and most of them received atleast part of their education in our schools. We havefound the staff most cooperative on the whole. Bothteachers and students miss the pastor's daughter,Miss Adeebeh Awad, who has been a teacher in theGirl's School for several years, but we are glad thatshe is getting the opportunity to go on with her education in Geneva.Syria's young people are demanding educationto a degree as never before in its history and we trulyfeel that the need for a Christian school is as greathere as ever. We thank our home church for her support and ask your prayers that we may faithfullyguide and direct the work here for God's glory andthe spread of Christianity in this land.Covenanter Book Room HighlightsBy Rose A. HustonMiss Hirakawa, Japanese manager, resigned theday after Miss Lynn sailed, to be married.After we despaired of finding a helper, finally,about March 20, a young man was recommended forthe position, and was hired. He is Mr. Mita, a memberof the Reformed Church; completed a Businesscourse in college. He was an officer in the Japanesearmy in Manchuria; was captured by the Russians,and was a Prisoner of War in Russia for two years.He was converted while at the front through theinfluence of a friend and a Bible. After repatriation,he was in Hospital with TB for a year, and for a yearhad been working in a factory making Neon light fixtures.In every way, he seems well fitted for the work,and has taken hold with earnestness and vigor; hischief difficulty is in using the English language, butwith a mixture of English, Japanese and the sign language, we have managed very well. After ten days inthe Book Room, I asked if he were satisfied in thisdesu,"work. He replied, "Dai suki or "GreatlyWe too, are greatly pleased, and thank Godfor sending him to us.69

One of our Christian young women was suffering much opposition in her home ; it was under muchmental, if not physical difficulty that she attendedhurch, and she was being compelled to stop schoolwithin a few months of graduation to help in herfather's shop. We hired her for the afternoons, herclasses being in the morning, with the understandingthat it meant also Sabbath, so she could attendchurch. She missed church a few times, and when itwas mentioned, tears filled her eyes and she said,me.""I'll go to church even if my father beatsSo now we have Mr. Mita as full time Japanesemanager, with Miss Edamatsu as assistant in the afternoon, Mrs. Hansen as accountant, and Miss Huston handling the English orders and correspondence,card index records, helping in salesroom for English speaking customers, besides a few other affairs,and signing checks, with a keen eye on the Bankbalance.During these three months we have sold a littlemore than 1700 books, Japanese, Chinese, and English, and have about 100 on the shelves that are beingbought on the installment plan. An inventory showsmore than 700 English books, largely Theological andBible Study, besides pamphlets and booklets, andTheological magazines. A stock of Bibles in three prevailing languages is kept on hand, with a few in otherlanguages, besides Hebrew and Greek for use in Seminaries and Bible Schools. We keep in stock a greatnumber of Japanese books that are orthodox in theircontent, and are glad to see new books being writtenor translated such as Halley's Bible Handbook, Pilgrim's Progress, In His Steps, besides manyof aTheological nature. There is still a dearth of goodreligious and Bible Stories for children and youngpeople.A hasty count shows some 8000 books sold duringthe year, at least half being English, many of themcomplete sets of Theological books by Calvin, Nicoll,Hodge, and others of the Reformed faith. We continually marvel at the faith of ministers living on verymeager salaries, ordering a complete set of MatthewHenry or Calvin's Commentaries and other expensivetheological books. One lost his during the bombing;another buried his books only to find when he unearthed them, that they were ruined by dampness.Both are replacing them one by one as they are able.These and theological students appreciate the discount we allow them, for it is through sacrifice andprivation that they are able to buy them.The Measure of Religious FreedomThe pressure and persecution that are broughtto bear on our Evangelical brethren in Greece arehard to conceive. It is a systematic war on the partof some members of the State Church. Our missionaries are constantly dragged to criminal courts. Sixfaithful sisters just finished serving a term in prison.The authorities are still endeavoring to confiscatesome of our Evangelical property. We are being refused the privilege of building our own Evangelicalhouses of worship, while the State Greek OrthodoxChurch has been receiving thousands of dollarsthrough the World Council of Churches, of which sheis a member. Weddings of Evangelical believers inNeos Mylotopos, where one of our missionaries is the70pastor, are conducted in the open, whether it besnowing or burning hot. Why? Because in order foran Evangelical church to be built it is necessary forthe local Greek Orthodox Bishop to give his consent.Such is the measure of religious freedom that we enjoy in modern Greece, the ancient cradle of our human rights and freedoms. But what of it? Persecution has never hurt the followers of Christ.Persecution Brings RevivalOne of our missionaries who is in the thick ofthe battle writes : "How God has blessed us the lastmonth ! What a stirring of the Spirit ! We gathereddaily, at dawn, for one solid hour some forty menand women of prayer to plead with God for His intervention in this crisis threatening our Church. AndHe has given us a regular revival instead ! I am astonished at His doing. It is marvelous. Last Monday wasthe last in a series of special meetings in connectionwith our Macedonian Bible Institute. Many souls havetrusted in the Lord for salvation. The last eveningcannot be forgotten. We, or rather the Spirit, extended the meeting till 1 a. m. Men and women for Whomwe had been praying for years finally came throughand openly accepted the Lord. Oh, what a blessing! Inthe midst of our other disappointments, this was abreeze of God's refreshing air, indeed. Thank youus."for your prayers and your standing byIsn't it a privilege to pray for and help such aministry ?Financial ReportOur financial year ends April 30. For the yearMay, 1952, to April, 1953, our receipts were $101,000.For the year May, 1953, to April, 1954, our receiptshave been $146,000. Our books are audited by a Certified Public Accountant and reports are rendered toour Board of Trustees and to the proper U. S. Government authorities. It is with great satisfaction that wecan say that this is a work you can absolutely trustas sound in every way. God's stamp of approval is onit, for had it not been, the progress would not havebeen so phenomenal to jump from $2,000 to $146,-000 in eight years. To God foe all the praise and manythanks to you, the faithful supporters of this wonderful ministry. This money has supported our 37 missionaries, operated our Orphanage, our Christian DaySchool, our Christian Bookstore, published threemonthly magazines, 13 Christian books, bought anddistributed 17,000 Bibles and Testaments besides the30,000 Testaments donated by the Million Testaments Campaigns and distributed by our Mission,published two full messages each week in the onlytwo Greek newspapers in America, broadcast over 13radio stations, sent 50,150 lbs. of clothing in cratesand individual packages, 13,000 lbs. of foodstuffs besides the money sent over for the purchase of foodlocally in Greece, 75,320 tablets of anti-biotic drugs,and 9,300 vials of streptomycin.Our Annex Orphanage Building and ChristianHigh SchoolFurthermore, during this financial year westarted building and are now completing our AnnexOrphanage Building to care for more of the 400,000THE COVENANTER WITNESS

not,"matter,"me?"orphans of Greece. The second floor of this buildingwill serve as the only Evangelical High School inGreece, as the second floor of our existing Orphanagebuilding houses the only Evangelical Christian DaySchool. Please pray for its completion.New Translation Work ApprovedThe Board of Directors of the RTF has approvedthe translation of the following :(1) The Importance of Christian Scholarship, bythe late Dr. J. Gresham Machen. This 44-page booklet consists of lectures delivered by Dr. Machen atmeetings of the Bible League in London, England.The treatment of the subject is divided into threeparts, namely, I. The Importance of Christian Scholarship for Evangelism. II. The Importance of Christian Scholarship for the Defence of the Faith. III.The Importance of Christian Scholarship for theBuilding up of the Church. The message of this booklet is highly relevant to present-day conditions. It isan excellent antidote for the common false antithesisbetween scholarship and evangelism.(2) Do You Believe? by Professor Edward J.Young of Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia. This 37-page booklet is of an evangelistic nature, and is of peculiar value because of its truly Biblical presentation of the truth about God and man,sin and salvation. At once vigorously Calvinistic andearnestly evangeistlic, it stands in contrast to the Arminian type of evangelistic material which is so common today. This booklet exalts God and humbles man.We believe that the Holy Spirit will use it as a meansfor the conversion of Chinese to Christ, and for thebuilding up of Chinese Christians in the faith.After the RTF Board of Directors had approvedthe translation and publication of this booklet if andWhen funds are available for the purpose, it came toour knowledge that a Chinese Christian in San Francisco, Mr. James W. Chen, had already started workon the translation of this booklet. Mr. Chen is a graduate student in journalism at the University of California, and is a re-write man for the Chinese newspaper Chinese World, published in San Francisco. InFormosa Mr. Chen was in contact with the Rev. Egbert W. Andrews and the Rev. Richard Gaffin, missionaries of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Mr.Chen is an adherent of the First Orthodox Presbyterian Church of San Francisco. Recently Dr. Young, theauthor of the booklet, was in San Francisco, and Mr.Chen conferred directly with him on the translation.When we learned of Mr. Chen's work of translation ofDo You Believe? we dropped plans to have it translated by one of our regular staff of translators, andare planning instead to publish Mr. Chen's translation when it is completed.(3) The Board of Trustees and Corporate Members of the North China Theological Seminary, Inc.,approached our Fellowship with a proposal that theycontribute to the RTF a sum of money to be used forthe translation and publication in Chinese of GodSpake by Moses, by Dr. Oswald T. Allis. This book isa practical commentary on selected portions of thePentateuch. Afterduly considering the encouragingoffer of the North China Theological Seminary, theBoard of Directors of the RTF decided to accept theAugust 4, 1954offer. We hope that translation of God Spake by Moses can be begun in the very near future. This bookshould be of great value to Chinese Christians. Itwill serve as a corrective of the tendency to undervalue the Old Testament which exists in many circles. The writings of Dr. Allis in the defence and exposition of the Bible are well-known and contributorsto our Fellowship will realize their value and importance.J. G. Vos, D.D., American RepresentativeTHEY SINGfrom front pageand women and children a sweating guard silenceover them all as they took their places that blisteringhot tropical day."Have you properly understood shoutedthe guard. "I repeat, peace for those on my left, floggings and jail for the rest of you !" He paused andlooked intently down the line on his right. Presentlythe stern features relaxed somewhat, his voice lostsome of its harshness as he continued, "Of course,you can avoid a lot of trouble by just stepping over tomy left, any one of you, excepting Samuel Maa!"Maa, the village chief, kept looking down alonghis line ; no one moved, none made reply. But suddenly over in the other company there was movement,the moment of silent waiting was broken. A youngman stepped out of line, looked toward the guard andsaid, "Soldier, I'm leaving this line ; count me as oneof these on your right !" And with that he fell in beside Maa.Everyone waited for the guard's wrath to break.It would be awful. But suddenly, and to everyone'syou,"surprise, he laughed. "Good for he said. The angry gleam had left his eye entirely, the man stoodtransformed before them as their friend. "You see, Itoo am one of you. My father is an elder of the churchin the country to the north, and I am a Christian. ButI thought I'd see the stuff you Christians are made ofin this Roman Catholic land. And so this little test.I'm proud of you. I really am. My orders, however,stand. I must take Samuel Maa to the Captain, butonly."MaaI was off up country when all this happened. Aweek later I was in the Captain's office. "Captain," Isaid, "you have here in your prison a friend of mine.He's old and he's not too well. I am just about to setout for home. My way leads through Samuel Maa'stown, so if you'd just like to call him in and turnhim over to me, I'll drop him off in his village. AfterGod."all, it's surely no crime to worship But theCaptain didn't fall for that one. "No, I think maybeyou'll he replied. "But since you say he's afriend of yours, I shall call him in 'sometime and recase."view theBut he never did. Maa spent his month in jail,breaking rock. Not only so, he paid his host twentycents a day for the enforced hospitality. Twentycents a workingman's daily wage. "Well, Maa, howabout it now? Looks as though your missionarywasn't able to get you out of jail," said one of hisvisitors. "No replied Maa. "They don't knowthe Christian songs here and I do. That makes mesomewhat of a celebrity. What's bad about that?"After the month, Maa came home. He was nolonger chief. The loss of his position bothered him notat all. He had a new position in Christ. His simple,71

myself."me."sermon,"standing?"preacher."more."happy home life, the quiet services for worship in thelittle palaver house sufficed. The chapel still stoodwhere he had helped build it unfinished and unused.One day Maa looked up to see the priest standingin the doorway.stands."away!""Samuel Maa, why is this chapel still"No one ever told me to tear it down,"Well, I'm ordering you to tear it downand so itrightBut Maa explained that he had gone to prison fora month for having built what there was of itcrudenative materials and that the District Officerupon releasing him had said nothing about destroying it ; therefore he was not going to lay a hand uponit either to build or to tear down. By this time therewere others peering in over the priest's shoulders.Maa recognized the chief from up the road a mile orso where the priest had his chapel ; he recognized toothe evangelist of the Roman Catholic community.The priest turned away in wrath, and Maa sawthe axes the evangelist had brought. They crossedthe road followed by the crowd that had gathered,and priest and evangelist started swinging. Presently, they stood back to survey the ruin they had made,apparently satisfied. With the townspeople lookingon in silence, they marched off up the road and disappeared around the bend.A few Sabbaths later, we were in Maa's villageagain for the worship service in the little palaverhouse. They have come to know that they need nochapel of poles from the forest and thatch from thebamboo swamps in which to worship ; that more acceptable is the heart swept and made ready and filledwith the spirit of praise.The little community of Christ's followers inSamuel Maa's town has grown since these thingshappened. Man can reach out and lay waste what ismade with hands, but he cannot reach in to taketheir Gospel songs treasured in the heart. Out in theAfrican night, along the myriad trails, in innumerable villages under the Southern Cross, drums willthrob in shameful dance and raucous voices be liftedup in heathen chant, but in Maa's village and in hundreds of others like it someone will lift the song,"Jesus loves And other voices will join in,voices of men and women and children who havecome to know the love of God, and who, in spite ofoutward circumstances, possess their souls, andSING!The writer of "They Sing" is a graduate ofPrinceton Theological Seminary and a missionary"somewhere in Africa." For the protection of himself, his work and his African friends, his name andfield of service are not disclosed. Samuel Maa is notthe real name of the native Christian leader.GLIMPSES from page 66a cast of 250 went on about a year, at a cost of about aquarter million dollarsi. If it has the effect of producing morethousands of readers and believers of the Holy Scriptures, theexpense will be abundantly worth while; for the Scriptures areable to make one wise unto salvation through faith in ChristJesus.Not Satisfied with GainsThe liquor traffic is never satisfied with its inordinategains, says The Evangelical Christian. Like the horse leechNo matter how many livesit is ever saying, "more,are wrecked in this world and souls ruined for the next, thebrewer and distiller thinks only in terms of money. Nowwe read that attempts are being made to have liquor sold inOntario in grocery stores. It is quite possible, of course, thatthese evil plans will succeed, and many men who considerthemselves Christian will dispense the vile stuff over thecounters of their shops. In this connection we are reminded ofa story of a grocer in Europe before the war. The man wasan earnest Christian who kept Bibles on his shelves to sell tohis customers. One day a buyer came in and wanted to ordera case of whiskey. The grocer pointed to his shelf of Bibles,and shook his head. "Whiskey does not fit with these," he saidsimply. The grocer's logic was sound, simple and Christian.Too many Christians the world over are trying to fit both theBible and things contrary to it into their lives. This Europeangrocer knew better and recognized the incompatibility ofdrink and Christianity.ROCK OF AGESA POOR SERMON"It is a poor said George Whitefield,"that gives no offense, that neither makes the hearerdispleased with himself nor with the Itwas a noble eulogium that Louis XIV passed on oneof his preachers, Massillon : "I don't know how it is ;when I hear my other chaplains I admire them, butwhen I hear Massillon I always go away displeasedwithW. Jay.The Free Methodist72THE COVENANTER WITNESS

perance"only"works,""repentance"works"grace."pay."Lesson Helps for the Week of August 22, 1954C. Y. P. U. TOPICAugust 22, 1954THE GRACIOUS OUTCOME-Psalms:FRUIT BEARINGMatthew 21:19-221:1-3, page 252:1, 5-8, page 13472:9-12, page 17592:11-14, page 227References: John 15:1-8; Gal. 5:22, 23James 3:17; Eph. 5:9; Phil. 1:11; 4:17II Peter 1:5-8; Matt. 7:17; Prov. 11:30Jer. 17:7, 8; Hos. 14:8; Isa. 5:4; Luke13:6-9.Comments by Rev. Walter C. McClurkinThe end of AIDS TO CHRISTIANGROWTH is not just the growth ofan ideal specimen plant, or person, orchurch, or nation, to have on display,but fruit. The Lord is not satisfiedwith "leavesor nothing but professions and promises and no performances. It is not enough just to standuprightly and make a nice appearancein the landscape, and not enough thatno poisonous exhalations and effusionsbe given off into the surroundingatmosphere.The Lord desires fruit, "the fruits ofrighteousness, which are by JesusChrist, unto the glory and praise ofGod"(PhiL_J_JJJ, "fruit unto holiness"(Rom. 6:22), and "the fruit of the Spirit. . .love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, tem(Gal. 5:22, 23)."The fruits ofinclude our "goodrighteousness"would"The fruit ofthe Spirit" of course, all instances ofobedience to the various commands ofGod, and even the confessions of oursins in the name of Christ, including"fruits meet for(Matt.3:8). Jesus "gave Himself for us, thatHe might redeem us from all iniquity,and purifypeople, zealous of good2:14).unto Himself a peculiar(TitusJesus says, "Herein is my Fatherglorified, that ye bear much fruit"(John 15:8). As the Lord of His vineyard, He allows years of grace and provides means of grace that the barrenmay "bear fruit" (Luke 13:6-9). "Hepurgeth"even fruitful branches thatthey "may bring forth more(John 15:2).fruit"The Lord cursed the barren fig treefor its barrenness. He did this to givea merciful and symbolic warning ofwhat unfruitful people might expect atthe final Judgment, if theyAugust 4, 1954should con-tinue unfruitful. See Matthew 7:19-23.As William Taylor says, "If it bebad for a fruit tree to have 'nothingbut leaves' it is not good for it eitherto have no leaves. The leaves help thegrowth and development of the fruit,and so a public confession helps to bringthe fruit to ripeness. If, therefore, youhave given yourself to Christ, make aconfession of Him by giving yourselfalso to the Church, and maintaining acharacter corresponding to the confession; then your character will ripen intocompleteness and you will bring forthyour fruit unto holiness and the endthereof will be everlastinglife."To have the privilege of entering into covenant with God,privately andpublicly, is itself a fruit of Christ's redemption. This is fruit Christ has produced and offers to us. So also is theprivilege of having the Holy Spirit tocause us to respond, to be in thecovenant relation, and to produce fruitby which God will be glorified. All thisis the gracious outcome of what Godhas provided, even the fruit bearing ofour own lives. Being in covenant withGod involves abiding in Him. Abidingin Him results in Fruit Bearing. This isthe gracious outcome of a "humble reliance upon His"My voice and prayer, O God, attend;That I my vows may (Psalm 61)JUNIOR TOPICAugust 22, 1954.ABRAHAM AND LOT SEPARATEMrs. M. K. Carson.Scripture: Genesis 13.Memory Verse: Romans 12:18.Psalms: Psalm 105:4,5,6,7, page 257.This is the Psalm-of-the-month. Weshall use the same verses that we hadlast week. Singif possible.through from memoryPsalm 133:1-3, page 330;112:1-2, page 277.References: Answer the following questions.1. What all had God given to Abraham? Genesis 24:35.2. How was Lot related to Abraham?Genesis 12:5.3. Why did Abraham go down toEgypt? Genesis 12:10.4. To what place did he return fromEgypt? Genesis 13:3.5. What else took place at Bethel?Genesis 28:10-19; 35:6-8; Judges 4:5;I Sam. 7:16.6. What idol was later worshiped atBethel? I Kings 12:28-33.7. What prophet of the Lord prophesied against Bethel? Amos 3:14.8. What good king destroyed the altarat Bethel? II Kings 23:15.9. What river valley did Lot choose?Genesis 13:10.10. What cities were nearby? Genesis13:10.Abraham, the father of God's chosenpeople, had been called from Ur, hadstayed in Haran till the death of hisfather, had journeyed south and set upan altar at Bethel, then in time offamine, had gone down to live in Egyptfor some time. It seems he must havefailed in faith at this point, for thesojourn in Egypt, while it brought himriches, yet was a trouble to him andit must have given Lot his first tasteof luxurious living. But Abraham cameback to his faith and to his God andto the same altar he had built at Bethel.Look carefully at the verses betweenGenesis 12:8, where Abraham built thealtar at Bethel, and 13:4 when he returns to this altar. Do you see anymention of his calling on the Lord inthese verses that tell of the time inEgypt? Could it be that Abraham hadleft God behind at Bethel? Even themost faithful of God's people sometimesgo in the wrong way, but God alwayscalls His own children back and willnot let them stray far away from Him.So back to Bethel came Abraham andLot and all their flocks and herds andservants.Bethel, we are told, had four springsthat would supply good water but thesurrounding hills were bleak and barren. It was in such a place that Abraham and Lot had to find food and drinkfor all their flocks. Water and grasswere precious then as they are now inour great western country. As naturallywould happen, the men who kept theflocks of their masters began to quarrel about who would get the best springand the greenest field. Some of theheathen Canaanites also lived in theland and Abraham thought it was ashame for God's people to be settingsuch a bad example in quarreling amongthemselves when they were supposedto be serving the Lord. So Abraham,who loved the Lord and loved peace(repeat the memory verse) told Lotthat they had best not try to live together but had best separate, so eachcould have plenty of room.One day the two men stood on oneof the high, rocky hills near Bethel andtalked the matter over, as they lookedfar off across the country. Abrahamwasthe older man and could havesimply told Lot where his portion would73

me."perance"city."be. But instead of that, he gave Lothis choice of places. What Bible versetells how Abraham acted? Lot hadprobably enjoyed the fertile fields ofEgypt and had been rather sorry whenthey had had to leave to come to thehills of Bethel. So when he looked downinto the beautiful Jordan valley, it reminded him of the beauties of Egypt.and he lost no time in choosing that.He did not even ask Abraham if thatwould be all right. He did not think ofothers, as did his uncle. What Biblerule did he break? Luke 6:31. Whatdo we call that rule? Be sure to remember this choice of Lot's and whenwe come to the end of the story decidefor yourselves whether you think hemade a wise choice. But he was verysure that day on the hill-top that hehad the chance of a life-time to live injust that sort of place he liked. If UncleAbraham liked the bare hills, he couldhave them and welcome. In what direction did Lot go? Verse 11. Find Betheland the Jordan River on the map inyour Bible. What city was near whereLot went? Con you find it on the map?Why is that? What did God see thatLot did not see?, or did not think important when he made his choice?Verse 13.So Lot made his choice. Itdoes not say anywhere that Lot askedthe Lord to guide him in his choice,for we feel sure he thought this onetime when he needed no help to choose.He and his family, his servants andhis flocks began the long journey fromthe hills down into the lovely valley,and Abraham is left alone once more.He must have been lonely as he watchedthe caravans of Lot disappearing downthe turns of the road, yet he knew hehad done the thing that was right.Lonely, did we say? Not for long, forGod came to him and talked with him.How wonderful that was, but notstrange, for you remember God calledhim His Friend. How much did Godsay Abraham would have? Read verses14-15. Did that include the part Lothad taken? What else did God promisehim? Verse 16. Do you read in any ofthese verses that God came to Lot? Inwhich place would you rather havebeen, in the fertile valley with Lot orwith Abraham and God on the rockyhills?As Abraham walked up and down inthe land to see what the Lord hadpromised to him and to his childrenafter him, he came on a place that heliked better than Bethel, and here hemade his home for many years. Verse18. Remember that name for we shallhear much of it as the storygoes on.What did Abraham build there, asusual? Verse 18. Do we read that Lotdid that when "he pitched his tent74toward Sodom?" Choices come to allof us even to little people. Be sure toask God always how to choose, for sometimes the things that look so good tous, are not the best in God's sight.For your Note-book1. Draw a little map and locate on itBethel, the Jordan Valley, Egypt, Hebron.2. Name four things you like aboutAbraham in this story.3. Name four mistakes that Lot made.4. Give Bible verses to prove thatAbraham was not the looser.5. Write the Beatitude that this storyillustrates.For the LeaderFor the flash card (No. 8) write atthe top in large letters the word Lot;vertically down the side the word,"SELFISHNESS"; and at the bottom,the reference for the memory verse.Draw or paste on the card an appropriate picture suggesting the story. Review verses and stories, using the cardsin various ways. The Juniors may beasked to name their favorite story sofar in this series, give the memoryverse and place the card on the board.Allow the Juniors to choose ways touse the cards in review. By way ofvariety, let them work out the followingBible puzzle. Suggest that they makesimilar ones to bring to the next meeting. Multiply the number of the sonsof Noah by the age of Noah when heentered the ark; divide by the age ofAbraham whenhe left Haran; divideby the number of people saved in theark;add the number of days the watersprevailed on the earth. The result isthe number of fish the disciples caught.John 21:11.SABBATH SCHOOL LESSONAugust 15, 1954by Rev. Joseph A. Hill(Lessons based on International Sunday SchoolLessons ; the International Bible Lessons forChristian Teaching, copyrighted by InternationalCouncil of Religious Education.)SELF-DISCIPLINE FOR GROWTHLesson Material: Matthew 16:24-25; ICorinthians 9:24-27; 2 Timothy 2:3-5;Hebrews 12:1-4.Memoryverse: Matthew 16:24 "If anyman would come after me, let him denyhimself, and take up his cross, andfollowSince this lesson is designated as atemperance lesson, we should considerthe Biblical conception of temperance.The word itself, translated as "tem(King James Version) in Galatians 5:23, 2 Peter 1:6, Acts 24:25, isegkrateia, which indicates moralstrength, mastery over oneself,selfcontrol.In a general sense the Biblicalnotion of temperance is not a synonymfor total abstinence from alcholic beverages. The Biblical notion of temperanceis, in a self-government.word, Total abstinence from strong drink is no doubta true ideal; but to limit the applicationof temperance to this area is to destroyof the term. Totalthe real meaningabstinence is one aspect of"temperance,"or self-government, just as selfgovernmentis one aspect of sanctification.The Biblical idea of temperance involves a strongresistance against theruling of one's life by his fallen, sinfulnature. Proverbs 16:32 "He that isslow to anger is better than the mghty;and he that ruleth his spirit than hethat taketh aRomans 6:12"Letnot sin therefore reign in your mortalbody,that ye should obey it in thelusts thereof."True temperance, or self-government,means the subjection of one's fallen, sinful nature, and the reign of Christ inone's life. This involves a self-disciplinedyielding of one's life to the Holy Spirit,who produces temperance as one of thevarious fruits of the Spirit.I. Self-Renunciation.Matthew 16:24-25. Christ speaks here oftaking upone's cross as a requirementof discpleship. Cross bearing is usuallyregarded as meaning burden bearing, orthe renderingof some difficult service,or self-sacrifice. These mayall be involved in taking up the cross, but theessential element of cross bearing isself-renunciation. It is the equivalentof denyingoneself in humble disregardof one's own interests. Our Lord is theformemost example of self-reunuciation,and the greatest expression of self-renunciation was His sacrificial death onthe cross of Calvary. Philippians 2:3-8 isa perfect commentary24-25.II. Self-Discipline.on Matthew 16:I Corinthians 9:24-27. Christ used thefigure of bearing a cross, the instrumentof crucifixion, to illustrate self-renunciation, which is the foremost ingredientof true temperance, or self-government.Paul uses another figure of speech toillustrate another ingredient of temperance, viz., self-discipline. His figure isthat of running a race."Everyman that striveth in thegames exerciseth self-control in allthings."This probably refers to theIsthmian games, named for the isthmuson which Corinth stood. These contests,like the Olympian, Pythian and Nemean,were part of a great national and religious festival, and every second yeardrew eager throngs to the city ofCor-THE COVENANTER WITNESS

air"collection."receive."church,"inth. Only freemen could contend inthese games, and the contestants mustgive satisfactory evidence that for tenmonths they had undergone the necessary preliminary training. For thirtydays before the contests, all candidateswere required to attend exercises atthe gymnasium,and only after theyhad satisfactorily fulfilled all the requirements were they permitted to contend in the games. The victor in eachcontest was crowned with a garland ofleaves which was regarded as a crownof honor.No young Greek ever suddenly foundhis brow encircled with a wreath. Noyoung Greek ever obtained the prizebecause of family prominence. No oneever obtained it by money. The onlyway in which it could be attained wasby a personal victory. It required selfdisciplineand agonizing effort to gainthe trophy.The teacher can easily apply thisfigure of the ancient games to theChristian life, which requires much selfdisciplineand rigorous training andagonizing effort."I therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so fight I, as not beating the(verse 26). To run uncertainly meansto run without a definite object, and tobeat the air means to go through themotions of fighting without defeatinganyone. Paul is determined to run withan object before him, and whenever hestrikes, he means to strike an enemy."But I buffet my body, and bring itinto bondage" (verse 27). If a personis to be absolute master over himself,he must bring his body into subjectionto his spirit. He must rule over "theflesh,"that is, he must bring his fallen nature into subordination and hislife must be a life dominated and governed by the Holy Spirit. A boxer usually strikes someone else's body, but this"boxer strikes his own body. And theChristian, in disciplining his life, buffetsand subdues his corrupt nature, whichelsewhere is called "the flesh."2 Timothy 2:3-5. The same rigorous discipline was an essential part of militaryservice in the great Roman army. Inthat age of terrible social corruption,the army was the one organization inwhich men were held in check, andlearned to live disciplined lives. In theTNew Testament narratives we meet sev--eral officers of the Roman army (Luke23:47; Matthew 8:5-10; Acts 10:1-4;Acts 27:42-43), and all of them appearto be fine men. In athletic contests oneis contending against a rival; but inmilitary service he is fighting againstan enemy. What disciplinary measuresmust the Christian exercise in his ownlife?August 4, 1954SABBATH SCHOOL LESSONAugust 22, 1954by Rev. Joseph A. Hill(Lessons based an International Sunday SchoolLessons ; the International Bible Lessons forChristian Teaching, copyrighted by the International Council of Relicious Education..GROWTH THROUGH CHRISTIANGIVINGLesson Material: Acts 20:35; I Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 8:1-9.Printed Text: I Corinthians 16:1-2; 2Corinthians 8:1-9.MemoryVerse: Acts 20:35 ". . . It ismore blessed to give than toThe average per capita giving duringthe past year in the CovenanterChurch was $20.75. This means that onthe average, each member contributeda fraction more than five cents a daytoward the Lord's work. This is ashamefully small portion of our dailywages, earned in answer to our prayer,"Give us this day our daily bread."Our daily labors are all performed inthe service of Christ, yet only fivecents'worth each day is done specifically for His Church.In states where a sales tax is levied,most individuals easily spend more thantwenty dollars per year, penny by penny.Many families spend more than twentydollars per year on postage and stationery. In some areas it costs $36 per yearas a rental fee on a community television antenna. People pay it gladly. Agreat deal of money is spent in triflinginstallments for insignificant items, butin a year's time the total expendituremounts up to an unbelievable sum. Indrawing up their household budget,many people regard contributions tothe Lord's work as a miscellaneousitem, like postage and sales tax. It isa sad fact that many peoplespendmore for personal amusement than theygive to the Lord's work. Others spendmuch more each year for tobacco thanthey give to the Church.I Corinthians 16:1-2. After a magnificent discussion of the glory of the resurrection of believers, Paul launches immediately into a discussion of liberalityin giving, and the duty of relieving wantamong the brethren. Chapter 15 is athing of beauty. Its sublime languagewas penned on the heights. Yet thereis no break between it and the verypractical duty of caring for the bodilyneeds of fellow Christians. In Paul'smanuscript there were no chapter divisions; it was a continuous discourse"O death, where is thy sting? O grave,where is thying thevictory? . . . Now concernAre these ideas incongruous? Is the association unworthy?Does the call to duty take somethingaway from the thought of heavenlyglory?Paul's transition ismonyin perfect harwhen we realize that the wholeman is redeemed in Christ Jesus. Bodyand soul participate in the redemptionpurchased by Christ. And the transitionbetween thoughts of glory and thoughtsof duty is seen to be even more in perfect accord when we realize that partof the purchased blessings of redemption are enjoyed by the Christian inhis earthly life. The "collection" referred to by the apostle was a sum ofmoney that was to be given to a largegroup of poor Jews in Jerusalem, whobecause of their Christian faith, wereoutlawed and denied a living. This help,given by fellow saints in Corinth, wasa concrete evidence of the grace of Godtoward them. The "collection" was anearnest (a "dawn payment") of the inheritance which was to be theirs inglory. Although it was of temporalnature, it came to the poor saintsthrough the grace of God, and was apart of the salvation which they hadin Christ Jesus.2 Corinthians 8:1-9. Tithing is oftenregarded merely as a "means of supporting therather than as amatter of stewardship. In church budgets and statistical reports, the financial aspect of giving is thrust into prominence instead of the religious aspect.It is a sign of real growth in the Covenanter Church that Synod's Stewardship Committee is leading the Churchto think in terms of tithers instead ofdollars. Tithing is not primarily a practical duty, but a religious duty. It isvery significant that 39 verses of 2 Corinthians, almost one-sixth of the entireepistle, are devoted to the subject ofgiving.Muchhas been written concerningthe benefits of tithing, both to the giverand to the Church. It seems to be takenfor granted that religion is a matter of"values"and benefits, that man's welfare is greatly heightened by religion,and that men should be willing to giveliberally to "a good The "spiritcause."ual benefits" of giving are often urgedas the reason why we should be liberalin giving to the Lord's work, as thoughit were a sort ofinvestment whichpays rich dividends. The only rightmotive for giving, however, is love forGod. Our giving ought to be the spontaneous expression of our deep gratitudeto God. Instead of the spirit of bargain,the spirit of thanksgiving ought to bepreeminent in our giving.It is sometimes necessary today almost to beg for contributions to theLord's work. But Paul tells us that theMacedonian Christians begged him to75

saints"places."course."sun."strength."allow them the privilege of having apart in the offering which was to bedevoted to the relief of their fellowChristians in Jerusalem. Theirs waseager giving"beseechingus with muchentreaty in regard of this grace andthe fellowship in the ministering to the(verse 4). Theytheir means, and they gave,gave beyondnot out ofwealth, but out of penury and affliction(verses 2 and 3).Some questions for discussion:1. For what purpose was the "collection"used in the apostolic Church?2. Is it not out of keepingwith theScriptural ideal, that the greater portionof the "collection" today is spent forbuilding, upkeep, lights, heating, salaries,and scarcely a dollar is spent for benevolencethe ministry of mercy?3. Are bake sales, bazaars, church suppers and the like in harmony withScriptural principles of giving? Shouldwe not discourage and witness againstsuch commercializing of God's House?4. In what different ways does theapostle appeal to believers in the matter of giving in 2 Corinthians 8:7-9?5. In what ways do we grow asChristians through giving?6. In what ways does the Churchgrow through giving?7. Why is a giving Church a growingChurch?PRAYER MEETING TOPICAugust 25, 1954GREAT PROMISES IN ISAIAH: NewStength For the Weary.Isaiah 40: 28-31Comments by Rev. James D. CarsonPsalms:103:1-5, page 24384:3-4, page 20577:1-3, 8-10, page 185145:9-13, page 351References :Isaiah 41:10; Psalms 138:3; 147:11;84:7; 103:5; Isaiah 12:2; John 14:27;II Corinthians 12:9; Hebrews 11:33-34;Psalms 8:2.So often in the affairs of God's people,there comes the time when they utterlydespair of the goodness of God, andof His ability to help them in timesof trouble. This promise tonight is theantidote for such a feeling.Humanly speaking,there are oftenmany reasons for discouragement. Thetrue church seems to remain small.Other religious groups which teach afalse gospel seem to be growingdeceiving countless thousands of people.And in the more immediate circumstances of the work, We find many discouragements. The prophet Isaiah recognized the discouragements of God'sown people, and in these verses he gives76new comfort and strength to the people.Despite what may seem to be at times,our God has not forsaken us. "Hast thounot known? hast thou not heard, thatthe everlasting God, the Lord, thecreator of the ends of the earth, faintethnot, neither is weary? there is nosearching of hisunderstanding."In theverses preceding, the prophet asks hispeople to look into the heavens and consider there what they see. Who madethese marvelous things? Who hasnumbered the stars and named them?These are rhetorical questions theprophet does not need to answer them.The problems which surround us oftenloom so large in our experience thatwe fail to look past them to see theLord God.The promise is given to those whotrust in the Lord and who seek Hiswill. And this promise is found in theverses 29-31. "He giveth power to thefaint: and to them that have no mighthe increaseth strength. Even the youthsshall faint and be weary, and the youngmen shall utterly fall; but they that waitupon the Lord shall renew their strength;they shall mount upwith wings aseagles: they shall run, and not beweary; and they shall walk, and notfaint."The promise here is strength for theweary. The quality of young men beingcalled up for military service is testedon their physical stamina and strength;but even these specimens of humanstrength often fail in times of stress.But those who trust in the Lord shallgain new strength at the time whenthat strength is needed.In February, 1952, outside of Houston,Texas, there was an automobile crash.The driver was trapped in the cab ofthe truck. Gas spread around thewreckage and fire started. Officers,passing motorists, and a wrecker congregated, but theycould not wrenchthe door open. Then a giant Negro appeared, put his strength to the twistedmetal and freed the trapped man. As Irecall, this man had once been in a fire;and recalling that experience, terrorhad seized him, and he knew that hehad to free that man from the cabof his truck. Such strength is made possible apparently by the extra flow ofadrenalin through the body.However,"we wrestle not againstflesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulersof the darkness of this world, againstspiritual wickednessin highAnd just as the adrenalin of the humanbodyworks to give added strength inemergencies, so the Holy Spirit worksin us in times of stress in order thatwe might have added power. "He givethpower to the faint, and to them thathave no might he increasethAnd the further promise: "But theythat wait upon the Lord shall renewtheir strength;they shall mount upwith wings as eagles; they shall run,and not be weary; and they shall walk,and not faint." "Put forth wings runwalk! Is the order correct? .... It isa natural and a true climax, rising fromthe easier to the more difficult, fromthe ideal to the real, from dream toduty, from what can only be the rareoccasions of life to what must be life'susual and abiding experience. Historyfollowed this (George AdamSmith)Some months ago two articles appeared in The Sunday School Timeswith regard to the life of the eagle, andone article used this verse as the text.Many new and interesting things werelearned from those articles concerningthe life of the eagle. The following is aquotation from the writings of Mr.Seton Gordon, who made extensivestudies, found in The Sunday SchoolTimes: "Still upwards he sailed, andfor some time longer the watchingstalker kept him in view in the fieldof his glass. But at length he reachedthe point at which he was invisible, evenbyaid of a telescope. From that pointwhat a gorgeous panorama must havebeen laid out before his sight in thelight of summerIs not this that the Lord has promised? He has promised us the strengthto live in the heavenlies, if we will putforth on the promises of God.Discouragements will come, and because of the weakness of human nature,we become weak in faith, and, as Peter,we falter and begin to sink in the seaof life. It is then that we need to consider these promises, and to put ourtrust anew in the God who is neverweary, who never tires, and who isever willing and ready to forgive usour sins, and to give us new strengthfor each new day.If you face discouragements, and ifyou are weary of this life with its burdens, learn this verse and ponder itsmessage and "wait upon the Lord."Prayer Suggestions:1. Strength for missionaries, wholabor under very tryingsituations.and difficult2. Strength for our congregationswhichoften face discouragements ofone kind and another.3. Strength for members who may bediscouraged and disheartened.4. For each one of us, that we may beable to tap the resources of God'spower.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

soul."me."eyes."use"W. M. S. DepartmentMrs. Ross Latimer, Editor,Prayer Hour, 1:00 P.M. MondayW. M. S. TOPIC FOR AUGUSTTHE FOUNTAIN AND ITS STREAMSProverbs 4:23Helen M. PattersonGeneva Congregation"Keep thy heart with all dilligence;for out of it are the issues of life."What wise instruction is given in thisproverb "Keep thy heart above all keeping."What careful guarding this wouldbe if we followed it to the letter! "Theheart is the seat of all affections, emotions, desires, motives and loyalities. Itis the seat of life and strength, henceit means mind, soul, spirit, or one'sentire emotional nature and understanding.""When God gave us these soulsHe gave us a strict charge to keepthem. It is our solemn duty to maintaina 'holy jealousy' of ourselves and to seta strict guard on all the avenues of the"Keep with all keeping."There aremany ways of keeping things. We cankeep by care, by strength, by calling onothers to help guard. How are you keeping your heart? Do you bow down before God in confession of sins withtears of repentance? Do you spend timein fellowshipalone with Him when noone else can see or hear, reading HisWord and talking to Him in prayer?You will find that this fellowship willhelp you keepligence."your heart "with all dilThe Natural HeartMatthew 15:19"For out of the heart proceed evilthoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies":"The natural heart is evil, wicked, fullof deceit, envy, greed, frozen to goodthings, uneffected by Heavenly things.It is the fountain of corruption."Allthese defile a man defile his verysoul, because they have their seat in thevery depths of the heart.The Pharisees, who affected outwardpurity, while their hearts were filledwith corruption and defilement aregood examples of the natural heart.They expect to see God and enjoy eternal glory because of their many washings and cleansings. Christ shows that apurification of the heart from all vileaffections and desires is essentiallynecessary in order, to enter into theKingdom of God. He, whose soul is notdelivered from all sin, through the bloodAugust 4, 1954of the Covenant, can have no Scripturalhope of ever being with God.God's Promise of a New HeartEzekiel 36:26"A new heart also will I give you,and a new spirit will I put within you;and I will take away the stony heartout of your flesh, and I will give youan heart of flesh."A new heart would change man'swhole nature. It would give him newappetites, new desires,new passions,new ideals. He would be purified and"madefit for the Master'swinning others to Him. It would renewhis mind, and enlighten his understanding,correct his judgment and refine hiswill so that he would have a new spiritto actuate hisinnew heart. With thestony heart gone, and the heart of fleshgiventhe man becomes a new creature.Now he has a heart that can feel thejoys and sorrows of others, one thatcan enjoy the many things that makefor true happiness, one that can feellove to God and to all mankind. A heartthat will be a proper habitation for theliving God. This new man will want towalk in God's statutes and keep Hiscommandments, and avoid every appearance of evil. "Here is the Salvationthat is the Salvation of every Christianbeliever. The complete destruction of allsin in the soul and the complete renewelof the heartcleanses from all sin.""The blood of Jesus ChristThe Blessedness of the Purified HeartMatthew 5:8"Blessed are the pure in heart: forGod."they shall see"It is a great thing to be pure inbody, pure in deed. It is a greater thingto be pure in mind, pure in thought, andconception and fancy. But to be pure inheart pure to the verycenter of one's secret beingis pure. The words appalleth me to tremble."source andpure as God"It mak"They shall enter into the Sanctuaryof God and shall see Him." Their handswill be clean and their hearts pure andthey shall dwell in the presence of Godsinging with the great throngof theredeemed, "Alleluia; salvation, andglory, and honour, and power,unto theLord our God, which sitteth upon thethrone, and unto the Lamb." And theyshall see the throne of God in heaven.And they shall look on Him that sittethupon the throne. Theyshall have onrobes "washed and made white in theblood of the Lamb." "And they shallhunger no more: neither shall the sunlight on them, nor any heat, for theLamb which is in the midst of heavenshall feed them and lead them untothe living water and God shall wipeaway all tears from theirANNOUNCES NEW CONTESTGrand Rapids, Mich. The ZondervanPublishing House has announced a newcontest for devotional programs for women's groups which closes December 31,1954. The rules of this new contest areas followsi:1. All material must be submitted before December 31, 1954.2. Payment is on the basis of l%cper word, on publication.3. Manuscripts submitted should consist of a brief devotional talk and suggested songs, poems, special numbersand prayers for devotional programs.4. An author may submit as many individual programs as he desires.5. All material must be strictly evangelical and Bible-centered, with emphasison the practical aide of Christian living.Programs for special days and occasions,including missionary programs, will bewelcomed.6. Devotional talks should not exceed1500 words nor be less than 1,000 words.7. The material should be typewritten,double spaced, on 8^4x11 white typewriter paper.For further information, those interested should writeZondervan Publishing House1415 Lake Drive S. E.,Grand Rapids 6, MichiganDREAD FORGETFULNESSAfter mailing eleven parcels of itemsleft by delegates in their rooms at Grinnell, I have still the following unidentified articles on hand. Upon proper identification, I will mail them to their owners.1 new Bible1 Life of Christ in the Psalms with Music2 Life of Christ in the Psalms withoutmusic1 suit boy's underwear (tell me the size)1 ball glove (tell me the make)1 pair dark glasses (tell me the color ofthe rims)1 comb (what color is it and what otheridentification)2 fountain pens (state color of yours)2 mechanical pencils (both with distinctive identifying marks)1 knife1 wrist chain1 clothes bag (state color and other identifying marks)I'll try my best to get these articles tothe rightful owners. If you left items other than these, write to Mr. Marble, GrinnelCollege, Grinnell, Iowa. His buildingand grounds corps may have found them.Remo I. Robb1102 Ninth Ave.Beaver Falls, Pa.77

GREELEY: Daily Vacation BibleSchool ran from June 7 to 18. 54 childrenwere enrolled in five classes; averageattendance was 42. Mrs. Douglas Brookstaught the Nursery Class; Miss Gwendolyn Elliott taught the Beginners' Class.The Primary Class was taught by Mrs.Warnock Bailey. The Junior Class wasin charge of Mrs. J. L. Willcox and Mrs.Homer Johnson. Mrs. Clyde Dunn, MissMarjorie McClurkin, and Miss MarciaElliott all taught in theIntermediateClass. Mrs. Jane McMillan had chargeof the refreshments each day. Closingexercises were held on Friday evening,June 18.GENEVA: Our Juniors have done itagain. Although only three of them, Jackand Ruth McCready and Margaret Robbwere able to attend, a goodly number hadsent entries to the poster contest held inconnection with the Juniors at Grinnell.Marilyn Hemphill and Margaret Robbboth won first place in their age group.Others sending entries were Billie Hemphill, Fred Lathom, David Willson, Bobbie and Virginia Montini, Lois Hemphill,Roberta McNaughton, Jack and RuthMcCready, and Wendell Dean. Congratulations! "Come, ye children, hearkenunto me: I will teach you the fear ofthe Lord." Psalm 34:11.CALL FOR "BIBLE STUDY MADEEASY"The above named booklet was one ofa series sold on the WMS book table atGrinnell, ordered on the basis of examination of four or five titles whichappeared excellent. After theyarrived atGrinnell, several titles were removed.Then a young minister called attentionto serious error in the above, but atleast two copies had already been sold.If those who got these willreturnthem to me, their money will be refundedand something more appropriate will besent.Mrs. L. E. KilpatrickSterling, KansasGREELEY: The Gold Team led byKen Meeker won our thirteen-weeks Sabbath School Attendance810. DennyContest,906-Dunn's Blue Team willserve a dinner for the winners. A number of visitors came during the Contest,some of whom are attending quite regularly. 44 visitors came just the last twoweeks.78FRESNO: Synod Sabbath, the 18th ofJuly, Mr. John Walkinshaw led theprayermeeting on the subject, "God'sBattle Axe." It was an interesting meeting, because so manytook an active part.of the congregationLOS ANGELES: The Daily VacationBible School was held from June 21 toJuly 4. There was a total of 52 childrenenrolled, 2 visitors, with 20 having perfect attendance and an average of 37 children each day. The total missionary offerings amounted to $26.50 for the children in Japan. Mrs. Arthur Russell wasthe Director for the school, Mrs. DeanHinton, Mrs. Edward Chambers, Mrs.Clarence Walker of the church and Mrs.Richard Altman of Child EvangelismFellowshipwere the teachers). Mrs. Shenamanand her daughter Joan Gray werethe helpers. Mrs. St. John was the pianist.Women of the Covenanter Daughters andCovenettes provided refreshments for thechildren each day. Dr. E. G. Russell provided transportation and also helped withthe school."Pioneering with Christ" was;the series of study used.The closingprogram was held on Thursday eveningJuly 1 with a goodly number present; refreshments were served to the guests bythe Social committees of the Covenanterdaughters and Covenettes.ALLEGHENY: It was pleasant tohave friends worship with us Sabbath,July 25; the family of Rev. Paul D. McCracken, the Rev. and Mrs. MarshallSmith, Mrs. Jelik and Charles Jelik ofPhiladelphia.is:Dr. and Mrs. E. S. Smith's new address638 Greenwood Ave.,Cincinnati 29, Ohio.GREELEY: A Church Night Supperwas held July 9 at which Capt. and Mrs.Elmer Searle showed pictures of Japan.Theywere stationed in Japan for sometime, and visited our Mission in Kobe,and bade bon voyage last month to theBoyles when theysailed for America.FRESNO: We are glad to report thatthe pastor's familyreturned from theirmonth's vacation in the SequoiaNational Park in excellent health. Mrs(. McMillan is feeling much better and stronger than she has felt for some months. Wedo praise our Heavenly Father for answering our prayers for her health.GENEVA: Vacation time came earlythis year as manyof our members extendedtheir time at Grinnell into a twoweekholiday. Merrill Robb's; visited relatives in the Middle West. Willard Hemphill's went on to Denison to visit Mrs.Hemphill's parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. R.Linton. Mrs. Lucille Henery and Virginia are making Kansas their headquarters. Russell Lathom'simotored to Topeka to see his mother. Miss Adella Lawsonspent some time at Chautauqua,New York. J. B. Willson's relaxed fromthe city life at a cottage near Clearfield,Penna. William Dodds attended a Gideonconvention in Boston. John Piper's motored to Oakdale earlier in the summer tovisit friends and relatives. All have returned safely. Truly we can say withthe psalmist that God is holding us inPsalmright paths that our feet slip not17:5.GREELEY: Dr. J. Ren Pattersonpreached for us on Sabbath, June 27 andbrought two fine messages on NationalReform, stressing the Gospel message forthe individual as well as for the nation.He also brought a first hand report of theHearing on the Christian AmendmentBill.ALLEGHENY: The Young Adult Fellowship group held a picnic supper onMonday evening, July 19, at the home ofJack and Sally George. Everyone enjoyed the evening.FRESNO: Our pastor, Mrs. PhyllisHunter, and Miss Matilda Buck left bytrain on July 12 for Grinnell, Iowa. Mr.J. R. McCloy was to join them there, sowe had four representatives fromourcongregation. More had planned to go,but God had other plans for them.SANTA ANA: The double-ring wedding nuptials uniting Mrs. Olive Souvenlerand William J. Hartzell of Los Angelestook place in the home of the bride'sparents, Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Martin of15621 Harbor Blvd. The bridegroom is>the son of Mrs. O. E. Hartzell of Renfrew, Pa.Dr. Samuel Edgar officiated for theservice. Her sister, Mrs. W. W. Greenlee,was the honored attendant.Best man was Raymond Huizing ofLa Habra, and guests were ushered intothe home by Martin Greenlee and AlbertWylie.Carol Souvenier took care of the bride'sbook.The soloist, Mrs;. Robert Patterson,me,""Because"sang "O Promiseand"The Lord's Prayer," with Mrs. R. E.Ehorn providing the piano accompaniment.Mrs. Martin received guests for thereception.Those presiding at the refreshmenttable were Mmes. J. G. Betts, Albert Wylie, Joseph Houbs, Raymond Huizing,THE COVENANTER WITNESS

people,"all."Boothe Dienseth and Miss Bettie Souvenier.The new Mr. and Mrs. Hartzell will beat home in Hawthorne.The bride attended Long Beach StateCollege.GREELEY: Children's Daywas observed on Sabbath, June 6, at the morningservice. Each of the Sabbath SchoolClasses of the Junior Department presented stories or passages from God'sWord. Our pastor then presented achildren's message on "A Light in theDark!'"FRESNO: George and Eileen Chestnut Wagner's fourth daughter was bornon July 9. Her name is Norma Jean, andwe do rejoice with them.GENEVA: Sabbath July 25 saw several visitors in our midst: Mrs. RobertEdgar and sons Bill, John and Allanstopped en route home from Grinnell tovisit Grandpa and Grandma Coleman.Miss Ruth Smith and Mrs. Etta Smithfrom Bloomington came with the Youngfamily. Mrs. C. M. Patterson broughther father, Mr. T. W. Funk of Belle Center, Ohio, and his friend John Rutherford, who were visiting in the Pattersonhome. Mr. Rutherford enjoyed renewingfriendships of former days as he spent25 years in our town employed as anight watchman in the Armstrong CorkCompany.GREELEY: The Young People havestarted a project of converting thestraight chairs and bare floors of thePrayer Meeting Room to a homier setting. Some sofas and easy chairs havealready been secured, and a new woolroom-sized rug has been purchased. Agood part of the money for the rug wasreceived in an offering taken on the evening of June 4 when the Young Peoplepresented a program of entertainmentand games.FRESNO: On Sabbath, July the 4th,the Caskey twins, their wives, and littleJanet worshiped with us.Carroll andwife were visiting here and in Los Angeles from Florence, Alabama, where theyare now residing.ALLEGHENY: The Rev. Paul D. McCracken preached for us Sabbath, July25, and baptized his grandson, DanielLee, son of Mr. and Mrs. Donald McCracken.GENEVA: Our sympathy is extendedto Mrs. Sarah Clyde and her daughters,Mrs. Thomas Wylie and Mrs. EassonMcKelvey in the death of their son andbrother, Arthur Clyde. Mr. Clyde waswell known in Beaver Falls, especiallyduring his College days at Geneva wherehe excelled in all sports. For the pastAugust 4, 195430 years, he has been head coach at Morgantown,West Virginia, High School.GREELEY: The Sabbath School Picnic was held June 24 at Island GrovePark, and was excellent in spirit, attendance, food, and weather.FRESNO: The Reid McCarter familyis back home again, and we hope theyremain with us.GREELEY: Mr. Ralph Willcox, ourSabbath School Superintendent, has hadseveral special features for us recently,tape recordings from the Semiincludingnary which are excellent, film strips, anda sound film on Temperance.FRESNO : Our congratulations, a littlelate, but are nevertheless due to WillCopeland, who was one of the graduatesfrom the Roosevelt High School on June9.ALLEGHENY: Timothy Terrick, seven year old son of Mr. and Mrs. JohnTerrick, underwent a veryserious heartoperation. He came through the operation very well, but will have to be in anoxygen tent for several days. We hopefor better health for Timothy than he hadbefore the operation.GREELEY: Mrs, Wilma BaileyDoany passed away on Wednesday, July7. While not a member of the congregation, she was loved by many of the folkshere who deeply mourn her death. Thefuneral was Saturday, July 10,in Ft.Morgan; interment was in Evans. "ForI reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be comparedwith the glorywhich shall be revealedJAMES DODDSJames Dodds passed away May 1, 1954at La Junta, Colorado. He was theyoungest son of Archie and MelissaDodds, and was born in WestmorelandCounty, Pennsylvania. He early gave hisheart to the Saviour and united with theCovenanter Churchfellowshipand continued hiseven after the congregationwas disorganized. In 1916 he was unitedin marriage with Hattie Riddering andthat home has been through the years acenter of rich Christian fellowship andhospitality.In recent years limitations in healthchanged the home to a quieter way. Mrs.Dodds followed every avenue of hopewith trips to California and Michigan,but little relief was gained. Yet throughall the days of sufferingnot a word ofcomplaint; all was borne as thoughJames thought it was his part to suffer,and this with a patience born of that inner peace. His last days were spent inthe hospital for expert attention andhere Heaven's messenger whispered,"Come uphigher."James Dodds was of a very quiet disposition but with a keen sense of humorthat all who knew him will recall.That Archie Dodds' home had fourstalwart sons of whom only one now remains Edwin L. of Los Angeles; J.Addison and John G. having followedthe parents to the glory land.While without a church home in LaJunta after the congregation was disJames'organized, loyalty and devotionto the church he loved still continued asmanifested through his gifts and faithfulprayer support.The Farewell service was conducted bythe pastor of the Methodist church and aquartet of friends sang the Twenty-thirdand the Ninety-first Psalms. Jamessleeps close to the loved ones in La Juntacemetery awaiting that glorious resurrection morn; and reverently we say, "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord."ROGER BABSON ADVISES YOUTHRoger Babson, a noted philanthropistand one of America's outstanding financiers, now nearlyage, asked by a youngseventy-nine years ofpreacher whatadvice he could give "to young peoplethat would be of help to them in thesedays of unrest, uncertainty and confusion"said: "Do not try to satisfyhungry hearts with a social gospel. Makesure your people know and experiencethe new birth, then other problems willadjust themselves. Jesus is not particularly interested in many things we fretabout for example, the denominationwe affiliate with. I am a member of theCongregational Church because my parents were. That isthe reason aboutseventy-five per cent of the people givefor their choice of a denomination.""I think," continued Babson, "parentsshould teach children religion. I alsothink they should teach them to dothings around the home instead of having to send them to home economicsclasses and agricultural schools. I amdeeply grateful to my parents and theSabbath school teacher who taught meto memorize Bible verses. Young peoplewho fail to do this are missing an important part of their education. I amalso indebted to the church because itattempted to direct my life in the rightdirection early in life. It also helped meto find good friends. All young peopleshould make some church the center oftheir social life and there also look for alife partner. When I employ a person, Ialways give first consideration to thosewith happy church relationships."Manyconcluded Babson,"strive and sacrifice to accumulate material possessions, but do not take timeto accumulate faith, and they miss themost important possession ofYouth Newsette.79

care."about."A Lamb In The NightReprinted from The Covenanter Witnessof September 21, 1938Having been sent into Southern Alabama to visit the school and mission,I had an experience that impressed itself so deeply that I have never beenable to get away from it.A group of us went to visit TuskegeeInstitute, built and directed for somany years by the late Booker T.Washington. Dr. Robert R. Moton, sincedeceased, was at that time the head ofthe Institute, a man of unusual abilityand of fine personality and character.Returning the following day we werewithin some ten miles of our homedestination when, suddenly, the rearaxle of the car broke; a hind wheelrolled off into the ditch, and we cameto a sudden stopthough without injuryto anyone. We were in rather a wild,woodeddistrict within two or threemiles of a village. I secured a placein a passing car for the two ladies ofthe company and they were soon safehome. The driver and I remained, hoping to have a new axle sent out and sotake the car home that night. But thisproved impossible.As we walked to the little villagemade up of three houses with a generalstore and post office combined, duskwas falling. In the store where we wentto secure food, a group of men weregathered. Seeing a white man enterwith a colored companion at that timeof day and under those circumstances,they at once assumed that I was a representative of some of the mills of thenorthern states inwhat was to themthe nefarious business of coaxing theirNegro workmen from the plantationsto the North. There were dark looksand muttered threats and whisperedconversation, while my friend and I ateour lunch. Afterward I went out to abench by the little station house to waitfor the passenger train.The place was in black darkness except for a few lights shining from windows. Especially were the lights noticeable in a large house a hundred yardsor so up the road. Evidently a communitysocial was in progress there. I hadpaid no attention, but sat on the benchwaiting and meditating. A group ofcolored men on the other side of thebuilding were talking and joking together.Suddenly I heard a slight sound asthough some one were approaching a-round the side of the station house. Ipaid little attention only noticing thatthe sound seemed to grow less as thoughthe person or the animal had gone down80the railroad track. A few minutes laterthere came to myto be the whimperingears what seemedof a little child.I could not be certain and could not understand what would make such asound, but it continued. As I arose andwalked down the track through thedarkness, I hardly expected to discoveranything and yet was not satisfied to donothing. It might have been almost anything but it sounded like a whimperingchild.Suddenly I came upon her, a littlebaby girl apparently under two yearsold, in her bare feet and dressed onlyin her night gown, tears on her sweetcheek and crying quietly to herself. Shewas a white child but lost in the blacknight. She did not know where she wasnor how to find her home or her people.Her bare feet were hurting in the cinders and the pitiful appeal of her cryingwent to my heart.I spoke kindly to her and gatheredher up in my arms, patting her andtalking to her with all the comfort Icould put into word and voice. Shecould not, or would not, tell me whereshe belonged but one of the coloredmen by the station house told me herparents were at the party in the bighouse.With the little girl in my armscomforted and happy now, I knocked atthe door of the big house. A manoneof the men who had been in the groupin the store, the proprietor of the storeopened the door and looked out. Nosooner had he seen us than a strangefire leaped into his eyes and coveredhis face and in a stern voice he demanded, "Where did you get my baby?"I answered as firmly as he had spoken,"I got your baby, sir, in the middle ofthe railroad track, walking out intothe night, lost, and it is just time forthe night express to go through!"At that he looked earnestly into myface. Suddenly he realized what hadhappened and his whole bearing andappearance and attitude toward mechanged. Taking the little one into hisarms he thanked me most courteouslyand earnestly, explaining that they hadleft the baby asleepat home in herbed and that, evidently, she had awakened and wandered out into the nightand into the path of death!We were friends now and everythingpossible was done for my comfort untilthe train should come. For years thatfather and I corresponded, though Ihave never seen him or the little oneto this day. But though I have neverseen that dear little girl sincenowgrown almost to womanhood if she isstill aliveI have cherished as a mostprecious memory, a memory that stirsmy soul and warms my heart, that experience when I found her lost in thenight and in the very path of oncomingdeath, lost and crying for help, andgathered her up into my arms to sootheand comfort her and a little later todeliver her safe into the loving arms ofher father.She was indeed a lamb in the night,"Away from the tender Shepherd's"Out in the desert He heard itscry sick and helpless and ready to die."How thankful I was, and am to thishour, that God allowed me to find herand bring her home.Dear friends, there are so many ofGod's lambs out in the night, just astruly as was that sweet little girl. Theyare lost. They are in the path of death.They cannot find their way home. TheSaviour has sent you and me to bringthem in. Are we seeking Christ's lambsin the night?O.F.T.BACKGROUND INFORMATIONAs I passed from one room to anotherat the art gallery, I heard the womanback of me comment to her escort, "Theonly trouble with some of these picturesis that I understand so little about religion. I don't know what they'reThis chance bit of conversation bothered me as I continued my study of thefamous masterpieces on display as Imarveled at the use of reflected lightin Rembrandt's painting of "St. PeterDenying Christ" as I gazed at ElGreco's "Feast in the House of Simon"and all through the many rooms housing this magnificant exhibition.As I went home that night, bits ofclass notes came to mind, as: "The connection between art and religion is asold as man," * * *"Christianity wasresponsible for saving art during theDark Ages," and so on. My friend of theconversation was going to have difficulty with at least thirty of the paintings in that particular exhibit. And Itruly felt sorry for her.Since then this incident has been reminding me of Philip, who also cameacross somebody who was having difficulty understanding what he was lookingat.The thing that is bothering me now isthat Philip did something about it. Whatcan I do about the woman in the artgallery?The Lutheran.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

up,"out'condition"weeks'ready."pillow."ago,"LESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 29, 1954"THE FIELD IS THE WORLD,TW SED (S THE WORD O^ GOD"VOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11, 1954 NUMBER 6THE STORY OF THEPawnedBookThis is a remarkable account of the strange Providence of God. Rejoice that God moves in mysterious waysHis wonders to perform.Dr. W. P. Mackay left home to attend college atthe age of seventeen. His mother gave him a Bible,writing her name, his name and a verse of Scriptureon the flyleaf. He graduated with very high honorsand became the head of an infidel club where theypracticed everything that was licentious and vile. Hewas open in his ridicule of God and the Bible. Theonly thing that gave him any thrill was when anambulance would unload some patient in a criticalcondition.One day they brought in a man on a cot, thelower part of whose body had been horribly crushed.On this face, however, was a look of calm and peaceso pronounced that it amazed Dr. Mackay who wasaccustomed to seeing people suffer. With a smile thepatient asked what the verdict was.you"Oh, I guess we will pull you through and fixreplied the doctor.guess,"the man"No, doctor, I don't want anysaid. "I want to know if it is life or death. Just layme down easy, anywhere, Doctor. I am ready. I amsaved and am not afraid to die." With a face fairlyshining with radiance, he continued: "I know I amgoing to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. He says,'Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast(John 6:37), and I have come and accepted Him asmy own personal Saviour. But I want the truth. Justwhat is my?Whereupon the doctor replied, "You have at themost three hours to live." The doctor was touched,and thinking there might be relatives to notify,asked : "Is there anything you would like to have usdo for you ?"getThanking him, the injured man said, "In one ofmy pockets is a two pay check. If you canto it, I wish you would send it at once to mybook."landlady, and ask her to send me the"What book" ? inquired the doctor."Oh, just the book," the man answered. "Shewill know."Dr. Mackay arranged for the man's request tobe cared for, and then started on his rounds throughthe hospital. But those words kept ringing throughhis ears : "I am ready, Doctor. Just lay me down easy,anywhere, Doctor. I amDr. Mackay had never been known to inquireabout a patient from any personal interest, but forthe first time in his life he wanted to know how thisone was gettingalong. He returned to the wardwhere the man had been placed, and seeing the nursewhom he had assigned to the case, he inquired as tohis condition.the nurse"He died just a few minutesinformed him."Did the book get here?" asked the doctor."Yes, it arrived shortly before he died," thenurse answered."What was it? His bank book?" inquired thedoctor."No, it wasn't his bank book," replied the nurse."He died with it under his"What was it?" asked Dr. Mackay."It is still there. Go and look at it," said thenurse.Dr. Mackay went to the bedside, reached underthe sheet and drew a Bible from under the pillow. Ashe did so the Bible opened and the pages turned overto the flyleaf. There in his mother's handwritingwas Dr. Mackay's name, his mother's name and averse of Scripture. It was the Bible given him by hismother when he left home to attend college. In adrunken brawl he had pawned it years before inorder to get whiskey.(Continued on page 87)

Theresult."men."Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen. D. D.Graham Asked to Use PsalmsAs a part of the meeting of the Synod of Scotland theReformed Presbyterian Witness reports: "Rev. R. A. Watson moved that a letter of greeting and prayerful interestbe sent to Dr. Billy Graham, expressing the earnest hopethat if, and when, he may feel led to extend his campaignto Scotland, the Land of the Covenants, he will give seriousconsideration to the simple Scriptural mode of worshipviz. the singingof the Psalms without instrumental accompaniment, which was so distinctive an element in thatgreat Spiritual Revival known historically as the ScottishReformation.''Mission Work in LebanonThere are some items from the report of the Rev. Wm.Lytle relative to the mission work in Zahleh, Lebanon,which are of interest to us in America. It will be remembered that the missionaries from Ireland and Scotland wereforced out of their location at Idlib, Syria, and moved toLebanon where they are now laboring. We quote extractsfrom Mr. Lytle's report: "There are 14 boarders (in thegirl's boarding department). An outstanding need of theselands is homes in which Christ is honored. A boardingschool gives the finest possible opportunity of trainingyoung people who are likely in the future to set up suchhomes .... boy's boarding department has an enrollment of 27. They come from all over the Arab worldand there are two boys from Persia ....Everypossibleeffort is made in both schools to bring these young peopleface to face with the claims of Jesus Christ Mr. R.Lytle has been giving some time to work amongst a groupof Assyrians living near Zahleh. He and a very fine Christian Assyrian student in our boarding department visit themfrequentlyon Sabbaths, when a Sabbath School is heldamong the children ....Theyare for the most part verypoor, as they have no citizenship, being regarded as refugees,so their position is very difficult in many ways. But theyare people for whom Christ died."Another MissionaryMr. Lytle continues : "It has been a great joy and encouragement to have Mr. Macquigg join our circle. Wehope and pray that he will be happy in our midst and bea great blessing in the work of spreading the Kingdom ofGod in these parts.Money in TurkeyAs the report continues Mr. Lytle states: "Some progress has been made about getting money which is blockedin the Turkish national bank set free for export and hopeshave been raised about getting our property in Turkeysold within the next financial year. It is well, however, not tobe over-optimistic about this, as hopes have been raisedseveral times in the past without any definiteThey are keeping in contact with the people in Idlib,Syria, where their work was located, and are hoping forpermission to visit Idlib and plan for services and morework there.Christian Scientists Oppose T. B. TestsA high school teacher of Van Nuys, Calif., who was aChristian Scientist, died of tuberculosis several months agoafter exposing 72 of her pupils to the disease. She had not82submitted to a medical examination on religious grounds.The same reason for not being examined was given by 200other teachers and employees. The Superintendent of Schoolsof Los Angeles has issued an order requiring all teachers totake X-ray tests. The Christian Scientists have warnedthat they mayorder.make a religious freedom test against theBritain's Appreciation of GrahamThe Rev. Colin Roberts, former president of the Methodist Conference of Great Britain, said in London:"AllBritish churches are in debt to the American EvangelistBilly Graham for making front-page news in the secularpress of the country. He has shown us that there is a greatspiritual hunger in the hearts ofThe Langer BillIn connection with the recent hearingon the LangerBill S.3294, which is designed to eliminate the advertisingof alcoholic beverages from interstate means of communication, Dr. D. K. McCall, president of the National Temperance League, presented a strongported for favorable action by the U. S. Senate.Catholics Oppose D. V. B. S.plea that the Bill be reCatholic parents in Baltimore have been warned thatthey may be excommunicated from the Roman Catholicchurch if they allow their children to attend daily vacationBible schools.Dancing a School IssueMr. L. A. Myers, editor of the Baptist New Mexican,says that a school system's insistence that its employeescountenance dancing is a violation of religious liberty. Heaffirmed concerning a teacher :"The basis of her resignationwas given to the board as 'objection to dancing.' We feelthat the board should not have accepted the resignation,since the young lady made it clear that her objections werereligiously based." (Continued on page 87)THE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street. Newton, Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka, Kansas"to promote Bible Standards of Doctrine, Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writers ;not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen, D.D.Prof. William H. EussellWalter McCarroll, D.D.Remo I. Robb, D.D.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdgarMrs. J. O. EdgarMrs. Ross LatimerSubscription rates: $2.50 per year; Overseas, $3.00: Single Copies-10 cents.The Rev. R. B. Lyons, B.A., Limavady, N. Ireland, Agent for theBritish Isles.Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Newton, Kansasunder the Act of March 3, 1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.THE COVENANTER WITNESS.

Current EventsByProf. William H. RussellTAX REVISIONOne of the most mportant measures passed at this Congress was the administration's tax revision bill. It is thefirst complete overhaulingof the tax laws in seventy-fiveyears, and includes nearly all the provisions asked by President Eisenhower. The new law will cut government revenues about one and a third billion dollars the first year, andmore in the future. Its most controversial item was a reduction in the taxation of income from stock dividends.However, the corporation income tax is continued at 52 percent for another year, canceling a scheduled dropto 47per cent. Corporations will be given more liberal tax exemptions to cover business losses. Individuals will be able todeduct medical expenses in excess of 3 per cent of their income, instead of the present 5 per cent, and the maximummedical deduction is doubled, to $10,000 per family. Up to$600 will be deductible for the expense of caring for children or other dependents while the taxpayer works. Children may also be counted as dependents if they are under19 or are in college, even though they earn more than $600a year. Retired persons can deduct up to 1200 of their retirement income. There are many other provisions, but theseare the ones affecting the largest amounts of revenue. Mostof the tax cuts are retroactive to January first.CAMPAIGN AMMUNITIONThe new tax bill will certainly receive full discussion inthe fall political campaigns. Republicans will take creditfor the fact that Congress this year has reduced taxes byseven and a half billions, the biggest cut of anyyear in ourhistory. Three billion came from a ten per cent personalincome tax cut, two billion from expiration of the corporation excess profits tax, and one bllion from excise tax reductions. Democrats charge, however, that the revision justpassed was designed mainly for the benefit of wealthypersons and large corporations. Republicans, on the otherhand, claim that it will stimulate the expansion of privatebusiness and thus provide more jobs without the perils ofsocialism. This represents a basic change in governmentpolicy since the days of the New Deal, when the government tried to aid business by putting more spending moneydirectly into the hands of consumers.AID FOR PRIVATE HOUSINGThe housing bill which finallypassed Congress represented only a part of what the President had requested,and was a bitter disappointment to the advocates ofgovernment-subsidized public housing. The Public HousingAdministration will be permitted to build 35,000 newunits but they will be limited to families evicted by slumclearanceprojects. The down payments on FHA-approvedhomes are cut from the present 15 or 20 per cent to aformula requiring 5 per cent on the first $9000 and 25 percent above that. A new $12,000 house will thus require adown payment of only $1200 instead of $2400. On olderhouses, the down payment is reduced from 20 to 10 percent. The repayment period for FHA-insured loans islengthened to 30 years, and the ceiling raised from $16,000to $20,000. There is also a provision to prevent profiteeringby builders, such as has been recentlyexposed in earlierFHA operations. The bill should provide quite a stimulus forAugust 11, 1954the building of medium and high-priced homes, but it offers little help to those who cannot afford to buy anykind of a house.DANGER ZONEAs peace came to war-weary Indochina, tension wasmounting between the U. S. and Red China. Both sidesissued bitter protests and maintained air patrols off thecoast after the shooting down of a British airliner. Similarattacks are likely to continue as longas the Communistsfeel that they can get away with them. Undersecretary ofState Bedell Smith has warned that any new Communistaggression in Southeast Asia is likely to bring on a generalwar. There have been numerous clashes between warships of Red and Nationalist China, and the Peiping government admits that it is seriously harrassed by Nationalistsabotage and espionage. Syngman Rhee, President of theRepublic of Korea, has visited the U. S. and urged us to helpfree Asia, by joining the Chinese Nationalists in an attackon the mainland. Rhee claimed that Nationalist China andSouth Korea could supply all the foot soldiers needed, ifwe would send in the U. S. Navy and Air Force.INDEPENDENCE AHEADAfter the achievement of an armistice in Indochina,Premier Mendes-France turned to the problem of France'stroubled North African protectorates. He went to Tunisiaand promised the Bey of Tunis internal sovereignty. TheFrench would turn over the domestic government to Tunisians, and keep control only of defense and foreign affairs.Tunisia would probably get a parliament, which it hasnever had. There would be special provisions to safeguardthe property rights of some 168,000 French colonials wholive in Tunisia. By these proposals the French premierundoubtedly hoped to stop the violent nationalist agitationwhich has taken many lives in recent months. The Tunisiansreceived the idea with joy, but the French colonials denounced it. In neighboring French Morocco, six people were killedin new riots by nationalists who want at least as muchindependence as the Tunisians. France would probablygive the two countries their freedom at once if it were notfor her large ecconomic and military investments there.DEEP WATERSIn spite of drought in parts of the U. S., this has alsobeen a season of floods. Several serious floods have occurred in this country, but they do not compare in damagewith some overseas. In central Europe, thousands have beenmade homeless in the upper Danube River valley. Thecrisis brought the unusual sight of American and RussianG.I.'s working side by side to bolster flood dikes. In Iran,at least three hundred persons were killed when floodsswept through fifteen villages. In China.the Peiping government sent more than a million troops and civilians into thevalleys of the Yangtze and Huai Rivers, where the heaviestrainfall in a hundred years has flooded thousands of acresof farmland. This will intensify the food shortage which hasalreadybecome a major problem for the Reds. India hasalso had extensive floods, and has resorted to airplanesto supply isolated areas with food.(Continued on page 88)83

cooperation."men"The One Hundred andTwenty-FifthSynod(Continued from July 28th number)Friday MorningRev. C. E. Caskey was our leader in devotionalexercises this morning with Milton Harrington leading in prayer, Paul Robb presiding. Synod left DarbyHall immediately after devotionals to have theirmeeting in the College church and was constitutedin prayer by Prof. George Coleman. There was a discussion of the possible change in the wording of theCovenant but it was finally passed without anychange.The stated Clerk read his report and peopleare always interested in the statistics so we mightas well be frank and say the net loss this year was87 members.The Temperance Committee report was read byDr. A. W. Smith who told of the hearing on theBryson Bill in Washington, D. C, and this was followed by K. S. Edgar speaking on the hearing on theLangdon bill which happened the next week. TheHouse Committee which was considering the BrysonBill was very much more favorable to the Dry causethan was the Senate Committee which had referredthe bill to a sub committee on the economic side ofthe question, the loss in labor, advertising and salesof goods, etc, and they were not at all impressed bythe Temperance people. They both agreed that thebig interests are very much concerned about the return of prohibition. The latter committee consideredthe bill from the angle of"money vs. and"morality vs.The pressure was all fromthe money interests.Mrs. J. B. Willson and Mrs. R. H. George reported on the Woman's Association and the need fora new building. $50,000 has already been given for anew building by one who was once a member, orrather his sister was, in the Allegheny ChurchSabbath School. The present buildings are eitherasked for theout-worn or out-populated and theypermission to appeal to the people inside and outside the church for sufficient money to put up a newbuilding although no estimate was available of theamount that would be needed.Mrs. Greer gave the Jewish Mission report andit was to the affect that there was no opportunity tosell the Jewish Mission buildings for there seemed tobe no buyers for property in that part of town. Thequestion of moving the mission to New York Citywas brought up and Rev. Luther McFarland saidthat New York City was the largest Jewish opportunity in the world. There are 160,000 Jews in Jerusalem; there are 2,500,000 in New York with onemissionary to 160,000 Jews.The Committe on Bible readingthe report wasread by F. F. Reed and it was proposed that wechange the system of Sabbath School Lessons fromthe one used at the present time to the one that isunder the supervision of the N.A.E. This was theforenoon's work.Friday AfternoonThe matters first before the Synod this afternoon were the hearingof the representative of the84American Bible Society, Dr. Doster; and the reportof the Christian Education Committee by Dr. F. L.Lathom. Dr. George Coleman says that our Churchis not considered an Evangelistic Church but ourSabbath School is an evangelistic agency that hasalways brought results when it was properly mannedand made efficient. The $50,000 that had come intothe Aged People's Home Building Fund is the resultof one or two pupils in the Sabbath School years ago.The committee on Secret Orders reportedthrough Dr. J. G. Vos. The report has already appeared in the Witness. Dr. John Coleman talkedabout the advantage of making the annual report onsecret societies a discussion of one particular phaseof it. For instance, the College secret societies or theGrange. Dr. Coleman said he had been invited tomake an address at a Grange meeting and was metby two members in gay regalia and escorted into theroom. After the talk and the program they askedhim if he was a member of the Grange, and whenhe replied "No" they told him he would have toleave and no escort was provided. Rev. Robert Henningsaid there was a great movement of secretorders in high schools and Dr. McCracken recommended a piece that appeared in "Power" Magazinea short time ago which was very strong againstsecret orders. So much for Friday.Friday evening was a general assembly of allHall Gymnasium. After athe groups in the Darbyperiod of talent time the address of the evening wasgiven by Mr. Dawson Trotman. Mr. Trotman is thefollow-up director of the Billy Graham EvangelisticTeam and gave an account of how he had become aChristian through learning Bible verses and hadbeen the promoter of the Navigator course andsystem. He urged everyone to learn verses not onlyfor their own sake but for the sake of bringing othersto Christ. The Navigator Course is being used extensively by our young people.Saturday MorningThe subject this morning for devotions was ourCovenant obligations over which Robert McCrackenwas the presiding officer and Rev. J. Paul Wilsonwas the speaker.In Synod the report of the Witness Committeewas the order of the day and was read by Dr. T. C.McKnight. Dr. A. J. McFarland was the first speakercommenting on the work of the Witness Committee.He spoke of the net loss in printing the ChristianPatriot of $800.00 and urged that everycongregationback this periodical with more subscribers. TheBroadcast on "The Way Out" is now being presentedby 133 stations besides the large station in Chicagowhich is giving the recordings on paid time, butthe other 133 stations are giving it on contributedtime. On tomorrow (Sabbath) 70 stations will begiving this pogram in 25 states.Dr. Remo I. Robb reported on the hearing on thebill to have a Christian Amendment to the Constitution. The hearing had passed off well and Mr. Langdon who had charge of the hearing was ready togive them all the time they wanted to take. NoTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

obedient."citizen"visions"further report on the effect of the hearing has beenheard but the Committee felt that a great gain hadbeen made. Dr. R. J. G. McKnight said that one ofthe principal speakers against the amendment wasa Jewish Rabbi and he regretted that he had notlearned until afterwards that the Israel constitutionacknowledges God and while the Jews were claimingthat this Christian Amendment makes the Jew a"second class that their constitution in Israelwould make all except Jews second class citizens.He thought that this would be a good point to stresswith anyone that claimed it was any infraction onthe Jews' rights.The Foreign Mission Board's report was short.It was read by Rev. Charles Sterrett. It stated thatno effort was being made to send out additionalworkers this year on account of the scarcity ofmoney and the large deficit hanging over the Board ;however, this statement was somewhat modifiedwhen it was said that the Fattal girls of Syria werepromising to support a short term worker for threeyears on their own sacrificial efforts.Saturday evening service was a general assembly and three speakers presented the service ofpreparation for Covenant signing tomorrow. Rev.S. Bruce Willson discussed "Why Covenant Now." Hesaid every Covenant starts with some particular location and the question was where do we go fromhere. The Highlights of Covenanting were presentedby Rev. Roy Blackwood who discussed the Covenantsof Scotland; the "Challenge of Covenanting" waspresented by Rev. Willard McMillan. This was anearnest service and one well suited to the purposeof preparing our hearts for swearing the Covenant.Sabbath DayThe Covenant signing service was presided overby the Moderator of Synod, Dr. F. E. Allen. Afterthe usual preliminaries of call to worship by singingand prayer and Scripture reading, Rev. D. HowardElliott gave an address on The Spirit in WhichWe Should Covenant, Humbleness of Mind andIntegrity of Heart and Sincerity of Soul H-I-S.These three constitute the feeling that we are Hisas we enter into this Covenant this morning. Thiswas followed by a prayer by Dr. John Coleman andthe reading of the Covenant by Rev. David M. Carson, the Synod standing and answering after eachparagraph (all persons had the printed Covenantin their hands) with uplifted hands "We do." Afterthe final paragraph the congregation said "We do.All that the Lord God hath spoken will we do andbeThis was followed by an address byDr. Paul Coleman (taking the place of J. Boyd Tweedwho was to have had this part of the program) andthe Benediction. The members of Synod went forward in a quiet and orderly manner ushered by thevarious ushers to the tables in front of the roomwhere the Covenant was signed as the memberspassed. 657 members signed the Covenant that morning and a number later. The attendance now hasreached 915. A good many of these are children andit was advised that children would not sign whowere not of church communicant age.That afternoon a program was carried out"Around the World with the Covenanter Message,"at which a number of young people spoke. Thesewere some who had been on the field with theirAugust 11, 1954parents or were natives of the countries from whichthey came.At 7:30 a consecration service was presided overby Rev. Kenneth Smith and the consecration message"Where Young Men shall See was deliveredby Dr. M. K. Carson which was followed by a callto consecrate ourselves. About fifty young peoplewent forward.Monday SessionsIn the devotional period of the morning Rev.was the speaker and the subject "InR. A. HenningReliance on God's Grace." We shall hope to havethese morning addresses in the Witness soon. Synodconvened : the first matter of importance before theSynod was the Report of the Committee to examinethe Biblical and Creedal phases of the Church's Task.This report was read by C. T. Carson, Chairman ofthe Committee. Rev. Willard McMillan said that hefelt there was another plan for dealing with the increase in membership rather than the decrease ; although he had thought first of bringing in a minorityreport, his modesty of youth led him to supplementthe other report with a program of work that mightbring many more people into the church if we enteredheartily into this task.The Committee report on Evangelism was readby Dr. P. D. McCracken and due to the scatteredlocations of the various members of the evangelisticcommittee the recommendations were to continuethe program of last year which will be found in theMinutes of Synod.Rev. Kermit S. Edgar read the report of theBoard of Home Missions and the discussion on thisreport centered about the proposed raise in salariesfrom $2400 and parsonage to $2700 and parsonage.Some of those receiving the minimum salaries objected to the increase as not being in good taste forSynod to raise their own salaries, especially as themajority of the Synod is made up of ministers. Atthis point Prof. William Russell brought the reportof the Elders' Conference which recommended thesame raise and the two matters were consideredtogether. The Elders had recommended that theminimum salary be $2700 plus parsonage, and incases where parsonages were not available the minimum is to be $3300. As naturally this subject is ofgeneral interest both to the laymen and ministersit took up a good portion of the time of the afternoonsession.Other Committees reported their work throughthe year and reports were accepted. No meeting ofSynod had been scheduled for Monday night butsince we were behind with the docket, an eveningsession was held.This was a disappointment to many who wantedto hear the program "Christ in the Psalms" whichwas being given in the Darby Assembly Hall andwas a very worth while program for everyone tohear. There was a good chorus of singers and thechoir was led by Mrs. M. W. Martin of Seattle withanother lady reading the Script whose name I didnot learn. Among those who read Scripture in prosewas Rev. James Carson, Miss Marie Munnell, formerly of our Cyprus Mission and others. This wasChoral reading.Now to return to the night meeting of theSynod. The Report of the Board of Geneva College85

soldiers'yours"pays."was read by Dr. R. C. Fullerton and the report of theBoard of Trustees of Geneva College by J. MerrillRobb. President C. M. Lee was heard on behalf of theCollege and reported on the College activities. Thisreport will be available with the Minutes of Synod.The National Reform Report was ready by Dr.J. Ren Patterson and accepted.The report of the Signs of the Times were readby Robert McMillan and accepted.The report of the Foreign Mission Board wastaken from the table and this recommendation waspassed by the Synod: "That an appeal be made fora new worker but the worker be not sent (this is ahand."new worker for Japan) until the funds are atRev. Sam Boyle proposed the motion that one moreordained minister be appointed by the Board to goto Japan in September 1955 provided that the ChurchBudget were oversubscribed by $5,000 or more byApril 1, 1955. This ought to be an inducement forpeople to contribute liberally to the Budget that thenation of Japan perish not. However, no special appeal will be made for this work and that presupposesthat funds will not be counted over and above thebudget until the Budget is raised.The other matter to come before the sessionwas a resolution that the Home Mission Secretaryshould be elected a year in advance before his termexpires.Tuesday ForenoonAt the devotional service on Tuesdav morning,Curse,"Rev. J. A. Hill spoke on "A Blessing and aDeuteronomy 11:28.The Committee on the Oath (to U. S. Constitution) reported that the "Explanatory Declaration"was to be used in simple matters, such as the schoolteachers'and the oath but should not beused in the political sphere, that is, in running foroffice. The Explanatory Declaration is not to supplant our political dissent, lest we forget the purposeof political dissent.When the Coordinating Committee reported onlast Thursday a Budget of $110,000.00, it was explained that this was 10% below asking of the various Boards, and that all askings had been trimmedaccordingly. But since the Covenanter Witness isnecessary to promote the work of the church andcannot operate on less than its asked amount ofmoney, the Publication Board asked for postponement of action until their report should be read.They asked for the restoration of the $8,000 insteadof $7,200 proposed by the Coordinating Committee.The question whether $800.00 might not be takenfrom the Service Print Shop reserve fund, havingbeen raised and opposed as confiscatory, the matterwas referred to the 'Finance Committee for recommendation. That committee this morning recommended that $7,800 of Budget funds be granted as apreferred claim as of last year and the deficit bepaid out of the Service Print Shop Funds. D. R.Taggart thanked the Committee for their efforts tohelp, but said that the costs of printing had gone up,the income from subscribers was going down due toless membership, that the Service Print Shop incomehad helped last year to the amount of $1,000.00 andhoped to do at least that much during the currentyear, and that in some past years it has paid onehalf of the Editor's salary, and had always paid a86generous part, that these Shop funds were profitablyinvested in a rising stock market and to sell themwould cripple the future funds of the Witness, thatto add the full $800 to the Budget would add .734of 1 % ,and that it would not pay in dollars and cents,to suspend publication for a few issues to meet thedifficulty and besides "crime never None ofthis reserve fund had ever belonged to The Covenanter Witness, but is the result of the sacrificialefforts of the Editor, and the Church ought to payThe Witness cost in full. The Synod voted the additional amount asked, to be added to the Budget.A second recommendation of the Finance Committee concerned the salaries of Dr. Remo I. Robb,Home Mission and Young People's Secretary, Dr. A.J. McFarland, Field Secretary who has done suchmagnificent work in getting the Christian Amendment programs on the air, and the Editor of theWitness. Inasmuch as the minimum salaries havebeen raised $300 on account of the increased cost ofliving, the aforesaid salaries were increased by $60.00per annum to meet the minimum. At a later sessionof the Synod the Editor was granted the privilege ofthe floor to thank the Synod sincerely for the necessary funds to carry on the publication work,and todecline the raise in salary that would burden theBudget additionally. Like Abraham declining hisshare of the spoils of battle, he (Taggart) would notwant anyone to feel they were making him rich, evenby a shoe lachet. Synod graciously acceded to thisdeclinature.Tuesday AfternoonA considerable part of the afternoon was takenup with the report concerning the standing of theR.S.V. Bible. The report was read by Dr. D. H.Elliott and while commending many features of saidBible it also criticized the writers as being modernists in their view, the publishers as those who hadrealized well on the printing of this Bible and that$500,000.00 as reported by Look Magazine had beenspent in the initial promotion of the Book. 4000Rallies were reported to have been held over thecountry to sell the Book to the public before theyhad an opportunity to examine it. The translationwas also criticized on account of its betrayal of themodernist slant. The use of quotation marks has itsadvantages. The mention was made of the distinctionbetween "thee and thou" of the King James Versionsubstituting "you andfor persons addressingJesus Christ. But it was brought out in the discussionthat this was not done with the intention of discounting Christ's divinity so much as it was tocomply with the attitude of the person speaking toChrist, whether he considered Jesus as divine. Someof the Psalms have been brought down to the levelof making them appear as applying only to the timesof the writer. So it was observed that the R.S.V. isnot a faithful rendering of the original; it treatsthe Old Testament with the freedom which is notcompatible with high regard for its trustworthinessand wide authority which is so marked a featureof the 1611 version. The recommendation was that(1) in view of the many imperfections of the Revised Standard Version the King James Version remains the approved version of the Reformed Presbyterian Church for use in our homes and churches.(2) That the Revised Standard Version be recognizedon a similar basis as other private translations forTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

pastorates."voices"purposes of reference and comparison.Rev. J. A. Hill gave notice that he dissentsfrom this review as being one-sided, and on Wednesday brought in the reasons for his dissent. A numberof others joined in the dissent feeling that theR.S.V. should be permitted to be read byall andeven to be used in the pulpit where the text is moreaccurate and preferable.Tuesday NightThe first part of this meeting was given to thehearing of the foreign missionaries who had notappeared before the Synod or in other proalreadygrams. In this connection it ought to be said thaton Monday and Tuesday forenoon Synod adjournedat 11:30 to hear the missionaries that were on thegeneral assembly program in Darby Hall. Mrs. A. J.McFarland as President of the Women's Synodicalwas also heard as their representative.Wednesday Forenoon.The devotional period this morning was an address by Rev. Kermit S. Edgar on the "Race BeforeUs,"Hebrews 12:1. It was a fitting climax to allthe previous addresses on the devotional program.At Synod two special matters came up this morning,one was the report of the Committee on Methodsof electing Seminary professors. This report willappear in the Minutes ; since it is little too technicalfor being discussed here, we pass over it.The other matter that took up the rest of theforenoon was a revised plan for "continuing pastorates"which many prefer to call the plan for"limitedThe report was read by Rev.Kenneth Smith and Dr. T. C. McKnight opposed anysuch plan and considered it beneath the dignity of thewhich was not just a compastoral relationshipmercial contract but was in reality more like a marriage ceremony and should be counted sacred. Hissecond argument was that the history of this plan asit has been used for the past eight years has resulted in hardship and confusion.Mr. McKnight's stand was supported bv Dr.J. B. Willson, Dr. C. T. Carson and Dr. D. H. Elliottwho said it gives opportunity to agitate against thepastor and creates unnecessary division in congregations, so that the man who does not receive aconsiderable vote to remain longer in the presentpastorate is put on a quasi blacklist in securinganother place.Dr. A. J. McFarland also opposed the whole planas did Elder Kenneth Hurd. He said he favored forgetting the whole matter, though he had favored itwhen it first began.Rev. W. C. McClurkin says the pastoral relationis one between the pastor and his God and oughtto be decided on God's will.Elder Ross Latimer says while he is the son of aminister and understood manyof the minister'sproblems from experience; but not only should thedignity of the pastor be considered but the dignityof the congregation, and that if it became to theirinterest to cease the relationship, they should havea say.Elder Howard George, though not a member ofthe court was allowed time to present his views inwhich he said he had originated this plan or at leastpromoted it in its first stages, and that if they con-August 11, 1954sidered this as a marriage relationship, we shouldremember that the marriage relationship is a twosidedaffair and that either husband or wife may beallowed to initiate its termination.Rev. W. J. McBurney said that the pastor had anunfair advantage before the law and with an unlimited contract could continue to collect his salaryindefinitely.The plan was amended so that the first termof the pastor would be seven years from the timeof installation and subsequent terms five years.Synod took recess until 1 :30.Wednesday AfternoonThe various items left on the docket were disposed of. Four ministers who had been ordainedfor fifty years were invited forward in a recognitionservice: Dr. H. G. Patterson, Dr. D. H. Elliott, Rev.W. J. McBurney and Dr. J. A. Kempf. Elder JohnWright was recognized as an elder who had servedfor forty Years.The resolutions of thanks were read. Also theMinutes of the final sessions. Dr. H. G. Pattersonadjourned the court with prayer. The 133rd Psalmwas sung, and the Moderator Dr. F. E. Allen pronounced the Benediction.Next year's meeting is to be at Geneva College,June 8.Thus closed a very memorable Synod, and wetrust all departed with charity for all and malicetoward none.GLIMPSES .... Cont'd from page 82Navajo MissionsIt is said that the new Navajo Missions, Inc., of Farmington,N. M., is making rapid progress among the Navajosin the fields of health, missionary work and care of orphans.New buildings have been erected by funds and labor frommen in eight states. Orphaned Indian children are oftenforced to serve as shepherds. Their condition is little betterthan slavery and they have no access to education or otheropportunities. The death rate is high and the need great.A Tape Recording MinistryMr. Charles Hoefle of Oklahoma City has turned ahobby into what he calls a "ministry." For twenty-fiveyears Mr. Hoefle was in the insurance business, but becameinterested in tape-recording what he called some of the"great spiritual of the day. He became so deeplyinterested in this project that he retired from his businessto devote full time to it. He makes tape recordings of messages when they are given, complete with audience participation. He transfers these to discs, wire or tape and offersthem for rent or sale. He gives his full time to SpiritualRecordings Unlimited, and turns over income above operatingcosts to religious projects.We believe that our church could make more use of recordings by our ministers in aiding congregations or missionstations which are without ministerial supplies.PAWNED BOOK . . . Continued from front pageDr. Mackay slipped the book under his coat andrushed upstairs to his private office. He asked Godto have mercy upon him, and in repentence acceptedChrist as his Saviour. He came into the realizationthat "God commended His love toward us, in that,(Please see next page, column 2)87

The Green Oasisby One Who Was ThereFrom the curling whirlpools of dust, the stateof Iowa emerges as the heart of the corn belt. Iowain mid-July is a hot mass of immovable air seeminglycollected from a steaming witch's cauldron and castout upon the populace which must endure the curse.Millions of automobiles seem to be desperately racingto escape from the torrid heat into the climatic freedom of bordering states and in so doing are suggestive of man's futile attempt to escape the elements.Iowa is indeed a state such as any other including the necessary elements of boundaries and government. But Iowa is much more than this. It is thesearching look of anxiety on the roughened face ofthe farmer as he peers into the north hoping, prayingthat the small black cloud is no illusion and carriesin its wake the promise of revitalizing rain. It is theproud look of the farmer who watches the ever waving leaves of corn ripen into a hundredfold yield. Itis the desperate hope of the farm boy who dreamsof escaping the drudgery which has enslaved himand has left an indelible mark which can never beforgotten. To its inhabitants, Iowa is a huge prisonsurrounded by walls of the tallest corn in the counand yet it offers freedom and comfort to thosetryconfined. To the tourist, Iowa is a desert of incorrigible atmosphere which appears unaware of itsduty to harbor mortals. Thus, the state representsthe life blood of its native sons and the sting of thescorpion to its intruders.while we were yet us"sinners, Christ died for (Rom.5 :8) ; and that "by grace are ye saved through faith ;and that not of ourselves : it is the gift of God : notof works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8, 9).God had His eye on that Bible, and planned itso that it would get back to the person to whom itwas first given, to be used for his salvation."The Word of God is quick, and powerful, andsharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even tothe dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of thejoints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughtsand intents of the heart" (Heb. 4:12). Tract Clubof America.CURRENT EVENTS .... Cont'd from page 83SUEZ AGREEMENTAfter three years of negotiation, Great Britain and Egypthave drawn up an agreement which will restore the SuezCanal Zone to Egyptian control and remove British troops.Within twenty months, the 80,000 British troops in thezone will be replaced by civilian workers, and after sevenyears Egypt will take over entirely. Britain can send introops again, however, if any of the eight Arab states orTurkey is attacked. The Egyptians are jubilant over theagreement, which will free their country of British troopsfor the first time since 1882. They now expect large-scaleeconomic and military aid from Britain and the U. S.Despite grumbling from some old-line Cnservatives, PrimeMinister Churchill won a 10-1 vote of confidence on theissue in Britain's House of Commons.SIDE-6TEPPING THE QUESTIONTo Covenanters all over the world, however, theforboding state of Iowa represents the mountainsprings serving to satisfy the thirst for new fellowship with God and with one another. Every fouryears hundreds of pilgrim Covenanters return to replenish their canteens with the waters of life. Theirthirsting after righteousness has once again ledthem to the oasis of Grinnell.The town of Grinnell celebrated its centennialthis year. Its 100 years of progress has includedthree Covenanter conventions. As Grinnell celebratesits birthday, the members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church gives birth to a new Covenant withGod. On July 18', 1954, over 600 people renewed theirCovenant with God.The conference was one of illumination, education, and dedication. The speakers selected fromevery phase of the Covenanter Church enlightenedthe people concerning the Covenant, educated themas to the history of previous Covenants, and urgedthe signers to rededicate their lives to Christ's cause.Considering the accomplishment of these threephases, the conference was a tremendous success.The green hills of Pennsylvania are beckoningand the traveler is obliged to return; the wheatfields of Kansas are ripening for the harvest anddemand attention ; the coastline of California recallsits wayfarers and Iowa is once more returned to itslandlord. But the people are returning with theircanteens full and are willing to share the contents.88THE COVENANTER WITNESS

sweet"end."TheCovenanter JuniorMrs. Philip MartinTHE BOBCAT WEST CLUBGood afternoon, Juniors,Our contests at Grinnell are over andeveryone did fine. You have had theproof-texts for these last three questions, but let's just continue our studyeven if we aren't working for a contest.We have been studying about threeblessings or benefits which come in thislife to those who are effectually called.Wilbur, what are these? That's fine.JUSTIFICATION, ADOPTION, andSANCTIFICATION. Who gives usthese blessings, Sarah Lee? Yes, theHoly Spirit. Now two of these blessingsare acts (they happen once)and oneis a work (it continues the rest of ourearthly life). Which one is the workof God's Spirit, Carol? Yes, SANCTIFICATION. Now there are some blessingswhich come from Justification, Adoption, and Sanctification.Suppose we let Mrs. Effectual Callingbe the grandmother. She has three children, Justification, Adoption, and Sanctification. And these three children,too, have children which are Mrs. Effectual Calling's grandchildren. It's thesechildren of Justification, Adoption andSanctification that weabout today.want to talk(1) First of all, let us look up I John3:1 and I John 4:9, 10 and read themtogether. The fact that God justifies usin His sight and adopts us into Hisfamily shows His (what) for us, Virginia? Yes, it shows His love for us.God also sanctifies us. He does this inmany ways.Sometimes when Motherand Daddy want us to be good, theyjust need to speak to us. But sometimesspeaking doesn't help and they have tospank us or "chasten" us. God also hasto " chasten"His children. Ronnie, whydoes God chasten His children, in Hebrews 12:6? Yes, "Whom the Lordloveth."And so we can be sure thatGod loves us. We have an ASSURANCEOF GOD'S LOVE. That's the firstgrandchild.(2) Now let's find another grandchild in Romans 5:1. Also let us lookup I Thessalonians 5:23; Ephesians 2:14, 15. When we are justified in God'ssight what blessing does God give usin Romans 5:1, Mary?Yes, "PEACEwith God." This means that we are nomore condemned to hell. But the olderwe grow we find that many times wedo not have peace in our hearts. We areconstantly having to fight againstSatan and peace seems to be far away.But when we daily ask God to washaway our sins we know that God isfaithful and just to forgive us our sinsand we know in our hearts that we areat peace with God. We have PEACEOF CONSCIENCE.(3) The address of the third grandchild we want to meet this afternoonis Romans 14:17. This child was toldabout back in Isaiah's time in Isaiah65:14. What blessing is promised to theservants or children of God, John? Yes,"JOY of heart", "JOY in the HolyGhost."Now this doesn't mean gettingout on the sidewalk and jumping upand down, clapping our hands. Toooften some sadness comes along and wecan no longer jump and clap our hands.Sometimes the tears flow freely. But thejoy we are meeting today is way downdeep in our hearts. It is a blessing putthere and kept by God's Spirit, so thatno matter how strong the wind is andno matter how high the waves mayrise, yet we can rejoice in God. Stephenhad joy in his heart even though cruelmen were stoning him, because he sawJesus standing and waiting to receivehim. What a blessing it is to have JOYIN THE HOLY GHOST!(4) And now we come to a grandchild that just won't stop growing. Ifyou add 2 plus 2 plus 2 plus 2 you get8. At least that was the way whenI went to school. But if you multiply2 times 2 times 2 times 2 you wouldget 16. And this child grows not byaddition but by multiplication. In James4:6 we find the blessing which Godgives to those whom He has justifiedand adopted and whom He is sanctifying. What is it, Bruce? Yes, it isGRACE. And if we turn to I Peter 1:2and II Peter 1:2 we find that grace andpeace are multiplied. Grace is a blessingof God which we don't deserve. Whenwe sinduring our time of sanctificationthere is no reason for God to forgiveus except His Grace. And besides this,He gives us the grace to forgive otherswhen they have wronged us. He givesus the grace to not "answer back" ourteachers or our parents. He gives us thegrace to "keepmates make fun of uswhen our schoolfor going tochurch, or not saying bad words, or fornotdancing, smoking, playing cards andso on. God gives us an INCREASE OFGRACE.(5) These are wonderful grandchildren, but I want to introduce you toone more. And this is a child whichstays with us through thick and thin.and never leaves us till we die. Themeaning of her name is found in Philippians 1:6 and John 10:28, 29. Thedevil never likes to see any of his children adopted into God's family, and heis constantly trying to find ways ofkidnapping God's children. Oh, sometimes he draws us to the very edge ofGod's kingdom. But, oh, how we needto thank God for John 10:28, 29. "Theyshall never perish,neither shall anypluck them out of my hand." Of course,Jesus is speaking only of His childrenhere. He does not do this for everyone.Do make sure, children, that you arein God's family by answering His call,repenting of your sins and receivingJesus Christ into your hearts. In theseverses Jesus said, "shall NEVER perish."How is this idea expressed inPhilippians 1:6, Myrene? Yes, "until theday of Jesus Christ.'' Until Jesus comesto take your soul to be with Him. Thischild's name is PERSEVERANCETHEREIN TO THE END." Haven't wea lot of blessings that don't stop whenwe die, either? But we will talk moreof that the next time.And now for our proof-text, we willchoose Romans 8:28.This has been a long study but we'llask "W.S.C." to sum it all up for us."W.S.C.,""What are the benefits whichin this life do accompany or flow fromjustification, adoption, and sanctification?""The benefits which in this lifedo accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification, are,assurance of God's love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increaseof grace, and perseverance therein totheNATIONAL JUNIOR PROJECTSAs we begin another two years together, let us remember that we arelittle missionaries for the Lord JesusChrist. Let us remember our JuniorPledge to pray and read the Bible everyday. If I were writing the Junior Pledgeover again, I would be inclined to adda little to it and suggest that we memorize either a verse of Scripture a day ora passage a week. Would you like toknow what we are doing? We arememorizing the book of I John. OnSabbath afternoon we gathertogether,choose just how many verses we aregoing to memorize in the week, and then(Continued on page 93)August 11, 195489

strength."Lesson Helps for the Week of August 29, 1954C.Y.P.U. TOPICfor August 29, 1954"THE VICTORIOUS DEVOTIONALLIFE"Elizabeth Henderson, NewburghPsalms :25:1-3 page 583:2-5 page 5108:1-5 page 270Congregation63:1, 2, 5, 6, page 15346:1, 5 page 119References: Isaiah 30:15; 40:31; Ps. 46:10; 139:17, 18; I Jo. 5:4, 5; Matt. 14:23; 26:36-39.We are all creatures of habit whetherit be good habits or bad. One goodhabit from which we can all derive unlimited benefit is daily devotional Biblereading. In my own personal experienceI have found that a few minutes ofprayer and of reading the Bible beforeleaving my room in the morning startsthe day right. Many times the morningreading has proved helpful not only insolving my own problems but in speaking a word for Christ to someone whospecially needed it.A few weeks ago our Prayer Meetingtopic stressed the need of asking fordaily strength from God and this morning devotion gives us just that. We allknow how inadequate our own strengthis in the stress and strain of our lifetoday.One of our references, Is. 30:15, tellsus that "In quietness and confidence shallbe our strength."This quietness can befound in many ways. The story is toldof a gardener who while making hisrounds found a stranger resting by thepool. It proved to be a doctor who hadjust performed a difficult operation andwould soon perform another. He wasvery weary and tense but in the quietness of the garden his tension hadbeen relieved and he stated that "inquietness and confidence"turn to duty.he would reOur Saviour crowded a great dealof work, travel, teaching and healinginto three short years and how manytimes we find Him seeking to renew Hisspirit by retiring to a lonely mountainside or a solitaryfor prayer and meditation.spot on the seashoreSpiritualstrength comes to us in quiet moments.In our complex society much relianceis placed on things of the world. Inmany situations man struggles to calmhis nerves and develop his spiritual capacities.J. C. Penney tells of meeting with asmall group of business men every Friday morning to spend thirty90minutes insilent prayer and meditation. Each evening he read, prayed and sought to increase his devotion to Christ. Fromthese practices he has gained new lifefrom within. We can all profit by hisexperience. If we rise in the morningwith Christ uppermost in our minds andretire in that same attitude at nightsurely we will experience victorious devotional life.God first spoke to Moses in his lonelysolitary life as a shepherd. Jacob hadhis first personal experience with Godin the stillness of the night at Bethel.God spoke to Elijah in the still smallvoice. Paul learned his lessons of Christian faith in the desert of Arabia afterhis conversion. Jesus continued all nightin prayer in a mountain before makingHis important decision. We must waitdefinitely and quietly for the voice ofGod.Another of our references tells us that"they that wait upon the Lord shall renew theirGod gives us powerto carry heavy burdens and difficulties.Those who try to carry them in theirown strength fail. We sometimes marvel at the great load of responsibilitythat some can carry but then we discover that they wait upon the Lord.New strength comes from taking a fewminutes to turn one's thoughts to God."To them that have no might He increaseth strength."Isaiah 40:31 applies to us today, to thechurch as well as to the individual. Weneed to gather in the upper room andwait for power from the Lord. It takesmore strength to "walk along the dustyweary"highway and not grow than toeagles.""mount up with wings as Thereal Christian is able to "walk and notfaint"church.in the everyday work oftheOur resources cannot be measured.We have an overflowing storehousewith wide open windows and a fountainwhose streams gush from an unfailingdeep. We can undertake in confidenceall things for Him if we live only todo His will."Be still and know that I am God."This is the third of our references. Perhaps some of us have found ourselvesin a strange place and become panickyas to how we would get our bearingsor find ourselves. This may happen inany life. We feel weak and alone in theworld filled with terrible things. Thenwe need to pause and sense the presenceof our Father and know that He isnear to shield and protect us fromevery danger.We think of the folks at a trafficsignal who are so impatient that theystart the horn blowing the second thelight flashes "Go" and before the person in front has a chance to get going.Often we are in such a hurry that allwe do is make a lot of useless noise.We neither move forward ourselves norhelponlyanyone else to do so. Such noiseadds to the confusion of ourselvesand the irritataion of others. Momentsof calm reflection and worship in thepresence of God each morning givethe poise, power and peace needed forthe day ahead. If we remember thatGod is never in a hurry, it helps us toovercome the tendency to be impatient.Traffic sgnals read"Go.""Stop," "Caution,"Christ's rule of the road is, Stopfor prayer, seek guidance, and go withfaith. What better rule could we find fora "victorious devotional life!"Suggestions:Give your own experiences in benefitsderived from the "Quiet Hour."What examples can you give of otherBible characters who were made stronger by moments of prayer and meditation?Can you persuade other Young Peoplethat it is beneficial?JUNIOR TOPICAugust 29, 1954ABRAHAM RESCUES LOTMrs. M. K. CarsonScripture: Genesis 14MemoryPsalms:Verse: Genesis 14:20a105: 1,2,3,6,7 page 257, our Psalm-ofthe-Month.Sing it from memory if possible.91:1-4, page 224107:10, 11, page 265References: Find the answer to thesequestions.1. How many kings are mentioned inGenesis 14:1?2. How many kings are mentioned inGenesis 14:2?3. How many of the cities mentionedin Genesis 14:2 did God destroy in Hisanger? Deuteronomy 29:23.4. In which of these cities was Lotliving? Genesis 14:12.5. What king is mentioned five timesin Genesis 14?6. How many trained servants didAbraham have? Genesis 14:14.7. How many of Abraham's neighborshelped him? Genesis 14:24.Another story of Abraham today andTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

even"even"good"this time about "General" Abraham and confusion and shouts of a battle. Solhowhe "gotwith Lot. Lot, youremember, had been very selfish inchoosing what he thought was the bestplace for himself, the beautiful, fertile valley, and leaving to Uncle Abraham the rocky hillsides. Now Lot andthe city he lived in were in greattrouble. Four great kings from the northcountry had come with their armiesinto this lovely valley and had madewar against Sodom and the other nearbycities and had overcome them. Foryears (verse 4) these foreignkings ruled over them and no doubtmade them pay very heavy taxes, robbedthem of food and other possessions. Atlast they refused to pay any moretribute to(verse 4). News didnot travel so fast in those days whenrunners had to carry all messages, butin due time (verse 5) heardthat no taxes were being paid, so hesummoned the kings who helped himbefore and started south to punish thecities that would not obey him. Perhaps some of the older Juniors can tellwhat war in the early history of ourcountry was fought about paying taxesto another country. See if you can findin verses 5-7 how many different tribesthese kings conquered on their way toSodom. No one, it seemed, could standagainst them and they "smote" all thetribes of people along their way.Soon word came to Sodom thatChedorlaomer was on his way with anarmy and they were greatly excited andfrightened. Quickly soldiers and weaponswere gathered from all the cities anda great battle was fought. But alas forSodom and for Lot! The northern armywas victorious, the kings of Sodom andGomorrah fell in the (verse 10)and the others who escaped fled{verse 10). The enemy soldiers wentthrough the cities,taking everythingthey wished and carrying away manyof the people as slaves. Among thesewas Lot who was taken captive and allhis goods stolen. Poor Lot! How littlegood to him now was all the wealthhe had gotten! What a poor choice hehad made ofter all! Here he was, allhis posessions stolen, his wealth goneand he himself a captiveperhaps tiedby a rope to those behind and in frontof him being taken as a slave to aforeign land. Day after dusty day thecaptives marched north, often hungryand thirsty and foot sore.One night they camped near Dan.(Find it on your map. Using the scaleof miles, see about how far they hadtraveled from their home near the DeadSea. How far could they probably travelin one day? About how long had theylikely been on the way?) Suddenly inthe darkness there was great noise anddiers were running here and there, hitting each other in the dark, forgettingto guard their captives. After awhile,they seemed all to be gone and thesounds of battle little by little diedaway in the distance. As soon as it waslight, Lot and his friends saw that allthe soldiers had gone, leaving behindthem all their food, weapons, and allthe goods they had stolen. The captives were free! What had happened?Perhaps no one knew for some time,for whoever had rescued them had goneon chasing and killing the enemy. Butone day there came back along the roada company of friendly soldiers, gathering as theycame all the goods theenemy had thrown down in their hurry.Lot looked and looked and could hardlybelieve his eyes. Read in Verse 14 whohad rescued them, and in verse 15, howa small number of trained soldiers hadchased a whole army. What other leader of God's people used the same planhundreds of years later? (Judges 7)So it was "Uncle" Abraham who hadsaved him from slavery and from death.How ashamed Lot must have been, andyet how glad and thankful to the Lord,that Abraham was willing to return goodfor evil, and risk his own life to saveLot from the enemy! Probably Abrahamwould not have traveled to fight theenemy if Lot had not been among thecaptives (verse 14) and Lot began tounderstand what a great and lovingand forgiving man his uncle really was.But Abraham showed still more whata great man he was. It was the customin those days that the leader who wonany battle could have for himself allthe "spoil" ( goods, cattle, silver andgold)that was taken. So when theycame back near Sodom, the ruler ofthe city told Abraham he could haveall the "spoil" if only he would let thepeople go home to their city. But readin verses 22-24 what Abraham replied.Not even a shoe-string would he take!For Abraham wanted these people whodid not know the true God to knowthat it was from the Lord,and notfrom any man, that his riches came.How wise and unselfish and true toGod this man Abraham was! And therethis story ends. Perhaps this story wasput in the Bible so that we would learn,like Abraham, to be unselfish, forgivingand always depending on the Lord.Questions to talk about.1. How did Abraham "getLot? Romans 12:20, 21with2. Did Lot stay with Abraham or goback to live in Sodom? Genesis 19:13. Was Abraham foolish not to takethe "spoil"?4. What did God tell Abraham soonafter this? Genesis 15:15. Who rescues us when we are takencaptive by Satan? Luke 19:10To the Leader. For the flash card thisweek, write across the top the nameAbraham, diagonally across the card,the word "unselfish" and at the bottomthe reference of the memory verse. Asthe cards increase in number, therewill be more interest in using them forreviewing the stories. Use differentmethods each week, devising new onesand repeating old favorites. In everypossible way, impress the stories andmemorychildren.SABBATHverses on the minds of theSCHOOL LESSONAugust 29, 1954by Rev. Joseph A. Hill(Lessons based on International Sunday SchoolLessons; the International Bible Lessons forChristian Teaching:, copyrighted by the International Council of Religious Education.)GROWTH THROUGH CHRISTIANSERVICELesson Material: Acts 10:38; Galatians6:1-2; James 1:22, 26-27; James 2:14-17;I John 3:16-18.Printed Text: Includes all of the abovepassages except Acts 10:38.Memory Verse: Galatians 6:2 "Bearye one another's burdens, and so fulfillthe law of Christ."I. A Summary of Christ's Earthly Ministry (Acts 10:38). This verse is partof Peter's discourse to the householdof Cornelius,which accompanied the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon thispious Gentile. Peter's statement in Acts10:38 set before Cornelius, in brief compass, the good deeds of the Saviour forthe poor and afflicted of His people.This must have made a strong impression on Cornelius. In his own Italy, thepoor were regarded not only as beingof no account, but as a liability to national life.They were of no serviceto the state, either in the armyor inpublic works; and as there appearedno obpect in keeping them alive, no effort was made to do so. But this classof men were the special objects ofthe Saviour's care. He had compassionon them, and "went about doingto help them. This must have impressedCornelius, for he too had helped them.We are told that he had given alms(Acts 10:4, 31), and that God waspleased with Cornelius' good works.II. A Way By Which a Christian MayHelp Other Christians (Galatians 6:1-2).The Apostle Paul sets forths in theseverses the principle that members ofAugust 11, 1954 91

ual"man"men"nets"men"only.". . forthe Church are morally responsible forthe faith and conduct of all the othermembers. Being members of the Bodyof Christ, they are morally identifiedwith one another"being united to oneanother in love, they have communionin each other's gifts and graces, andare obliged to the performance of suchduties, public and private, as do conduceto their mutual good, both in the inwardand outwardXXVI, 1).(Confession of Faith,In these verses Paul is dealing withthe duty of helping believers who havefallen into sin, through weakness andsurprise, rather than deliberate intention "If a man be overtaken in afault."If he be caught off guard, if atrespass overtake him unawares and attack him from behind, what should bedone to help him recover from theattack ? The apostle is speaking particularly of those who, being set free fromthe law by Christ, and having beguna life of dependence on the Holy Spirit,turned back to legalism and self-dependence.Paul says that those "who are spirit(those who have not abandonedtheir dependence upon the Holy Spirit)are to set right those who have beenseized unawares by sin because theyhave deprived themselves of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The basicthing they needed to be set right aboutwas not the particular sin nto whichthey had fallen, but that they hadwandered off the pathway of grace andwere stumbling in the underbrush ofself-dependence and legalism. Those whoare trusting in Christ for salvation areto "restore" those who are trusting inthe law for salvation. The word translated "restore" means to repair, to restore to a former good condition. It isthe word used of mending nets, and itreminds us that when Jesus called Jamesand John to be disciples,"in the ship mending their1:19). They"fishers ofthey were(Markwould thenceforth becomeand would be engagedin the task of"mending and restoring them to usefulness when theybecome broken by sin. Thus every believer isresponsible for the spiritualwelfare of his fellow believers, especially when they have sinned. The apostletells us that the Spirit-governed believers are to restore their brethren whohave put themselves under legalism, toset them back on the right course ofdependence on the Spirit rather thanon self, to restore them from the lowlevel of salvation by law to the highlevel of salvation by grace. How we needto help fellow Christians in this mattertoday when so many are trusting inChristian character, Christian service,etc., for salvation!92III. The Proof of True Religion (James1:22, 26, 27; 2:14-17; I John 3:16-18).James gives three tests by which aperson may determine the real natureof his religious devotion, whether it betrue religion, or mere external form.How a person acts when he is not praying, not worshiping, will show whetherhe is a doer of the word, and not merelya hearer of the word. (1) If a personthinks he is relgious because he goes tochurch regularly and prays often, lethim apply this test: Has he learnedto bridle the tongue? Manywho comeaway from church feeling smugly satisfied and pleased after hearing a sermondenouncing the sins of drunkennessand intemperence would be highly insulted and offended by a sermonon the sins of gossip and slander. (2)If a person thinks that his religion ispure and undefiled, let him ask whathe has done to helpwidows and orphans and those afflicted or unfortunate. (3) If a person is proud of hispiety or his command of the Scriptures,let him consider the stains of worldliness which are probablyon his heart.James says in 2:24, "Ye see then howthat by works a man is justified, andnot by faithPaul seems to contradict James when he says in Galatians2:16 that "a man is not justified bythe works of the law, but by the faithof Jesus Christ .by the worksof the law shall no flesh be justifed."This, however, is not a real contradiction, but only an apparent one. Galatians and James do not discuss thesame question. Paul discusses theground of salvation, while James discusses the evidence of salvation. Paulsays that good works are not the basisor ground of our salvation, but Jamessays that good works are the fruit orevidence of our salvation. We are notsaved because we have good works;rather, we have good works because weare saved.James is not only in complete harmony with Paul, but also with John (1John 3:16-18). Near the end of HudsonTaylor's great missionary labors inChina, his son, Dr. Howard Taylor andhis bride arrived in Shanghai only tofind that his father and mother hadgone into the interior. It was the beginningof the hot season, and sincethere were no railways in the inlandprovinces, there was intense exposurefor any who traveled in the burningsun. The son overtook his parents atHankow. He pleaded with his father:"It may cost your life," But HudsonTaylor replied, "Yes, and let us not forget, 'we ought to lay down our livesfor the brethren.' "This was the fruitof real faith and the proof of true religion.PRAYER MEETING TOPICforSeptember 1, 1954COVENANTING: the NEWCOVENANTHebrews 8:10-13For a larger reference, Jer: 31-34; Heb.8:1 to 10:18Comments by W. O. Ferguson, D.D.Psalms130:1-5 page 32640:5, 9-12, page 103119: part 2, page 28851:1-4, page 132143:1-3, page 346References :Heb. 5:9; 7:22; 9:15; 12:24; 13:20;Luke 17:21; 22:14-23; Ex. 24:8.Our subject is the new Covenant asit relates to the sanctified life of thechild of God. The emphasis is upon thework of the Holy Spirit in the heartand life of the believer. The Israelites ofold failed because they failed to understand and do the will of God as it hadbeen revealed to them. The prophetsIsaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel sought toencourage the faithful among the peopleby assuring them that while God hadbeen gracious to them, yet the timewould come whenrelationshipa more faithful people.a better covenantwould secure a better andThe author of the book of Hebrewssets forth (a) that the revelation givenby Jesus Christ is superior to that contained in the Old Testament; (b) thatthe priestly service rendered by JesusChrist is superior to the service rendered by the Old Testament priests; (c)that the new covenant relationship established by Jesus Christ is superior tothe Old Testament covenants. Thewriter does not fail to recognize theimportance of the old, but he does saythat what he calls the first covenantwas not found faultless for if it hadbeen, there would have been no placefor the second. By a quotation fromJer. 31 :31-34 he would emphasize theinward nature of the new covenant incontrast with what may be thought ofas the outward nature of the old. Therehad been a tendency to regard the OldTestament religion as external in it'snature and consequentlymuch of it'svalue was lost. The prophet tells of atime when the law of God would bewritten in the hearts of His people.Then the law would be kept in spiritas well as in letter. Such inward obedience is of the veryessence of true religion. Care should be exercised to observe that the blessings of the newcovenant were not to be of an entirelydifferent kind from those of the old.They are to be new in that there is tobe a fuller enjoyment of them. FromTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

greatest"more"obedient"people"Pentecost onward there is to be a deeper and more vital fellowship in allChristian life. Perhaps it might be saidthat in the old, the emphasis is on theREDEMPTION by Grace, while in thenew the emphasis iswhich we have Redemption.I.on GRACE byThe Fact of the New Covenant.The New Covenant is in deed a present reality. The Old Testament represents God, on a number of occasions,as entering into a covenant with Hispeople. The covenant idea is that Goddraws near and enters into fellowshipwith man. A special historical covenantthat stands in contrast with the newcovenant is the covenant made withIsrael at Mt. Sinai. It was well suitedto the needs of Israel at that particularstage of redemption, but it was not intended to be final. It revealed the lawof God for the conduct of the people,and they said, "All that the Lord hathsaid will we do, and be(Ex.24:7). But Israel failed in their obedience, and through their failure the covenant blessing was lost. The prophetsforetell a new covenant in which notonlyIsrael but all mankind will bevitally interested. It is this new covenant that the writer of Hebrews describes. It tells of blessings not fullyrealized in the old. It's promises couldbe fulfilled only after the atoning workof the Great High Priest had been accomplished. This new covenant is indeed (1) gracious, (2) beneficent, (3)abiding, (4) effectual.The following are some of the OldTestament promises relating to the newcovenant: Isa. 42:6; 49:8; 55:3; 59:21;61:8; Jer. 31:31-33; 32:40; 50:5; Ezek.16:60-62; 20:37; 34:25; 37:28; Hosea2:18.II.The Fourfold Promise of the NewCovenant.1. The inward nature of the covenant,"I will put my laws into their mind,and write them in their hearts" (Heb.8:10).2. A new and more intimate fellowship, "I will be to them a God, andthey shall be to me a (Heb. 8:10).3. The more extended application ofthe covenant,"They shall not teachevery man his neighbor and every manhis brother, saying, Know the Lord;for all shall know me, from the leastto the(Heb. 8:11).4. The fuller manifestation of theworking of divine mercy, "For I will bemerciful to their unrighteousness, andtheir sinsremember noAugust 11, 1954and their iniquities will I(Heb. 8:12).In the above promises we have (1)provision for man's every need both asindividuals and as a race, such as pardon, justification, sanctification, adoption. No other creature of God partakesof such blessings. (2) Here also is asure ground for hope. Read Heb. 6:17-20.III.God's Part in the Covenant.The emphasis here is placed uponGod's part in the covenant. The HolySpirit is God'sagent in all covenantrelationship. It is the work of the HolySpirit to begin the relationship throughthe regeneration of the soul. Man mustbe made a new creature before he canenter into covenant fellowship with God.It is the task of the Holy Spirit tocarry on the work of sanctification,growth, and development of those whoare in the covenant. While such a largeand important part ofthe work depends upon the Holy Spirit, still it isGod's covenant with the individual, andit is the Christian's duty to work outhis own salvation (Phil. 2:12-13). Hereit would be well to study Shorter Catechism questions 29 to 36 as they relateto the Holy Spirit's application to thebeliever of the benefits purchased byChrist. The above questions andanswers set forth (a) the Divine power,(b) the Divine purpose, (c) the Divinemethod, and (d)the Divine results.IV.The Value of the New CovenantTo what extent should one value theNew Covenant relationship? Since Godis so concerned for our welfare, shouldwe not be more appreciative ofthepriceless privilege of being the childrenof the covenant? Rom. 8:14-17. Themercies of God's Grace come to usthrough the Holy Spirit's activity. Wedo not merit or achieve anyof them.It is for us to recognize the unfailingfaithfulness of God, and to renew ourconsecration, realizing that we still needmore strength, more faith, more of theSpirit's aid in the fulfillment of life'sduties. The exhortation found in Hebrews 3:1-19 is still worthy of our consideration. Such is the New Covenant"ordered in all things and It sure."givesassurance of acceptance to the believerand the pledge of victory to all in thecovenant bond.In our first study on Covenantingwe considered the God of the Covenant, His personality and character; seePrayer Meeting Topic for January 6.In this present study wethinkinghave beenof God's part in the covenantrelationship but from a more practicalpoint of view. We are persuaded that inour study so far we have found the following precious truths: (11 In the Covenant there is a promise given by Godto exercise Divine power in our behalf;(2) there is the assurance given byGod that He will make Himself over tous as a portion of the soul; (3) thatthere will be the bestowal of a titleto all the good to be found in the household of the redeemed; (4) that therewill be the removal of the darknessfrom the mind, the alienation from theheart, the weakness from the will, thusenabling the believer to embrace JesusChrist as He is offered to us in theGospel.For Discussion:1. Whynecessity?was the New Covenant a2. How does the New Covenant promote humility and consecration?3. What obligations rest on those whoreceive the benefits of the New Covenant?4. How may the blessings of the NewCovenant be passed on to others?5. Should we consider the importanceof the New Covenant when we observethe Lord's Supper?NATIONAL JUNIOR PROJECTS(Continued from page 89)we discuss each verse in the passage.When this discussion is over we almostknow the verses, but through the weekthree times a day, if possible, or atleast twice a day in family worshipwerecite the passage. By the end of theweek we pretty well know the passage.Besides laying up God's Word in ourlives and praying for various people andprojects, let us not forget our offerings. Already, we have completed oneproject (a file for the ReformationTranslation Fellowship)and we havetwo projects not yet paid for. These twoprojects are books to Selma and Kentucky. So let's keepour contributionscoming and we will try to have moreprojects ready when these are completed.JUST THINKINGBy Mary Starck KerrI was just thinking,it grows verytiresome to read the extenuationalcoholics as sick persons, who shouldnot be punished for their misdeeds, buthelped. We agree that they should behelped, but not helped to avoid thepenalty of crimes committed under theinfluence of liquor. The old-fashionedgospel is the best cure for alcoholism,and we should have more people takingit to the people who are in danger ofbecoming alcoholics. We should alsoeliminate the manufacture and sale ofthe alcoholic beverages which, after all,are the only means of producing alcoholism.of93

HOPKINTON: On August 1 the BriefCovenant was taken and signed by themembers of the Hopkinton congregation.The pastor had preached a series of sermons on covenanting prior to the meeting of Synod, and it was felt by thesession that the more suitable time tosubscribe to the covenant was at an earlydate. Asi at the Conference at Grinnell, itwas a solemn service.CAMP FERNWOOD: Fernwood washeld as usual this year from July 2 untilthe 9th. Although these dates created ahardship for some of our most faithfulworkers because of the Grinnell Conference following so immediately, we feelthat we truly had a very successful camp.Our theme was "In the beginning,God."based on Genesis 1:1, and centered around the creation of the Universe. This program was quite differentfrom the previous years and provedunique and effectual. Studying God'sinnumerable little creations out-of-doorshelped us realize how great He really is.We had an average attendance of 41for the entire week. The Camp FernwoodCommittee feels that thisi was a veryprofitable year in the spiritual development of all who attended and are lookingforward to an even richer 1955 campseason. Please put our campprayer list.on yourOn Monday evening, August 2nd, Imoderated a call in the Bear Run-Mahoningcongregation. Licentiate MiltonHarrington received every vote on thefirst ballot. The congregation is veryanxious that he will accept this call.R. C. FullertonOn Friday evening, August 6,a callwas moderated for the Topeka congregation which resulted in the election ofRev. Willard McMillan to be their pastor. We are praying for God'si guidancein his decision.D. R. TaggartRecent visitors in PORTLAND havebeen Mr. and Mrs. Paul McEnderfer ofDenver, visitingwith Miss Iris Hutcheson, Mrs. Porter of Philadelphia, in thehome of her daughter, Mrs. Tom Chambers), and Mrs. Mersereau of Cambridge,in the home of her daughter, Mrs. J. D.Carson.ROSE POINT: We had a good delegation to the Grinnell Conference and themembers gave interesting reports on theirreturn. Rev. T. R. Hutcheson and sons,Martin, Harvey and Dean, Mr. and Mrs.Harry McElwain and daughter, Linda,94Misses Beryl Brown, Rose Munnell andMary Jane Wilson.ORLANDO: The July meeting of theSenior W.M.S. was held at the home ofMrs). Calderwood with the President Mrs.E. N. Harsh in charge of the meeting.CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: MaribelMcKelvy entered the Presbyterian Hospital for her internship on the 1st ofJuly and we are thankful for her continuous interest and labor in the Lord'swork.The new address of Rev. J. G. Vos andfamily is 415 31st Street, Beaver Falls,Pa.On July 19 Misa Iris Hutcheson wasreceived into the membership of thePORTLAND CONGREGATION by certificate from the Denver congregation.We welcome her into our fellowship.YOUNGSTOWN wasGrinnell by Louise and Marilyn Marrepresented atshall, David Lathom, Murry Bishop,Charlene Bokesch, Glen, Marilois andLinda George. Also our pastor to be,John Tweed.CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: Centralwas certainly blessed by the Lord thisyear; a total number of 16 were able toattend the Grinnell Conference. The spiritof the Convention was excellent, whichwas evident bythe reports given to thecongregation on the 1st of August, theHoly Spirit was working in response tothe hundreds of prayers that had beenoffered prior to, and during, the daysspent there. There is every reason to believe that this Convention, featuring thesigningof the "Brief Covenant of1954"will mark a new era in the CovenanterChurch.ROSE POINT: We were pleased tosee Rev. Melville Martin andfamilyfrom Seattle, Washington. Rev. Martinpreached on July 25 to a large and appreciative audience. The family madetheir headquarters at the home of Dr.R. A. Blair and Anna while they werehere. On their return to the west coast,they were accompanied by Mrs. BruceMartin.CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: Althoughwe do not hold evening services duringthe months of Julyand August, we wereprivileged last Sabbath, July 25, to conduct an out-of-door service in the WestPark where the various denominations ofthe North Side unite for their eveningsummer meetings. We were extremely enthusiastic with this opportunity to witness to them what Christ meant in ourlives by our praises in singing of thePsalms and the testimonies givenbysome who were newly established in theChristian faith. This climaxed the testimonial morning service that the eldersconducted during the absence of our pastor the week previous, leaving the impressions on the minds of those present,old things must pass away to behold allthings new in Christ.HOPKINTON: The Rev. Kermit Edgar kindly consented to preach for theHopkinton congregation on July 25 whilehe and his family together with Mrs.S. E. Greer were vacationing and visitingat the home of Mr. C. K. Greer. We appreciated his splendid message.GENEVA COLLEGE has appointedWilliam Henry Russell of Eureka, Illinois, as Assistant Professor of History.Though born in Bloomington, Indiana,he received his education in Chicago,Illinois, public schools, the University ofChicago High School and received hisA.B. and M.A. from the University ofChicago. He then went to the Universityof Wisconsin where he was given hisPh.D. degree. While serving in WorldWar II with the Army Air Force he tookaPre-Meteorology course at HaverfordCollege, Haverford, Pennsylvania. A sergeant, he was in service three yearsi andthree months and six months of this timewere served in Korea. Before coming toGeneva he was an instructor in SocialScience, Woodrow Wilson Junior College,Chicago, Teaching Assistant in History,University of Wisconsin, and AssistantProfessor of History, Eureka College,Eureka, Illinois. He is an Elder of theChicago Congregation of the ReformedPresbyterian Church; He is a memberof the Mississippi ValleyHistorical Association. Prof. Russell is our columnistfor Current Events in The CovenanterWitness.PORTLAND: Mrs. Huffsmith recentlyher brothers in Palo Alto, California.returned from a two weeks visit withDuring the latter part of July, MissIsabelle Chambers was in Ashland, Oregon, teaching in a summer workshop atthe Southern Oregon College of Education.CLARINDA: Congratulations to Martha Caskey who was graduated fromGeneva College in June. Her parents,Mr. and Mrs. Howard Caskey and sister Glola attended the commencement exercises.CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: We findquite a few members this month vacationing from our congregation : We wouldassume the Youngs highly recommendVan Bureau, N. Y., for a summer's va-THE COVENANTER WITNESS

cation; for as one family finishes its vacation, another takes over. Knox M., Jr.and his family occupied the cabin thefirst two weeks of July; Knox M., Sr.and his wife the last two weeks and Jimplans to take over with his family the1st two weeks of August.As we travel further north we find Mrs.Ila Mae Roeser and her two sons visitinging Santa's Work Shop in Wilmington,N. Y., this week. David and Philip arepersonally delivering their letters to makesure Santa won't forget them this Christmas.Going east we find Mrs. NellieSmith Boros and husband visiting a sister in Boston, Mass. As we travel downsouth into Moundsville, W. Va. we findMr.and Mrs. M. L. Watson visitingrelatives. All returning home this weekgive glowing accounts of their trips.The McConaughys traveled 1,899miles this month in their car. They leftfor Des Moines, Iowa, Friday, July 9,en route to Grinnell where Bob was toserve as the elder delegate from our congregation, and returned by way of Erie.The only thing they regretted was theydid not have ample time to tour the entire U. S.CLARINDA: Gertrude Lee spent themonth of July with friends in New York.Wendell Westenberg was called into service on July 19. He is now stationed nearEl Paso, Texas.PORTLAND: Miss Luisa Lee, sisterof Dr. Charles Lee, president of GenevaCollege, spoke at the July W.M.S. MissLee has been a Missionary to India for40 or 41 years. Mrs. Frank Frazer wasthe hostess at this meeting. The men ofthe congregation were also present.ORLANDO: Mr. Lloyd McElhinneyof morning Sun Congregation worshipedwith us on the Fourth of July.Thirty membersof the CLARINDACONGREGATION attended the Conference at Grinnell all or part of the time.Reports were given the following Sabbath evening.GENEVA COLLEGE: Dr. J. G. Vos,of Clay Center, Kansas, has been appointed assistant professor of Bible atGeneva. Dr. Vos, although born inPrinceton, New Jersey, is not a strangerto Pennslyvania as he was pastor ofThe Miller's Run Reformed Presbyterian Church in Cecil, Psnnsylvania, and aspecial lecturer on Missions in the Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. In 1930 he went as a missionaryof the R. P. Church to Manchuria andtaught and was principal of the NewchangBible School, Yingkow, Manchuriafrom 1938-1941. He then returned to theUnited States and was pastor of the Hebron R. P. Church, Idana, Kansas. Dr.August 11, 1954Vos attended Lawrenceville School, NewJersey and Princeton High School, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan.He received his A. B. from PrincetonUniversity and a Th.B. from PrincetonTheological Seminary. A graduate ofthe R. P. Seminary in Pittsburgh andNorth China Union Language School,Peiping, China, he has his Th.M. fromthe Philadelphia Westminister Theological Seminary. In 1952Geneva Collegeawarded him a Doctor of Divinity. Whileat Princeton University Dr.Vos waselected a member of Phi Beta Kappaand has been American Representative ofthe Reformation Translation Fellowshipsince 1949. He is author of: The Scottish Covenanters: Their Origins, Historyand Distinctive Doctrines and Editor of:Blue Banner Faith and Life (quarterlyJournal).PORTLAND: Mr. William Frazer ledthe prayer meetingon Synod Sabbathwhile our pas/tor was in Grinnell.THE AGED PEOPLE'S HOME: Mrs.Stranigan has returned to the Home after a visit with relatives in Glassport,Pennsylvania.Miss Elizabeth Robinson is still visiting friends in Andover, Massachusetts.Miss Robinson is a graduate nurse andshe gives her skill, knowledge and hergracious manner to all those who needher in our Home family. We do missher, but are glad for her, she isi havingsuch a nice rest. Come back home refreshed, Miss Robinson.Mrs. Nan Wilson Green is still visitingat the home of her son at Monmouth, Illinois.Dr. Wiggins has returned after a shortvisit at Grinnell.CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: Our pastor plans to leave on vacation for thefour Sabbaths of August in Colorado at aSeminar sponsored by the "Navigators."He plans to worshipGreeleyat Denver andwhile there. Mr. Raymond Joseph has been scheduled to preach onAugust 8 and 15; and Mr. Donald Felker will be the guest speaker on August22 and 29.ROSE POINT: We welcome two newcomers to our congregation this pastsummer, Karen Louise, daughter of Mr.and Mrs. James Dixson, and Gerald Eugene, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Graham.YOUNGSTOWN: A covered dish dinner was held in the church basement onJune 29, after which we enjoyed slidespresented by Eunice McClurkin. We allenjoyedhearing of the work in Syria,andbecoming better acquainted withMiss McClurkin after having so enjoyedher letters from the mission field thesepast few years.Rev. Khalil Awad of Latakia, Syria,preached very acceptably to the CLARINDA CONGREGATION the Sabbathfollowing Grinnell. It was a pleasure tomeet Rev. Awad and to hear of his workamong his own people.ORLANDO: While others of our congregation were at Grinnell Mr. MilfordWhite went by plane to Tulsa, Okla., tovisit his mother, two brothers, a sisterand their families, then on to Edmond tovisit his brother-in-law Mr. J. T. Youngand wife. He also called on Mr. and Mrs.Albert Caskeyof Edmond.BLOOMINGTON: The young peopleof the church gave a surprise towel shower June 30 for Mary Lynn Stone, who isnow Mrs. Robert McCracken. During theevening, a mock wedding was performedwith Tom Moore as the bride andJanet Coffee as the groom. Tom madea beautiful bride. Everyone had a wonderful time and Mary Lynn receivedsome beautiful towels. Later in the evening, Rev. Blackwood held a short devotional period using the subject of"Characteristics of a bride."Recent visitors in the homes; of ourCLARINDA members have been, Mrs.Fanny Stevenson of Spring Valley, California, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Adams andchildren of Darlington, Pa., Mr. andMrs. Raymond Stevenson and children ofBirmingham, Mich., Mrs. Robt. Forbesof Cleveland and her daughter, Mrs.Jack Nicker and baby Susan, of Tulsa,Okla., Miss Mary Cabeen of La Junta,Colo., and Miss Grace Finley of Greeley,Colo.HOPKINTON: Among the visitors atHopkinton, following the meetings atGrinnell, were Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Stevenson and children, Mrs. Grace Caskey, Mr.Louis Donahue and family, and Mr. Milroy and son. The Rev. George Greer ofSanta Ana also visited at the home ofMr. C. K. Greer, as well as the Rev.K. S. Edgar and family and Mrs. S. E.Greer.CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: A recentvisitor at Central has been Ray McCracken of the Philadelphia congregationwho is visiting this month in the homeof Dr. and Mrs. J. Ren Patterson.Three weddings have taken place inour CLARINDA CONGREGATIONduring July. On July 2Charlene Dunnwas united in marriage to Walter C.Stokes of La Tuna, Texas. The doublering ceremony was performed at 7:30 inthe church by the bride's pastor, Rev.C. T. Carson. Their home will be inLas Cruces New Mexico where Mr.Stokes will attend New Mexico A. andM.On July 23 Janet Whitehill, daughter95

of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Whitehill wasmarried to John Greenwood, son of Rev.and Mrs. Lester Greenwood of CLARINDA. The ceremony was read by thegroom's father assisted by Rev. Carson.The Greenwoods are livingat Clarindaat present but may attend school in theFall.At a garden wedding July 28 LuellaMcCalla, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leslie CcCalla of Clarinda became the brideof Melville T. Kennedy, Jr. of Cambridge, Mass. Dr. Melville T. Kennedyof Norwichtown, Conn., father of thegroom read the ceremony assisted by thebride's pastor. Mrs. Kennedywill continue her work as Director of PublicRelations at Pine Manor, Wellesley,Mass., while Mr. Kennedywill completehis work on his doctorate at Harvard.ORLANDO: While Dr. Smith is vacationing at Hetherton, Michigan andpreachingfor the congregation there,Licentiate Milton Harrington is preaching for us in his absence.ROSE POINT: Harold Wilson has returned from State Universityto spendthe summer with his parents, Mr. andMrs. Merle Wilson.JulyPORTLAND: The prayer meeting of28 was different from the regularweekly prayer meetings. A tape recordingof the message given by Dawson Trotman at Grinnell was heard by the group.Following this a social was held in honor of Miss Oreta Everett who is leavingAugust 2 for a month's vacation in Colorado, Kansas, and Pennsylvania, beforegoingmonteto make her residence in the Alcongregation. The congregationpresented her a lovely Myrtlewood desklamp.The Reverend Willard McMillanpreached at the AGED PEOPLE'SHOME on Sabbath, July11. Of course,it was excellent, and was so much enjoyed.Mr. Robert Fullerton, a middler,preached most acceptablyon Sabbath,July 18, at the Home. Do come again,Robert.The Board is hoping the church atlarge will pray more earnestly for theHome,and especially right now thatthe Building Committee will be guidedin its every decision by the MasterBuilder. Pray, Pray, Pray.YOUNGSTOWN: The Women's Missionary Society held a picnic supper atMill Creek Park. Boatingand croquetwere the features of the evening.BLOOMINGTON : Mrs. Maudelinehave returnedFaris and son Jommyfrom a vacation in Detroit, Michigan,where theyvisited with relatives.96ROSE POINT: We enjoyed the fellowship of the College Hill congregationfor a Sabbath eveningservice this summer.McCRACKEN STONEDouble ring wedding rites read by thefather of the bride-groom united inmarriageMary Lynn Stone and RobertBruce McCracken Saturday, July 10, at7 p.m. Dr. Paul D. McCracken read theceremony in the sanctuary of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, assisted byRev. Roy Blackwood.The bride is the daughter of Mr. andMrs. Thomas Robert Stone of RuralRoute 2. The bridegroom, a resident ofPittsburgh, is the son of Dr. and Mrs.McCracken of Philadelphia.Vows were exchanged before an altardecorated with white gladioli and whitesatin bows before a background of lighted candelabra and palms.Preceding the ceremony Mrs. MildredWarrick played a selection of weddingairs and accompanied the "Covicord"quartet who sang the 90th Psalm and"O, Promise Me." The quartet is composed of the bridegroom and his brother.J. Paul McCracken, of Pittsburgh, andArmour and Robert McFarland of Sterling, Kansas.The bridegroom's brother served asbest man. Ushers were Robert E. Stone,brother of the bride, and Paul Robb, ofPittsburgh.Mrs. Renwick Peoples, of Indianapolis, cousin of the bride, was matron ofhonor. Mrs. Charles Schultz of Jeffersonville,cousin of the bride, and Mrs. J.Paul McCracken were bridesmaids.Rebecca Lynn Peoples of Indianapolisand Karen Stone, both cousins of thebride, were flower girls.The bride was given in marriage byher father.Immediately after the wedding a reception was held in the church parlor.Summer flowers decorated the bridaltable.The couple left after the ceremony fora wedding trip to Grinnell, Iowa andPhoenix, Arizona. After September 1theywill be at home in Pittsburgh.The bride attended Geneva College atBeaver Falls, Pennsylvania and has hada year of training at Allegheny GeneralHospital in Pittsburgh. Mr. McCrackenis a graduate of Geneva College and is inhis second year at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh.Among the out of town guests werethe followingpersons: Rev. and Mrs. S.Bruce Wilson, Patricia, Donald, andBobbyof Wilkinsburg, Pa.; Mr. andMrs. Stewart McCready, Kay, Jim,Jack, and Ruth, of Beaver Falls, Pa., Armour and Robert McFarland, Sterling,'Kansas; Paul Robb, Pittsburgh, Pa.;Rev. "and Mrs. Paul McCracken, (youngPaul) ; Rev. and Mrs. Paul D. McCracken, Mary and Raymond, Philadelphia,Pa.; Mrs. and Mrs. Templeton, BelleCenter, Ohio; Jim Templeton, Belle Center, Ohio.CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: A groupmet at the Olivers' home, August 3, for asurprise farewell party in honor of Bobwho leaves the 5th for the U. S. Army.The evening was enjoyed by all and wewill greatly miss our Christian soldierboy.ORLANDO: Mrs. Reed Terry is recovering from a couple of weeks in bedwith the virus pneumonia.YOUNGSTOWN: We are glad to haveMrs. Jessie Marshall back at church after a short stay in the North Side Hospital.CLARINDA:Mrs. Miller Dunn accompanied her new granddaughter andparents, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Mathews,to Buffalo, Minn., to make a short visitin the home of Marvin Fulk, to see thenew grandson who recentlythe Fulk home.arrived inPORTLAND: Mrs. Frank Frazerleaves early in August on a vacation inCalifornia where she expects to attendthe wedding of her nephew, Philip Gross.ROSE POINT: Rev. Klalil Awad ofSyria preached on July 4 to the combined congregations of New Castle, Mercer and Rose Point. Other missionarieswe were glad to hear this summer wereMiss Eunice McClurkin and MissEleanor Faris.MARGARET WILSONMiss Margaret Wilson, for many yearsa member of the Third Church of theCovenanters of Philadelphia entered intoher heavenly rest on June 29, 1954. Shehad a long painful illness during whichshe was lovingly cared for byher sister,Miss Anna Taylor. We, the members ofthe Women's Missionary Society, havelost a faithful, generous member whoselove for the cause of Missions neverfailed. While health permitted, she was aloyal member of the Sabbath School, afaithful attendant at the midweek prayer-meeting, the Women's Missionary Society meetings, and the regular churchservices. She has left us a noble exampleto follow. We commend her sister MissTaylor and a large circle of relatives tothe comfort of the Heavenly Father.Marian CrawfordSara DanenhourTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

LESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 5, 1954THE FIELD IS THE WORLD, THE 5t0 JS THE WORD Of- GODVOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 1954 NUMBER 7Faithful Unto DeathAND OTHER SHEEP I HAVEWHICH ARE NOT OF THIS FOLD :THEM ALSO I MUST BRING,AND THEY SHALL HEAR MY VOICE:AND THERE SHALL BE ONE FOLD,AND ONE SHEPHERD.JOHN 10:16.The Rev. Robert W. Piper

can't,"matters,"Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D.Why India Rejects MissionariesWe are told in United Evangelical Action why Indiadoes not welcome American Missionaries.For months it has been increasingly obvious that India'srejection of American missionaries is based primarily onthe fact that they are Americans and not on the fact thatthey are Christian missionaries. The India Embassy here inWashington recently made this crystal clear by quoting astatement by Prime Minister Nehru.The Prime Minister was quoted as saying, "The questionof foreign Christian missionaries in India is not consideredby us from the point of view of Christianity butfrom the point of view of foreigners coming to Indiafuture."problems which may give us trouble in theDry Royal BallAt Brisbane, Australia, according to the National Voicethe city served only soft drinks and fruit juices at theRoyal Ball held in the beautiful Renaissance-style CityHall on the occasion of the Queen's visit, reports the WesternTemperance Herald.Despite the ease of drinking in Brisbaneopen from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.drink in, at,hotels arethere is a law which forbidsor within 200 yards of a dance hall. This lawhas been in force for manyopposition.years and meets with littleThe city council committee which organized this lavishball could have had the Act amended for the Royal Tour,but it did not bother. Legally, the Royal ball was a danceand, in effect, the City Hall a "dance hall."How a Judge Helped"I want to stop drinking but IEdward G. Robinson, Jr., told the domestic relations court, reports the Detroit Free Press."I've had some experience in thoserepliedSuperior Judge Elmer D. Doyle. "I'll show you how."So the busy judge, who handles more than 100 casesa day, offered to set aside his lunch each day for two weeksto talk to the actor's 21-year-old son, who has been arrestedthree times in recent months for intoxication.Women MinistersWe are informed by the Free Methodist that Sixty-threereligious bodies now ordain women for the ministry and have2,869 women pastors and a total of 5,791 women ordainedor licensed.Mr. A. P. Upham Asks:Why should we give money to save the heathen abroadwhen there are heathen in our own country?Why should I give money to save those in other partsof the country when there are needy ones in my own state?Why should I give for those in other parts of the statewhen there are needy ones in my own town?Why should I give to the poor of the town when myown church needs the money?Why should I give to the church when my own familywants it?98Why should I give to my family what I want myself?Why? Because I am a Christian not a heathen.The Upper RoomDr. John A. Mackay, president of Princeton Seminary,will receive The Upper Room citation for 1954 according tothe announcement by J. Manning Potts, editor of The UpperRoom, world's most widelyused devotional guide. The announcement is made with the release of the first copies ofthe annual World Fellowship Number of The Upper Roomin which Dr. Mackay is the onlywriter from the UnitedStates. Writers of the 60 meditations come from 45 countries. The Upper Room is published in 27 editions, includes22 languages, and is used in nearly every corner of the world.Statistics on Church AttendanceThe F.B.I, has given out the following striking listof statistics:Only three per cent of the population attend church onthe average Sabbath morning.evening.Only two per cent attend on the average SabbathOnly twenty-eight per cent of the people ever attendany church.1,000 rural churches are dyingtraining.30,000 villages have no resident pastor.altogether each year.10,000 villages do not even have church buildings.27,000,000 youth under twenty-one receive no ChristianBingo Loser SuesThe Christian Cynosure tells of a woman in Flint,MichiganCharging she had lost $4,000 playing bingo atSt. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in the last two years,Mrs. Irene Walhite has filed suit for that amount againstthe church.She said she had lost her entire earnings, and chargedthat the church and Robert Kerner, co-defendant, hadcarried on gambling at the church for several years.The suit was filed under a State law which permitsthe recovery of gambling losses.THE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street, Newton, Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka, Kansato promote Bible Standards of Doctrine, Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writers ;not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen, D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll, D.D.Remo I. Robb, D.D.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdgarMrs. J. O. EdgarMrs. Ross LatimerSubscription rates: $2.50 per year ; Overseas, $3.00 ; Single Copie*10 cents.The Rev. R. B. Lyons, B.A., Limavady, N. Ireland, Agent for theBritish Isles.Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Newton, Kansasunder the Act of March 3, 1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

Current EventsByProf. William H. RussellTHE FIRST HURDLEThere have been few upsets thus far in the primary elections for this fall's Congressional contest. Nearlymembers of tv= ~- "all theTttedanother ' r*- nongthe S-iMaine,.Neel.,.^,Ferguson ofMichigan, *. -..n lillender of Arkansas.The Republican ieaaership in Kansas has changed hands,with the nomination for governor of a bitter critic of thepresent state administration. Senator Estes Kefauver wonre-nomination in the Democratic primary in Tennessee, thuskeeping alive his hopes for the next Presidential nomination.Regardless of his qualifications for the Presidency, Kefauvercertainly represented a higher order of statesmanship thanhis competitor in the Democratic primary. In Kentucky,Democrat Alben Barkley, former vice-president, will be running against the present Republican Senator, John ShermanCooper. Active campaigning will begin soon after the Congressmen get home. Adlai Stevenson is already touring thecountry making money-raising speeches for the Democrats.President Eisenhower's campaign role is not yet set, but hewill certainly make at least a few speeches in close districts.PASSING THE BUCKThe McCarthy issue maybe considered shelved untilafter the November elections. Not enough Senators had thecourage for a direct vote on Senator Flanders' motion for avote of censure; and some honestly felt that it would be unfair to pass such a motion without giving the grounds ofcensure. Instead, party leaders found an easy way out bysetting up a special committee to investigate McCarthy andhis Communist-huntingmethods. The committee consists ofthree Republicans and three Democrats, with Arthur Watkins of Utah as chairman. A total of 46 charges were submitted for their consideration, most of them matters whichhave already been thoroughly discussed. The committee isgenerally considered a good one, but its task is poorly defined. Some of the charges are irrelevant or overlapping, andthe committee is trying to sort them out. No hearings will beheld until at least a week after Congress adjourns. Meanwhile McCarthy is going ahead with his investigation ofCommunists in defense plants.OIL FROM IRANIran's oil problem is finally near solution, after threeyears of bitter dispute which nearlyeconomyruined the country'sand brought it close to Communism. Eight of theworld's largest oil companies have reached an agreementIranian Oil Company, whose properties were forcibly nationalized by Mossadegh in 1951, will settle for $85 million and a40 per cent interest in the international combine. Five American companies are also participating. The combine will givethe government of Iran half the profits, which will mean anincome of nearly $200 million a year when production is fullyrestored. Herbert Hoover, Jr., a consultant of the U. S. StateDepartment, played a keypart in negotiating the agreement. It has yet to be ratified by the Iranian parliament, andwill be opposed bysome nationalists, but there is little doubtthat it will be accepted. It will open the way for much closereconomic and political ties,in the Middle East.TIME TO RETIREand thus strengthen our positionThe British Parliament has recessed until October, butby that time Prime Minister Churchill may have resigned.For many months Churchill has cherished the idea of a direct conference with Malenkov to settle the problems ofEurope. After the Geneva conference, Molotov sent the Western powers a request for a new conference on European security. But it was virtually the same proposal which we rejected last winter, calling for the abandonment of the West'sdefensive alliances as the price of European peace. Churchill'scabinet also opposed the idea of a conference with Malenkov,and the Russians offered no encouragement. With this project given up or at least postponed, Churchill loses one of his'main reasons for staying in office. His Conservativewhereby they will produce, refine, and market Iranian oil.Iranian technicians will be used as far as possible. The Anglo-partyneedsmore dynamic leadership, and it would be appropriatefor him to step down before the annual party conference inOctober. It remains to be seen, however, whether a newcabinet will be any more favorable toward America's foreignpolicies.BACK TO THE "OLD LOOK"Communist advances in the Far East have led the Pentagon to revise its figures on the number of men needed in ourarmed forces. Last winter it was believed that the end of theKorean War, and the dependence on "massiveretaliation"withatomic weapons, would mean a reduction in military manpower. But Asia is in more danger than ever; and "massiveretaliation"has virtually been abandoned, as too likely tolead to a general war which our allies would not support. Ithad been planned to cut the armed forces down to 2,800,000men, but the new schedule will stabilize them at slightlyover 3 million. The Pentagon also wants a compulsory reserve of 3 million men, with all young men liable for a totalof eight years of active and reserve service."PIGGY-BACKS"APPROVEDThe Interstate Commerce Commission has approved the"piggy-back"system for carrying truck trailers on railroadflat cars. Several railroads have already tried the plan successfully. It combines the convenience of door-ot-door truckservice with the speed and low cost of rail transportation. Itwill be most popular in the East and other congested areaswhere trucking is slow. In the last twenty years the railroadshave lost much of their business to trucks, and this may helpthem gain it back. Motorists will also be relieved if some ofthe big semi-trailers are taken off the highways.NEW IRON SUPPLYThe first shipment of iron ore has reached the U. S.from the remote Ungava field in northeastern Canada. This isthe fruition of twelve years of development, costing morethan $250 million. The Canadian deposits are the largest andrichest now available in North America. Six American steelcompanies financed the development and will buy the ore.The first shipment went by sea to Philadelphia,and was sentfrom there by rail to Eastern steel mills. 99August 18, 1954

men!"sionaries,"The True WisdomAddress of the President of Women's Synodical 1954 of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North AmericaMrs. A. J. McFarlandSterling, KansasOver the entrance to a Woman's Club in Bombay, India, are the words: "THE WORLD WASMADE FOR WOMEN TOO." Yes, thank God ! Hisgospel, through the missionary zeal, has made aplace for women. As a result, there are today 1,763members of the Women's Synodical of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of North America.Now, to transactsome big worldlybusiness, this wouldnot be considered alarge body, yet theimportant questionis, "What are we1,763 women doing?"This, the 15thmeeting of the Women's SynodicalMissionary Society,finds us gatheredhere in this beautiful modern new science hall of GrinnellCollege, just thirtyfiveyears from thetime of that firstNational Conventionof our women, inBelle Center, Ohio,back in 1919.Little did I dreamMrs. A. J. McFarlandthat I should ever1954 Synodical Presidentbe an officer of thisorganization when back in my high school dayswe entertained Mrs. Myrtle Dodds in our homefor more than a week while she and my motherlaid plans for the first Synodical.Mrs. W. O. Ferguson who led in our openingprayer and Mrs. J. M. Coleman are the onlycharterofficers present. All others except Mrs. J. S. Tibbyhave passed on to glory, save our charter president,Mrs. Myrtle M. Dodds who at the age of 87, sweetand patient, but very feeble, entered our "CovenanterHome for the Aged" just three weeks ago. We hadasked her to be our honor guest at this Synodicalbut weakness prevents. Nevertheless she sends greetings to this organization and to the women she lovedand served so long.Now that we, the Synodical, are launching onour 36th year, I pondered many days to ascertain into what channel we might best direct our thoughtsthis opening day. Different president's addressesthat I have scanned this spring, spent the entiretime relating travels and presbyterials visited, but Ifind school teachers can not travel and teach at thesame time, so today I shall not present a travelog.Our Convention theme is "Christ's Charge OurChallenge."I can't help thinking that if Christ werehere today, He might express His charge to us, for100tvitnessing, in the same words as our high schoolcommencement speaker this spring :Throughout the ages women have ever had a sharein the kingdom work. Joanna and Susanna and manyothers ministered unto Christ of their substance;Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus ; Martha with hercook-book ; Dorcas with her needle ; Priscilla with herteacher's training; Tryphena and Tryphosa laboringin the Lord; and Phoebe, the minister; are prototypes the great exemplars of this 1954 Women'sSynodical.The apostle Paul assures us that women wereclosely associated with the leaders from the very beginning, when he writes, "Apostles continued withwomen."one accord with theever, byWomen's Missionary Organizations have, howsome men in the past been looked uponrather skeptically. At a certain meeting in one presbytery, a minister arose saying, "Mr. Moderator, Imove that a member of session be appointed to meetwith these women Wherever they come together, forthere is no telling what they will pray for if leftto themselves." Another more liberal brother said:"Mr. Moderator, I think we should not spurn thehelp of these pious females." So the pious femaleswent on their way. Some warned their brethrenSuffragettes,"against "Ecclesiasticalwhile othersorated on the subject, "Whither Are We Drifting?"When Paul was writing to the Philippians hesaid, "HELP THOSE WOMEN." If he were writingtoday he, perchance, might be saying, "Help thoseBut after all it is woman's place in life bothin the home, and in the church to be a help-meet, aplace Christian womanhood accepts willingly andjoyfully.The opening of Missionary work in our churchin 1856, called forth two devoted young men, RobertJames Dodds and Joseph Beattie, who with theiryoung brides, with hearts aflame with love andenthusiasm for Christ and His lost sheep in Syria,set sail and arrived in Damascus, December 13, 1856,98 years ago. This pioneering of missionary workfanned into a glowing flame the smouldering desiresof Covenanter women to serve their Master as Missionaries. Today, 98 years later, missionaries inSyria, China, Japan, Cyprus (as well as in America),young-have been and are women of themwomen.manyOur own established financial goal,"Womenof the Covenanter Church Supporting Women Mishas been reached each succeeding yearsince 1939; the last accountpassing through myhands June 18 totaling $14,225.00; paying the salaries of ten teachers, and pensions for two. But afinancial goal is not enough, even if we are God'sTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

have'ones."business women. This year a spiritual goal, "TheSearch For True Wisdom," has been set for us by ourcompetent Uniform Program Committee from thePhiladelphia Presbyterial.Two years ago when I accepted this office Isaid, "Lord, in keeping with our meditation theme:"I'll trust,I'll pray,serve."I'llIt has taken all three to carry on in this capacity, but it has been a joy to find so many busy, talented, consecrated women of our Covenanter Churchaccepting this same challege. It must have been aprophecy of this 1954 Synodical that was recordedin the 68th Psalm:"The message given by the LordAt His command is shownThe women are a mighty hostWho make the tidings known."In World War II, a soldier was out in a devastatedarea, when he thought he heard music. As he struggled on, he came to the remains of an old church.Looking in at the window he saw three other GI'sgrouped together singing truths as found in Psalms18 and 146."Oh God, our help in ages pastcome."Our hope for years toTogether they were strengthened. As we review ahasty panorama of the activities of our women atwork for Christ today, may we too gain hope andstrength for the years to come.First, we turn our eyes northward to welcomethe two societies, Almonte and Lochiel, Canada,hitherto unattached, who this spring joinedNew York Presbyterial. Mrs. Hayes McKelvy haspossibly surpassed us all in the expanse of temperance work as she has carried on in more than twentytwoschools through out the year.Pittsburgh Presbyterial comes into the limelight in her continued yearly financial support ofthe Indian Mission $666.00 last year a pledgemade years ago when their representatives, Dr. andMrs. W. W. Carithers, gave their lives in service toconvert the Oklahoma Indian. Today a second generation from Pittsburgh Presbyterial holds aloft thebanner in the persons of Rev. and Mrs. D. C. Ward.Pittsburgh Presbyterial seems to have caughtthe Carithers spirit, as proclaimed by that greatmissionary in his address to the first Kansas Prebyterialthirty-five years ago. Said he, "We sometimesfeel and act as though this movement were one ofthe 19th century. But mission work was not designedby man, but originated with God in the councils ofeternity. God's promise of success of mission workis based upon the truth of God's existance. 'As Ilive,'saith the Lord. Do you want any better underwriting than that?"The King's Daughters of Santa Ana, a live wireY.W.M.S. group celebrated their twenty-fifth anniversary last spring. May they truly exemplify theKing's Daughter on the Pacific Coast.We welcome in Parnassus, a new Young Women's Missionary Society.Kansas has the record of the first "double"Memorial Certificate, for Mr. and Mrs. G. R. Tippingiven by their daughter Lulu. Whyparents ? Last year there were ten Life and MemorialCertificates. This year there were twenty-five, thusnot honor bothnow making a total of near $6,000.00 in our Life andMemorial Fund. Be alert, later in our program, tothe proposed expenditure of these funds.Our Synodical now has representatives on eachof our Missionary Boards ; and has complied with thewishes of Synod in assuming the paying of pensionsof our retired women missionaries. Not large. That'strue. They ought to be more.In response to the recommendation of the 1950retiring Junior superintendent, we have today anational Intermediate or Jr.Hi Conference the melting pot of adolescence from all our congregations.The matter of who should sponsor this group wasunder discussion last year, but at our Grinnell Planning Committee, November, 1953 although the W.M.S. has always sponsored the Juniors and was willing to assume the Intermediate sponsorship, it wasdecided that due to the magnitude of the project(the group being enlarged this year to include highschool freshmen) that the C.Y.P.U. sponsor the organization this year, but that one of the sponsors befrom the Women's Synodical. Mrs. Paul Wright isserving in conjunction with her husband, Dr. PaulWright.A large group of juniors is in session today.Mrs. Phillip Martin has worked long hours, prayedand planned much to make this missionary endeavora success. Credit goes to her for starting The Covenanter Junior page in the Covenanter Witness, containing junior projects for missions, and planningmany activities for Grinnell. She has given her unto make this Junior conference astinted energysuccess.Our committee of Publication of CovenanterMissionary Literature has overseen two publicationsof North and East of Musa Dagh by Miss EvangelineMetheny and How Young Fu Saved a Bible by MissRose Huston. Today "Taught of The Lord" (HelpsFor Junior Leaders) by Mrs. Hayes McKelvy, willsoon be off the press.At our Synodical in 1956, the 100th anniversaryof our missionary work, why can't we have writtenthe historyof the Synodical? Do we have a volunteer? Mrs. Dodds had desired to do it, but failinghealth prevented.Some of our women have published plays : Mrs.Ross Latimer, Mrs. Ralph Wilson, Mrs. Sam Boyle,Mrs. Howard Elliott, Mrs. Edith Duguid and possiblyothers. Are our sources exhausted ?God is calling women today as in the days ofIsaiah. Listen to His voice: "Rise up, ye women thatare at ease; be troubled ye careless Christ'scharge to us at this our 15th Synodical is to rebuildour altars in the church and in the home; to renewthe sacrifice, to rekindle our fires ; to rededicate ourselves through covenant signing with our sons anddaughters, to the great task of making Christ known.August 18, 1954

Roadblocks LimitingChurch EffectivenessA series of four lectures given at White Lake Christian Workers' Conference, 1953by the Rev. J. G. Vos, D.D.Lecture IV. The Roadblock of Stagnation, or Regarding the Status Quo as Normal(Continued)3. The roadblock of stagnation regards the statusquo as normal.There is a constant tendency in every churchto regard the status quo as normal. In the physicaland biological sciences, what is normal is determinedby averages of a great many individuals. What isthe normal temperature of the human blood ? A bookon hygiene will tell you that it is 98.6 F. Your feverthermometer may have a little red line at that point.But did you wonder how that figure of 98.6 wasdetermined? As a matter of fact, healthy people donot all have the same temperature. And any individual varies in temperature from one time of day toanother time of day. A variation of one degree or lesswithin the 24-hour period is considered normal. Youmay have a temperature one degree higher at 3 P.M.than you had at 3 A.M., and still be perfectly healthy.How, then, did the scientists arrive at 98.6 as the"normal"temperature of the human blood? Simplyby averaging the actualtemperatures, at varioustimes of day and night, of a great number of apparently healthy people. There is nothing particularlysacred about that figure of 98.6. It is just a convenience, determined by averaging. The same is trueof people's rate of heart action, blood pressure,breathing, height, weight, and so forth. All aredetermined by averages.Regarding Averages as NormalIn social matters the tendency is to decide whatis normal by an appeal to the public by polls, questionnaires, statistics again just a matter of averages. Kinsey's notorious books on sex behaviouron this basis : what is most common isare gotten upregarded as normal.The same thing is coming to be true in religiousmatters. Issue a questionnaire, take a secret poll orballot, to find out what the majority thinks or wantsor believes. Thus Scriptural standards tend to belowered to a mere observation or "reading" of present conditions, whether in the world or in the church.Principle passes out of the picture; it comes to betreated as if it were mere convention or human custom, having onlythe authority of usage or popularapproval. Meantime what is in reality mere custom,comes to have virtually the force and influence ofprinciple. Try arranging a communion service forSabbath evening sometime, instead of Sabbath morninrrnnH oaa wJisit Viprmonaagainst all true progress in church reformation. Forthe status quo is always sinful. It is always a fallingshort of the requirements of the Word of God. It isalways something less than what God really requiresof the church. Since the status quo is sinful, it maynever be regarded with complacency, far less mayit be regarded as the ideal for the church. It is a sinto absolutize the status quo.The status quo always needs to be repented of.No matter how fine it may be, still it is sinful andneeds to be repented of. To regard the status quowith complacency is one of the great sins of theChurch in our day a sin which must grieve theHoly Spirit, and a sin which certainly prevents thechurch from making its true and proper progressin reformation according to Scripture. A churchdominated by this idea cannot really move forward.It can only stand still. It may indeed slide backwardin defection and apostasy. At best it will only movein a fixed circle, always coming back to where itstarted from.The Pattern of American Church HistoryThe churches of America, by and large, havemoved in a fixed circle through their past history.We might almost say, they have moved in a viciouscircle. The pattern has been a slump followed by arevival followed by a slump, and so on. True progressis not made. The best that can be done, it seems,is to manage to get out of one pit after another.Nothing is more prevalent than this kind of stagnation in the church. Nothing is more difficult thanto get any feature of the church's structure or activity really examined and reformed in the light ofthe Word of God.True progress means building on the foundations laid in the past. But true progress does notmean being held in check by the dead hand of theerrors and imperfections of the past. There is onlyone legitimate check on true progress, and that isthe check of Scripture itself. The true reformationof the church is a reformation on the basis of Scripture, it is a reformation within the bounds of Scripture, not a reformation beyond Scripture.God Calls us to Reform the Church in our DayAre the church's official agencies, publicationsand institutions to reflect a cross-section of opinionas it actually exists in the church, like Mark Twain's"English as she is spoke"? Or are they to take theirstand on the existing official standards of the churchand maintain that line in confronting the public ? Orare they to pioneer in denominational self-criticismon the basis of Scripture? Are they to blaze a newtrail, going forward into new territory in the light ofthe Word?(Continued on page 105)THE COVENANTER WITNESS

up."me."church."TRIBUTES FOR THE REV. R. W. PIPERAN APPRECIATIONIn the oldSeminary Building, the students haddouble desks and it was the fate of Bert Piper tohave me for a seat mate during his senior year. TheNegro church on Boyle Street was without a pastorduring part of that time and used to get some of theseminary students for occasional supply. After theyhad had Mr. Piper, they asked always for him. Hisspeaking voice was good, his preaching clear anddirect, and he spoke with enthusiasm. When a fewyears later I heard him preach on Synod Sabbathin Chicago, he had the same appeal.In the early twenties at the suggestion of theForward Movement secretary, Synod tried to consolidate congregations which were near together,and among the recommendations was one that BelleCenter and United Miami should be united underone pastor. It was reported that Rev. R. W. Piper,pastor at Belle Center, was ready to cooperate, and acommittee of Synod was appointed to try to workout the union. I was a member of the committee. Mr.Piper did resign ; those congregations were united in1924. It was a mystery to him and a deepening sorrow that he never obtained another pastorate in theCovenanter Church. Others were troubled for himalso.In our seminary days during a student discussion, Mr. Piper began his remarks with the passionate declaration, "I am a Covenanter, the son of aCovenanter."I have never doubted the truth of thatassertion. His name remained on the roll of OhioPresbytery until last March when he heard and accepted the call of his Lord.Dr. Paul ColemanBERT PIPERI wish to pay tribute to my friend of manyyears, Bert Piper. To some he may be the forgottenman. To me he has been a steadfast friend. Since Iheard of his unexpected passing to the EternalHome, I have been trying to evaluate him. Perhapsthe following "seams itI first met him as he was beginning his secondyear in our Seminary. It was my first. While he hada mannerism or two not common to most, he impressed me as a genuine Christian and one who will beworth having for a friend. I never had occasion tochange that estimation of him.Another admirable quality was his high sense ofvalues and loyalties. He had an excellent sense ofhumor and with it high standards of life. He wasloyal to the great principles of life as laid down inGod's Word. So far as I know, he never deviatedfrom that. He was deeply grieved after voluntarilyresigning his pastorate at Belle Center to make wayfor the union of that congregation with UnitedMiami, that he did not receive a call to another congregation. He was a good preacher and an excellentpastor, and it was hard to understand why no congregation in our Covenanter Church called him. Hegrieved long over it. He came to feel that some sinister influence was at work against him. He turnedAugust 18, 1954to a sister church and was warmlyappreciated. For many years he shepherded two conreceived andgregations of United Presbyterians with great satisfaction to them.However, he never left the communion of theChurch he loved but retained membership in ourchurch to the end. He said to me on our meeting, afew years ago, "I love our church and the great principles for which it stands and I have never brokenmy vows during all the years I have sought theopportunity to preach the gospel in anotherIt was his high sense of honor, his deep loyaltyand estimate of true values which held him in ourcommunion, even though Covenanter pastorateswere closed to him. He said, "I just can't leave theold church, nor can I cease to preach the gospel. Ihave put my hand to the plow and I will not turnback, even though my church has turned her back onAs long as he lived he preached the doctrinesof the Purity of Worship and the Separated Lifethough he had to do it in another denomination. Henever violated either in his practice. I have greatlyadmired him for this strength of character. He neverlost his balance. His memory is precious! May Godbless and comfort those who mourn his passing!Somehow under the circumstances, I feel his is amore abundant entrance than can be for those of usfor whom our ministry has 'been so much simpler.He was a strong, loyal spirit.J. D. EdgarREV. R. W. PIPER, A SERVANT OF THE LORD.Some one has said, "Every man's heart is astorehouse and his words show what he keepsthere."If it is true that Character is revealed bothby conduct and speech, the statement could well bechanged to read "Every man's heart is a storehouseand his LIFE reveals what he keeps therein." Mr.Piper must not have treasured envy, jealousy, strifenor hatred in his heart as none of these manifestedthemselves in his life; but on the other hand: love,sympathy, kindness, good-will, friendship must havebeen there in abundance, since they were so evidentin all his relations with other people, and especiallyin his church connections. He had a strong desire tohelp every one in need and firmly believed that theway to help was to minister to them.My first acquaintance with Mr. Piper was in1905 when he entered the Seminary to begin hisTheological training. Though he had a special friendin his room-mate and class-mate we soon found hecould be friends with many. Since that time I havecounted it a privilege to think of him as my personal friend.Early in his first pastorate I was with himthrough Communion services and had his assistancein like service. On these occasions, as well as in Seminary work I found him to be a faithful servant ofthe Master and of the Church. He was diligent inall his preparation for the pulpit, ever ready to forego pleasure that he might be the better fitted forhis Chosen calling.103

cified."so"servant."counted"Mr. Piper was a man of integrity, personalpiety with a grip on things that makes for uprightness. Among his admirable traits of character thefollowing would be but a partial list : faith in Christas his Lord and Master, humility in all his relationships, zeal in his devotion to the cause of Christ.We would not withhold a tribute of admirationin regard to his loyalty to the church of his earlytraining and choice. Mr. Piper retained his membership in the Covenanter Church until the end of hislife, even though the latter years of his ministrywere spent in the service of the Lord with anotherdenomination.We believe the Master has already said to him,"Well done thou good and faithfulW. 0. FergusonMEMORIAL REMARKS FOR R. W. PIPERToward the close of the career of the ApostlePaul, who sensed that his time of service would soonend, we hear him say: "I have fought a good fight, Ihave finished my course, I have kept the faith." Thisis true of Mr. Piper.When we think over his service to Christ and HisChurch, in our midst, we recall :That he loved to preach. He was "at home" in anypulpit that he occupied. His very deliveryshowedthat he truly enjoyed "breaking the bread of life."He preached in most of the local churches. He also,on many occasions, preached in the local penitentiary. He needed only to be askedand if he could,he would serve !He is to be remembered for his friendliness.Wherever he went, he had a radiant smile, a characteristic handshake and was friendly to all. He wasquick to say "Hello there" as he passed by.He believed in and practiced brotherhood. Regardless of denominational affiliation, each ministerwas "Brother so and to him. He thought of all as"Brethren in Christ."He was a happy Christian. R. W. Piper was nevera complainer. He was quick to hear your troubles andslow to talk about his own. His radiancy of spiritalways was paramount. He had the grace of contentment and always appeared to be happy.He was a courageous Christian. You always knewthat he would take a stand for the right. He waswilling to "Stand up and be even if itmeant hardship.He was a good Pastor. He was especially faithfulto the sick and the shutins. He was a great walker.So much so, wherever he went in town, that some ofus thought of him as a "walking ambassador forChrist."He was a solid preacher. His sermons were allbased in and on the Scriptures. He was true to theWord. He did indeed "Preach Christ and Him CruIt has been said that no man, in his ministry,has failed who has pointed to Christ and the Bible.R. W. Piper did that always. We believe our Lord has!"said to him : "Well done, good and faithful servantSome imbed their footprints in concrete whichsoon hardens like stone. Some place theirs in mudwhich endures for a season. Some put theirs in thesand which keeps the mould until the wind and waveerase them. The impressions that R. W. Piper madein this life are in the hearts of the people he served,they are known to God, and will endure for Eternity !104Rev. Roy M. Shoaf, wrote the above, rathermade these remarks at a memorial service.My dear Mrs. Piper:The following transcript of a Memorial Resolution was read, adopted, copies ordered filed, and onesent to vou:IN MEMORIAMThe Reverend Robert W. Piper, D.D., MinisterThe Church-Industry Group of Moundsville,Marshall County, West Virginia, express profoundsorrow at the sudden loss of Dr. Robert W. Piper.As one of our members, he had helped give thisGroup its unique character an assemblage wheremen of Religion and men of other walks meet toshare view-points and burdens.In fact he himself was an example of translatingChristian teachings into action, and our Communityis better and cleaner because of his long Ministryamong us.We will miss too, his radiant cheerfulness, andhis faithfulness at our meetings.And so the Church-Industry Group has adoptedthis 3rd day of May, 1954 that this expression of oursympathy be made a part of the Minutes, and thata copy be sent, with our personal sympathies, to Mrs.Piper and Family.Respectfully submitted.Samuel C. ShawS. Charles JonesChairman of the Committee SecretaryRESOLUTIONS OF RESPECT."Be it resolved by the Session and Congregationof the First United Presbyterian Church of Moundsville, West Virginia, that"Whereas, Almighty God has seen fit to call toHis eternal home and reward a sincere and faithfulservant, who dedicated his life and used it in its entirety for the building of God's Kingdom here onearth, and a Shepherd to all, Rev. Robert W. Piper onMarch 21, 1954 ended his sojourn on earth andmoved on to higher service with God, and"Whereas, when he came to Moundsville, WestVirginia, ten years ago to serve as pastor of theUnited Presbyterian Church, he was a stranger toall, but through his Christian life, and Christianfaith, which he lived day by day, he became knownnot only to his congregation, but to all citizens as aminister of the Gospel and an esteemed citizen whowas interested in all civic moves which were goodand for the benefit of the people, and"Whereas, he served and shepherded his congregation, preaching the gospel as it is set forth inGod's Word, The Bible, and"Whereas, he served at the bedside of the sick,took the message to those who were in prison,brought comfort to those who mourned, always forgetting self that others might profit in the light ofthe Spirit, and,"Whereas, the greatest honor in memory ofhim, (we who are left behind can bestow) as amemorial to him is to say "He was a great man, aman of God."be it resolved that we the SesNow therefore,sion and Congregation of the First United Presbyterian Church of Moundsville, West Virginia, takethis means of expressing our sorrow at our loss andour sympathy to his bereaved family, and be it fur-THE COVENANTER WITNESS

saved."wisdom."ther resolved that these resolutions be spread uponthe minutes of the Session, and that a copy thereofbe sent to his widow, Mrs. Robert W. Piper, and acopy be sent to the local paper for publication, alsoto. the Wheeling Presbytery of the United Presbyterian Church."The Session of the United Presbyterian Churchof Moundsville, West VirginiaBy: Roy D. MyersClerk of SessionSo comes to a close the life of one called of Godto preach, and be a Minister to His people. He wasever faithful, a good Shepherd of his flock, a powerin prayer, and deply spiritual. He gave no quarterfrom any source to those who polluted our city withdrink, gambling, or debauchery. Even these hadgreat respect for this Crusader Minister, while allknew him to be most courageous in his desire to protect the Youth of this City from the insidious workof these who are notorious for their depravity.It is significant that perhaps the last publicservice rendered by Dr. Piper was the giving of thebeautiful Invocation at the March meeting of theChurch-Industry Group. The Association will misshim. He took his place among us humbly,great sincerity. As President, or official, our Asyet withsociation prospered under his benign guidance."Servant of God,well done !Thy glorious warfare's past ;The battle's fought, the race is runAnd thou art crowned at last."Marshall County Ministerial AssociationMr. Piper was very active here, loved by hiscongregation as well as byeveryone in the city.Many times he preached and did a good work in theS. S. of the penitentiary, he knew the men, couldtalk and pray with them.He broadcast over the Bellaire Radio Station,was to have given the message Saturday, the day before he passed away received manycards and phonecalls, had requests for his sermons which he gladlysent, he reached 40,000 people every time he spoke.He was instrumental in running the slot machines out of town. He was a hard worker for good.One thing more, his text the last Sabbath hepreached was Jeremiah 8:20. "The harvest is past,the summer is ended, and we are notnrri? rrnrTi? YirrarirkUT/wvnfiTinorl from T>aP*PTInstead of folding our hands in these difficultdays, let us rather renew our covenant and exclaim,"God be thanked, Who hath matched us with thishour."In accepting Christ's challenge, may we continuethrough covenant renewal to"Do the best we canWith what we have,NOW!"Wherever we areThis is "trueROADBLOCKS . . . continued from page 102These are difficult and serious questions. Thetendency is to by-pass and ignore such questions asthese. These questions are seldom faced. The tendency is rather to regard the status quo as normal. Or ifnot the present status quo, then at anyachievements of the past are regarded as normal. Ifwe could jnst get back to the way things were in "therate thegood old days" and maintain that standard, we aretold, then everything would be fine.But would it? Where have we been? This is1953. How are we to be excused for having failedto advance beyond our forefathers in understandingthe Scriptures ? How can we say that the reformationof the church was completed in 1560 or in 1638 orin 1806 or even in 1950? What have we been doingsince then ? Has our talent been buried in a napkin ?It is not difficult to admit that there are someevils in the church which need correction. But thetendency is to say that if we could just get back tothe sound basis of a generation or two ago, everything would be as it should be. What more couldanyone ask ? We could just hold that line for all timeto come.But that would not be doing our God-given duty.Our forefathers reformed the church in their time ;God calls us to reform it in our time. We cannot reston their laurels ; we must strike out for ourselves, byfaith, on the basis of the Word of God.(To be concluded)AMERICA'S SPIRITUAL PLIGHTPeople spend eight times more hours at moviesthan at Sunday School; only one out of twelve persons in our country attends church; seven out ofSchool ateight children quit church and Sundaytendance before they reach fifteen years of age;fifteen million "sex" magazines are printed monthlyand read by one-third of the American people ; thereare more bar maids in this country than collegegirls ; one million One Million American girls havevenereal disease; one hundred thousand girls disappear every year into white slavery ; one million illegitimate babies are born annually; there are almost a million illegal abortions performed annually ;our nation harbors three times as many criminals ascollege students; a major crime is committed everytwenty-two seconds;an aggravated assault or rapeevery hour ; a murder every forty minutes ; there aresixty suicides in our nation daily; two out of threeadults, both men and women, smoke; three out often who start as light drinkers, end up drunkards ; asa nation we spend about seven hundred fifty dollarson pleasures, sins, cosmetics and amusements toevery dollar given to foreign missions. J. EdgarHoover, in Church Chimes.105

.References:much."Lesson Helps for the Week of September 5, 1954C. Y. P. U. TOPICSeptember 5, 1954THE PURPOSE OF STUDYRev. J. E. McElroyText: Read II Timothy 2:1-16 especiallyPsalms:verse 1534:6-9, page 8278:1-6, page 187--.-149:1-4, page 288143:4,5, page 347References: Galatians 6:6; Proverbs 23:12, 23; I Timothy 6:20; II Timothy 3:14-17.Schooldays, Schooldays, If they arenot upon you, they soon will be. Willthey, as the old song goes, be "Goldenruledays"? Won't it depend upon yourattitude toward the ideaof"study?"What is the purpose of study? The textgiven as advice bythe young man Timothythe Apostle Paul tosuggests practical ideals for everyday study as well asstudy of the Bible.Webster's Dictionary defines the word"study"as "the application of the mindto books, arts, or any subject, for acquiring knowledge." Our text would indicate that Paul advised Timothy toapply his mind to the Word of God tobe approved of God.There is no doubt concerning the wisdom of acquiring knowledgeof God'sWord. The lessons from previous topicsand in Sabbath School have emphasizedits importance.We are concerned with the renewal ofthe school year and the study required.God is concerned with being able to approve our tasks of everyday life. Thelessons to study at school are a greatconcern of God.The Bible in the American StandardVersion states the test verse 15 as"Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman thatneedethnot to be ashamed, handling arightthe word of truth." This does not usethe word "study" but the purpose aspresented of an approved workman is tostudyor acquire knowledge so that hewould be able to handle rightly the wordof truth.The lessons in school are aimed to beused as acquiring knowledge. All thisknowledge is to be used to supplementand correlate the study of God's wordas a message to His children.Projects:K(J/l Review Daniel 1:1-20 and showy\how Daniel and his friends accepted thechallenge to study.2. Did Jesus give an example of diligence in study and teaching? Luke 21:37, 38106ttv,3. How may we seek the approval ofGod in school classes? In sports?4. Discuss ways of applying the "Golden Rule" to school days. Matthew 7:12JUNIOR TOPICSeptember 5, 1954by Mrs. Wilbur J. Keys"ABRAHAM'S PRAYER AND THEDESTRUCTION OF SODOM ANDGOMORRAH"Bible Reading: Genesis 18:23-19:30Psalms to SingPsalm 55, page 140, verses 12, 13, 17Psalm 5, page 8, verses 1, 2, 5Psalm 138, page 338, verses 1, 2, 5, 6Let us use Psalm 55 as our memorypsalm this month. This psalm tells us ofour duties, as Christians, to go to Godin prayer and how God is always readyto hear and answer.Prayer commandedIsa. 55:6; promises for prayer John 14:13; how tooffer prayerMatt. 21:22; encouragement to pray Romans 10:13; ourduty in prayercession for all menI Tim. 2:1-5; interEph. 6:18; ourprayer for the nation I Chron. 16:35;Christ, our intercessor Heb. 7:25Memory Verse:"The effectual ferventprayer of a righteous man availethJames 5:16bWe find Lot continually in troublesince he pitched his tent towards Sodom.Last week you recalled how Abrahamcame to Lot's rescue. Today Lot is introuble again. The story is told abouta farmer's parrot who, one spring day,saw the crows pulling up the corn; sohe joined them. Soon, bang! went thefarmer's gun. When the farmer went tolook, he found that he ,crows and wounded his 1 1the parrot home. "WhatWhat hurt our pretty I 'children. "Bad companyanswered the parrot. 1 1pare Lot to the parrot. ]Abraham's good exarseeking the companypeople of Sodom, he vhimself a lot of troub!While Abraham is Hthe doorwayof his temen guests approachinof the guests is thejtwo are angels. Abralthat he was, invited tthe shade of the tree Iprepared a wholesojbaked on the hearthing the meal, the Lord gave Abrahamand his wife Sarah a promise of a babyson. We shall studyabout this nextweek. Now that the messengers havegiven their message of grace, they turntoward Sodom. The Lord tells Abrahamthat Sodom and Gomorrah, a neighboring city, must be destroyed because oftheir sinfulness. The two angels went on,but the Lord stayed for a while withAbraham.Two of the Juniors might read as adialogue the intercessory prayer of Abraham and the Lord (Genesis 18:23-32).This word,"intercessory"might be newto some of you, but it simply meanspraying for others. This prayer of Abraham's is the first solemn prayer we haverecorded in the Bible. Even thoughAbraham hates the wickedness of Sodomyet he prays that the city might bespared for the sake of the righteous living there. We see the success of prayerin the way the Lord answers quickly. Wealso see how merciful God is in that hewill spare Sodom for ten righteous. Wedo not know why Abraham stopped withten. Perhaps, he lost courage, or maybehe thought the sinners deserved God'swrath. Anyway, Abraham returned to hisplace to observe what would take place.Imagine the sorrow in Abraham's heartwhen not ten righteous could foe found inthe city of Sodom.That evening when the two angelscame to Sodom, they found Lot sitting atthe gate. ImmediatelyLot invited themto spend the night with him. He did notwant the angels of the Lord exposed tothe wickedness found on the streets ofSodom. Lot prepared a feast for them.Soon the wicked people came to destroyLot's guests, and we find Lot ready toprotect his guests even with his very life.The men pulled Lot back in the house-

overthrow.''serve"men."pel"well."obedient to His Holy Will. Let us always press forward, Phil. 3:13, 14.Early the next morning Abrahamarose and looked toward Sodom andGomorrah and "lo, the smoke of thecountry went up as the smoke of a furnace. And it came to pass, when Goddestroyed the cities of the plain, thatGod remembered Abraham, and sentLot out of the midst of theHere is perfect proof that God answersprayer. God heard Abraham's prayerand saved Lot.Questions to answer:1. Why did Abraham move from Urto Canaan? (Gen. 12:1-5)2. Why was Abraham so interested inSodom?3. What is the difference between intercessoryprayer and prayer in the ordinary sense?4. Can everyone serve as an intercessor?5. Name other Bible people who prayedfor others. What were the results?6. Do our prayers make it easier foiothers to find Christ? (James 5:16)For your notebook:Draw a thermometer-like diagram,using the numbers in Abraham's prayer,with fifty at the top, followed withspaced intervals marked with 45, 40, 30,20, 10, 4, and 3. Color the lower 3 spaces-red to represent Lot and his two daughters who were saved. The fourth spacemay be shaded gray to represent Lot's"wife whose heart and mind were uncertain even to death. The remaining spacesshould be black to represent the resultsof sin. At the bottom of the page copyHeb. 2:1-3.To the Leader:For the flash card for this lesson,-sketch or paste a picture of "The Praying Hands."Over it print the word,"PRAYER.""the memoryBelow give the reference ofverse. Have the Juniorswrite out lists of definite requests ofprayer for them to use daily. Tell themto cross out the ones that God answersand keep adding new ones. This will definitely help improve their prayer life andsee how God does answer prayer.SABBATHSCHOOL LESSONSeptember 5, 1954by Rev. Joseph A. Hill(Lessons based on International Sunday School"Lessons ; the International Bible LeBsons forChribtlan Teaching, copyrighted by the International Council of Religious Education.)GROWTH THROUGH USEFUL WORKLesson Material and Printed Text: Colossians 3:23, 24; I Thessalonians 4:10b,11; 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 13Memory verse: Colossians 3:23 "What-August 18, 1954soever ye do, work heartily, as unto theLord,and not untoIn the ancient city of Sergovia, Spain,there was a high stone aqueduct whichstood in tact and in use for eighteen centuries. It was built by the Romans in theyear 109 A. D. and it was held togetherwithout any cement! A few decades agoit was decided that the aqueduct shouldno longer be used for conducting waterinto the city, but that it should be preserved asan historic monument. Thewater was therefore diverted into newpipelines. In a few years, however, theold aqueduct, no longer held tight by theweight and pressure of the water running along its walls, began to fall intoruin. Once again the physical teachesa moral lesson: "By much slothfulnessthebuilding decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeththrough"(Ecc. 10:18). Idleness resultsin deterioration; onlywork can buildup. While building houses and ships, menare building character. While idle, theyare wrecking character.I. The Christian View of WorkColossians 3:23. It is part of the Christian world-and-life view that all ourlabors, in every field, are performedunto the Lord of life. Too often, "secular"work is regarded as having no connection with God's plan for the world.For the Christian, all constructive workis Kingdom work. The Christian is consecrated in all his activities, to God. Godcalls men into industry and medicine aswell as into the ministry. The Christiancarpenter as well as the missionary, isin full-time Christian service."Work heartily" how we need toheed these words of the great Taskmaster! What satisfaction there is in doinga piece of work well, because we haveput our soul into it! Dr. Clarence Edward Macartney, in a sermon on Paul'sshipwreck (Acts 27:27) tells how twohundred and seventy-six passengers onthat ship were depending on how wellsome workmen had done their jobs. Theycast anchor in the storm. Everything depended on those four anchors. "If theydrag, or if their cables snap, the ship willdrive onto the rocks in the darkness andall will perish. But some nameless ironworker of Damascus has done his workwell. Some ropemaker of Syracuse haddone his work well. Some carpenter ofBrundisium had been faithful and conscientious in his work. When you do anhonest piece of work, whether it is preparing a sermon, or weaving a garment,or forgoing an iron, or making a rope,you never know how many you will(Great Nights of the Bible, byC. E. Abingdon-Macartney, Cokesbury,1943, p. 56).Work well done receives high wagesfrom the Master. The highest pay of allis the joy that comes from knowing thatI have done it for Him.II. Christian Pietyand Work/ Thessalonians 4:10b, 11. For somereason, possibly because they were excited with the expectation of the Lord'simmediate return, the Christians at Thessalonica had become indolent. We knowfrom Paul's epistles to the Thessalonians that they were disturbed by somemisapprehension concerningthe SecondComing of Christ. Perhaps they expectedChrist to return very soon. Evidentlysome thought it more pious to stop working at their common labors so that theymight prepare themselves for the comingof the Lord. But Paul charges them withthe duty of daily work. True piety is doing the will of God, and doing the will ofGod is just fulfilling the tasks set beforethe Christian each day. A person is nomore pious when he is reading his Bibleor on his knees in prayer than he is whenhe is plowing or feeding hogs or keepingbusiness accounts. There is a time forprayer and Bible study, to be sure. Thereis also a time to be busyat work hardwork. It is not right for us to be working when we ought to be praying. Neitheris it right for us to be praying when weought to be working. True piety includesboth.III. The Christian Example of Work// Thessalonians 3:6 13. This passagesets forth the apostle Paul's own exampleand precept in the matter of daily work.While ministering among the Thessalonians, Paul earned his own living, presumably by his trade of tent making. Hehad a perfect right to "live by the gos(1 Cor. 9:13-14), but in order tobe a good example of Christian diligence,Paul labored with his hands day andnight.After giving several exhortations concerning diligent work, Paul sums it all upby saying (verse 13), "But ye, brethren,be not weary in well doing." What a fine,Christlike motto for life ! Be not weary inwell-doing. A great incentive! There is alegend at Harvard that the late Le BaronRussell Briggs, beloved dean of the college, once asked a student why he hadfailed to complete an assignment. "Iwasn't feeling very well,Smith,"student. "Mr. said the Dean, "Isir,"said thethink that in time you may perhaps findthat most of the work of the world isdone by people who aren't feeling very(Frederick Lewis Allen in ThisWeek, quoted in "The Reader's Digest,"March, 1953).There is nothing wrong about beingtired. That is only a matter of musclesand bones. But being weary is tragic,because it is a matter of the heart. Oneof Satan's most effective tools is weari-107

us,"comments"well-doing."us"glory"ever"us"ness. It is the devil who persuades us tosay, "I am tired ofbeing honest;" "I amtired of going to school"; "I am tired ofwriting lesson(!) Think ofthose noble men and women who havelabored in remote regions of the earth forthe faith of the Gospel, who have received no Nobel Awards, no bronzeplaques, no medalions nor citations, norecognition of any kind. Yet many ofthem have labored on, lonely, persecuted, insulted, and asked to leave. Theirwatchword is endurance, their life motto: "Let us not be weary inPRAYER MEETING TOPICSeptember 8, 1954THE GREATEST ATTAINMENTPOSSD3LETO MANI John 3:2. Beloved, now are we thesons of God, and it doth not yet appearwhat we shall be; but we know that,when he shall appear, we shall be likehim; for we shall see him as he is. ReadJohn's Gospel 3:1-17.Psalms23;l-5, page 5236:5-8, page 9085:5-8, page 207103:5-8, page 247Comments by M. S. McMillan, D.D.Item one in that attainment is BELOVED OF GOD. "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed onwe who had rebelled against Himas Absalom rebelled against his fatherDavid. Peace of conscience is the firstfruits of assurance of God's love. "Andthey shall be mine, saith the Lord ofhosts, in that day when I make up myjewels; and I will spare them, as a manspareth his own son, that serveth him."Item two in that attainment is thatone is a son o{ God as soon as he becomes a new creation in Christ Jesus."Now are we the sons of God." Sons ofGod by regeneration and adoption,"whereby we are received into the number and have a right to all the privilegesof the sons of God." When men adoptchildren into their family they have totake them with any hereditary taints theymay have, but it is not so with God,He renews his adopted children in thewhole man after His own image and enables them to die more and more untosin and to live more and more untorighteousness until the mortal has puton immortality and the corruptible hasput on incorruption and their souls being made perfect in holiness do pass intoglory.Item three in that attainment is evidence that one is a child of God. "Foras many as are led by the Spirit of God,108they are the sons of God, For ye havenot received the spirit of bondage againto fear; but ye have received the Spiritof adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father. TheSpirit itself beareth witnesswith our spirit, that we are the childrenof God" (Rom. 8:14-16).Item four in that attainment: privileges of the children of God. The prefaceof the Lord's prayer teaches us to drawnear to God with holy reverence and confidence as children to a father, willingand able to help us in every time of need."And if children, then heirs, heirs of God,and joint- heirs with Christ; if so be thatwe suffer with him, that we may be alsoglorified together. For I reckon that thesufferings of this present time are notworthy to be compared with the glorywhich shall be revealed in (Rom. 8:17,18).Item five in that attainment. "Thenwe shall see him (Jesus) as he is." Notas he was in His state of humiliation butas He now is in His state of exaltation,having the glory which He had with theFather before the world was, having allauthority in heaven and on earth, having the name which is above every name.The transfiguration was probably alimited preview of the physical aspectsof that glory. "His face did shine as thesun, and his raiment was white as thelight, exceeding white as snow; so asno fuller on earth can white them"(Matt. 17:2; Mark 9:3). "His head andhis hairs were white like wool, as whiteas snow; and his eyes were as a flame offire; and his feet like unto fine brass,as if burned in a furnace; and his voiceas the sound of manywaters"(Rev.1:14,15). "Father, I will that they alsowhom thou hast given me, be with mewhere I am; that they may behold myme"glory, which thou hast given (John17:24). They had seen Christ and hadbeen about to forsake Him in His briefstate of humiliation and now He praysthat they may eternally see Him in Hisdivine glory and exaltation.Item six in that attainment: "It dothnot yet appear what we shall be." God'slove for man maynot rest so much onwhat he now is as on what he shall bewhen his soul is made perfectly holyand he is made perfectly blessed in thefull enjoyment of God to all eternity.There may be a limited preview of thephysical aspects of the glorification ofthe redeemed saints in what is said aboutMoses and Elijah on the Mount of transfiguration, "who appeared in(Luke 9:31). Why did Peter suggestbuilding three tabernacles on that mountain, one for Jesus, one for Moses andone for Elias unless the glorious appearance of Moses and Elias was almostequal to that of Christ?Item seven in that attainment: "Whenhe shall appear we shall be like him.""Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man,the things which God hath prepared forthem that love him." (1 Cor. 2:9). "Andthey that be wise shall shine as thebrightness of the firmament; and theythat turn many to righteousness as thestars for ever and (Dan. 12:3)."For whom he did foreknow, he alsodid predestinate to be conformed untothe image of his Son, that he might bethe firstborn among many brethren.Moreover whom he did predestinate,them he also called: and whom hecalled, them he also justified: and whomhe justified, them he also glorified. Whatshall we then say to these things? If Godbe for us, who can foe against (Rom.8:29-31)W. M. S. COLUMNExcerpts from business session of Synodical, July 20, 1954.The disposal of the $6,000.00 in thelife and memorial fund was an importantitem of business, and after much consideration and prayer the followingaction was taken: Since PhiladelphiaPresbyterial memorialized the SynodicalMay 1951, to give more publicity to theLife and Memorial Fund, as to its original purpose, namely the establishing of aHOME for furloughed and retired missionaries, we record the action of Synodical of 1954 as follows:That the synodical give $25.00 per monthto a furloughed couple and $10.00 permonth to a furloughed single missionary,toward provision of a home while on furlough, the money to be drawn from Lifeand Memorial Fund. (Payments to beginJuly 1954)That foreign and home mission superintendents inform all missionaries of therent-free home available to them in HotSprings, New Mexico;That retired missionaries upon reaching the age when they feel they can nolonger live alone, be advised to seek admission into the Aged People's Home ofthe Reformed Presbyterian Churchthrough the regular channels.Memorialized by Illinois Presbyterial totake upa S(pecial synodical project eachyear, the synodical voted to adopt theproject this year of paying, over andabove the budget, the transportation of anew missionary to the foreign field. Thesynodical treasurer was to be authorizedto borrow money from an available fundof the Synodical, if necessary, until contributions come in.Mrs. J. M. RobbSynodical Recording SecretarjrTHE COVENANTER WITNESS-

STERLING: Mr. Samuel Skinner, father of Mrs. Wilbur Wilkey died July27. It was due to his stroke and illness-that Mrs. Wilkey was unable to be Synodical'sprecentor at Grinnell.PHOENIX: The congregation welcomed Mr. and Mrs. Robert McCracken-with a surprise party Saturday eveningJuly 31 at the manse. They are with usduring the month of August while ourpastor and his wife are vacationing.TOPEKA: We are proud to announcethat 55persons from Topeka attendedthe Grinnell conference. Sabbath eveningJuly 25, we had Grinnell Echo meeting during the first hour. Splendid reports were given, and our hearts werefilled as one of the members gave histestimony and told of his acceptance ofChrist during the conference.STERLING: Mrs. Mary (Sterrett)Connery, for many years a member ofSterling Congregation died in the localhospital on July 11 after an illness ofthree months. Mary Sterrett born inWashington, Iowa, 1877, moved to JewellCounty, Kansas, in 1881, attended Sterling College in '96, and married John Connery in '98. Her husband and son Boydpreceded her in death. She is survived bytwo sons, James of Lyons, and Coulter ofLittle River. Mrs. Connery, who endearedherself to all who knew her, spent herlast fifteen years working in the CollegeCafeteria.NEW YORK CITY: Those attendingGrinnell from N. Y. C. were Rev. andMrs. Robert A. Henning, George Henning, Carl Henning, Mrs. Margaret Little,Margaret Rose Little, Guy Little, MissIrene Adams, Mrs. John Crawford, Dr.and Mrs. W. W. Weir, Miss MargaretWeir, Miss Lola Weir.BLOOMINGTON: Mrs. Clarence Latimer, who met with a painful accidentseveral weeks ago when she became entangled in a post-hole digger, was ableto worship with us last Sabbath. We arevery thankful for her recovery and happyto have her with us again.STERLING: Thirty- five members ofthe Patton family were in Sterling recently for a family reunion. Those whocame from a distance included Mrs.Robert Edgar and sons of Philadelphia,Pa., Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Barnes andfamily of Dodge City, Mr. and Mrs. C.H. Hays of Hoisington, Mrs. DaleMiner of Pratt, Mr. and Mrs. Edgar SeybAugust 18, 1954of Pretty Prairie, Mr. and Mrs. AlbertHaltom of Harper, and Mr. and Mrs.Neal Stearley and family of Los Angeles,California.GENEVA: August 4 was the day ofour Sabbath School picnic held at Brady's Run Park, located South of BeaverFalls. After everyone had been well fed,games were enjoyed by young and oldwith Miss Mary Mitchel in charge. Abaseball game with C. B. Methany acting as umpire, held the attention of thegroup, excitement enough to send ushome happy. The picnic lunch was incharge of Mrs,. Samuel Lathom withMrs. Robert Hemphill acting as cohostess.HEBRON: On Sabbath, August 8, thesacrament of Christian Baptism was administered to Maria Fern, infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Milligan, andCharles Dale, infant son of Mr. andMrs. Alvin Dale Dunn. The sacramentwas administered by the pastor of theHebron Congregation, Rev. J. G. Vos.TOPEKA: The followingto be with us during August: August 1ministers areRev. W. M. Martin, 8 Rev. LutherMcFarland, 15 Rev. June McElroy, 22Rev. Phillip Martin, and 29 Rev.Ken Smith. Rev. Willard McMillan waswith us July 25.We are thankful forthe messages we are receiving throughthese servants of the Lord.STERLING: Joe and Robert McFarland celebrated their 1954birthdays""doubleJuly 25 with a relative picnic and swim at the lake on Saturdayevening. A social program of music,magic and pictures was enjoyed by thesame group on Monday evening in theChurch basement. Of the twenty-ninepresent the followingtance: Rev.were from a disand Mrs. Luther McFarland, Marion and Gene, Montclair, N. J. ;Mrs. Vera Mann and Pamela, JeffersonCity, Mo; Ruth McFarland, Wichita;and Nancy Young and Marilee Towse,Hutchinson.BLOOMINGTON: Mr. and Mrs.Lloyd Edgar and familyof the Sharoncongregation worshiped with us on Sabbath August 8.TOPEKA: Our sympathy is extendedto Mrs. Martin Chestnut and family inthe death of her father, Arthur Duquidof Winchester.STERLING: August 1, Armour McFarland and his father Dr. A. J. McFarland worshiped in Denver. Armour wasen route to California while Dr. McFarland was dating radio stations with "TheWay Out."GENEVA: Excitement mounted as the5th of August approached. The Tweedhome was the scene of a happy reunionas the Hugh Blairs arrived from Irelandfor a six-weeks stay. This is Allison'sfirst visit home since her marriage eightyears ago, to Rev. Hugh Blair, newpastor of the Ballymoney, Ireland congregation. It was our pleasure to havehim preach for us Sabbath August 8.The Blairs have three children, David,Susan, and Fiena.STERLING: Rev. and Mrs. L. E.Kilpatrick, John and Paul vacationedin Glen Haven, Colorado, during August.PHOENIX: Those attending Grinnellfull or part time were Dr. and Mrs. J. G.McElhinney, Mr. Arnold Wolfe and Glen,Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cox, Mr. and Mrs.Orville Wolcott, and Miss Lillian McCracken.BLOOMINGTON: We were happy tohave Mrs. Roscoe Keller and family ofSpeedway, Indiana visit us recently.Mrs. Keller is the former Marjorie Curry,daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Zwingle Curry.STERLING: Near the close of harvest Willis Edgar sustained several broken ribs and bruises as the result of acar-truck collision.TOPEKA: The annual Thank Offeringwas held August 4 with PastormeetingAwad as guest speaker. A social hourfollowed with punch and cookies beingserved for refreshments. The offeringamounted to $60.25. Since the meetingwas held early the Thank Offering Account is being held open for a while sothat later contributions may be received.STERLING: Miss Esther Dill fell inher home July 31, suffering painful injury to the same knee injured in a busaccident near Topeka a few years ago.She is being cared for at the home ofher nephew, John Dill.BLOOMINGTON: We are sorry tolearn that Mrs. Frank Smith has beenhospitalized for observation.STERLING: The Warnock Pattonhome has been the retreat for the Adamsreunion July 24-26. Adams relatives present were J. R. Adams, Sterling; MissMary Adams, late from Japan; MissElla Adams, Pittsburgh, Pa.; Mr. andMrs. Andrew Adams, Huxton, Colorado;Mrs. R. C. Adams, Sandy Hook, Ky.;and Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Heasty.GENEVA: Mrs. John Coleman entertained her Sabbath School class theeveningof August 6. Afetr a Bible quiz109

achievemewhich had most of the group wonderingif they really read their Bibles, a business meeting was conducted for the purpose of selecting a teacher as Mrs. Coleman is planning to make Philadelphiaher home in the near future. Miss AdellaLawson was selected and later gave heracceptance. With God helping her, mayshe see us bearing fruit which is love,joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,goodness, faith, meekness, temperance,against such there is no law."PHOENIX: Mr. and Mrs. MelvinMeans and children Timmy, Marilyn andWayne spent their vacation in BeaverMeans'Falls, Penna., with Mr. and Mrs.parents.STERLING: The weddings of two ofour young men are festive occasions inAugust. James Humphreys,son of Mr.and Mrs. T. A. Humphreys to MaryHindman at Mineola, August 20; andKarl Cunningham, son of Mrs. BlancheCunningham, to Joan Lukens, at Beloit,August 23. James will farm at Sterling,while Karl returns to Gypsum to continue high school teaching.TOPEKA: The August meeting of theW. M. S. was held at the home of Mrs.Grady Stegall with Mrs. E. H. Nusbaumas devotional leader. We were privilegedto have Pastor Awad speak to our groupand to learn more about the MissionarySocietyof Syria.STERLING: Dr. and Mrs. L. P. Rosinski, Miss Marie McConnell, and MissNancy Dunn of Kansas City visited theirAunt Mary Moore, August 6-7.TOPEKA: Miss Elizabeth McElroyis now with us visiting in the homes ofher sister, Mrs. Grady Stegall and herbrother, Mr. Wilbur McElroy.BLOOMINGTON: Mr. and Mrs. David Wilson and children, of Lake Wales,Forida, visited us on Sabbath, August 8.David is Principal of the High Schoolat Lake Wales.GENEVA: The offering taken on thesecond Sabbath of August during theSabbath School hour was sent to theIndian Mission where Rev. and Mrs. D.C. Ward are laboring for the Lord.STERLING: The Sterling pulpit wasfilled August 1 by Rev. Luther McFarland, Montclair, N. J.; and on August8 by Rev. M. W. Martin, Seattle, Washington.TOPEKA: August 8 marked the lastday of church services at the TopekaChurch, 920 Clay Street. This propertyhas been sold and the church is to be relocated in a more favorable area of thecity. A congregational meeting is tobe held September 3 at which time favorable building sites will be presented.It is hoped that a decision will be reached110at this time as to where our new churchhome will be established. Meanwhileservices will be held at the Women'sClub Building, 9th and Topeka.STERLING: On July 28, PastorAwad, Latakia, Syria, spoke to an appreciative audience following a churchsupper. This was not onlyRev. Awad'sfirst experience of attending a churchsupper, but also his first cafeteria service.BLOOMINGTON: Rev. and Mrs. R.S. McElhinneyentertained the LouisDonahue and family of Orlando overthe week-end as they were on their wayto the young people's convention at Grinnell.STERLING: Joe McFarland went toLima, Ohio, August 2,where he purchased and drove home a new schoolbus for the Turon schools. Joe is theelementary principal of Turon again thisfall.Joe and Roberta McFarland are theC.Y.P.U. sponsors this summer. Joe hasalso taught the high school SabbathSchool class.BLOOMINGTON: Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Moore have returned to their homeafter a twoweeks'vacation in the West.TOPEKA: Mrs. Anna Lyons was atChurch August 8 for the first time sincefracturing her hip last spring. We rejoice in the healing power of the Lordand that it was possible for her to attend the last services in the churchbuilding.STERLING: The R. M. Edgar homehas been a "beehive'' of joy and excitement with all of their children and families gathered home during the secondweek in August. Donald and family fromElizabethton, Tenn.; Dr. and Mrs. Alfred Kelsey (Margaret) and family ofTampa, Florida; Mr. and Mrs. Joe Mc-Kinley (Mary)and family, CollegeSprings, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. Reid Hindman, (Carol) Mineola; Mr. and Mrs.Howard Edgar and family, Hutchinson;and Misses Jean and Alice from Hutchinson.GENEVA: Miss Eva Hayes took herfirst plane trip to California to spendher vacation with friends on the westcoast. Eva is employed in the businessoffice of the college and worships withus. She is a member of the Cornwallis,Nova Scotia congregation.TOPEKA: Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd McElroy and Lynn are taking a trip toPhoenix, Arizona, to visit their daughterMarjorie who was married July 13 toRobert D. Cox.STERLING: Among those attendingGrinnell from Sterling were: the Rev.Kilpatrick family, the A. J. McFarlandfamily, Joe and Roberta McFarland, Mr.and Mrs. Robert Dill, Mrs. Fay Oline,Larry and Dianne, Marjorie Humphreys,Alice and Jean Edgar, Karl Cunningham,Joan Lukens, Carolyn Young, MaryAdams, Wendell and Ruth McFarlandand Dr. Eunice MeGill.TOPEKA: Mrs. Belle Adams of ourKentucky Mission spent a week in thehomes of her daughters, Mrs. Elmer Graham and Mrs. Gene Spear.STERLING: The Maurice Reeds vacationed in Colorado during the heat ofJuly.TOPEKA: The last recreation night ofthe season was held August 3.DR. JOHN W. OLIVER, for manyyears a faithful member of the Boardof Trustees ofthe Central PittsburghChurch, retired after 31 years of serviceas the head of the History Departmentat the University of Pittsburgh.He was born on a farm in SouthernMissouri that nasi been in his family forfour generations. He received his B.A.and M.A. from the University of Missouri and his Ph.D. from Wisconsin.After World War I he served with theState Historical Society while teachinghistory at the University of Indiana,coming to Pittsburgh in 1923.Besides being an outstanding teacher,as those of us who have had the privilegeof being students in his classes can testify, Dr. Oliver is a writer of note. Mostpeople quote the Encyclopedia Britannicaas an authority, but with Dr. Oliver it isthe other way roundhim.""it quotesHe is cited as anauthority in his articleon Francis Parkman, noted Americanhistorian, which first appeared in theWestern Pennsylvania Historical Magazine, 1924.After many years of studyand research Dr. Oliver has just completed a36 chapter volume on the "History ofAmerica'sTechnologicalwill be published at an earlywritingAge,"whichdate. Theof this book is the greatest undertaking historically since FrederickTwener wrote the History of the American Frontier. His thesis ia: "ThatAmerica's power its preponderance today is not based on anymilitary power but basically en her scientific and technologicalHe begins with the landingpolitical orof the Pilgrims and goes all the way down to theAtomic Age. Because of his pioneer workin this field the U. S. Government hasrequested him at various periods to furnish it with the history of research anddevelopment for the Board of Engineersof the War Department. Among hisother works are papers on the life ofTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

Marshall Ferdinand Foch and the 12volumes which he edited for the IndianaState Historical Society. He has donework for the Dictionaries of AmericanBiographyand History.Dr. Oliver is a member of many Historical Societies including the Pennsylvania State Museum Commission, andis Chairman of the Point Park Division.Dr. and Mrs. Oliver have two sons,both of whom are following in the footsteps of their father in the field of history, and are taking upthis summer at the University of Pittsgraduate workburg. Jack is working for his Ph.D. atDuke in N. C, and Bob on his M.A. atPitt; but due to his induction into theU. S. Army next week, he will be unableto complete his education until a laterdate.THANKS TO HEBRONCONGREGATIONbeen engaged in the service ofHavingthe Lord in the Hebron Congregation(Idana, Kansas) for about 13 years, andhaving been called to service elsewhere inthe Kingdom, we have come to the timeof parting from the members and friendsof the Hebron Church. It is with a feeling of sadness that we leave these dearChristian friends who have encouragedus in the Lord's work and have bornepatiently with our faults and weaknesses.The Congregation held a farewell social on Thursday evening, August 8.After an interestingprogram includingtwo travel films and several musicalnumbers, as well as a devotional service,Mr. Harold Milligan, the Chairman ofthe Congregation,presented us with anew G. E. electric fan and a generous giftof money to help us on our way. Thoughwe attempted to make appropriate responses at the time, our words could notconvey adequately our feeling of gratitude and appreciation of the fellowshipof the members and friends of the congregation. We wish to acknowledge ourdeepThe loyaltyand sincere gratitude to one and all.of Hebron Congregation tothe truth of our Christian and covenantedprofession has been a great encouragement to us. We wish the Congregationthe best of God's blessings in the daysto come.The program was followed by refreshments served by the ladies of the church,and an informal social time was enjoyedby all. Besides members andmany local friends, guests were present from Topeka, Denison, Eskridge, Sterling andSuperior.We will never forget the Hebron congregation, members and friends.(Signed)August 18, 1954J. G. and Marian Vosand family4imtii i itimitnimiiiiiimiiniiimniitiiiiiiiiihimiiiiitiim nulling! LEAGUE OF COVENANTER I| INTERCESSORS. ='I fllllllMIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIMIMIMI II I II I II III II I II I IIIlllllllllLet us give thanks for the many knownanswers to prayer about Grinnellthegood weather, the surprisingly large attendance, the good spirit, the steady liftof the program connected with covenanting, the challenge that we received, andthe evidences of the presence of the Spirit. And now let us answer the challengewith definitelydience as the Lord directs.planned progress in obeLet us give thanks for the little-knownanswers to prayer there. Many testimonies were given at the camp-fire; butothers who could not be at the campfirewill have opportunities to give theirsat home. Let us pray that whether byword or by action, we shall not fail to"glorify Him,on Whom weour day of trouble."called inLet us continue to pray that as needshave developed, each shall answer thecall of the Lord to the field and the workHe has chosen for us; or to the preparation for dutyin Sabbath School or mission field where the Spirit would have usserve.REPORT OF SYNOD'S COMMITTEEON NOMINATIONSModerator's alternate to preach thesermon at next SynodR. W. CaskeyCommittee on Resolutions of Thanksfor this SynodTweed, William RussellDavid M. Carson, RobertCommittee on Arrangements for nextSynoden, W. G. DoddsingF. H. Lathom, J. Paul McCrackElders to write congregations not havan elder present at Synod.To Old Bethel by S. R. MarshallSelma by R. S. McCloyLake Reno by Frank BeardBeulah by W. G. DoddsBlanchard by William RussellCache Creek by Wilbur KeysClarinda by B. C. TerryBarnet by Elmer GrahamColdenham by W. R. WhiteNew York by Robert MoreCincinnati by Clyde RedpathHetherton by Ross LatimerNew Concord by Ucal FarisPortland by Oscar McClaySanta Ana by J. L. WrightSan Diego by B. M. FergusonSeattle by James A. BeattieThird Philadelphia by C. F. MillicanConnelsville by J. C. GeorgeMercer by J. H. SeniorParnassusNew Castle by Kenneth Hurdby Wilbur McElroyRehoboth by R. J. DillRose Point by Millard RussellYoungstown by Raymond StevensonAlmonte by Roy AdamsLisbon by Robert McConaughyLochiel by Edwin ClarkeThose to whom and by whom lettersof remembrance should be written.ToThomas M. Hutcheson by J. Paul WilsonOwen F. Thompson by M. S. McMillanPaul D. White by M. W. DoughertyW. J. Sanderson by J. A. KempfTheodore F. Harsh by Charles SterrettJ. D. Edgar by George ColemanSamuel Edgar by R. I. RobbF. D. Frazer by R. J. G. McKnightJ. R. Gault by T. C. McKnightWalter McCarroll by D. H. ElliottP. J. McDonald by J. K. RobbF. M. Wilson by W. O. FergusonR. A. Blair by E. G. RussellRobert Clarke by M. W. MartinE. Clark Copeland by Harold ThompsonE. A. Crooks by W. J. McBurneyHerbert A. Hays by J. C. MitchelE. L. McKnight by John ColemanRobert Park by Boyd WhiteBoard of PublicationJ. G. Vos, Lester E. Kilpatrick, Joseph CaskeyWitness Committee J. R. Patterson,D. Howard Elliott, George Hill, ChesterR. Fox, Roy Adams, to fill unexpiredterm of J. B. Tweed, John Coleman.Theological Seminary Paul D. McCracken, R. K. McConaughy, K. C.Smith, T. F. Harsh.Temperance CommitteeR. Paul Wright.A. W. Smith,Foreign Missions F. M. Wilson, W.C. McClurkin, Luther McFarland, G. M.Robb, Robert Henning, Niklaus Hagmann,Lola Weir, J. Paul Wilson.Evangelistic Committee R. I. Robb,M. W. Dougherty, J. L. Wright, JosephCaskey, F. L. Stewart, chairman.Home MissionsR. A. Blair, D. Howard Elliott, Carl Murphy, John Allen,R. Howard George, Mrs. J. L. Coon, Mrs.J. P. Mitchel to fill the unexpired termof Mrs. Merle Hodgekiss.Church Erection D. R. Taggart, R.W. Speer.Synod's Member of the Board of Corporators of Geneva College HaroldThompson.Assistant on Traveling Fund Committee for 1955John Tweed.Prayer Meeting Topics CommitteeRalph Mathews.Ill

pastorates"cookies."well."Christian Education Bruce C. Stewart, Clyde Redpath, Philip Coon.StewardshipPensionsD. H. Elliott, chairman.J. E. McElroy, Robert BairdJewish Mission Joseph M. Steele,Mrs. S. E. Greer, Theodore May.Synod's Board of Trustees J. HowardSenior, R. K. McConaughy, Charles Haslett.Delegates to NAE Convention Norman Carson. J. C. Mitchel.Representative on the Board of Administration of the NAE J. C. Mitchel.Committee on the Oath S. B. Willson,R. N. Martin, J. R. Patterson, C. T.Carson, R. W. Caskey, C. M. Lee, H.L. Smith.Bible Readings F. F. Reade, R. H.McKelvy, W. J. Burns.Committee on Church UnionD. Ray Wilcox 1955R. M. Carson 1956John McMillan 1957Judicial Commission to study and actupon the information relative to theChurch in Hong Kong G. M. Robb, P.Smith, C. T. Carson, Raymond Stohner,Henning, William Ramsey.SPECIAL COMMITTEESTo review and suggest changes ormodifications of the plan advising "fiveyear termMinutes of Synod, 1948, p.as recorded in the144 K. G.Smith, C. T. Carson, Raymond Stohner,R. J. Dill, E. C. Clarke.To consider therecommendation ofthe Board of Pensions that pensions becut 10% F. W. Huston, John Allen,Ross Latimer.To consider paper No. 7, petitioningSynod for a change in the method ofprofessors electingto the TheologicalSeminary James Carson, Alvin Smith,R. H. McKelvy, Millard Russell, A. A.Carson.To survey the Jewish Mission possibilitiesRobert Henning, George Price,Lola Weir.To assemble the parts of the plan onContinuance of Pastorates and presentto next Synod a unified statement whichmaytors andbe published for guidance of pascongregations George Coleman, Paul Wilson, Edwin Clarke.To study and bringin recommendations on the use of various translationsof the Bible in public and private worship S. E. Boyle, John Coleman, RoyBlackwood, C. M. Lee, J. L. Wright.112W. M. S. DepartmentMrs. Ross Latimer. Editor.Prayer Hour. 1 :00 P.M. Mondaytime or a neighbor's good name.) ATOPIC FOR SEPTEMBEREDUCATIONMary Elizabeth Coleman, Ph.D.September 8, 1954child's learning, then, is a gradual process, and requires many experiences.The most effective instruction one gets,for good or evil, is what he learns fromthose around him. Parents who are conProv. 22:6 is one of those verses which, siderate of others, generous in givingtaken out of the total context of the deserved praise, happy in their dailyBible, is apt to be misinterpreted. By lives, devout and loving are giving initself, the verse sometimes is interpreted struction that goes deep and holds fast.as meaning that the child is a completely It is from this training that the childpliable substance, which the adult canwill not in fact, cannot depart. Unformold as he will.Every one who has dealt with childrentunately, training in negative attitudes isjust as effective, its results as tenacious.knows that each child is a person, anddoes not mean "dominate." Christ III. Learn to do well, Isa, 1:17."train"recognized children as people, to whomWe are inclined to be concerned alHe gave (and gives) His love and blessmost exclusively about actions theing. A plant which is "trained" is guided,spilled milk, the unmade bed, the pronot ruthlessly handled. A child is trainedfane word. All these involve "doing" andbest in a warm atmosphere of love andwe want our children to "Leam to doharmony.The rest of the verse of Isaiah 1:17is interesting because it commands acI. Responsibility for Instruction, GaL 6 :6In the baptismal vows the parents areasked "Do you promise to pray with andfor your child in private and family worship, to provide for his temporal wellbeing,and for his education as God ention in righting social evils. One musthave a concern for others, an interest injustice, before he acts to help the oppressed. The command is for an educatedheart that looks beyond one's immediatefamily and church group.ables you" This they solemnly prom If children are to learn to do well, weise to do. The care of spirit, body, andmind of the child is laid on his parents.must be concerned that they have examples before them of the fruit of theCivil authorities have power to punish Spirit love, joy, peace, patience,gentleness^those who wilfully neglect the physicalwelfare of their children. Parents mustsend their children to school, public orgoodness, faith, meekness, temperance. It's an old saw among teachersthat much of education is "caught, notprivate. There is no statute on the bookstaught."punishing those who neglect the spiritualSince youth is such a vital period, wewelfare of their children, but in Mathave a great responsibility in prayer forthew 18:6 a greater condemnation is givyoung people in our congregation, ouren than either fine or imprisonment bystate authorities.church at large, and our community;for the educational institutions of ourchurch at home and abroad.II. Perseverance in Instruction,Deut. 6:6-9IA child learns through many separateexperiences which help him graduallyNOTICEbuild up a generalization. Studies of From this date Please order Flannelchildren's development of honesty show graphs from our new Synodical Flannelthat a young child may consider it graph Librarian:wrong to steal from his mother's purse,but not wrong to pick up and keepmoney he saw someone drop. It is allMrs. M. K. CarsonBelle Center,Ohio.rieht to take a small cake from theplate if mother was in a rush and said, Apologies: That August W.M.S. lesson!"Don't take any of these Only The writer did her part promptly. Somethrough repeated experiences does he how your W.M.S. editor did not receivefinally realize that it is wrong to take it in time to get it published on schedule.anything that belongs to another. (Some Sorry. Syn. Ed.adults who are scrupulously honest inTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

Echoes NumberLESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 12, 1954VOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1954 NUMBER 8Jesus Christ -The Heart of HistoryPhilippians 2:5-11that was His coat. When He was dead He was takenWho is this Jesus whom men call the Christ, theproperty He had on earth while He was dying and ing."(Bowie.) Associate Reformed PresbyterianSon of God 1" He is an historical figure. "Jesus wasborn in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod thedown and laid in a borrowed grave through the pityof a friend.king.""Nineteen wide, wide centuries have come andThe story of Jesus, and how He flashed like ameteor across the sky of His generation, and thisworld, cannot be told too often. It is true that itcannot be written or told in an adequate manner, butit must never be forgotten.gone, and today He is the centerpiece of the humanrace and the leader of progress. I am far within themark when I say that all the armies that evermarched, and all the navies that ever were built, andall the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kingsthat ever reigned, put together, have not affectedAn unknown author has told the story in thesethe life of man upon this earth as powerfullywords : "Here is a man who was born in an obscurethat Onevillage, the child of a peasant woman. HeSolitary Life."grew upin another obscure village. He worked in a carpenter Here is the supreme Event. "In the life of Jesus,shop until He was thirty,and then for three years in His crucifixion, in His rising again, in His returnHe was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. to His disciples, something happened in the midst ofHe never held an office.history, because of which all history 'before thatEvent and all"He never owned a home. He never set foot in history after it are transfigured. InaJesus Christ thebig city. He never traveled two hundred miles fromlong hopes and yearning of the OldTestament have theirthe place where He was born. He hadfulfillment, and in Him theno credentialsfaith and purpose of men for all the years to comebut Himself.find their meaning and direction. The fact that for"He had nothing to do with the world except thenaked power of His divine manhood. While still amost of the nations of the world the calendar is reckoned from the birth of Jesus Christ, with the yearsyoung man, the tide of popular opinion turnedpreceding Him listed as "before Christ" and thoseagainst Him. His friends ran away. One of them defollowing Him as 'anno Domini,' is a perpetual symnied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. Hebol of human awareness of the crucial effect of Hiswent through the mockery of a trial. He was nailedupon a cross between two thieves."His executioners gambled for the only piece ofentrance into human history. Even when men do notthink explicity about it, they bear thus their silentwitness to the supreme importance of His appear

coexistence"Current EventsBy Prof. William H. RussellNEW DEFENSE LINKSU. S. ships and planes are helping to evacuate thousandsof refugees from Communist-held northern Viet Nam. Thesouthern government wants to bringthousand as quickly as possible, for non-Communists in thenorth are already meetingout several hundredsevere treatment. It is hopedthat we can also evacuate some of the costly military supplies which we had stockpiled around Hanoi, but humanlives are more important. Meanwhile the U. S. works towardthe formation of a Southeast Asia defense group, likeNATO, to check any further Communist gains. A conference of foreign ministers will meet in the Philippines beginning September 6. Eight nations will be representedThailand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand,France, Great Britain, and the U. S. Ceylon may also attend, but India, Burma, and Indonesia have declined. Thisfirst conference will probably not produce any definitealliance. There is also talk of linking Japan, Korea, andNationalist China into a Northeast Asia alliance whichwould eventually be tied with the Southeast Asia group.TARGET FORMOSACommunist China is stepping up her threats to conquer Formosa, the island headquarters of Nationalist China.Apparently the Reds intend to make it appear a greatpopular crusade. Fighting between Nationalist and Communist gunboats continues in the Formosa strait. This straitis one hundred miles wide at the narrowest point, so theU. S. Navy could probably block any invasion if it broughtin sufficient strength. The Nationalists also talk of invadingthe mainland. Chiang-kai-shek is seeking a conferenceleading to a mutual defense pact with America and increased military aid.SOVD3T TRADEThe problem of East-West trade is emphasized by thevisit of Britain's former prime minister, Clement Atlee,and seven other Labor party leaders to Russia and RedChina. They were warmly welcomed during a two-day stopover in Moscow, then went on for a three-week tour ofCommunist China, including conferences with Mao Tze-Tung. One of their purposes was to increase Britain's tradewith Red China, and their visit fitted in beautifully withCommunist plans in this direction.Last year Russia concluded fourteen trade agreementswith non-Communist countries, and she expects to maketwenty more this year. She is now giving special attentionto the Near East, Japan, and Latin America. Meanwhilewe have done almost nothing to make it easier for othercountries to trade with us. President Eisenhower gave uphis effort to get authority from Congress to cut tariffs, andinstead recently gave in to the protectionists by raisingthe dutyon Swiss watch movements.Britain and other West European countries tend to feelthat our restrictions on trade with Communist countriesactually help the Reds. Russia is driven to make her industry more and more self-sufficient, and thus strongerfor war; and the satellite countries are more and moredependent on Russia since theycannot trade with theWest. On the other hand is the prospect of 600 millioncustomers in underdeveloped Communist countries. It is114no wonder that the Europeans who long for "peacefulMAN IN A HURRYare not attracted byour trade policies.Premier Mendes-France continues to move with a speedand decision unknown in recent French history. The National Assembly approved his program for economic andfinancial recovery, which he calls the French New Deal. Itinvolves freer trade and more internal and external competition. Marginal businesses will be helped to reconvert tomore profitable fields of production. The social securitysystem is to be overhauled, housing construction stimulated,and wages kept up to the level of prices.Besides peace in Indochina and economic reform, Mendes-France has promised a compromise settlement on the European Defense Community. He has drawn upa series ofmodifications to meet French objections to German rearmament, but these will not be adopted without vigorous debate. Three De Gaullists in his cabinet resigned rather thanaccept them, and the French National Assembly postponeddebate on the treaty until August 28 in order to considerthe proposed changes. The six foreign ministers of the EDCcountries are meeting in Brussels to discuss the matter, butthe four who have already ratified the treaty are likely tooppose any change.RAISING THE CEILINGWith considerable reluctance, Congress has finally actedon President Eisenhower's request to raise the nationaldebt limit. The ceiling set by law was $275 billion, andsome Congressmen seemed to feel that by refusing to raisethis theycould save the public money. The debt has beenright at the limit for nearly a year, however, and TreasuryDepartment officials had to use some tricky financing topay the government's bills. The House of Representativesagreed to a permanent increase of $15 billion last year. TheSenate has now voted to raise the limit by $6 billion untilnext June 30, and the House will probably accept this.Perhaps by next year, if war or depression do not intervene, the administration will have the budget balanced.CRISIS FOR STUDEBAKERStudebaker employees took an unusual step in voting, bya majority of over eight to one, to accept a cut of about14 per cent in their hourly wage rate. The South Bendcompany, employing over six thousand, threatened to closedown unless it could reduce wages to the level paid byother auto makers. Studebaker, a 102-year-old firm, lostalmost $9 million the first half of this year. Manyof theworkers have been on part-time schedules, and they werewilling to take the pay cut in the hope of steady work.Studebaker is about to combine with another old "independent,"Packard. This will be the third such merger inlittle more than a year. Packard has also been in financialdifficulties, and combining the two companies is expectedto improve their competitive position. Both Studebaker andPackard cars will still be produced, as they cover differentprice ranges, and it will be two or three years before themerger leads to similarities in styling and engineering. The"independents"are now in a precarious position, with less(Continued on page 115)THE COVENANTER WITNESS

morrow,"auditorium."chaplain,"about?"say."prayer."experience,"youth."Christ, The Need of Our School LeadershipAlice F. BlackwoodWith the nation's war crop of children bulgingour schools today beyond capacity of space, equipment and teachers, what answer has the school forthe headlong speed of today's youth into delinquencyand crime?Most criminals began their training in crime inschool days, and often in school, according to thetestimony of hundreds of prisoners in penitentiariesacross the nation, to Roy Hall, National Prison Chaplain of the last decade. But it was while addressinga high school assembly in a Pennsylvania city duringhis national chaplaincy he found an answer for decreasing juvenile crime. That answer is a strongChristian leadership in our schools."Won't you please speak to our high school students in assembly?"a woman implored after an evening service that the chaplain held in a city missionduring his visit to the city's penitentiary.Mr. Hall thought it over. Then with his usualdispatch, he called the high school superintendentthat night, asking permission to address his assemblythe next day. "As a prison Hall explained,"I would like the opportunity to tell your young folkhow to stay out of prison. Of course, in talking to ourprisoners, I tell them how to get out.""No, it will be impossible to have assembly tooame the reply. "I'm expecting painters tobe working in the"Well, why don't you let me come. Then, if yourpainters don't show up, we will have an assembly.0. K. ?"It was Mr. Hall, not the painters who showed upat the school the next morning. Just before he wentonto the platform to speak, the superintendent askedHall, "What are you going to talk"My Lord.""None of that stuff! If you start preaching, Iwill stop you. Tell them about your prison work. Say,I hear you are a former prize fighter; tell themabout that."As the superintendent joined his faculty at therear of the auditorium, Hall felt he was standingbefore a firing squad. Momentarily hampered inspirit, he began talking about his prison experiences.Finally, he switched to the story of two men inprison, Paul and "Si." He told the students that Pauland "Si," though chained in prison, were singing andpraying. Eight hundred students hung on everyword as Hall revealed the manner in which God answered the prayers of these men of olden times ;how the prison shook, the windows rattled, doors felloff their hinges, and the chains dropped from theprisoners, setting them free.When he began making application of the story,telling the students that they are bound with chainsof sin until set free by Jesus Christ, Hall saw thesuperintendent coming toward him. Immediatelyhe switched back to his own experiences. But bygrasping every opportunity, he injected doses of thegood news of the gospel into his talk. Several timesthe superintendent got up, started for the front ofthe room, but for some reason always stopped in histracks.August 25, 1954Meantime, however, the prison chaplain hadgiven his students the story of the Christ who diedfor their sins, was buried, rose again, and is nowin heaven to intercede for them.Could he pray with the students ? He could seerage mountingon the flushed faces of some ofthe'teachers, but he felt the Spirit leading. In a voice so'calm that it surprised himself, he asked the assemblyto bow their heads in prayer. While it is faith alone'that can save, he said simply, prayer often opens theheart to receive faith. He wondered if the superintendent were waiting until the "preacher" reachedthe climax of his service to crack down upon himwith Satanic fury and ridicule?But outwardly calm, Mr. Hall continued. "Howmany of you young men and women want to knowthe Lord personally? As many as do, please standand follow me in There was a slight shuffling of feet. Were they still with him, he wondered,or was this the turning-back point?Mr. Hall continued to speak quietly but directlyto the students ; "You will talk to the Lord silentlywhile I pray audibly, but you must mean every wordyouBy some strange compulsion, the entire studentbody rose to its feet.After the prayer, Hall dared to play one morehand for his Lord. He said to the future citizens ofAmerica standing there before him, "While yourheads are still bowed, how many of you can say,me?""Thank you, God, for savingThen, from the length and breadth of that largeauditorium there arose countless muffled and someexplosive expressions of thanksgiving to God. Thesewere voices of new-born babes in Christ minglingwith the praises of those being spiritually revived.Although Mr. Hall said he made as quick a getaway from the school as courtesy would allow, numbers of students insisted upon learning when theycould speak with him further about their spiritualneeds."It was thissaid Mr. Hall, "thateyes to the desperate need of Christ inopened mythe school rooms of ourSchooling itself, he would have us remember, isan impersonal thing, offering little guidance in rightliving, and no safeguards for our children againstsin and crime. If we would stop our schools fromfeeding our penitentiaries, we must have men andwomen of Christian character and courage teachingour children and superintending our teachers.(Peter Tanis, real name of the above mentionedformer national prison chaplain) .CURRENT EVENTS Continued from page 114than five per cent of the automobile business. ChryslerMotors has also slipped badly this year. Ford and GeneralMotors now have more than 80 per cent of the domestic carmarketa situation which seems quite unhealthy if oneaccepts the virtues of competition.115

alone."see."satisfies."motto."What A Jew Find In OWA Gospel SermonBy Dr. Aaron Judah Kligerman'Philip saith unto him, Come andJohn 1 :46.Why is it so hard to reach Jews for Christ? Goback to nineteen centuries of Christian misrepresentation, of Christian hate, of Jewish suffering andyou get the answer. Take any Jew my age, who hascome from a European country, and we will tell youa tale ofsuffering that will make your hair stand.Why is it so hard to reach the Jews for Christ ?Because we have to undo, so much that has beendone, and remove so much that has become stumbling blocks to my people before we can talk to themin a positive manner concerning Christ. Thank God,I 'have reached the state in my thinking where I nolonger apologize. I have a positive message for mypeople, for any people, and that message is, "Wehave found him (Christ), of whom Moses and theprophets did testify." I have no apologies to makefor the Christ of God. I can stand before enemies orfriends, high or low, cultured or uncivilized, educatedor illiterate, and say to them, "Look on Him, theChrist of the centuries, the matchless One, and youwill find no fault in Him. He is the same yesterday,today and forever, and He is the One I am presentingyou."toThrough the manycenturies we Jews have never had anything to do with Christ or with theChurch. As a matter of fact, we never knew Christ.What we heard about Him from the rabbis, what wesaw of Him through so-called Christians, has madeus stay away from Him, farther and farther away.Once some of my people did not even recognize Hishistoricity. He was a myth, they said, the creationof Paul the apostate. But that day has passed. Mypeople now recognize not only His existence but theyrecognize Him to be a son of Israel. They recognizeHim to be one of the prophets, the greatest of theprophets. Theyrecognize that Jesus has brought intothe world something that the world desperatelyneeds. Had not Christ and Christianitycarried thatmessage of the one God, there would have been noknowledge about the God of my fathers, and mypeople recognize that fact.Hence, there is a change in the thinking of theJewish religious leaders. They do not say now thatwhen you begin to think of Christ and Christianityyou are entering into dangerous lines of thinking andexperience. They dare not now come (I am speakingof the so-called spiritual leaders in Israel), they darenot come to the Christian people and the Christianleadership,and say, "Let us Some of themdo come with a question and I have heard rabbisask that "Tell question me, what is there in Christand Christianity that I cannot find in Judaism?"And some of the ministers who have come out oftheological colleges and seminaries tinctured withmodernism stand dumbfounded. They really116do notknow the difference between Christ andJudaism,and they do not know what to say to the rabbis.What may you find in Christ that you cannotfind in Judaism ? That is a challenge to every Christian. Is it because you have not found Christ sufficient that you are keeping away your testimony fromthe Jew? Is it because you Christians have not hada genuine experience of conversion that you are hesitant in sharing that experience with the Jew? Whathave you found in Christ that you cannot find in anyof the other isms, including Judaism? Here is oneJew, thank God, who forty-two years ago came incontact with the Christ and found something in Himthat you cannot find in Judaism.A year or so ago I was to be a speaker at asummer camp in Pennsylvania. I camefully preparedwith a message, and as I came in I saw a sign saying"Jesus saves, keeps andSomehow theSpirit of God touched me, and I said to myself, "I'mnot going to preach that message which I worked sohard to prepare. I'm going to speak on thatI felt I could at that time do it and I can do it today.Why ? Because Jesus saves ; He saved me forty-twoyears ago. Jesus keeps; He keeps me to the verypresent day. And He satisfies all through the yearsof my Christian experience. That is what we can findin Christ that we cannot find in Judaism.A Hope FulfilledLet me direct your attention to three thingsthat I found in Christ, what any Jew may find inChrist. First, I found in Christ a hope fulfilled. WhatTHE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street, Newton, Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka, Kansasto promote Bible Standards of Doctrine, Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writers;not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen, D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll, D.D.Remo I. Robb, D.D.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdgarMrs. J. O. EdgarMrs. Ross LatimerSubscription rates: $2.50 per year; Overseas, $8.00; Single Copies10 cents.The Rev. R. B. Lyons, B.A., Limavady, N. Ireland, Agent for theBritish Isles.Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Newton, Kansasunder the Act of March 3, 1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

coming."astray."people!"rest."out."sins."is that hope that has been fulfilled ? The coming ofa personal Messiah, the son of David, the Saviour ofthe world. That hope God has deposited within thelife of every Jew, the hope of the coming of thatMessiah.That hope is not a philosophy that we Jews havecreated because we have suffered so much and needsomething to hold us up. It is something that Godhas deposited in ourvery system. In the Book ofGenesis, the Creator of the universe made a promiseto humankind concerning the seed of the woman.Farther on in the Book of Genesis God picked out aheathen man by the name ofAbraham, and made apromise to him, "In thy seed shall all the families ofthe earth be blessed." This is a promise, the comingof the Messiah, that we find in every book of theOld Testament. It is the source of our age-old hope.We who have been brought up to believe in Godand the teachings of the prophets have naturallybecome saturated with that great ideal, that greatpromise that God has made concerning the coming ofthe Messiah. And while we have been waiting allthese centuries for His coming, the orthodox Jewevery day in his prayers says, "I believe in perfectfaith in the coming of the Messiah, and though Hetarry, yet I will daily wait for His This issomething that God has put into the heart and mindof every Jew through the centuries. But if someChristian man who has had an experience withChrist comes to any Jew, and in a loving way, withsympathy and understanding, directs his attentionto the Christ of the New Testament, and he as an intelligent Jew accepts this challenge to examine theclaims of this Jesus of Nazareth, he will immediatelysee, as I did, and thousands of other Jews all throughmy lifetime have seen once they have been given achance, that He is indeed the promised Messiah.A Burden LiftedThe second thing a Jew may find in Christ thathe cannot find in Judaism, is a burden lifted. Just asGod has deposited in the heart of every Jew a hope,so He has deposited within every Jew the consciousness of the presence of sin. It is true that there arethousands of Jews, tens of thousands of Jews, whohave entered into the Christian Science church, socalled, but there are still tens of thousands of Jewswho are conscious of the presence of sin. Listen toone of our prayers: "We have trespassed, we havebeen faithless, we have robbed, we have spoken basely, we have committed iniquity, we have wrought unrighteousness, we have been presumptuous, we havedone violence, we have forged lies, we have counseledevil, we have spoken falsely, we have scoffed, wehave revolted, we have blasphemed, we have beenrebellious, we have acted perversely, we have beenstiff-necked, we have done wickedly, we have corrupted ourselves, we have goneThis is the kind of prayer my people make everyday. Is it any wonder that Paul the Pharisee criedout, "0 wretched man that I am! who shall deliverme from the body of this death?" And Paul was agood Jew, a God-fearing Jew. Yet he was consciousof that presence of sin, a great burden it is. When aChristian comes to a Jew and tells him, "My friend,I know One who can lift that burden, I know Onewho can give you the peace of God that passeth allunderstanding, and that One is Jesus," and theAugust 25, 1954Jew believes, then what happens to him? I knowwhat happened to me. I heard the Son of God say,"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavyladen, and I will give you "Him that cometh tome I will in no wise cast And then I heard theHoly Spirit say, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:and he is the propitiation for ourIf I in faithaccept this Lamb of God that taketh away the sinof the world, I know my burden has been lifted. Iknow that my heart has been filled with the love ofGod, with the peace of God that passeth all understanding, and I become a new creature in Christ Jesus.O beloved, what can the Jew find in Christ thathe cannot find in Judaism ? A Saviour who saves tothe uttermost. Neither fasting, nor repentance, northe giving of charity nor philanthropy will removethat burden of sin. It is Christ and Christ only whois able to save._A Vision RealizedOne more thing: A Jew will also find in Christa vision realized. Just as God has deposited withinthe Jewish heart and mind a hope concerning theMessiah and the consciousness of the presence ofsin, so has He deposited in the life of the Jew avision of a new world to come, that some day everyknee will bow before God, every tongue will proclaimHim to be the God of gods and the Lord of lords.But Judaism has done nothing to bring this about.Judaiasm has acted just as the prophet Jonah did.God came to Jonah and told him, "There is a peoplewho are not far from Palestine who are greatly saturated with sin and the time has come for judgmentand punishment, but I want to give them a chance.Go and warn them." And Jonah said to himself, "Iwill not go. I will not go to Nineveh. They are notour friends. What business do I have to go to thegoyim, to the Gentiles? I am interested in my ownAnd he ran away from God. Some of theJewish rabbis and other Jews glory in the fact thatthey are not missionary-minded. Surely they are not.They are not interested in anyone except their ownlittle group. But since we have come to the LordJesus our horizon has widened, our vision has beenenlarged, our hearts have been touched. The apostlePaul, when he accepted the Christ of God, ceased tobe a Pharisee. He became a Christian missionary.The Jew was sitting at home in Jerusalem. The Jewhad a chair as a member of the Sanhedrin. The Jewwas honored by all the Jews because of his greatscholarship. Yet he gave up home and loved ones andhonor and went out to the uttermost parts of theworld to preach the Christ that was crucified,be punished for it, to suffer untold agonies and todie a martyr at last.and toA Jew may find in Christ a hope that can neverbe filled outside of Christ, a burden of sin lifted thatcan never be lifted outside of Christ, and a vision fulfilled, a glorious vision of a world that is some dayto be His, with Jesus the King of that world. What aglorious heritage you and I have in Christ ! May Godgive us burning hearts with a desire and a longing tohasten His coming and until then to work while itis day in a vineyard that is ripe for the harvest.God grant it. Amen.The Alliance Weekly117

matter?"Roadblocks LimitingChurch EffectivenessA series of four lectures given at White Lake Christian Workers' Conference, 1953by the Rev. J. G. Vos, D.D.Lecture IV. The Roadblock of Stagnation, or Regarding the Status Quo as Normal(Continued)4. True Reformation seeks God's Honor and HisTruth above all other Considerations.We live in a pragmatic age, an age impatient oftruth, and concerned mostly about practical results.It is an age impatient of those who rate truth aboveresults. Our age wants results and is quite willing tobelieve that figs grow on thistles, if it thinks it seesthe figs.Is the Time Opportune?I have heard, when someone sought to bringsome feature of the church under the critical judgment of Scripture, the objection that the time wasnot opportune. "You may be right," the objectorwould say, "but is this an opportune time to bring upsuch a Now, we should realize that truth isalways timely, truth is always in order, and that ifwe wait for an opportune time to bring up truththat opportune time may never come. That more convenient season maynever arrive. Always there willbe some reason that can be urged for not undertaking the reformation of the church according to theWord of God.God is the God of truth. He is light, and in Himis no darkness at all. Christ is King of the Kingdomof truth. To this end was He born, that He mightbear witness to the truth. He that is of the truthheareth His voice.Accepting the Status Quo is SinfulThe too-ready willingness to accept the statusquo as normal is one of the great roadblocks in thewayof the real reformation and progress of thechurch today. This attitude is sinful because it isblind to the real sinfulness of the status quo. It failsto realize that the status quo always needs to be repented of, always needs to be forgiven by divinegrace, and always needs to be reformed by thechurch on earth. It fails to realize the truth of thestatement of Augustine that every lesser good involves an element of sin.God's Holiness and Truth Require ContinuedReformationAt bottom, this complacent acceptance of thestatus quo as normal proceeds from a wrong idea ofan idea which fails to reckon with His holinessGod,and His purity ; and from a wrong idea of Scripture,an idea which fails to realize the absolute characterof Scripture as the church's standard.To place God's truth and honor first,above allother considerations whatsoever, requires greatmoral courage and great consecration. In this matter it is true of the church as it is of the individual,that he that saveth his life shall lose it, but he thatloseth his life for Christ's sake shall find it.The EndSpiritual Valuesby John Edgar Hoover, Director Federal Bureau ofInvestigation, United States Dept. of JusticeOf what value is the Sabbath school ?Who has planted a garden without coming toknow that he cannot harvest a fair yield except asthe earth is nourished and cultivated and the sunshines and the rains fall ?If it is not to be dwarfed and stunted, the spiritual side of the human seedling needs care and cultivation and nourishment during the green years quiteas much as the physical side requires food and sleepand exercise.In his letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paulsays, "Whatsoever things are true,whatsoeverthings are honest,whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely,whatsoever things are of good report,; if there beany virtue, and if there be any praise, think on thesethings."The Sabbath school is a place in which suchthings mav be thought upon, and absorbed, andfused into 'one's being. Its teachings are a major118means by which the spiritual life of the child may benurtured, developed and brought to full growth.It is impossible to evaluate fully the effect of thelessons which are taught in the Sabbath school. Butwho, looking at his own past, will attempt to minimize the impression made on his developing personality by exposure to the great truths of the Bible atan age when everything is new and never-to-be-forgotten ? Who can fail to remember the picture cardswith the Bible verses and the simple stories plainlytold and colorfully illustrated ? What child has failedto learn something of the majestic law set forth inthe Ten Commandments or the challenge in the Sermon on the Mount? What child has not experiencedthe peace of the Twenty-third Psalm and the gloryof praise in the Lord's Prayer?There is no yardstick for assessing the elementswhich go into making the individual conscience. Thethings of the spirit do not lend themselves to easymeasurement. But no one should underestimate therole of the Sabbath school in developing the spiritualvalues which make good citizens and which are sovitally essential to the preservation of a free civilization.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

Recommendations of SynodSTEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE1. That the budget be set withinpossible attainment.2. That the Coordinating Committeeconsider the requests that are presentedand adopt a budget within the means ofthe church in a business-like way.3. That the decrease in membershipbe given consideration when making upthe budget.4. That tithing, not in itself, but inwhat it does for the giver as well as thereceiver, be presented to each congregation twice a year.5. That continued educational workconcerning giving be carried on by adefinite program to inform the entiremembershipchurch.of all of the work of the6. That presbyterial young people'ssecretaries make discussions of tithinga part of the program of their annualgatherings.COMMITTEE ON PRACTICAL STEPS TOWARD AN IMPLEMENTATION OF SECTION 4 OF THE COVENANT OF 18711. That negotiations as specified in thereport of this committee with a viewto church union be begun before nextSynod with the following bodies: TheSynod of the Associate PresbyterianChurch. The General Synod of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church,The General Assembly of the OrthodoxPresbyterian Church, The Synod of theBible Presbyterian Church, The Synodof the Christian Reformed Church, TheGeneral Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church of North America, andothers as the committee sees fit.TEMPERANCE COMMITTEE1. That the issuing of a Total Abstinence number of the Covenanter Witness be repeated in 1955. In the sameconnection that a Commitment Day beobserved in our churches.2. That the Sabbath Schools accept ourgratitude for their generous support thispast year, and that they be requestedto devote the offering on the fourthSabbath of October to the work of thecommittee.BIBLE READING COMMITTEEThat the attention of congregationsbe called to the recommendation ofthe Synod of 1952 regarding the appointment of some one in each congregation to care for the ordering anddistribution of the Readers among themembership.August 25, 1954COORDINATING COMMITTEEThat the budget for the coming yearbe set at $110,815.CHRISTIAN EDUCATION1. That leadership trainingclasses forBible teachers be stressed this year.2. That presbyteries set up committees on Christian Education to promotethe work in each presbytery.3. That congregations doing specialwork in Christian education report thesame in the Covenanter Witness.WITNESS COMMITTEE1. That pastors, sessions, congregations and all members be urged to usethe Witness Committee tracts and sendthem out as widely as possible.2. That our people continue to praydaily and at Sabbath services for theChristian Amendment Movement.3. That congregations work definitelyfor a wider circulation of the ChristianPatriot.ELDERS'CONFERENCE1. That the clerks of presbyteries andclerks of sessions be requested to keeptheir records more carefully and forward their statistical reports morepromptly.2. That congregational treasurers becommended for sending in contributionsto Synod's budget monthly or quarterly,and that they be requested to continuedoing so.4. That the pastor's minimum annualsalary be set at $2,700, with a manse,or $600 additional as its equivalent.5. That the session of each congregation, in cooperation with the board ofdeacons, review the adequacy of theirpastor's salary.6. That the session of each congregation be encouraged to meet with thepastor before the Sabbath morning service to pray for the Holy Spirit's blessing.HOME MISSION BOARDThat self-supporting congregations beurged to observe the minimum salaryset by this Synod ($2700) and if unableto assume the added responsibility, toapply through their presbyteries fornecessary assistance fromMission Board.the Home2. That the Home Mission Board pay$200 of the $300 increase in the minimum salary for the aid receiving congregations this year, and that the congregations be asked to make specialeffort to raise the additional $100 thisyear; and that this increase be effectiveJune 1, 1954.HOME MISSION SECRETARY1. That Synod commend New YorkPresbytery in its efforts to open a newfield.2. That with twelve organized congregations without pastors, with older ministers retiring year after year, and withother work of the church to which ministers are likely to be chosen, Synodrenew its call to the young men of theChurch to give themselves to the greattask of the Gospel ministry, and thatwe state as our need, a minimum of fifteen additional seminary students.NATIONAL REFORM ASSOCIATION1. That pastors, officers and membersof the church be encouraged to assistthe National Reform Association in thedistribution of its literature and in thepromoting of its program locally.2. That each congregation be urgedto name a representative from amongits members to serve as an agent of theNational Reform Association in securingsubscriptions to the Christian Statesman and to handle the distribution of itsliterature locally.3. That pastors or congregationalagents be urged to place copies of Dr.Elliott's Daily Bible Readings in thehands of teachers of the local schools.Also copies of our latest Facts AboutIntoxicating Liquors.4. That pastors, sessions, SabbathSchool superintendents and teachers beurged to participate actively in the Crusade Against Liquor Advertising,and toenlist others in their respective communities in this Crusade.5. That congregations be commendedfor their support of the N.R.A. in thepast and that pastors and sessions berequested to keep open their pulpitsto representatives of the Associationand to assist in arranging openings forits speakers in their communities.6. That the first Sabbath of Novemberbe designated for taking the NationalReform annual offering, that $10,000 beset as the goal to be reached by thechurch and that its pastors deliver aNational Reform message to their people preparatory to taking the offering.Also that names and addresses of allcontributors and that amounts contributed be sent to the Association headquarters 501 Publication Bldg., 209Ninth St., Pittsburgh 22, Pa., so that(Continued on page 122)119

REMO I. ROBB, D.D.For CovenjTO ILLUSTRATE THE TOPICSSeptember 5The Purpose of Study2 Tim. 2:15.Before the disastrous fire at the University of Virginia, a beautiful copy ofRaphael's painting, The School of Athens, hung in its halls. Socrates standsin the center of the group; on his leftis Plato, and on his right is Aristotle.Before him is the figure of a boy, withdelicately cut features and large dreamyeyes, gazing into the distance. This isAlexander, who would be The Great.One day a professor was showing thepicture to a brilliant young lady, andpointed out as a defect the representation of Alexander as a dreamy youth.The young lady studied the picture untilits meaning lighted her countenance;and then, with an intuitive leap of feminine sympathy, she replied with enthusiasm, "No; Raphael is right. Hewho would conquer a world, must firstdream that he has conquered a world."September 12Windows and Wings.Church or School First.Proverbs 1:28-33; 3:19-22; John 8:32.One of the Republicans of 1793 told agood French Peasant, "We are going topull down your churches and yoursteeplesall that recalls past ages, andall that brings to your mind the ideaof God." "Citizen," replied the peasant,"Pull down the stars, then."The Church is built upon a strongfoundation upon Jesus Christ Himself.September 19The King's Business.Christ and My Vocation.I Cor. 3:9-11; / Chron. 4:23.A revival meetingwas in process ata village church. Many had acceptedChrist during the meetings. At the endof a sermon one night the minister said,"Is the person here who most influencedyou in becoming a Christian? Maybe itis your parent, your pastor, your Sabbath School teacher, your school teacher,or some neighbor, or acquaintance in thecommunity. If that person is here, Iwould like you to rise and go shakehands with the person who most influenced you to accept Christ as yourSaviour."A glorious scene followed!Pupils went to their Sabbath Schoolteachers, some went to the Sabbath120School superintendent, some went tothe pastor.Off to one side sat an aged lady. Shehad never spoken in public, had nevertaught a Sabbath School class, was noofficer of the Church. She was a faithful, consecrated Christian mother andwife, nearing her eightieth birthday. Along line went to where she sat. Sometook her by the hand. Some placed theirarms about her. They said "Your personal work and testimony for Christ,when we came into your home andwhen we saw you going about, led usto Christ, the Saviour!" The vocation ofa consecrated, holy life had won manyto the Saviour. Gospel Herald.September 26Yield Not to Temptation.Prov. 23:21, 29-32.Perhaps the quaintest letter in thewhole White House collection is onewhich came from a child, addressed toPresident Cleveland, written in September, 1895. This is what it says : "To HisMajesty President Cleveland. Dear President: I am in a dreadful state of mindand I thought I would write and tellyou all. About two years agoas nearas I can remember, it is two yearsused two postage stamps that had beenused on letters before; perhaps morethan two stamps, but I can only remember of doing it twice. I did not realizewhat I had done until lately. My mind isconstantly turned on that subject, and Ithink of it night and day. Now, dearwill'President, you please forgive me,and I will promise you I will never doit again.Enclosed find cost of threestamps, and please forgive me, for I wasthen but thirteen years old, for I amheartily sorryFrom one of your subjects."for what I have done.The King's Business.Alcoholism as Sickness"The current popular theory that alcoholism is simply a sickness ... is misand mischievous. . . . state ofleading Thealcoholism is self-induced and so different from the common conception ofsickness as not to be properly describedas such, but is a self-inflicted poisoningdrug."by a narcotic Dr. Haven Emerson.IREPORT OF SYNOD'S HOMEMISSIONS AND YOUNGPEOPLE'S SECRETARYDear Fathers and Brethren :The blessings of another year in serving our Lord are all to His praise. Hehas granted health, safety, service, provision for both body and soul. Time andagain successions of unplanned incidentshave at length been shown to be Hisdoing. It was marvellous in my eyes. Inall these ways I desire to acknowledgeHim and to thank Him for His leading.General ActivitiesSince last Synod I have ministeredto 18 congregations in 7 presbyteries on39 Sabbath days. Ten of these congregations were vacant at the time of ministry. Six of them now have pastors, oneis waiting ordination and installation ofits pastor-elect, another has a callpending, and two still are vacant. I havetried where the way was open, to dothe work of a pastor in making callsand in performing other ministerialtasks. Besides this, there have beenother contacts through MissionaryThankofferings, Sabbath School conventions, the college and the seminary. Agreat deal of correspondence was carriedon with vacant congregations in all thepresbyteries, relating to securing pastors and to getting summer supplies.EvangelismIn keepingwith the recommendationof the Home Mission Board that evangelistic meetings should be held springand fall in the Kentucky field, I assistedin a week's services at Wrigley in mid-November. Attendance was good, attention was good. The responses werenot what we had hoped for, but theSpirit manifestly was present and wethanked Him for His blessings. A visitof that nature makes clear as nothingelse can, the tremendous barriers againstwhich our workers have to contend. Attitudes settled through many generations are not overcome in a few shortyears. Our workers now are accepted,and may go freely and talk freely in afashion impossible even a few years ago.Upon work and workers now establishedin the community,build in the years to come.we may hope toTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

work.")ESYOUNG PEOPLE'SSECRETARYung PeopleAnother evangelistic feature of theyear was Bible Mastery Month conducted during January. The material onFirst Thessalonians and the other helpssent out to the congregations was prepared in my office.Little has been heard of special meetings this past year. But enough hasbeen reported to indicate a growing desire to bear personal testimony to thesavingcessfulpower of Jesus Christ, All sucevangelistic meetings may betraced to persons doing personal work.And if among our people there is thispersonal endeavor we need not be concerned if there are few series of publicmeetings.Work in the Presbyteries.At the autumn meeting of New YorkPresbytery, it was reported that a congregation and a mission station had beendisorganized in 1953,and the presbytery felt that if a congregation werelost another one should be started. This,I believe, is a sound principle for generalpresbyterial action.A committee of Church Extension wasappointed, and, at its request, I wenton two occasions to help determine asuitable location for the new field. Threeareas were suggested as possibilities.Through contacts with Chambers ofCommerce and real estate firms, wewere able in every case to locate largerapidly developing housing projectswhere there were no churches withintwo to five miles. Through a series ofunforeseeable incidents, the Lord ledus to a development called East BendPark, some seven miles southeast ofPoughkeepsie. There near a housing project of 400 homes, so restricted that noteven a fire-house was permitted, a newdevelopment of 400 homes was opening on which the owner offered tosell four acres of ground for churchpurposes. A canvas of the communityshowed some 17% of the residents favorable to a new church starting nearby.Two problems now confront the presbytery in opening this new field. First, isthe man, then the means.The right person seems to be the mostdifficult of the two. Yet here is pioneering work as challenging as that of ourforeign mission fields. Some may say,August 25, 1954"But that is the Home Mission Secretary'sI have had a place forthis type of work in my program fromthe beginning. But from the very nature of my assignment I cannot go intoa limited area for a year or more to theneglect of ministration to other presbyteries of the Church. Whoever entersupon the work of this or other new fieldsmust become a part of the communityand look forward to spending severalyears in the development of a new congregation. He can count on Synod'sHome Mission Secretary as his righthand helper with frequent visits andassistance as he requests.Recently I met with a committee onfinance in New York City to discussways and means for promoting the project at East Bend Park. Presbytery'sactions on the suggestions is not yetreported.In another presbytery I was asked toconduct a calling campaign in a discouraged vacant congregation. This wasdone over several days throughout amonth. The results were most encouraging. At a meeting to call a pastor theattendance was well over 50% of themembership and far above the averageSabbath morning services. The congregation took heart and is now waiting forits pastor-elect to be ordained and installed.The Christian Amendment Movement.Some four years ago I was appointedby the Christian Amendment ExecutiveCommittee to arrange the program fora hearing, should one be held. I askedDr. John Coleman to act as chairmanof the testifying group, and together weworked out a program and a list of witnesses, which was approved by the Executive Committee.With the likelihood of a hearing appearingrather remote, it seemed unwise to urge the witnesses to preparetestimony immediately, lest by the timeit were needed it should have to be rewritten. Reference material was sentout to them all, and one or two soonhad their testimony in my hands.At Piqua, Ohio, I interviewed Rep.McCulloch, chairman of the HouseJudiciary subcommittee which wouldhear the bill, On two trips throughWashington, I interviewed Rep. Harrison of Nebraska who introduced thebill into the House.Unexpectedly, on Friday, May 14,word came that a hearing was scheduledbefore the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on the following Monday, May 17.With but three days to prepare, activitytook on a furious pace. Many of ourscheduled witnesses could not appear onsuch short notice, but once again theLord led, and by the time of the hearing a groupof witnesses as competentas could have been hoped for were inthe Senate hearing room, and for fourhours the chairman of the subcommittee heard our testimony and our discussion.The prayers of the Church continueto be offered that the testimony of thatday shall not go unheeded.Young People's WorkDuring last summer I attended fourof the six youngpeople's conventionsand one of the junior camps, havingparts in each program. Excellent programs had been arranged by the youngleaders. The fellowship, instruction, andinspiration of these gatherings cannot bemeasured.Through the winter the young people'sStaff met regularly and tried definitelyto continue its program of interest toall the young people's societies. Onaccount of the national convention noCrusader's Corps was planned for thissummer.The major work with the young people through this year has been in preparation for the national convention. Anexecutive groupof fine consecratedyoung people held a two-day meeting atThanksgiving vacation, besides monthlymeetings since January. The CovenantSigning Service was made the focalpoint of the convention and much ofthe program was framed to lead to thesigning as a climax, and from that pointto move continuingly forward. We thankGod for His answer to our prayer thatthe program be not our own but His.Many changes have been made and ithas been clear to us that God changedthe program and the speakers to conform to His will. Multitudes of detailshave required attention and some, I con-121

menace."case."fess, were not attended to as they mighthave been.The work of Young People's Secretary, while not a full time task, is growing in its scope. On the other hand, thework of Home Mission Secretary isa full time task, and was so consideredby the Synod when the office was opened again in 1946. There are some indications that in the not too distant future the two offices should again beseparated and that the young people'swork should be combined with someother part time task. A suitable recommendation may come at a later meetingof Synod.Attached are my annual financial reports and the report of the election ofnational officers by the young people.My accounts have been audited by thesecretary of Synod's Coordinating Committee.RECOMMENDATIONS :1. That the report of the election of national convention officers be printedin the Appendix to the Minutes ofSynod.2. That Synod commend New Yorkpresbytery in its efforts to open anew field.3. That Synod note the need for ablemen and sufficient funds not only toopen work, but also to sustain it untilnew stations become self-supporting.4. That witfe twelve organized congregations without pastors, with olderministers retiring year after year,and with other work of the church towhich ministers are likely to be chosen Synod renew its call to the youngmen of the church to give themselvesto the great task of the Gospel ministry, and that we state as our need,a minimum of fifteen additional seminary students.5. Inasmuch as the third term of yourpresent Home Mission Secretary expires in 1955, I request that Synodauthorize the Home Mission Boardto fillany vacancy in the office,should one occur before the nextmeeting of Synod.Respectfully submittedSmall AmountsREMO I. ROBB1102 Ninth Ave.Beaver Falls, Pa."Even small amounts of alcohol interfere to a deadlyextent with a driver'sperceptions and reactions. One does nothave to be intoxicated in the generalsense of the word to be aReport of the Governor's Highway SafetyCommittee, State of Virginia.122RECOMMENDATIONS OF SYNOD(Continued from page 119)contributors may receive the ChristianStatesman.7. That our people be urged to prayfor the Association and its workers.THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES1. That, like Noah of old,we be diligent to walk with God and preachrighteousness.2. That the Week of Prayer and theappointed Thanksgiving days in theUnited States and Canada be observed,and that Thursday of the Week ofPrayer be set as a day of fasting.FOREIGN MISSIONS1. That inasmuch as it is impossiblefor the South China Presbytery tofunction, the Japan Commission beknown as the Far East Commission toexercise Presbyterial control of Reformed Presbyterians in that area. That theFar East Commission consist of DavidD. Hansen, Charles H. Chao, and KojiKatayma.2. That the Board of Foreign Missionsbe authorized to appoint one more ordained minister to serve in Japan andthat this minister be sent out to Japanin September 1955 provided the currentyear's budget is over subscribed by$5,000 or more by March 31, 1955. Nospecial appeal for gifts outside of theregular budget shall be made for thispurpose.OATH COMMITTEEThat the action of the Synod of 1946be reaffirmed, viz. "We do not advocatethe use of the Explanatory Declarationin seeking political office unless in cooperation with the purpose of the committee to get a testCOMMITTEE TO PLAN FOR COVENANTSIGNING IN THE CONGREGATIONS1. That the dates and programs beleft in the hands of the local sessions.2. That Synod suggest the fall communion season as a generally convenienttime for signing the Brief Covenant.3. That Synod suggest the followingprogram as being suitable.a. There shall be three services preparatory to the Sacrament.(1) A service of Covenant Explanation, using material alongthe lines of the devotional subjects on Thursday, Friday andSaturday at the convention.(2) A service of Covenant Preparation, using subjects along thelines of the Saturday nightprogram of the convention.(3) The final Preparatory serviceto the Sacrament shall beSigning of the Brief Covenant,and the program shall followa pattern similar to that usedat the convention, especiallythe part of two addresses withprayer and the reading andswearingof the covenant between them. We suggest thatthe topics of the two addressesbe also "The Spirit in WhichWe Should Covenant," and"Covenant Keeping."b. Members of the congregations whosigned the Brief Covenant at Grinnell may be permitted to sign againin their own congregations.c. Baptized children who soon willbecome communicant membersmay sign with their parents.d. The signatures should be writtenwithout added phrases.EVANGELISMThat the followingsuggestions bemade a plan of evangelistic effort for theyear.1. A constant effort to develop theprayer life of ourselves and our congregations.2. A persistent plan of soul-winningeffort for pastors and laymen. Thisshould include trainingBiblical Methods to bringand work inoutsiders toChrist and the church. Visitation evangelism is especially recommended.3. The use of the "Adopt A Family"plan.4. The encouraging of enlarged Sabbath School activity, with strong evangelistic emphasis by teachers.5. The Observance of "Bible MasteryMonth"Ephesians.in January using the Book of6. A program for the regular teachingand preaching of the Standards of theChurch.7. An earnest endeavor by pastors andsessions to establish a family altar inevery home of the church.8. A systematic Bible Study andMemory Work for personal help, andpreparation to help others.COMMITTEE TO EVALUATE THE REVISEDSTANDARD VERSION OF THE BIBLEThat, in view of the many imperfections of the Revised Standard Version,it be recognized on a similar basis asother private translations for purposesof reference or comparison.TRAVELING FUNDThat the traveling fund assessmentremain at one dollar per communicantmember for the year 1955.TIME AND PLACEThat Synod meet at Geneva College,June 8, 1955, 7:30 D.S.T.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

COMMITTEE ON MAKING CHRISTIANWILLSThat every minister, elder, deacon,and S. S. teacher cooperate in keepingthe ideal before the church of makingChristian wills.News BriefsCOMMITTEE ON CONTINUANCE OFPASTORAL RELATIONSHIPS1. It is the judgment of Synod thatit would be advisable for a pastor tointimate to his congregation, his willingness to offer his resignation to thePresbytery unless the congregation, bysecret ballot, should vote that the existing relationship remain unbroken,which case the pastorate continue onthe basis of five year periods with theprocedure in outline being followed atthe end of each five year period.in2. When the above said intimation isgiven, the vote of the people on the question of the continuance of the pastoralrelationship shall be taken at a congregational meeting called for that purpose.of theAnnouncement for the takingvote on this question shall be made onthe two preceding Sabbaths. The clerkof session shall take charge of the meeting and without any discussion conductthe secret ballot among the members ofthe congregation on the following questions on a previously prepared ballot : Doyou favor the continuance of the pastoral relationship? Yes No Thelaw of the Church on proxy votes shallbe followed.3. A pastor may indicate his willingness to resign at the end of the firstseven years of his pastorate and at theend of every subsequent five years.4. It is recommended that the Presbyteries in their supervision of congregations keep in mind these recommendations of Synod.5. That moving expenses up to $250 ofa minister who is discontinuing his pastorate as a result of the procedure outlined above be paid by the congregation.This item does not apply to ministerswho may be moving to a church of another denomination.6. That if a minister who has completed a term and has not been requested to remain does not receive a callimmediately, he shall be employed bythe Church at large at his regularsalary for a period of three months, unless, in the meantime he has receiveda call elsewhere or has become otherwise employed, at which time the payments shall cease.7. That this be considered businessvitally affecting the welfare of thecongregation, therefore requiring aquorum of one half the members of thecongregation.August 25, 1954THE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARYThe one hundred forty-fourth year of the Reformed Presbyterian TheologicalSeminary will open Wednesday, September 15, 1954, at 8:00 P.M. at theAllegheny Reformed Presbyterian Church.Dr. J. Burt Willson, Professor of Languages and Biblical Literature,will deliver the opening lecture.The first classes will convene at 8:30 A.M. Thursday, September 16, 1954The basic courses in a theological training are presented in a course ofthree years.Inquiries for a catalogue or further information may be addressed to:Barbara Ann Hansen was born in aKOBE, JAPAN hospital to the Reverendand Mrs. David Hansen on May 15,1954.BELE CENTER, OHIO: The OhioPresbytery and Presbyterial met atHetherton, Mich.., May 11-12. Dr. M.K. Carson and Mr. J. Roy Templetonwere delegates from our session. Mrs.J. M. Coleman, Mrs. M. K. Carson, Mrs.R. H. Reed were represenatives fromthe W.M.S. Mrs. Carson was presidentof the Presbyterial.DENISON: Rev. Khalil Awad broughta message from the Bible and about theSyrian Mission on Sabbath evening,August 1. We counted it a privilege tohave him with us.BELLE CENTER, OHIO: Mrs. R. E.Dill was called to California on accountof the serious illness of her husbandMay 15, left by plane May 17, latestreport Mr. Dill seems to be better.LOS ANGELES: Recent visitors atour worship services have been Mr,Robert Crawford from Philadelphia,Pa., Mrs. George Thompson and Mrs. J.Blaine Mowe from Washington, Pa., Mr.and Mrs. Arthur Moore of Bloomington,Indiana, Mr. and Mrs. Caroll Caskeyfrom Alabama, Mrs. Frank Frazer fromthe Portland Congregation and Mr. andMrs. Robert Gross of Scottsbluff, Nebr.BELLE CENTER, OHIO: Miss Roberto Rambo who had to return to thehospital on May 13for surgery hasimproved so much that she is able tobe back at her work.The QUINTER people were especially glad to have Pastor Khalil Awad, ofLatakia, Syria, in their midst for aday; Miss Elizabeth McElroy from herehas served in his field through theOffice of the PresidentReformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary7418 Penn AvenuePittsburgh 8, Pennsylvaniayears; his presence and message helpedto strengthen the interest and the bondsof love which hold these two Covenanter groups together.BELLE CENTER, OHIO: Mrs. J. D.Carson of Portland, Oregon, is forcedto take at least a month's rest becauseof sickness. Mrs. M. K. Carson leftJune 16 for Portland to help in thework there. We pray that Dottie willsoon be strong and well again.The NEW CASTLE Congregation isrejoicing in having a regular ministeragain. Mr. Harold Harrington has takenup residence in the parsonage at 605 OakStreet. He will be ordained and installedin September.MAGGD3 I. MILLIGANMaggie Idella Milligan, 89,of Winchester, died Wednesday morning ather home. She was born June 30, 1865in Brener County, Iowa.SheRobb)(at that time was Mrs. Idellahad been a missionary in Alabama for the Reformed PresbyterianChurch until 1928 when she moved toWinchester.She is survived by her husband, J. M.Milligan; a daughter, Mrs. FlorenceCurrie, Winchester; two sons, JamesMilligan, Valley Falls, and Clark Milligan, Formosa.Funeral services were at 2 p.m.Friday at the Reformed PresbyterianChurch, Winchester, with burial in thechurch cemetery.BELLE CENTER, OHIO: An enjoyable social was held at the home ofMr. and Mrs. Howard Keys, June 17.Refreshments were served by the Committee.LOS ANGELES: We were happy to123

have Dr. J'. Ren Patterson preach forus during his stayat Loma Linda,while attending school and studyingthe Prevention of Alcoholism.KANSAS CITY: Little did we realizewhat lay ahead when we willinglygranted Dr. Paul Coleman time off fromhis pastoral duties, trusting that amonth's rest would lead to increasedstrength. But it was with a great dealof sorrow that we felt called upon toconsent to a dissolution when, underthe doctor's stringent orders for a complete rest, our pastor presented hisresignation. Thirty years and seven andone half months is a long time whenlooking f orword, yet how short it seemswhen looking back over the pleasantand harmonious leadership that Dr.Coleman has given us! Presbytery hasdissolved our relationshipas "pastorand flock," and Rev. R. W. Caskey declared the pulpit vacant on August 8.We are glad that Dr. and Mrs. Colemanwill continue their residence here. Ourprayers are that God will give betterhealth and strength, and that we mayenjoy their loving companionship formanymore years.WALTON: Seventeen from our congregation made the trip to the GrinnellConference. All returned safely andbrought fine reports.BELLE CENTER, OHIO: Mrs. Howard Hervey has been a patient in theMiami Valley Hospital, Dayton, Ohio.She has been gaining and hopes to bedismissed to her home soon.QUINTER: On July 30 in the afternoon, the Junior Sabbath School of theQuinter Congregation spent an enjoyable as well as profitable social timein the basement of the church, playinglively games. The Temperance Flannelgraph set "The Fearless Four" wasgiven by the Sabbath School Superintendent, followed byprayer for God'sguidance and grace when tempted todrink alcoholic beverage. "Watch andpray that ye enter not into temptation."The Honor Class for the last quarterwas the "Candle" Class. Having received most points for attendance, being on time, lesson study and companyin class. The teachers and pupils of theother classes served the refreshmentsto the group. Several parents attended.The Temperance flannelgraph set "Mr.Beer Bottle Takes A Walk" was shownto the Juniors for opening exercisesSabbath morning.BELLE CENTER, OHIO: Mr. JosephFleming, Seattle, Washington Congregation, who is on his way to Ireland fora visit with relatives, made a call at theparsonage recently.124LOS ANGELES: Our annual SabbathSchool picnic was held Saturday, June19 at the Verdugo Playgrounds. The picnic lunch and games that followedwere enjoyed by all.WALTON: Dr. and Mrs. F. H. Lathomvisited friends in Walton for a fewdays recently. We enjoyed hearing Dr.Lathom's message on August 1. Othervisitors who have recently worshipedwith us were Dr.and Mrs. Remo Robband daughter Miss Ellen Jean Robb,Rev. and Mrs. Donald Robb of Cambridge, the Misses Alice and Jean Robbfrom the west coast, Rev. and Mrs. G.M. Robb of Syracuse, Captain and Mrs.Thomas Park and Miss Mary Jane Parkof Montclair, Miss Ruth Henderson ofPittsburg, Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Thomson and family of San Francisco, Mr.and Mrs. Archibald Thomson, Jr. andScott of Baltimore, Mrs. Victor Lynnand daughter Joyce, and Mrs.. Donaldson of White Lake and Mr. and Mrs.Aubrey More of Rochester.BELLE CENTER, OHIO: Mr. andMrs. Donald R. Crawford and childrenof Phoenix, Arizona and two boys, DonRamsay and Ronald Christopher, whowere traveling with them spent Sabbathrecently with Mr. and Mrs. J. D. McClure and attended our church services.Mrs. Crawford is a niece of Mrs. McClure.MORNING SUN: Mrs. Lois Honeyman enjoyed a family reunion the lastof June and early July. Present wereher sister-in-law Mrs.. A. M. Willsonand daughter Mrs. Hidy, Gila Bend,Arizona; Mr. and Mrs. James Honeymanand daughters, La Crescenta, California; Mr. and Mrs. Forrest Talbott andchildren, Mankato, Minn., and Capt.John M. Honeyman of the towboat, TheArnold V. Walker. Not able to bepresent were Mr. and Mrs. DonaldHoneyman and son of New York City.Susan Talbott remained for a visit untilAugust 6. Other guests at the Honeyman home later were Mrs. Nancy WillsonGreen of the Aged People's Home;Mrs. Margaret McFarland of SantaAna ; Mrs. A. E. Acheson of Washington,Iowa; and Miss Mary Marshall of LosAngeles.The kindness and generosityof theBELLE CENTER people were oncemore shown, as on several occasions inthe past, by the gift of a hundred-dollar check to the pastor just before hisleaving for the Grinnell conference. Asif the everyday love and goodwill shownin so many ways were not enough,these extra gifts at special times makeus humblyconscious of how little wedo to deserve them.WALTON:Melville and Faith CarsonThirty-six attended ourmidweek prayer meetingon August 4.Five of these were Covenanter ministers.BELLE CENTER, OHIO: We havehad the privilege of having two of ourmissionaries at home on furlough togive us fine messages and show picturesin each of the fields of labor. Miss Orlena Lynn of Kobe, Japan, and MissEunice McClurkin of Latakia, Syria.LOS ANGELES: The CovenanterDaughters Picnic was held July 13, atFern Dell Park. A chicken dinner anda pleasant eveningwas enjoyed.MORNING SUN, IOWA: The Sabbath after Grinnell was like a homecoming for our congregation. Dr. andMrs. D. H. Elliott; Dr. and Mrs. S.Bruce Willson and family; the Rev. T.R. and Mrs. Hutcheson and family;Rev. and Mrs. Phil Martin and family; Miss Elizabeth McElroy and nieceSarah McElroy, and Mr. Howard McGeewere here visiting relatives and worshiped with us. Dr. Elliott, Dr. Willsonand Rev. Hutcheson are sons of thiscongregation.Other visitors that daywere Mr. and Mrs. James Baird andfamily; Mr. and Mrs. Donald Baird andfamily. Mrs. Johnson (nee Mary AnnArmstrong) and small sons, Mrs. NancyWillson Green and her son, Mr. LowryWillson. Rev. and Mrs. Philip Martinand familywere weekend guests beforeand after Grinnell with Mr. and Mrs.J. Ralph Wilson, Mr. and Mrs. CalvinMcClurkin and Mrs.Lois Honeyman.Mr. J. J. McElroy and daughter MissElizabeth, and granddaughter Sarah,who have been guests at the Rev. J. E.McElroy home for some time, went tovisit at Topeka, July 28. Mrs. DrewrySmith and children Sharon and DrewryIII, who were guests of her mother,Mrs. Irene Samson for a few weeks returned to their home in Los Angeles byair, July 10.WALTON: On Monday evening, August 2 a Family Night program was heldat the church in honor of Dr. and Mrs.Lathom. The many visitors contributedin many ways to the program. Refreshments were served to the eighty peoplepresent.MORNING SUN:Mrs. Irene Samson underwent a successful surgical operation in the Burlington Hospitalwhile her daughter was hereBELLE CENTER, OHIO: On June 26a daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs.J. Melville Rutherford. Congratulationsto the parents and sister, Melba Grace.DENISON: The W. M. S. met withMrs. Jay Porter, August 6.Mrs. IraChestnut was the devotional leader.Money for the new Women's SynodicalTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

Project of Missionary Transportation isbeginning to come in.BELLE CENTER,OHIO: Those whoattended the Grinnell conference fromour congregation were: Dr. and Mrs. M.K. Carson, Mrs. J. M. Coleman, James,Alice Templeton; Misses Ruth Shaw andRoberta Rambo; Arthur McClure, Mr.and Mrs. W.Ann and Jacele.J. Keys and daughtersMORNING SUN: House guests ofMrs. Elizabeth Baird were the Rev. andMrs. D. Howard Elliott and girls; theRev. and Mrs. D. H. Elliott, also Mr.and Mrs. William Walkinshaw and MissSadie Baird of Superior, Nebraska, whowere called here by the death of Mrs.Mabel Baird. The congregation waspleased to have them worshipAugust 1..with usBELLE CENTER, OHIO: Our oldestmember, Mr. D. C. Wickerham celebrated his 97th birthday August 4.WALTON: Rev. and Mrs. SamuelBoyle, Scott, Margaret, Patricia, andGladys are visiting Mrs. Boyle's mother,Mrs. Orlena Robb. Rev. Boyle is tospeak at the Union service on August15.BELLE CENTER, OHIO: On August11 after prayer-meeting a social washeld on the church lawn. It was in theform of a "Hamburg Fry." Rather coolweather for this time of year, but wasenjoyed by all present.MORNING SUN: Miss Cora NettieSamson of Washington, Iowa, suffereda stroke Saturday and died the following Tuesday, August 3. She taught inrural schools and cared for her parents. She was a life-long member ofthe Covenanter Church in Washingtonand MorningSun Congregations. Shewas interested in the causes of temperance and reform and had a greatlove for children.BELLE CENTER, OHIO: Dr. andMrs. M. C. Mitchell of Providence, R.I.,and Dr. and Mrs. R. C. Ross of Urbana,Illinois, visited a few days in the homeof Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Keys. Mrs. Mitchell, Mrs Keys and Mrs. Ross aresisters.TOPEKA: While the Rev. J. E. McElroy and family were vacationing herewith other members of the J. J. McElroy family, he was called home toMorning Sun by the unexpected deathof Elder Zenas McMurtry. Mr. McMurtry was apparently recovering satisfactorily from a surgical operation (doublehernia), but a blood clot brought theend on August 16. Many of you will remember Mr. McMurtry as the elderfrom the Morning Sun congregation atthe Grinnell MeetingAugust 25, 1954of Synod.BELLE CENTER, OHIO: Rev. andMrs. M. W. Martin and daughters andMrs. D. B. Martin of Seattle, Washington, stopped over night July 28 ontheir way west in the home of Mr. andMrs. R. H. Reed. Mrs. Martin is aniece of Mr. Reed.WALTON: We are glad to have Rev.and Mrs. Hill and children with us againafter threeweeks'absence.BELLE CENTER, OHIO: We arehappy to have Mrs. M. K. Carson backhome again after spending a few weeksin the home of her son Rev. and Mrs..James Carson. Our prayers are for acomplete recoveryson's health.of Mrs. James CarWALTON: A very successful community Vacation Bible School was heldin Walton this year, July 12-23. Theenrollment was 301with an averageattendance of 239. This was the largestVacation Bible School ever held in ourtown. Two members of our congregationwere teachers.BELLE CENTER, OHIO: Mr.EdwinForsythe of Ft. Worth, Texas, wascalled to Belle Center, Ohio, for thefuneral of his mother, Mrs. J. B. Forsythe.MORNING SUN: Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Hutcheson, and daughters Harriet Ann and Connie and Mr. and Mrs.Walter Hutcheson spent a few days on atrip to Glenwood Minnesota where theyvisited relatives.BELLE CENTER OHIO: Mrs. Robt.D. Edgar and sons of Philadelphia, Pa.,were guests at the parsonage recently.They are visitingrelatives and friendsenroute to the conference at Grinnell,Iowa.YOU ARE INVITEDThe Editor wishes to give public acknowledgement to a letter from Rev.David T. Lauderdale, minister of theAssociate Reformed PresbyterianChurch of Lexington, Virginia. Mr.Lauderdale's letters are always welcome;first of all because of their warmfriendly expression of love for ourchurchand our paper and for thePsalms which he uses exclusively inhis own church and promotes influencein their favor everywhere he goes. Mr.Lauderdale's letters are always welcome;because he sends an invitation to thewhole Covenanter Church to visit intheir Church any time we are travelingin his direction and the route on whichhe lives is not onlyof historical interest but is the beautiful valley of Virginia,an additional attraction to theopportunity to visit Mr.Church.Lauderdale'sMr.Lauderdale's letters are of interest too because he encloses $10.00for the subscriptions for himself and histhree minister sons: W. C. Lauderdale,George S. Lauderdale and David T.Lauderdale, Jr. and for his son-in-law,Jack F. Heinsohn. This kind of letterwe like to get from outside the churchand especiallythat comes alongwith the commendationwith it. Anotherreason we like this letter from Mr.Lauderdale is that he sends us a number of his church bulletins from whichwe glean such things as the following:"A great and glorious day given by ourLord to our Church; 348 people attended our Sabbath School and 427 attended our morning worshipon the lastLord's Day. A letter to the boys andgirls: 213 of them trained by the 28teachers in our Daily Vacation BibleSchool, gave an inspiring All Bible Service, Bible recitations and Bible songs,the Psalms. Then follows the number ofyoung people who recited perfectly the,Church Catechism and others who recited the Child's Catechism. Six newmembers were added to the Church onthat day. 11 Children baptized in thelast 12 Sabbaths. Two couples marriedon one day, June 19. This makes 2,142persons who have honored our pastorby choosing him to perform their weddings. That from one bulletin. In anotherbulletin he mentions 3 funerals from hismembership and this makes 1,119funerals our pastor has conducted. Thisadvice follows "What a vast multitude!our friends and loved ones who oncelived in our communityand now aregone! We all will leave this earth andmeet God, whatever you expect to dofor Him and give to Him you must doit now or never."I must work theworks of Him that sent me while itis day, the night cometh when no mancan work. John 9:14.Thank you Mr. Lauderdale and wewill be very glad to accept the invitationif at all possible and we hopeit will be possible for our folks to meetyou.SOCIAL PROBLEMAsserting that liquor consumption isthe greatest social problem in Americatoday, far graver than communism, theRev. John W. Keogh of Philadelphia,president of the Catholic Total Abstinence Union of America,declared tothe group's eighty-first annual convention: "Communism in America is yetonly a threat to our life, liberty, andpursuit of happiness, but the drink problem isnot something threatening toundermine our social status and life. Itis a tremendous, active, eternal, visibleforce causing havoc and chaos."125

understanding."princess"Lesson Helps for the Week of September 12, 1954C. Y. P. U. TOPICfor September 12, 1954CHURCH OR SCHOOL FIRST?Rev. J. E. McElroy, Morning Sun, IowaPsalms100:1-4, page 23737:1-4, page 9134:6-9, page 82122:1-3, page 316References: Jeremiah 10:12; Job 36:13-15, 21Those that hated knowledge: Isaiah 1:15, 16; Micah 3:4Promises to those who heed: Proverbs1:1-8; Isaiah 61:1, 2; Prov. 1:33;Romons6:14; 2 Cor. 5:14, 15.Text: Prov. 1:28-33; 3:19-22; John 8:32.School bells are ringing again, reminding us that school is again callingpupils to advanced activities in the fieldof learning. The subject indicates achoice or many choices that need to bemade. For many things there is nochoice. One of a certain age must go toschool, then when in school certainsubjects are required and certain activities are necessary to have a balancedprogram. School work is demanding,and with alluringextra-curricular activities is time-consuming. Neglect ofchurch duties is easy.Proverbs 3:13, "Happy is the manthat findeth wisdom, and the man thatgettethThe emphasisis placed on the importance of wisdom.Going to school helps one to learn thefacts and how to use them. Happinessmay be had in the satisfactions of using well the facts.Jesus provides the greatest wisdom.We know that those who follow thetruth as He lived it and taught it findfreedom as can be found in no other.ofJesus said.J'Seek ye first the kingdomGod."As students there seems toneed to be a division of loyalties, thatis to enjoy school and at the same timeto obey ChristWhen a conflict comeshow do we choose? If the Church orC. Y. P. U. is to function as it should,there needs to be week-day activitiesand those activities are often a successin proportion to the attendance andparticipation. Each one absent detractsfrom the effective work being accomplished. Each then has his or her responsibility in the success of that activity. It does make a difference howwe choose.126With many schools represented insome societies and different schedulesin each community it is important thatschool officials and church leaders workout a plan to co-operate on the demandson the students. It is being worked outin many communities and can be donewith some degree of satisfaction. Oneimportant idea is that when the planis made it is important to co-operatein the plan. If the church plans for usthen we should be loyal.Suggestions:1. Arrange a debate with two on eachside with such a subject as: Resolvethat school activities during the weekare more important than church activities during the week.2. Or, have one discuss the part of oneperson's responsibility to a group.3. Or, discuss the idea of having allreligious activityon Sabbath and noneduring the Week. Is it a sound idea?Prov. 1:25, 33.4. How can we helpour school andchurch to co-operate? What is our partin that co-operation?(Make plans tonight for speaker fornext meeting; subject: "Christ and myVocation.")JUNIOR TOPICSeptember 13, 1954by Mrs. Wilbur J. Keys"THE BIRTH OF ISAAC"Bible Readings: Genesis 18:9-15, Genesis21:1-8.Memory Verse:"Jesus answered andsaid unto him, Verily, verily, I sayunto thee, Except a man be bornagain, he cannot see the kingdom ofGod."John 3:3.Psalms to sing:Psalm 55: 12, 13, 17, page 140 (ourpsalm to be sung from memory forthis month)Psalm 126:1-4,page 321Psalm 105 : 1, 2, 6, page 257Psalm 89:1-4,page 216References : Find the answers to the following questions.1. What was the covenant God madewith Abraham? Gen. 17:4-8.2. How do we know that Isaac was ason of promise? Rom. 9:7-93. What does Paul say of Isaac? Gal.4:22, 23, 28-314. How did Sarah bare a son in herold age? Heb. 11:11, 125. Why was Sarah's son named Isaac?Gen. 17:19We have been hearingmuch aboutcovenants this past year. Last monthyoustudied about the covenant Godmade with Noah. Today we have another covenant. This is the covenant Godmade with Abraham. What is a covenant? It could be an agreement, a bargain or a deal made with someone. Butfor this lesson, let us call it a "promise."God made several promises to Abraham.Perhaps you shall have time to read thechapters we are skipping and discoverthe promises God made to Abraham.When Godchanged Abram's nameto Abraham he promised to make him"a father of manynations"which is themeaning of his name. One time whenGod was talking to Abraham about it,He said, "Look now toward heaven, andtell the stars, if thou be able to numberthem: and He said unto him, So shallthy seed be." Sarai's name was changedto Sarah meaning "thebecause she was to be the mother of nations and kings. But we find Abraham atthe age of ninety-nine and Sarah at theage of ninety still without children.They are becoming impatient with God,because they think they are too old tohave children of their own. Abrahameven went so far as to laugh at theLord for promising him a son. God tellshim to name his son Isaac (Laughter),because Abraham rejoiced when thisson was promised him. I suspect God istesting the faith of these two. Continually God reassures Abraham and Sarahthat His promise will come true.Last week you will recall that Godand His two angels visited Abraham atMamre and again told him and Sarahthat the following year they would havea son. Sarah laughed within herselfshowing her lack of faith and trust inGod. Immediately, the Lord reprovedher. Sarah tried to cover up her guiltwith a lie of denial, but the Lord knowsour very thoughts and is saddened byour sins.In Genesis 21 we find God's promisecomes true, and Isaac is born "at the settime of which God had spoken to him."The new born son is named Isaac asGod commanded. Let us discover someother reasons for his name meaninglaughter beside the one already mentioned. (1) It was God's command; (2)When Sarah received the promise, shelaughed because of distrust; (3) Isaacwas himself afterward laughed at byIshmael, his half-brother (God's favoritechildren are always laughed at by thoseof the world) ; and (4) The promise thatTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

_'', . ., .citizens."citizenship"., ._Isaac was the heir would be a joy toall ages even down to us.Imagine how happy and joyful Sarahand Abraham must have been when Godfulfilled His promise of a son to be theirheir! Abraham and Sarah learned whatwe all must believe, that God alwayskeeps His promises. It makes no difference how hard the promise is to keep,nothing is too hard for God. Do notforget that God can do all things.God's promises are just as sure today.God loves to have us trust Him andprove His promises. God's love for uswill be forever. Our salvation is forever,If you will accept the Lord Jesus Christas your Savior, God will keep His prom-ise and give you eternal life-John 3:3.Topics for you to discuss:1. Why did Sarah laugh? Is anythingtoo hard for the Lord?SABBATH SCHOOL LESSONSeptember 12, 1954by Rev. Joseph A. Hill(Lessons based an International Sunday SchoolLessons ; the International Bible Lessons foxChristian Teaching, copyrighted by the International Council of Religious Education.''CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP ANDCOOPERATIONLesson material: Acts 6:1-6; Romans12:9-16; 13:1-10; / Corinthians 3:4-9;Galatians 5 :13-15.Pnnted Text: Passages above in Italics.There is no church which carries theimplications of Biblical principles sofar int0 the sPhere of government andP^tical action as does the Covenanter^^^ ur view of Christian civilgovernment and citizenship,includingthe principle of dissent, is just the con-sisutent application of the truth of theBlb1^' nothing or less' However,we do not stand alone in applying the,,,,,,2. Why was Abraham called the Fath- tmth Qf the BiWe to national> politicaler of the Faithful? Rom. 4and dvil sphereg of activity Qne of3. What is the Covenant of Grace? the rich legacies of the Protestant Ref-4. What four great things did God ormation to the Church in general ispromise Abraham?5. Give some reasons why Isaac wasan appropriate name for son of Abrahamindividual duties of citizenship. ChrisandSarah.-T6. Name some other miracle births thethe reaffirmation of the great principlesof national responsibility to God and oftians everywhere acknowledge these.. -i v . +ubasic truths of God's Word. They agree. ,that good citizenshipJ. .means Christiancitizenship. We should rejoice that thereis a general acknowledgement of such. , ,,TFor your Notebook : , . , . , ,Fill in these blanks in your notebook.basic truths m the Church today.There is>however) a basic error that1. Abraham was called a we should try to avoid in our workof God and the of many toward the Christian Amendment. Thatnations.is the fallacy that the unsaved can be"good, Scripture teaches that2 and were"goodis part of the,T"fruitthe mother and father of Isaac. ., ..,,/T. ,, ,of the Spirit and that only the re-3. was the son of promise, generate can be good citizens. One of4. Isaac's name means5. Abraham made a greatthe same day thatweaned.wasthe stumbling-blocks in the way of theChristian Amendment Movement is thenon-Christian. And one of the errors inthe church's work in this field is thatno radical distinction is made between6. Because we are born in sin we the Christian and the non-Christian.are to Satan. What Biblical warrant is there for thenotion that a non-Christian can "devout-, J ,7. God says we must bely recognize the authority and law of8. If we are born again we are no Jesus Christ..."?more slaves to Satan, but we are theTo the leader:The one passage assigned for today'sof God. lesson which deals specifically withFor the flash card, paste a picture ofChristian citizenship is Romans 13:1-10.For an excellent discussion of this pass-age, see "Blue Banner Faith and Life,"a baby. Over it print in large letters JulySeptember, 1952, pp. 140-145;the word, PROMISE, and beneath it October-December, 1952, pp. 174-176,the reference of the memory verse. Forwhere the outline of this passage is asthe review this week, mix the cards and follows :let each junior draw one. Then let each I. The Christian's Civil Obligations, Rogivethe memory verse and tell what the mans 13:1-7story was about. You might omit the 1. Subjection unto the Higherstory telling and let them draw the Powers, 13:1, 2.cards several times so that more 2. The Functions and Powers ofmemory verses would be reviewed by Civil Government, 13: 3, 4each one.3. The Christian's Proper AttitudeToward the Civil Government,13:5-7.II. The Christian's Social Obligations,Romans 13:8-101. Obligations in Human Society tobe Discharged, 13 :82. The Obligation of Love to ourNeighbor, 13:9, 10.A few quotations from the materialreferred to above should be sufficient topromote some class discussion."We are to obey the magistrates, because they derive their authority fromGod.Not only is human governmenta divine institution, but the form inwhich that government exists, and thepersons by whom its functions are exercised, are determined by His providence . . . There is no limitation to theinjunction of this verse (1), so far asthe objects of obedience are concerned,although there is as to the extent of theobedience itself. That is, we are boundto obey all that is in actual authorityover us, whether their authority belegitimate or usurped, whether they arejust or unjust. The actual reigningemperor was to be obeyed by the RomanChristians, whatever they might thinkas to his title to the sceptre. But if hetranscended his authority, and requiredof them to worship idols, they were toobey God rather than man. This is thelimitation to all human authority. Whenever obedience to man is inconsistentwith obedience to God, then disobedience becomes a duty (Charles Hodge)."(p. 141).Verses 3, 4: "Here Paul states anadditional reason for obedience tomagistrates: not only is obedience ourChristian duty, but magistrates are forthe purpose of restraining evil and promoting good. Briefly stated, the func. .tion of civil government as establishedby God is to administer justice in human (p. 142).society""State regulation and control of industry, business, etc., are not necessarilywrong. They are legitimate just to theextent that they are truly necessaryfor the maintaining of justice . . . Butthe tendency for the state to overstepall bounds and take over more and moreof human life is certainly wrong andcontrary to God's plan revealed in theBible"(P. 142)."Paul teaches, also, that the civilmagistrate is authorized to use force forthe restraint of evil and the punishmentof. evildoers(13:4b). The use of thesword implies the death penalty. Thisin turn implies the power of lesserpenalties in the administration of justice. If the state has the God-given authority to punish murder with death, italso has the God-given authority to punish theft, arson or perjury with fine orimprisonment"(p. 143).August 25, 1954 127

vain"course.""The passage of Scripture we arestudying also has a bearing on the question of Pacifism. Those who say that theuse of force is always wrong in dealingsbetween nations do not take account ofthe whole teaching of Scripture on thissubject. If the civil magistrate "bearethnot the sword in(that is, as amere emblem of authority), he is empowered to use force against evil whennecessary. But there is no difference inprinciple between the use of force torestrain evil within a nation, and theuse of force to restrain evil betweennations . . (p. 144).Verses 5-7: "The apostle here teachesthat obedience to magistrates is not onlya civil duty which will be enforced bythe State, but that it is also a religiousduty, a part of our conscientious obedience to God. We are to obey the lawfulcommands of magistrates, not only because we have to, but because we oughtto. We are not to obey merely becauseof "wrath," that is, not merely becauseof the fear of suffering penalities, butalso as a matter of conscientious devotion to God" (p. 144).The teacher will profit by studyingthe entire sections in "Blue BannerFaith and Life," referred to above.There are many questions (and answers)furnished there which can be discussedby the class.DANGER AHEADThe year 1953 marked an all-timehigh both in the amount spent in advertising alcoholic beverages and in thedollar sales of these beverages. The advertising expenditures approximated$260,000,000, and the sales, according toa release given out in July by the U. S.Department of Commerce, amounted to$9,885,000,000 short only by $115,000,-000 of the ten billion dollar mark.Back over the years since repeal, thesales of alcoholic liquors have increasedin about the same proportion that theiradvertising has increased. It has been theclaim of many of the liquor fraternityof their beveragesthat the advertisingdoes not increase their overall sale, thatit is only a competition between differentbrands of liquor for increasingsales. Thisfalse claim has just been refuted by anoutstanding member of their own group,Clinton M. Hester, the Washingtonlegal counsel of the U. S. Brewers Foundation. Mr. Hester has not only beenthe attorney for the Brewers Foundationfor many years, but has been closely associated with the Government in administeringthe liquor laws since the enactment of the 21st Amendment,and for atime was a legislative counsel for theTreasury Department.At the recent hearings on the Brysonand Langer bills before the Interstate andForeign Relations Committees of theHouse of Representatives and Senate,Mr. Hester was a witness for the U. S.Brewers Foundation. He stated repeatedly and with emphasis that if the Brysonbill to prohibit the advertising of alcoholic beverages were enacted into law, itwould decrease the sale of alcoholic beverages by 50 percent. We quote him asfollows :"Advertising is the life blood of themanufacture and sale of liquor". . . ."Advertising is the sale, and when youcurb advertising by this (Bryson)bill, you would stopthe sale of 50 percent of all the alcoholic beverages thatare sold in the United States today."Asked how he arrived at this 50 percent reduction in the sales of liquor andbeer, Mr. Hester replied: "Practicallyminor baseballevery major and everyteam is being sponsored by brewers today. They have a commercial as theysponsor the baseball game to people, andare selling beer. What do you thinkwould happen if overnight you voted thisbill out and that wasdentally it isstopped."(Inciyoung people especiallywho are interested in baseball and othersports. This throws light on the industry's purpose in spending millions insponsoring sport eventscan youth in their net).to catch AmeriMr. Hester went on to say that this50 per cent reduction in sales was notonly his opinion but it was the opinionof the 45 members of the Board of Directors of the U. S. Brewers Foundation.Further confirmation of Mr. Hester'sclaim has just come to light. "Old Crow"is one of the numerous brands of liquormanufactured by National DistillersProducts Corporation. On the authorityof a leading advertising magazine of thecountry, this Companyspent $6,000,000in advertising this one brand of bourbon whiskey in 1953 and will spend anadditional million this year, bringing thetotal up to $7,000,000 for 1954.This same authoritystates that Seagrams Distillers Company, the largest ofthe "Big Four" distillers,spent in advertising its products: in 1953 the huge sumof $22,000,000, and will probably spendfrom $22,500,000 to $23,000,000 in 1954.This is considerably more than its nearest rival, Schenley Distillery, is spendingin advertising and its sales; likewiseare considerablymore than Schenley's.All this goes to show the importance ofthe Crusade Against Liquor Advertisingsponsored by the National Temperanceand Prohibition Council. If Mr. Hesteris right, stoppingalcoholic beverage advertising would reduce the sale and consumption of liquor, wine and beer by onehalf, and this, in turn, would reduce byone half the damage that results fromtheir beverage use.The Crusade, which was launched twoyears ago, is gaining momentum frommonth to month. Protest communications by the tens of thousands aregoingto the editors, publishers, owners, operators of newspapers, magazines, radioand television stations. But the numbersshould be increased many fold. You areurged to join this increasing host. Expressyour convictions against this subtle andglamorous advertisingness.of this evil busiAll the information needed for .participating in the Crusade is contained in alarge four page folder. Secure a supply.Cost to cover printing and postage: 1 to18 copies, 10 cents each; 25 to 36 copied,8 cents each; 50 or more, 6 cents; each.Dr. Renwick H. Martin, Chairman orDr. J. Renwick Patterson, Secretary-Treasurer.209 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh 22, Pa.THE POCKET TESTAMENTLEAGUE,156 Fifth AvenueNew York 10, N. Y.INC.The Pocket Testament League announces that 4,551PTL converts in Japanhave completed the first section of aBible study course. 206Japanese converts have completed the entire two-yearBible course108 Bible verses.plus the memorization ofMr. Alfred A. Kunz, Executive Director of The League, states:"PTL has always had a policy ofcareful follow-up of each person whomakes a profession of faith as a resultof our Scripture distribution and Gospelrallies. We are now very happyand fortunate to have the loyal cooperation ofThe Navigators in our follow-up work inJapan. This follow-up is done with twomain objectives: first, to give the newChristian all possible help and encouragement in launching out on the Christian life; and second, to help him become an effective witness who will winothers to the Lord Jesus Christ."It is encouraging to note that over10,000 Lesson Ones have been sent out asa direct result of the witnessing of thosealready enrolled in theIncluded among those who have completed the first section of the Biblestudycourse are 173 converts in Hiroshima, where the first atom bomb wasdropped; 45 in Nagasaki and 272 inTokyo.128THE COVENANTER WITNESS

Missionary NumberLESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 19, 1954THE FIELD fS THE WORLD,THE S/rErD (S THE WORD OP GODVOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1954 NUMBER 9Christian UnityRev. Wm. Young, B.A.in the Reformed Presbyterian WitnessFrom time to time we hear or read statements strength of the Church of Christ. Indeed it is veryboth directly and indirectly to the purity and ly do so.about the scandal of divisions within the ChristianChurch. A letter in a recent issue of the "GlasgowHerald"was more specific and referred to the scandal of six separate Presbyterian bodies in Scotland.Much is often said and written about the harm thatsuch divisions do and the obstacle that they presentprobable that we today would not enjoy the light andliberty that we do had there not been those, in ourown land and in otherlands, who believed it to betheir duty to break with a Church which had departed from the word of God and become corrupt in doctrine or practice.to those outside the Church. Strong appeals are alsoItmade to Church members to end this may be that thereunhappy stateare unions that could bemadeof affairs. Such statements and appeals are apt to today without any sacrifice of principle ortruth. This is a matter which each Christianperplex the minds of devoted Church members of allbodymust conscientiously decide fordenominations who are not by any means schismaticsitself, and it is a matter that has been given much careful and prayerfulbut who have a deep love for that branch of Christ'sconsideration. Where it is feltChurch in which they were nurtured and inthat union would inwhichthey came to know and love the volveSaviour, and whose disloyalty to Christ and His Word, that is toogreat a price to pay. Mere outwarddistinctive testimony they felt it their duty to mainuniformity is notso desirable an end in itself that it must be purchasedtain.at that cost.Are the divisions within the Christian Churcha scandal ? It would seem that there are other features of Church life that are much more of a scandalthan this. Think, for example, of the way in whichsome of the great historical facts on which the Gospel rests are questioned and denied even by professing Christians. Or think of the nature of muchWe can have real Christian unity without uniformity. There is a very real sense in which theChurch of Christ is one. The true Church of Christ,the Church invisible, consisting of all who love theLord Jesus, is not now divided and never has been.While ecclesiastical planners are so much concernedChurch membership today and the large proportion about organic unity, the true fellowship of believers,of Church members Who are admittedly not Chris which knows no barriers of nation, class, cast or sect,tians at all in the New Testiment sense of the term. goes on. We bless God for the many evidences ofIt is to be feared that these things do far more tohinder the Church's testimony and influence than thedivisions within the Church.It must surely be admitted that those who weretrue Christian unity and for co-operation amongChristian people of many denominations in evangelism, temperance work, Bible distribution and foreignmissions. The desire for Christian unity, whichresponsible for some, at any rate, of the divisions should be deep in the heart of every true believer,in the Church were led of the Spirit of God. It seems should lead us whole-heartedly to support all suchclear that many of these divisions have contributed united efforts, in so far as we feel we can consistent

name."upon."world."Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D.Young People Aiding EuropeOver 100 volunteer young people sailed in June forEurope and Asia to serve in work camps. They come from29 states and represent 75 colleges. They expect to participatein 33 overseas camps distributed among 22 nations in buildingschools, churches, playgrounds,refugee settlements and otherprojects for the victims of war and natural disasters.Assembly of World CouncilAs this is written the Second World Council of Churchesis meeting at Evanston, 111. Some churchmen from communistcountries have been allowed entrance to the U. S. to attendthese meetings. The McCarran-Walter Immigration Act barsmembers of totalitarian organizations from entry to the U. S.However, the Attorney General is allowed to waive restrictionsagainst any individuals whose admission is specifically recommended by the State Department.We are aware that the World Council includes such aconglomerate of religions that it is not expected to issue anypronouncements on religion that are strongly evangelical.Billy Graham had been invited to address the Council, butdeclined on account of ill health due to his recent operation.However, in his message on "The Hour of Decision" he declared that the World Council should make deliverances onseveral fundamental facts of the Christian faith. We regretthat he named one which we do not think is taught in theBible, namely, the coming of Christ to reign on earth and totransform the world. Christ is here now working by His Spirit.He is now reigning and shall reign until he has put all enemiesunder his feet.must be Someone to solve the problems of the world. But doour friends know him? Have we told them what this Lordis to us? What right have we to keep still about this greatestgood? ....Lord, give us the zeal and the wisdom for thedissemination of this the greatest news in theDefining Free MethodismIn an article setting forth the doctrine and practice of theFree Methodists in The Free Methodist, the writer says, amongother things: "Believing that all early Christian and earlyMethodist worship was informal, the Free Methodists havemaintained the utmost simplicity in worship, and until as recently as 1943 did not permit the use of choirs or musicalinstruments. Like the Wesjeyans, they forbid not only alcohol,tobacco and secret societies, but also anyother but simpledress and all use of ornamental jewelry. Many wives do noteven wear wedding bands. Elaborate and costlychitecture is frownedOil by the Dead Seachurch arThere is a crew of Texas and Oklahoma oilmen drillingfor oil near the Dead Sea 390 feet below sea level. More testdrills are to be operated within the year. It has been longthought that there was oil in the region of Sodom which addedto the great conflagration which destroyed that city. Manyyears ago Sir Wm. Dawson, the noted geologist who hadvisited that area, discussed the conditions at some length.Slimepits are spoken of as being in that region (Gen. 14:10).Bible in the SchoolsW.C.T.U. Intensifies EffortsThe Women's Temperance Unions of New York andNew Jersey are intensifying their efforts against alcohol,tobacco, narcotics and legalized gambling. They are urging theNew Jersey legislature to enact bills making it illegal to possess alcoholic beverages at any interscholastic contest and torequire race tracks to list all stockholders. They are increasingtheir campaign against tobacco on the basis of recentmedical pronouncements concerning its effect upon health.Nuns Teaching in KentuckyThe Attorney General of Kentucky has issued an opinionto the effect that Roman Catholic nuns may teach in theirclerical robes in the public schools of that state. This hasaroused Protestants to protest his opinion and some havethreatened to stage a march on the State Capitol and even refuse to pay taxes. In Marion county alone there are 85 nunswho teach in the schools.Helen Keller's FaithThere is an item in The Free Methodist which states:Because she was deaf and dumb and blind, Helen Keller seemsnot to have been given religious instruction early in life.Finally she was taken to Phillips Brooks, who told her thestory of God's love as shown in His gift of Jesus Christ tothe world. Delighted, the girl responded, "I knew all the timethat there must be One like that, but I didn't know HisThe writer continues :"'One like that.' Indeed, in a moraluniverse there must be. There must be Someone to save usfrom our sins and from ourselves and from disaster. There130We are told in United Evangelical Action that "A strongmovement to restore the reading or study of the Bible in thepublic schools of the South is being promoted here (Charlotte,N. C.) by J. B. Spillman and a group of Christian laymen.Under the leadership of Dr. J. P. McCallie an agreement wasreached in 1922 between the pastors, PTA groups and publicschool executives to teach the Bible in the Chattanoogaschools. This movement soon spread to North Carolina wherethere are now over 100 communities in which the Bible isbeing taught in the public schools."In Gaston, Cabarrus and Mecklenburg counties in NorthCarolina the schools have a daily morning devotional periodin which the Bible is read. In Gaston County copies of Mrs.Catherine Vos' Child's Story Bible was placed in all elementary grades. In this county a drive is now on to place tenChristian books to every 100 books in each school library."Pastors and Christian laymen are invited to write Mr.J. B. Spillman for information about how to start similardrives in their communities. Address him 911 S. Tryon St.,Charlotte 2, N. C."H. J. Ockenga Goes to SeminaryDr. Harold J. Ockenga, who has been pastor of the historic Park Street Congregational Church in Boston for 22years is: resigning to devote full time to the presidency of theFuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena. He has been president of Fuller Seminarysince it was organized seven yearsago. It has been stated that the point had been reached whereDr. Ockenga had to give up one position or the other and hedecided to devote his energies, after the first of the year, tothe seminary.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

Current EventsBy Prof. William H. RussellCONGRESSIONAL RECORDCongress stayed in session three weeks beyond the timeoriginally decided on for adjournment, but the delay enabledthem to complete a notable record of legislation. Almost asmany bills were passed in August as in the previous! sevenmonths, and more important laws were adopted than in anyprevious year since the early days of the New Deal. Ofcourse the Democrats will attack much of this legislation during the fall political campaign, but President Eisenhowerclaims to be well satisfied with his party's record. Administration spokesmen claim that they were successful in nineteen outof twenty-six major legislative proposals.SPENDING DROPSThe total amount appropriated by Congress was about$53.9 billion, the least since before the Korean War. Last yearCongress appropriated $59.5 billion, and the post-War recordwas $11 billion for 1951. Spending is expected to reach $65.5billion this fiscal year and revenue $61.6 billion, for a deficitof nearly $4 billion. About $2.6 billion was cut from the budget requested by the President. Congress sliced off more thana billion from the defense budget, and about three quartersof a billion from foreign aid. The foreign aid bill finally passedtotalled five and a quarter billion, but almost half of thiswas a reappropriation of carry-over funds. Only two appropriation bills those for the Agriculture Department and forLabor and Health-Education-Welfarethan the President asked.LIMITED FLEXIBILITYcarried more moneyIn many parts of the country the biggest political controversy will center about the new farm bill. President Eisenhower originally asked authority to reduce the price supports of basic crops corn, wheat, cotton, rice, and peanutsfrom a compulsory 90 per cent of parity to a sliding-scalesystem going as low as 75 per cent. The purpose was to discourage the production of unwanted surpluses. After muchdebate, Congress finally adopted an even compromise, settingthe minimum support level at82%per cent of parity. Thisis still considered an Administration victory, since it establishes the principle of flexible supports. The Democratswill charge, however, that Eisenhower promised in 1952 tokeep supports as 90 per cent, and that the farmers are betrayed.Another section of the farm bill authorizes the Secretaryof Agriculture to hold dairy price supports at their present75 per cent of parity. There was little dispute over the administration proposal to allocate $2x/2 billion worth of surplusfarm products for foreign or domestic relief or other noncommercial purposes.CLAMPING DOWN ON THE REDSOne surprise of the last week of Congress was a move tooutlaw the Communist Party. One bill would have mademembership in the party a crime, but this was given up dueto Administration opposition. Both the President and AttorneyGeneral declared that it would merely drive the Reds underground and make it more difficult to control them. As passed,the bill declares the Communist Party to be "an instrumentality of a conspiracy to overthrow the government of the UnitedSeptember 1, 1954States," and denies it the privileges of a legal body. Thismeans the Communist Party cannot be listed on a federal.ballot, but the effect on the Party's legal status in the statesis not clear. Labor unions which the government declares tobe Communist-controlled are denied legal rights before theNatoinal Labor Relations Board. The new act also retainsall the requirements and penalties of the McCarran InternalSecurity Act of 1950, requiring members of Communist- actiongroups to register and barring them from defense plants, federal employment, or from obtaining a passport.Congress also passed a bill to take away the citizenshipof Americans convicted of conspiring to overthrow the govfor peaceernment by force, and authorized the death penaltytime espionage or sabotage. Penalties are also increased forbail- jumping and harboring fugitives. In addition, Congressauthorized federal judges to grant witnesses in security casesimmunity from prosecution, and thus compel them to testifyregardlessof the Fifth Amendment. Congress did not, however, carry out the administration's request for permission touse evidence obtained by wire-tapping in the prosecution ofsubversives.ATOMIC ENERGY PLANSeveral compromise efforts were necessary before thetwo houses of Congress could agree on an atomic energy bill.The measure has two main purposesprivate atomic power industry,to open the way for aand to allow the President togive our European allies more atomic equipment and information. One of the sharpest points of debate concerned the sharing of civilian patents in the atomic power field. The compromise adopted was that all patents must be freelyshared forfive years, after which the .patent owners can obtain exclusiverights. House leaders say they will try next year to cancel thesharing provision, but it will be upheld by those who fearmonopolistic tendencies in the atomic power field. The broadplan of the legislation is that the Atomic Energy Commissioncan grant forty-year renewal licences for private industry tooperateatomic plants. The Commission itself may also operate atomic power plants, but publicly owned utilities and cooperatives are to have first preference as its customers.UNFINISHED BUSINESSSeveral other important measures were passed in the lastfew days of Congress, such as a major expansion of the socialsecurity system and a pay increase for federal workers. Thesewill have to wait for our next column. Despite its importantaccomplishments, this year's sessiondefeated, or overlooked,several worthwhile recommendations of President Eisenhower.Statehood for Hawaii was killed by linking it with Alaska.The President got only a one-year extension of the ReciprocalTrade Agreements Act, and no authority to cut tariffs. TheTaft-Hartley Act was not revised, and the President's plan forgovernment reinsurance of private health plans met defeat.Congress also rejected the proposed amendment giving 18-year-olds the right to vote in federal elections. The Administration's request for an increase in postal rates, needed tobalance the budget, was defeated because it would be politically unpopular. And the greatest of all items of unfinishedbusiness is the Christian Amendment, which was not reportedout of committee.131

RethinkingMissions in IndiaBy Harold R. Cook in Moody MonthlyUsed by permissionMust missions in India think in terms of closing out or in terms ofnew approaches ?In another part of this issue we present a picture of one of the outstanding new opportunities inIndia. We rejoice in this new opportunity. But at thesame time we should not overlook the fact that onceagain there is serious opposition to missions in thatland.Protestant missions first entered India withBartholomew Ziegenbalg and Henry Pluetschau, atthe beginning of the eighteenth century. The twomen ran into opposition of Danish officials and traders before ever they set foot on shore, even thoughthey had the king as their sponsor. Nearly a hundredyears later, in the days of William Carey, missionsfound an even stronger foe in the British East IndiaCompany. Only Christian pressure at home finallymade this firm remove its restrictions.But in both these cases the missionaries weredealing with governments that were officially considered Christian. The Indian people themselves hadlittle to say in the matter. When the British Crowntook over from the East India Company, the missionsentered into a period of ninety years of almost complete freedom for their work.Indian independence has brought a completelynew situation. Now the missions must deal with anIndian government, not a British one. They must dealwith a government largely dominated by Hinduideas, since most of the people are Hindus. Theymust approach that government not as a privilegedgroup of foreigners (though the British did try tomaintain religious neutrality), but as guests whosestay depends on their welcome by the Indian people.In some ways the missionaries have found thisto be a great help in their work. In the minds of thepeople their former association with foreign rule wasalways a handicap. Now their message and their ministry can stand on its own merits, not on any falseprestige connected with a supposedly superior race.Now the people can see that to become a Christiandoes not mean to support foreign domination. Andmany Indians have been more willing to listen to themessage than before.But the situation has its dangers. Once againthe missions have to face serious opposition in highplaces. Officially, the Indian government has accepted the former British policy of neutrality in religious affairs. India is a secular state, with full religious liberty for all faiths. And some of the leaders,fike Jawaharlal Nehru, are committed sincerely tothis policy. But not all. Some would like to see India aHindu state, and have tried to make it so.It is a commonplace to say that anyreligiousgroup, when it is in the majority, tends to become intolerant of others. It is especially true when a minority is active in winning converts, as is the case inIndia. The Christian Church is still a small minority,132but it has been growing. Even before the withdrawalof the British, the Hindus were complaining aboutwhat they call the "proselytizing" activities of theChristians.Now they have the opportunity to try to restrictthose activities. The problem is to find a way to do itthat will not put them in a bad light. They must notviolate the principle of religious liberty.openlyThe first step obviously was to control the entrance of foreign missionaries. They began by requiring that any new mission desiring to begin work inIndia should first be cleared by the National Christian Council of India. The only change this made wasthat approval had to come from an Indian organization rather than a British or American one.From controlling the entrance of new missions thegovernment moved on to the control of replacementsand reinforcements for the existing missions. Atfirst there were only aggravating delays in grantingvisas. Then came repeated rejections, often withouta clear reason.One explanation given was that foreignersshould not be admitted to occupy positions that Indians were capable of handling. This was good patriotic sentiment, and to some extent we can agree. Ifthe objective of missions is to build up an indigenouschurch in the land, the more responsibility we canturn over to the people themselves, the better. Andwe shall have to admit that sometimes the missionshave been unreasonably slow in handing over thereins.But the explanation still does not satisfy. Visashave been refused not only to evangelistic missionaries, but to others whose work no Indian is preparedTHE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street, Newton, Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka, Kansasto promote Bible Standards of Doctrine, Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writers ;not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen, D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll, D.D.Remo I. Robb, D.D.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdgarMrs. J. O. EdgarMrs. Ross LatimerSubscription rates: $2.50 per year; Overseas, $3.00; Single Copies10 cente.The Rev. R. B. Lyons, B.A,, Limavady, N. Ireland, Agent for theBritish Isles.Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Newton, Kansasunder the Act of March 3, 1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

to take over. Besides, how qualified is a governmentofficial to decide whether there are Indian workerscapable, prepared and willing to do the job? On whatbasis would he decide?Evangelistic missionaries have been under special attack. This is more because the Hindus resentevangelism as a sort of "proselytism" than becausethey think it should be done by Indians. To emphasize this point some officials have accused the mismaterial inducements to Indianssionaries of offeringto become Christians. By Indian standards the missionary is wealthy. If he is also compassionate, it isall too easy to presume that his charities have muchto do with his conversions. Sometimes the peoplethemselves pretend conversion in the hope of gettingaid.Recently the attacks have centered on conversions from among "the poor illiterate people livingin the hills." It is easy to see the reason. These tribeshave been an especially fruitful field for Christianmissions. The idea suggested by the accusers thatthese people are defenseless, childlike creatures,easily led astray by the representatives of a higher'culture, is pure nonsense. It would be more accurateto say that they were despised, sometimes feared,and often victimized by their more cultured Indianuntil the Christian missionaries came toneighbors,show them love and to help them rise above theirmiserable state. Let converted head-hunters speakout, let young tribesmen who owe their higherstandards and better education to the missionstestify whether Christianity has meant to them imposition or liberation.Other accusations have also been made. Themissionaries have not taught loyalty to the government. They have even advocated the return of British rule. They look down on the Indian people as"heathen,"etc. The accusations are all general. Wehave heard of no concrete case backed up by clearevidence.Instead, it is a war of propaganda. And thestrength of the anti-mission propaganda is perhapsgreater than we in the United States have realized.Vague general accusations are made against the missionaries in high government circles. The accusations are spread abroad in the press. Governmentofficials solemnly assert that they are going to makean invetigation into the mission situation, implyingthat there must be something seriously wrong. Andthere it rests, while anti-mission feeling rises.Meantime, new and returning missionaries arerefused visas to enter the country. Sometimes a missionary leaving for furlough will seek to get a permit to reenter before he leaves. Such permits are notgiven automatically. It is not even enough that thereis nothing against the record of the missionary.Sometimes he has been told to swear that he hasnever tried to win anyone to his faith in India, before the permit would be granted. And the situationis not getting better.What should be our attitude toward this opposition and what action should we take?1. We should recognize that opposition is to beexpected. As Christians we do not deliberately seekit nor stir it up ; but it should never surprise us. It isnot to be expected that those who oppose the Christian message will favor its proclamation. Real Chris-September 1, 1954tianity is always profoundly disturbing. If it is vitalit calls for changes changes in hearts and lives,changes in social relationships as well as worship. Soit cannot avoid opposition.2. We should realize that opposition may accomplish some good ends. For example, the reduction inmissionaries from abroad may awaken the IndianChurch to take on greater responsibility for thework in its own land. After all, there are reportedto be more than eight million professing Christiansin India.And the missionaries, too, are being stirred upto take more definite and urgent steps for thestrengthening of Indian leadership in the churches.They cannot count on a leisurely development overseveral generations, with the missionary holding thereins until he thinks the nationals are fully ready totake over. He is forced to realize that a missionary'sjob is by its very nature temporary.3. We should try to understand the government's point of view and its situation. We need toremember that Christian missions came into Indiaunder the shadow of European government foreigngovernment. When at length India became free offoreign rule, it is not surprising that some objectedto the continued presence of the missionaries. Theyconsidered them to be accessories of foreign rule. Itis to their credit that not all share this radical view.We ought to notice that the issue at presentdeals mostly with missionaries from the UnitedStates. India is still in the Commonwealth, so Britishmissionaries do not need visas. Besides, only theUnited States has had the means to start new missions in India.The United States was not closely identifiedwith the older imperialism in India. But today it isheld guilty of a "new imperialism." It is economicimperialism, the imperialism of money. India is poor,it is true. But it is jealous of its newly won independence. It is not ready to sell its independencefor a mess of pottage. Instead, it may at times oppose the United States just to assert that independence.4. Although we try to understand these things,we would do wrong to compromise our Christian position. We are wrong to use schools, hospitals andother social services simply as bait to attract converts; but we are just as wrong to try to divorcethem from the Christian message, as some wouldhave us do. They are a necessary expression of thelife of Christ that is in us and the concern He hasgiven us for suffering humanity. To separate themfrom any reference to Him or our faith in Him issheer misrepresentation. It is to deny the One whogave them birth.It is right for us to co-operate with the government in all its just aims to establish a stable government in the country. It is equally right to lay claimto the religious liberty it has professed to recognizein the constitution. That liberty does not involve theentrance of all the foreigners who may want to go toIndia. But it does mean that foreigners as well asIndians may propagate their faith. And it does imply that the Indian Church shall not be prohibitedfrom enjoying help from abroad purely on religiousgrounds.In a practical way, the best thing we can do ispray. Prayer shows a deep and continuing interest.133

Prayer is a recognition that these things lie withinthe control of God; it is an acknowledgment thatmore human wisdom and influence are needed. Inprayer we are reminded that the work is not ours butGod's. It may even make us examine our motives andaims to see that they are untainted by self-interest.And God chooses to work through prayer.But our prayer should not be simply for a wideopen door for foreign missionaries. That may notbe for the best interest of the Indian Church or ofthe work of Christ in the land. It is more importantto pray for divine wisdom to meet the opposition ina Christian way, to learn from it the lessons it hasto teach us, and to ask the Lord to turn it to blessingfor the work, restraining any excess that wouldbring harm.We should also continue our interest and support. Somehow, when we get the idea that a field isclosed to the entrance of foreign missionaries, wetend to relax our interest and our giving. It is as ifwe thought that the progress if the work dependedentirely on the number of missionaries we could sendout and support. We fail to realize that sometimesa smaller force, with more adequate resources, wisely geared in with the national church, can be fully aseffective.There are needs in India today that are far frombeing met, needs that do not depend on a greatly enlarged missionary force. One is the need for Christian literature. The percentage of illiteracy in theIndian Church is very large, even though it is lessthan in the country as a whole. How can a strongchurch be built on the foundation of a membershipthat cannot even read its Bible ? And what incentiveis there for them to learn to read if we cannot provide them with the materials, and at a price thatthey can afford?Finally, let's not overlook the British missionaries. They are not faced with the problem of rejected visas. But more than this, there are among themsome excellent missionaries whose work has had tobe curtailed because funds from the homeland havedropped off alarmingly. In some cases Americandonors have stepped into the breach and helped out.By their generosity they have shown that Americansare not selfishly interested only in the propagation ofan Americanized Christianity. Such generosity showsa real concern for the work of Christ in India, regardless of the nationality of the worker.As we face the situation in India, let us realizethat the problem is not simply the opposition to theentrance of missionaries. It is much broader thanthat. It is the problem of helping the Indian Churchto be established in such vital contact with thesource of life in Jesus Christ that from it will soundout the gospel in all that populous land. The opposition is serious, but, opposition or no opposition, thework cannot succeed except in proportion as thathappens.Report of the Board of Foreign MissionsYour Board is conscious of its responsibilitiesto Synod. Four meetings have been held since thisCourt met last year. Correspondence has been maintained with special attention given to Cyprus (re theproblem of Psalmody) and the situation in Hongkong.FinancesThe Finance Committee of the Board has submitted a Budget to the Co-ordinating Committee forour fiscal year 1954-55 which we believe is the minimum necessary to carryon the present program.This budget makes no provision for new personnel.Any reduction will necessitate a revision of ourpresent work or staff. Our need is $30,000.00 for the1954-1955 year.A word is in order concerning the overdraftwhich we find upon our books. It has been possiblefor the Board to operate with an overdraft as therehave been certain "Restricted Funds" at the Board'sdisposal. However, before long these funds will beused and the Board will have no reserve upon whichto call to meet the pay roll, or face emergencies. It isbecause of this that we say our request of $30,000.00from Synod's Budget is a necessity.On April 1, 1953, our Treasurer reported a balance overdrawn of $2,096.72, which has been reducedto a balance overdrawn of $1,264.72. In order to meetour operating expenses and reduce the overdraft by$832.00, it has been necessary to call upon $10,000.00which the Board has invested with the PresbyterianMinisters'Fund. The challenge to meet the operatingexpenses of the Board (as well as the other depart-134ments of the Church) could be reached if the tithewas the practice of the membership of the Church.PersonnelAfter many yea'rs of faithful service Miss MaryR. Adams retired from active service on the foreignfield. She departed from Japan October 5 and arrivedOctober 16, 1953.The Rev. David D. Hansen and family sailed forJapan September 28, arriving October 16, 1953.Mr. Harold Hutcheson has completed his termas a teacher in the boys school at Latakia, Syria,andplans to return to the United States this summer.Miss Rose Munnell was called to her home atRose Point, Penna., by an emergency and will notreturn to the field at Nicosia, Cyprus. She arrived inNew York City on May 25, 1954.The following is a list of the arrival and departure dates (or anticipated dates) of missionarieson furlough:Name and FieldArrival DepartureOrlena Lynn, Japan March '54S. E. Boyel & Family, Japan June 14, '54Ruth Reade, Nicosia, CyprusMr. and Mrs. W. W. Weir, Larnaca, Cyprus August 4, '53August '53August '54Blanche McCrea, Nicosia, Cyprus Summer '54Eunice McClurkin, Latakia, Syria August 4, '53 September'54Chester Hutcheson, Latakia, SyriaSeptember 11. '54(Mrs. Hutcheson to sail for Syria this fall)Elizabeth McElroy, Latakia, Syria June 10, '54Mr. & Mrs. K, Sanderson, Latakia, Syria Summer '54The Board has also invited the Rev. Mr. KhalilAwad, pastor of our Latakia, Syria, Congregation,to visit a few of our American congregations andattend the Y. P. Conference and Synod at Grinnell.THE COVENANTER WITNESS

pastor."The FieldsThrough the pages of The Covenanter Witness,especially the Missionary Number, the Church hasbeen informed of field activities. Therefore it will notbe necessary to review these activities in this report,a few brief comments will suffice.CyprusThe Board has granted permission to the GirlsSchool in Nicosia to start construction on their newproposed building. This permission was granted withthe understanding that no further building fund requests will come before the Board; and no generalpublic appeal for funds will be made to the homechurch. It was their intention to start work by themiddle of June or as soon thereafter as possible.JapanOne January 13, 1954, the Japan Commissionmet with the Japanese converts and they voted toorganize as a congregation. Elders and Deacons werenominated and elected. After several weeks of interviews, examinations, etc., the Commission ordainedand installed these officers. One member, Mr. KojiKatayma, is a third year student in the Kobe Reformed Seminary and should graduate in the springof 1955.On Thursday, May 13, 1954, Mr. Charles H. Chaowas ordained to the Gospel Ministry by the JapanCommission.South China and HongkongPractically all contact has been lost with theSouth China Presbytery. However, news from Canton indicates that the Canton chapel is in the handsof our Chinese Covenanters and it is used for Christian work. Reports from the mainland indicate thata slackening of government persecution of thechurches in villages is reported. Their faith is put tothe test. Many stand firm, but there are some whocompromise.It is with sorrow we report the passing of oneof our ordained Ministers the Rev. Hanna Besna,who passed away December 8, 1953. He began hiswork with the mission in Turkey, was ordained tothe Gospel Ministry in 1920 and retired in 1951.The Government granted the permits to operatethe Boys and Girls' Schools. The enrollment has increased, but the schools are in need of better facilities. An additional problem faced by the schools willbe that of securing teachers. Mr. Harold Hutchesonhas completed his term as a teacher and is returningto the United States. Mr. and Mrs. Sanderson willbe returning to the United States on furlough.WE RECOMMEND :1. That inasmuch as it is impossible for the SouthChina Presbytery to function, the Japan Commission be known as the Far East Commission toexercise Presbyterial control of Reformed Presbyterians in that area. That the Far East Commission consist of David D. Hansen, Charles H. Chao,and Koji Katayma. The Commission is to electits own officers.2. That Synod re-appoint the Syrian Commission toconsist of H. A. Hays, and the ordained ministersand one elder from each congregation. The commission to elect its own officers.September 1, 19543. That Synod re-appoint the Cyprus Commissionconsisting of T. M. Hutcheson, E. Clark Copeland,and Messers Christu, Moridian, Guleserian, andEuclid Panaviotides. The Commission to elect itsown officers.4. The terms of F. M. Wilson, W. C. McClurkin,Luther McFarland, G. M. Robb, S. T. Stewart,Niklaus Hagmann, J. Paul Wilson, Miss LolaWeir have expired and the Synod should providefor the appointment of their successors.5. That an appeal be made for a replacement workerin Japan; and that this worker be not sent untilthe extra funds are received sufficient to establishthis work in Japan.By:Respectfully submittedBoard of Foreign MissionsCharles Sterrett, Corres. Sec.I Believe in the Sabbath School!ARTICLE FOR OBSERVANCE OFNATIONAL SABBATH SCHOOL WEEKSeptember 26-October 3From: National Sunday School Association542 South Dearborn, Chicago, IllinoisDr. Lee RobersonHighland Park Baptist ChurchChattanooga, TennesseeI believe in the work of the Sabbath school.Throughout my ministry, of over twenty-five years,I have sought to be "a Sabbath school Inall of this time I have not only taken a personal, direct interest in the Sabbath school, but I have taughta Sabbath school class each Sabbath through theyears.things :I believe in the Sabbath school that does threeFirst, I believe in the Sabbath school that teachesthe Word of God. The Sabbath school is the teachinghour, not the worship hour, not the training hour.The Word of God should be taught by competent,trained, consecrated teachers. The Sabbath school isworthless if the Bible is not the text book.Secondly, I believe in the Sabbath school that reachesout to all classes of people. Clannishness has no partin a real Sabbath school. The rich, the poor, the high,the low should be sought to come to hear the Wordof God. To that end the Highland Park BaptistChurch, of which I am pastor, sends out eleven busses every Sabbath morning throughout our city tobring in people who might otherwise never bereached. We sponsor thirty-five chapels and missionsin the city and around the city for the reaching ofadditional hundreds who reside in places unreachedby a Bible church and a Bible teaching Sabbathschool.Thirdly, I believe in the Sabbath school that winssouls to Christ. I am unalterably opposed to theSabbath school that teaches the Word Sabbath afterSabbath, but never attempts to bring people toChrist. It is sadly true that in some Sabbath schoolsa person can attend ten or fifteen years without everhaving anyone to witness to him about his soul. The135

self"efforts"sake."underestimate."Sabbath school fails that does not endeavor to winthe lost.In this time of crisis and uncertainty we need toenlarge our Sabbath schools, to reach out into theall we can into our Sabbathfarthest corners to bringschools now in operation and establish new schoolsin the thousands of places where theyI believe in the work of the Sabbath school !AN EXPLANATIONare needed.Re second paragraph in column one of page 85,COVENANTER WITNESS, Aug. 11, 1954:The "sacrificialof the Misses Helenand Florence Fattal of Latakia, Syria, consists oftheir teaching in the Girls' School there on a volunteer basis without salary. This service has been rendered in the spirit of Psalm 115:1 "Not unto us, OLord, not unto us, but unto Thy Name give glory,for Thy mercy, and for Thy truth's The Latakia Mission has considered it only fair to build up aGirls'School Reserve Fund from a portion of the saving in salary expense. This is tantamount to a monetary contribution from the Fattals, and it has beenthe purpose of the missionaries that the ReserveFund be used in ways that Helen and Florence approve for the benefit of the school and thus for thefurtherance of Christ's cause in Latakia. It is now offered as travel expense for a short-term teacher tothe American High School of Latakia, if some youngCovenanter man or woman hears Christ's call andgoes out in obedience to Him this fall. The short-termteacher's salary would be paid from the school budget, not by personal contribution, as incorrectly indicated in the WITNESS.The Fattal girls would much rather no publicitywould be given to that which has been done not forthe praise of men, but in love for and obedience toChrist, that His Name may be glorified. However,may this not be used of the Spirit to encourage theyoung person of Christ's choice to offer his/her talents in like unselfish devotion to the Lord in theneedy field of Latakia?"The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborersare few ; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into Hisharvest."Matthew 9 :37, 38Redd's own famous guitar accompaniment adds muchto the listening enjoyment and his new Singtimereleases.Two of the new releases, MY CACTUS CHRISTMAS TREE by Redd Harper and Les Barnett, andHAPPY BIRTHDAY, GENTLE SAVIOUR by DaleEvans Rogers, are brand new Christmas songs presented to the general public for the first time. Theyhave received enthusiastic acclaim in prehearings andare definitely destined to become smash hits. ReddHarper's presentation of these songs in his pleasing cowboy style plus the masterful handling of themusical arrangements and production, adds up to anever-to-be-forgotten musical treat and lasting listening enjoyment. Many of the songs recorded arenew compositions by Redd Harper, himself; none ofwhich have been previously recorded.Van Kampen Press is fortunate to have thisgreat singing star added to Singtime's fast growinglist of top recording artists.Released by: VAN KAMPEN PRESS, INC.,Wheaton, Illinois, August 17, 1954 Sent by yourmissionary editor for publication.Accidents and Alcohol"Figures have been put out regularly by theNational Safety Council from which it would befair to state that alcohol is involved in 20 per cent ofall fatal automobile accidents. I would say that is agrossDr. Selden D. Bacon, directorof the Center of Alcohol Studies, Yale University.WANTED: DOWN-TO-EARTH HUMILITYREDD HARPER ON SINGTIME!Redd Harper, better known as "Mr. Texas, himbecause of his title role in the Billy Grahamfilm, Mr. Texas, who also played a leading role in theBilly Graham film, Oiltown, U.S.A., has cancelledhis Capitol Recording contract and has signed ancontract with Van Kampen Press ofWheaton, Illinois, to record on Singtime label.Redd has sixteen new Singtime releases justrecorded in all three record speeds : 78 RPM, Extended Play 45 RPM, and Long Play 33 1/3 RPM. Sixof the new releases were recorded in London duringthe Recent Billy Graham campaign. The other tenwere recorded in Hollywood, using the best facilitiesavailable for top quality production.Redd is overjoyed at the quality of his newrecordings, "They are the best I've ever done" saysRedd. The instrumental background alongwith136FOR IT 15 NOT THE MAN WHOCOMMENDS HIMSELF THATIS ACCEPTED, BUT THE MAN WHOMCOMMENDS."THE COVENANTER WITNESS

ness."Lesson Helps for the Week of September 19, 1954C.Y.P.TJ.TOPICSeptember 19, 1954"CHRIST AND MY VOCATION"Read: I Corinthians 3:9-11; I Chronicles4:23Comments by Rev. J. E. McElroyPsalms:136:1-4, 12, 13, page 334119:1-3, page 28780:1-6, page 19815:1-3, page 26References: I Kings 5:18; I Kings 7:13-15; Luke 9:62, 10:1, 2, 12:40-47; Matt.25:40.It would be good to work out inyour group a special speaker or a slidefilm for this subject. Then have sometime for discussion and questions.There are available many visual-aidson the subject of choosing a vocationbut few are concerned about includingJesus Christ in that choosing.A basic subject is important: To consider what Christ would have me todo, is the ideal. Certainly He will notask me to do what I am not capableof doing. Nor will He have me do thatwhich is evil. But among several vocations possible and good, how do Ichoose?Read the references in I Kings andnotice how the workmen used theirtalents to build the temple. The temple was dedicated to God. All of theworkmen had special tasks and performed them according to God's plan.They were used of God and the workwas good.Each young person has capabilitiesor talents which prepare him for somework. Whatever that work it will account for the most if it is done accordingto the plans set forth by God. ThenGod has given us the Holy Spirit todirect us in those plans.A constantcontact and fellowship with Him willanswer many of the problems beforeus.SUGGESTIONS:Try to obtain a special speaker onthe subject of Vocations. OrTry for a slide film on the same subject.Have discussion after either of theabove. OrIf neither of the above is used thendiscuss some of these ideas:1. How can I relate Christ and myvocation?2. How were the men of Solomon'stime used of God?3. What was the attitude of the workman in the days of Nehemiah? Chapter 3 and 4, verses 6, 17, 18.September 1, 19544. What was the attitude of Jesustoward work?5. Who may help me to decide myvocation?6. Are Christians limited to certainvocations ?JUNIOR TOPICSeptember 19, 1954By Mrs. Wilbur J. KeysABRAHAM'S TEST OF FAITHScripture: Genesis 22:1-19Memory Verse: "For what saith thescripture? Abraham believed God,andit was counted unto him for righteousPsalms:Rom. 4:3Psalm 55: 12,13, 17, page 140 singthis psalm from memory.Psalm 86: 1, 4, page 210Psalm 30: 1, 2, 3, page 69Psalm 51: 7, 11, 14, 16, page 131References: James 1:12-14; Hebrews 11:17; I Samuel 15:22; Psalm 10:17; Romans 8:32; James 2:22, 23.Following the birth of Isaac, Abrahamwent right on walking with God, living inhis tent, and offering his sacrifices asGod had told him. No doubt, as Isaacgrew older he helped his father preparethe blood sacrifices. Probably, Abrahamhad told Isaac many times of God's covenant that in him (Isaac) all nationsshould be blessed and taught God'spromises, and Isaac believed God.Sometimes when things are goingsmoothly, we forget all that God hasdone for us and then God tries us. Intoday's lesson, we find the real trial ofAbraham's faith coming after all hisother trials are over and Abraham wassettled well in Beer-sheba. The author ofthis temptation is God, not Satan. Satantempts us to sin, but God tempts us, tofind out how strong our faith is. So itwas with Abraham, God tempted himthat he might appear not only a goodman, but a great man.What was this test God gave Abraham?God appeared to Abraham as he formerly had done and called him by name,Abraham, the name which had beengiven to him as a promise. Abraham, likea good servant, answered immediately,"Here Iam."To his amazement, Godsays in short, "Abraham, go, kill thyson."God gave him no choice of bullocks, or lambs,or adopted sons but thecommand of his only son whom he andSarah loved so much. This trial was totake place in the land of Moriah whichwas three days journey. This would giveAbraham much time to think, considerit, and prove even more his love forGod.Do you suppose Abraham ever questioned this command of God? He mighthave asked how he could commit murder or asked God "Why"? How could hekill Isaac and have the seed of promisestopped so soon? How could he faceSarah if he did such a thing? Whatwould the neighbors (the Egyptians, theCanaanites and the Perizzites) say? No,Abraham did not question God. We mustobey God's commands and not questionthem. Abraham showed his faith in Godbycomplete and immediate obedience.Notice the steps in Abraham's obedience. He rises early in the morning, takestwo servants along with him and Isaacand prepares the wood for the sacrifice.He probably said nothing of it to Sarahlest she prevent it. He very carefully follows God's directions until they reachthe appointed place. He leaves his servants some distance away so that he andIsaac can go and worship. Nothing mustinterfere with God's commands. LikeAbraham, it is our duty when we worship God to lay aside all thoughts andcares of the world so that we can give ourundivided attention to the Lord.Isaac carried the wood for the burntofferingwhile Abraham took the fire andknife. Soon Isaac says, "My father, behold the fire and the wood, but where isthe lamb?" Truly this would be a hardquestion for Abraham to answer, knowing that God was expecting Isaac to bethe sacrifice, but Abraham never faltersand answers, "My son, God will providehimself a lamb for a burnt-offering."Abraham proceeded as God commanded.He built the altar, laid the wood in order and bound Isaac and laid him on thealtar.Notice how willing Isaac is. He makesno attempt to escape nor does he offerany resistance. Isaac has learned alreadyto submit to the will of God. We mightcompare Isaac with Christ who carriedHis own cross; and was the sacrifice offered for our redemption. We can picture Abraham with his hand stretchedforth, taking the knife to slay his ownson. What faith! Abraham loved theLord so much that he would be obedientto the bitter end. This satisfied our Lord.Abraham stood the test of faith. He lovedthe Lord more than Isaac;vided a wayso God proof escape. "And the angelof the Lord called upon himout ofHeaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham:Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neitherdo thou any thing unto him: for now Iknow that thou fearest God, seeing thouhast not withheld thy son, thine only sonfrom Me."Isaac is rescued. Since the altar and fire137

good"perfectness."people,"Iare ready, a burnt- offering must be madeto God in thanksgiving for the deliverance of Isaac. Abraham looked up andsaw a lamb caught by the horns in thethicket;so the lamb was offered in thestead of Isaac even as Christ was sacrificed in our stead. A new name, Jehovahjireh,was given to that place to honorGod and encourage all believers to trustin God and be obedient to His will.The Lord always rewards His peoplefor their faithfulness. God renews Hiscovenant with Abrahamthat his seed shall multiplyand promisesas the starsof the heaven and as the sand upon thesea-shore. The promises which God madeinclude the gift of the Holy Spirit, increase of the church, that believers bytheir faith might overcome the world,and last He promised to give His SonJesus Christ, as a sacrifice for the salvation of man.Juniors, pray that God will help youto be as faithful as Abraham. God says,"Be thou faithful unto death, and Iwill give thee a crown of life." Will youaccept that challenge?Questions for you to answer:1. Where did Abraham go after Sodomand Gomorrah were destroyed?2. What did Abraham do each placehe stopped, to witness his love for Jehovah?3. What wonderful thing happened atBeer-sheba?4. Why was Abraham told by God tooffer Isaac as a Sacrifice?5. Do you think it was hard for Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice? Why?6. What did Isaac do when he foundhe was to be slain for the burnt- offering?7. What did God do when he saw thatAbraham was obeying Him?8. How was the ram a type of Christ?I Thess. 5:9, 10.For your Notebook:Make two columns in your notebook.Label one column Isaac,and the otherChrist. Under Isaac list some of the waysin which he was a type of Christ (theverses under"Christ"will help you).Under Christ copy the following verses: 1.Acts 13:33; 2. John 3:16; 3. Matthew17:5; 4. I Corinthians 5:7; 5. John 19:17;6. Isaiah 53:7.SABBATH SCHOOL, LESSONBySeptember 19, 1954Rev. Joseph A. Hill(Lessons baaed on International Sunday SchoolLessons ; the International Bible Lessons fotChristian Teaching, copyrighted by InternationalCouncil of Religious Education.)GROWING IN CHRISTIAN LOVELesson Material: Matthew 5:43-48; 18:21-35; Ephesians 4:25-5:2; I John 4:7-21.Printed Text: Matthew 5:43-48; I John4:11-19.Memory verse: Colossians 3:14 "Above138all these things put on love, which isthe bond ofThe love-idea is much thought of butlittle understood today. It is oftenmentioned but seldom practiced according to the Scriptural ideal. The conceptof love which is in vogue today is a correlative of the common brotherhoodidea.Neither love nor brotherhood, asthey are commonly advocated, doesjustice to the Biblical notion of sin.Neither makes a radical distinction between the children of God and thechildren of the devil, as the Bible does.We live in a world where there is amixture of good and evil; the good andthe evil appear to shade off into eachother in the same person. Yet the linewhich separates good from evil is sharpand absolute. Our love, if it is Christianlove, can never straddle this line: "Letlove be without hypocrisy. Abhor thatwhich is evil; cleave to that whichis (Romans 12:9). The Christianmust love only righteousness. He musthate all that he knows to be unrighteous.Matthew 5:43-48. These words of ourLord cannot be understood apart from arecognition of the absolute antithesisbetween good and evil. On the otherhand, they cannot be understood apartfrom an acknowledgment of God'sbeneficence toward all men in general,His lovingfavor toward evil men aswell as good men, toward the childrenof the devil as well as the children ofGod. This is common grace, a very difficult and complex doctrine, and onethat is being discussed extensively byReformed theologiansat the presenttime. We shall consider it very briefly,in the light of Christ's teaching in thispassage of Scripture.In nature, including life itself, sunshine and rain, and fruitful-seasons ofthe earth (cf. Acts 14:17), God gave tomankind in general abundant witness ofHimself. This favor upon all men iswhat C. Van Til calls "creation-grace"(Common Grace, Philadelphia, 1947, ThePresbyterian and Reformed PublishingCo., p. 83). In the heart of every manthere is a response to God's favor.Either he is thankful and begins to worship and serve the Creator, or else heis unthankful and begins to worshipand serve the creature (cf. Romans 1:20f). Thus, mankind is divided into twodistinct groups, namely, those who loveGod and those who hate God, in theirinmost heart. In the world, at anypoint in its history, there have beentwo kinds of people,the children ofGod and the children of the devil (see"Blue Banner Faith and Life",July-Sept., 1954, p. 128). There is amongmen, therefore, a mixture of good andevil. Good men and evil men live sideby side as neighbors. But neither ofthem is wholly good or wholly evil.There is a mixture of good and evil inboth of them. The good man (Christian is basically righteous, althoughbecause of sin he does much that isevil. The evil man(non-Christian) isbasically sinful, although because ofcommon grace he does much that isgood. In principle there is an absolutedifference between the Christian andthe non-Christian, although in practicethis difference is not always so readilyapparent. This differentiation is ofcourse apparent to God, who knoweththem that are His. And it is somewhatvisable to men in the fact that thepeople of God are "separated into aspecialthe visible church (VanTil, ibid.), The people of God in OldTestament times hated the heathenbecause it was apparent to them thatthese evil nations were enemies of God."Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hatethee? ...hate them with a perfecthatred: I count them mine enemies"(Psalm 139:21-22). The difference between the children of God and the children of the devil was verythat point in history.evident atIn the course of time, God gave mankind in general an additional blessing ofgrace in the hearingof the gospel. Before the end of the ages, all kinds ofmen, good and evil, in every nation ofearth will have heard the gospel. VanTil says that as the gospel is spreadthroughout the earth and the processofdifferentiation between those whobelieve it and those who reject it takesplace,common grace will diminish. Godwill increase "Hisattitude of wrathupon the reprobate as time goes on,time,"until at the end of they willactually be as evil as they have been inprinciple all the while. On the otherhand God increases His attitude of favorupon the elect, until at last, at the consummation of history" they will be perfect in holiness, even as the Fatherwhich is in heaven is perfect (Matt. 5:48, Van Til, ibid.).At the end of history, when thetrue condition of man's hearts is manifest, it will be the Christian's duty tohate evil men. In the meanwhile, however, Jesus teaches us that it is ourduty to love our enemies. God givessunshine and rain to all men, that theymight love and serve Him. We are tolove even those who are apparentlythe enemies of God, if peradventure wemight bring them to a true knowledgeof God.On one occasion, when Jesus wastraveling toward Jerusalem, toward thefulfilment of His redemptive mission,THE COVENANTER WITNESS

enemies."away."mercy"religion"areHe intended to go through a village refers primarily in this passage ofSeptember 1, 1954of the Samaritans, and in it to preachthe gospel. The Samaritans, however,Scripture. He is speaking of the repentance of the congregation for their sinwould not receive Him. The disciples of so long tolerating that scandalwanted to call down fire from heavenand consume these heathen Samaritans,but Jesus forbade them (Luke 9:54)."We may, like the impatient disciples,among themselves. In fact, Paul tellsus (v. 12) that it was the congregation'ssin and the congregation's well-beingthat led him to write. He would notanticipate the course of history and meddle in a congregational matter. Butdeal with men as though they were al when it threatened the spiritual healthready that which by God's eternal of the congregation, then it became hisdecree they one day will be" (Van Til,ibid.). Those who reject the gospel areapparently reprobate. Whether theyreally are reprobate will not be cerduty to speak. For by their tolerancethe sin of the individual member hadbecome the congregation's sin. And fora time they had added to their part oftainly known until the end of time. the responsibility in his sin, the furtherThat is why we are to love even "our sin of craven failure to warn an erringThey may be among those brother.for whom Christ died. We are to regard After Paul's warning, the people inall men in respect to their relation to Corinth had sorrowed for their sin.the Saviour (2 Corinthians 5:16-17). We They had done what was no doubtare to regard them sub species aeternitatisdistastful to them. Knowing that not(from an eternal viewpoint), in anyone of their number was free fromthe light of the love streaming from the sin himself, they yet knew that theycross of Christ. We are to show genu were not excused from their duty. Thereine interest, even in evil men, not for were no doubt some who said, "You'llwhat they are, but for what they may offend the whole family connection andbecome in Christ.drive them But, Gentiles thoughWe are to love them because they arethey were, they knew the truth whethcreated in the image of God, and mayer or not they knew the Scripturebecome new creatures in Christ.that "He that covereth his sins shallnot prosper: but whoso confesseth andforsaketh them shall have (Prov.PRAYER MEETING TOPIC 28:13). The result was that not only wasSeptember 15, 1954 the offender restored, but the peopleREPENTANCE UNTO LIFE were made more careful, the reputaII Cor. 7:9-11tion of the Church was cleared of justRev. Lester E. Kilpatrick repreach in the community as theyPsalms:cleared themselves by apology; they143:4,6,7, page 347were angry with themselves that they139:11-13, page 342had permitted such a sin and so they32:5-9, page 74did not excuse or justify it (II Cor. 7:-4:5, page 611). There was repentance unto lifeReferences: Lev. 26:40-42; Job. 34:31,on the part of the congregation.32; Jer. 50:4,5; Dan. 4:27; Matt. 3:2,7,Here are found the four elements8,; 9:13; II Tim. 2:25; Acts 26:20; Psa.of true repentance as given in S.C. 87,38:3,4,18.a sense of the enormity of sin, godlysorrow for it, a turning to God and aRead: Shorter Catechism 87; Confessionhearty forsaking and hatred of the sin.of Faith, 15, Testimony 16The matter referred to in this Scrip 1. A Sense of the Enormity of Our Sinture is apparently the matter of disci Whenever our sin is brought to ourpline which the Corinthian Church hadattention, the immediate response of ourneglected, and which Paul, in his firstfleshly nature is to call attention to theepistle to the Corinthians had urged sin of someone else that is as bad orthey attend to (I Cor. 5). It appearsworse, to excuse the sin because of(II Cor. 2:5-8) that they obeyed Paul's special circumstances, or even to makeadmonition, and that discipline was exerout that the thing done is not reallycised. The offender was restrainedsinful, to try to transform the sin intofrom coming to the communion tablesomething virtuous. If we yield to such(I Cor. 5:8,13), he was cut off in sometemptation, so that our hearts are notmeasure from the fellowship of the bowed down, if we seek to bolster ourbelivers (II Cor. 2:7,8; II Thes. 3:14); injured pride, to excuse or belittle orpossibly they refused to bid him God cover our sin, we have not seen thespeed (II John 10,11). And the action hideousness and heinousness of our sin.was effective in reclaiming the man.In that case we are grieved, not atThere was repentance unto life.the sin but at the loss of face we haveBut it is not the repentance of the suffered, at the wounding of our pride,offender in that matter to which Paul at the painful results of our misdeeds.2. Godly Sorrow for Our SinThe Corinthians sorrowedgodly"after amanner."The psalmist said, "Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law." (Ps. 119:-136) Godlysorrow is not sorrow because something does not please ourselves, but sorrow because God's law isviolated.The youngsailor who was converted while in the service, and who hadseveral armed robberies in his recordthough not in any police record, couldnot be content to let those robberiesremain unsolved. He was sorry,not because of the punishment that he got, forhe was not punished. He had not beencaught. He was sorry that God's lawhad been violated. And even though itwas the manager of a liquor store hehad shot fatally during a holdup, yethe went and gave himself up, confessed his crime, and faced prosecution.As it turned out this man was notcharged with the crime because of theleniency of the prosecuting attorneyand the judge.Al Johnson, bank robber of Topeka,Kansas, made good his escape, but hisconscience would not let him rest because of his offense against God's law.After his confession it was found thatthe crime had been committed too longbefore, so that he could not be prosecuted. But it does not always workout that way. However, whatever theresults, godly sorrow is governed byGod's laws and not by what may seemto be to one's personal advantage.3. Turning to GodRepentance unto life includes turning to God. This does not mean mere"trying when everything elsehas failed to get one out of the troublehis sin has gotten him into. It meanscoming to God through Jesus Christ,trusting in His sacrifice to make usacceptable to God. Only those who haveheard and believed the gospel can comeacceptably.This is the intolerant position towhich we are shut up if we accept theBible as the rule of faith. At this moment, in Evanston, m., the WorldCouncil of Churches is meeting. Thisorganization is dedicated, despite thefeeble denials which some believersmake in its defense, to a united denialthat Jesus Christ is God's substitute indeath for the sinner. Many if its spokesmen who would insist that they themselves believe in the atonement accomplished by Jesus Christ, also insistthat others who have "other theoriesof atonement"not to be excludedfrom our Christian fellowship. Theyinsist that if you profess themere name of Christ, even though139

control"atonement"you regard Him as mere man,not supernaturally born of a virgin, notdying as our substitute, still you haveturned to God. That is a lie which Christian people ought not to condone, evenby silence.Repentance unto life requires thatwe lay hold on this truth, "that JesusChrist died for our sins according to thescriptures"(I. Cor. 15:3). "Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation"(v. 10). This gets beyond our feelingsof discomfort, loss, regret and pangsof conscience which we may suffer because of our sins, to the sure, unchanging, unfailing remedy that God has provided. Our feelings with regard to oursins may come and go, rise and fall,according to whether our friends know,or whether we are in health physically,or whether we have time alone to think.But the gospel, believed, gives groundfor assurance of forgiveness before God,even when our feelings may lead toself pity and bitterness. "To Thee aloneI flee."4. Forsaking Our SinHere is the evidence that others cansee, of repentance unto life. The manwho "repents" of his sin reluctantlyhas not repented. Proof of love for aperson is found in deeds, not in words.So proof of repentance is found in forsaking sin. The backward look of Lot'swife and the penalty which it broughthave been a stark and fearful warningthese many centuries against reluctanceto forsake sin.The Corinthian Church quit their sinand it worked a marvelous work intheir midst. Paul was greatly encouraged. There was real reviving amongthem, instead of a withering that mighthave gone on so slowly that those whowere suffering the withering were noteven aware of it. And if they were awareof a coldness among them, they woulddoubtless have found other circumstances "beyond theirget the blame.that wouldRepentance unto life is a radical, soulshaking, but wholly profitable and absolutely necessary experience.For Discussion:1. Discuss the offense and repentanceof the Church at Corinth of whichPaul is speaking in our Scripture.2. What is "godly sorrow"?3. Should we acknowledge the right ofprofessing Christians to hold someother "theory of the(other than that Christ died as oursubstitute) ?4. What happens when there is disposi140tion of a case involvingserious sinon the part of the church member,when there is no evidence of real repentance?News BriefsTHE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARYThe one hundred forty-fourth year of the Reformed Presbyterian TheologicalSeminary will open Wednesday, September 15, 1954, at 8:00 P.M. at theAllegheny Reformed Presbyterian Church.Dr. J. Burt Willson, Professor of Languages and Biblical Literature,will deliver the opening lecture.The first classes will convene at 8 :30 A.M. Thursday, September 16, 1954The basic courses in a theological training are presented in a course ofthree years.Inquiries for a catalogue or further information may be addressed to:Eisenhower ProclaimsSept. 22 as 'DayofPrayer'Washington. (UP) President Eisenhower has proclaimed Wednesday,September 22, as a national day ofprayer.Congress in 1952 provided that thePresident would set aside at least oneday each year other than a Sunday onwhich the people of the country wouldbe asked to reaffirm their reliance ondivine support.K. C. Kansan Aug. 12, 1954.FRESNO: Licentiate Armour McFarland was with us for prayer meetingon August 18. It is fine to have theseyoung Seminary students visiting thedifferent congregations. We are all looking forward to the Pacific PalisadesConvention, which meets August 25-30.Our pastor will be in charge of theBible Studyagain this year.ORLANDO: We miss Mr. and Mrs.Will McFarland who are visiting theirdaughter Mrs. Ren Tacey and family ofWhite Lake, New York,and other relatives on their way. We miss from ourchurch meetings Mrs. J. C. McKnightwho is having another gall-bladderflare up. Miss Lida McClure is now ina nursing home and her sister MissMargaret is this week resting up at thebeach. Mrs. Reba Stewart of Gulf Portwas able to be with us on Friday the13 and led the devotionals for us atour W.M.S. meeting.SANTA ANA: We are praying andhoping to have a Covenanter pastor.The correspondent for our pulpit committee is Mrs. A. E. Wylie whose address is 365 S. Pixley, Orange, California.CHICAGO: A son, Mark Winthrop,Office of the PresidentReformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary7418 Penn AvenuePittsburgh 8, Pennsylvaniawas born to Rev.and Mrs. NormanCarson on August 1. The congregationsthanks God for the safekeeping ofmother and son.BLOOMINGTON: We are very proudof our new stone bulletin board at thefront of the church and wish to thankall of those who are responsible for itserection.PHOENIX: Mr. and Mrs. J. WycliffeMcCracken and daughters Barbara andJill from New Brunswick, N. J. visiteda few days with his sister Miss LillianMcCracken, and his nephew and wife,Mr. and Mrs. Robert McCracken.ORLANDO: Dr. and Mrs. W. E. Dillhave gone for a week's visit with Glady'smother, Mrs. W. M. Robb, and sister andfamily (Rev. Sam Boyle and Grace).They are also attending the wedding ofa cousin, Miss Ann Patterson. They lefttheir son Robbie with his grandmotherand grandfather Mr. and Mrs. E. S.Dill.FRESNO: Our pastor, Mr. J. R. McCloy, Phylis Hunter, and Matilda Buckbrought back glowing reports of Grinnell, The Lord was good to them asthey traveled in peace and safety overthe many miles. Mr. McCloy came hometo find his wife in the County Hospital.She is confined to her bed because ofa heart condition. She has been in thehospital three weeks, and does enjoyvisitors. Our pastor visits her nearlyevery day.SANTA ANA: July 25 our S. S. collection wasfor the expenses of thechildren who will attend our PalisadesConvention. The collection was $52.00.August 1 the children recited theirmemorywork before the adult S. S.group. Great plans are being made forTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

-the Convention which meets August 25.CHICAGO: Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Hansen have returned to Boston. They hadbeen visitingwith Rev. Norman Carson and their daughter Mrs. Carson.BLOOMINGTON: Fourteen of ournumber were able to attend the conference at Grinnell. Those of us whowere unable to attend enjoyed thereports giventhe following Sabbath.It is always a pleasure to hear thesereports, especiallypeople.those of the youngHOPKINTON: Mrs. Ruth Stevenson,daughter of Mr. H. McGlade, who withher children has been visiting in Hopkinton, has returned to her home nearDetroit.NEW YORK CITY: Mr. and Mrs.Donald Crawford and family,formermembers of the New York City Congregation and now members of thePhoenix Congregation, have been visitingrelatives this summer in Bronxville,N. Y. They helped with D.V.B.S. andDonald has acted as S. S. superintendentduring July and August. It's wonderfulto have them with us.ORLANDO: The Juniors met at thehome of their senior W.M.S. Leader,Mrs. E. N. Harsh on Lake Rose for theirmid-summer picnic July 31. The morning hour was spent swimming, followed by a T.V. session "Under the BigTop."A picnic lunch was enjoyed outon the lawn. Barbara Smith B.W.M.S.leader then gave an interesting illustrated Temperence talk. Those whocould remain enjoyed the afternoonswimmington Harrington washonor guest.and fishing. Licentiate Mila very welcomeDon and Jeanne Gouge have movedto their new home, and their addressis: 2546 East Pontiac Way, FRESNO,California.SANTA ANA: Dr. Russell of LosAngeles gave us an encouraging reportof the meetings at Grinnell.PHOENIX: Mrs. Carl W. Daughtryand son David visited with Mrs. Daughtry'smother in Texas.BLOOMINGTON: Miss Ruth Smithhas returned from a recent visit withher sister, Mrs. Ethel Young of NewGalilee, Pennsylvania. Miss Smith'snephew, Mr. Robert Young, drove herhome and worshiped with us on Sabbath.The Bible teachers of WRIGLEY andSANDY HOOK wish to thank the National Juniors for the contribution ofnew books made at Grinnell for use inKentucky. The gift of these books isSeptember 1, 1954us while visiting her daughter, Mrs.greatly appreciated. The books areson ofWashington, Pa., worshiped with sistants were: Mrs. Idell Chestnut andneeded for the lending libraries in bothWrigley and Sandy Hook and will be enjoyed by the children who borrow them.John Vogt in June and July. We missJune and Bob Dunn who have takenup residence in San Diego.ORLANDO: The Builders for Christ CHICAGO: The congregation wasClass held their August class party at gratified by the enthusiasm and attendthe home of Mr. and Mrs. E. N. Harsh,ance at the Daily Vacation Bibleteacher, on Lake Rose. Swimming, boat School held August 2-11. An average ofriding, and water skiing were enjoyed 48 neighborhood children attendeduntil night fall. A weiner roast followed daily. The daily offering was donatedby a social hour around the campfire to the DVBS of the Latakia, Syria,completed another interesting class Congregation. A check for $36.35 wasfunction. Licentiate Milton Harringtonwas the guest of honor.presented to Pastor Khalil Awad, Latakia, Syria, during worship services inwhich he preached the message, SabFRESNO: Don and Joyce Chestnut bath, August 15.welcomed into their home the latterpart of July their third daughter, Connie Sue.PHOENIX: To Mr. and Mrs. ElmerSearle and daughters Judith and MaryEllen we extend a hearty welcome.SANTA ANA: July 23 at a farewellpicnic for Miss Elda Patton in MemorialThey recently returned from Japan andMr. Searle is now stationed at St. LukePark, Mrs. John Walkinshaw of Air Force Base near Phoenix.Fresno was present. Miss Patton isleaving to be with her brother in Sanvoyage"Diego. July 30 we had a "bonSANTA ANA: We welcome the LewisKeys family who are ready to movesupper in the church for Miss Marie into their new home. Lewis is employedStewart who is leaving to spend a by a local abstract and title company.year in Europe. She is a teacher inSanta Monica.The August meeting of the ORLANDOBUSINESS WOMEN'S MISSIONARYDENISON: The wedding of Miss SOCIETY was held at the homeElizabeth Robb, daughter of Mr. and of Mrs. Grady Windham, afterMrs. Jay Robb, and Mr. Lynn Bartlett, which Mrs. Reed Terry conductson of Mr. and Mrs. Chester Bartlett, ed a social part of the evening,was solemnized in the church Saturday,August 21 at 4 P.M. Rev. M. W. Doughthen Mrs. Margaret Ann Mulvey openeda number of lovely gifts, that a niceerty officiated, assisted by the Rev. looking stork had waiting for her. CoolGeorge Brown, the groom's pastor. A delicious refreshments were served byreception followed in the Methodist the co-hostesses Mrs. Alice Dudley,Church. The couple will be at home inTopeka, where Lynn will be attendingMrs. Rosemary Harvey and Mrs. Martha Windham.Washburn College this winter.BLOOMINGTON: Mr. and Mrs. RayHOPKINTON: The Rev. Kahlil Awadof Syria spoke on the evening of August12 in the Hopkinton church. He emphasized the value of past missionary workWampler have had as their guests recently Lt. Col. and Mrs. Walter Granrudand sons Garth and Leif of Columbia,Missouri. Lt. Col. Granrud is connectedin Syria and the need of continued with the Military Institute of the Unimissionary effort in his native land. Onthe evening of the 13th members ofversity of Missouri. We were glad tohave them worship with us.the church were invited to meet withRev. Awad in the parsonage for an inSANTA ANA: The Rev. John Gaultshave returned from theirformal talk and questionstrip to Pennconcerningsylvania as their vacation. Miss Ethelthe work in Syria. He stated thatMoslems of the Latakia district inTorrens and Miss Minnie Current, visited friends in St.Syria are much more friendly towardLouis, New York andPennsylvania. Mrs. Mae Vinson andProtestants than toward the GreekOrthodoxMrs. Nell Thompsonor the Roman Catholicvisiting theirbrothers the Cathcarts in St.churches, and that many MoslemsLouis. ThecallHarold Segleyshim their pastor.vacationing in Oakland.ORLANDO: We enjoyed very muchFRESNO: Total enrollment of pupilssome slides which Mr. Milton Harrington presented following our at theprayermeetingon the night of August 4. TheseDaily Vacation Bible School fromAug. 2-13 was 77. The average attendance was 61 and perfect attendancepictures gave us a much better idea ofour mission work in Kentucky.40. The teachers were: Mrs. EvelynWebster, Mrs. Frances Moore, Rev. Mr.SANTA ANA: Mrs. Elizabeth Thomp McMillan, and Mrs. McMillan. The as141

Mrs. Blanche Hollenback. Also helpingfor one or two days were: Mrs. EileenWagner, Mrs. Wayne Fischer, Mrs. Wilbourne,Lorraine Romar, and Lois Gentry. The Demonstration Program wasgiven Friday evening, the 13th, andthe picnic was held in large KearneyPark from 2 to 7 P.M. About 80 partookof hot dogs, potato salad, baked beans,pickles, Kool-Aid, ice cream and cupcakes. The children enjoyed the gamesand the outing.ORLANDO: Donald Windham ishome from school again until the fallterm begins, when he will enter as ajunior in the universityFla.at Gainsville,SANTA ANA: Two young men of theSeminary, Donald McClurkin andArmour McFarland have given us goodpreaching.CHICAGO: DVBS instructors wereMrs. Hyman Levy, Mrs. Russell Huck,Mrs. Jack Halliday, Miss ShirleyannHoy,and Rev. Carson. Mrs. Allen Cummings assisted.PHOENIX: Welcome home! Dr. andMrs. J. G. McElhinney are at homeafter a few weeks vacation in Denver,Colorado.DENISON: The Adult Group heldtheir quarterly potluck supper in thehome of Mr. and Mrs. Will Linton,August 19. Rev. Mr. and Mrs. M. W.Dougherty directed the entertainmentand Mrs.Albert McCrory led in theclosing devotional period.SANTA ANA: Recent pre-nuptualshowers: recipiants Olive Souvenir andWm. Hartzell; Ruth Linton and PhilGross.BLOOMINGTON: In the absence ofour Pastor, who has been on vacation,Rev. Philip Martin of Oakdale, Illinois,has been preaching for us. We havefound his sermons very helpful andhave enjoyed the fellowship.ORLANDO Milford White made aflying trip to Wilmington, Illinois, calledthere by the death of a brother Mr.Louis White who has been employedby the Illinois Coal and Coke Co. forseveral years as Pit Boss in the coalmines.CHICAGO: Reporting on the Grinnell National Convention to the CYPU,Sabbath evening July 25 were RubySinclair, Shirleyann Hoy, Alice Manifold,Rod Fraser, Charlotte Jackson, IreneSchraut,and Barbara Collier.DENISON: The Junior Department ofthe Sabbath School, the mothers andteachers enjoyed a picnic at the Denison Grade School, August 17 from 4-6P.M.HOPKINTON: Mr. R. J. McNeill, whohas been in the hospital for some days,on account of heart attack is muchbetter and able to be home again.SANTA ANA: The Men' Brotherhood, which meets once a month,secured a converted Catholic Priest asspeaker. The congregation acceptedtheir invitation and attended the lecture.LINTON-GROSSMiss Ruth Eileen Linton and PhilipLemoyne Gross of Denver, Colo., exchanged wedding bands during theirwedding service conducted in the SantaAna Reformed Presbyterian Church byDr. J. D. Edgar of San Diego.Parents of the bride are Mr. and Mrs.Benjamin Linton, and the bridegroomis the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert G.Gross, recently of Scottsbluff, Neb.Miss Ethel Elliott of Greeley, Colo.,college roommate of the bride, was themaid of honor, and Mrs. Storey Larkinof Lisle,Illinois, sister of the bridegroom, was matron of honor. Servingas bridesmaid was Miss Edith Becklund.The bridegroom's brother, RobertGross,was best man, while usheringwas done by Armour McFarland ofSterling, Kansas, Jim Shira of NewCastle, Penna., Kenneth McClurkin ofEscondido, Calif., and Donald McClurkin of Pittsburgh. A niece of the bridegroom, Marilyn Larkin, was flower girl.As soloist for the occasion, ArmourMcFarland sang "Ich Lieb Dich," "Because"and part of the 90th Psalm atthe close of the ceremony. He wasaccompanied at the organ by PhyllisCrouch, who also played an organ prelude of wedding music.Others attending from a distance included Mrs. Frank D. Frazer of Portland, aunt of the bridegroom; Mrs.Geneva Elliott of Greeley and daughtersGwendolyn and Marcia; and Mrs. ElieenStewart of Beaver Falls, Pa.The bride attended Santa Anaschools and graduated in June fromGeneva College in Beaver Fall, Pa. Previous to service with the U. S. Navy,the bridegroom went to Denver, schools,and is at present a senior at GenevaCollege. After the beginningof theschool year at Geneva, the couple willbe at home at 215 Park Place, in BeaverFalls.JoWnny LattnerNotre Dame Football Star"If you smoke or drink, you don't putout. If you don't put out, you don't stayon the team."AVAILABLE TRACTS FREEI think I remember some directiverf Synod to the effect that the CWshould print regularly the list of tractsavailable from the Witness Committee.i hope later, after I get back to BeaverFalls and affairs in somewhat betterorder, to get some more effective copyto you advertising what we have.But until then, here is a tentativelist of what we have,would print. For this once,should go toMr. R. B. Tweed1805 Fourth Streetwhich I wish youBeaver Falls, Pennsylvania.requestsHe has agreed to handle the situationuntil I return.General"Who Are the Covenanters?"W. J. Coleman, "The Aim of the Distinctive Principles ofChurch.Political Principlesthe Covenanter"Political Principles of the ReformedPresbyterian Church."R. J. George, " 'Christ's' or Separationfrom Christless Governments."W. J. Coleman, "The Influence ofGovernment on Religion."Psalmody"Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs""Psalmody."R. J. George,"The Psalms the Heart of the Bible."SabbathT. M. Slater, "Nicknaming The Sabbath."Instrumental Music"The Voice of the Ages Against Instrumental Music in Worship."Close CommunionW. J. Coleman, "Close Communion."Secrecy"Jesus Christ Opposed to OrganizedSecrecy."J. D. Brownlee, "Free Masonry as aReligion."J. S. McGraw, "Then Reasons Why IWould Not Join a Secret Society."David CarsonMY WEB OF LIFENo chance has brought this ill to me;'Tis God's sweet will, so let it be,He seeth what I cannot see.There is a need be for each pain;And He will one daymake it plainThat earthly loss is heavenly gain.Like as a piece of tapestryViewed from the back appears to beBut tangled threads mixed hopelessly.But in the front a picture fairRewards the worker for his care.Proving his skill and patience rare.Thou art the workman, I the frame;Lord, for the glory of Thy namePerfect Thine image on the same.Anon.142 THE COVENANTER WITNESS

urrection."TheCovenanter JuniorMrs. Philip MartinTHE BOBCAT WEST CLUBIn our last few chats we have beentalkingabout the blessings which Godgives in this life to those who answerHis callthose who are effectually called.Now our question is this. Do God's blessings stop when we die? Shirley, whatwould .be your answer to this questionwhen you think of John 3:16? No, God'sblessings to us do not stop when we diebecause "everlasting" means "never ending."Then,what blessings come to us afterwe die? When Jesus went up into heaven, some angels told those who saw Himgo up that He would come back againsomeday. When Jesus comes back, thisold earth will be burned up and therewill be a new heaven and a new earth.You can find this in II Peter 3:10-13.We don't know when this time will be.But what blessings does God give toHis children from the time they die untilJesus comes again? It is this particulartime that we are talkingabout this afternoon. Let us put the question this way:What benefits or blessings do believersreceive from Christ at death?What is death? Perhaps, when we saythat a person has died, we think that hisheart just stopped beating and his bloodstops goingthrough his body. But thisisn't what the Bible means by death.Death, according to God's Word, meansa separation. The Bible speaks of thefirst death and the second death. In thesecond death the wicked are foreverseparated from God. But the righteousas well as the wicked experience the firstdeath. For our explanation of this firstdeath, let us turn to Ecclesiastes 12:7 andread it together. While we all look atthis verse will Donald please read forus Genesis 2:7. Thank you, Donald.What do you suppose God is meaning by"dust"in Ecclesiastes 12:7, Mary Alice?Yes, God is evidently referring to ourbodies and the "spirit" means our "soul."And this is exactly what happens to believers at death. Our souls are separatedfrom our bodies. God takes our souls toHimself. Now, if these souls of ours goto heaven, it means that there is not aspeck of sin left in our souls. If therewas even one little dot of sin on our soulswe could never be in heaven. Won't it bewonderful to be as clean as that! Whata blessing that will be! And this body,this house in which "you" are now livingwill be put in the earth,September 1, 1954but in our nextchat we find that something wonderfulhappens when Jesus comes again. For ourproof-text, we have chosen Ecclesiastes12:7.And now, I'm sure that our little oldfriend, "W. S. C",can answer our question far better than I have. You listencarefullysomethingand see if he doesn't tell usabout our souls and thenabout our bodies. "W. S. C", "Whatbenefits do believers receive from Christat death?" "The SOULS of believers are,at their death, made perfect in holiness,and do immediatelytheir BODIES, beingpass into glory; andstill united toChrist, do rest in their graves till the resNATIONAL JUNIOR PROJECTNEWSI have some "Thank-you's" for you today. At our Grinnell Convention thevarious missionaries said "Thank-you"for each of your projects, but not all ofyou heard. Today's "Thank-you's" comefrom Mrs. D. C. Ward from our IndianMission, and from Dr. J. G. Vos, ourrepresentative for the Reformation Translation Fellowship.Dear Mrs. Martin,Many, many thanks for the most generous gift of the Juniors toward the purchase of a later model station wagon foruse in the work at the Indian Mission.We do feel sincere appreciation of theloving thought of the Juniors in following up so wonderfully your suggestion tothem of a project for use in the IndianMission. We are putting into a specialfund the gifts that are designated forthis project and a little later we hope tomake good use of this special fund.We do use our station wagon a greatdeal,always on Sabbath and two orthree times each week. Some of our Indian people have cars but others do notand they would not be able to reach ourservices and weekly meetings unless theyhad some help. We will be able to getalong for a bit longer but the time isnot too far away when a change will haveto be made. Our warmest love and gratitude for this big helpMost Sincerely, MaryDear Covenanter Juniors,C. WardThank you very much for the moneyyou gave to buy a filing cabinet for theReformation Translation Fellowship.This filing cabinet was needed very muchand will be a great help in our work. Itwill hold letters and records from Japan,China, Hong Kong, England and othercountries. Postage stamps, checks andmoney that has not yet been put in thebank can be safely locked in the cabinet.Any Junior society that would like tohave a sample Christian booklet in theChinese language can have one by writingto me. Address: Rev. J. G. Vos, 415 31stStreet, Beaver Falls, Pa.With best wishes to all the Juniors,Sincerely yours, J. G. VosLet us say a great big "Thankyou"toMrs. Ward and to Dr. Vos for these letters which help us to understand a littleused for.better what our money is beingGRINNELL GLEANINGSI'm sure that those of you who couldn'tattend Grinnell are anxious to know howthe contests came out. We'll just begintoday with the Catechism Contests. Everyone who entered a Contest got a recognition for his efforts. Some did veryfair work, others did good work and stillothers did excellent work. Group 1wasexcellent, Group 2 was good, and Group3 showed much effort.Beginners'Group 1Catechism Contest:Mel Adams, Esther Elliott,and John WillcoxGroup 2 Bruce Cummings, JoceleKeys, and Bruce MartinGroup 3 Dean HutchesonCatechism Contest:PrimaryGroup 1 Bill CummingsGroup 2 Paul Martin, and Bob HaysJunior Catechism Contest:Group 1 Louise Edgar, Karen Caskey, David Robert Cummings.I wish every Junior could have heardthe contests. It was my privilege to conduct the Junior Catechism Contest. Thisconsisted of the first 38 questions withtheir proof-texts. It would have been aninspiration to the older people of thechurch. There was hardly an error, and tomake it harder for the children there wereconstant interruptions beyond our control. Everyone did fine.news will come later.Other contestWe must tramp upon our feelings whenS. /. Wilsonprinciple is at stake.A day of worry is more exhaustingthan a week of work.If you start a thing, finish it.Henry Ford143

'PARTMENT OF THE ARMY/ Office of the Chief of ChaplainsWashington 25, D. C.Religion In The Army: Program In EachInstallation As Complete as ThatFound in Average CivilianCommunity, Chief of Chaplains Reports.It is extremely difficult to present objective statistical information about asubject aslife of Armysentingintangible as the religiouspersonnel aside from prefigures on chapel attendancewhich, while impressive, tell only a smallpart of the story of the Army's programof religious trainingand character development.If I had the opportunity to speak personally to the men and women enteringthe service and to their parents, there aretwo things I would be most interested inemphasizing: In the first place, I wouldtell them that religion isan acceptedpart of Army life. The religious programon the average military installation is ascomplete as that found in the typicalAmerican civilian community. In addition to Sabbath worship services, itincludes religious instruction, the administration of rites and sacraments, choirsinging and other forms of church music,Schools and Bible Classes andSundayanyother related church activity forwhich a chaplain sees a need. The religious program of each installation is theresponsibilityof the Commanding Officer, and, I am happy to be able to report, that this program has the fullestcommand support from the top level tothe smallest unit in the field.Mysecond point is that there is nothing inherent to Army life to discourageparticipation in religious activities. As amatter of fact,except for emergencysituations, there is no need for any youngman or woman on dutywith the Armyto forgo any of the religious activities heor she enjoyed in civilian life. These activities are available,courages participation.and the ArmyenOne important phase of the chaplain'swork which, it seems to me, is never appreciated as it should be, is his role ofcounsellor. It is something of a bywordin the Armywith ato advise anyone struggling.problem to "See theChaplain!"Few people, however, realize the incredlarge variety of problems that isiblybrought to the chaplainproblems ranging from serious family affairs, adjustment to Army life, and pre-marriagecounselling to arranging for emergencyleave and how quietly but surely heworks to aid in their solution and maintain the morale of the troops entrusted tohis care.144The chaplain also plays a major rolein the Army's Character Guidance program and isstaff of every commander.a valued adviser on theThe moral tone of the Army is good.The troops are respondingto our program. Participation in religious activitiesis completely voluntary. It is, therefore,a source of satisfaction to be able to report that large numbers of our personnel have voluntarily turned to the chaplain for guidance and instruction.During the month of April 1954, thelast month for which statistics have beencompiled, 1,818,209 persons attended religious services conducted by Armychaplains while an additional 214,702persons attended services conducted byvisiting clergymen. During the samemonth 783,080 .persons attended Character Guidance Discussion periods and222,930 participated in our program ofreligious education.The Army recently opened its first Retreat House in Germany. This facilitywill make it possible for us to holdthree-day retreats for as manyas 100persons at a time. Retreats will be scheduled for Protestant, Roman Catholicand Jewish personnel. While wehaveheld retreats in the past, this is the firsttime the Army has set upment expressly for this purpose.an establishIn many installations the men themselves have organized projects to furtherthe religious program. In Fort Eustis,for example, a Spiritual Council wasrecently organized with voluntary members to further the religious life of theFort. In another installation, the menvoluntarily got together for a brief discussion period on subjects pertaining toreligion and morals.The tremendous outpouring of charityby our troops on behalf of the victims ofwar-torn countries is probably the mostoutstandingindication of religion in action. No accurate figure has been published to indicate the vast amount ofmoney contributed by American servicepersonnel for these less fortunate people,and no figure could approach the truth,since there is no way to account for theuntold man-hours of work devoted tobuilding churches, schools, hospitals, andorphanages and in collecting clothing andother supplies needed. Dr. Joseph R.Sizoo, of the George Washington University, Washington, D. C, summed itall up, when upon returning from a tripto Korea late in 1952, he said:"Our Army is an Army of compassion! Our soldiers are real soldiers ofcompassion. Wherever they go in Korea and Japan, they recognize humanneed and misery and suffering and doall they can to relieve men, womenand children of this misfortune. Hospital care for amputees,orphanagesandfoundling homes for lost children;clothes, medicine, shelter, food for refugees; new schools of all grade levelshave risen through the gifts and laborsof our soldiers. What are they? Soldiers of compassion!"Upon his return to the United Statesafter visiting American troops in Koreaduring Christmas last year, CardinalSpellman declared:"The Korean picture implanted onmy heart is the faces of the soldierslooking intently at the altar and atme, the priest. They were eager, listening, almost hungry faces of menwith souls that were close to God."I am proud of the men and women inthe Army and I am proud of the chaplains of all faiths who serve loyally withour troops wherever they may be stationed. Theirs is a heavy responsibilityand their accomplishments add anotherglowing chapter to the historyof thechaplaincy which on July 29 celebratesits 179th anniversary.A THANKFFUL DONORGIVEN FERST AIDAfter John Davis, a Midland Collegesophmore at Fremont, Nebraska, haddonated a pint of blood to the DodgeCounty bloodmobile unit,the usual cup of fruit juice and a sandwich.he receivedJohn, a pre-theology student, bowedhis head in thanksgiving, before eatingthe food. Nurses, thinking he was fainting, grabbed him and had him stretchedon a cot before he could explain thathe was thanking the Lordout!not passingIt is not surprising that the nursesthought as they didfor the sight ofa person in a public place with bowedhead silently thanking God for food isa rare sight indeed.It is to the shame of Christians thatsuch is the case. Have you ever seensuch a sight?A better question still have youever given thanks silently for food ina public place, such as a restaurant,hotel or hospital? If not, why not?"Giving thanks always for all thingsunto God and the Father in the nameof our Lord Jesus Christ" is what weare enjoined to do (Ephesians 5:20).NowTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

something."only."was!"spoo^ .lainoflLESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 26, 1954......S...CMTHE FIELD IS THE WORLD, TH 5EO IS THE WORDOP GODVOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1954 NUMBER 10"BEING A PROPHETby Edwin Raymond AndersonVIThere is a great parade of pretence in religiouscircles these days. Almost everyone appears to besomething or other, of some high nature, or loftytitle. The stabbing fact that such appearance neveradvances into actuality does not seem to overly concern. "Everybody is doing it," seems to 'be the sloganof the season. . .Thus it is hard and rare to find a "Noble Nobody,"in many a camp and circle. Yet,chance to locate one, we have a treasure of sanctifiwhen we docation and power indeed. An old saint used to remark,"Man is nothing. When man who is nothing wants tobe something, then he is nothing. But when man whois nothing is willing to be nothing, then he can becomeScripture tells us, and that in thevery words of our Lord Himself, that he who is bidden to a feast should take the lowest seat, for thenshall he be given the blessed invitation, "Come uphigher."In the light of that, we may understandalas, how many a feast has faded away into a farce,beholding the sorrowful scramble for the seat ofsupremacy. These things should not be.But then, as we have said, here and there oftat odd seasons and in unexpected corners, we findthat jewel of a "noblenobody,"and lo ! we then cometo actually see the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christshining through, clear as crystal. All pretence . . .whatever and however the coating and cloaking . . .is put to shame and to utter confusion, and togetherwe learn how to begin all over again, "at the bestbottom," so that Christ may verily be in all andthrough all,and the sovereign All in all.In this connection, I am often reminded of Amos.What a figure he would ... or would not ! .. . cutin many of our circles in this latter day! A nobodyfrom nowhere, with nothing to commend, and yet. . .and yet ! . . . with the precious paradox of having itall turn out as the highest nature of commendationfrom the Lord Himself. In the midst of a religiousgathering of his day, he could say truthfully, "I wasno prophet, neither was I a prophet's son ; but I wasan herdman and a gatherer of sycamore fruit"(Amos 7:14). No doubt one could have heard thedropping of a pin in the shocked silence ! To say thathe bore no rank, no credit, no degree . . . what an offense to religious elegance: and then to compound theoffense by saying that he was so far removed fromreligion, as to be a man of the woods and of the fields. . . ! Well, picture it for yourself. And it would bevery much of an up-to-date picture at that, for wherereligion is concerned, very little has changed. . .No doubt his hearers prided themselves uponbespeaking the better profession ; they were men ofthe courts, not crude dolts! But great indeed wastheir inward poverty when Amos went on with hiswords, to reveal an honor and a sacred calling towhich they were almost complete strangers. . . "Andthe Lord took me as I followed the flock and the Lordsaid unto me, Go, prophecy unto My people Israel"(v.15). As we might put it in our effective English,"And the Lord took me . . . just as IPerhaps that is why the Lord cannot take, cannot use, so many of us. Amos drives a quivering arrow into our souls with that simple, yet searchingword. In cold truth, we are not what we should be.We desperately lack that simplicity which is basic tothe leadership of the Holy Spirit. For all of our learning, we somehow have not actually apprehended theelementary lesson which teacheth the necessity of,"seeing no man save Jesus We have not beenhumbled to the pivot-place of understanding thateverything of spiritual value must begin with, andonly."forever revolve about, "Jesus(Continued on page 151)

alike."security."approval."curse."Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D.Quakers in GermanyThe Quakers in Germany have appealed to the leadersin government and church saying that "the dividing line cutting Germany in two is more than that (partisan politics),being also the dividing line of two groups of political powersengaged in unprecedented armaments which can only leadto death and destruction, annihilating victors and vanquishedThey not only want the dividing line eliminated andthe rearmament race stopped, they want a united Germanyto do three things: 1. "Declare peace and its willingness todare henceforth to lead an unarmed existence"; 2. They decline to enter "any alliance which would entail military,political or economic participation in any war, directly orindirectly"; 3. They affirm that it "will try to use all its material, spiritual and intellectual resources in the service of allnations for the fight against famine, distress and ignorance,and to create a universal feeling of trust andA Great Buddhist CenterThe Buddhist Great Council is in session the purpose ofwhich is to' make the life of the Orient a vast Internationalwarmth and comfort of their homes, or their rooms in thehotel and tune in from coast to coast around the world! Thatis why the wet cause is triumphant today with its mountinggross and per capita consumption of alcoholic liquors andfor which its victims will go through hell and wet weather toget."Do you want the news of the day? Beer will follow itwithout time to reach the radio. Are you interested in music?The sound of the Symphony has not died down and beer ofevery brand, locally and nationally, floods the room and placesa mortgage on the children who learn to repeat the wet jingles.Are you interested in the great American Game of Base Ball?Anheuser-Busch, makers of Budweiser, have purchased theSt. Louis 'Cards', and booze is soon to control the popularsport by subsidy or purchase .... No place, no hour, nooccasion and no event is immune from this insulting invasionto extend the consumption of the world's greatestThewriter goes on to tell us that radio and T. V. "will sell theirmonoply of the greatest discovery and invention of the agesto the devil to intoxicate the nation. Some way and soon, mustbe found to silence the rum radio or we will become a naInstitute for Advanced Buddhistic Studies to be located attion of drunkards." Mission in South IndiaRangoon. This is expected to be a center for all southeastAsia. Half a dozen of its buildings have already been completed and are being used by the Buddhist world assembly. It isexpected that the whole group of twenty-five buildings will becompleted by the time the council adjourns in May 1956. Asover against the influence and growth of Christian missionsthe Buddhists are trying to bring about a revival of theirreligion and to perpetuate it in a great central university.The devil misses few devices to try to perpetuate his empire, but the promise still remains that Christ should bruisehis head.German Theological StudentsIt was impossible a year ago for young men who wishedto study theology to get permission to go to West Germanyto study, but now 13 students have been given permissionto attend Hamburg Theological Seminary.Solomon's MinesThe American School of Oriental Research has rediscovered the ancient site of Ezion Geber, the Red Sea portwhich was used under Solomon's reign. There were copperrefineries there and this has stimulated the development ofSouthern Palestine. Numerous ancient mining sites have beendiscovered between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea. Americanmining engineers are on their way to Israel to assay the rediscovered iron and copper beds of Solomon to determine whetherthey are commercially profitable at the present time. Againthe Bible has been the guide to scientists in seeking to dervelop the natural resources of Israel.Pigs, Poultryand MenOne of the professors at the University of Illinois, Dr.A. C. Ivy, says: "The meat, pork, and poultry producers wouldquickly eradicate anytoxic agent which would produce asmuch disease, crippling and misery among. their cattle, pigsand chickens as alcohol does among human beings."Liquor on the RadioThe National Voice quotes Progress as saying: "This isthe age of the radio and television! People remain in the146The Christian Reformed Church has been conducting foreign mission work in a field in South India for some years.Their recent Synod engaged in a prolonged discussion as towhether to continue this work which had been started and,as we understand it, owned by a "faith" missionary. Some oftheir missionaries returned because theywere not able towork in harmony with Mr. Ramiah, the "faith" missionary.The editor of The Banner (Christian Reformed) says:"Synod was convinced that it would be best for the Churchand for all directly concerned to withdraw from South India."He then draws some lessons from the experience of theirchurch, stating: "This is a lesson which manyof our .peoplemay well learn. Too many of us imagine that missions, orphanages, and other religious institutions which claim to beoperated by 'faith,' which have no income guaranteed by definite commitments of responsible bodies, but say they dependentirely on prayer, are superior to those that have the official backing of churches or other organizations. It has oftengrieved us to see how readily and even eagerly some of ourpeople contribute to such 'faith' institutions when those incharge can do as they please with the funds they receive andgive an account to no one of the manner in which they administer the affairs of the institutions. . . . Wedo hope ourpeople will be less emotional, less impulsive, and a little lessgullible in their support of outside religious institutions. If wewant to be sure that the best possible use is made of the money we give to the Kingdom we do well to confine our givingto institutions or agencies which open their books to inspection by the Church and are ready to ask for synodical investigation andOther LessonsThe editor of The Banner continues : "A second lesson wecan learn from our experience in India is that it is not thebest thing for individuals or groups in our churches or for asingle church to commit themselves to the support of a mission field which is not of our own denomination. .(Continued on page 151). .COVENANTER WITNESS

Current EventsBy Prof. William H. RussellMORE SOCIAL SECURITYJust before adjournment, Congress passed an act extending the coverage and increasingcial Security system. Farm operators,the benefits of the Soand farm workersearning more than $100 a year from one employer, are nowincluded. More self-employed professional people are alsobrought in, and optional coverage is extended to ministersand to employees of state and local governments. All told,about ten million additional workers are made eligible forSocial Security. After much controversy, doctors and dentistswere not included.Added benefits, beginning in October, will total about$400 million a year for some six and a half million beneficiaries. The minimum for retired persons is raised from $25 amonth to $30, and the maximum from $85 to $98.50. Eventually the maximum will reach $108.50, by extending the payrolltax up to the first $4200 of salary, instead of $3600 as at present. The benefits for widows and other beneficiaries are alsoincreased.This is an interesting example of a Republican administration extending some "New Deal" policies while it has.checked others.SALARY RAISES DEFERREDPresident Eisenhower's most important veto of the recentCongressional session was his rejection of the bill which wouldhave given 1,750,000 federal workers a five per cent pay increase. Included among the gainers were half a million postalemployees. The President vetoed the law because it did notinclude an increase in postal rates to meet the added expense.This was a brave move, for it brought down the wrath ofgovernment workers and of organized labor generally. But.Eisenhower promises to ask the next Congress for a generalreadjustment in federal pay scales. The postal workers received their last raise in 1950, and are now the poorest paid ofall federal employees. An increase in postal rates seems inevitable whenever Congress decides that it is politically safe,.for the rate on first-class mail has not changed for more than.twenty years.VICTORY FOR THE ILAAfter a struggle lasting nearly a year, the InternationalLongshoremen's Association won recognition from the National Labor Relations Board as bargaining agent for the25,000 dock workers of the Port of New York. Last Septemberthe AFL expelled the crime-ridden ILA and set up a rivalunion. But John L. Lewis stepped in and gave the ILAstrong financial support in its battle to keep jurisdictionover the dock workers. The ILA victory in the recent longshoremen's election is thus a victory for Lewis, and a sharpsetback for AFL. Some predict that the ILA may now affiliate with Lewis' United Mine Workers. Whether the waterfrontracketeers will be eliminated seems more doubtful.SHAKEUP IN BRAZILBrazil is the latest country to go through a revolution,Latin American style. Trouble began for President GetulioVargas with the attempted murder of an anti-administrationnewspaper editor. Members of Vargas' personal bodyguardwere implicated in the plot. There was also general discontent over inflation, corruption, and the strong-arm methodsof the 71-year-old dictator-president. Finally army and airand he took his own life.force generals forced him to resign,September 8, 1954He had ruled Brazil since 1930, except for the period from1945 to 1951.The resignation and death of Vargas led to widespreadpopular riots. Some were in protest against the change ingovernment, while others, apparently Communist- inspired,were directed against the United States. Vice President JoaoCafe Filho, who became chief executive, immediately began ananti-Communist drive. He is not expected to change Brazil'sforeign policy, but there may be greater freedom for foreigninvestors. In order to stay in power he will have to conciliatethe people, who generally liked Vargas, as well as variouspolitical and military factions.GREECE DEMANDS CYPRUSCyprus is becoming one of the troublespots of the eastern Mediterranean. The British, having given up Suez, nowconsider Cyprus their main Middle Eastern base. They havestated that they can never give it complete independence, andhave forbidden the inhabitants to agitate for union withGreece. Though a large majority of the island's half-millionpeople are of Greek culture, Great Britain points out thatCyprus never belonged to Greece, and that there are important Turkish and Armenian minorities whose rights must beprotected. After tryingfor five years to get the British toagree to a plebescite, the government of Greece has appealeddirectly to the UN for intervention, based on UN declarationsof the right of all peoples to self-determination. A union with.Greece would probablymean tlie end of our schools and:mission work in Cyprus, judging from the drastic restrictions,placed on evangelical Protestants in Gre'ece.FIGHTING POLIOAs the polio season neared its peak, the total of reportedcases was slightly below last year's, but above the average forthe last five years. California, Texas, Michigan, Florida, andOhio have had the largest number of cases. We will not know,until early next year, the results of the Salk anti-polio vaccine tests sponsored by the National Foundation for InfantileParalysis. Evaluation of the vaccine will involve checking thehealth records of 1,800,000 children after the polio season isover. The Foundation is spending seven and a half milliondollars on the vaccine program alone, and is also providinggamma globulin for those areas which need it, in addition tohelping with the expenses of individual patients. Because of allthese expenses the Foundation has had to sponsor an emergency March of Dimes to raise an extratwenty million dollars.WHO'S AHEAD?Our defense experts warn that Russia may be much betterarmed than we have believed. She apparently has a jet engine much more powerful than any of ours, for four of themare sufficient to drive her biggest bomber. The British Admiralty has published estimates showing that Russia has alarger fleet than Britain's, and that she is especially strong insubmarines. The Admiralty believes the Soviets now have 350submarines, including a large fleet in the Pacific. Nazi Germany began World War II with only 57 submarines. Russiaalso seems to be leading the U. S. in training key technicians.While we will graduate 17,500 engineers next year, Russia willturn out 50,000. Our current shortage, in terms of adequate defense, is estimated at 30,000 engineers and up to 10,000 scientists.147

stamps?"patron,"rest."The Editor's Page"One Thing Thou Lackest"I said to the man at the stamp-vending window,"WThat is your latest in the 3-cent for Ifind it easier to keep my correspondence adornedwith the newest stamp than to keep my conversationadorned with the latest slang and cheaper than thechic coat lapel. Whereupon the man set forth twovarieties, one the Lewis-Clark Expedition commemorative stamp with the dates 1804-1954, and the otherthe image and superscription of a man of distinctionI did not recognize in the subdued light, but on inquiry I learned was George Eastman."And for what reason is this greatness beingthrust upon him?""Well I suppose that his company has given alarge contribution to the Republican campaign fund.""Sir, I percieve that thou art a Democrat." Hisfaint smile indicated that he was not inclined or notin position to deny the charge."George Eastman committedteered.suicide,"I volun"So I have been informed by a formerhe said. Perhaps that helped form the conclusionabout the campaign contribution. It was a littlestrange that the last previous issue of 3-cent stampshad borne the inscription "In God we trust," and nowwe are idolizing a man who seemed to lack thatfaith. Strange reversal! and so sudden! Coming inthe midst of the tourist season when rivalry betweenmanufacturers of films and cameras is at its heighth,could it be that this was a clever trick of commercialadvertising, getting the jump on the competitor?Here was I carrying home the two blocks ofcommemorative stamps one of which seemed just alittle off -color, though I had gone with the intentionof buying that public Confession of Faith in God.of fermenting. ThatScruples have a strange qualitytook me to the public library, not once, but twice, andsearch was made to refresh myacquaintance withthe life story of George Eastman, and verily he didsome remarkable things not unworthy, of imitation.George Eastman was born in Waterville, N. Y.,in 1854. Ah! just one hundred years ago. That explains it. Commemorative material is gettingscarcerand is becomingprofitable to the Post Office department. Look out for a special issue in 1980 !His father started a commercial school in Rochester and the family moved there,after he was established. The father died two years later, and themother went to work to keep herself, her son andtwo daughters. When George was 14 years of age hetook a job in a real estate office at $3.00 per week.At the end of the year he had a bank account of $59.Later he was employed in a bank, and at the age oftwenty-one he had accumulated $3,000. He now feltrich enough to indulge himself in a hobby and investedseventy-four of those precious cartwheels in acamera,148and five more of them he paid to aphotog-rapher to teach him the intricacies of how to make itfunction, for picture taking was not the simple matter in those days that it later became (thanks toGeorge himself). Films were unheard of, so glassplates were used, not dry plates, but wet, and theplates had to be treated with three solutions, the lastone the sensitizer, and all had to be done just beforethe picture was to be taken, so that the travelingphotographer carried all these materials and a darkroom (tent) with him. No wonder George was interested when he first learned of the dry plate thatwas being manufactured in England. He obtained theformula and improved on it, and lo his first factorywas operating with the help of an assistant chemistin a barn loft. The demand for his product soon outgrew the plant, and the part-time operations of thelimited force, and he resigned his place in the bank,and devoted himself to his hobby that had now become his boss.Dry plates, what a magnificent improvement!But Eastman was not satisfied. They weighed toomuch and his product was going everywhere. Heworked out a collodionfilm,with a black paper backing. The next step was a transparent film for thebase, and the black paper no longer stuck to it. Butwe are ahead of our story.In order to use plates or films, one must have acamera, so Eastman made cameras, and aimed tomake them cheap enough to be popular and simpleenough for average intelligence, even though hisprices were said to be 173% above the cost of production. Those paper film cameras had to be sentback to the factory, camera and all, for processing.So the slogan ran, "You press the button, we do theRemember those days? Meantime the factoryand its capitalization was growing by leaps andboundsbut with no bounds. $1,000,000, $5,000,000,$35,000,000, all within a decade. Factories coveringTHE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street, Newton, Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka, Kansasto promote Bible Standards of Doctrine, Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writers ;not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen, D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll, D.D.Remo I. Robb, D.D.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdgarMrs. J. O. EdgarMrs. Ross LatimerSubscription rates: $2.50 per year ; Overseas, $3.00 ; Single Copies10 cents.The Rev.British Isles.R. B. Lyons, B.A., Limavady, N. 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monopolies."alway"460 acres, besides subsidary plants, making accessories such aslenses, etc., were later results.Like most human beings George Eastman hadhis faults. Like other great moguls or captains ofAmerican industry, if you prefer that name, he wasbitten by the monopoly bug. Like Vanderbilt, Hill,Harriman in the railroad business, Carnegie orSchwab in the steel business, Rockefeller in the oilbusiness, Morgan and Mellon in the banking business,he wanted a clear field without competitors. Hebought up the entire photographic paper supply ofplants in France, he tried to merge or crowd out therival manufacturers, and did until the United StatesGovernment said, "George, you can't do that. Wehave a law againstAnd George said,"I don't see any justice in such a law." But he wasa loyal citizen. In World War I he did not take advantage of his power to charge high prices, but madelarge gifts to the government to promote the cause offreedom and democracy.George Eastman was one of the first men toutilize four bases of successful business : Large scaleproduction, low costs for world markets, scientific research, and extensive advertising. Incidentally,Thomas A. Edison's invention of moving pictures became a market in itself. The world, the flesh and thedevil all owe a great debt to George Eastman, and theChristian world too. When Herbert Hoover recentlywent back to his birthplace to celebrate his eightiethbirthday with 20,000 other people there to congratulate him, he was reminiscing on the simple life of hisboyhood days in that community, comparing it withtheir relative luxury now, and he climaxed it withthis : "and every one has acquired a camera, as I seeyou here today." The present writer just havingcome from seeing a crowd photographing the Borglummasterpiece of the four presidents in the BlackHills, thanks George Eastman that they were not allequipped with portable darkrooms. If the world recognizes its debt to George Eastman, his heirs andassigns, it is surely working day and night to paythat debt by using miles and miles of that film everyday.If we may judge from our limited knowledgeMr. Eastman was somewhat despotic in his treatment of employees. He discharged his first chemistbecause he was harboring dreams of becoming acompetitor in the plate making business. When hisemployees became so numerous that they were unknown by name, he inquired of one, his surname."Spittles"was the reply, whereupon he was discharged without redress, supposedly because thename had an unsanitary sound. Had George beenmore familiar with his Bible, such a name might havesuggested to his photographic imagination the Saviour spitting on a small lump of clay in His palm,molding it with His finger to the proper consistency,then anointing eyes and ears to restore their lostfunctions. Christ employed Spitals.But to return to the man on the postage stamp.It was not for any of the above qualities unless it washis war service that gave George Eastman that honor. One of his brief biographers asks, Why does arich man keep on accumulating far beyond his needs ?What are his motivators? The primitive one ofcourse is the same as for most of us, we are drivenby the fear of hunger. When that is satisfied, whatnext drives him on? The desire for power over oth-September 8, 1954ers. What next? The satisfaction ofpossessing as ameans of self-expression. Then what ? The realizationthat the end is coming brings the desire to distributewhile it is still in your power. These were the stagesof progress in Eastman's life.When the ordinary art of photography had beenmastered, he turned to the development of colorphotography. He built a magnificant home where helived with his mother until her death in 1907 ; he never married. He filled the home with the works of themaster painters, and a fine pipe organ, and broughtthe finest musicians to entertain his friends withthe best music on Sunday afternoons. His was nota superficial culture, for he acquainted himself withthe history of art and music thoroughly as he hadformerly mastered chemistry. This was the stage ofself-expression.But it was not for all these achievements thatGeorge Eastman was honored with a place on a postage stamp, with Washington, Lincoln, Grant, et al,but for his monetary gifts the distribution periodof his life. Science had done much for him, naturallyhe was interested in educational institutions. Rochester University received some $55,000,000, Massachusetts Institute of Technology was second on the listin size of grants. Numerous dental clinics in thiscountry and abroad were generously remembered,Tuskegee and Hampton Institutes were not forgotten, nor the Welfare agencies of Rochester. It alsoshould be noted that the Rescue Mission, the Y. M.and Y. W. C. A. were not overlooked. Our informantdoes not mention any strictly religious organizationreceiving grants ; perhaps they did."To be or not to be?" We do not know howlong George Eastman halted between whether to endure the pangs of lonliness (twenty-five years havepassed since his mother's death) or to fly to that undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns, that dread of something after death, but onMarch 14, 1932, he made the irrevocable decision,leaving this message, "To my friends: My work iswait?"done; whyWhy wait, Mr. Eastman ? Because God told youto wait when He said, "Thou shalt not kill."Why wait? For the sake of your footprints.(Pardon me, Mr. Longfellow.)Foot prints that perhaps another,Tossed upon life's stormy main,Some forlorn and shipwrecked brother,Seeing, may try the thing again.You should have waited for the sake of the nameof the man on the postage stamp.Why wait? Because, your opinion to the contrary notwithstanding, your work was not done.Were you thoroughly prepared to meet your God?Were you entering in by the Door, or were you climbing up some other way? Had you become acquaintedwith that loving Companion, who said, "Lo, I amwith you ? In many ways you were fighting agood fight, but did you finish your course? Did theRighteous Judge say, "Well done?" Did He awardyou the crown ?149

places."Church ind State ConventionAn Address given in Constitution Hall, Washington, D. C.January 21, 1954by Emmett McLoughlin"We wrestle not against flesh and blood, butagainst principalities, against powers, against therulers of the darkness in this world, against spiritualwickedness in high Eph. 6:10, 12.It is not unusual for people to change their religious affiliations. It is not unusual for ministersof Protestant denominations to give up the ministryand become farmers, orbricklayers, or salesmen.But it is considered very unusual for Roman Catholic priests to leave the priesthood. One-third of theclass with which I was ordained have deserted thehierarchy. I know ten priests who have quit from St.Mary's Church in Phoenix where I lived for fourteenyears. I personally know approximately one hundredex-Roman Catholic priests. The number of priestsquitting the priesthood is kept as secret as possible.According to the best estimates I have been ableto find, at least 30 per cent of all Roman priestsleave Rome. There are 45,000 priests in the UnitedStates. If my experience holds true, more than 10,000of them will leave the Catholic priesthood.Most ex-priests, because of fear of persecution,fear of their own families and fear of starvation, slipinto large cities and deliberately become lost andanonymous in an attempt to start their lives anew.You hear only vague rumors of them or if theyappear in a Protestant pulpit they are denouncedby local Catholic clergy and laity as being either fakepriests or liars.No one can accuse me of being a fake Romanpriest. I was a priest in Phoenix, Arizona, from1934 to 1948. 1 heard the confessions of thousands ofPhoenix Catholics. I baptized hundreds of them andI buried a great many of them. I cannot be accusedof being a liar because the experiences that led to mybreak with Rome took place openly in Phoenix. Thestory was in the newspapers and on the radio andthe correspondence and documents involved are in asafety deposit box in the Valley National Bank.I do not wish to rantingly denounce RomanCatholicism. I wish only very briefly to tell how Iwas indoctrinated in a Catholic seminary, how Ibroke with the Catholic church and its priesthood;what I found when I got out of it ; what the Catholicchurch did to me in the process and what warningthat might give you as a danger to your freedomand that of the America we all love.IIFree Americans such as you are, have no conception of the indoctrination, the walling in, themental inbreeding that takes place in the training ofa Catholic priest.150The courses last twelve years. I began in St. An-thony Seminary in Santa Barbara, California, in1922, and finished when I was sent to Phoenix in1934.Upon a boy's entrance to a seminary there begins twelve years of the most thorough and effectiveintellectual indoctrination that the world has everknown.It begins gently, with a blending of the legitimate pleasures of boyhood, the stimulus of competition in studies and the pageantry of the forms ofan ancient religion unseen in an ordinary parishchurch. It ends twelve years later with a rigidity ofmental barriers, of intellectual processes,of medieval superstitions and religious concepts as archaic asthose of the Buddhist monks upon the isolated, frozen mountains of Tibet.Subtly we were indoctrinated in Catholicism tothe exclusion of all other thinking. Attendance atmass was daily and compulsory. So were communityeven inmorning and evening prayers. All textbooks,high school courses, were written by Catholic authors. No daily papers were permitted nor were non-Catholic magazines.Radios for the use of Junior Seminarians wereforbidden. The priests, and all the teachers were permitted a radio in their supervised recreation hall. Wewere not permitted to enter that hall. We were allowed to hear Notre Dame play U.S.C. byspeaker placed in the window and beamed to us outmeans of aside. Of course, on the morning of such games weall prayed at mass that God would vindicate theFaith through the victory of Notre Dame.During these years of the seclusion from American life the indoctrination in the "spirit" of theCatholic church becomes so intense that I felt that Ialone was a normal Christian, privileged to commune with God, that the American way of life wasa pagan, sinful thing, a rebirth of the Roman Empireand destined to the same disgraceful doom in theashes of future history. I came to believe that theAmerican government is to be tolerated thoughwrong; tolerated because it gives unlimited freedomto the Catholic church ; wrong because it gives freedom to other churches. I came to believe that theideal form of government is the one in which Iwas living in my seclusion of spirit, the day whenthe Papacy made kings and the power to governcame from God to the king through His "representative"the Pope. My boyhood concept of civics, of therights of man to the processes of law and of government through the consent of the governed fadedaway under the constant repetition of the teachingsof Thomas Aquinas and the moral theologians. TheConstitution of America and the laws of its statesdimmed into the trivialities in comparison with theall powerful Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catho-COVENANTER WITNESS

sent"submission."o'utation,"lie church. I became in all truth a citizen of thechurch living, by accident, in the United States.The most important aspect of this prolonged indoctrination is the identification of the Romanchurch with God and the identification of all churchsuperiors with the Roman church and therefore withGod.I 'had to learn to crush the lusts of the flesh byfasting, self denial and even physical torture. ManyAmericans have read stories of the ascetics and hermits of the early middle ages of Christianity torturing themselves by wearing hair shirts, fasteningchains about their wrists and sleeping on boards orin bare coffins. But it might surprise them to knowthat in the senior seminaries for Franciscan priestsin the United States there hangs inside the door ofeach cell, or bedroom, a scourge. It is made of severalstrands of heavy cord, each knotted at the ends. EachMonday, Wednesday and Friday evening at 5:45clock we closed the doors of our cells and to the chantof the "Miserere" removedour underwear and"scourged our flesh to bring it intoBut we were not unhappy. After years of seclusion andindoctrination,we knew no other world.We were unaware of our indoctrination of fear. Wethought it was love. We were constantly told so. Wehad come to accept celibacy as supernatural not unnatural. The simple pleasures granted us, permissionto talk to each other at times, an occasional picnic,a glass of wine on special feasts, satisfied souls thathad become not merely childlike, but even childish.We belonged to what we firmly believed to be theonly enduring organization in the world the RomanCatholic church, and through it we belonged to God.It is my firm belief that every young man of thethirteen of us, kneeling before the Archbishop Cantwellon ordination day in June 1933 was so thoroughly indoctrinated in his belief in the Roman Catholicchurch that he sincerely believed that his was thegreatest privilege given to mortal man, that nothingelse mattered, nor friends, nor relatives, nor countryonly the culmination of his dreams ofmany yearsto hear the Archbishop pronounce the awesomewords, "Thou art a priest forever, according to theOrder of Melchesidech." To himself and to all theRoman Catholic world he was "Alter Christus""another Christ." (To be continued)GLIMPSES . . . Cont'd from page 146"A third lesson we can learn from the failure of our workin India is the necessity of a careful, in loco investigation of acontemplated field by a competent committee of more thanone or two men. In the multitude of counselors there is wisdom. . . ."A fourth lesson is one we may learn from other denominations which have had more experience in mission workthan we. Up to the present time we have seldom if ever givenour prospective missionaries any kind of special preparationfor the particular field to which they were to be sent. Certaindenominations at home and abroad, require of their missionaries to spend some time in a mission school before leavingfor the field. The Reformed Churches of the Netherlandshave such a school at Baarn where prospective missionaries,ordained as well as unordained, must spend two years beforethey are judged ready for their work. They take not only general courses in missions but also special instruction in thelanguage, customs, and mentality of the people to whomthey are to beSeptember 8, 1954A Challenge to the ChurchMorning Sun, IowaJuly 6, 1954To the Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Churchof North AmericaThe Board of Deacons and the Session of theSharon congregation, deeply concerned about the financial needs of the church, request the synod totake specific action in regard to the promotion of atithing campaign throughout the church.Believing that the promises of God are as truetoday as when they were first uttered by the prophets, we feel that a larger emphasis should be givento the tithing principle than has been given in thepast. God says, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, andprove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts if Iwill not open you the windows of heaven and pouryou out a blessing that there shall not be roomenough to receive it."It has been the experience of our congregationthat when emphasis was being given to the tithethat there has always been adequate funds to carryon our work and to support liberally the work of thechurch at large. We believe that when a congregationis faithful in its tithes that God will abundantly bless.By withholding the tithes we not only hinder God'swork but are in truth impoverishing ourselves.Over a period of years in which tithing has beentaught from the pulpit and in the home there hasbeen a remarkable change in the attitude of our people toward giving. Many now regard giving as a happy privilege rather than a heavy obligation to meetarising needs.In view of the church's great concern aboutmeeting the financial goals set before us each year,we believe that emphasis should be placed upon obedianceto God's command rather than upon the raising of a designated sum of money. If the work is theLord's He will enable His people to give in suchabundance that His cause shall not fail.In keeping with our Covenant Renewal this year,we believe that one of the first steps toward thekeeping of the covenant should be faithful obedienceto the giving of the tenth. To obey is better thansacrifice.John O. Edgar, Moderator of SessionM. W. Baird, clerk of SessionA. M. Kilpatrick, Chr. of Board of DeaconsThis paper was received by Iowa Presbytery,July 16, 1954, and ordered transferred to Synod.H. G. Patterson, Mod.Waldo Mitchell, ClerkSynod recommended the publication of this appeal in the Church paper.Editor"BEING A PROPHET" . . . Cont'd from front pageHe would take us, but alas, we are not trulytempered for the holy taking. It hurts to be a nothing, to be a nobody, to other's sight-and-measure. Weimagine the loss that we shall therein suffer! Butwhat of the Lord whom we profess to believe, tofollow? The Word says, "He made Himself of no repand though we are familiar with the lettering, we are alas ! strangers to the spirit therein. Thuswe grievously suffer . . and much. more doth HEgrieve and suffer over us. It is high time to awakeout of sleep !151

_''Lesson Helps for the Week of September 26, 1954JUNIOR TOPIC servant prayed that God would help him was Isaac. In token of her humility, mod-September 26, 1954 find a wife for Isaac (Gen. 24:12-14). esty, and subjection Rebekah coveredby Mrs. Wilbur J. Keys God prepares the way for those who prayherself with a veil and met Isaac. Isaac"ISAAC AND REBEKAH" and trust Him. Before he had finished took Rebekah to his home and theyScripture: Genesis 24 his prayer, Rebekah came to the well, were married and he loved her very much.Memory Verse: "Commit thy way unto She was the grand-niece of Abraham, the Eph. 5.25the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall granddaughter of Abraham's brother, Answer these Questions:bring it to pass." Psalm 37:5 Nahor. She was very beautiful. 1- How did the servant know whoPsalms to sing: Abraham's servant asked her for a should be Isaac's wife?Psalm 55:12, 13, 17, page 140 (sing drink, and she gave him a drink and of- 2. What characteristics did Abraham'sfrom memory) fered to draw water for all of his cam- faithful servant possess that all Chris-Psalm 37:3-6, page 91 els. In return for Rebekah's kindness,tians should have?Psalm 37:20-24, page 93 Abraham's servant gave her a gofden 3. Instead of an engagement ring whatPsalm 119, part 2: 1-4, page 288 ear-ring worth half a shekel and two did the servant give to Rebekah?Look up the answers to these questions: bracelets worth ten shekels. (A shekel 4. Who was Rebekah's brother?1. How old was Sarah when she died? is worth about $9.70 if you would like 5. When did the servant say he wouldGen. 23:1 to figure the value of the giftsi.) This eat?2. Where did Sarah die? Gen. 23:2 was a fine reward for the kindness Re- - How soon did Rebekah decide to3. From whom did Abraham buy his bekah bestowed upon the servant. After leave?burying ground? Gen. 23:10, 11 the servant asked who Rebekah was and 7. What exhortation did Rebekah re-4. How much did the land cost? Gen.refounda direct answer to his prayer ceive from her relatives upon her depart-23:16 quest, he bows his head in thanksgivingure?5. Where was Sarah buried? Gen. 23:19 to the Lord God for leading him to the 8- What was the name of the welloldest servant? Gen. 15:2 right girl for Isaac.where Isaac lived? Give the meaning of7. Who was the father of Rebekah? Boys and girls, be sure you follow the the name.Gen. 22:23 servant's example and always thank God 9- What was Isaac doingIf you have answered the above ques- for His lovingkindness and tender mercies ning?in theeve-tions correctly, you have a good knowl- toward you. Especially thank Him for 10. What did Rebekah do when sheedge of all that happened between lastweek's lesson and today's.Abraham was an old man and nearingthe end of his life. His wife, Sarah, wasanswered prayer.The servant went to Rebekah's homesaw Isaac?f^ ^J* ^ &and Laban rushed out to invite the serv- " 'ant. his camels and the men with himl/?UT"...f-ul, I.1*"* Wfe Cm6, , , . T. .dead; so he and Isaac were living alone, + .

world."reconciliation,"SABBATH SCHOOLSeptember 26, 1954by Rev. Joseph A. Hill(Lessons based on International Sunday SchoolLessons ; the International Bible Lessons forChristian Teaching, copyrighted by the InternationalCouncil of Religious Education.)LIVING WITNESSESLesson Material: Matthew 5:13-16; Acts4:13-16; 8:4-8, 26-40; 2 Corinthians5:11-20; 1 Peter 3:13-16.Printed Text: Matthew 5:13-16; Acts 8:4-8; 2 Corinthians 5:14-20.Memory verse: Matthew 5:16light so shine before men that they may"Let yoursee your good works, and glorify yourFather which is in heaven."The need for true witnessing is astonishing when we realize that there are moreunsaved people in the United States today than the entire population of theRoman Empire when Christ came (statedin Peloubet's Select Notes, p. 333).When we consider the urgent duty ofChristian witnessing, we tend to think interms of missions in some distant landacross the sea, in Africa or Japan. Weforget that there are countless thousandsright here in America whose hearts areas savage as the heart of the black manin New Guinea who has never heardabout the Saviour. There are people livingwithin an earshot of the church whoare as idolatrous as the Japanese whoworship Buddha, because these heathenin America worship the world and thethings that are in the world. There arethousands who are devoted to the falsereligion of "liberal Christianity" and aretherefore as far away from the truth asthe Samaritans of the Bible who weredevoted to a hybrid religion, a mixture oftruth and error. The Church's task, inwhich all Christians have a share, includes witnessing through foreign missions. The Christian's personal task ismainly on the "home field," in ordinaryfields of work where we come into contact with people who can come to knowChrist through gur witness concerningHim.Matthew 5:13-16. In these verses ourLord uses two figures of speech to illustrate the meaning of witnessing.Thefirst figure is that of ordinary salt, which,as everyone knows, is used for makingfood savoury, and for preserving certain foods from spoiling. Christians arelike salt in the world because they giveto society the "flavor" of truth and righteousness, keeping the world from being anunsavoury (unpleasant) place to live, andpreserving the truth of God in the midstof a wicked corrupt society, so thatGod's purposes of redeeming grace mightbe fulfilled.Christians are also said to be lights.world."They are "the light of the Elsewhere Jesus says of Himself, "I am thelight of theSeptember 8, 1954source of light or knowledge of the truthand Christians are luminaries, or lightbearers(John 1:6-9). Just as the moon,which has no light in itself but is onlya lightbearer, reflects the light of thesun; so the Christian, created in theimage of God, reflects the light of theglory of God. The knowledge of truth inthe Christian is reflected light. He knowsand understands reflectively he thinksGod's thoughts after Him, and then heshines for God by speaking God'sthoughts after Him, and then he shinesfor God by speaking God's thoughts toothers and living God's ways before others. Thus Christians are the light of theworld.What a dark place the worldwould be without the light of the gloryof God which shines from Jesus Christand is reflected in the lives of those whoare new creatures in Christ!2 Corinthians 5:14-20. In this passagethe Apostle Paul setsforth the motives from which he preached the truthand witnessed for Christ. His apostleshipwas assailed; it was regarded as not genuine by those who opposed the Gospel,and this was hindering Paul's witness.Paul defended his apostolic calling inthis second epistle to the Corinthians. Farfrom being selfish, his motives were toglorify God. If Paul were witnessing outof a desire for self glorification, or forpersonal gain, he would not have enduredsufferings in order to testify of the unsearchable riches of Christ (see 2 Cor.4:5-11).In our passage, Paul sets forth hismotives :1. Christ's love for Paul drove him tohis task of witnessing for Christ. "Thelove of Christ constrainethme,"he says.It was not his love for Christ, butChrist's love for him. (This is clear because Paul goes on to describe in whatChrist's love consists.)"Constraineth"means that Christ's love keeps Paul inits grasp, and places him under an irresistible constraint to seek for otherswhat Christ had done for him. It constrains us, Paul says, "because we havecome to this mind about it: One died forall; so then all (James Denny,died."quoted in Peloubet's Select Notes).Verse 15 explains why the love of Christforces Paul to serve Christ: If we livebecause of Christ's death, then we shouldlive for Him.2. The second motive for witnessingthat Paul mentions is that he no longerthinks of people merely as people, as heonce did. He remembers that Christ"died for all"; and so every person withwhom Paul came in contact might havebeen one for whom Christ died. It wastherefore Paul's duty to make known tothis person the truth about Christ, thathe might be the means in God's hand ofChrist is the original saving that person. "Henceforth weknow no man after the flesh." As Christians we are to think of people, not merely as friends, or as citizens, or as business associates, but we are to think ofthem in respect of their relation toChrist, whether they are in Christ or outof Christ. We are to regard all men (compare Paul's words, "noman,"verse 16)as being created in the image of God, and,if unsaved, as potentially a "new creature in Christ" (verse 17).3. The third motive for Paul's witnessing was that he had been given this taskby God. Paul did not ask for the job.God gave it to him "and hath given tous the ministry ofverse18. Paul was sent by God as an ambassador is sent by his king, to deliver amessage in the name of the king. Hismessage was a message of peace ("wordreconciliation,"ofverse 19) to a hostile,rebellious nation. Because Paul was |anofficial ambassador, those to whom themessage was delivered were to receive itas though the King Himself had broughtthe message in person. They were to obeyHis command to repent and believe onthe Lord Jesus Christ. For Christ Himselfwas speaking to them through Paul, Hisambassador, sent to reconcile hostile enemies of God to Himself. These are themotives and the task of the true witnessof Christ.PRAYER MEETING TOPICSeptember 22, 1954GREAT PROMISES IN ISAIAH:God's Presence With His RedeemedIsaiah 43:1-3Comments by James D. CarsonPsalms:106:7-10,30:1-2, page 6934: 3-6, page 79page 26140:1-4, page 102References: Isaiah 29:23; 44:24; 41:10;44:22, 23; 44:6; 42:6; Psalm 130:8;Jeremiah 30:11; Psalm 66:12; Deuteronomy 31:6; Daniel 3:22-25; Psalm106:21; Proverbs 21:18.The names of Jacob and Israel are usedtogether throughout the prophets as parallel names in a poetic sense. The namesrefer to the chosen nation of IsraelGod's own chosen people; both in thesense of the nation as a unit, and also inthe sense of the nation as individuals;for while God dealt with them as a nation, he dealt with them also as individuals.The words of this chapter come something as a surprise after the words of the42nd chapter, where the prophet bringsout so clearly the terrible sinfulness ofthe nation, and the fact that none followed or obeyed the ways of the Lord."BUT," a most beautiful word in thisconnection, brings to our minds the everlasting mercy of God; for while the na-153

courts"great."money"tion of Israel sinned miserably againstGod and forgot Him,yet He was alwaysnear to them, and always heard theircry for deliverance from trouble. Paulwrites: "But where sin abounded, gracedid much more abound"(Romans 5:20).The Lord has not regarded us accordingto our iniquities.And the reason for this everlastingmercy is given. "But now thus saith theLord that created thee, O Jacob, and hethat formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: forI have redeemed thee, I have called theeby thy name; thou artmine."Thesewere God's beloved chosen people. He hadbought them again from bondage ; he hadtold the prophets of the comingof Hisown Son as their Saviour. He loved them.He had called them in a specific way tobe a special treasure for Himself. Theydid not deserve His kindness ; and we certainly do not deserve His kindness. In theBrief Covenant,we confess our sin themany times that we have broken Hislaws, and many times, that knowing theright, we have done wrong. We do not deserve the kindness of God. "But God(again the pleasing contrast), who is richin mercy, for his great love wherewith heloved us, even when we were dead in sins,hath quickened us together with Christ,(by grace ye are . .saved;) (Ephesians2:4, 5)God gave to His own chosen people thepromise of His everlasting presence andprotection over them. "When thou passestthrough the waters, I will be withthee; and through the rivers, they shallnot overflow thee: when thou walkestthrough the fire, thou shalt not beburned; neither shall the flame kindleupon thee."History had already shownthat God was able to keep this promise.When God delivered them from the bondage of Egypt, he led them through thewaters of the Red Sea,and the armies ofthe Egyptians, trying to follow, weredestroyed. God was with them throughthe waters. Some forty years later, theIsraelites stood on the banks of the Jordan in the time when the Jordan overflowed her banks,and God gave thecommand to march forward and to takethe walled city of Jericho which lay beyond. And when the feet of the prieststouched the water, the river backed up,"and the people passed over right againstJericho."The waters did not overflowthem when they passed through therivers.The three friends of Daniel were laterto experience the fulfilment of this promise in their lives; for in their stand to betrue and faithful to the Lord, they werecast into the fire which had been madeseven times hotter than usual. They hadbeen bound and thrown in three ofthem; but Nebuchadnezzar witnessed"four men loose, walking in the midst of154the fire, andthey have no hurt;of God more fully as individuals and asand the1. That we may claim these promises the first day of the week, the day onform of the fourth is like the Son of a church.(Daniel 3:25).2. Prayer for the young people whoGod"God's eternal control and providence isclearly set forth here. We can see theplan of God working so clearly in thehistory of the Israelites. While He wasmade decisions for Christ at Grinnell andat other summer conferences.3. Prayer for Geneva College and theSeminary in these opening days.angered with them often, yet He neverforsook them. And we as Christians mayPRAYER MEETING TOPIClearn from this that God is working outSeptember 29, 1954His plan for us through the experiences"THE OFFERING"of life. "For we are his workmanship,II Corinthians 9: I Corinthians 16:1, 2created in Christ Jesus unto good works,Comments by Rev. Philip W. Martinwhich God hath before ordained that wePsalms:should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10).96:1, 3-5, page 23273:1, 2, 8, 22, page 176steps of a good man are ordered by the40:5-9, page 103112:1-3, 5, page 277References Genesis 14:18-20; 28:20-22;Exodus 22:29, 30; 36:2-7; Leviticus 27:with his hand" (Psalm 37:23, 24). 30-34; Psalm 96:8; Malachi 3:1-12; DeuJehovah teronomy 14:22; Nehemiah 10:37, 38;claims often throughout thisII Chronicles 31:5, 6, 12; 2 Corinthians8:1-7; Galatians 2:10; Mark 12:41-44;10:21; James 5:1-9; Proverbs 11:25; Rofor thy ransom, Ethopia and Seba formans 12:8.thee."God had often saved them, and had"Sin has made man exceedingly selfish.given the promise of the He does not realize his own selfishness.coming Saviour,through the seed of David. He hadNor does he begin to understand whatshownHis holiness time and time again. Hedamage and loss it brings him. Paulhad claimed and had proven His claim totells us: I had not known coveting to bebe the one true God, and there is nonesin if the law had not said to me: Thoulike Him, though the world still looksshalt not covet. Such is the grip offor another. God proved His willingnessselfishness on the soul of man. It holdsto protect them and to be present withhim in bondage, making him grasp afterthem by the past evidences of His mercy.more and more without any possibility ofHe gave Egypt for a ransom. A ranever being satisfied. And it holds him insom is the payment to release from blindness, so that he has no understandbondage or captivity. God destroyed the ing of his sorry plight.firstborn of Egypt, He destroyed the "Christ in the heart changes that all.pursuing armies of the Egyptians, He We are uncovered to our selfish natures,showed His power by many examples and given grace to fight against them.in the plagues of Egypt; all this He did We are impelled by the grace of God toin order to redeem His own chosen .peo go in the opposite direction. We are conple.strained from within to give, and just giveIf this lesson is to have meaning for without any thought of returns. Andus, it is for us to be reminded that God when we give without any thought of rerules and that He is the One true God. turns our reward is sure and FromWe profess that, but our every day ac The Key.tions often show that we do not practiceit. For if God has the power that He GIVING IS AN ACT OF WORSHIPclaims, then He is fully able to fulfil "Give unto the Lord the glory due untothese promises on our behalf. Daniel his name; bring an offering, and comewould be called foolish by today's stan into his (Ps. 96:8). This anddards for continuing to pray before the kindred verses show that the offering isopen window when he knew full well that not just a way "to get but is anthere were men waiting to catch him there. essential part of the worship of the livingMany of us would likely either 1) give up and true God. In I Cor. 16:2 God inprayer until the heat was off; or 2) pray structs us to bring our offerings on thebehind closed doors and drawn shades. Lord's Day and present them to Him.But for Daniel these courses would have We should always be careful to obey Hisbeen compromise.every command in all things. The sameGod has redeemed us; He has pur rule had been given to all the churches ; itchased us with the precious blood of is not a local command which has beenChrist. He therefore will not allow any given.harm to befall us.It is of primary importance that a manPrayer Suggestions:make it a matter of conscience that onWhile we sin grievously against our Lord,He will never utterly forsake us. "TheLord, and he delighteth in his way.Though he fall, he shall not be utterlycast down, for the Lord upholdeth himprophecy the rightful place that Heholds : "I am the Lord thy God, the HolyOne of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave EgyptCOVENANTEE WITNESS

stewardship."which our Lord rose from the dead, welayaside a portion of our income forthe Lord. Our goods is a special trustfrom the Lord and must be treated assuch. We should note that we are not towait until God calls for the collection, butwe are to bring our offering regularly, inour worship of God, without any stringsor conditions attached. It is to be broughtinto the storehouse, where it can be usedby the Lord as He pleases.CONSIDERATIONS FOR GIVING1. Remember what Christ has givenfor us (2 Corinthians 8:9). Christ gave upHis throne to redeem us, that we mightbe rich, heirs of God and joint-heirs withChrist. He died on Calvary's Cross, forus, as our sin-bearer, to satisfy divinejustice. Such knowledge should moveus to liberality with ourselves, our all.2. Give regularly (I Cor. 16:2). It isto be on every Lord's Day. We are not tobe spasmodical in our giving.3. Set aside God's portion first (I Cor.16:2). This was taught by the offeringsof the First-fruits of the Old Testamenttimes, God's Kingdom comes first. Wehave the command to do it on the firstday of the week. All we have is a gift ofGod.4. Lack of Giving is a basic departurefrom God. In Malachi 3 we learn thatfailing to pay all the tithe is robbingGod. The size of the portion of our income which is given is a sign of ourspirituality. Miserly giving indicates alow regard for God, for His Word, forHis servants and Kingdom, and for ourfellow-men who are created in God'simage.5. Tithing is the basic command ofGod in our material stewardship. Tithing was a practice of God's people beforethe giving of the ceremonial law, Gen.14:20; 28:32. It is evident that this wasat God's command. It was incorporatedin the Mosaic law.givingThe proportionaterequired in the New Testamentshows that the tithe was not repealed.We have therefore not presented an offering to the Lord until after we havepaid the tithe. Jesus gave full approval tothe paying of the tithe in Matthew 23:23; John 2:16. We live in the days whenChrist has suffered and risen; we shouldgladly give much more than the tithe.This is encouraged by the command togive proportionately and systematically.The heart which prepares to give alwayshas a gift ready for the Lord.6. Give cheerfully (2 Cor. 9:7; Rom.12:8; Matt. 10:8). Again, we should consider the Price our Saviour gave for oursoul's redemption. This should so moveus that we will gladlygive ourselvesand all that we have to God for His use.All things are given to us by divinekindness to be used for our benefit. TheySeptember 8, 1954News BriefsALMONTE: On June 11 the congregation and friends gathered at the homeof Mr. and Mrs. Edward Rose,Pakenham,in honor of Mr. and Mrs. W. J.Burns who were celebrating their SilverWedding anniversary. They were presented with a tri-light lamp, a chenillebedspread, and a silver rose bowl fromthe congregation and other gifts fromfriends. It was also Frankie Burns' birthday, so everyone joined in singing "Happy Birthday, Frankie."STERLING: Miss Mary Hindman,daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Hindmanof Fredericktown, Ohio, and James D.Humphreys, son of Mr. and Mrs. T. A.Humpherys of Sterling were united inmarriage, August 20, at 8:00 P. M. inthe Minneola Associate PresbyterianChurch. Rev. Paul Hindman of Minneola,brother of the bride, assisted by the Rev.L. E. Kilpatrick, officiated at the doublering ceremony. Mr. Bruce Ramsey ofDodge City sang "I love You" after whichhe and Mr. Arlan Ramsey sang theTwenty-third Psalm. Mrs. Joe McFarland, pianist, played the traditional prelude of wedding music and marches. Mrs.Reed Hindman, nee Carol Edgar, ofMinneola, sister-in-law of the bride, wasmatron of honor and Marjorie Humphreys, sister of the groom, was bride'smaid. Karl Cunningham and Joe McFarland attended the groom as best manand groomsman, respectively. The bridewas given in marriage by her brother,Bob Hindman, of Fredericktown, Ohio.Alice and Jean Edgar, Sterling, wereamong the assistants at the reception inthe church parlors following the ceremony. The bride, a graduate of Sterling,has taught in both Sterling and Turonschools while the groom (a deacon ofSterling congregation) is farming nearSterling. Following a honeymoon inColorado they are now at home in Sterling. Mary was the recipient of manylovelygifts at a shower in the churchparlors September 3 given by Mmes.Christine McCrory, Nadine Oline, GailWiley,Fose.Mary Jane Wilkeyand HelenTHE HAPPY PRIVILEGE OF TITHING will be emphasized during the cornaredeposits entrusted to our care to beused for God's glory. We shall each becalled to give an account for the same.Therefore, let us be jealous of our management of them. Christ warns, "Givean account of youringweeks. Your attention is called to theappeal of the Pastor, Session and Deacon Board of the Sharon congregation fora campaign for more tithers,published inthis issue. This will be followed by aCorner"special "Tithers prepared byDr. D. H. Elliott, Chairman of the StewardshipCommittee. Watch for it withopen mind and heart and hand.GREELEY: On Sabbath, August 22, atthe morning service the Greeley congregation swore and signed the Covenant of1954. Our Pastor preached on "TheSpirit in which we Should Covenant!"and the Rev. Kenneth G. Smith preachedon "CovenantKeeping!"The order ofservice used at Grinnell was followed.Fifty-one signed the Covenant at thisservice, and eight more added their namesin the week that followed. Out-of-boundsmembers will have opportunity to addtheir names in the near future. We thankGod for the wonderful response andspirit which was evident at this service.YOUNGSTOWN: Martha McFarlandwas the guest of honor at a dinner heldat the home of Mrs. Lois Marshall. Afterdinner the rest of the congregation gathered at the Marshall home and presentedMartha with a lovely green traveling case.Martha is leaving the Youngstown public library for work in a school libraryon Long Island.GENEVA: We are happy to welcometo our midst, Dr. and Mrs. J. G. Vos andtheir four children, Kathie, George, Melvin and Raymond. Kathie and Georgeare to come later, George being in theservice and Kathie working in Kansas.Dr. Vos has accepted a position in Geneva College and they are residing in ourparsonage.STERLING: At the regular Missionary meeting on August 19 th SterlingW.M.S. surprised the pastor's wife witha beautiful birthday cake and gift. Thankyou, Sterling W.M.S., very much. Mrs.L. E. Kilpatrick.GREELEY: On Sabbath evening,August 22, we were happy to have Mr.Robert McFarland to lead the singing,and Lie. Paul Robb to bring the message.It was a fitting climax to the Signing ofthe Covenant as Mr. Robb challenged usfrom Haggai the first chapter.The SHARON congregation honoredMrs. Barbara Briars, mother of Mrs.John O. Edgar, at a party in the church.parlors Friday evening, July 23. Mrs.155

Briars left on July 27 for her home inLisbon, New York, after a two-year visitwith her daughter and family. A gift ofSamsonite luggage was presented to thehonored guest. Mr. and Mrs. Edgar weregiven a set of blue sheets and pillowcases as a reminder of their wedding anniversaryand Lois Edgar was presentedwith a small traveling case.UNITED CONGREGATION,PHILADELPHIAOn August 22, 1954, Rev. WilliamDodds occupied the pulpit of the UnitedCongregation, Philadelphia, in the absence of the Pastor, Dr. McCracken, whowas at the White Lake Conference, NewYork. Mr. Dodds was appointed by theSynod of the Covenanter Church in Ireland as an observer to the I.C.C.C. Congress in Philadelphia.Mr. Dodds baptized his great-nephew,Douglas Malcom Ashleigh. Present atthe ceremony were Mr. Ashleigh's grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. A. T. Winter, ofBeaver Falls; his mother and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Cobb, fromBaltimore; and Mrs. Ashleigh's aunt,Mrs. Gertrude Dodds Bell, of Vancouver,B. C. Mrs. Ashleigh was formerly Frances Dodds of Philadelphia.STERLING. Dr. and Mrs. A. J. McFarland and Robert worshiped withQuinter friends August 15,where Dr.McFarland preached in the evening.From there they went to Colorado Springswhere Robert obtained employment, andMrs. McFarland accompanied her husband on a C.A.M. radio booking tourthrough Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Nevada,Arizona and New Mexico. She returnedhome by train from Albuquerque, NewMexico, to attend the Kansas StateTeachers Association Workshop forPresidents in the Kansan Hotel in Topeka, August 23 and 24. Dr. McFarlandproceeded south and west for anotherten days, booking 35 stations or more.GREELEY: The Sacrament of theLord's Supper was observed on Sabbath,August 15. Our Assistant was the Rev.Paul Faris of Quinter, Kansas; his messages were most helpful and instructive inleading us to the Communion table andus to sign the Covenant. Wepreparingwere happy to have Dr. Owen F. Thompson, Dr. Frank L. Stewart, and the Rev.D. Ray Wilcox with us for this occasion.SHARON: Rev. and Mrs. John Edgarand Louise have returned from a vacation spent in Lisbon, New York andQuebec, Canada.GENEVA: Sabbath August IS. wewereproud to have worship with usGladys Robb Dill and her husbandfrom Orlando, Florida; her brother, Philip and his wife from Aliquippa. Also inour midst were Dr. and Mrs. Matthew156Mitchell from Providence, Rhode Island,and Dr. and Mrs. Ross from Urbana,Illinois.GREELEY: A Psalm Sing was held atthe church on Tuesday evening, August10, under the leadership of Mrs. MelvilleMartin of Seattle, Washington. A finenumber of folks came up from our Denver congregation to join with us in thisthrilling experience. About midwaythrough the program the Rev. MelvilleMartin showed slides of Cyprus andplayed a tape recording narrated by theRev. Clark Copeland which explained theslides as they were shown. A time of fellowshipand refreshments followed.STERLING: The address of Mrs. D. B.Martin will be 426 No. Broadway, Sterling, Kansas. She has been with herson, Rev. M. W. Martin, at Seattle,Washington, the past winter and expectsthis coming winter to be helping in thechurch at Sterling.UNITED PHILADELPHIA: About 22of our people attended the conference atGrinnell and gave interesting reports ofit. Several persons are now at WhiteLake Conference, Rev. Dodds preachedfor us in his place. Manystill away on vacations.others areYOUNGSTOWN: Mr. and Mrs. Wm.Lathom and Dick are back after a tripsouth through Tennessee and Alabama.Richie Marshall spent two weeks atCamp Fitch, a Boy Scout Camp nearErie, Pa.SHARON: Rev. and Mrs. Lester Kilpatrick and familyof Sterling, Kansasvisited the home folks at Sharon on theirwayto Grinnell. Lester occupied thepulpit on Sabbath morning, July 11.GREELEY: Reports of Grinnell weregiven at the morning service, July 25. Thefollowing attended Grinnell from our congregation: Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Carson,Miss Ruth Carson, Miss Maurine Dunn,the Misses Gwen and Marcia Elliott, Mrs.H. C. Gilchrist, the Misses Helen andMarjorie Keys, Mr. Ken Meeker, Mr.Glen Willcox, and the Rev. and Mrs.Bruce C. Stewart and Douglas.STERLING: The C.Y.P.U. and theirsponsors, Joe and Roberta McFarland,enjoyed a watermelon feed at the WilburWilkey home the evening of August 26.ALMONTE: The Almonte W.M.S. heldan evening meeting in June at the homeof Mrs. Alan Burns, Carleton, Ont.; refreshments were served following themeeting.GENEVA: An Alumna of our congregation, now a member of the Oakdale,Illinois, congregation, Mrs. Kenneth Luney, the former Maud Slater, worshipedwith us Sabbath August 22, renewing herDr.friendship of former days.and Mrs. Paul D. McCracken andfamily, Rev. and Mrs. Kermit Edgar andfamily and Rev. and Mrs. Philip Martin and familyvisited in the SHARONcommunityafter Grinnell. Mr. Martinoccupied the pulpit on Sabbath evening,July 25.STERLING: Mr.and Mrs. HerbertDavies and daughters of Topeka and Mrs.Marty Howell of Philadelphia worshipedwith us August 22 and were guests in theMaurice Reed home.ALMONTE: In June Mrs. S. T. Burns,son Danny and Mrs. Burns' mother, Mrs.Johnston of Hamilton, Ont., visited withMrs. S. J. Burns and Bill of CarletonPlace and friends in Almonte.GREELEY: Duringour Pastor's vacation, Dr. Frank L. Stewart preachedAugust 1, and the Rev. Paul D. Whitepreached August 8.Recent visitors at our Sabbath serviceshave been Jim McCready, Mrs. Ida Aikinand Kathleen from the Geneva Congregation, Phil McFarland from New Alexandria, and Rachel George from Allegheny. We are always glad to have visitors worship with us, and invite all to lookus up at the corner of Hudson and Boston Aves. in YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio.GENEVA: A newcomer to our midst,David Scott, born August 19 to Mr. andMrs. Harold Greig. Mrs. Greig is theformer Kitty Metheny, daughter of C. B.and Mrs. Methenygrandparents.who are the proudSHARON: Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Robertson, Dwight, Linda and Carol spentpart of the summer in MorningSun withMr. John Robertson and other relatives.They have returned to Texas where Aliceteaches.STERLING: Celebratingher 80thbirthday on August 25, Mrs. Jennie Anderson was the guest of honor at an afternoon reception, in the church parlors,given by her daughters. Present for theoccasion were: Mrs. Anderson's entirefamily; her two daughters and their families, Rev. and Mrs. Luther McFarland(Ethel), Montclair, New Jersey; Mr. andMrs. Dean Cunningham (Hazel), Mrs.Bob Cunningham, Johnny and David,Glen Elder, Kansas; Mrs. Anderson'stwo sons, S/Sgt. Ralph of the AmericanAviation Corps, enroute from Yuma,Arizona, (4 years) to Labrador for some18 months, and Mr. and Mrs. John Anderson, Judy and Jack, Brookfield, Missouri. Several other nieces and nephewswere present. A short program of music,presided over by Mrs. Joe McFarland,included piano solos by Melody McFarland and Vickey Wilkey and a ladiesquartett, Mrs. Foy Oline, Mrs. Maurice Reed, Mrs. Lester Kilpatrick and Mrs.COVENANTEE WITNESS

saints.'"ever"Wilbur Wilkey. A large circle of friendsenjoyed this fellowshipand the honorguest received many lovely remembrances.ALMONTE: The W.M.S. held theirmonthly meeting at the home of Mrs.James McGregor on May 27. The ladieswho had attended the Presbyterial meeting at Syracuse brought back glowingreports. The hostess served a sumptoussupper following the meeting.GREELEY: Mr. Walter Bailey joinedthe Church byprofession of faith at thetime of our Communion.JUNIORS FROM SHARON who participated in the Catechism contests atGrinnell were: Junior group: David Cummings and Louise Edgar; Primary group:Bob Hays and Bill Cummings; Beginners group: Bruce Cummings. Participants in the Bible memory contest wereRichard Baird and Bob Hayes and in thePoster contest was Robert Rice. Each ofthese children brought home a prize.GENEVA: Attendingbath August 22 with Mr. and Mrs. Wilour church Sabliam Hueston were Mr. and Mrs. Charlesis an uncleMcCartney. Mr. McCartneyof Mrs. Hueston and a former Covenanter.YOUNGSTOWN: We wish to thankall the ministers and Seminary studentswho have preached for us these past twoyears. We have appreciated all the helpand encouragement that was given whilewe were without a minister.STERLING : The Juniors accompaniedby Mrs. Maurice Reed and Mrs. Joe Mcmotored to Hutchinson,Farland, secretlyAugust 16, where they gave a surprisefarewell to Miss Mary Adams who wasleaving for Winnipeg, Canada, to becity Missionary. The juniors sang Psalmsand Vickey Wilkey presented MissAdams with a corsage.SEATTLE: The Seattle Congregationis very happy to announce another babyboy in our midst! This one is the adopted son of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Lamont.They have named him Stephen Michael.He was born May 18 and adopted July30, 1954. Stevie got off to a rather "small"beginning being seven weeks premature,but is doing fine now. We think he is avery fortunate little fellow to have beenput into this home!GREELEY:Congratulations to Mr.and Mrs. James Dunn! They are theproud parents of Master Larry StephenDunn, born Monday, August 16.SANTA ANA: Frank O. Blackstone, adevoted member of the Santa Ana congregation passed on to join the Churchabove on August 18. Across the years hehas been one of our faithful members.September 8, 1954His was a brief illness. The sympathy ofthe whole congregation goes to the family circle and the friends in the East, awide circle. We commend them all to thelove of our Heavenly Father who failethnot in these lonelyseparations. "Whoshall separate us from the love ofChrist?"MRS. LENA SWYGARDMrs. Lena Swygard, daughter of Johnand Elizabeth Mehaffy, was born June9, 1872 and passed away at the NorthHill Nursing Home in Burlington, Iowaon August 22, 1954. She had been inpoor health for some time. Her husband,William Swygard died January 29, 1954.Mrs. Swygard was a lifelongthe Covenanter Church,member ofand was a member of the SHARON congregation mostof her life.STERLING: Fred Martin of Topekavisited a week in the Kilpatrick homeduring August. David Kilpatrick attended the C.A.P. meeting in Salina the lastweek in August. Nancy Carolyn Youngwas graduated from the Grace HospitalSchool of Nursing in Hutchinson, Kansas, August 29. She will join the hospitalstaff and work in surgery.ALMONTE: June 17-20 was our communion season. Our pastor, Rev. F. F.Reade brought us messages of inspiration and help. Miss Ansley McKee unitedwith the church by letter from the churchin Belfast.SEATTLE: There have been numerous guests and visitors in our church thissummer, all of whom we were very happy to welcome. The M. W. Martin family traveled to Grinnell and then on toRose Point, Pa. and back to Sterling,Kansas, to visit relatives before returning home. Others getting to Grinnellwere Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Lamont, Jr.and Donnie who visited in Topeka, Kansas, the week following Grinnell and MissJean Dill took Miss Billie Jean Krug andMr. Jim Relf in her car to Grinnell andvisited her parents in Winchester, Kansas, one day after the conference. Mr.and Mrs. John Lamont, their daughter,Mrs. Betty Dunn and two grandchildren,Carol and Eileen spent three weeks atBirch Bay, Wash. Mr. and Mrs. WalterMitchell and daughter, Mrs. Erma Stuarttook a boat trip up the Canadian Coast inJuly. Mr.and Mrs. Don Crozier andfamily are spending their vacation camping in some of Washington's scenic spotsas are Mr. and Mrs. Loren McKinneyand daughter Janet.UNITED PHILADELPHIA: On August 22 Rev. Wm. Dodds of Ireland baptized the son of Robert and FrancesAshleigh. His name is Douglas MalcomAshleigh. We welcome him to our congregation.STERLING: Cpl. Leland Morley received his army discharge at Camp Carson, Colo, and returned home August 21,having arrived from Korea August 14.Leland and his wife, Doris, are at homein Hutchinson at 213 West 13th Street.NEW ALEXANDRIA: We wish torecord the passingof Mrs. Bessie Monroe Fetters on Sabbath, June 6. She wasa loyal member of the Covenanter Churchand faithful in attendance when healthpermitted. She is survived by one son,George J. Fetters of Delmont who is anelder of this congregation.ALMONTE: On May 21 the Almontecongregation gathered at the home ofMr. and Mrs. John Henry for a socialevening. Mr. Milton Bowes was serenaded, it being his birthday.IN MEMORIAM MISS MARGARET E. WILSON THIRD PHILADELPHIA: Full of years (84) and of richspiritual experience,Miss Wilson wascalled June 29 to be with her Lord. Shewas a faithful and devoted member ofthis congregation ever since coming fromthe Covenanter Church in Ireland shortly before the turn of the century; andher life has been a clear witness forChrist her Saviour in all her associations,particularly in the Church she loved andgenerouslysupported. Her prolonged illness for months now past called forChristian patience and fortitude. Herspiritual strength was constantly manifest. Her assurance of Christ's love andthe certaintyof her "portion forwith Him grew stronger as "the sands oftime"ran out. Having guided her withHis counsel He afterward received her toGlory. "My flesh and my heart faileth:but God is the strength of my heart, andmy portion forever." (Psalm 73:23-26)."Precious in the sight of the Lord is thedeath of HisSTERLING:(Psalm 116:15).Karl Cunningham, sonof Mrs. Blanche Cunningham, Sterling,and Joan Lukens, daughter of Mr. andMrs. Lyle Lukens, Beloit, exchangedwedding vows, with a double ring ceremony at 7:00 P. M., August 23 in thebeautifully decorated Hopewell U. P.Church near Beloit, Kansas. The Rev.Robert Cunningham, Jamestown, officiated, assisted by Rev. Albert Damon,Beloit, both former Sterling College classmates of the nuptial parties. Joe McFarland,served as one of the ushers. A reception was given following the ceremony.The following Sterling relatives andfriends attended: Mrs. Blanche Cunningham, Mrs. Flora Cunningham, Mr.and Mrs. Eldo McFarland, Melody andMarlin; Mr. and Mrs. Joe McFarland,Mr. and Mrs. T. W. Patton, Mr. and Mrs.R. J. Huey, Rev. and Mrs. L. E. Kilpatrick and family, Mr. and Mrs. C. F.157

Oline and family, Jean and Alice Edgarand Marjorie Humphreys, besides Mr.Frank Beard and Gladys ofStafford.Following a wedding trip into Colorado,the newlyweds are now at home in Gypsum where the groom, a graduate ofSterling College will again teach in theHigh School. The bride, also a Sterlinggraduate, has been employed during thepast two years by T.W.A. Airlines. Karland Joan attended Grinnell part time,where Karl led the C.Y.P.U.meeting.Joan was the recipient of many lovelygifts at a nuptial shower given by Mrs.Joe McFarland and Miss Jean EdgarAugust 16 in the church parlors. Fortyfiveguests enjoyed this delightful occasion.ALMONTE: The AlmonteC.Y.P.U.business meeting was held at the home ofMr. and Mrs. Isaac McKee on May 14.The program committee did it again. Besides having a duet sung by Ansley andIsaac McKee, a readingand a mindreadingact, they produced a play withoutwords but it had action, with members ofthe C.Y.P.U. as their cast.STERLING: Mrs. L. E. Kilpatrick wassurprised at the closeof the AugustW.M.S. when, as a birthday gift, shewas presented with earrings, necklace anda blouse.Mcelroy -coxMarjorie, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.Lloyd McElroy, of Topeka, was marriedto Sgt. Robert D. Cox, son of Mr. andMrs. R. C. Cox of Perris, California onJuly 13 in the Reformed PresbyterianChurch, Topeka, Kansas.Dr. Paul McCracken of Philadelphiaread the double ring ceremonyat 8:00P. M., assisted by Dr. McElhinney ofPhoenix, pastor of the bride and groom.Baskets of peach and white gladioli andcandelabra decorated the church.Mr. Elmer Graham, uncle of the bride,sang "Because" and "Bless This House,"accompanied by Miss BeverlyPrice atthe piano. Preceding the exchange of vowsthe 23rd Psalm was sung by Mr. andMrs. Elmer Graham and Mrs. RobertMaine.Preceding the ceremony Lynn McElroy,brother of the bride, and Jean Ann Graham of Wichita lighted the tapers. JudyGraham and Jack Tischer, also cousins,served as ringbearers. Miss Doris Drennon was maid of honor. Miss MarthaFlora of Colorado Springs and MissJoanne Cox, sister of the bridegroom,were bridesmaids. S/Sgt. Robert McElroyof Salina, brother of the bride, served asbest man and the ushers were Bill andBob McElroy, cousins of the bride.A reception was held at the RanchHouse. The bride's aunt, Mrs. LloydTice served the cake. Mrs. Walter Starkand Miss Alice Curry158presided at thepunch bowl; a three-tiered wedding cakedecorated the table. After the wedding thecouple attended the Grinnell Conference.They are now at home in Phoenix, Arizona.THE ORDINATION ANDINSTALLATION OF JOHN H. TWEEDOn Thursday evening, July 8, 1954,Pittsburgh Presbyteryordained JohnHugh Tweed to the gospel ministry. TheCourt of Presbytery was called into session at 7:00 o'clock in the new church atYoungstown, Ohio, and the public meeting was held at 7:45 P. M.Dr. T. C. McKnight offered the invocation prayer. The sermon by the candidate, John H. Tweed, was based on thetext taken from Deut. 23:21. Followinghis sermon, Mr. Tweed was examined byDr. J. Burt Willson in "Soundness in theFaith," and by Dr. J. Ren Patterson in"Distinctive Principles and PersonalPiety."Dr. S. Bruce Willson preached theordination sermon from the text takenfrom I Tim. 4:14. Rev. D. Howard Elliottgave the ordination prayer with the laying on of the hands by Presbytery. Thesigning of the terms of communion byMr. Tweed finished the ordination service.In the installation Service, Dr. D. H.Elliott gave the address to the pastor, andDr. Frank Lathom the address to thecongregation. Rev. Willard McMillan adjourned the court with prayer. Rev. JohnH. Tweed pronounced the benediction.The right hand of fellowship was extended to our new pastor and his bride to be,Miss Alta Blackwood, by the congregation, members of Presbytery,manyoccasion.and thefriends who came to witness theA reception was held in the basementof the church immediately followingtheservice.It was a happy occasion for theYoungstown Congregation, and wearelooking forward to a fine fellowship between pastor and people, to the glory ofGod and the futherance of His kingdomin this place.We were happy to welcome two of ourformer pastors for this service, Dr. S.Bruce Willson, who was also ordainedand installed at Youngstown, with hisfamily, and Rev. J. Paul Wilson andfamily from Barnet, Vermont.Dear Editor:OPEN LETTERS25 Fifth St.Feasterville, Pa.August 21, 1954In your issue of August 4 in the Sabbath School Lesson for August 22 Rev.Joseph Hill states that "the average percapita giving during the past year in theCovenanter Church was $20.75."I would like to know how he arrived atthis figure. I find from the Minutes ofSynod that our total membership for1953 is 6,350 and our total receipts $441,-149 which makes the average per capitagiving for the year almost $70.00. Surelyour givings during the past year did notslump from $70.00 to $20.00.Faithfully yours,/s/Robert Dodds.CALL TO PRAYERNot only the "League of Intercessors"but every member of the CovenanterChurch in America and across theoceans are asked to pray for the overthrow of the traffic in beverage alcohol, for a way or plan to stop the making and selling or giving away the poisonthat kills one million citizens each year,a way to prevent adding to the sixtymillion slaves now on Uncle Sam'shands. If all professing Christians inevery church will join this prayer circle,in time the liquor traffic must go. Thereis a way outsaid "I AM THE WAY."join the search, JesusWhen the negro needed freedom,church people prayed and deliverancecame. Not too often do we hear prayerfor our present day slaves in pulpit,prayer meeting or family altar. In W.C.T.U. devotionals it is likely mentioned.Have we grown indifferent or discouraged, disheartened or so afraid "it can'tbe done" to oppose this iniquitous BaaLso very destructive to everything thatis good, and at its highest tided wavein history?"Up, call upon your God" to help freeour slaves and abolish the evil thatcauses their ruin for those whom Jesus died to save. God still hears andanswers prayer. Let not a day passwithout many prayers going to thethrone, to prevent beverage alcohol frommaking slaves of today's and tomorrow'schildren. God and His word are forthem. Prayer will help encourage workers. Big money will not always keepliquor at work against Jesus Christ theLord, the Supreme One. Ask, believing,and eventually ye shall have. It may besooner than we think.A Christian Patriot.NATIONAL SABBATH SCHOOLWEEKIt is altogether fitting that a nation soblessed of God through the Sabbathschool should set aside a week each yearto look back (in order) and to think againof the purpose of the Sabbath school.An institution as old as the Sabbathschool is always in danger of being takenfor granted. For this reason the NationalSunday School Association sponsorsannually NATIONAL SABBATHSCHOOL WEEK between the last Sabbath of September and the first Sabbathof October. This year NATIONAL SAB-COVENANTEE WITNESS

culture"al-rights"BATH SCHOOL WEEK is September26-October 3. The first Sabbath is designated as National Sabbath School Day.Sabbath schools and churches and evenSabbath School Associations will cooperate to make the community and the nation conscious of the Sabbath school.The National Sunday School Association together with a number of denominational leaders and various publishershas prepared a new list of materials andsuggested ideas for observing the week.The theme "Train Today" is beautifully illustrated on the posters and churchbulletin covers. The posters are free, thebulletin covers $1.25 per hundred throughthe N.S.S.A. office.BLOTTERSBlotters continue to be an effectivemeans of advertising because people simply do not throw blotters away. TheN.S.S.A. has four beautifully designedblotters available at a fraction of whatit would cost an individual church tohave them printed. An illustrated folderis included in the packet of materialsavailable from the N.S.S.A. office.WASHINGTON "DRYS" WINNOVEMBER BALLOT TESTOF TV LIQUOR ADVERTISINGLos Angeles, Calif.The law of Washington state required the "drys" to obtain the signatures of 50,000 legitimatelyregisteredvoters in order to have Initiative 194callingfor a prohibition ontelevision of alcoholic-beverage advertising between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. certified by the Secretary of State. The official certification left the temperanceforces with a margin of more than 2,003"qualified" voters over the required minimum, reports The National Voice NewsBureau.It is more than editorializing to saythat, as the news of this test vote seepsinto the news consciousness of peoplethroughout the nation, an increasing interest will be displayed because perhapsthis is the first time since"Prohibition"was voted out that the status of a "wetmay be weighed so drasticallyat the ballot box.Similar attempts by temperance groups.to curb alcoholic-beverage advertising inMichigan this year brought internationalpublicity when the House passed a billthat would have curbed such advertisingto a great extent. It met legal death atthe hands of Michigan senators.There is considerable objective relationship between Washington state's Initiative 194 and the Bryson and Langer Billsbefore the House and Senate committees,respectively, in Washington, D. C, themain difference being that the nationallegislation follows specific "constitutionpatterns and would limit (orprohibit) advertisingof alcoholic-beverage wares in inter-state commerce.September 8, 1954W. M. S. DepartmentMrs. Ross Latimer. Editor.Prayer Hour. 1:00 P.M. MondaySYNODICAL STANDARDEFFICDSNCY REPORTOFApril 1, 1953 to April 1, 1954Reports were received from nine Presbyterials and two separate societies, witha total of 75 societies reportingon theW.M.S. S. of E. and 9 societies on theY.W.M.S. This shows an increase overlast year in the number of societies reporting.Among Presbvterials, Kansas had thehighest rating with an average of 89%.Among societies, Old Bethel had h'scriestaverage on the W.M.S. S. of E., 89%.And among the Y.W.M.S. Santa AnaKings Daughters had highest average of97%.After careful study of these reports,your superintendent notes there are only31 societies that show an increase overlast vear, and 6 report the same average,leaving 38 societies that slipped back ordid not report. IS YOTTR SOCIETY ONEOF THESE LAST 38?We realize that no set of rules orstandards can be adopted that will beperfect for every societv and every condition and the Svnodical at the 1954Convention has discussed and definedcertain items on our S. of E. Each societv shall receive a copy of this action.Let us remember we must bring ourselves uo to meet the goal and not lowerthe goal to meet us.Your superintendent would also recommend as verv important iten-i

eaders."Address--State-it will Surprise You!> Spiritual Meaningof Verses- . .esired Information More QuicklyIMostHelpfulBiblePublished55 FEATURES...7 GREAT DEPARTMENTS MAKE.-IE NEW CHAIN-REFERENCE BIBLETruly a Bible PLUS a Biblical Libraryin ONE VolumeREAD WHAT OTHERS SAY:The Late Dti Walter A. JMaier, Former Radio Speakerof the Lutheran Hour: "It has been a great help tome in my radio work, preaching, literary and editorial activities. I recommend it highly to pastors,teachers, students, and BibleDr. E. L.McKnight, Former Moderator, Reformed PresbyterianChurch of North America: "This Chain Bible fixesand holds attention upon the Scriptures themselvesWe are finding this kind of Bible study much morehelpful than any we have attempted heretofore. ThisChain Reference Bible not only directs one's mind tothe study of the Bible text but offers the necessaryaid to such a study. I am greatly pleased with thisbook and do not hesitate to recommend it to anyonewho would know his Bible." Dr. Harry Rimmer,Biblical Scholar and Scientist: "I have never seenany other single volume that contains as many practical helps for the beginner, or the advanced studentof the Scriptures. I feel that no student should beRapidly Replacing Other Bibles1. Unique chart showing Origin and Growth of the EnglishBible.2. The Outline Studies of Bible Periods, comparing Biblical History witli Contemporary Secular liistory.3. The Analysis of the Bible as a Whole.4. The Analysis of each of the 66 Books of the Bible.5. The Analysis of every Chapter of the New Testament.6. The Analysis ofthe Verses of the entire Bible.7. The Numerical and Chain Reference Systems.8. Special Analysis of the Important Bible Characters.9. Contrast between the Old and New Testaments.10. The Topical Treasury. New Topics for Prayer Meetings, Men's Meetings, Women's Meetings, Missionary Meetings, Young People's Meetings, etc.11. Special Bible Readings for private devotions and public services. New and differentsubjects.12. Bible Harmonies of the Lives of Moses and Paul.13. Special Portraits of Jesus.14. Chart of the Messianic Stars.15. Chart showing cause of the Babylonian Captivity.16. Chart of the Temple of Truth, illustrating the Sermon on the Mount.17. Chart of Jesus' Hours on the Cross.18. The Christian Workers' Outfit. Of special value to soulwinners.19. All Prominent Bible Characters Classified, listing thePatriarchs, Leaders in Early Hebrew History, CourageousReformers, etc., with meaning of their names given.20. Golden Chapters of the Bible.21. A Complete General Index of over seven thousandtopics, names and places.22. Special Memory Verses selected from each Book of theBible.23. Chart Showing Seven Editions of Divine Law.24. Graph of the Prodiga 1 Son.25. Bible Mnemonics, or how to memorize.26. The Principles and Best Methods of Bible Study.27. Pictorial Illustration of the River of Inspiration.28. Bible Markings, Explaining best methods.of markingone's Bible.29. Concordance.30. Atlas of 12 colored maps with Index for quickly locating places.Other Features in Text Cyclopedia31. Topical Study of the Bible. Correlated Scripturesprinted out in full under 2467 topics and sub-topics. Threetimes as many as in any other Bible.32. Contrast Study of Great Truths of the Bible. EnablesB. B. Qru/eW-229 K. OF P. BINDIANAPOLIEDITED BY REV. F. C. THOMPSON, D.D., PH. D.you to study the Constructive and Destructive Forces ofLife, with the Bible verses printed out in full under 6uch subjects as Faith Unbelief, Love Hatred, Courage Fear, etc.33. Life Studies, such as Business Life, Home Life, Devotional Life, The Surrendered Life, etc.34. Bible Stories for Children. A list of 56 stories to beread from the Bibleitself.35. Miracles of both the Old and New Testaments listedSn Chronological Order.36. Parables of the Old Testament. Parables of the NewTestament, listing those given in One Gospel Only, thosegivenin Two, and those given in Three.37. Titles and Names ofChrist; of the Holy Spirit; of Godthe Father; and of Satan.38. General Bible Prophecies.39. A List of the Prophets of the Bible.40. List of Judges of Israel and Judah given in^ChronoIogicalOrder.41. List ofthe Notable Women of the Bible.42. Mountains and Hills referred to in Bible, listing theScenes of Great Events.43. Dictionary Material.44. Tables of Time, Money, Weights and Measures.Eleven New Features Added in the Third Improved Edition45. The Historical Bridge, covering interval between theOld and New Testaments.46. Chart showing the History of the Apostles.47. Harmony of the Gospels, citing references In differentGospels where events are given.48. Calendar of the Christian Era.49. The Post-ReRiirrpntinn ^nnparsTiRPS of Jesus. Illus-without this splendid aid to study and instruction."Dr. F. M. McConnell, Editor, Uaptist Standard: "Ifirmly believe that a boy in the seventh grade canget more information from this Bible in two daysthan a preacher can get from an ordinary Bible ina Dr. J. A. Huffman, Dean, Winona Lakeweek."Bible School: "I have never seen so much splendidBible."help crowded into a single volume of theRev. Chas. E. Fuller, Old Fashioned Revival HourBroadcast: "I wish every preacher and teacher ofthe Word had a copy of this most usable and logicalreference Dr. Jas. B. Chapman, Gen. Supt.,work."Nazarine Churches: "It is a Bible, a Concordance, aBible Dictionary, a Commentary, a Book of Outlines,and an Encyclopedia, all under one cover, and stillit is not clumsy. I certainly would advise you to buyit and use it."Dr. Bob Jones, Bob Jones College:"I wi?h I could influence every Christian to purchaseone of these Bibles."Has So Many More New Helps!The Revised Version is given in the widemargin opposite the verses, wherever an important difference in meaning occurs.Be Fair to Yourself!See this special Bible with its unequaledpractical-buy any Biblehelps'before youor you may regretit as others have. Ask your pastorabout it. No other Bible is so highly praised by so many renownedSEND NOWfor thisbis FREEdescriptiveBOOKAgentsWantedBible Students.B. B. KIRKBRIDE BIBLE CO., INC.,Dept. W-229 K. of P. Bldg. 'Indianapolis, Indiana.? Without cost or obligation to me, senda copy of the bis illustrated book, "A NewBible for a New Day," and full particularsconcerning the Third Improved Edition ofyour New Chain Reference Bible.? Send your special terms to Representatives.NameCity160COVENANTER WITNESS

LESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 3, 1954VOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1954 NUMBER 11The Providence of GodA CATECHISM OF BIBLE TEACHINGBy Dr. John A. Braodus1. What is meant by the providence of God?God cares for all his creatures and provides for theirwelfare.2. Does God's providence extend to the wicked ?God gives to the wicked, sunshine and rain and allthe common blessings of life, thereby by callingthem to repentance. Matt. 5:45; Ps. 145:9; Rom. 2:4.3. Does God exercise any special providence overthe righteous ? God makes all things work togetherfor good to them that love him. Rom. 8:28; Ps. 23:1.4. Is God's providence confined to great things ?God notices and provides for even the least things.Luke 12:7.5. Is there really any such thing as chance orluck? There is no such thing as chance or luck ; everything is controlled by the providence of God.6. Does God act according to purposes formedbeforehand? God has always intended to do whatever He does. Eph. 1 :11 ; I Peter 1 :20.7. Does God's purpose destroy our freedom ofaction ? We choose and act freely, and are accountablefor all we do. Josh 24:15; Rom. 14:12.8. Does God cause evil? God permits evil, butdoes not cause it.9. Does God ever check and overrule evil? Godoften prevents evil, and often brings good out ofevil. Gen. 45:5; Ps. 7% :10.10. What is the greatest example of God's bringing good out of evil ? The crucifixion of Christ is thegreatest example of God's bringing good out of evil.11. How ought we to think and feel about theprovidence of God? We ought always to rememberour dependence on God, and to trust His providentialguidance. James 4 :15 ; Jer. 10 :23.12. When God in his providence sends upon ussomething painful, how ought we to feel ? When Godsends on us something painful we ought to be patient,obedient, and thankful. I Sam. 3:18; I Thess. 5:18.Advanced Questions(a) Would it be possible to control great eventswhile disregarding all little things? Great thingsand little things are inseparable and dependent oneach other.(b) If all things take place according to fixedlaws, how can it be that God controls them? Godcreated all the forces of nature, and made them actaccording to fixed laws, and so He controls themwithout violating the laws.(c) Can God then answer prayer by His providential control without violating the laws of nature?Yes, and the Bible assures us that God does answerprayer.(d) What instance can you give of special providence in the story of Joseph? Gen. 37:28; 39:2, 3;21 :23 ; and ch. 45.(e) What example of speedy answer to prayerin the story of Hezekiah ? 2 Kings 20 :l-6.(f) If we cannot explain the relations betweendivine pre-destination and human freedom, does thatwarrant us in rejecting either? Both divine predestination and human freedom must be true fromthe very nature of God and man, and both are plainlytaught in the Bible.The Baptist Record

Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen. D. D.Mariolotry and Catholic PowerOn Marian Day in Detroit 100,000 Catholics gatheredfor the worship of the Virgin Mary. A Russian Christian, Mr.N. Ivanov, was so moved when he saw the city given toMariolotry that he paid for a five column advertisement inthe Detroit News, Michigan's largest daily, to answer inScripture language the false teaching concerning Mary andto present the true worship of God. It was entitled, "Doesour Bible teach the worship of Mary?" (Free reprints ofthis may be had from N. Ivanov, P. O. Box 116, North EndStation, Detroit 2, Mich.).This advertisement was accepted by the Church Sectioneditor at regular rates, yet as soon as the first, small edition was placed on newsstands,so much pressure wasbrought to bear on the News management that it was stricken out of the later larger edition and the check returnedto the advertiser. A Knights of Columbus advertisement mayappear in this or other papers, but when an answer toCatholic Mariolatry appears, largely in Scriptural language,the Catholic hierarchy demands its elimination and it ispromptly granted.The Gospel in South AmericaSouth America is considered a stronghold of RomanCatholicism. Yet the Gospel, through missionaries and evangelists is penetrating the nations there. Mr. Ernest Gordonquotes Mr. N. Lewis who tells of large evangelistic meetingsin Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. He says: "T. H.Hicks from the U. S. A. began healing meetings in a footballstadium in Buenos Aires. He offers salvation by gracethrough faith to all who believe. He offers healingon thesame wide basis. I consider him mistaken in his extremedoctrine of healing but report the extraordinary happenings."Crowds grew until 100,000 persons filled and overflowed the stadium. This attendance has continued. Results?Thousands upon thousands of people who had the mosterroneous ideas about evangelical Christians are hearingthe Gospel. They are finding to their great surprise thatevangelicals worship God and His Son, the Lord Jesus."Up to now, 20,000 Spanish Bibles have been put into thehands of eager people. This has exhausted the supply ofBibles in Argentina. We would like to bring a planeloadfrom New York. Nothing like this distribution of Scripturehas happened before in Argentina."It truly seems God's hour has struck for South America. We cannot keep up with literature opportunities. Doorsare open for the translation, printingand distribution ofLa Voz, Supplemento, and evangelical books, beyond mywildest dreams of two years ago."Peru and MexicoDr. Hyman Appelman has been conducting meetingswhich drew large crowds in some countries of the South.Peru has asked for a month of his time and Argentina fortwo months in 1955. Honduras and San Salvador have senturgent invitations to him.When Dr. Appelman was conducting meetings in MexicoCity great crowds attended and the campaign leader saidthe greatest difficulty was to find sufficiently large halls.Therefore, when they asked Mr. Appelman to return in 1955,162a groupof leaders, including General N. Medina and twoother officers of the General Staff, along with Mr. Sanchez,pastor of Mexico's largest Protestant church, promised tohave large tabernacles constructed in all the major Mexicancities.Synagogues in Tel AvivWhen Tel Aviv was laid out fortyyears ago no planwas included for a synogogue. Now there are 400 synagogues in that city alone and 2,000 in Israel.For some thirtyMosques in Turkeyyears past the reformed governmentof Turkey was mainly hostile to religion. But there hasbeen a revival of Mohammedanism until now there are 6,000major mosques in that land, an increase of over a thousandin three years. Even these are not sufficient to house theMoslem worshipers on Fridays when many thousands prayon the streets for lack of space in the mosque.APersecution in Portugalreturned missionary tells of hearing missionarieslately of Portugal speaking in Paris, when they said thatthey have been forced out of Portugal and are not allowedto re-enter as yet. They affirm that the people are readyand anxious to hear the gospel, but the government which isCatholic controlled, tries to suppress the gospel and gospelmessengers. The missionaries are waiting and hoping to beallowed to return. What a weight of guilt rests on a government which refuses to allow God's messengers to enter itsborders !Growth in AbyssiniaSome years ago the Sudan Interior Mission had gathereda few converts in Southern Abyssinia. But when the Italianinvasion came in 1936 the Fascists tried to suppress all(Continued on page 166)THE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOP NORTH AMERICAat 129 West $th Street, Newton, Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue. Topeka,Kansastopromote Bible Standards of Doctrine, Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writers ?not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen, D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll, D.D.Remo I. Robb, D.D.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdgarMrs. J. O. EdgarMrs. Koss LatimerSubscription rates: $2.50 per year; Overseas, $3.00 : Single Copies-10 cents.The Rev. R. B. Lyons, B.A., Limavady, N. Ireland, Agent for theBritish Isles.Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Newton, Kansasunder the Act of March S, 1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.COVENANTER WITNESS

war"cats"Current EventsBy Prof. William H. RussellREAPPRAISAL UNDER WAYFrance's rejection of the European Defense Communitytreaty leaves the U. S. momentarily without an adequateplan for the defense of western Europe. Though PremierMendes-France has assured us that this country is not goingto abandon its allies or make a deal with Russia, we certainly cannot depend on France any longer as the keystoneof European defense. The other nations have no interestin a weakened version of EDC, which is the only alternativeFrance has to offer. American policy may shift toward morereliance on West Germanyand Spain. Great Britain willalso have to assume more leadership in the defense ofEurope.The U. S. and Britain will probably now grant WestGermany full sovereignty and seek her admission to theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization. But the NATO setupis actually looser, with less restriction on the individual useof armies, than EDC would have been. There may be a meeting of North Atlantic foreign ministers soon to get agreement on West Germany's defense role. All fourteen members of NATO, including France, would have to approveWest Germany's entry. Earlyaction is important becausethe rejection of EDC is a sharp blow to the government ofChancellor Konrad Adenaur, already reeling under labordifficulties and defections to Communist East Germany.ACTION IN ASIAAsia's "cold seems to be warming up again. TheU. S. has clearly committed itself to the defense of Formosaand some of its outlying islands, but it is not certain howclose to the mainland of China we will extend our defenses.The issue became acute with heavy Red attacks on theNationalist-held island of Quemoy, just off the Chinesecoast. The shooting down of a U. S. Navy patrol plane bySoviet jets, forty-four miles from the Siberian coast, increased the tension, but war is not likelydents follow.unless other inciAmerica's Far Eastern forces are being reshuffled tosecure greater mobilityin case of new Communist aggression. Four U. S. divisions are scheduled to leave Korea bythe end of this year, and the Fifth Air Force is moving itsheadquarters back from Korea to Japan. Japanese troopsare going to Hokkaido, their northernmost island, to replaceAmericans who have been on defense duty there. Largerredeployments are expected to come later, with Okinawa asthe probable center of our Asiatic defenses.SENATORIAL MORTALITYTen days after the adjournment of Congress, SenatorBurnet Maybank of South Carolina succumbed to a heartattack. He served in the Senate thirteen years and wasprominent as a member of the Banking and Appropriationscommittees. He was also a leader in the field of housinglegislation. His successor will of course be a Democrat. Maybank'sdeath brings to eight the number of Senators whohave died in the 83rd Congress four others this year, andthree last year. The Republicans and Democrats have eachlost four Senators. A few of these were aged men, butseveral, such as Maybank who was 55, must have had theirlives shortened by the strain of their work.September 15, 1954THE BIG BLOWThough we have been spared the tornadoes of lastsummer, the Northeast has been hit by a disastrous hurricane, the worst since the great storm of 1938. This timethere was more adequate warning, and the death toll didnot approach the mark of 317 set in 1938. But property damage may be greater, with estimates ranging from $300 to$500 million. Not only were buildings, boats, and otherproperty destroyed, but more than three and a half millionpersons found themselves without electricity. Industrieswere forced to shut down for lack of power, and at leasta million pounds of food spoiled due to the failure of refrigeration equipment. We seldom realize our depdendenceon electricity until it goes off.SEGREGATED CLASSROOMSEarlyestimates place the nation's school and collegeenrollment at 38 million this year, a new record. Enrollments have increased steadily for the last ten years, but thepeaks are yet to come, because of the high birth rates duringand since World War II. As schools reopened, interest centered on the effect of last May's Supreme Court decisionoutlawing segregation. In eight states and the District ofColumbia, which had segregation, it is on the way out. New-Mexico is the only state to end segregation completely and immediately, but the others are taking gradual steps toward!that end. Ten states in the deep South are holding out, atleast until the Supreme Court brings in its final decree,sometime next year,on federal procedures for the enforcement of de-segregation. However, the NAACP is taking immediate legal steps to test the continuation of segregation inthese states. Thus far there have been no reports of violence,either where schools were integrated or where Negroeswere denied admissionPACHUCO OUTBREAKThe latest development in the annals of American crimeis the wide spread of the "Pachucos," who began as a secretorganization of young hoodlums among the Spanish-Americans of the southwest. They have already gone out of stylein Los Angeles, but have now reappeared all over the country. Pachuco tattoos or other marks have been found onmany airmen, and on young civilians in several cities. Theyfollow no racial or nationality pattern. Most authorities donot believe that there is actually a widespread secret terrorist organization; rather, the pachucos are young "copywho want to seem tough. But many of them carryvicious weapons and use narcotics. What else can we expectwhen we glorify criminals through every medium of popularentertainment?MORE MOUTHS TO FEEDThe world's population is increasing at the rate of100,000 every 24 hours, according to experts attending aseventy-country United Nations Conference on Population.The annual increase is thus about 36]/2 million. At that rate,the world's present population of 2% billion will be doubledwithin the next century. The conference went on to consider some of the problems this will raise. The use of atomicand solar energy, with the development of new sources offood supply, will be essential to support such a population.163

words."us."church."committed"streets,"The Editor's Page"This Nation Under God"Thank you, President Lincoln, for putting thosewords into your immortal Gettysburg Address.Thank you, Mr. Congressman whose name I confessI have forgotten, for introducing the bill into Congress to embody them in the flag salute. Thank you,Ladies and Gentlemen of the U. S. Congress for passing the bill. And thank you, President Eisenhower,for your important signature that made this the lawof the land."Umph! they only added two True,but very important words! Have you never felt asyou stood with bared head and right hand over yourneart, facing Old Glory, and pledgingance solemnly and reverently to the flagyour allegiand to thenation that you were dangerously near bordering onidolatry American Shintoism? I have. And Jehovah's Witnesses will go through public disgraceand great sacrifice to avoid that act. But now thatthe flag of the nation has been subordinated to second place "under God" I think I can say my prayersat night with a clearer conscience after saluting theflag.Of course there were millions who never missedthe words and had no quaems of conscience as theypatriotically saluted, but now that the words arethere, they will have their attention called, if theyare paying, attention, that our nation's greatness is agracious gift from God. He has made us and not weourselves. May these two words become the mostimportant ones to school boys and girls and our service men who so frequently salute the flag !Just two words ah, but one of those words isthe biggest word in our whole language 'God'. No,don't bother looking it up in Webster's dictionary;look into your own vocabulary, and if that is not yourbiggest conception, there is something wrong withyou. "In the beginning GOD"the divinely implanted conception of the human mind. "In the 'beginningwas THE WORD, and the Word was with God, andthe Word was GOD." Without Him was nothing madethat was made.Dictionaries have two uses : to give us the meaning of the words we do not know, and to anchor themeanings to the words that we do know, for wordshave a way of drifting away from their meanings.Take that word anchor, for instance, used above. Tothe sailor it means that massive hook that sinks tothe bottom of the sea and grasps a rock. To thetelephone lineman it means the cement block at theend of the guy wire. To the machinist it means a lagbolt screwed into the cement floor to stop the vibrations of a machine from walking away with it. Tothe writer of the Hebrews it meant the hope we havein Jesus Christ, sure and steadfast, entered withinthe veil of the heavenlies.Thus words and their primitive meanings drifteach awayfrom each, and of no word is this moretrue than of the pristine idea of God. They (genericman) did not like to retain God in their knowledgeof the uncor(a holy God) and changed the gloryruptible God into an image made like unto corruptible164man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts and creeping things (Rom. 1). So in China God may mean thattattered scarlet sheet of paper daubed with gilt paintfluttering on the door of the humble hut, or thehideous idol in the temple where incense smokes continually; in Japan it may be the immense carvedBuddha, or the emporer himself, or the grave of anancestor; in India it may mean a cow, or a serpent,or any living thing;Lo, the poor Indian ! whose untutored mindSees God in clouds, or hears Him in the wind ;His soul proud science never taught to strayFar as the solar walk or milky way. PopeBut that brings us to our own land where conceptionsof God are many and various. We have the Mormons,the Christian Scientists, Free Masons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Modernists, Orthodox Christians, all of allvarious shades, not to mention Atheists, Agnosticsand sophisticated university professors.Have you wondered why that amendment "underGod"of the flag salute passed from its first introduction into Congress to the President's final signature within a few days, with scarcely a murmur ofprotest, while the Christian Amendment to the Constitution never gets out of Committee? Or why wecan stamp our coins and postage stamps with thosewords "In God we trust," and get away with it? Is itnot just because the word "God" is flexible, yieldingto every kind of interpretation ? But if it were morespecific "the God and Father of our Lord JesusChrist"what a storm of opposition it would encounter. Yet that it must mean if we are aiming to honorHim. 'Tor He that honoreth not the Son, honorethnot the Father." "This nation under the Lord JesusChrist to whom all authority has beenmust be our concept when we salute the flag. JesusChrist came into the world to clear up man's definition of God, to restore the pristine idea, and to fillthe word with its infinite fulness of meaning. "Noman hath seen God at any time; the only begottenSon, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hathdeclared Him." (John 1 :18). Yet it is at the Name ofJesus that men cry out, "We will not have this manto rule over But it is at the name of Jesus thatevery knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confessthat He is Lord to the glory of God the Father."CHURCH AND STATE . . . from page 165ning a hospital was a material thing, unbecoming apriest. They demanded that I give it up and be prepared to obey an order to leave Phoenix.The Franciscan provincial superior demandedparticularly that I stop our care of the injured, themaimed and the sick. "Let them die on thehe told me, "they are the responsibility of the cityofPhoenix, not of the Roman CatholicThe night that conversation took place I finallymade up my mind. I would not leave Phoenix or ourhospital. Instead I would leave the priesthood andthe Catholic church. I did so December 1, 1948.(To be continued)COVENANTER WITNESS

sisters'Church ind State ConventionAn Address given in Constitution Hall, Washington, D. C.January 21, 1954by Emmett McLoughlin(Continued from last week)IIII. BREAK WITH THE CHURCHI was a Catholic priest in Phoenix for fourteenyears. During that time I had a part not only in thestrictly churchly duties of saying mass, hearing confessions, performing baptisms, marriages and theother church functions but also I had some part inthe civic and social life of Phoenix, I helped in thedevelopment of the public housing program, theArizona State Board of Health, and the building andoperation of Memorial Hospital.My break with Rome was a gradual thing. It began not with the realization that Roman doctrineswere false but with the feeling that Roman moralswere wrong. It took me ten years to make the decision.The Bondage of FearIt would take hours to go into details, but briefly I became thoroughly disillusioned with (1) thelack of charity within the church and its institutions,especially in hospitals ; (2) the lack of consistency between the church's teachings and practice,especially on interracialism ;(3) the unnaturalnessand harmfulness of Catholic teachings on the celibacyof the clergy and birth control among the laity and(4) the church's greed for money.The natural question that would occur to an independent American Protestant is: if you had lostfaith or confidence in your church why wait tenyears to leave it. The answer is fear. The hold ofis notthe Roman Catholic hierarchy upon its clergythe bond of love nor of loyalty nor of religion. It isthe almost unbreakable chain of fear. Fear of hell;fear of family ; fear of public, and fear of destitution,deprivation and insecurity. I firmly believe that inplace of the thirty per cent of the clergy who actuallyleave the priesthood, seventy-five per cent would doso if it were not for the fear that is constantly instilled into them.Most priests, torn between the intellectual realization that they have been betrayed by the hierarchyand the fear of family reaction, hesitate and live onthrough barren years in the priesthood.I, like every priest, was taught through theyears that anyone who takes his hand from the plowand looks back will not only be cursed by God butwill be rejected by the public. Catholics would despiseme as a traitor, Non-Catholics would sneer at me asone who has violated his solemn promises and therefore as one who cannot be trusted with responsibilityor even the most menial job. Examples are pointedout of priests who have strayed, who have starved,and who have groveled back to the hierarchy, sick,drunken, broken in spirit, begging to do penance forthe sake of clothes on their backs and food in theirbellies. The ex-priests who are successful are nevermentioned.September 15, 1954Unchristian Hospital PoliciesIf it had not been for our hospital I might stillbe in the Roman Catholic church leading a life ofmisery and frustration.Memorial Hospital, or St. Monica's, was foundedon two principles, both contrary to the CatholicSisters'Hospitals. The first was that it is possibleto train together as nurses, girls of all races. TheCatholic Church teaches that there should be no distinction of race. Her doctrine of the "Mystical Bodyof Christ" welds all people into a physical unity. TheCatholic church does not have the "nerve" to practicethis teaching. Most Catholic nursing schools will notaccept girls of all races.The second principle is that it is possible to giveemergency care to everybody and still survive. Sisters'hospitals as a rule will not do this.The Arizona Board of Nurse Examiners with anun as its president refused to approve our schooluntil we sued them and forced approval. Our studentshave come from all races and all sections of the country. They live together, study together and work together. There has never been an interracial argumentin the nine years of the school's existence. Our nursing graduates, of all races, have been accepted inhospitals everywhere. The interracial pattern is notconfined to the nursing school. Our oldest employee,in length of service, is a Negro girl the senior posting machine operator of our business office, Negroesfunction in alll capacities secretaries, laboratorytechnicians, clerks, cooks, nurses and ward clerks.One of our Negro janitors became an x-ray technicianand organized the Arizona section of American Registry of X-ray Technicians. He is not its state president. Three graduates of Howard University areamong the three hundred doctors on our medicalstaff and one of them trained with us as a medicalresident.The interracial aspects of our hospital were sosuccessful that they accented the shameful hypocrisyof the Catholic St. Joseph's hospital in Phoenix thatunder the Sisters of Mercy would hire a Negro onlyas a flunky.Our policy of rendering emergency care to everyaccident case before asking financial questions became so well known that ambulance drivers and lawenforcement officers brought the injured to us fromthe very doorsteps of the city's other hospitals ....and they still do. We have cared for 150,000 emergency cases 75,000 of them free of charge. And ourdoors are still open.It was inevitabe that the nuns and the hierarchyshould squirm under the double thorns ofracial equality and free medical care. They began accusing me of many things. They said I did not prayenough, I was not on time for meals, I did not haveenough respect for nuns. They contended thatrun-(Continued on bottom of page 164)165

ministers'The Minister's WifeIt is often true that the person to whom creditis due does not receive it. Truly this may be saidabout many of the wives of our ministers who sharein the labors of the Kingdom most faithfully. Theirhusbands are before the congregation constantly,while they keep in the background. Yet it is oftentrue that the wife is the one who gives the inspiration for a great service; often it is her wisdom andcounsel which work out the problems facing theChurch served by her husband.It falls to the wife of the minister to try to makeends meet on a meager salary, to keep nourishingfood for the family, to keep all of them neatly dressedat a minimum of expense. Most often no servant canbe afforded, and the housekeeping, washing and ironing must be worked in, among all her other duties.People drop into the manse at all hours of the dayand often want to look in all rooms to see what kindof a housekeeper their minister's wife is. They takeher valuable time which was already budgeted forsome necessary task. She may not hint that she hasanything else to do, and the visitor may herself hintthat she wishes she had nothing to do, like the minister's wife.If the minister does his full job his time is occupied in the study and in making calls. The minister's wife is expected to make calls with him. Wherethere are children they may be left with a baby sitterif one can be had, or left in the car. If a child issick she it is who must nurse it and have the responsibility of decisions while her husband visitsother sick and well persons of his congregation. Mostof the training of the children falls on her, for thechildren rarely see their father except at meals, andoften not then.There can be little schedule in the minister'shome. However much they may try there are interruptions at all times of the day. These the ministerdoes not count as interruptions but as opportunitiesof service. Often the phone rings during meals, forthe person calling hopes to catch the minister athome then. Or someone wants to have a long conversation with the minister or his wife, while the dinner gets cold, and the children wait or sometimesthey don't with dire results. Yet she must alwaysbe gracious and unhurried and make the personthink he is the most important person in the world.In the work of the Church she takes a full share,often more than her share. The call was not in hername, but the Pulpit Committee looked her over aswell as the prospective pastor, and rightly so; for apastor's wife can ruin her husband's service veryquickly by her own indiscreetness or failures. Shemust take the lead in the work of the women withoutseeming to do so, allowing others who wish the honor, but are somewhat short on the duties, to keepto the front. She often must fill the gaps in the program when someone else fails at the last minute toget to the meeting. She must soothe the feelings ofsome so easily ruffled. She must encourage the timidto take their part, and thus develop their abilitiesand leadership.If she has anymusical ability she must be readyto help in any way with the music. She must meetstrangers and make them want to come again, andremember their names then, and the next time they166come. She must watch her preacher husband andhelp him to guard against some things which wouldmar his service, tactfully suggesting things whichwould help his ministry. She is present at every service. Even if it is a men's meeting, she may be inthe kitchen helping with the meal or dishwashing.Her duties vary and are never ending. Truly she isa paragon.I know that all wives can not be all ofthis. This is an ideal. But it is remarkable how manyof them approach it. Such are a great asset to theChurch they serve, often with all too little appreciation, and a great help to their husbands, who alsoare often somewhat nearsighted as to what theirwives do. But every minister's wife should realizethat when she deliberately neglects these things sheis hurting rather than helping in the service whichthey both are trying to do. Congregations do not accept the idea very happily expressed in these words,husband.""You did not call me, but my In the eyesof the Church both are a team.But what I started out to say really is that weshould appreciate the minister's wife and all that shedoes in the Church. She does not demand it, but sheis due much of the praise for the good work in theChurch, praise which the minister may or may notreceive, praise whoch others often receive. Like herhusband, she did not do the service for the praise,but the Master sees and will richly reward. God blessourministers'wives.Associate Reformed PresbyterianGLIMPSES .... Cont'd, from page 162churches except that of Rome, and the missionaries weredriven out. For the time being the situation seemed to behopeless. But after about seven years the missionaries wereallowed to return They were amazed to find that thousands of new Christians had come out of paganism. Therewere 200 churches and 20,000 believers. Among the leadersof the church were farmers, district chiefs, ex-witch doctors,and one who had been a notorious criminal. The few Bibleswhich were in their midst were eagerly used, portions ofthe Bible were committed to memory and passed on toothers. One writer says : "The spiritual depth and maturityof these new Christians is marvelous. It is the Spirit's doing."These Christians have also been very liberal in their giving,much like the early Christian church.Deductions from Income TaxThe recent Congress was much more liberal withchurches when writing the new tax laws. The new lawallows 30 per cent deductions for charitable gifts. The lawallows an additional 10 per cent deduction provided themoney is given to "a church, a convention or assiciation ofchurches, or a regularly established educational institution,or a hospital." Those who pay for cemetery lots or funeralsto nonprofit associations may deduct the cost of dying.Clergymen who do not get living quarters or housing allowances from the church or church organizations employingthem may deduct what it costs them to provide their ownhousing. Ministers provided with housing need not pay taxeson it. Clergy and members of religious orders were givencoverage on a voluntary,self-employed basis. Congress alsovoted to have foreign missionaries and Christian Sciencepractitioners covered by government social security if theywant to be.COVENANTER WITNESS

year."also"The Use of the ExplanatoryDeclaration to Be LimitedFor the Oath CommitteeNo report with reference to the Oath was adoptedby the last meeting of the Synod. The action recordedin the 1953 Minutes is as follows : (page .117)"The majority and minority reports of the OathCommittee and the report of the Testimony was referred to the Committee on the Oath to report nextThe committee on the Oath has been faced withan honest difference of opinion concerning the extentof the use of the Explanatory Declaration. The members of the committee feel that there is also a difference of opinion on the part of the Synod with respectto this phase of the Oath and the use of the Explanatory Declaration. There has been general agreement that the original purpose of the ExplanatoryDeclaration was to get a test case before the U. S.Civil Courts. Political office was included as one ofthe possible fields for such a test. (See Minutes 1937,1939, 1940).However, when the question was raised as towhether the use of the Explanatory Declaration wasto be used for any or all political offices, this raisedserious question as to the effect of such activity upon the position of the church with respect to politicaldissent.We agree with this committee's report that anindiscriminate use of the Explanatory Declaration inseeking political office would tend to vitiate ourtestimony as a church to the Crown Rights of Christover the nation. However, we feel that there mightbe a valid reason for using a test case, if one becomesavailable in that area termed "political." For this reason, political office was originally included as one ofthe possible fields for a test case.The Exlanatory Declaration should be used withcare. In cases where it involves officers, popularlyelected, who have agreed that if elected they willuse the Explanatory Declaration we believe discriminative care is needed.1. Because the fact of their promise will notbe known by all the voters.2. That in case they so agreed it is not knownwhether they will be permitted to acceptoffice.3. That the public does not know the voter isvoting only for that officer, or others taking a similar position,and not for otherofficers.4. That this practice would tend to neutralize our position on political dissent.Therefore, we would advise that except forcases that are to be test cases, Covenanters do notavail themselves of their right of the elective franchise. The use of the Explanatory Declaration doesnot affect the tradition and practice of the churchwith respect to referenda.We recommend:1. That this Synod reaffirm the action of theSynod of 1946 : that "we do not advocate the use ofthe Explanatory Declaration in seeking political office unless in cooperation with the purpose of thecase."committee to get a testSeptember 15, 1954witness.2. That this report be printed in the CovenanterR. H. Martin, Chm.D. H. ElliottC. T. CarsonS. Bruce WillsonHello Everyone:Tithers CornerBy Delber H. ElliottMars, Pa.H. L. SmithR. W. CaskeyC. M. LeeThis is Station TTTH, broadcasting as a publicservice from Mars to earth in the interest of Christian giving. Tune in each week to this same spot onyour dial. Federal communications at Topeka, Kansas, will tell us when they and you have had enough.A not unusual thing has happened. Synod reported that the asked for budget fell short by 8,500dollars. So the work of the church has to be sheareddown to the size of the where-with-all.Why does this have to be? To tell the plaintruth, it doesn't. The church's tithe would have carried all of our work, home and abroad, by a handsomemargin, the answer is MORE TITHERS!If the tithe principle is right; if the Scripturesreveal this as God's plan for financing His church;if we believe God's promise that He will pour us outa blessing if we do it, why should we hesitate to urgeour people to "abound in this grace ?Another thing, more hopeful, happened at Grinnell. Dr. George S. Coleman announced a meeting attwo o'clock Sabbath p.m. (naptime) for those interested in promoting the tithe in their congregations. Iwent expecting to find a dozen or so willing to sandwich in an added meeting among all the others scheduled for that busy day. But lo ! The place was packedwith folks from many congregations who crowded upto sign the following promise :"I will make a special effort to help thecampaign this year for more tithers amongCovenanters."Guess how many congregations and missionfields are represented by the signers of that paper!Guess again! The answer is 44. I know for I havejust counted them. If you are interested further, thetotal names signed to that paper is 86, 15 of whomare pastors. If Dr. Coleman, who sparked this meeting and worded that promise, hadn't forgotten to puthis own name down, there would have been 87. 1 stillthink he is in favor of it. (Don't feel badly, Dr. Coleman, I can't find mine there either. It is on therenow.) We therefore announce the number as 88. 88willing workers, with the help of God, should speedus on our way.Since I have been drafted as chairman of theStewardship Committee along with Rev. NormanCarson and Elder Fenton R. Farley, we earnestlysolicit the united support of the entire church in aventure so vital to her future success.Were do we go from here?Tune in next weeksame station!P.S. Dr. Taggart has generously consented to grantus one display page each month in the CovenanterWitness together with space each week for a"Tither's Corner" in the interest of this undertaking.167

cases"you."you."go!"sin.'The First Requirement for a Sabbath School Teacher"God so loved the world,. . .The most obvious requirement for aSabbath School teacher or any otherworker is that he be a genuine Christianand in this instance, developed to thepoint of being able to teach others also.But what makes him able? What pointabout beinga Christian, and what lineof development, is most needed?Theanswer is in the most famous text inthe Bible, the text which sums up thewhole Bible as far as that can be donein one verse.A Sabbath School teacher who is notmerely to go through the form of beinga teacher, but who will convert thosetaught and bring them into the Churchto stay and to work, must love eachmember of his Sabbath School class. Itis true that sometimes a teacher doesless than that, yet good results come.But that is possible only because, whilehe fails in part, some person in the class,or in the Church, mayadd for someclass-member what the teacher hasfailed to give. But if a teacher makes hisown lack of love manifest enough, noone else can cancel the bad impressionmade.Little children, or older persons in advanced classes, usually are able to learnon one point, how the teacher feelstoward them. People are, that far, likea dog, which does not understand language, at least not very many words.But that dog all the more catches thetone in which he is spoken to; and hedecides promptly what kind of thing toexpect, from his master's attitude. People may not learn much in SabbathSchool, as is often remarked. But they dolearn the tone of their teacher towardthem. And no one is easily to be excluded from being loved by that teacher,when the whole Bible backs what John3:16 asserts: "God so loved the world,that . . He did what we should follow.The Practical Form of This RequirementSome of us remember what we weretold when we were talked to as possibleteachers in the Mission Sabbath School.The declaration made was very practical, not theoretical in form. We weretold that we must visit every memberof the class and know their homes; andwe must entertain them in our home.That was the preparation to know howto say what we had to teach, so thatthose particular children would be likely to understand and to feel the appealof the things taught. It was also thepreparation to soften the hearts of theones taught, so that there would be168less resistance to the truth, consideringhow they felt about the person who toldthem that truth. The less such personshad at home, the fewer parties they hadever been invited to, the slighter thesocial training they had on how to actwith other folks, the more they neededto be loved and to know that they wereloved.B'ut such people may be unlovely andtherefore unlovable. That is where theChristianity of the teacher goes to work.They may be unlovable as they are,but not as wonder-working Christianity can make them. The teacher, ifa Christian, thinks back over howmuch of a burden he has been himselfto the people who have taken care ofhim, when he was certainly not always acharming child. He thinks of how muchhe has been saved from, as a sinnerhimself. He remembers what he oftenstarted to do. He can imagine what hewould probably have become, if fatherand mother, brothers and sisters, friendsand acquaintances, had not done somuch for him. He considers why theydid all this, plainly more patient becausethey were under Church influence, wererestrained by Christian principles, wereurged on to be kind and generous by theexample of Jesus Christ.What about "Hopeless Cases"?If a child seems a hopeless case, agood teacher knows his Bible wellenough to know of other "hopelessin the great Book. Those veryones may especially interest that child.A good teacher looks around him; andsees cases of changed lives, to strengthen his faith. Most of all he thinks ofhow hopeless his case could easily be,if all Christian helps were taken away.How does it come that he himself issaved, if he is?He does not have a very high knowledge of God's revelation of a truly goodlife, if he is not conscious of the dailyneed to gather strength "to press towardthemark."It takes an inward miracle tokeep "reachingforth unto those thingswhich are before." Why not a miraclefor this pupil?Is the teacher a hopeless case himself?Does he wish God to give him, himself,up? He does not pray much if he doesnot offer, honestly and earnestly, thatfamous prayer for "daily bread"; whichis followed by the more important petition, "and forgive us our debts" or "ourtrespasses,"evidently a daily petition,next to the other. If one thinks he reallydoes not need that part for very greatsin, let him think of that verse, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, anddoeth it not, to him it isMostChristians have great sins of omission.Then there is that daring expression,"as we forgive our debtors." Now thatis not put there as supposed pay for being forgiven, but as evidence that wehave repented, without which actionthere is no forgiveness. Seeing our ownsins enough to repent, thoroughly prepares us to take a very much less condemningview of the one who offendedus. Who are we, to become so angry?But we had a right to expect betterthings from that person. But rememberhow much God has a right to expectfrom us. Yet we sin. Sometimes one istempted to consider himself a "hopelesscase"; but we hang on, because Christis our only hope. Considering ourselves,we should not be quick to count any onea hopeless case.Look at that pupil again. Consider hishome. A teacher once visited a homewhere he stood in the little hall at thestreet door, at the head of a stairwayleading to a basement, where the family had some, if not all, their rooms. Athick voice called, "Come on down. Iwon't hurtA charming invitation!Then the youngster standing by said,needlessly, "Don't you What a placefor that child to live! Why complainthat the child was not too good, whenthat was home for her?But there are homes more likely toproduce difficult cases than that, respectable, comfortable, selfish homes.There are so many where evil is notopen and raging, ones where the fadinginfluence of old religious training stillmaintains some good, but where oftenthe best sign is the desire, or at leastthe willingness, that though they themselves lazily, or indifferently, or rebelliously,stay home, at least their childshall go to "Sunday School." and youyou are the Sabbath School teacher, thecenter of hope for life, eternal life, forthat child!What will you give for this bit of thatworld which God so loved? You mustlove the child, if you are going to helpit to know the new life which shall beeternal. You count, before any of the"lessons."Go to the child's home; bringhim to yours; reach him. A teacher toldof inviting her class to a picnic. Onlyone girl came; and she said that herteacher did not need to go just for her.But the teacher said, "I would do anything for They went, just the two.(Continued on next page)COVENANTER WITNESS

nothing."sacrifice"part."part"pace"Lesson Helps for the Week of October 3, 1954MY PARTC.Y.P.U. TOPICOctober 3, 1954IN THE HOMEEphesians 5:22-28; 6:1-10.(Note: In the C.Y.P.U. Yearbook, thepassage is listed as Ephesians 3. This isan error. The passage is listed correctlyin this column.)PSALMS:78:1-6, page 187112:1-3, page 277101:1,2,6,7, page 23834:6-11, page 82131:1-3, page 327REFERENCES: Deuteronomy 11:18,19;27:16; Prov. 2:1; 3:1; 4:1; 5:1, 2;5:20; Luke 2:40; I Peter 3:1-4; Colossians 2:6-8; 3:18-24.Comments by Remo I. Robb, D.D.The first three topics for Octoberhave as their general theme "My Part."They deal with various personal situations in which the Christian young person finds himself. The topic reminds meof the 1947 Grinnell Conventicle theme*"Christ's ProgramMy Part."First, there is the Home. Usually achild "finds himself" already part of ahome. He had nothing to do with selecting it, with setting it up. When he"comes to himself" he is already partof a family, and he continues to be apart until he is of age (21) or longer.The Scripture passage gives counselto every member of the household. Tothe wife (5:22), the husband (5:25), thechildren (6:1), the servants (6:5), andthe master (6:9). A thought repeatedhere is "unto the Lord," "in the Lord,""unto Christ." Clearly, the home is setforth here as one of Christ's institutions,and every member has a part in it.SABBATH SCHOOL. TEACHER(Continued from page 168)That day the girl opened her heart. Shehas been writing to that teacher eversince, over many years, though they arenow long separated. That teacherreached with that lesson."God so loved the world, that he gavehis only You know the rest of it.What will you give for some childrenwho may not look more attractive thanthe world of that day looked to Nicodemus. You must look with the eye thatsees a bit of the world for which that"only Son" died.See! Understand! Love! This is thefirst requirement.September 15, 1954George S. ColemanThe tragedy of our modern homes isthat the members are not doing theirparts. Husbands and wives do not behave toward each other as "unto theLord," and one out of every four marriages fails. As one popular magazineglibs "There's too much T do'aboutBut while broken homes arelikely to be the breeding places of misfitting children, they are not to beburdened with the entire blame forthem. An attorney defending a youngNew York thrill murderer recently askedfor mercy on the ground of a brokenhome. But the judge would not hear.Each man sets his own course of life, hesaid, and if the young man knew hishome to have been a failure he shouldhave worked harder than ever to doright personally.Most readers of these comments aremembers of homes where father andmother are trying sincerely to live "untothe Lord." Your problem is "myWhere do I fit into my home and howcan I help make it what God intends itto be?1. My Part is Submission.When Jesus went to Nazareth withJoseph and Mary, we read that He was"subject unto them'' (Luke 2:51). OurLord therefore is the first and primaryexample of submission in the home.The Bible speaks very plainly aboutthis. Insubordination to parents broughta curse (Deut. 27:16), subjection is ablessing (Prov. 10:1). Remember the emphasis God put on obedience"Toobey is better thai;(1 Samuel15:22). The home is the training schoolfor all life, and submission in the homeinstills into children respect and obedience to superiors and to law.2. My Part is Cooperation.A home is a complete organization initself. It is hard to realize into how manychannels home efforts go. There is theincome channelusually dad's responsibility. Then there is home maintenance, indoors and outdoors; there arethree meals a day to plan, prepare andclean up after. There is the clothingproblem for the entire household. Thereare monthly bills, taxes, transportation;there is education, and most important,religious instruction. Parents have allthese and other organizational responsibilities always in mind. But as a childin the home, I haven't that responsibility. It's all taken care of for me, and Ihave free board and room, laundry, TVand a car key. Since the home is "untothe Lord," and since the Golden Ruleis the Lord's life standard for me, itneeds hardly be stated that "myin my home involves working with myparents in operating a smooth organization, and that from everybody workingtogether my home will best be knownas one dedicated "unto the Lord."3. My Part is Instruction.The prophet Isaiah once wrote "Thouhast given me the tongue of the learned"Language study indicates that a betterword would be "learner." The tongue ofthe learner is a quiet tongue. That thehome is God's place for instruction alsohas much Bible emphasis. Parents are tobe teachers (Deut. 6:7), so children mustbe learners. Solomon speaks of it repeatedly in Proverbs (Prov. 2:1; 3:1;4:1; 5:1,2; 5:20 and others).Where did you learn to talk, to dressyourself, to eat with spoon, fork, andknife? As you grew older, who taughtthe girls to make the bed, to sweep, todust? Who taught the boys to fire thefurnace, to fix a light cord, to mow alawn? Nearly all of our habitual activities we learned at home. At home, too,we learned of our Lord,and of the worship at His House, until staying awayfrom church leaves us with lost and idlehours on the Day of days.4. My Part is Dependence.There come times in every life, whenwe must cut loose from the past andstrike out on our own way of living. Andyet we grow out of our pasts. The influences of my home have colored my entire life. I look back with many fondmemories. After a while a boy with onehome pattern meets the girl with a different home background. Together theybuild a new one. And frequently as theyestablish their new home pattern, theysay "This was the way I learned it." Thebest of home ideas go to make a newpattern which a new generation will follow.To have a home to depend on, to pattern after, to continue in a new personalexperience"My Part."FOR DISCUSSIONthat is the culmination of1. Discuss the part of a Christianyoung person in an unchristian home.2. How may a youngperson effectchanges in a home pattern without seeming to dishonor the parents?3. Is a family council good for thehome?4. How adjust the apparent faster paceof the late '40s and early '50s with the"slowerparents were young?of the '20s and '30s when5. What benefit will the part youhave contributed to your present homebe to your ideas of your own home?169

minute,"good!"~lovedJUNIOR TOPICOctober 3, 1954Mrs. M. K. CarsonESAU SELLS HIS BIRTHRIGHTScripture: Genesis 25:19-34Memory Verse: I Thess. 5:21bPsalms :Psalm of the Month is Psalm 46: 1and 6, page 118.Psalm 105:1, 2, 4. page 257Psalm 78 : 3-4, page 187.References: Answer these questions.1. Whom did Abraham marry after thedeath of Sarah? Genesis 25:12. Which son of Abraham received allhis possessions? Genesis 25:53. How old was Abraham when hedied? Genesis 25:74. How old was Isaac when his sonswere born? Genesis 25 :265. Which was the older of the boys?Genesis 25:256. What was his nickname and whatdid it mean? Genesis 25:30margin)(and7. Where was the home of Jacob andEsau? Genesis 25:118. What did the name of the wellmean? Genesis 16:14 (margin)9. Which boy did the father love best?Genesis 25:2810. Which boy did the mother love best?Genesis 25:28Last week we had one of the beautifullove stories of the Bible, the story ofIsaac and Rebekah. They had a wealthyhome, for in verse 5, we read thatAbraham gave all he had to Isaac, andAbraham was a very rich man. But moreimportant than that, love lived in theirhome, for in chapter 24:67, we readthat Isaac loved Rebekah.But just as Abraham had to wait formany years for the son God had promised him, so Isaac and Rebekah waitedyear after year for children to come totheir home. God had told Isaac, as hehad told Abraham, that his descendantswould be as manyas the sand on thesea-shore in number. So Isaac knew thathe would have sons, but it seemed a longtime to wait. Finally, when they hadbeen married for twenty years and Isaacwas sixty years old, twin sons wereborn to them. It is about those twinboys that our story is today.We think of twins as looking andacting alike and often dressing alike, butthese two boys, though they had thesame great and wise grandfather andthe same father and mother, were yet asdifferent as two boys could be. Theylooked different even when they werebabies, for in one of the references welearned which of the twins was bornfirst,what he looked like and what hisname was. If you look in verse 26, youwill find the name of the second twinand over in chapter 27:11,170you will findhow different he looked from his broth-er. But they were different not only inlooks but in mind and heart, and thetwo boys lived to go very differentit, and he promised quickly. So the birthroadsthrough life, one in the way ofthat from now on the birthright wouldbe Jacob's and not his. Esau was toohungry to wait or to think much aboutright passed from the brother who caredGod's choosing and the other in the not at all for it, "despised it," says thevery opposite way. Bible, to the brother who wanted itWhile the boys were still small,grandfather Abraham, who was by nowa very old rememberman, was probably often withthem and would tell the little boys sto-ries of how God had led him to a newSain he had madecountryand had been with himWeandblessed him and done many wonderfulthings for him.thatJacob, who was a quietlittle fellow and liked to stay in thetent could listen by the hour to thesestories and wondered if God would blessthought of selling it for a meal, no mathim,too, and make him a great manlike his grandfather. But Esau was rest-less and would often run out and playwith his little bow and arrows ratherthan sit and listen. And so it was as theboys grew older and the grandfatherwas no longer with them, that Jacobwas still the quiet one who lived in thetent and thought much of the greatpromises God had made for the yearsto come. Esau was seldom inside, butroamed the fields, more and more skill-ful in hunting, but finding no interest inHearthe things of the Lord.One of the things that troubled Jacobwas that, since Esau was the older sonand was born first, he would have thebirthright (that is, the chief place in theJacob did wish that in some way thebirthright might be his instead of Esau's.Surely it would not be God's will to haveEsauEsau carry on the name and blessings ofAbraham and Isaac.verv much-and a11 for *e Price of abowl of stew- Years later- Esau wouldthis day and would cry withstrong crying and tears to undo the harsometimes feel that Jacob askedtoo w&h a Price for the bowl of stew^s brother should have had for theasking, yet if Esau had really cared forthe birthright, he wouldnever haveter how hungry he was. From his veryboyhood, he had begun to "despise" thebirthright, and this day was only theresult of years of thought and actions.Often great and important decisionshang on very small actions, yet thefoundation of those decisions is beinglaid every daV m the things we think andsay and do- Lst us ask God to help usmake riSnt choices every day. Let ushold fast that which is good. (MemoryVerse)is yur puzzle today instead ofa new flash card (courtesyof Mrs. Phil-firSt letter 0f each WOrdiP11M*rtin\)11The,fm.edWl11 make the word that tells theV* Esau Paid.for a bowl of stew. 1.Ja^ob had a twmfamily and the larger share of the bless-ings and possessions of the father). Howand 7"Z Ishmaelburied Abraham. 3. Isaacmarrled 4- Isaac hadsons' 5' Esau was red and 6-Jacob' 7 lovedEsau" 8' told Rebekah thatwould serve Jacob- 9' Esau was a10. Jacob lived inOne day, when the boys had becomeyoung men, Jacob was in the tent help-SO HE STOLEing his mother and making for their "Gambling and/or drink" caused 17.6dinner a big pot of stew of lentils and per cent of the embezzlers to steal fromother vegetables, well-flavored and spicy, their employers in 1935.Esau had been gone since early morningFor thirteen or fourteen of the precedandJacob, as so often was the case, wasthinkingof the birthright and what it waswould mean to the one who had it. TheThen the use of intoxicants was legalstewwas just about ready to eat and adelicious smell filled the tent. Jacobmust have been a good cook. Just thening fifteen years the use of intoxicantsillegal and discouraged by law.ized, and high-pressure salesmanship ofevery sort was used to increase drinking.One of the results was that fifteen yearsEsau burst in, hot and tired from the later 23.08 per cent of the embezzlerswork of the morning and so hungry hethought he would faint. "Just in timefor some of that good red pottage,"said to Jacob, "and will it taste"Wait ahesaid Jacob, "it was alot of work to make this stew. What'sits worth to you?Yourbirthright?""Sure"said Esau, "I'm about to passstudied blamed drinking and/or gamblingfor their predicaments.These revelations are confirmed in asurvey entitled, "EmbezzlersPost War,"published by the United States Fidelityand Guaranty Company of Baltimore,Maryland.This survey analyzes 1001 defalcationsout, I'm so hungry. I can't eat a birth- in business in the years 1947 through 1949right, can I? You can have it and wel- inclusive. A similar study, "1001 Emcomejust pass over some stew." bezzlers,"Butwas published in 1937. It stu-Jacob wanted to make sure, so before hedied the embezzler of 1935 and severalgave Esau his meal, he made him swear years previous. The Foundation.COVENANTER WITNESS

above,"same"product"ultimate"materials"speak,"SABBATHSCHOOL LESSONOctober 3, 1954by Rev. Joseph A. Hill(Lessons based on International Sunday Schoollessons ; the International Bible Lessons forChristian Teaching, copyrighted by the International Council of Relisrious Education.)MAN'S STRUGGLE TO UNDERSTANDLIFELesson Material: Job 1-2; 19-23. (Note:This and next week's lesson are a studyof the Book of Job; for an adequate understanding of the problems raised inthese lessons, the entire book should beread.)Printed Text: Job 1:1-3, 13-15, 17, 20, 22;19:7-10; 23:3-10.Memory Verse: Jeremiah 29:13 "Andye shall seek me, and find me,when yeshall search for me with all your heart."During the fourth quarter we will bestudying selections from the WisdomLiterature of the Bible. The Wisdom"books are Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes. Certain Psalms are sometimes classified with the body of Wisdom Literature. This group of books is so-calledbecause of the frequent occurrence ofthe word hokhmah, translated as "wisdom"in our English Bibles. This wordoccurs over 300 times in the O. T., andmore than half are in Proverbs, Job andEcclesiastes. In general, the termhokhmah means knowing how to attain one's end by the use of the propermeans. This superior knowledge comesprimarily through divine revelation, asit throws light on experience. Job's experience, by itself, and the "wisdom" ofhis three friends, did not bring a trueunderstandingof his great problem. Itwas only when God revealed to Job themeaning of his suffering, and when Jobsaw his experience in the light of divinerevelation (chapters 38-42) that Job hadthe wisdom necessary for a proper understandingof the problem of humansuffering. This is the key to the Bookof Job. Job came to see the inadequacyof merely human wisdom and the necessity of "the wisdom that is fromfor the understanding of life's difficulties. The interpretation of Job's experience, as given by his three friends onlybaffled him. What Job needed was God'sinterpretation. Human reason failed toexplain his suffering. Its meaning became clear to him only through divinerevelation.In Job's day it was regarded as a basicprinciple that the godly man prospers because of his godliness and the wickedman perishes because of his wickedness.It was held that if a person suffered affliction or misfortune,that was evidence that he was a greater sinner, andthat God was punishing him for his sins.This view of human suffering came outof human reason, and it had behind itthe prestige of many centuries.September 15, 1954Job, however, is an exception to thisThe principle did not hold good"rule."in Job's case. In the eyes of God Job wasa "perfect and an upright man," one thatfeared God and turned aside from evil.Yet he suffered great affliction and misfortune. There must be some other explanation for human suffering. It wasthe true explanation of suffering thatJob struggled to find.Job's three friends who came to sympathize with him all attempted to explain Job's experience on the basis ofhuman reason. For them there was noproblem: Job was suffering because ofhis guilt. Job might deny his guilt; hemight plead his own integrity; but Godknew, so they said, that Job had donesome grevious evil, for which God wasafflicting him. Theyall reason on theassumption "that not God but a certain principle of ethics is(Edward J. Young, An Introduction tothe Old Testament, Grand Rapids, Wm.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1950, p.315). Prosperity comes to the uprightand adversity to the evil doer. That wasan accepted principle of ethics to whichit was assumed that even God was subject. Centuries later it was still commonly taken for granted. The disciplesasked our Lord concerning the man whowas blind from birth, "Master, who didsin, this man, or his parents, that he was(John 9:2). The answerborn blind?"that Jesus gave to this question is thesame answer that God gave to Job byrevelation.Job's three friends, then, are rationalists. A rationalist is one who subordinates God's Word to human reason.He assumes that man's mind is ultimateand that there is no such thing as divinerevelation. Of course, Job's friends hadto depend on human reason. They hadto work with the "rawhuman experience, for they did not havethe "finishedofof special revelation. God had not yet clearly revealedHis interpretation of human sufferingand adversity. Nevertheless, theirspeeches show that human reason apartfrom divine revelation falls short.Eliphaz, the first who speaks, is ascientist. He tells Job that experiencehas the answer to his problem. Lookaround and see this principle in operation, he says. We know by experiencethat if a man does good he prospers; ifhe does evil he suffers. It is the law ofcause and effect, says Eliphaz. Thisscientific dictum has been hammered outon the anvil of experiment. So Eliphazspeaks out of scientific knowledge: "According as I have seen, they that plowiniquity, and sow trouble, reap the(4:8).Bildad is an historian. He appeals totradition and the past to confirm theancient philosophy of evil. "For, inquire,I pray thee, of the former age, and apply thyself to that which their fathershave searched out: (for we are but ofyesterday, and know nothing, becauseour days upon earth are a shadow:)"Shall they not teach thee, and tell thee,and utter words out of their heart?"(8:8-10). Is Job wiser than the ancients?Shall Job contradict the sages of theages? After all, Job, this is time- testedwisdom. Men have been saying itthroughout all history. It must be true.Zophar is a philosopher. He appeals tohigher wisdom for the solution of theproblem. "O that God would speak, andopen his lips concerning thee, and thathe would show thee the secrets of wisdom!"(11:5,6). Your trouble, Job, is thatyou are not wise enough. If you couldonly know your life as God knows it,your whole philosophy of life would bedifferent. God can see your sins, and ifyou could see them, you would repentright now. Then you would be happy.Zophar seems to have come the nearestto a true answer, because he saw thatman's mind is too limited and that onlyGod can understand man's entire life.Actually, Zophar is as far off the trackas the others, because he too clings tothe dictum of human wisdom that a mansuffers because he has done some evil.Zophar appeals to divine wisdom for thetrue answer, yet he assumes that humanwisdom is also ultimate. He said, "O thatGod wouldbut he did not waitfor God to speak concerning this choicebit of human reasoning about suffering.Zophar would explain it on the basis ofhuman philosophy.God had spoken concerning Job. Hehad told Satan that Job was righteous.Why, then, was Job suffering? Job andhis friends cannot reason it out. Theymust wait for God to speak. The answermust come from God. It must come byrevelation instead of reason.The Book of Job is itself a divine revelation of the meaning of suffering. It waswritten for our benefit, that our faithin God may be strengthened when weface suffering and affliction. It is God'sanswer to us in the hour of trial, because it points us to the cross of Calvary, where the perfect and uprightOne suffered on account of sin, crying toGod out of the midst of His affliction,"My God, my God, why .In the day of grief, the evolutionist'sexplanation of human misery will notbring consolation, and the stoic's apathywill not bring courage. No humanisticphilosophy of life will satisfy the soul ofman in the depths of trouble. Only God'sWord will bring comfort and hope. Because Christ suffered for our sins onthe cross of Calvary, the cross is God'sanswer to human misery.171

obedient."self."nation"covenant."come."PRAYER MEETING TOPICOctober 6, 1954Comments by W. O. Ferguson, D.D.THE NEW LIFE OF OBEDIENCEExodus 24:7 "All that the Lord hathsaid, will we do, and beThis pledge by the people should beconsidered in it's Scripture setting, Exodus 19 : 1-15.Psalms25:7-12, page 5989:14-17, page 217119:1-3, page 28726:1-3, 8, 9, page 61116:1, 2, 8, 9, 11, 12, page 28261:1, 3, 4, page 151Scripture ReferencesDeut. 7:9-12, 13; 13:18; 32:6; I Chron.22:19; n Peter 2:1; Prov. 23:26; Rom.12:1, 2; John 7:17; I Sam. 15:22;Ps. 50:23; James 1:22-25.The 19th chapter of Exodus relatesthe historical fact that after God had delivered the Hebrew people from theirbondage in Egypt, He led them to Mt.Sinai where He made known to themHis purpose to organize them into a nation on the condition that they shouldobey His laws and keep His Covenant.The laws referred to, consist of the TenCommandments and some additionallaws afterward recorded in. Exodus,chapters 20 and 23 inclusive. These lawswhen written in a book would be knownas "The Book of The Covenant" (Ex.24:3-4, 7) and (Heb. 9:19, 20). Thepeople voluntarily and whole heartedlyaccepted God's offer and through theiracceptance and ratification of the Covenant they became a nation with God astheir supreme ruler. In this covenanttransaction, "All the people answeredtogether, and said, "All that thedo"Lord hath spoken we will (Ex.19:8). This historical event is one of themost important in the whole history ofIsrael.In our last prayer meeting topic onCovenanting we considered "The NewCovenant"emphasizing certain truthsrelating to God's part in that covenant.In this topic we shall study it as it relates to man's part in the covenant. Weneed to keep in mind however, that theCovenant is ONE with God and mancovenanting together. We found that inthe "New Covenant" as recorded in Hebrews, God made provision for a betterunderstanding of the Covenant and for amore perfect obedience to it's requirements (Heb. 8:8-13).I.The Covenant Brings the People into aSpecial Relationship with God.Exodus 19:4 ff seems to indicate that172although God had a just claim to allpeoples of the earth, yet He could not becontent until He could claim as Hisown "a peculiar treasure unto me aboveall people : for all the earth is mine : andye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests,and an holy (Ex. 19:5,6). Thisnew possession would be securedthrough the Covenant Relationship. Inthis new possession there would be (1)a people separated from all other nations; (2) a people whom He could usein a special way in His service; (3) apeople over whom He would exercise aloving care; (4) a people who would bepermitted to enjoy fellowship with Him,both in their national and religious life;(5) a people who would have assuranceof eternal life through faith and obedience.n.The Place of Obedience in the CovenantRelationship.In Exodus 19 :3 ff there is a statementof God's activity in the deliverance ofIsrael: "Ye have seen what I did untothe Egyptians, and how I bare you oneagles wings, and brought you unto myAnother statement follows, "thenye shall be a peculiar treasure untome"; but in between is the requirementof obedience, "If ye will obey my voiceindeed and keep myIn thiswe find that OBEDIENCE is placed inthe verycenter of the covenant relationship. Thus we are taught: (1) thatObedience is due to God, not onlybecause of what He is in Himselfbut also because of His activity in ourbehalf; (2) that Obedience is a proofof devotion to God. "If ye love me, keepcommandments"my(John 14:15, 23-24).(3) That Obedience is the way to enjoyment of the covenant blessings. As longas and whenever Israel obeyed, theyenjoyed the blessings promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.The standard of such Obedience is"Thy will be done" (Matt. 6:10). Thewisdom of this requirement is that itbrings one into complete accord withGod in His plan and purpose to establishHis rule on the earth as manifest in theprayer, "Thy kingdomSuch aspirit of Obedience is essential to a holylife, a life set apart and consecratedto the glory of Godṁ.What Is Implied in Covenant Obedience?When consideringman's covenantvows, it seems that the following mustbe taken into account:1. That we therebyful ownershipaccept God's rightover us. God is represented as having purchased the childrenof Israel through their redemption frombondage in Egypt (Isaiah 43:3). Theword 'redemption' means to buy back!(In I Cor. 6:20), Paul says of the believer "For ye are bought with a price."2. That we will have no claims thatconflict with His claim. God's claim overHis children is all-comprehensive including both outward and inward life,even to the thoughts and intents of theheart (Heb. 4:12). "Thou shalt love theLord thy God with all thine heart, andwith all thy soul,might (Deut. 6:5).and with all thy3. That we will accept the will of Godin all things (Luke 22:42).4. That we will make a faithful use ofGod's Word for the sanctification of life(John 17:17).5. That we will accept the Word ofGod as contained in the Old and NewTestaments as the onlyrule for faithand life. See the first term of Communion.For Discussion.1. Do we have Scriptural authorityfor making covenant vows?2. Do the covenant vows have a valuein Christian life and service?3. Is a vow an acknowledgment ofresponsibility?4. In what sense is the covenant vowvoluntary?W. M. S. DepartmentMrs. Ross Latimer. Editor.Prayer Hour, 1:00 P.M. MondayTEMPERANCE REPORTThe Temperance reports for the lasttwo years have been encouraging andshow an increasing amount of interestand work accomplished. All ten of thePresbyterials reported with a total of81 societies in 1953 and 77 in 1954.Twenty-nine contests have been heldduring the last two years. ScientificTemperance Instruction has been rivenin public and parochial schools, as wellas in the Sabbath Schools, Bible Schoolsand Junior meetings. This informationreached many children. Several W.M.S.members are L.T.L. leaders and manyothers work in various ways with theW.C.T.U. which is recommended to all.Telegrams, letters and petitions haveleft their influence in Congress, in aState Department of Education and onRadio and Television. There is no wayof determining the results of the literature distributed but facts are enlightening and should have good effects.Let us all realize that it is our Christian responsibility to work for total abstinence.Mrs. John O. EdgarSynodical Temperance SuperintendentCOVENANTER WITNESS

YOUNG WOMEN'S SYNODICALREPORT 1952-1954Five presbyterials reported youngwomen's missionary societies as follows: Colorado 2, Kansas 3, New York1, Pacific Coast 1 in 1952-'53 and 3 in1953-'54, and Pittsburgh 5 in 1952-'54and 4 in 1953-'54. Illinois, Iowa, Ohio,and Philadelphia presbyterials do nothave youngwomen's organizations asthey do not have enough members ofhigh school and college age.The Standard of Efficiency averagedas follows: Colorado 77%, Kansas 88.5%,Pacific Coast 86.3%, and Pittsburgh85%. The society in New York presbyterial is Walton which organized inJanuary. Societies having over 90% wereSanta Ana 98%, Geneva Guild 95%,Kansas City 95%, and Rose Point 92%(1953-'54).Many of the societies used the uniformprograms and followed the Standard ofEfficiency for young women.Various types of meetings were held.Missionary and temperance speakers andbook reviews were heard and slides andfilms were shown. Some societies reported having potluck suppers precedingtheir meetings.The reports indicated a great interestin missionary work. Besides doing workat home and sending boxes to variousmissions, the societies made cash contributions to missions, to the ChristianAmendment Movement, the Crusaders'Corps, Child Evangelism, the Seminary,the congregational budget, temperance,and to the Aged People's Home. Booksabout missions were read and studied.Respectfully submitted,Irene Piper,Synodical Y.W.M.S. SuperintendentSPEAKING OF THE WEATHERDo not kick about the weatherIt won't change conditions whetherYou are satisfied or not.If each day you find it raining,Don't waste any time complainingJust be glad it isn't hot.If it's hot, try not to mind it.Just be cheerful you will find itTo be far the safer rule.Fussing will not make it better;Everybody hates a fretterKicking never makes you cool.Take what comes and just enjoy it;Don't let discontent alloy itIt's the nicest thing to do.Try this plan I've given thought to.If it helps you as it oughtMaybe I will try it, too!September 15, 1954News BriefsCALL TO PRAYERThe proclamation issued by President Eisenhower in calling the nationto prayer reads: "Whereas Americans of every generation have sought andfound in Almighty God help and guidance in their personal and nationalproblems, and whereas it is fitting that all Americans should unite in prayeron one day of each year in reaffirmation of their reliance upon divine support,and our faith in the power of prayer, now therefore, I, Dwight D. Eisenhower,President of the United States, do proclaim Wednesday, September 22, as anational day of prayer when all of us may give thanks for blessings receivedand beseech God to strengthen us in our efforts toward a peaceful world."OAKDALE: The Rev. Philip Martin,who recentlyresigned as pastor of theOakdale congregation, departed to visitrelatives in Morning Sun, Iowa. Mrs.Martin and family accompanied him. Thebest wishes of their friends go with themwherever they locate.ORLANDO: We are happy to haveRev. and Mrs. R. C. Fullerton here forour fall term of communion. Rev. Fullerton will assist Dr. A. W. Smith andof course visit his daughter and son-inlaw,Mr. and Mrs. Ed Forest.AGED PEOPLE'S HOME: Miss Elizabeth Robinson has returned to theHome after spendingNew England.several weeks inMrs. Nancy Wilson Green has returned after visiting in Iowa and Illinois.Dr. Wiggins has returned after aweek in Philadelphia.All our members are back home now,and we hope much refreshed in bodyand spirit, so theywill be able to getthrough the winter with a minimum ofcolds and sickness.SOUTHFIELD has been privileged tohave had the Fattal girls making theirheadquarters here with their aunt MissEdna Elsey. After many years of waitingto make their acquaintance we havefound them to be most charming anddelightful and most of all consecratedChristians. A social was held at thechurch in their honor as well as PastorAwad's. The following Sabbath PastorAwad preached to a full house; manySyrians from the city came. Some hadnot seen him for 40 years. In the evening Pastor Awad, Helen and FlorenceFattal and some of our Syrian friendsfrom the audience told of the work inLatakia. Everyone present was impressed with the work done thereF. E. A.through the schools. Our prayer is thatthe schools in Latakia may be continuedfor many years to come.OAKDALE: The Pulpit of the Oakdale congregation was declared vacanton July 25 by the Rev. W. O. FergusonD.D.PLEASE REMEMBER: THE ANNUAL DONATION DAY AT OURHOME IS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5,PLEASE MAKE THIS THE BIGGESTYEAR EVER. PRESS COMMITTEE.Those going to Grinnell from SOUTH-FIELD were Shirley McDonald, CarolMcFarland, Glen McFarland, Miss EdnaElsey, Mrs. Clara Elsey, Rev. and Mrs.Thompson, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Stevenson, Paul and Linda Stevenson. Alsogoing in the cars from here were Helenand Florence Fattal of Latakia Syria,Carol Hagadorn and Jo Lenio of Hetherton, Michigan.GENEVA: At a special meeting of thesession, held August 26, Gene List waswelcomed by profession of faith into themembershipof our church. A recentgraduate of Geneva College, Gene will beentering the service of his country onSeptember 2. On Sabbath August 29,Mr. List made his profession before theentire congregation and spoke briefly,thankful that God had led him to understand and accept the standards of theReformed Presbyterian Church. We welcome him into the fellowship of our congregation with the assurance that hewill be remembered constantly beforeGod's throne of grace as he is about toenter upon his new duties.OAKDALE : We have had the privilegeof hearing the following Missionariesthis summer: Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Weirof Larnaca, Cyprus, Miss Eunice McClurkin of Latakia, Miss Mary Adams of173

Kobe, Japan, Miss Eleanor Faris ofDenison, Kansas.Russell S. Rosenberger, assistant professor of education at GENEVA COLLEGE, has earned a doctor of education degree from the University of Pittsburgh. The degree was presented at theirsummer commencement. Dr. Rosenberger, a resident of New Brighton, wasgraduated from Geneva in 1936,served on the Geneva facultyand hassince 1946.Previously he was a teacher and supervising principal in the Harmony township (Pa.) Junior High school. Dr. Rosenberger serves as president of the NewBrighton Joint Area school district. Heis married and lives with his wife andthree children in New Brighton.Mr. and Mrs. Reed Terry who havelived about eleven miles west of ORLANDO ever since they were married,have bought themselves a home in townand have moved into it this week. Thoseof us who liveout in west OrangeCounty are going to miss them. Theirchildren Bobby and Doris are going tohave only a short distance to walk toschool.OAKDALE: Those attending Grinnellfull or part-time were Mr. WillardThompson and Eleanor, Mr. KennethHood, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar McClay, Rev.and Mrs. W. O. Ferguson, Mrs. JaneCarson, Miss Eva Murray, Miss NanniePiper, Mr. and Mrs. Philip Martin andfamily, Mrs. Harold Auld and Miss IrenePiper of Oakdale, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Frieman and familyof Nashville.AGED PEOPLE'S HOME: On Sabbath, August 22, the Reverend KermitEdgar preached a most interesting sermon on "The wind bloweth where itlisteth."It was a delightful, profitablesermon. Thank you, Reverend Edgar.The Young People of SOUTHFIELDheld an ice cream social on the Churchlawn as one of the means theyused forraising money for Grinnell. They havealso had a swimming party recently.Jessie McFarland will be missed thiswinter but we are glad she is going toGeneva.OAKDALE: Mr. and Mrs. Reed Terry,Bobby and Doris Ann of Orlando, Fla.,have been recent visitors in the homeof Mr. and Mrs. Lyle Torrens and Sandra.Mr. and Mrs. Dwight Piper, Jackieand Jane of Ambridge, Pa., and Mr. andMrs. John Piper and Richard of Baden,Pa., have been recent visitors in thehome of their parents Mr. and Mrs. J.Ren Piper.Miss Rita Piper and Mrs. EdwinAngeloty174(the former Velma Piper) ofLos Angeles, Calif., have been recentvisitors in the home of their mothergave them a chance to tryout theirskill and learn new skills. It was theMrs. Bessie Piper and their Brother first trial for some and I'm sure theyRobert.NEW ALEXANDRIA: On Sabbathmorning August 22, Terry Keith Clawson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Del Clawson,and Deborah Lee Newhouse, daughterof Mr. and Mrs. Roy Newhouse werebaptized Dr. Fullerton officiating.HOT SPRINGS: Ruth Eileen, infantchild of Glenn and Yvonne Wallace, wasborn August 6, 1954, and passed awayAugust 29. She was buried in the "BabyPlot" of the local Cemetery near thebeautiful monument inscribed, "Sufferlittle children to come unto me."Rev.Boyd A. White conducted the grave-sideservice.MISSION NEWS: Mr. W. K. Sanderson or Mrs. Sanderson, or both, areavailable to speak at Thank Offeringmeetings or in congregations. Theywould prefer that these be arranged ina somewhat consecutive order.OAKDALE: Mr. and Mrs. FentonFarley of Rochester, Pa., visited recentlywith the Piper relatives of Oakdale.ORLANDO: Mr. Ernest Dill took hisSabbath school class on a bowling partyon the afternoon of the thirtieth, andenjoyed the party.AGED PEOPLE'S HOME: On Wednesday, August 11, the Reverend Mr.Kermit Edgar gave a report of Synod tothe members of the Home. They wereso glad to get this report which wasgiven so clearly and so interestingly.OAKDALE: Mr. and Mrs. Ward Auldreceived word of the marriage of theirson Paul J. Auld, Aviation Machinist'smate third class, USN, to Miss JeanNoel, which took place in Oakland,Calif.While Rev. Harold F. Thompson wason vacation in August Mr. Glenn McFarland preached at SOUTHFIELD. Wewere glad to have his fine ministry andhis folks were glad for his visit at home.OAKDALE: The Sacrament of Baptism was administered to Pamela Sue,infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. CharlesAuld, on Sabbath August 22 by the Rev.D. Ray Wilcox, who occupied the pulpiton that Sabbath. We were glad to welcome them back in our congregation.AGED PEOPLE'S HOME: Again, theBoard asks for the prayers of the wholechurch. We have a big job which weCONTRIBUTIONS TO THE BUDGET OFTHE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF NORTH AMERICAAmount of Budget $110,015.00Received toDepartments Granted Sept. 1, 1954Foreign Mission Board $27,000.00 $ 9,769.42Home Mission Board 9,000.00 1,440.00Southern Mission None 1,965.00Indian Mission 1,800.00 309.30Kentucky Mission 6,300.00 3,758.77Home Mission Secretary 3,625.00 580.00Young People's Secretary 225.00 36.00Women's Association 4,500.00 720.00Theological Seminary 9,000.00 1,450.00Students Aid 1,800.00 282.00Ministerial Relief 9,900.00 1,584.00Widows & Orphans 2,700.00 432.00Geneva College 14,400.00 2,304.00Covenanter Witness 8,000.00 Pfd. Claim 3,000.00Witness Committee 10,800.00 1,728.00Christian Education 450.00 72.00Miscellaneous Acct. 425.00 64.00National Association of Evangelicals 90.00 14.50$110,015.00 $29,508.99Raised to September 1, 1953 $21,996.07Raised to September 1, 1954 29,286.73A GOOD START, BUT WE CAN DO BETTER.Chester R. Fox, Treas.COVENANTER WITNESS

cannot do without our Heavenly Father'shelp.HOPKINTON: Mr. and Mrs. W. K.Sanderson arrived in Hopkinton on August 27. Mrs. Marjorie Sanderson is anative of Hopkinton and a daughter ofRev. and Mrs. Allen.GENEVA: We welcome home theRobert Parks who spend each summerministering to the Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, congregation. Also Elder S. R. Daviswho has spent the summer in the west.OAKDALE: Mr. and Mrs. HerbertReike (the former Esther McLean)have been sponsoring a camp in Wautona,Wisconsin, this summer. Theyboth expect to attend S.I.U. at Carbondalethis fall. Esther and Herbert wereunited in marriage in a very impressiveceremony at the church. The receptionfollowed immediately in the church basement.ORLANDO: Mrs. J. C. McKnight departed this life early on the morning ofAugust 26. She and her husband and twochildren Ada and Hugh were the first ofour Covenanter families to settle in Orlando, Fla., and about four years laterour congregation was organized. Mrs.McKnight's death reminds us of ourchildhood prayer which is still so appropriate, "If I should die before I awakeI pray the Lord my soul to take." Mrs.McKnight will be greatly missed.AGED PEOPLE'S HOME: On Monday August 9, Mrs. Isabella Yost passedaway at the Home after a long illness.The following Thursday the ReverendKermit Edgar conducted funeral services at the Home, and he and severalmembers of the Board accompanied thebody to Uniontown, Penna., where theinterment was held.Dr. and Mrs. John Coleman are vacationing in Michigan at a cottage neartheir daughter Anna. Dr. Coleman graciously preached at SOUTHFIELD onAugust 29 when he and Mrs. Colemanaccompanied Anna to Church. We aregrateful for his fine ministry.HOT SPRINGS: Mrs. Glenn Wallacebecame critically ill a few days after thebirth of baby Ruth Eileen. Her parentscame from Quinter, and Glenn's camefrom Olathe. Many earnest prayers wereoffered daily on her behalf, and on behalf of the baby. The mother graduallyrecovered, and was able to attend churchwith her husband Sabbath morning,August 29th, but the frail little one,still in the hospital, passed away thatevening. The sympathy of many friendsgoes out to the bereaved young parents.OAKDALE: Mrs. Roy Hunter andMrs. Mae Hood have both been patientsSeptember 15, 1954in the Hospital. We are glad to reportboth improving.AGED PEOPLE'S HOME: We aresorry to report to you that Mrs. NancyGreene suffered a stroke this morning.Mrs. Greene returned from her vacation evidently so refreshed and so vigorous, and now she is very ill. At thepresent moment her right side is paralyzed.MACK-MARSHALL WEDDINGMiss Grace Beatrice Marshall, HomerCity, became the bride of Harry Mack,New Florence, at adouble-ring ceremony August 5 in the bride's home.Rev. R. C. Fullerton, pastor of Reformed Presbyterian Church, New Alexandria, officiated. Following the ceremony, a reception for the immediatefamilies was held in the bride's home.The bride, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs.Clair E. Marshall of Homer City, is agraduate of Blairsville High School. Herhusband, a son of Mr. and Mrs. WardA. Mack of New Florence was graduated from Armagh High School.Mrs. Ronald Donaldson, Indiana washer sister's matron of honor. The bridegroom's father acted as best man.Following a honeymoon trip to Colorado, the newlyweds will make theirhome in New Florence where the bridegroom owns and operates a farm.Some of SOUTHFIELD'S recent visitors have been R. E. Robb, Mrs. LizzieMurphy, Rev. and Mrs. John O. Edgarand Louise, Mrs. Charles Sterrett, MaryB'eth and Sammy, Elman Roby, Mrs.Wilbur Keys, Ann and Mary Jocile, Mrs.Bowes from Canada, Miss Martin alsoof Canada.OAKDALE: The Sacrament of Baptism was administered to Phylis Jean,infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. CharlesRohlfing.on Sabbathpastor Rev. Philip Martin.JOHN T. DOIGJune 27 by ourJohn T. Doig, 88, of Oneonta, a widelyknown store clerk, died Saturday, August 14, 1954, in MacDonald NursingHome, Oneonta, after six months illness.Mr. Doig was born February 7, 1866,at Mundale, son of Patrick M. and SarahHodge Doig and was married to Margaret Campbell on Jan. 1, 1896, in BovinaCenter by Rev. Samuel Shaw. Mrs. Doigdied in 1906. For about 12 years priorto Mrs. Doig's death, he and his brother,William S., conducted a grocery and general merchandise store in Walton. Afterthat he held clerking positions in severalstores in Walton and Oneonta, retiring in1951. He was a graduate of Albany Business college.He was an elder and clerk of the session of the Reformed Presbyterianchurch of Walton for 45 years, while residing there.Surviving him are a son, Duncan C.Doig of Waco, Texas; a daughter, MissDorothea Doig of Boston, Mass.; twohalf sisters, Mrs. Kenneth MacDonaldof Walton, Mrs. Frank Peck of Laurens,and a half brother, Thomas B. Doig ofWalton and many nieces and nephews.EASTVALE CHURCH PASTORINSTALLEDJohn Paul McCracken was ordainedas a minister of the Reformed Presbyterian church, and installed as pastor of theEastvale congregation. The service tookplace in the Eastvale church with a reception following.The Rev. Phillip L. Coon, Jr., son ofDr. and Mrs. Philip L. Coon of BeaverFalls, presided. He is moderator of thePittsburg Presbytery and pastor of theConnellsville Reformed Presbyterianchurch.The edict of ordination was read, afterwhich Mr. McCracken delivered a trialsermon from an assigned passage IPeter 4:10, 11. His subject was "Giftsunder God."Hewas examined in the distinctiveprinciples of the church and in personalpiety by the Rev. D. Ray Wilcox, assistant professor of Greek and Bible atGeneva college.He was examined intheology by Dr. John Coleman, professorof political science of Geneva collegewho is retiring this summer after 35years.Dr. Paul D. McCracken, his father,preached the ordination sermon. Dr. McCracken is pastor of the United Reformed Presbyterian church in Philadelphia. Dr. Remo I. Robb, home missionsecretary of the Reformed Presbyterianchurch, offered the ordination prayer.Mr. McCracken then knelt and with thelaying on of hands, was ordained by theministers and elders of the Pittsburghpresbytery. His signature was placed onthe terms of communion and his namewas added to the roll of presbytery.Rev.Kenneth Smith, pastor of theCentral Pittsburgh Reformed Presbyterian church addressed the new pastoras to his duties and responsibilities andRev. Kermit Edgar, pastor of the Allegheny Reformed Presbyterian churchcounseled the congregation. Rev.Mr.Edgar was ordained and installed pastor of the Eastvale congregation 18years ago. The right hand offellowshipwas extended to the Rev. Mr. McCracken by the congregation and presbytery.At the reception following, punch andcookies were served by the ladies of thecongregation. Mrs. H. C. Anderson, representing the trustees, and Mrs. RoyAdams representing the session, served.

The Rev. Mr. McCracken was bornin New Castle, December 27, 1929. Heattended schools in Nebraska and Kansas, graduating from Topeka high schoolin 1946. After spending one year in theprinting trade, he entered Geneva college, graduating in 1951. In the fall of1951, he entered the Reformed Presbyterian Theological seminary in Pittsburgh. His graduation from the seminary was in May.In June of 1953, the Rev. Mr. McCracken was married to Miss FrancesGilchrist of Greeley, Col. The McCrackensare at home at 502 Second avenue,Eastvale, the new parsonage of theEastvale congregation which was startedunder construction last summer and hasbeen completed by members of the congregation and community.THANKS AND FAREWELLBefore I leave the United States toreturn to my country, Latakia, Syria, Iwould like to send a word of thanks andfarewell to all of my brethren andsisters in Christ in our beloved Covenanter Churchthose whom I visited andthose whom I could not visit by meansof the COVENANTER WITNESS.I repeat my thanks to the ForeignMission Board for making this visit possible. Though it was tiring, yet it hasbeen very precious and useful to me.I thank my brethren, the ministers,who helped me in my journeys and whoentertained me in their homes and endeavored to make me feel at home.I thank my brethren and sisters, members of the churches, who welcomed me,received me as their brother, gave meopportunities for rest, and accepted mymessages to them with interest and encouragement. I trust that this visit, withall the exchange of thoughts and explanations, has greatly strengthened therelationship between the Church inAmerica and the work in the Latakiafield, and has created new, wide understanding.say farewell in body, but in heart,I hope that this relationship will continue and become stronger and stronger,so that we all feel our work is one workand our purpose is one purpose whereverwe may be.I hope that we shall meet every day,you and we, before the Throne of Grace,where we receive new power and gracefrom our Master Jesus Christ, and werenew our fellowship with one another.Please receive my thanks and my sincerebrotherly wishes.I also send a greetingof love andChristian regard to the churches whichI could not visit, hoping that they willconsider mymessage to the churcheswhich I visited as if it is for them. I176thought and Christian brotherly fellowship you will stay with me always, andI trust that we, too, stay with you.Please pray for Mrs. Hutcheson andMiss McClurkin and the Fattal sistersand myself, that the Lord will keep usfrom dangers of travel by sea and air,and will take us in safety to our homesand work. Farewell to everyone.Your brother in Christ,Khalil AwadTEARING DOWN THE TOWER OFBABELA modern Tower of Babel can be foundtoday in neighboringSouth Americancountries where several forms of theQuechua language are spoken. These dialects vary sogreatly that it has been necessary to have Scripture translations ineach one. For Peru, three new Quechuaversions have been printed this year bythe American Bible Society.The Gospel of John in Ayacucho isthe first complete Bible book in thelanguage. Kenneth Case,a missionary,and Florencio Segura, an Indian evangelist and pastor, are working to completethe translation of the entire New Testament. A possible 500,000 use the language, of whom 15% are literate.Speakers of Huanuco Quechua, usedin East Central Peru, now have 1,000copies of the Gospel of Luke. The translation by Abraham de Ita is a revision ofan earlier version. A Quechua Indian, deIta now in his late thirties, attended theChristian and Missionary Alliance trainingschool. At a time when no missionaries were available to direct the workof Bible translation, Senor de Ita undertook the task. Dr. Eugene Nida, Translation Secretary of the American BibleSociety has said, "I was amazed at hisremarkable understanding of the Scriptures,.and his appreciation of how totranslate them. He is a very energetictask."fellow and very devoted to hisA near neighbor of Senor de Ita isanother Bible translator, Candelaria Camargo, who lives just across a mountain ridge from him. Because of themountains, however, their Quechua dialects have developed into almost distinctlanguages. Consequently Senor de Itaand Candelaria find it easier to conversein Spanish."Candelaria Camargo is not what onewould call a Bible translator," writesDr. Nida in his book, GOD'S WORDIN MAN'S LANGUAGE, "but she istypical of the scores of native Christianworkers who wish to put the Scripturesinto written form in their own mothertongue."Candelaria is a Quechua Indianfrom the valley of Junin. Through herlabors, with the help of her brothersand James Lauriault, a missionary, theGospel of Luke has been translated andprinted, the first publication in JuninQuechua.Since 1820 the American Bible Society has never refused to respond to therequest of anychaplain or responsibleofficer for Scripture volumes. Manytimes, as during the Civil War years andthe years of the two World Wars, the distribution has exceeded a million volumesannually.At more than one recruit-training station, when each man is offered a Bibleby his chaplain, he is also asked if hewould like to have two copies of theAmerican Bible Society's list of dailyBible readings, one for himself and theother to send to his family, so the homefolks can join him in reading the samepassages of Scripture each day.LEAGUE OF COVENANTERINTERCESSORSThe work of the Editor of the "Covenanter Witness" does not allow completevacations. Let us pray that strength maybe given for taxing duties, wisdom forthe many decisions, and ever fresh vision from the Spirit of God of the constant value of the paper and the idealsfor which it is called to stand.With September already here, let uspray for the grace of timely and regularcontributions to the Budget set up tocover the needs of the work of thechurch,that the tithes and offeringsthrough these months shall make possible the reaching of the goal later; andthat our people in ever larger proportion shall find the joy of God's blessingfrom heaven's opened windows.Let us thank God for the devotion ofour young people to the work of theLord in the Covenanter Church; andseek His blessing on them as college andseminary open for the training of youngpeople who are seeking to live for theLord.For seventeen months, the Board ofChurch Erection has been seeking a buyer for the building of the Boston congregation which voted to disorganize. Wehave had some offers but so far therehas always been some hindrance to getting a contract. The money tied up inthat building could now be very wellused elsewhere. Your prayers are requested.COVENANTER WITNESS

LESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 10, 1954VOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1954 NUMBER 12God Bless a Little BoyWho Goes to SchoolGod bless a little boy who goes to schoolHis shiny primer hugged against his breastWith cheeks scrubbed clean and in his rounded&?r- Wfc.isisC-eyesA baby wonder of the strange new quest!September, take him gently. He is small,Whose sturdy form must battle with the blowOf morning. Make the red-gold leavesA carpet where such little feet may goIn safety. Sun shine tenderly uponThe forehead where his mother laid her kiss,It was a consecration ; see that booksMay never rob her little son of this.Birds, sing to him softly ; he has only knownA lullaby ; and, little brook, run clearWhen he is watching ; never let him knowA stagnant secret ; he is young and dear.Pray that he find within the strange four wallsAn understanding heart, a mind grown wisein love of simple things, a hand that shields,And laughter, laughter in the waiting eyes !He was a baby yesterday. He livedBy just my simple rote and easy rule ;There he's gone around the curve of the roadGod bless a little boy who goes to school !Courtesy of the Topeka Daily CapitalAuthor Unknown

creation."speeches."ago!"Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D.Meditation Room of U. N.During the past two years 100,000 men and women haveregistered in the guest books at the United Nations Meditation Room. There is no way to tell, so far as we know,how many of these were merely visitors and how manywent there to pray or meditate.The Pledge "Under God"When President Eisenhower signed the House joint resolution which adds the words "under God" to the pledge ofallegiance to the flag he stated that the change reaffirmed"the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritageand future."Prayer CardThe headquarters of the American Legion is distributingover the nation the "grace-before-meals" cards in hotels andrestaurants, and the Indiana chapter of the Legion is distributing a "Traveler's Prayer" card.Prize for Evangelical BoohThe Abingdon Press is offering $7,500 as a prize for abook which in the opinion of the judges will "accomplish thegreatest good for the Christian faith and Christian livingamong all people. Fiction and poetry are excluded, but otherunpublished manuscripts in the broad field of evangelicalChristianity which may be intended for Christian laymen,or works for Christian leaders and teachers are equallyacceptable. Those who wish further information shouldwrite to Award Editor, Abingdon Press, 150 Fifth Ave.,New York 11, N. Y.Missionary Van in KenyaA large cream-colored missionary van with the sloganprinted on it, "New Life in Christ" has been prepared bythe Church Missionary Society (Anglican) with the objectof bringing the gospel to the natives of Kenya, Africa. It carries a bookshop, medical dispensary, agricultural advisorycenter, and is designed to take a spiritual message to different sections of Kenya.Report of The World CouncilThe Rev. H. J. Kuiper, editor of The Banner, attendedthe meetings of The World Council of Christian Churcheswhich met recently at Evanston and gives his impressions inan editorial in the above paper. He says : "The World Councilis indeed a huge organization. It consists of 163 constituentdenominations, some small, others very large; it represents85 different countries, found on either side of the iron curtain, and it speaks for 170,000,000 church members Wecannot suppress the sigh: If all this were only indicative ofa new and widespread interest in the gospel of Jesus Christ !One could wish that the cause of orthodoxycould rejoicein such popularity and command such interest on the partof the 'Christian' nations! . . .Stress EcumenicityThe writer continues : "Churches stress the things theyhave in common rather than those in which they differ.Ecumenicity is the watchward today. The removal of denominational fences and the union of all churches is regardedas the most necessary of all religious projects. The divisionsin Christendom are branded as its worst sin and as an unmitigated disgraceBut even some of the leaders ofthe World Council understand that there are deeper causes178of the disunity of the churches and that any movementto unite them is bound to fail unless these causes are dealtwith in the divinely ordained waySome of the addresseswere decidedly conservative while others were definitelyliberal. We were heartened at the bold defense of biblicalteaching by at least a few speakers. For example, Dr. Edmund Schlink of Germany, who spoke in his native tongue,sounded a truly evangelical note and amazed some of hislisteners by his emphasis on the eschatology of the BibleHe affirmed that "Our striving for order in a just societydoes not bring in Christ's kingdom on earth, nor does itfashion the new creation. Christ's kingdom enters onlythrough the gospel; the communion of the saints is the newDr. Kuiper comments on this: "This speech greatlyheartened the conservatives in the Assembly. One need notask how it affected the modernists. One of them askedwhether this was the kind of theology he had come 2,000miles to hear and which he had cast aside 40 yearsSome ConclusionsAmong the conclusions expressed by the above editorare these: in some addresses there was a trend towardorthodoxy and these were mainly from the Continent inEurope, in others there was a liberal interpretation ofChristianity mainly from those in England and America."Some Reformed theologians, also in the Netherlands,favor entering the World Council for the sake of being ableto give a ringing testimony to their faith in the teachingsof the Bible. They lose sight of the fact that by the very actof joining this organization they admit that such a commonground exists or may be foundconsistent Bible believer can afford to make."The great weakness of the Assembly,an admission which noan irremediableone on its present basis, is the lack of a unanimous conviction that the Bible is the inspired, infallible Word of God, oursole rule of faith and conduct. This was one of the fundamental principles of the Reformation; but it is rejectedtoday by many who name the name of Christ. In fact,little use of the Bible was made in most of the EvanstonTHE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street, Newton, Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka, Kansasto promote Bible Standards of Doctrine, Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writers ;not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen. D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll, D.D.Remo I. Robb, D.D.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdgarMrs. J. O. EdgarMrs. Ross LatimerSubscription rates: $2.50 per year; Overseas, $3.00; Single Copies10 cents.The Rev. R. B. Lyons, B.A., Limavady, N. Ireland, Agent for theBritish Isles.Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Newton, Kansasunder the Act of March 3, 1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.COVENANTER WITNESS

ministers'office"Current EventsBy Prof. William H. Russell, Ph.D.SEATO TREATYAfter a three-day conference at Manila, a collectivedefense treaty for Southeast Asia has been signed. Oneof its weaknesses, however, is that only three of theparticipants are Asian countries: Pakitstan, Thailand, andthe Philippines. Indonesia, Burma, India, and Ceylon boycotted the meetings. The five other signatories are Britain,France, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.The treaty states that aggression against any of the member countries would be a threat to the peace and safetyof the others. Communist aggression is not specified, except so far as the U. S. is concerned. This is to keep usout of local quarrels, such as may occur between Pakistanand India. The treaty does not include Hong Kong or Formosa, but covers Laos, Cambodia, south Vietnam, and anyother non-member countries if they appeal for aid. Aseparate "Pacific Charter" promises mutual help amongthe SEATOraising living standards.countries in achieving self-government andNEW RESPONSIBILITIESFollowing the Rio and North Atlantic pacts, the Southeast Asia treaty makes the third regional collective security agreement since World War II. It is highly significantas the first such agreement between Western and Orientalpowers. The treaty actually does little to increase theforce available against Communism in Asia. No new armyor permanent headquarters is created. A SEATO councilwill be set up, meeting whenever necessary, to plan common military measures. The U. S. would probably havedefended the treatyarea against Communist agressioneven without the treaty, but our commitments now become more definite. If our Senate ratifies the treaty, itwill give the President the power to act immediatelyagainst any Red moves in Southeast Asia, without necessarily consulting Congress.SEARCH FOR UNITYRussia attempted to exploit Western confusion following the failure of EDC by a note calling for a Big Fourforeign meeting to set up a European securitysystem. The Reds also proposed to discuss German problems at the same time. Britain, France, and the U. S. allreplied that a meetingwould do no good unless Russiawould sign an Austrian peace treaty and agree to freeelections as the basis for German unification. The Sovietsrejected both these points at the Berlin conference earlythis year. The western powers also told Russia that theNorth Atlantic alliance was purely defensive and wouldnot be abandoned. Meanwhile British Foreign SecretaryAnothony Eden has been touring the capitals of westernEurope to obtain agreement on West Germany's admission into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.Hisbiggest task will be to persuade the French to accept this.INDEPENDENCE FOR THE SUDANAs British forces pull out of the Suez Canal Zone, thelast remnants of colonialism are also disappearing from theSudan, on the Nile River south of Egypt. In popular elections last year, the Sudanese voted for full independence,and Britain and Egypt agreed to liquidate their condominium over a three-year period. Since then British officialsSeptember 22, 1954have been leaving rapidly, to be replaced bynative Sudanese. A Sudanese prime minister and cabinet are alreadyin power. The British are completely gone from the armyand police force,and all provincial governors are nownatives. By the end of this year, the governor general andhis staff will be the only Britons left, and they will havelittle power. Britain has kept the good will of theSudanese and is glad to have them take over their owngovernment, as this will reduce the sentiment for unionwith Egypt. The new government is considered dependablyanti-Communist, and cordially welcomes American capitalists and technicians. The Sudan is nearly one-third aslarge as the U.S., but has onlyare mostly in a very backward state.ATOMIC ENERGY POOL.six million people whoPresident Eisenhower has announced that we havereached agreement with some other nations on a commonprogram for the peaceful use of atomic energy. An international agency will be set up to sponsor projects such asatomic powerplants. Belgium and Canada are ready tobegin negotiations for American aid in the building ofatomic reactors. Great Britain, France, Australia, andSouth Africa are also included in the agreement. Theidea was first proposed by President Eisenhower in aspeech before the U. N. early this year, but the first talkswere stalled by Russia's failure to cooperate. Eisenhower"sannouncement, however, appeared to leave the way openfor eventual Russian participation.POLICING THE COMICSDue to widespread popular demand, the comic booksindustry has formed a regulatory group to set up and enforce national standards of morality. Known as the ComicsAssociation of America, its operations will be like those ofthe "Hayswhich Hollywood set up back in the1920's to meet a similar problem. The president of thenew group claims that an overwhelming majorityof publishers, distributors, and allied trades are cooperating.While, as in the case of the movies, the standards willprobably not be as high as desirable, much good will bedone if some of the most unwholesome "comics" areeliminated. We have already had abundant proof of theirconnection with juvenile crime. This type of self-control,if adequate, is more desirable than public censorship of ourliterature.JAPAN'S PLIGHTPremier Yoshida is scheduled to leave Japan, late inSeptember, to visit the United States and other westerncountries. He will consult with American authorities aboutJapan's rearmament, but his special mission will be toobtain more economic aid. Japan has been in serious economic difficulties ever since World War II. Her populationis steadily increasing, while many of her former Asiaticmarkets have been cut off. The Korean War broughtheavy American expenditures and eased the situationtemporarily, but Japan is now building up to a new economic crisis. She would like very much to increase hertrade with Red China if we would permit it. A seriousdepression in Japan might well mean the end of her rathershaky political democracy.179

ass'salvation,'congregation'man'Jesus Crowned and EnthronedBy the Rev. A. M. Stibbs, M.A.(Courtesy of The Christian GraduateWhen the angel Gabriel announced to Mary thatshe was to give birth to a Son and to call Him Jesus,he also said, 'And the Lord God shall give unto himthe throne of his father David: and he shall reignover the house of Jacob for ever ; and of his kingdomthere shall be no end.'1 The wise men from the eastwere right, therefore, when, after His birth, theycame to Jerusalem asking, 'Where is he that is bornKing of the Jews?'2 Jesus was certainly born to beKing.Jesus also claimed to be King. On the occasion ofHis last approach to Jerusalem He deliberately 'foundand 'sat thereon,' so 'that it might bea youngfulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy Kingass.'3cometh unto thee, meek, and riding upon anThis claim was openly ridiculed, each in their ownway, by the Roman soldiers, by Pilate, by the Jewishreligious leaders. The soldiers 'put on him a scarletrobe. And they plaited a crown of thorns, andput it upon his head, and a reed in his righthand; and they kneeled down before him, andmocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews !'4 Pilatesaith unto the Jews, Behold, your King! . . . ShallI crucify your King?' 'And Pilate wrote a title also,and put it on the cross. And there was written,JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THEJEWS.'5Finally, while Jesus hung dying on thecross, 'the chief priests mocking him, with the scribesand elders ...said, He is the King of Israel ; let himnow come down from the cross, and we will believeon him.'6The claim of Jesus to be King, which men thusridiculed, God vindicated. This same Jesus, whommen crucified, God exalted to His right hand inheaven. There He was crowned and enthroned. Therethe sceptre of universal dominion was, so to speak,put into His hand. It is the significant and far-reaching character of these wonderful truths that we arehere to consider.The Crowned ManThe inspired Word of God tells us plainly thatGod's purpose for man is that he should be what wehim,'might call the king of creation. 'Thou madestsays the psalmist, 'to have dominion over the worksof thy hands; thou hast put all things underhis feet.'7 Commenting on this the writer of theEpistle to the Hebrews says that this purpose isnot yet realized. 'But now we see not yet all thingssubjected to him.'8 It is, he says, something ordainedof God to be true not of this world but of 'the worldto come.'9 For in this world there is temporary humiliation. Man is made here 'for a little while lowerthan the angels.'10 Man's exaltation to sovereignty isyet to be. Still worse, man has, through falling intobecome subject to bondage and death.sin,The situation has, however, been transformedthrough the incarnation and death of the Son of God.He shared in man's humiliation, and partook of fleshand blood, in order by dying to bring to nought the180devil and the power of death.11 We can now by faithsee Him as Man (note the significant use of Hisunqualified human name 'Jesus') 'because of thesuffering of death crowned with glory and honour.'12So we see Jesus crowned. He already occupies theplace of dominion divinely intended for man. AsDaniel foresaw, 'one like unto a son of has appeared before God, 'and there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom.'13 Not only so,because He has reached this place of exaltationthrough suffering (suffering in which He tastedthe death due to every one of the race of sinfulmen) He has opened the way, as 'the captain of theirto bring a great company to share withHim the full glory of perfected humanity.14 So Jesuscrowned is the Head of a great companyof brethren(called, in a significant quotation from Psalm xxii.22, 'theor 'the church,'15 Greek ecclesia),who are with Him to share the glory and thedominion. As it was put to Daniel, when his visionwas interpreted, 'the saints of the Most High shallreceive the kingdom.'16 The crowning of Jesus withglory and honour is, therefore,and a pattern of the glorypeople are to share.The Enthroned Priesta pledge and a proofwhich all His redeemedIt is the task of a high priest to make propitiation for the sins of the people on whose behalf heacts, to win access for them to the presence of God,to make it possible for them to draw near to God.This is something which the Levitical priests of theJewish tabernacle or temple were always strivingto do, but were never able fully to accomplish. Fortheir sacrifices of bulls and goats could never takeaway sins. So the separating veil still remained, shutting men out from the Holy of holies, the Holy Ghostthus signifying that the desired way in had not yetbeen made manifest.17When, however, Jesus the Son of God offeredHimself in sacrifice to put away sin, the deed wasdone. The veil was rent. Explicit confirmation of Hissuccessful achievement is to be found in the fact thatHe was immediately told by God to sit on God's righthand till God made His enemies the footstool of Hisfeet; and He was forthwith hailed and proclaimedas 'a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.'18For Melchizedek was king as well as priest; and,according to the way in which he is represented inScripture, he is said to be 'made like unto the Sonof God' because he 'abideth a priest continually.'19This means that our high priest, Jesus the Sonof God, is enthroned. He is our King as well as ourPriest. Also, He now lives for ever. He will not, andcannot, die again. So the day will never dawn whenHe is no longer alive and on the throne to functionas our high priest, and to minister to us all the endless benefits of His finished work of sacrifice.This is the great truth which in the Epistle tothe Hebrews we are particularly exhorted to remember ; that the eternal Son, 'when he had made purifi-COVENANTER WITNESS

mercy'child'cation of sins, sat down on the right hand of theMajesty on high.'20 Therefore, in contrast to Judaism, our outstanding cause for confidence and hopeis that 'we have such a high priest, who sat down onthe right hand of the throne of the Majesty in theheavens.'21This, asserts the writer of this epistle,is 'the chiefpoint'of the things which he has to say.For, because Jesus is on the throne, and on thethrone as our high priest, we can rightly expect Himto be both able and willing to help us. So we are exhorted to come to Him on the throne, and to findit a throne of grace, where we may at His hands 'receive and 'find grace to help us in time ofneed.'22Let us, therefore, realize, and seek never toforget, that our high priest is not, like the Jewishpriests, endlessly renewing acts of sacrifice, whichcan never take away sins, but that, because of Hisfinished sacrifice, He sits enthroned in the place ofall power, able to save to the uttermost all who comeunto God by Him.23The Enthroned ChristGod promised David, and confirmed it by asolemn oath, that He would cause his son or hisseed to possess his thone and to reign for ever.24This prophecy was reiterated by Isaiah with specificreference to 'a that is to be born: 'and thegovernment shall be upon his shoulder: ... Of theincrease of his government and of peace there shallbe no end, upon the throne of David, and upon hiskingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with judgment and with righteousness from henceforth evenfor Before His birth the ever.'25 angel Gabriel saidof Jesus, 'and the Lord God shall give unto him thethrone of his father David : and he shall reign overthe house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdomthere shall be no end.'26 It is important to seek tolearn from the Scriptures themselves how and whenthese promises are fulfilled. For instance, do thesepromises imply, as one might naturally suppose, thatthe true Son of David,of whom they speak, mustreign, like David did, as king in the earthly Jerusalem? Is the setting up of such a kingdom something for which we may rightly still look ?On this point Psalm ex is again of outstandingsignificance. Many modern scholars have denied itsDavidic authorship. Happily over against theirtheories we are able to place the solemn, explicit assertion of our Lord Himself. When He quoted itsopening words, He said most emphatically that Davidhimself said them in the Holy Spirit, and said themconcerning the Christ.27 This makes it plain thatDavid himself was inspired to declare words fromGod, which clearly indicated the distinctive characteristics of the rule of the Messiah. For thesewords said that God would enthrone Him, not in theearthly Jerusalem, but at God's right hand in heaven.Also, they declared God's solemn pledge that Heshould be 'a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek'28; that, in other words, He would exercise His kingly rule in a way in which David hadnever done, as a priest upon His throne29; and thatthis is the kingshipwhich is to be His for ever.When, therefore, it says in the same psalm that 'theLord shall send forth the rod of thystrength out ofZion,'30 it must mean out of the heavenly Zion, notthe earthly Jerusalem. For (as we have alreadyseen that the Epistle to the Hebrews declares soplainly) it is in heaven at God's right hand that theChrist sits, as the enthroned priest who lives forever; and, indeed, it is as we come to mount Zionand to the heavenly Jerusalem that we find Jesusthere able to function in royal power as the mediatorof a new covenant.31 It is thus from the heavenlyZion that, as the enthroned priest, the promisedChrist sends forth His strength for the help of Hispeople.Nor does this interpretation lack other andequally unmistakable confirmation. The apostle Peterexpounded these very truths on the dayof Pentecost; namely, that the exaltation of Jesus by Godto His own right hand in heaven was nothing lessthan the setting of Him as the promised Christ uponthe throne of David, and that from that throne inthe heavenly Zion He has poured forth the strengthof the Spirit upon His people. Peter's words are soimportant and so explicit that one cannot do otherthan let them enforce their own witness. Of DavidPeter said, 'Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, thatof the fruit of his loins he would set one upon histhrone; he forseeing this spake of the resurrectionof the Christ . . . This Jesus did God raise up . . .Being therefore at the right hand of God exalted,and having received of the Father the promise ofthe Holy Ghost, he hath poured forth this, which yesee and hear. For David ascended not into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto myLord, 'Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thineenemies the footstool of thy feet. Let all the house ofIsrael therefore know assuredly, that God had madehim both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom yecrucified.'32Additional parallel confirmation of the sameinterpretation is provided in Acts xiii. 32, 33 byPaul's declaration that God's words, 'Thou art myson, this day have I begotten thee,'33 found fulfilment when He raised up Jesus from the dead. Forthis means that the other accompanying propheciesof Psalm ii were also then fulfilled. So we are led tobelieve that, following the opposition against theLord's anointed which was manifested in the crucifixion of Jesus. God set His king upon His holy hillof Zion by raising Jesus from the dead, and exaltingHim to His own right hand in heaven, 'Ask of me,and I will give thee the nations of the earth for thypossession.'34Jesus, therefore, enthroned at God'sright hand now, is the promised Christ, the Son ofDavid, enthroned in Zion upon the throne of David.(To be continued)1. Lk. i. 31-33. Quotations are all from the Revised Version.2 Mt. ii. 2.13 See Dn. vii. 13, 14.3 See Jn. xil. 14. 15; Mt. xxi. 1-9.14 See Heb. ii. 9, 10.4 Mt. xxvii. 27-29.15 Heb. ii. 12.5 Jn. xix. 14-22.16 Dn. vii. 18.6 Mt. xxvii. 41, 42.17 See Heb. x. 4. ix. 8.7 Ps. viii. 6.18 See Heb. i. 13, v. 6, 10; cf. Ps. ex. 1, 4.8 Heb. ii.8.19 Heb. vii. 1-3.9 Heb. ii. 5.20 Heb. i. 3.10 Heb. Ii. 7, R.V. mg.21 Heb. viii. 1.11 See Heb. Ii. 14, 15.22 Heb. iv. 16.12 Heb. ii. 9.23 See Heb. x. 11-13, vii. 25.24 See 2 Sa. vii. 11-13; Ps. lxxxix. 34-36.25 Is. ix. 6, 7.26 Lk. i. 32, 33.27 See Mk. xii. 35-37.28 Ps. ex. 4.29 Cf. Zc. vi. 12, 13.30 Ps. ex. 2.31 See Heb. xii. 22-24; cf. viii. 1, 6.32 Acts ii. 30-36.33 Ps. ii. 7.34 See Ps. ii. 1-9.September 22, 1954181

ship,"me."you."Church ind State ConventionAn Address given in Constitution Hall, Washington, D. C.January 21, 1954 (Installment III)by Emmett McLoughlin(Continued from last week)Closer Fellowship With God and ManRoman Catholics accused me, as they do everyex-priest of having deserted God. Actually reachingthat decision and carrying it out brought me closerto God than I had ever been before. In rejectingRoman Catholicism I had not rejected God or religion. I had merely shed the idolatrous and moneymakingtrappings that the heirarchy had builtaround the concept of God and of religion.I read the Bible more than I ever had before.Roman Catholicism pushes God so far into heaventhat because of His infiniteness, His omnipresence,His omniscience, Catholics can't reach Him. Theyare content with the saints and Mary and the sacredheart of Jesus.But Jesus himself was not distant and God wasnot distant. "The Kingdom of God is withinGod could be reached only through man. "For all thelaw is fulfilled in one word. Even in this. 'Thou shaltlove thy neighbor as thyself.' " "And what you havedone to one of these my least brethren, ye have doneit toAnd with this closer contact with God came asudden appreciation of Protestantism. I had beentaught that non-Catholics were not only largely to beconsigned to hell in the next world, but that on earththey were constantly disagreeing, dividing, disintegrating and were united only on one point opposition to Roman Catholicism.I came to the realization that the differences ofnon-Catholics though doctrinal, are superficial andnon-essential. Their unity is greater than their divergency.Whether Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians,Congregationalists, or Unitarians, they agree on twocommon principles.The first is the personal, private, independentinterpretation of the Bible.The second flows from their intimacy with Jesuswhich the Bible provides that thing called "fellowan intelligent, helpful love of all men a loveof neighbor which is not maudlin, but a concern forhim and understanding, a respect and a desire andeffort for his physical, moral religious and intellectual development. That "fellowship among Protestants is something that Roman Catholics simplydo not understand.American DemocracyTo me American democracya Heritage from Protestantismwith its material,intellectual and cultural accomplishments and itshuman and humanitarian pre-eminence are the ultimate blossoming of these two principles.It is impossible for me to portray in a few wordsthe America that I discovered when I broke out ofthe physical and mental prison of Roman Catholicism.It is difficult for me to express my personal182appraisal of American democracy without perhapsappearing to the critical intellectual mind to bemaudlin and sentimental. I am sentimental about it.Before leaving Romanism I scorned the displacedPole or German or Yougoslav who, when grantedAmerican citizenship, passionately clutched theAmerican flag, kissed it, and openly wept. But Ido not scorn him now. I feel just as passionate. NowI know what he left and what he has received. Forthe tyranny of totalitarianism is not confined to political states, and the emotional appreciation ofAmerica is not reserved only to those who reject anationality to become its citizens.Now I was an adult, examining for the firsttime, the nation that was my own and marveling notonly at its physical make up and resources, but atits moral, intellectual, and spiritual resources. I wasconsumed with an insatiable curiosity that wantedto know everything about everything. I read almanacs. I analyzed articles and books on every aspectof America. I studied road maps. And on vacationsand weekends I drove to small towns and asked questions about cotton camps, country churches, andcross road bars. America its greatness, its resources, its love became my heritage also.The Foe Within AmericaBut my friends that heritage will surely bedestroyed and that great love will die unless theprinciples of freedom of the Bible, freedom ofthought, freedom of worship, freedom of speech,are preserved.These freedoms are in real danger of being destroyed and that danger comes from within thiscountry, not from without.Let me tell you just a few of the attacks in thecold war that the Catholic church has waged againstme in the five years since I exercised my Americanprivilege of freedom of thought and freedom of worship and dared to leave the priesthood.I received more than ten thousand letters andI still receive them. A few were friendly and congratulatory but the bulk of them, even from bishopsand priests, condemned me so severely and in manyinstances in such vile language that if they wereopened by the postal authorities their writers couldhave been arrested for sending obscene matterthrough the mails. Some invoked the wrath of God,some wished me dead and some prayed that I wouldbe stricken with an incurable disease.Malicious rumors were deliberately spread by theCatholic clergy. I was said to be spending all mytime in taverns ; I was being "kept" by four womenof the Phoenix Country Club. God, they said, hadpunished me with heart trouble and paralysis. Outside of Arizona rumors were circulated that I haddeserted my wife, lost my job, was doing penanceCOVENANTER WITNESS

effect."properly."properly."and begging for re-admission to the Roman Catholicchurch.The hierarchy, through Catholic members of theBoard of Directors, tried to throw me out of thehospital I had built. While a priest I had been aleader to Catholics. Now I was untrustworthy, dishonest, and inefficient. I had foreseen this moveand had been replacing Catholics with Protestantsas Board members.When the Catholics could not run me out of thehospital they tried to wreck the hospital and arestill trying to do it. The clergy told their people toboycott it, which to a great extent they have, unlessthey are so poor that the sisters will, not take themin. Nuns in Phoenix schools told children of ournurses that I was a sinful man and that they shouldtell their mothers not to work for me. Catholic doctors tried to coax even non-Catholics away from ourinstitution.Roman Catholicism will stoop to the lowest depthsto crush its opposition. The hierarchy can no longerburn at the stake. But one of its devout subjects didtry to choke me to death as a traitor to Rome. Another tried to kill my wife.A Catholic woman swore before a Catholic judgein San Mateo, California, that I was the father ofher child. It was the charge of bastardy. The Catholicdistrict attorney had the Catholic chief of police(O'Brien) call me and demand that I surrender fortrial or be extradited. My wife and Phoenix friendshad to sign affidavits that I was at home in Phoenixwhen the Catholic conspirators said I was near SanFrancisco. The record of this frame up is in thePhoenix police department.This opposition has continued up to the presenttime. The night I left Phoenix to begin this triptwo members of the hospital Board of Trustees triedto force my dismissal on the grounds that I was causing religious dissension in Phoenix by speaking inProtestant churches and by writing the book, "PEOPLE'S PADRE" which the Beacon Press will releasein March. The majority of that Board stood solidlybehind me so the dissatisfied members resigned.A few days later a Phoenix resident wired theBeacon Press suggesting that the publication of mybook be dropped.Yesterday, I received a condemning letter froman anonymous priest here in Washington.This afternoon, hours before this speech wasreleased, the Knights of Columbus issued a statementto the press calling me another Judas and a traitorto Christ.Catholic TotalitarianismThe Roman Catholic Church wants to makeAmerica Catholic. If it does, the things that it hasdone to me will be the pattern of our land. To theextent that it is succeeding in spreading Catholicpower our freedom is now being attacked and in someplaces destroyed. The Catholic church believes thatit alone has the truth, that all of its teachings aretrue, that all men have an obligation of acceptingthe truth and therefore must accept its doctrines andpractice its morals. It believes that all other religionsare false and have no right to freedom or even existence.It teaches that canon law should be respectedand observed in all countries including the UnitedStates.September 22, 1954The Catholic bishops of America in the thirdcouncil of Baltimore issued this statement, "It isobvious in countries like our own where from rudimentary beginnings our organization is only gradually advancing towards perfection, the full application of these (Roman Catholic) laws is impractible; but in proportion as they become practicable, itis our desire not less than that of the Holy See, thattheyshould go intoWe would not object if the Catholic hierarchytried to force its laws and its beliefs only on AmericanCatholics. But if we are to survive we must fightback when the hierarchy tries to force its laws andits beliefs on non-Catholic Americans. That is what itis trying to do. That is what in many respects it issucceeding in doing.There is no need tonight for me to tell you ofthe encroachments of the Catholic Hierarchy on ourfreedoms through control of school boards in manycities, through lobbies in Congress and State Legislatures, through the influence of the Index of Forbidden books on our libraries, through the Catholiccode of Medical Ethics in Sisters Hospitals, throughCatholic laws on marriage, through threats of andthe actual imposition of boycotts on the nation'snewspapers, radios, magazines and theaters.You as friends and members of Protestants andOther Americans United are well aware of all theseviolations of Americanism. Yours is our country'smost effective organization in resisting this creeping foreign paralysis.About a month ago I had lunch with a judge ofone of our local Arizona superior courts. We werediscussing the Catholic code of hospital ethics andCatholic restrictions of marriage. He had been interested in a young man, whose marriage was ruinedby the war. The boy was in love with a Catholic girl.Her church forbad the marriage.The judge touched the heart of the Catholicproblem : "When an old man sitting in Rome can tellmy friend's son in Arizona that he can't marry thegirl he loves or can condemn another friend to deathby stopping an operation that would save her lifethen why should we worry about the tyranny ofcommunism America has already surrendered tothe tyrannyofRome."(To be continued)BOBBY GREENLEASE"Ninety-five per cent of the men in this prisonare here because of liquor but they learned toolate."Carl Austin Hall, kidnap-mufderer of BobbyGreenlease, as he began his twenty-seven days inDeath Row of Missouri state penitentiary prior to hisexecution."I would give anything if I could go back tothat Sunday in September and erase everything thathas happened since. It all seems like a nightmare tome. ... I am not trying in any way to make anyexcuse for my actions, as I don't have any; but Ithink anyone will find if you drink from one to twofifths of whiskey a day for a year and a half thatyour brain doesn't functionyour brain doesn't functionBonnieBrown Heady, co-conspirator with Carl Hall in theGreenlease kidnap-murder.183

grow."scription."stater.'Thatgame."spirituality."spirituality."come."expression."spirituality."Two Little WordsRev. Wilbur J. McBurneyThe review of Dr. Williams COMMENTARY ONPAUL'S EPISTLES that appeared in the WITNESS(July 28), reminds us that even a great scholar likeDr. Williams, while painstakingly accurate in alarge field, should be careful about adding to Christ'swords in what may seem a small matter.Dr. Williams, in his Translation of the NewTestament, adds two words to Christ's direction toPeter, as recorded in Matt. 17 :27. The added wordsare, "in it." Moffat, Weymouth, and Goodspeed alladd the same two words. They have a right to express their opinions, but not to add to Christ's wordsin a translation.John Knox and Matthew Henry believed thatPeter found the coin in the fish's mouth. So also,more than a score of commentators and sermonizersthat we have found. Fausset and Brown's CriticalCommentary says that Christ did not say where thecoin would be found. That is quite plain when we examine the text.Christ's direction to Peter strongly implied thathe was to find the money in the usual way, by selling the fish. Peter, having caught the fish, was toprepare it for market by removing the hook. Thiswas done by opening its mouth. Everyone who hascaught his second fish knows that. Christ directedPeter to follow the usual procedure up to the point ofsale. No suggestion that he was not to get his moneyin the usual way, by selling the fish.When we consider the methods by which Christcould have provided the coin in the fish's mouth, twoare suggested; either that a lost coin was used, orthat Christ created the money.It could not have been a lost coin. A lost coin belongs to the owner, who lost it. "Finders Keepers" ?Not according to law. But what if the owner cannotbe found ? That does not change the ownership. According to English law, which we follow closely,Treasure Trove belongs to the Crown.A preacher discribed enthusiastically the Lord'smiraculous power shown in His knowing where thecoin was lost, and in His ability to send the fish toget the coin, and Peter to get the fish. Wouldn'tChrist know also the owner who lost the coin? Hecould not violate civil and moral law by using sucha coin.The Assistant Librarian in the ParliamentaryLibrary in Ottawa knew his Bible, and believed inthe miracles. He said immediately that Christ couldnot use a lost coin. He said that Christ created it. Isaid, "Counterfeited it?" He said "Oh no. He couldnot do that. But you see, the 'Piece of Money' wasfor tribute,one-half shekel each for himself andPeter. The shekel was not a coin. It was a measureof weight. For tribute, it was a shekel's weight ofsilver. In creating the silver, Christ added to thewealth of society just as He does when He makes thefruit I said, "But in this case, instead of whatChrist saidhas been translated 'A piece of money',was a coin with a superdefinitely, 'AMy friend said, "No, to create that wouldbe counterfeiting. Christ could not violate a justlaw."184To suggest that Christ directed Peter in a dis-honest practice is a great mistake. When Paul saidhe "Could do all things," he used a word that limited"all"to a limited field. Christ cannot do "all things"in the unlimited field. God cannot lie. Christ couldfeed the multitude, heal the sick, raise the dead. Hecould not be dishonest.If the Miracle of the Tribute Money had beenweighed by the Eighth Commandment, it should nothave been misunderstood.If the Eighth Commandment had been studiedand accepted by men and by the world, men and theworld would not be in so much trouble today.Tither's CornerWhich Comes FirstYou know the old controversy about which camefirst the chicken or the egg. On the matter ofChristian giving a similar question arises. Shouldwe stress the matter of giving in our churches?Some say, yes because it is a vital part of the Gospelmessage. Others say, no build up the spiritual lifeand the giving will take care of itself. Make thetree good and fruit will follow.The third recommendation of the Forward Movement secretary's report in 1921 was : "That we holdbefore the people the ideal of stewardship of thewhole life, of which the tithe is but oneThis precipitated an interesting discussionwhich was reported later in the Christian Nation.Here are a few quotations :"Rev. M. K. Carson said the Budget was constantly before their congregation but their dependence was on"Dr. J. S. Thompson thought they could not beseparated, but we must place our dependence on alife."deep spiritual"Elder James McAteer quoted Scripture as tothe indisoluble relation of tithing and"Rev. R. C. Reed spoke of an outside churchthat had great financial success, but after communion the boys went off to a Sunday base-ball"Rev. G. M. Robb believed we could have generosity without"Elder C. N. Pullinger believed we are now getting down to the root of the matter. When the heartis right the money willSo the discussion went on. The resolution wasadopted.If you agree with that recommendation of 33years ago would you infer that the tithe need notbe preached in our churches ? Will we just talk aboutstewardship in general without explaning the dutiesrequired of a steward? Shall we preach on the decalogue without emphasizing separatelyeach one ofthe Ten Commandments?We come far short of our duty as ministers if wesimply urge our people to support the budget without informing them of the various causes that comprise it. So while it is true that our whole life isa stewardship we believe that the payment of thetithe is a part which needs to be emphasized againand again. "My people are destroyed for lack ofknowledge"(Hos. 4:16).Can we preach a full Gospel and leave that out?Stewardship CommitteeD. H. E.COVENANTER WITNESS

part"effort"popping."again."part"souls"man"part"Lesson Helps for the Week of October 10, 1954C.Y.P.U. TOPICFor September 26, 1954YIELD NOT TO TEMPTATIONPsalms:Rev. J. E. McElroy1:1-6, page 119:5, 6, 8, 9, page 4226:1-3, 6, 7, (page 6137:1-4, page 91Text: Proverbs 23:21, 29-32References: I Corinthians 10:12, 13;Matthew 6:13; Hebrews 2:18, 4:15; Matt.26:40, 41; I Timothy 6:9; James 1:12;Revelation 3:10; Prov. 20:1This is a text which reminds us thatwe are sinners. It warns us that we needto beon constant guard against thepowers of darknessi which prey upon us ina time when we think not. A temptationto be most effective must have some appeal to the desires already present. Thereare many kinds of desires which may getone into trouble. The text and the references suggest many. Our topic is a goodmotto to carrytimes. It is the yieldingthat is sin.Suggestions:in our thoughts at allto temptation1. What are some of the desires thatmake temptations to wrong-doing so easyto follow?2. Should one go into company whereone knows he may be tempted to evil?Psalm 1.3. Which would be the greater temptation, (a) a sin in which Christians arepartaking?; (b) or in sins in whichstrangers are making the invitation tojoin them?4. What example are we supposed toset to help others to "yield not to temptation"?5. Have some one present examplesof advertisments in magazines to temptone to evil and show the evils of them.C. Y. P. U. TOPICforOctober 10, 1954MY PART IN THE CHURCH, ITSORGANIZATIONS, AND FUTUREI Tim. 3:1-13Psalms :122:1-3, page 3165:1-3, page 846:4, 5, page 11940:9-12, page 10326:1,2, 4-6,page 61.References: I Samuel 2:18; Psalm 68:2426; 148:12, 13; Matthew 20:20-23John 21:19-22; Acts 13:13; 16:1-3Eph. 1:11-14; 1:15-21; I Tim. 4:12-16Titus 2:6-8; Philemon 10-16.September 22, 1954Comments by Remo I. Robb D.D.This topic is of genuine concern toCovenanter Young People. The big question of young people concerning thechurch is "What can I do?" The enlarged young people's program over thepast four years is an effort to providethe answer to the question.But "mydoes not begin on anational scale. The local congregationclaims first attention. Doing "mywell among my own people is preparation for a larger part in later years.1. "My Part" Is To Be a ChristianThe great Christian imperative is toreceive Christ as a personal Saviour."Ye must be bornThis meansadmitting yourself to be a sinner unableto save yourself, and acknowledgingJesus Christ as God's Saviour who diedfor you, and then receiving Him as yourown. You must aim to live for the gloryof God as your chief end. You must"yield your members servants of righteousness unto holiness" (Rom. 6:19).This is not a form to observe, a thrillto seek, a mere requirement for joiningthe Y. P. society. It is a soul matter,it reaches into all your living, and intoall eternity. It takes you away from thedeath dealing wicked world, and bringsto you the Divine gift of eternal lifethrough Jesus Christ our Lord. You'llnever have soul rest without it, but withit "you will have rest unto your(Matt. 11:29).Apart from being one of Christ's children you have only a superficial part inthe Church. This is a Christian church,whose members have professed theirfaith in him. Those whose professionsare genuine are the real church. They'rethe ones with whom you want to have apart.Before you can have a part in Christ'sChurch, you must belong to Him. I begyou, therefore, make sure that this"part"is wrought in you. "Him thatcometh unto Me. I will in no wise castout"(John 6:37).2. "My Part" Is to Know My Church.Often in the flush of having beenfound by Christ, or of a renewal ofspiritual life,we are apt to look on thechurch as being archaic, its programseems lifeless, its leaders without vision.So a "newis made to get thingsgoing. Maybe it is said that the "power"of the Holy Spirit is like "dynamite" so"let's getA better simile isthe "dynamo" with many parts, eachfitting exactly, and all working togetherto generate power.Some years ago I was at a youngpeople's society sponsored by a pastorof advanced middle age. He was workinghard to prepare the young people fortaking part. Not long afterward, a member who was away more than ten monthsof the year complained that that "oldwas getting nowhere. What couldhe know of young people's problems?Well, young folks, what do you knowabout church problems? Who is yoursession? It has all the congregation tothink about. Your elders think and prayabout you. Are you one of their problems or part of their thanksgiving? Whoare your financial officers? In 1952 theCovenanter Church in America spentan average of $840 per member for allpurposes. Did you pay all yours? I wonder who did. And how badly did yourdeacons have to worry about coming outeven? Who are your Sabbath School officers? Did you ever decline to helpteach or do some other service? TheCovenanter Sabbath Schools in 1953 reported an increase over the church. Didyou help to bring it about? Are you ahelp or a "hole" in the work of thecongregation?The church is not a container intowhich saved people are tossed for safekeeping. It is a "dynamo" in which allparts, each in his place, and workingtogether, channel Power into all theworld."Myis to know my church.3. "My Part" Is To Be DependableYouthful enthusiasm sometimes is ablinder to older virtues. A newbornChristian often is like a child with a newtoy. Rather than using it as it is, hewants to take it apart to see how itticks. But the steady dependable fellowaccomplishes far more and with lessconfusion.A few years ago, I asked three youngmen to prepare the comments for threeY. P. topics on "The Trinity." The firstone did well, and I thought we weregoing to have a good series. But thesecond one who dealt with Jesus Christthe Son, went off into a discussion ofancient heresies concerning Him. Thenalthough he was reminded of his assignment, the third writer, who dealt withthe Holy Spirit, never sent anything inat all.A president-elect of a conference decided not to attend it. But he let nobodyknow of his change of mind. Theconference was left in confusion, andhis "testimony" lost its power there.The minister's phone rings. "This is185

grampa's."months."over"Jim. I'm not coming to the meeting tonight. I'm leavin' fer"ButJim, you're the leader." "I'm sorry, butwe've had this planned forStill Jim's folks consider him an outstanding young person.To do the task you are assigned, orwhich you accept, to do it first and todo it your very best, to remember thatthe small tasks fit into the big patternand to fit them therethis may be yourpresent part in the Church, its Organization, and its Future.So, STEADY, PLEASE!Know Christ as your SaviourKnow your churchKnow you're doing what you'reasked.Your Lord has a bigger part for you.SOME THINGS TO TALK OVER1. My Part in Church support is to paythe tithe.2. My Part in Church witnessing is to beloyal.3. My Part in Evangelism is to know myBible, and to have its message in myheart.4. My Part in Church Covenanting is toaccept it, and by God's grace to keepit.THE WELLS OF ISAACJUNIOR TOPICOctober 10, 1954Mrs. M. K. CarsonScripture: Genesis 26.Memory Verse: Matthew 5:9.Psalms : Psalm of the month.Psalm 46:1, 6, page 118.Psalm 105 : 8-10, page 257Psalm 23:1, page 52.References: Find the answers to thesequestions.1. Why did Isaac go to the land ofthe Philistines? Gen. 26:12. Where did Isaac's father go whenthere was a famine? Gen. 12 :103. What was the first well mentionedin the Bible? Gen. 16:144. What very old well is mentioned inthe New Testament? John 4:6, 125. Who used that well as a text for agreat sermon? John 4:7, 156. How did the Philistines show theirdislike for Abraham? Gen. 26:157. What was the name of the firstwell that Isaac's servant dug, and themeaning of the name? Gen. 26:19, 208. What was the name of the secondwell that Isaac's servants made, and themeaning of the name? Gen. 26:211869. What was the name of the thirdwell that the servants of Isaac made,and the meaning of the name? Gen.26:2210. What was the name of the fourthwell that the servants of Isaac made,and the meaning of the name? Gen.26:25, 32How many of you get your water froma well in your yard or on your farm?Many of us simply turn the faucet andthe water runs freely. But there mustbe a well, or a river, or a reservoir fromwhich the water is pumped to the faucet.Water is one of the first things providedfor newhomes, for neither man noranimal can live without water. And soit was long ago in the days of Isaacand his father, whose great wealth wasin their flocks and herds. Good pastureand abundant water were very important to them. Do you remember whathappened when there was not enoughpasture for the many animals? (Genesis13:5-7). Where did they get a supplyof water when no stream or lake wasnearby? (Gen. 21:25, 30). What had happened to all these wells? (Genesis26:15).Once when Jacob and Esau weregrowing up, there was a terrible droughtwhere they lived and there was very little food. Many of you who live in themid-west states know how hard it iswhen rains do not come and the cropswilt and die and water is scarce forman and for animals.Perhaps yourfather has had to haul water for hisstock, so you know how precious wateris. This happened to Isaac and so hedecided to move where he could findfood and water (Gen. 26:1). The Lordgreatly blessed him there, and his flocksincreased (Gen. 26:13, 14). In order tohave sufficient water for all his needs,he had his servants re-open some of thewells his father had made, the ones thePhilistines had filled up in their jealousy.The first well was a very fine one withplenty of fresh, clear water. But thePhilistines envied Isaac's great herds, sothey fought with his servants and drovethem away from the well. In the Biblenames are often given to recall someincident or characteristic, and whenIsaac moved away, rather than havetrouble with his neighbors, he named thewell, "Scrapping Well," because theherdsmen had fought over it. In thenext place, the servants dug, or cleanedout a new well, but the Philistines hadfollowed close behind and quarreled overthis well, too. Isaac named this well,"Hatred Well," and once more movedon to a third place. He had many servants and no doubt could have foughtfor the well and kept it. Do you thinkhe did right or was he just weak inletting the Philistines "runhim?Read these verses: Matt 5:9; 18:21;Psalm 34:14. Was Isaac right or wrong?The third time, the servants made awell and the Philistines made no troubleand Isaac named this well, "RoomEnough"and made his home there. Bythis time, the drought was over in hisown land and after some time he wentback to Beersheba where his father hadlived. There God appeared to him andblessed him and there he built an altarto the Lord. Again the servants dug awell to provide plentyof water andwhile they were still working at it, theking of the Philistines comes to seeIsaac. Perhaps he had learned howselfish his men had been and he did notwant such a great man as Isaac to behis enemy, so he came to make peace.The two great men made a covenantwith each other, promising that therewould be no more trouble nor quarrelingbetween them or their servants (Gen.28:30). Isaac was so hospitable that heeven made a great feast for the peoplewho had made so much trouble for him.Just after the king and his party hadleft, the servants came to tell Isaac thatthey had their fourth good well so Isaacnamed it, "The Well of Promise" andthere he lived peacefully for many years.We live in a time when there is muchfighting and quarreling in the world,and danger of war breaking out in manyplaces. There is not much Juniors cando about keeping peace in the world,but we can all help to keep peace in oneplace, and that is in our own home, orschool, or church or neighborhood. Inyour note book draw four wells, or circles representing wells, naming them asIsaac did his wells. Also on a large sheetof white paper that you may take homewith you, draw the four wells, or circles,and name them as in your note book.Then this week, see which well you livebeside. Every time you really quarrelwith any one at home or school, putdown a cross in "Scrapping Well." Whenyou do not actually quarrel or fight, butyou do have angry and hateful thoughtsin your heart, put a cross in "HatredWell."But when you are willing to"give in" and be unselfish with playthings and in playing games, then youWell"may put a cross in "Room EnoughWhen you agree with your friends howyou will divide, or take turns instead ofquarreling, make a cross in the "Well ofPromise."At the end of the day or week,or month, see which well has the mostcrosses in it. Could your name be Isaac,"Scrapping?"the peace-maker, or Esek,For the flash-card this week, draw thefour wells, naming them as did Isaac,and writing below, give the referenceof the memory verse. If time permitsreview previous stories and memoryverses by means of flash cards.COVENANTER WITNESS

eap."man."ahead;"creature"us."SABBATH SCHOOL LESSONOctober 10, 1954by Rev. Joseph A. Hill(Lessons based on International Sunday SchoolLessons ; the International Bible Lessons forChristian Teaching, copyrighted by InternationalCouncil of Religious Education.)GOD'S ANSWER TO MAN'SPERPLEXITYLesson Material: Job 38-42Printed Text: Job 38:1-7; 42:1-6, 10aMemory Verse: Psalm 46:10 "Be still,and know that I am God."An ultimate ethical principle undergirdingthe moral foundation of the universe is that sin brings suffering intohuman experience, while righteousnessresults in man's well being. In the Biblethis truth is expressed by the well knownproverb, "Whatsoever a man soweth, thatshall he also Unless this principlehold good, God is not God. The sin ofour first parents and themisery demonstrate the realityprinciple of moral government.subsequentof thisBut human experience is not alwaysseen to be in harmonywith this principle. Men suffer misfortune in spite oftheir personal integrity, while othersprosper through their iniquity. How, then,can the facts of actual experience beseen to accord with the justice of God?That was Job's problem. If the boilsthat covered Job's body and the wars thattook away his domestic animals andservants and the storm that slew his sonsand daughters are the result of sin, thenJob has feared God "fornaught."It hasbeen no profit to him that he is "a perfect and an uprightWhat is the answer to this perplexingproblem of human suffering? The answerthat Job's three friends gave only madeJob's grief more painful. The basic assumption of their arguments is that notGod but a moral principle is sovereignover the universe. Their explanation ofJob's experience was based on humanreason apart from divine revelation (seelast week's lesson). What Job neededwas God's explanation.Job made a real step in advance whenhe turned away from human wisdomand sought the answer from God. Baffledby the best thinking of his day, Job wasdriven to seek a revelation from God asto the meaning of his suffering. "SurelyI would speak to the Almighty, and Idesire to reason with God" (13:3). Jobmade real progress when he said that.Only when God spoke concerning Job'ssuffering was he satisfied. God's answer isrecorded in chapters 38-42.God gave Job His answer, but He didnot give him a "solution" to the problemof human suffering. Nevertheless, God'sanswer is satisfying. Having God's answer, there is no further need or desire toquestion. To question further is to question God's justice and goodness.September 22, 1954Thereader who expects to find a reasonableexplanation of the problem in these chapters is likely to be disappointed. Forthe problem of human suffering is aproblem, not for reason, but for faith.Faith assures us that God is sovereignover our lives. Whatever happens to ushappensbecause God has decreed it.Faith also assures us that, whateverGod may decree for our lives, God iswise and good. "Only good is God toIsrael, and to those who are of a cleanheart"(Psalm 73:1). In all our strugglesto understand the providence of God inlife's experiences, there is the place wemust begin. God is wise and good. Nomatter what He does, He is wise andgood. What further explanation do weneed?That was the answer that God gave toJob. God pointed out the magnificenceand wonder of His created works. CouldJob understand the wisdom that createdthe earth and the heavens and all that isin them? Was Job's wisdom capable ofcomprehending even the things that hecould see the earth and the sea and thestars of the firmament and the beasts ofthe field? How much less, then, couldJob comprehend of the sovereign andwise God who made them! It was notfor Job to understand,but to trust.Would Job doubt God's wisdom in creation? Then why should he doubt God'sgoodness in His works of providence?That was all God gave to Job : "We walksight."by faith, not by When you can'tsee, you must trust.Job saw, through this divine revelation, "the absolute distance between theCreator and the (E. J. Young,An Introduction to the Old Testamet,Eerdmans, 1950, p. 320). He saw howfutile it is for man to try to comprehendthe infinite wisdom of God or the mystery of His acts. As God spoke to him,Job's pride was abased and his spirithumbled. He realized that there was noneed of asking for an explanation of hismisfortunes. God is wise and good. Godis sovereign over life and not a moralprinciple. Job's sufferings somehow havetheir place in God's most wise, holy andincomprehensible disposition of things.Therefore, all is well (Young, ibid.).God is upon the throne. That is all Jobneeds to know. It was a sin even to question the matter. Hence, Job abhors himself and repents. He is, after all, a sinner, and God was working out His purposes concerning Job, for His own glory.Man's comfort in tribulation comes,not from reason, but by revelation. God'sanswer to man's need in the hour of trialis not: "Cheer upbetter days arerather it is: "Only believe. .Faith is faith only if it trusts God whenthere is no prospect of better days ahead.Nor does the hope of relief at some futureday relieve the reality of the presenthour's pain. Job was certain that one dayhis righteousness would be vindicated."I know that my Redeemer liveth, andthat he shall stand at the latter day upontheearth"(19:25; the Hebrew wordtranslated "Redeemer" literally means"one whorepays,"that is an avenger orvindicator). Yet Job's hope of futurecompensation did not satisfy him. Onlythe assurance that God is good NOW canmake misfortune bearable. By revelationGod has assured us that He IS good.The Bible was written as God's answer toman in his present misery.Behind all that God has said concerning man's trouble and his suffering,stands the cross of Jesus Christ (seeHebrews 12:1-11; Romans 5:8; Romans8:31-39; 2 Corinthians 4:8-18; 1 Peter1:3-9). Only faith can embrace the sufferings of Calvary. Reason cannot helpus to see sin borne vicariously, evil vanquished, and death on the scaffold atCalvary. Faith finds its only mediumin revelation, in which God interpretsand gives significance to the baffling experiences of human life. And faith, instead of attempting to justify God, justifies sinners!PRAYER MEETING TOPICfor October 13, 1954PERSEVERANCE ESSENTIAL TOSALVATIONI John 2:19By M. S. McMillan, D.D.Psalms34:8-11,37:30-33, page 94119 :Pt. 1, page 287page 82138:1-4, page 338On perserverance read Confession ofFaith chapter 17. References: John 10:28, 29; 2 Pet. 1:10, 11.I. Heretics in the New TestamentChurchJesus warned that such would be thecase; Matt. 24:4, 5, 11, 23, 24. The textfor our study calls them antichrists,(See I Jno. 2:18,19). All who are againstChrist are antichrists, Matt. 12:30. TheEpistles to the Corinthians, to the Colossians and to the seven churches showthat even during the lifetime of theapostles antichristian heresies threatened to make havoc of the Church. Theapostle Paul warned against false teachers: Acts 20:29, 30; 2 Thess. 2:3; 1 Tim.4:1, 2 and the apostle John in his Epistles is wrestling with the antichrists.Just to the degree that any sect or doctrine is in opposition to Christ and Hisessential claims it is antichrist. In IJohn 21:18 the apostle says, "There aremany antichrists. Ver. 19 shows that heis talking about antichrists in theChurch.""They went out from187

self."us."us."world."eyes."antichrist."view."off."us."sir,"ranks."world"record.""Out from the bosom of the church itThe Gnostics were the principal antichrists whom John had to withstand.The Gnostics taught that the gospelwas good as far as it went, but theyhad a more excellent way. They saidit was a mistake to suppose that thehistorical facts and moral precepts ofthe Scriptures were to be taken literally,and to suppose that the Scripturescontained all that was necessary forman's spiritual well-being. The Gnostics claimed that they had a higherknowledge and that their souls weresteeped in light. Theysaid that goodactions could not greatly increase one'senlightenment. There were many thingscommonly regarded as bad which thetrue Gnostic would seek and do as ameans of enlarging his experience. (1)They said that righteousness was madeof no account in comparison with intellectual illumination. (2) That Scripture was made of no account in comparison with knowledge which partlytransmuted and superseded it. (3) Thatthe work of Christ was made of no account for there could be no need of anatonement if there was no real evil insin.II. There Are Heretics in theModern ChurchThey deny the inspiration and infallibility of the Scriptures ; they write aboutthe myths of the Old Testament; theytalk about Bibliolatry. They claim laterand superior revelations (Mormanism,Eddyism, Decrees of Popes and RomanCatholic church councils, etc.). Othersdeny the deity and blood atonement ofJesus Christ and say that there is nodevil and no hell, etc.III. How Deal With the Antichristsin the ChurdhSurely John "the beloved disciple"and "the Apostle of love" would be agood example to follow. Possibly it wasin answer to the Gnostics' claim that itwas a mistake to suppose that the historical facts and moral precepts of theScriptures were to be taken literallythat John said, "He that saith I knowhim, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not inhim."It was probably in answer to theGnostics denial of the fact of sin thatJohn said, "If we say we have no sin,we deceive ourselves, and the truth isnot in"He that committeth sin isof the devil: for the devil sinneth fromthe beginning." "For this purpose theSon of God was manifested, that hemight destroy the works of the devil.""If we say that we have not sinned, wemake him (God) a liar, and his wordis not inIt was probably in answerto the Gnostics' boasts of their superior188illumination that John wrote: "If wesay that we have fellowship with him,and walk in darkness, we lie, and do notthe truth." "He that saith he is in thelight, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now;""He that hatethhis brother is in darkness, and walkethin darkness, and knoweth not whither hegoeth, because that darkness hath blinded his It was probably in answerto the Gnostics' attitude toward Christand His redemptive work that Johnwrote: "Who is a liar but he thatdenieth that Jesus is the Christ. He isantichrist that denieth the Father andthe Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, thesame hath not the Father.""Everyspirit that confesseth not that JesusChrist came in the flesh is not of God:and this isthat spirit of antichrist,whereof we have heard that it shouldcome: and even now already is it in the"Many deceivers are enteredinto the world, who confess not thatJesus Christ came in the flesh. This isa deceiver and an"He thatabideth in the doctrine of Christ, hehath both the Father and the Son." "Ifthere come any unto you and bring notthis doctrine, receive him not into yourhouse, neither bid him God speed: forhe that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds."rV. The Result of Dealing With theAntichrists as Did the Apostle John"The beloved disciple" and "The apostle of love." We are not told that he hada session meeting and put them out ofthe church. The beloved disciple did nothave to do that. He so severely denounced their antichristian sinsthatthose men who loved darkness ratherthan light had to either repent or getout. They got out. "They went out fromus, but they were not of us; for if theyhad been of us, they would no doubthave continued with us: but they wentout, that they might be made manifestthat they were not all of "Theirdefection was a Divine provision for theexposure of the hollowness of theirprofession.""If there are hyprocrites inthe Church, God will not allow HisChurch to be wrecked by them, butwill cause them somehow or other tobe exposed toA gardner wasonce asked, "Why do so many pearsfall off that tree?" "Oh!was hisreply, "it is only those that are rotteninside that fall "Some there arewho receive the Word with joy, and fora while believe; but they have no rootin themselves, and in time of temptationfallaway."If Churches are on thewhole loyal and sound, false men will"go from them." This is an effective yetpotent kind of Church discipline, whenchurch administration and testimonyare so faithful and effective that falseadherents spontaneously quit theirEnd ofa number of quotesfrom the Pulpit Commentary.Pray that our subsequent conductmay not prove that we "lied unto God"(Acts 5:4) every time we renewed ourcovenant vows.W. M. S. DepartmentMrs. Ross Latimer, Editor,Prayer Hour, 1:00 P.M. MondayWMS LESSON, OCTOBERBy Mrs. Alvin SmithTHE DECEITFULNESS OFSTRONG DRINKProv. 20:1This text is most appropriate as wewomen of the U.S.A. consider how ournation has been deceived by the rosypromises of the liquor traffic to "lowerour taxes," "get rid of the bootlegger,""decrease the number of"lower our criminalalcoholics"andThere is no need to recount what hashappened; just read any daily paper andone will be enlightened. The liquor interests are united in trying to deceivethe public with their advertising program. Notice the liquor ads at Christmas, Easter and Father's Day. Disraeli,over a century ago, characterized it as"organized hypocrisy," and it may beaccurately applied to the Americanliquor traffic today.I. Am I My Brother's Keeper? Hab. 2:15Certainly the liquor traffic is not, sowe Christian women, many of us mothers, must be. "The hand that rocks thecradle rules theis a well-knownmaxim. But mothers today, many ofthem, trust the care of their children tobaby-sitters and their training to anyone, or no one.Here is our opportunity to train tomorrow's parents today by presentingtemperance teaching in the SabbathSchools, the P.T.A.'s, and even in theschools themselves where we find manyteachers willing and ready to use temperance materials we can supply. Haveyou talked with your children's teachersabout this matter, or have you felt itwasn't worth while without at leasttrying?Very vivid pictures of cars smashedin wrecks may be secured from theNational Safety Council and shown tochildren. A high percentage of driversand pedestrians involved in accidentshave been drinking, you know.H. Forgetfulness of God. Isa. 5:11-12When the word "woe" is used in theBible, it is a very serious matter. ManyCOVENANTER WITNESS

unanimous."show."work."today regard the use of alcoholic beverages as a trifling matter to be taken orrefused just as one decides about drinking coffe or tea.The habit forming nature of beveragealcohol leads to this increasing drinking,so that the inevitable result is daylongdrinkingand evenings in night clubswhere the Lord and His work are neverconsidered. Has America come to this?We are well on the road to becoming anation of "alcoholicsAs a nation, we have forgotten God,and morality cannot be divorced fromreligion. Rev. Crowe, writing in theUnion Signal, says, "More of the fear ofGod and less of self-indulgence is absolutely necessary if we are to recoverthe sense of righteousness that alonecan bring sanity, stabilityness to modern life."and cleanliIn 1864 the Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves in the UnitedStates, but the number of persons heldin bondage today by the liquor Trafficfar exceeds the number freed at thattime. Letus work and pray that Godwill liberate these humans for whom Hedied, from a bondage that is destroyingtheir souls as well as their bodies. Letus work for a new Declaration of Independence that will make our people freeindeed to pursue, under God's guidance,lives of liberty and true happiness.III. A Command, I Thess. 5:22Perhaps you feel that this commandis not meant for you, that you do notdrink, nor do you approve of drinkingby others. But are you lending yourstrength and talents and support to theforces fighting this great evil by belonging to the W.C.T.U. and other temperance organizations and doing yourpart, however small, to encourage theirwork? The great majorityof our citizens do not belong to such groups,either because they do not believe in thecause or do not have the courage to taketheir stand with them for fear of ridiculeor criticism. As Joshua asked his peopleto choose whom they would serve, so Iam challenging every woman in our missionary societies to let it be known inwhich camp she belongs. "Wear a whiteribbon bow where it willLIFELife must be lived on the installmentplan. God givesand requires just somuch at a time, no more, no less. Life ismade up of so many successive installments of opportunity, of duty, and ofgrace. It is impossible, therefore, to livelife in the future tense. All that men haveand all that they are asked to attend to isthe present. And. the present in its demands is vigorous enough. Take care ofthe now and the future will take care ofitself.Herald and Presbyter.September 22, 1954CORRECTION: In the Sabbath SchoolLesson comments for August 22, 1954 astatement was made that "the average percapita giving during the past year in theCovenanter Church was $20.75. . . a fraction more than five cents a day towardthe Lord'sThis statement is misleading and less than half-true, for itincludes only synod's budget and does nottake account of local budgets, Reformation Translation Fellowshipprojects of the Lord's work. J.A.H.and otherCORRECTION: Just read in the September 1issue of C. W. an article entitled "Redd Harper on Singtime," towhich you add, "Sent by your missionpublication."ary editor forAs far as Iknow I never saw the piece before, and ifI sent it for publication it must have beenwhen I was asleep. There is a possibilityit might have been on the back of one ofthe articles that I sent and I failed tomark it out, but otherwise I disown itas my brain-child.I failed to keep a copy of the material Isent for the Sept. missionary number butI thought I sent more than appeared.Cordially yours,W. McC.OLATHE: Off for Syria! Mrs. Chester Hutcheson left Olathe by train Monday, September 6 en route to New York.She plans to sail for Latakia, Syria, Friday, September 10 on the S. S. Excalibur.Her son, Harold, who recently arrived from Latakia, flying home fromRome, accompanied her to New York.The following group were at the station to bid her good-bye her mother,Mrs. Anna Wilson, Martha and AnnaHutcheson, Dr. Clarence E. Wilson,Georgia Ann Wilson, Mr. Alec Moore,Edgar Moore, Clyde Redpath, Mrs. MaryTippin, Kenneth Tippin, Mrs. MaggieRogers, Howard McGee, Belle McGee,Mrs. Harvey McGee and Dr. and Mrs.Frank Stewart.We shall greatly miss Mrs. Hutchesonin our midst. It has been a joy to haveher among us for the past two years. Weshall miss her faithfulness and helpfulness in all departments of the church'swork.Nineteen members of ALLEGHENYcongregation attended the Grinnell Conference.NEW CONCORD: Dr. R. C. Fullertonof New Alexandria and Pittsburgh Seminary has a welcome guest preacher followingGrinnell Conference. It was Dr.and Mrs. Fullerton's first visit to ourcongregation. We hope theyagain.will comeBELLE CENTER: Rev. and Mrs.Luther McFarland and sons Marion andGene stopped here on their way to Grinnell, Iowa, Tuesday. Theyfriends in Belle Center and Community.called onCINCINNATI: We welcome Mr. andMrs. John Curry, formerly of Bloomington, Indiana, who are now living at6114 Joyce Lane. Mr. Curry has a teaching position at Western Hills High Schooland Mrs. Curry will teach at New Woodward High School. We were glad to haveMr. Curry's parents as visitors last Sabbath.OLATHE: We were very happy tohave Mr. and Mrs. Don Crawford andfamily stop in Olathe on their way backto Phoenix. They visited in the home ofthe Frank Redpaths and also called atthe manse.Eighteen members and friends of theWILKINSBURG congregation attendedthe conference at Grinnell, Iowa. Splendidreports were given on the Sabbath following the meetingof Synod and othergroups. All seemed to appreciate thesplendid leadershipsolemnityat Grinnell and theand special challenge of thesigning of the Covenant on the Sabbath.ALLEGHENY: Mrs. Walter W. Titusunderwent an operation in AlleghenyGeneral Hospital Friday, September 3.She is recoverig nicely.TOPEKA: In the last week of July andthe first week of August Mr. and Mrs.Frank Strain of Aurora, Missouri, visited their daughter and husband Mr. andMrs. W. O. Stark of Topeka, Mr. andMrs. Mabel Chestnut, Mr. and Mrs.Frank Henderson andfamily of Idana,Kansas, and relatives east of KansasCity. They reported a very enjoyable trip.NEW YORK CITY: Starting September 12 Rev. Robt. Henning will conduct aspecial class during the regular SabbathSchool period for young folks (and others) in the basic elements of Christianityand review of Covenanter history andprinciples and will cover subjects usuallypresented in a Communicants Class.MIDWEST PRESBYTERY will meetin the Hebron Church, Idana, Kansas onTuesday, October 12, 1954, at 7:30 P.M.An evening conference on "The Tithe"189

eceive"is being arranged for Wednesday. Devotional speakers for Wednesday morningand afternoon are Paul Faris and DarylIkenberry. General Theme: John 8:32,"And ye shall know the truth, and thetruth shall make you free." A. M. "ActTruth."ing upon Qur Knowledge of theP. M. "The Freedom of Living whereTruth Prevails."C. E. Caskey,Clerk of Midwest Presbytery.Board of Publication will hold its regular meeting on the above date,at 2:00 P.M.same placeCINCINNATI: Mr. Esty Pickelheimerspent the last two weeks in Christ Hospital recovering from major surgery. Weare glad to report that he is makinggood progress.Paul Mathews had a short vacation athis home in WILKINSBURG after asummer's work on the farm of his cousinat Morning Sun, Iowa. Paul enters Geneva College this year as a senior.OLATHE: The Rev. Khalil Awad,pastor of our Covenanter Church in Latakia, Syria, preached at the Sabbathevening service, August 8. It was a joyto have him in our midst and to hearfrom him an account of our work inSyria.TOPEKA: The Gene Spear family leftTopeka, September 11for Philadelphiawhere Gene plans to attend WestministerSeminary this coming year.Mrs. Nancy Willson Green who hasbeen living at THE AGED PEOPLE'SHOME for the last few years suffered astroke on Friday, September 3, andquickly lapsed into a coma from whichshe slept away the next afternoon. Services were held the next Monday eveningand interment was at Morning Sun,Iowa.GENEVA: It is always nice to havepeople of other churches worship with us.Mr. and Mrs. Walter Magee and theirthree children Mary, Evangeline andJohn from Goshen, N. Y., were with usSabbath September 5. They are membersof the Presbyterian church there. Maryis to start to Geneva this fall. Mr. Mageewhen asked why they chose Geneva said,"We know it is a goodschool."We welcome any others to our worship servicewho are coming our way this fall.NEW CONCORD: The New Concordand White Cottage Congregations wereprivileged to have Miss Eunice McClurkin as our speaker for a Sabbath in Juneand greatly enjoyed her message, her fellowship and seeingof workmanshipthe different articlesshe had with her.WILKINSBURG: Mr. Charles H. Haslett,Sr., spent a few days of his vacation190in the home of his son Ward Haslett andfamily at Binghamton, New York.BELLE CENTER: Our annual congregational picnic was held Thursdayevening, August 19, 6:30 p.m. at O'Conner'slanding with a good attendance. Mr.and Mrs. J. Roy Templeton were pleasantly surprised when they were presentedwith a wedding cake at the close of themeal, in honor of their 25th wedding anniversary. This was planned by theirchildren Alice, Jim and Bob while theirparents were spending a few days in thehome of Mr. and Mrs. M. F. Murphy inBeaver Falls, Pennsylvania.TOPEKA: The W.M.S. met September2 at the home of Mrs. Lloyd McElroy.Mrs. Herbert Davies led the devotionals.We enjoyed the talk of Miss ElizabethMcElroy who gave us a much clearervision of the work that she is doing inSyria. She also spoke for a brief periodbefore the congregation on September 5in a part of the morning service. We haveappreciatedhaving her in our midstthese past weeks and our prayers go withher as she leaves for Chicago.OLATHE: A "covered-dish" dinnerwas given in honor of Rev. and Mrs. RayWilcox and family on Friday evening,August 20, as they passed through Olathe on their way home to Beaver Falls.A group of about 60 was present andgreatly enjoyed the fellowshipWilcox family.of theThe Chairman of the Social Committee,Mrs. James Redpath, called upon Rev.and Mrs. Wilcox, and then upon everyone present who had been away on vacation, to give an account of their trip.It proved to be most interesting! Rev.and Mrs. Wilcox and family were entertained over night in the homes of Mrs.Ella McGee and Miss Lila Smith.The ALLEGHENY congregation hadtwo guest ministers during the month ofAugust The Rev. Roy C. Fullerton D.D. exchanged with our pastor on August1 and the Rev. Edward L. McKnight,D.D. had charge of the service on August29 when Rev. Edgar was preaching forthe Rehoboth congregation. The Rev.Hugh J. Blair, pastor of the Ballymoney,Ireland congregation preached for thecongregation on September 5. It was aprivilege to have these three ministersbringus inspiringmessages.WILKINSBURG congregation is having a iate summer "build-up" with thereturn of many vacationers :the S. BruceWillson family is home after some weeksin various parts of the church; AgnesLiggett was in the Musquoka Lakescountry in Canada; the Ray Stohner familystopped for a visit in Cleveland ontheir way to and from Grinnell (Mr.Stohner was our official delegate toSynod); Dr. and Mrs. T. C. McKnighthad their vacation in the mid-west andcentral states; while Miss Rhoda Beattywent as far as the Thousand Islands andAlmonte, Canada. Mr. and Mrs. JohnHickey and Mr. and Mrs. Merle Hodgkisswent to Niagara Falls, and the HaroldHoffman family to the New EnglandStates. Alice Hodgkiss flew to Washington State for a visit with friends there.Others home from vacation are the Robert McKnights and Hugh McKnight,the Jim and Bob Brown families, BeaFluke, Sandra Schwinn, the T. H.Clarke family, and Mrs. J. S. Tibby.CINCINNATI: Mr. Kenneth McGalaleft Wednesday, August 25, for service inthe United States Army. He is stationednow at Fort Knox, Kentucky.TOPEKA: Lie. Gene Spear preachedfor us September 5, Rev. Phil Martinthe 12th and Rev. Sam Boyle the 19th.We appreciate the work of our pulpitcommittee in supplying the pulpit eachSabbath and for the messages we receive through His servants.OLATHE: Norman Hutcheson enteredmilitaryservice August 23. He is nowstationed at Fort Bliss, Texas. We werehappyto have Norman at Olathe forseveral weeks before he enlisted.GENEVA: We as Christians find illness on every side. Mrs. Ernest Lathomwas called to the bedside of her mother,Mrs. Monti Toole of Princeton, Indiana,who underwent a serious operation. Mrs.Russell Lathom flew to Florida twoweeks later to be with her mother, Mrs.Davis, who also underwent a seriousoperation. Mrs. Davis has spent the pastseveral summers with her daughter andhas made many friends. Mr. ClarenceFallon spent some time in a local hospital for rest and observation. As we aremuch in prayer for them, let us rememberthe words of Christ himself who said"And all things, whatsoever ye ask inprayer believing, ye shall21:22).(Matt.Mrs. C. T. Hutcheson sailed fromJersey City for our Syrian mission on theExcalibur to join Mr. C. T. Hutchesonwho has been in Latakia for the pastyear. Rev. Khaleel Awad, pastor of theLatakia congregation, also sailed on thesame ship. The Excalibur left Pier Dat 4 p.m. on Friday September 10. On thepier to see them off were Dr. and Mrs.W. W. Weir, Miss Lola Weir, Rev. Luther McFarland, Rev. W. C. McClurkin,Miss Eunice McClurkin, and C. HaroldHutcheson. The ship left New York harbor under an overcast sky with hurricaneEdna approaching.ALLEGHENY: The Young Adultgroup held a corn roast Monday, AugustCOVENANTER WITNESS

trip into Alaska on the steamship "Chil-No incident happened to mar thecotin."never,"23 at the home of Mr. and Mrs. EdwardMontgomery.OLATHE: Martha and Anna Hutcheson, twin daughters of Mr. and Mrs.Chester Hutcheson, will attend collegethis fallMartha at Geneva College andAnna at Park College. We will surelymiss them at Olathe. We were delightedto have them in our midst during theirlast two years at High School. They werefaithful to all the services of the Houseof God and took an active part in thewhole work of the church.WILKINSBURG: Mrs. J. S. Tibby andMrs. A. A. Wylie made a very pleasanttrip through the Northwest and up intoAlaska during the month of July. Theywere members of the Christian Fellowship Tour conducted by Mr. Philip L.Howard, Jr., Editor of the SundaySchool Times. A tour of Zion NationalPark, the Grand Canyon and Bryce National Park and the larger cities of thenorthwest was followed by a 2,710-milepleasure of anyone in the party of fiftyfour,made up of travelers from manystates and Canada. Family worship wasconducted each day when possibleon the train and a profitable BibleStudy each morning while on shipboard under Mr. Howard's fine leadership. Fine Christian friendships weremade. The last point of special interestwas Mt. Rainier in the state of Washington. It seemed to be the climax of thetrip. Its lofty, majestic, snow-coveredtop reaching into the heavens seemedto lift a song of praise and adorationand gratitude from every memberthe party to God, the great Creator ofall the beauty and wonder and mysteryseen on the trip.of(Signed)Ava Allen Wylie ; Mrs. J. S. Tibby.BELLE CENTER: Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur J. Keys and daughters, Mr. and Mrs.Don Lowe and son of Xenia, Ohio, visited in the home of their parents Mr. andMrs. George Fleming of our Southfield,Michigan, congregation recently.NEW CONCORD: Betty Blackwood,youngest daughter of Earl and MetaBlackwood is recovering nicely after surgery performed in Ohio Valley Hospitalat Wheeling, West Virginia.OLATHE: Mrs. Mary Tippin entertained the Women's Missionary Societyat her home Thursday, September 2.After a very delicious luncheon thePresident, Mrs. Frank Redpath calledthe meeting to order. Mrs. Anna Wilsonled the Devotional Period and Mrs. Harvey McGee reviewed a chapter from ourMission Study book on Japan. A gift ofSeptember 22, 1954$5.00 was sent to the Home for the Agedin Pittsburgh for Donaion Day, and$9.00 was sent to the Kansas PresbyterialTreasurer towards the Fund for the transportation of a foreign missionary thisyear.Mr. and Mrs. John Huston of Orlandocongregation have been welcome guestsin the home of Dr. and Mrs. T. C. McKnight. The WILKINSBURG folks haveenjoyed making the acquaintance of theHustons.ALLEGHENY: Robert Heck is confined to his home, and to his bed because of an extremely nervous conditionwhich has affected the use of his righthand.OLATHE: The following elders led theSabbath morning Worship Services whilethe pastor was attending Synod andduring his vacation period: Mr. HarveyMcGee, Mr. Clyde Redpath, Mr. GeorgeMilligan, Mr. Frank Redpath and Mr.Charles McBurney.NEW CONCORD: Dr. and Mrs. JohnColeman, the "first love" of their ministry to the New Concord Congregation,were with us for July 10 services. Wegreatly regret their moving farther awayfrom us, but will still be countingontheir coming back. Dr. Coleman's workas pastor began in 1908, his work inMuskingan College beginning a year laterand only the call from the Church-atlargeto take up the work in Geneva College persuaded him it was the Master'scall. The former students at Muskinganstill "rise up and call him blessed."GENEVA: Using as an excuse theproverb,"Better late thanwant to report the return of Donald Ledrick from Korea last April. Don is a senweior at Geneva College, playing football,one of his prominent activities. His wife,the former Peggy Lathom is a teacher inthe Chippawa township school. The Ledricksreside at 3422 5th Ave. in BeaverFalls,ALLEGHENY: Timothy Terrick underwent an operation on his heart the latter part of Julyfactory recovery.and has made a satisOLATHE: Mr. and Mrs. Harvey McGee invited the Olathe congregation andalso the Kansas City congregation to theirhome for a basket supper, Monday evening, July 5. A fine group responded andall enjoyed a verypleasant evening.Elder Charles H. Haslett, Dr. J. R.Patterson, Dr. R. J. G. McKnight andDr. E. L. McKnight had charge of theSabbath morning services at WILKINSBURG in the absence of our pastor.BLACKWOOD-TWEEDThe marriage of Miss Alta MarieBlackwood daughter of Mr. HenryBlackwood, and Mrs. Blackwood, of Topeka, to the Rev. John H. Tweed, son ofthe late Dr. J. Boyd Tweed, and Mrs.Tweed, of Beaver Falls, Pa., took placeAugust 5.The double-ringmarriage service wasread at 7:30 p.m. in the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Beaver Falls by thebridegroom's brother, the Rev. RobertB. Tweed, who was assisted by hisbrother-in-law, the Rev. Hugh J. Blair ofBallymony, Ireland, and the Rev. D.Howard Elliott, pastor of the church.The church was decorated with cibotum,ferns and candelabra holding lighted candles.Mrs. Howard Senior, organist, playeda half-hour of nuptial music precedingthe ceremony, including favorite selections of the bride.The bride was given in marriage byher father.Mrs.Merlin Wingmatron of honor for her sister.of Denison wasThe bridesmaids were Twila and DeliaBlackwood, sisters of the bride, and MissMargaret Long.Mr. Elwood Woods of Beaver Falls,served as best man. The ushers were theRev. J. Paul McCracken, Beaver Falls;Mr. Jim Steel, New Alexandria, Pa., andMr. Robert Marshall, Youngstown, Ohio.A reception in the church parlors followed the ceremony. The serving tablewas centered with flowers and a threetieredwedding cake. Assisting were,Cathy Morlis and June Rinko of Pittsburgh, Joyce Shotsinger, Gloria Klingensmith, Mary Ellen Mitchell and NancyMandeville, Beaver Falls and Mrs. Elwood Woods.After a short wedding trip the couplewill be at home in the manse at 3035Hudson Drive, Youngstown, Ohio.Mrs. Tweed is a graduate of DenisonHigh School and attended Geneva College. She has recently been employed asa secretary by Sahli's, Inc., in B'eaverFalls. The bridegroom, a graduate ofBeaver Falls High School, Geneva College and the Reformed PresbyterianTheological Seminary, Pittsburgh, is atpresent pastor of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Youngstown, Ohio.OLATHE: A "farewellparty"of theW.M.S. and the Y.W.M.S. was given inhonor of Mrs. Chester Hutcheson in thehome of Mrs. James Redpath Thursdayevening, August 26. After playing a number of appropriate "travel" games conducted by Mrs. Harvey McGee, Mrs.Hutcheson was surprised with a "shower"of beautiful personal gifts. Delicious re-191

saints."safe,"all."wool"freshments were served and a very delightful evening was enjoyed by all.CINCINNATI: Recent arrivals in theCincinnati congregation and amongfriends of the congregation include: Ababy boy born on August 23 to Mrs. R.C. Scoranner. A baby girl, Leslie Jo, bornon August 25 to Dr. and Mrs. EsmondSmith. A babygirl born on August 12,Deborah Jane, to Mr. and Mrs. T. F.Harsh.The Session of the EASTVALE CONGREGATION wishes to record its deeploss in the passing of our senior elder,William Steele Patterson. Mr. Patterson was ordained to the eldership in1949 when thecongregation first electedits own session. He was always faithfulto his vows in attending to the Lord'swork. He regularlyvisited the sick andwas always ready to talk with any abouta deeper spiritualmuchlife, doing to fillthe lack when without a pastor. We especiallymiss his hearty handclaspatthe close of church services. If physicallypossible, he was always in his place inthe Lord's house.During the last year of his life, hein preparing a houselabored unstintinglyfor an undershepherd. He was spared tothe house,see our new pastor occupybut was stricken before the installation.His devotion to the church he loved is anexample to us all,his friendlyand we sincerely misscounsel. We wish he wereagain among us, but realize that he hasgone where it is far better, to be withthe Saviour whom he loved with all hisheart.OLATHE: We have had the followingvisitors recently in our midst: Mr. andMrs. Ralph Ball and family from Sterling, Mr. and Mrs. Robt. Tippin and family from Sterling, Rev. and Mrs. WilburWood (Mrs. Wood was Bernice Jameson), Mr. and Mrs. Dale Musselmanfrom Kansas City, and Mr. and Mrs.Wilmer Piper and familyfrom Topeka.ALLEGHENY: A son, Glen Darrell,was born to Mr. and Mrs. Jay H. Wissner at Suburban General Hospital inBellevue, Saturday, August 7, 1954. Hehas two brothers, Alan and Hugh.OLATHE: Michael Redpath has entered the Missouri Military Academy atMexico, Missouri, where he plans topursue hismiss him at Olathe.NEWscholastic training. We willCONCORD: New Concord andWhite Cottage are still beingwell supthe students ofSeminary firstplied byyear and have also greatly enjoyed hearing R. C. Fullerton, Jr. of second yearand having his wife and young sonwith us for two Sabbaths.192OLATHE: Mrs. Harvey McGee entertained the W. M. S. at her home inJuly. There were 24 who sat downto a lovely luncheon. Mrs. Frank Redpathled the Devotional Period and Mrs.Mae Coulter reviewed a chapter fromthe Mission Study book.CINCINNATI: Mrs. Clara Wagnerand Mrs. Wagner have recently returnedfrom a trip to historical Williamsburg,Virginia.BELLE CENTER: Miss Ruth Shaw,daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Shaw and Mr. W. S. Tuttle wereunited in Marriage, Wednesday, August18 at 10:30 a.m. at the home of MissFreda Trumbull with whom the bridehad made her home the past year. Dr.M. K. Carson, the bride's pastor, performed the impressive single ring ceremony in the presence of a few closefriends and relatives. After the ceremony a two course wedding breakfastwas served. The happycouple left shortly after on a wedding trip by motorto southern Ohio. On their return homeMr. and Mrs. Tuttle will be at homeon the former's farm. Mrs. Tuttle hadbeen a high school mathematics teacherin Belle Center for several years. Weextend to them our best wishes for ahappymarried life.OLATHE: The August meeting of theW. M. S. was held at the church. Mrs.Mary Everett led the Devotional Periodand Miss Lila Smith had the MissionStudy. Mrs. Mae Coulter was the hosessand served delicious refreshments.KRANK O. BLACKSTONEThe Board of Deacons of the SANTAANA COVENANTER CHURCH desiresto pay tribute to the work and memoryof Frank Blackstone, who was called tohis reward August 18 after a brief illness. Mr. Blackstone, from the time ofhisordination until he retired fromactive life, was a devoted and faithfulmember of our Board. He took a deepinterest in all our meetings,even afterhe was compelled to give up regularattendance.We pay tribute to his constant interest in all the work of the church.With his warm, friendly way he wasloved and respected by all. Frank andhis family have always been amongst ourenthusiastic workers. We shall miss hishandclaspwork of the Board.and unabated interest in the"Precious in the sight of the Lordis the death of hisSigned: Albert C. WylieChairman of Deacon BoardTHE PRESIDENT VS. THE UMPIREPresident Eisenhower was in Griffith Stadium, watching the WashingtonSenators play the New York Yankees.He was rooting for the Senators.When, in the fifth inning, a Yankeetagged a Senator out in an extremelyclose play, the President jumped to hisfeet and cried,umpire's thumb go up,"Out.""No!" as he saw thesignaling theBut despite the President's protest, the decision stood.An umpire is a person to whose soledecision a controversy or question between parties is referred. And as longas both teams agree to his being thearbiter of decisions in the game, hisword stands.In spiritual and eternal matters, theArbiter, the Daysman, the Mediator, theUmpire, is the Lord Jesus Christ. Hesaid: "No man cometh unto the Father,but by Me"(John 14:6). That is decisive !Again we read: "There is one God,and one Mediator between God andmen,othy 2:5).the man ChristJesus"(I TimThat position is His because "Hegave Himself a ransom forHe isno respector of persons. He judgesrighteously.He will not argue, but He will reason with one. "Come now, and let usreason together, saith the Lord, thoughyour sins be as scarlet, they shall beas white as snow; though they bered like crimson, they shall be as(Isaiah 1:18).He, and He alone, has the authorityto say whether or not a person is"Safe."Lord shall beverbs 29:25)."Whoso putteth his trust in theis His Word (ProAn umpire has the authority to ordera rebellious player off the fieldand hemust go. When the Lord says "Departfrom Me" (Matthew 7:23) to all thosewho rebel against His work, His word,His way, they will have to go.It matters not how highly exalted aperson may be in this world, his wordshall never prevail against the wordof the only Mediator between God andmen; so why not place personal faithin Him and know you are safe on theauthorityof His word?NOWCOVENANTER WITNESS

etire."education."again,"else?"graduate?"school."yes,"age."over."retire."us."Echoes NumberLESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 17, 1954VOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1954 NUMBER 13WhatThen?Back home for Thanksgiving Holiday, he wasa splendid young fellow, 18 years old, a freshman atthe university, athletic build, keen-eyed and with asbright a mind as even his parents could wish forhim. His father was my law partner, a devout Christian, standing high in his profession ; his mother oneof God's saints. He came into the office looking forhis father, who had gone out for a short while tomeet an engagement. He shook hands with me in hisfriendly way and I asked him to have a seat and tellme about himself."How do you like the university,Harold?"asked him. "Oh, fine," he said, "I'm crazy about it.""You are a very fortunate boy, Harold," I said, "withthe parents you have, and the opportunity to get aSir,"well rounded"Yes, he replied, "Iknow it, and I hope I am appreciating it fully."His father had one day, in a burst of confidence,told me that he and the boy's mother were veryproud of Harold, but they were deeply concernedabout his spiritual life. He had seemed to lose interestin church and Sabbath school, but talked a good dealabout a new philosophy of life which he had discovered at the university. Recalling this, as the boysat there in front of me, I wondered if I could sayanything to help him, but hesitated to speak at once,knowing that young people do not like for their eldersto "preach" to them.But I felt a strong urge to try, so I said, "Harold,what are you planning to do when you,Promptly he answered, "I'm going to law"Fine!"I said, "and what then?" "Oh, well ofcourse I'm planning to practice law ; I hope one day tobe a law-partner with you and my father.""Fine I said, "and what then?" "Well,Sir, I'm determined to make a success of it, so I cansucceed to the business when you and Dad decide to"Anything I asked. "Oh, he said,with a slight twinkle in his eye, "I'll marry ; I thinkI have the girl already pickedout."Igood,""That sounds I said; "what then?" "Well,I hope to make the practice of law pay me well, sothat I can accumulate a sufficient sum to build mea comfortable home and give my children just thebest kind of an education; also lay up something forold"And what then?" I asked "Well," he said andhe did not seem so cocksure now "I suppose, likeyou and Dad, when I get old I willI waited a moment as he sat there in silence;then I. said very quietly, "What then?" He twisted alittle uncomfortably in his chair and looked out thewindow, but I don't think he saw anything out there,After a moment's pause, he said with a forced smile,"I'll die."I waited a little longer this time as we sat thereover"in silence, asking the Holy Spirit to "take anduse His mighty power; then I said very softly, andwith all the tenderness I could show in my face,"And what then?"He jumped up and grasped my hand, and said,"Thank you, Sir, I know what you mean; I'll thinkit Then saying he would wait no longer for hisfather to return, he picked up his hat and went out.Next morning his father joyously told me thatHarold had come to him that night, had made agenuine surrender to Christ and told him he wasready to join the assembly of born-again believers."All have sinned, and come short of the glory ofGod."Romans 3:23"The wages of sin is death." Romans 6:23"God commendeth his love toward us, in that,while we were yet sinners, Christ died for Romans 5:8"He that believeth on the Son hath everlastinglife : and he that believeth not the Son shall not seelife ; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3 :36"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth,where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thievesbreak through and steal :(Concluded on page 197 >

solutely.". . .Now,stamp.". . Divorcecreditors."adultery."ButWeengagement."Reformedcome'age.'earningage'Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D.The Problem of DivorceHoward Whitman, who has written a series of articles inthe Des Moines Register on the subject of divorce, says thatdivorce has gotten out of bounds with one divorce to everyfour marriages. "We accept divorce today with fewer qualmsthan we once viewed a brokenOne judge remarked: "Some people wear their divorces like badges ofhonor. They don't think much more of divorce than oftradingan old car. Some actually boast that they have been marriedthree or four times."Change of Laws"Prior to the Civil War it took an act of the legislature inmost states to get a divorce. This followed the British patternof requiring an act of parliament to dissolve a marriage ab"the usual method is to set up a systemof divorce commissioners or 'masters.' These are lawyers, who,for a fee, hear the evidence in divorce cases and then makea recommendation to the court. The court's role is little morethan a rubberDivorce Is FailureThe writer, after consulting judges, psychiatrists, ministers and others,states: "Here is the consensus of opinion asI found it: Divorce is failure, and it would not hurt onewhit to face up to it as such .... Where there are children,divorce is defeat and surrender of a family. It is not something to be sought, but something to be fought ; not a way out,but a way down. with the.children as unpaidis family bankruptcy,Grim Experience"Divorce is sometimes romanticized, but those who seeit close at hand know that few human experiences are moregrim. One follow-up study among divorced people revealedthat in case after case individuals regarded divorce as 'thebiggest mistake of my life.' Men and women said they missedthe happy times in marriage. The word which popped up most'loneliness.' "frequently in their stories wasThose who contemplate divorce should not onlysee thatit brings loneliness, but that, unless for the one scripturalreason, it offends God in breaking His law. Jesus said, in theSermon on the Mount, "Whosoever shall put away his wife,saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commitadultery: and whosoever shall marryher that is divorcedcommirtethMania for Double EarningsDr. Henry Schultze, former president of Calvin College,who writes in The Banner on "The Christian Home" writesvery thoughtfullyon the above subject. He says: "There arewomen who go out of the home to work for the support ofthose economically dependent upon them. Various situationsmay call for such a program. And we must take off our hats^to those who engage in a kind of work that enables them tomaintain their homes ....I am interested here primarilyin the program of women who leave their homes in an effort tosecure double earnings for the family. This, of course, is farmore disastrous for the home ....want to have the latestand best in cars, television sets, and so on. We must keep up194with the Jonses that we and our children may not developan inferiority complex. But we are payingaltogether toomuch for our costly homes, cars, and television sets, if theycost us the price of real home life. And that, it is feared, isprecisely the cost of this craze for doubleBook on Chinese CommunistsThe Angelican bishop, Q. K. Y. Huang, who was a prisoner of the Chinese Communists, has written a book telling of hisphysical and mental tortures at the hands of the Communists.It is also said to be an inspiring story of faith and the dignityof the human spirit. The writer believes that ninetyper centof the Chinese people are anti-Communist. The title of thebook is, "Now I Can Tell" (Morehouse-Gorham Co., NewYork, $3.50).Graham in BerlinWhen Billy Graham spoke to an audience of 85,000 inBerlin, Germany, he gave the invitation to receive Christ asSaviour, and about 16,000 stood up. Mr. Graham thinkingthey misunderstood, asked them to sit down and told themhe wanted only those who were then and there acceptingChrist and committing their lives to Him to stand. Again,16,000 stood up. This seems to set a new record for onemeeting where the call to accept Christ was presented. A planwas prepared at once to follow up those who had made aprofession of faith in Christ.The Last DaysDays"In a discussion of "The Last by Prof. WickBroomall in the .AssociatePresbyterian, he asks,"Are there two 'last-days' periods one now for the Church,another after the second advent for Israel? This is the distinction actually made by the Scofield Reference Bible on Acts2:17. Dr. Scofield affirms that the Church's 'last days' are inthe present age, whereas Israel's 'last-days' are in the kingdomage after the second advent. That this is not a valid distinction we now attempt to show:"1. There is absolutely no foundation in the New Testament for such a distinction. Both Acts 2:17 and Hebrews 1:2equate 'the last days' with the New Testament age. There isa large degree of unanimity among commentators that this isthe meaning of the two passages just mentioned."2. The New Testament never puts beyond the second advent another temporal period called 'the last days' (as Scofield'sview maintains). To the New Testament the secondend'advent is 'the (Matthew 24:14; I Corinthians 15:23f);earth'beyond that lies 'the new heavens and the new (2 Peter3:13)."3. The New Testament distinguishes between 'thisand 'the age to(Matt. 12:32; Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30;age'20:35; Eph. 1:21; Heb. 6:5). 'This undoubtedly refers tocome'time (cf. Gal. 1:4; 2 Cor. 4:4), whereas 'the age to undoubtedly refers to eternity (cf. Luke 18:30; 20:35). 'The lastdays'cannot be placed in 'the age tocome,'for in that worldthere are no 'days.' The only place where 'the last days' canbe placed is in 'thisBut 'thisage'is terminated by thesecond advent. Therefore, it must follow that Dr. Scofield'sdistinction between two periods called 'last days'and one after the second adventis invalid."one beforeCOVENANTER WITNESS

Current EventsBy Prof. William H. Russell, Ph.D.RUNNING SCAREDMaine,Republicans were jolted when the first state election, inwent against them. The Democrats won the governorship for their first major victory in Maine in twenty years.Senator Margaret Chase Smith won re-election as expected,but she secured only 58 per cent of the votes, compared to71 per cent in 1948. Three Republican Representatives alsocame through with majorities at least 10 per cent lower thanin 1952. If the whole country should show the same shift invoting, the Democrats would gain control of both houses ofCongress. Republican leaders claim that local factors were responsible for their setback in Maine; but similar "local" factors, especially unemployment, are to be found in many areas.Vice President Nixon's advice that his party should "run!scared"may not have been the best treatment for Republicanmorale, but it accurately fits the present situation.WELFARE OR EXPLOITATIONAfter spending seven months investigating 135 union welfare funds, the New York State Insurance Department found62 which were open to serious criticism in their management.In one of the worst cases, that of a teamsters' union local,the administrative costs came to about 30 per cent of thefund's total receipts, and the group became unable to paythe scheduled insurance premiums of its members. The manager apparently had almost unlimited powers, including theright to fix his own salary. In another instance, the pay of awelfare-fund administrator amounted to nearly 23 per cent ofthe fund's total income. Cases of favoritism to the friendsand relatives of union officials seem to have been common.Many funds have been well administered, but better controlsare essential to protect the rights of the workers. Senator Irving Ives of New York is heading one Congressional investigation of union welfare and pension funds, and a House Laborsubcommittee under Representative McConnell of Pennsylvania is beginninganother. The presidents of both the AFLand CIO have promised Senator Ives their full cooperation.Communist zone. The French seem to take the attitude thatViet Nam now has the self-government she long demanded,and can struggle with her own problems. Meanwhile Laos, lunorthwestern Indochina, is plagued with Communist terrorists,who have assassinated the defense minister and forced manyLaotians to join the Red armies.TERMITES AT WORKNearly five hundred persons have been arrested in theroundup of a Red spy ring in Iran, with the investigation notyet completed. The ring used elaborate codes to relay information to Russia, with a military attache in the Soviet emthose arrested as a Combassy playing a key role. Amongmunist spy was the army's chief counterintelligence agentfor the Abadan area, location of the great oil refineries. Iran'swar minister claims the ring had complete information onmilitary supplies sent to Iran from the United States. Manyof those who cooperated with the spy system were friends offormer Premier Mossadegh,NOTHING BUT THE FACTSThe Federal Trade Commission has asked all cigaretmanufacturers to consider a new advertising code, under whichthey would abandon all health claims and stick to appealsbased on taste and enjoyment. Any claims for benefits fromspecial ingredients or filters would have to be supported byimpartial scientific evidence,and even words such as"smooth"and "soothing" would be forbidden. If the cigaret makers refuse to agree, the FTC may resort to litigation under its powerto protect the public from false and misleading advertising.The tobaccomen would be wise to go along, for no one claimsthat smoking is good for the healthmerely that one kind isless harmful than others. Health claims are too likely to remind the public of the latest statistics on lungcancer.OKINAWA TO BOLIVIAAn interestingsocial experiment is the settlement ofJapanese immigrants from the island of Okinawa in theWORRIES AT BONNChancellor Adenauer's pro-American government in WestGermany received a setback when Socialists won a pluralityof the vote in state elections in Schleswig-Holstein. The Socialists advocate negotiatingGermany. In last year's nationalwith Russia for the unification ofelections'the same districtgave Adenauer's Christian Democratic Union a two-to-onemajority, but this time the Socialists ran slightlywas the first election since France rejected the European Deahead. Thisfense Community treaty. However, the Federal Parliamentat Bonn voted down a resolution to censure Adenauer's government for the defection of two of its prominent members tothe Communist government of East Germany.PROBLEMS FOR INDOCHINADespite the settlement made at Geneva, Indochina is notvery peaceful. The state of Viet Nam not only lost the northern half of its territory to the Reds, but faces serious internaltroubles. Premier Ngo Ninh Diem tried to remove the army'schief of staff by sending him to France for study, but thegeneral refused to go, and civil war could result. The premieris also having difficulties with Saigon's chief of police, whoheads a powerful political faction. Added to all this is theproblem of absorbing nearly half a million refugees from theSouth American country of Bolivia. The Bolivian govern-(Continued on page 199)THE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street, Newton, Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka, Kansasto promote Bible Standards of Doctrine, Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writers :not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen, D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll, D.D.Remo I. Robb, D.D.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdgarMrs. J. O. EdgarMrs. Ross LatimerSubscription rates: $2.50 per year; Overseas, $3.00; Single Copies10 cents.The Rev. R. B. Lyons, B.A., Limavady, N. Ireland, Agent for theBritish Isles.Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Newton, Kansasunder the Act of March 3, 1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.September 29, 1954195

shame.'Jesus Crowned and EnthronedDoing HomageThe King, whom God Himself has anointed,crowned and enthroned, ought to be acknowledged.This clearly was God's purpose in exalting Him : 'thatin the name of Jesus every knee should bow, , , , ,and that every tongue should confess that JesusChrist is Lord.'35 Reverence ought to be done to Him,and allegiance declared, according to His royal titlesand dignities. As one of the royal heralds Peter proclaimed, in the very first public preaching after Hisexaltation, that God had made Him both Lord andChrist.36 Such a proclamation brings its inevitableand immediate challenge forthwith to do homage,and to acknowledge Jesus risen from the dead andenthroned on high to be both Lord and Christ. It isthose, who thus believe in their hearts that God hasraised Him from the dead to His throne in glory, andwho therefore openly confess Him to be the Lord,who belong to the company of the saved37 and whoare the true citizens of the heavenly Zion. Or, to putit in other words, 'Whosoever believeth that Jesus isthe Christ is begotten of God.'38For, though the promised Christ was to be theSon of David, the inspired David himself (as ourLord pointed out) called Him 'Lord'; indeed, hespoke even more personally and called Him 'myLord.'39And ever since the day when David's prophecy was fufilled, and the Christ was thus enthronedby God at His right hand, it has been the mark oftrue subjects of this enthroned Son of David to acknowledge Him as 'Lord,' and personally to confessHim (as, for instance, the writer to the Hebrewsincidentally and Lord.'40spontaneously does) as 'ourFor God has set in Zion the chief corner stone,to whom the pre-eminence belongs ; 'and he that believeth on Him shall not be put to It is thosewho come to Him thus to acknowledge His supremacyand headship, who are joined to Him as living stonesto constitute in the heavenly Jerusalem the templeof His building, and to become members of 'an electrace, a royal priest-hood, a holy nation . . . theBy the Rev. A. M. Stibbs, M.A.(Courtesy of The Christian Graduate(Continued from last week)peopleof God.'41 Because all such become 'Christ's,'42 theyare the seed of Abraham, the house of Jacob overwhich Messiah reigns, the true Israel of God's purpose.Also, we who do thus acknowledge Him knowthat we do not have to wait for the day when Hewill reign. We live here and now in the reign andunder the sway of King Jesus. God has 'delivered usout of the power of darkness, and translated us intothe kingdom of the Son of his love.'43 It is thereforefor us to declare whose subjects we are, and whatking we serve, by doing Him homage both in dailyprivate audience and in regular public worship, andby rendering Him in all the activities of our livesthe unreserved allegiance of uncompromising loyaltyand ready obedience.Worldwide ProclamationIt is God's purpose that by the King's own commission heralds should go to the ends of the earth196to proclaim that King Jesus reigns, that God hasmade Him both Lord and Christ, that all who willdo homage and acknowledge Him, all who will invoke His name as their Lord in personal confidenceand committal, and in public confession and consecration, shall be saved.44 For, because Jesus reigns, andcan exercise His royal prerogatives, there is offeredin His name by royal proclamation, to condemnedcriminals and bondslaves who do Him homage, amnesty and freedom, or, in more familiar New Testament words, repentance and remission of sins.45Obviously men cannot thus acknowledge, and invokethe name of one of whom they have not heard. Norcan they hear without a preacher. So the King continues to commission heralds and ambassadors; andmen are still being challenged by the good tidingsof this gospel proclamation that the once crucifiedJesus is now the enthroned Christ, mighty to save allWho call upon His name. Can there be any greaterprivilege than to be such a commissioned herald, sentto utter for all men to hear this royal proclamationthat Jesus reigns, and that as King He saves all whobelieve in His name.46The inspired Word of God also contains plainwarnings that this heavenly character of Christ'skingship, and this propaganda method of extendingChrist's kingdom will not commend itself to all whohear ; and least of all will it commend itself to thosewho are looking for an earthly kingdom and theoverthrow by force of earthly enemies and oppressors, as were many of the Jews when Christ came inthe flesh. So 'Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believedour report?'47 For God has declared that the stonewhich He has laid in Zion will be to many a stone ofstumbling and a rock of offence ; they will refuse todo homage. But to those who do homage and renderallegiance, this 'stone' is found to be 'elect' and'precious.'None who believe in Him are ever put toshame.48The Mantoer of His Present ReignChrist's kingdom is not a kingdom after thefashion of the world.49 Our Lord Jesus reigns asKing in the heavenly places. His throne is set in theheavenly Zion. His sway is universal; God has putall things in subjection under His feet.50 He most directly exercises His sovereignty in and through thecompany of those who believe in His name, and acknowledge His Lordship, and so form His church.The Old Testament prophecy declared that He wasto be laid in Zion as a chief corner The Newstone.51Testament witnesses that the church, the householdof God, in which Jews and Gentiles are made one inChrist, and together reconciled to God through Hiscross, is the building of which Christ Jesus Himselfis the chief corner stone.52Similarly God's word, given through the apostlePaul, declares that when God 'made him to sit athis right hand in the heavenly places, far above allrule, and authority, and power, and ...dominion, he. . . gave him to be head over all things to thechurch.'53Indeed, only 'that working of the strengthCOVENANTER WITNESS

good.'mean?"ment?"also."of his might which he wrought in Christ, when heraised him from the dead,' is an adequate indicationof the surpassing greatness of the power which Godnow manifests towards us who believe in Him.54This is the secret of full salvation. We, who havebeen reconciled to God by Christ's death, are savedby the power of His risen, triumphant, endless life.55The Spirit, who raised Him from the dead, is givento dwell in us to sustain us here, and to glorify ourbodies hereafter.56 So we are meant to be vital participants in Christ's realized sovereignty, to sit withHim in the heavenly places, to reign in life throughJesus Christ.57David, who was inspired by the Spirit to predictsome of the characteristics of Christ's reign, indicated through the God-given word that the Christ,who was to be enthroned in heaven, would rule in themidst of His enemies.58 It is when foes and opposingforces are all present and active that He reigns. Thisparadoxical display of His sovereignty is realized inthe experience of His people here on earth :'For wewhich live are always delivered unto death for Jesus'sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifestedin our mortal flesh.'59 For His sake 'we are killed allthe day long,' yet 'in all these things,' the thingswhich otherwise would overwhelm us, 'we are morethan conquerors through him that loved us'60; wewin through on top. Though we are in the midst oftribulation and peril, we do not come under the swayof these things ; rather through Christ we reign overthem.Similarly, John speaks of being a 'partaker withyou in the tribulation and kingdom and patiencewhich are in Jesus.'61 For it is in the very midst oftrouble, and of stedfastly enduring it, that we findourselves partakers also in Christ's kingship orsovereignty. Like Peter walking on the water to goto Jesus, it is in circumstances where, left to ourselves, we cannot but sink, that we find that Jesusreigns right here, and we make ours in experience apresent share in His dominion. So we reign withHim now in the midst of His enemies. As in thisworld we share the kind of sufferings that were Hislot, we share also in His present sovereignty overthem.62Finally, though as the Lamb upon His throne Hewill reign for ever with God in the heavenly Jerusalem, there is to be an end to the present earthlycourse of His kingdom. A day is coming when theKingwill appear as the Judge to separate the goodfrom the bad, the wheat from the tares, the sheepfrom the goats.63 To consummate His reign and perfect His kingdom He 'shall send forth his angels, andthey shall gather out of his kingdom all things thatcause stumbling, and them that do iniquity.'64 Also,He must thus 'reign, till he hath put all his enemiesunder his feet. The last enemy that shall be abolishedis death.'65 When the dead are raised incorruptible,and those still alive on the earth are changed, 'thenshall come to pass the saying thas is written, Deathis swallowed up in victory.'66 Then His special earthly'Then'reign as Jesus the Saviour will be complete.(i.e., when they that are Christ's are raised at Hiscoming) 'cometh the end, when he shall deliver upthe kingdom to God, even the . . .Father; that Godmay be all in all.'67 Then 'heaven and earth shallpass away,'68 and the Lord who makes all thingsnew, will create 'new heavens and a new earth,wherein dwelleth righteousness.'69 "Then shall therighteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom oftheir Father.'70 Then will great voices be heard inheaven, saying, 'The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ : andhe shall reign for ever and ever.'7135 Phil. 11. 9-11.36 See Acts 11. 36.37 See Rom. x. 9.38 1 Jn. v. 1.39 See Mk. xii. 35-37; Ps. ex 1.40 Heb. vii. 14.41 See 1 Pet. ii. 3-10.42 See Gal. iii. 29.43 Col. i. 13.44 See Acts ii. 21; Rom. x. 12, 13.45 See Lk. xxiv. 45-47; Acts v. 30, 31.46 See Rom. x. 14-16, 18; 2 Cor. v. 20.47 Rom. x. 16.48 See Rom. ix 30-33; 1 Pet. ii. 3-8.49 Jn. xviii. 36.50 Eph. i. 20-22.51 Is. xxviii. 16.52 See Eph. ii. 11-22.53 Eph. i. 20-22.54 See Eph. i. 19, 20.55 See Rom. v. 10.56 See Rom. viii. 2, 11.57 See Eph. ii. 6; Rom. v. 17.58 See Ps. ex. 1, 2.59 2 Cor. iv. 11.60 See Rom. viii. 35-37.61 Rev. i 9.62 See 2 Tim. ii. 12a.63 See Mt. xxv. 31-46.64 Mt. xiii. 41.65 1 Cor. xv. 25, 26.66 1 Cor. xv. 51-54.67 1 Cor. xv. 21-28.68 Mk. xiii. 31: cf. 2 Pet. iii. 10.69 See 2 Pet. iii. 13; Rev. xxi. 1, 5.70 Mt. xiii. 43.71 Rev. xi. 15.The EndBOOK REVIEWSECUMENISM AND THE BIBLEby Dr. David Hedegard,Published by, and available from, the International Council of Christian Churches at $2.00 : U.S.A.Office : 218, Collingswood, N. J. ; International Office : Singel 286, Amsterdam C, The Netherlands.Dr. David Hedegard's book. ECUMENISM ANDTHE BIBLE, originally published in Swedish, hasbeen translated into English and published by theInternational Council of Christian Churches.The book presents a wealth of documentation ina simple and orderly form so that anyone can learnthe substance of the Ecumenical Movement itsnature and future.Dr. Hedegard says, "My purpose then is tostudy the ideas of the Ecumenical Movement in thelight of the Bible. A Christian should examine everything. 'Prove all things ; hold fast that which is(I Thess. 5:21)."The scope of the book is world-wide. Dr. Hede-September 29, 1954gard discusses conditions on the Continent, in theUnited States, and in the Far East. He asks, andprovides the answers for, such questions as, "Whatis Christianity?"; "What does the word 'church'and "What led to the Ecumenical MoveDr. Hedegard deals with the Bible, modernism, unity of the churches, and foreign missions. Healso discusses the theology and position of variousmodern ecumenical leaders.This book should commend itself to the Lord'speople everywhere for its very definite contributionto the cause of the Gospel throughout the world.WHAT THEN?Continued from front page"But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and wherethieves do not break through nor steal:"For where your treasure is, there will yourheart be Matthew 6:19-21As told to Wade C. Smith, Associate Editor.Southern Presbyterian Journal.American Tract Society197

man."Church And State ConventionAn Address given in Constitution Hall, Washington, D. C.January 21, 1954 (Installment III)by Emmett McLoughlin(Continued from last week)The Joy of American FreedomYes, the threat of Roman Catholic power is seriously great fortunately the power of Americanfreedom is still greater. This has been proven by mysuccessful open break from the Catholic priesthoodand by the fact that, in spite of everything the hierarchy^has done, or threatened, I have been able tocontinue to live in that same city as an accepted citizen and have been backed up by the twenty membersof the Board of Trustees of Memorial Hospital in myadministration of that institution.I would like to summarize those experiences inthe words of the epilogue of the "PEOPLE'S PADRE"the book I have written on my story and whichwill be released on March 22.Five years have passed since the eventful evening when 1 stood in the rectoryof St. Mary'schurch in Phoenix and offered farewell to my fellowFranciscan priests. They have been the happiestyears of my life, years of struggle, of work, of relaxation and of love in an unbelievably happy marriage.Many sincere Roman Catholics are perturbedabout their church. It is their birthright and theywant to be proud of it. But (secretly or among theirclose friends) they deplore its financial rapacity, itspolitical alliances, its archaic moral doctrines whichthey either ignore or permit to ruin their lives andtheir marriages. They continue to hope that it willchange, that it may become more charitable, lessaggressive and more realistic in faith and morals.I have shown that thousands of priests and millions of the laity, realizing the futility of a change forthe better have done the only thing they could do.They have regretfully taken their hands from theplow and have looked back.I have pictured the tyranny of fear that bindsCatholic priests to their religious posts long afterthey have become disillusioned and yearn for thefreedom and normal life of America. I have tried alsoto show the miasmic, medieval, mental blanket whichthe hierarchy has spread over Roman Catholics whoblindly follow them, stifling their freedom ofthought, of worship and in medicomoral aspects,freedom of action and of life itself. I contendthat this foreign thing is far more subtle, farless forthright but just as inimical to the American concept of life as Communism itself. It isthe indirect cause of Communism by keepingwhole nations in ignorance and poverty andby developing the techniques of fear, indoctrination and mental whichtyranny the Kremlin has usedso successfully. Its hierarchical and Spanish inquisitions with but a change of centuries, of weapons and198of inquisitors, are being continued today in Czechoslovakia, Poland and Russia.For my own personal self, putting the thoughtsof recent years on paper has proved a mental catharsis. Looking back, my years in the priesthood and inthe seminaryseem like time spent in a dungeon, aprison whose floor was the burning, seething fire ofhell, whose walls and roof were made of the stonesof mental rigidity, and whose air was not light andfree but heavy and foul with the musty stagnation ofmedievalism.The past five years have been those of a freeman, a man restored to his birthright of Americanliberties, liberties which in his 41 years of life underthe American flag, he had never been permitted toenjoy.It became almost a childlike pleasure to shop ina grocery store, to help plan a meal, to have a home,to paint a window, to sleep late on Sabbath, to planta shrub in one's own yard, to choose one's clotheswithout restriction, to entertain friends without consulting a superior, and to love and to be loved.I am an American again, not a foreign subject onAmerican soil.I can work and struggle with the healthy hardships of competitive business. I can love America andwithout asking a bishop or a provincial I can enjoyher mountains and streams, her noisy cities and quietprairies, and especially the sea, nature's own symbolof freedom.I can also love God and continue with freedom inthe service of my fellow man. For that freedom isnow my heritage also. It is the freedom of America,the freedom that I too, with all free men must guard.Like Thomas Jefferson, I "have sworn upon the altarof God, eternal hostility against every form of tyrannyover the mind ofEMMETT McLOUGHLINThe book "PEOPLE'S PADRE" (Beacon PressBoston) can be ordered now from :Martindale's Book StoreAdam's HotelPhoenix, ArizonaHorner's Book Store132 North 1st AvenuePhoenix, ArizonaBaptist Book Store390 North 1st AvenuePhoenix, Arizonaor your favorite book store.The EndCOVENANTER WITNESS

slip."money!"The Cat That Looked at the ModeratorBy Rev. Hugh J. Blair, B.A.There were some important visitors at theSynod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland, which met in Belfast recently. There were theModerator of the Reformed Presbyterian Church ofScotland, Dr. Guthrie, and the Moderator of thePresbyterian Church in Ireland, Dr. Knowles,andothers; and the ministers and elders of the Synodwere most interested in them. But there was onevisitor that proved more interesting still, or at leastmore unusual. During one of the meetings, a blackcat walked solemnly down one aisle of the churchwhere the Synod was held, stepped into one of thefront pews, jumped up on the seat, and sat therelooking at the Moderator. And I suppose that if acat can look at a king, there's nothing to prevent herlooking at the Moderator !Was she there to bring good luck to the Synod ?I do not think so. For one thing,even superstitiouspeople are not agreed that a black cat is lucky. Insome parts of the world a black cat is considered avery good omen ; in other parts, to see a black cat isconsidered the height of ill-luck. But, more important still, I do not believe that the success of theSynod or of anything else depends on luck at all. Isuppose there were superstitious people among theEgyptians who considered it very good luck for theIsraelites that the Red Sea opened at the right moment to let them through, and very bad luck for themthat the waters closed on their horses and chariotsand men. But it wasn't luck :it was God. And I suppose there may have been some people in Philippilong ago who thought it was very lucky for Paul andSilas that an earthquake burst open the doors oftheir prison and terrified the jailor into letting themgo free. But it wasn't luck : it was God. And so I hopeyou will cut the words 'luck' and 'lucky' out of yourvocabulary altogether, for our lives are not in thecontrol of luck or chance at all : we are always in thehands of God.But that has taken us a long way from the catthat looked at the Moderator. She sat very still fora while: I was sitting a few seats behind her, andI could see her little black ears sticking up above theseat, as she fixed her eyes unwaveringly on theModerator. But after a while she began to get restless : she would look towards the front for a while,and then she would turn round and look at those ofus who were sitting behind her. Then she wouldlook at the Moderator again, and then back at theseats behind, until, finally, she seemed to have decided that she had had enough, for she jumped downfrom the seat, walked down the other aisle, and outthrough the door, and we didn't see her again. Andthat was the end of the tale of the cat that looked atthe Moderator.But I couldn't help thinking that she was perhaps a little like some of the boys and girls andsome of the grown-up people, toowho come tochurch. They listen very carefully for a while, looking straight forward and watching the minister verycarefully. Then their minds begin to wander, andthey start looking round at the other people, to seewhat they are doing. And then, though they themselves stay in church until the end of the service,their attention has gone altogether, and they mightSeptember 29, 1954as well be somewhere else. Jesus told once about people like that. They hear the word, He said, but theword is like seed that falls on a hard path :it nevergets in, and the birds snatch it away before it cangrow at all.Of course, there was some excuse for the cat.There was nothing in church that she needed, noteven a church mouse, which wouldn't have done hermuch good anyway, for church mice are known to bevery thin and poor ! But there is no excuse for us, forwe come to church to get the best thing in the worldand to hear the best news in the world. And if wedo not listen as we should, we will lose the blessingthat God has for us. "Therefore, we ought to givethe more earnest heed to the things which we haveheard, lest at any time we should let themThe Reformed Presbyterian WitnessTither's CornerYOUR MONEY AND YOUR LIFE"Money, money, always asking forWhat is money anyhow ? Is it the root of all evil,as some affirm who misquote the Bible? Is it thesource of all good as some imply by grabbing all theycan? It is neither.Money is neither good nor bad. It is a good thingto have but it has no character. Money is dead withno more life than the sand on the seashore. Moneyhas no mind, no heart, no emotion. It cannot thinkneither can it act. Money has no morals. It is neitherhonest nor dishonest. It has no aspiration to be anything, do anything or go anywhere. It has no powerto love or to hate. Of itself it can neither ennoblenor debauch a human soul.My money is myself no better and no worse.What I am, it is ; what I do, it does ; where I go, itgoes ; what I love it loves. Money, legitimately gotten,is crystalized life. My pay-check is the equivalent ofthe life I expended to get it. It is not your moneynor your life." It is your money which is your life.All life comes from and belongs to God. It isto be expended for the glory of God. The paying ofmy tithe does not imply that the other nine-tenthsare mine. The tithe is merely a token recognition ofHis total ownership. When I pay my rent to my landlord it is a required acknowledgment that the placein which I live does not belong to me.What God asks in the payment of the titheis a mere token recognition that we are His.D. H. ElliottCURRENT EVENTS . . . Cont'd from page 195ment is sponsoring the project in order to develop new farming areas. Hitherto the Bolivian economy has been dependentalmost entirely on tin mining. There is good subtropical farming land available in the lower regions of the Andes, but theBolivian Indians have been reluctant to move there and adoptmodern farming methods. The Okinawans are good farmersand are willing to move because they are badly crowded ontheir home island. A Bolivian commission went to Okinawaand selected over a thousand immigrants from among tenthousand applicants. Eventually a colonyof 12,000 will be established, with a railroad outlet through Brazil. Suitable immigrants from other countries are also welcome.199

will.'REMO I. ROBB, D.D.ECtH. Allen Tupper (Great Texts andTheir Treatment)CovemTO ILLUSTRATE THE C.Y.P.U.TOPICSOctober 3 My Part in the Home.A Modern Heroine.One Sabbath evening in a Westernfarmhouse, a plain farmer was teachinghis little girl Charles Wesley's hymn,"A Charge to Keep I Have." They cameto the verse:'To serve the present age,My calling to fulfill-On, may it all my powers engageTo do my Master'sThe godly father told his little daughter thai the Creator had brought herinto the world in order that she mightfulfill that verse. The child believed it.Thenceforth that was her understandingof what she was born for. And becausethat verse took possession of that littlegirl and started her on a great career,Frances E. Willard stands in perpetualmarble in Statuary Hall in the Capitolat Washington, the one woman whosestatue has a place under the dome inthe nation's Hall of Fame.October 10 My Part in the Church.The Necessary Spark.Recently I have visited Fort Monroeand was taken through those interesting barracks. An officer, pointing out agreat gun, said to me: "With that wecould tear to pieces yonder wall of stoneand destroy many lives thousands ofyardsaway."A friend, standing near,said: "Not so; that gun itself is powerless." "Oh,"the officer exclaimed, "ofcourse we must first place powder andshell in it, and then the disastrous workwill be done." The reply was made: "Allof your guns and powder and shell areabsolutely powerless to make any impression in themselves. One thing islacking." "Yes,"he said, "but a sparkof fire would hurl forth the missile ofdeath and bring about the great destruction."We may have bigguns in the pulpitand in the pew, we may have the finestmachinery and external equipment; butunless we have the fire of the HolySpirit we can never shatter the strongholds of Satan and bring in the rule ofour Spiritual King.200October 17 My Part in School andCommunity.Are We Responsible?The implications of a doctrine of human brotherhood are somewhat exacting and it is therefore easier to denythat the social classes owe anything toone another.In the days when William H. Taftwas governor-general of the Philippines,some American citizens sangFilipino:about the'He may be a brother of William H.Taft,But he ain't no brother of mine.'"Dear Jesus," prayed a little girl atbedtime, "we saw a man today withoutan overcoat and he was very cold, andhe looked very hungry, but it's noneof our business, is it, Jesus?"A business man, asked to subscribeto some temperance enterprise, refusedto help on the ground that it was noneof his business whether other men weredrunk or sober. Two hours afterwarda telegram was given him saying thathis wife and daughter had been killedin a highway accident. As he learnedlater, the driver of the other car hadbeen drinking. At so great a cost didhe learn that social irresponsibility isnot a well reasoned creed.October 24 My Lord A Living Lord.A minister asked an old negro hisreasons for believing in the existence ofGod."Sir,"said he, "I have been heregoing hard upon seventy-five years.Every day since I have been in thisworld I see the sun rise in the east andset in the west. The north star standswhere it did the first time I saw it;the seven stars and Job's coffin keepon the same path in the sky, and neverturn out. It ain't so with man's works.He makes clocks and watches ; they mayrun well for a while; but they get outof fix, and stand still. But the sun andmoon and stars keep on the same wayall the while. There is a wondrousPower that makes one man die and another get well; that sends the rain,motion."and keeps everything inOctober 31 My Lord A Just God.God Uses Men.Justice is positive. It means the painsFortaking bestowal upon other lives of thesame sort of constant, sacrificial ministry, bylived and without which we could notwhich we ourselves havereally live at all. Father Damien goesout to the lepers because he knows thatif he were a leper he would not wish tobe in helpless, unbefriended isolation,unrelieved by any touch of human kindness. Florence Nightingale goes out tothe Crimea because she knows thatif she were a wounded soldier broughtin from the battlefield, she would notwant to toss in pain unnursed by a woman's gentleness. Pioneers blaze thetrail of medical missions, because theyknow that if means of healing wereanywhere available, theywould notwish to lie in needless pain or see theirloved ones die in agony amid the rattleof witch doctor's drums. If once theGolden Rule were taken seriously, ifmen in earnest put themselves in theplace of all oppressed, benighted folk,unbefriended, and cheated of their sharein civilization's gains, and if in earnestthey set themselvesto do for themwhat they themselves in similar casewould need, there would come a worldwide tranformation of social life.REPORTS OF THEGRINNELL CONVENTIONCOMMITTEESTHE PLAN OF WORK COMMITTEEWe, of the Plan of Work Committee,recommended as a four year objective,the following items under the generalheading,OUR COVENANT OBLIGATIONS INSPIRITUAL GROWTH.These are to be adjusted to the conditions and needs of the local society.1. Bible Study Memory.We suggest the introduction of asystematic individual Bible study andmemorization with a regularly plannedgroup discussion. Methods are to bedecided by the local societies.2. Witnessing.We suggest the formation of evangelistic groups, both speaking and singing,for the purpose of sharing withothers our experiences in the Lord.We suggest also that a visitation program be set up in cooperation with thepastor.COVENANTER WITNESS

)ESYOUNG PEOPLE'SSECRETARYung People3. Inter-society Fellowship.means asWe encourage the promotion of intersocietyfellowship by suchjoint meetings, Psalm sings, and taperecordings.4. Goal Post.We recommend the continuation ofthe Goal Post and that each society be100% subscribed.5. Christian Amendment Movement.Whereas the radio program, "TheWay Out,'' is beingin 33 states, and is beingcarried on stationscarried free,as a public service, we recommend thatthose living within listening area of anyradio station broadcasting the CAMmessage, send a letter of thanks to therespective station, and that each societyassume the monthly cost ($1.50) to theCAM of sending out the program forone station (or more).6. Reports.Each society shall report at the nextmeeting of its conference on what hasbeen done to fulfill the standing Planof Work. This will provide a stimulus,and also make possible a better recordof accomplishment.7. Staff Members.We recommend the adoption of theitems proposed by the C.Y.P.U. Staffconcerning changes in the Staff membership and in methods of their election,as follows :a. The Staff shall be enlarged fromfive to six members one from eachconference.b. Each conference in its turn shallchoose its own representative for a termof three years.c. These qualifications shall be observed:(1) The nominees must be so locatedthat they are able to attend Staff meetings.(2) The nominees should be membersof the conference they represent, butif no suitable nominee is available inthe conference,choice may be madefrom other available members of otherconferences.d. Inasmuch as Pittsburgh, Ohio andForest Park conferences have presentrepresentatives on the Staff, we suggest that(1) One Staff member be elected bySeptember 29, 1954White Lake conference for a threeyear term;(2) One Staff member be electedby Pacific Coast conference for a threeyear term;(3) One Staff member be electedby Colorado Conference to complete theunexpired ter-m of Martha Caskey.e. The Staff shall be authorized:(1) To invite youngpeople fromoverseas C.Y.P to join the Staff forterms of one year and to give them fullStaff privileges.cur,(2) To fill vacancies which may ocuntil the next conference executiveor business meeting.Signed:Robert Gross, chairman, David Patterson, Bob Templeton, Billy Jean Kersey,Keith Copeland, Margaret Weir.Note: The C.Y.P.U. Staff for the comingyear, with the date when their termsare finished, is as follows:Glenn McFarland, 1955Ray Joseph, 1956Loren Walcott, 1957Nancy Mandeville, 1955Marcia Elliott, 1956Ray McCracken, 1957THE GOAL POST COMMITTEEThe Goal Post Committee respectivelysubmits the following report:1. We recommend that there be avote of the entire young people's groupwhich will determine the continuationof the youngpeople's magazine. (Thevote was taken at the convention andwas unanimously in favor of continuingthe magazine)2. We recommend that the cover,type and number of pages of the GoalPost remain the same.(A monthly magazine, 6x9, eight pages).3. We recommend that the magazine,from time to time, give some of itspages for pictures of different campsights and activities, and that the remaining contents be left to the discretion of the C.Y.P.U. Staff.4. We recommend that each societyappoint a reporter who will be responsible for reporting society news to thePresbyterial reporters, and for urgingsubscriptions to our magazine.RespectfullyDick Cunningham, chairmanGlenn McFarlandJim RelfRonnie Nimicksubmitted by:Virginia WilsonEllen KeysHarriet Harrington.THE CRUSADER'S CORPSCOMMITTEEWe recommend that1. The Covenanter Crusader's Corpsbe continued, provided there is a demandfrom the churches and a response to thedemand by the young people.2. The age limits for Crusader's Teammembers shall be continued as previouslydesignated.(High school graduate age through oneyear out of college).3. Others mayattend the TrainingSchool for personal value or for preparation in working in their own congregations. The age limit for these shallbe not lower than 16.4. The expenses of Team members atthe Training School shall be paid infull, and the expenses of others shall bepaid in half.5. Travelingexpenses for the teamsshall be paid from the Training Schoolto the congregations served and fromthe last congregation to their homes.6. Everya sum ofconference shall contributemoney to the CovenanterCrusader Corps according to its means.Respectfully submitted byRoberta McFarland, chairmanJim TempletonDavid ParkGwen ElliottJean Dill.SUBSCRIPTION BLANKThe Goal Post, 1102Beaver Falls, Pa.Ninth Ave.Please send me ONE subscription tothe GOAL POST at $1.50Our Society would like to haveSubscriptions to the GOAL POST at$1.50 each, total $NameStreetCity201

you?"Lesson Helps for the Week of October 17, 1954C.Y.P.U. TOPICFor October 17, 1954MY PARTIN THE SCHOOL ANDPsalms:COMMUNITYDeut. 6:3-9.107:1-6, page 26478: 1-6, page 187108:1-4, page 27052:1, 5-8, page 134119:(part 16) 1, 2, page 304.References: 2 Kings 23:23-25; Psalms 37:31; 40:4; 40:8; Prov. 10:21; Malachi3:16; Matt. 10:37; 22:37; 2 Cor. 3:3;Eph. 4:29; 6:4; 1 John 5:3.Comments by Remo I. Robb, D.D.The community in which you live, likeyour home, and often like your church,is something of which you are a partwhen you come to consciousness. As achild you have ridden past the schoolwhere the "big kids" go, and the highschool where they play football and havea band. You have tingled to the wailof the fire chief's siren and maybe chasedafter it to a false alarm, or somethingbetter. You have milled among the crowdsat a picnic, where "everybody's there."Countless experiences through childhoodand youth make you a part of your community.The hospital and the church will touchyou in earliest childhood but the mostlasting touch with your community islikely to be the school. Here you willattend nine to ten months a year fortwelve years, from childhood to mid- teenage. What is "my1. The Study Part.part"there?It need hardly be said that one goes toschool to learn and that learning comesby study. Oh, there's always the .personto whom lessons are dull, teachers arecranky, exams are hard, so what's theuse?A young man, who had stopped collegein his second year, was talkingwith a boy who wanted to dropthis overout ofhigh school and go to work in a radioshop "where there's bigasked "How much math have"I got algebra andmoney."Hegeometry." "Well,"said the man, "Maybe with that, youcould get to be a top lineman for Western Union, or something; but you'd nevergo much farther because above that theydeal in mathematics you've never heardof. And guys with college math and lotsof basic science would come in after youand pass you right up. The thing for youto do is get all the school you can withlots of math and physics and relatedwork. Then when there'syou'll be202doin' it."passin'up to do,So much for the idea of study,But ithas its problems. Most schools teach evolution as a science, which it is not. Whatis your part in a class like that? For onething, remember that the theory of evolution is having to change with everygeneration. The Bible teaching of creation has never changed. Even the little"evidence"which the evolutionists cherishis being over-ruled little bylittle. Butyour professor runs your class, and he'llflunk you if you don't answer his way.The late Dr. Withrow advised Christianyoung people to qualify their answers bysaying or writing "According to the textbook," says."or "The author In that waythe student may avoid argument, and yetspeak truly.2. The Other Part.tiesThere's the question of proms and pardancing always, sometimes liquoron a hip, and difficult temptations of anew generation. One fine young lady metthese problems by staying away from theaffairs, and so excelling in the things sheliked that she became very popular. Doyou like art and decoration? High Schoolhas a thousand uses for you. How aboutathletics? Ever know a top tackle or astar forward who was not popular inschool? Or do you write? Playan instrument? Or what have you? Your partas a Christian young person is to separate from the world's way of pleasure, andto find your enjoyment in the very bestuse of God's gifts.3. The Work Part.The question of a job is an annualmatter. One fellow goes to a mill, makesa "minto'money,"but works on Sabbath.Same for a girl who waits tables in aswank hotel. A good driver gets a truckjob, but it's for a beer distributor. "Itseems like all the good jobs have sump'n'em."wrong withRemember, you are Christ's who saidcommandments.""If ye love me, keep my1. How old was Esau when he married? Genesis 26:342. Did he marry good women? Genesis26:35; Genesis 27:46And if the job before you disregards one 3. Was Esau sorry he had sold hiseven onepart does not lie there.4. The Community Part.Community servicesof His commandments, yoursometimes havetheir problems. One likes to be a part ofthe community and carry his share ofcommunity tasks. A great many volunteerfire companies raise their money byoperating bingo nights. This is a definiteform of gambling. You may wish toserve as a volunteer fireman as a community service. How can you be a part ofan organization already committed todoing wrong? The clearest step is to stayout and seek to do other service. Theother alternative is to join under a writtenprotest against the evil, so that the organization will know your witness againstit.Jesus Christ is Saviour and Lord ofmen and of nations, and of communities.part""My in the community is to loveHim above all else, and to keep His commandments.SOME SCHOOL AND COMMUNITYANGLES TO STRAIGHTEN OUT1. Would a Bible course be a help inyour High School? Who would be thebest teacher in your community?2. What steps would you take to starta Bible Studyfriends?class among your school3. Team travel late Saturdaynight andearly Sabbath morning is getting to be aproblem. How would you meet it?4. Charity drives in a community maykick-off"start with a "Sunday dinner. Isthat necessity or mercy?5. You find some members of yourschool band drinking liquor on a trip.Would you report it?6. A cigarette agent passes out samplesto your crowd. Everybodytakes them.Would you take one and throw it away?Give it to a smoking friend? Flatly refuse?JUNIOR TOPICOctober 17, 1954JACOB'S LAST DAY AT HOMEMrs. M. K. CarsonScripture: Genesis. Chapters 27-28.Memory Verse: Genesis 28:15a.Psalms:46:1, 6, page 119 Psalm-of-the-month.73:9-10, page 179139:4, 6, 10, page 341References: Find the answers to thesequestions.birthright? Genesis 27:36; Hebrews 12:174. Did he truly repent? Hebrews 12:175. About how old was Isaac in thestoryof the stolen blessing? Gen. 25:26; 26:346. Considering his age at his death(Genesis 35:28), about how much of hislife was passed with dim eyesight?7. Why did Jacob leave home? Gen.27:42,438. How long did his mother think hewould be gone? Genesis 27:449. How long did he stay with Laban?Genesis 31:41Esau and Jacob were born at theWell Lahai-roi, "well of him that livethCOVENANTER WITNESS

me,"covenant"man."above."sense"andseethBeer-sheba, "well of theand they lived atwhere God had said, "I am with thee."(By the way, which of the four wellswe talked about last week had themost crosses in it by the end of theweek?) Surely God was often mentionedin the home training of these boys, yethow far from Him did they live! Esauhad no desire for the things of the Lord,and sold his birthright, and while Jacobbelieved the promises of God and wantedthem for himself and his children, yethe lived such a selfish life that hecheated his brother in order to get forhimself his father's blessing. God wasstill the God of Abraham and of Isaacbut Jacob had not yet accepted Him asLord of his life.Blessing"The story of the "Stolenis one of the most familiar in the Bibleand is one the children would like toread from the Bible themselves. If theyare old enough to read easily, assignthe four main characters to four goodreaders, while the leader reads the connecting narrative. If the children areyounger, let them act out the story afterthe leader tells it. Flannelgraph picturesare available for this story and wouldbe effective. (The Synodical Library hasone for loan, also one of Jacob's Ladder.First come, first served.)We know from the Bible that Jacobwas the chosen of God to receive thepromises made to Abraham and Isaac.Had Jacob and his mother waitedpatiently in faith the blessing wouldhave come to Jacob in God's own goodtime and way. But Rebekah was afraidEsau would get the blessings and shefelt she must prevent that. Is it everright to do evil that good may come?Read Romans 3 :8. God allowed Jacob tohave the blessingsince that was Hiswill, but let us think of some of thethings that Jacob suffered because hegot the blessing in the wrong way.First of all,he made his brother soangry that Esau was ready to kill him.Jacob not only had to leave his homeand his parents to be safe from Esau,but many, many years he lived in fearthat Esau would find him and kill him.Then he would always remember having lied to his father, and that is nota happy state of mind. As far as wecan tell, he never saw again the motherhe loved so dearly, for she had diedwhen he returned to Beer-sheba yearslater. His father-in-law, and later onhis own sons, deceived him cruelly, andthat may have been part of God'spunishment. Jacob got what he wanted,but along with it he got many things hecertainly did not want. Be sure to letGod work out His plan in our lives: wewill always find trouble if we try toget what we want in a wrong way.September 29, 1954Jacob left home, afraid for his life,and started on the long road north toHaran, the old home of his mother. Onyour map find Beer-sheba, away to thesouth, and then find Haran, clear offthe edge of some of the maps awayto the north, some three hundred milesapart. Jacob was the son of a very richman and could have been given camelsand a great caravan for his journey,but perhaps he had to slip awaysecretly lest Esau would follow him, sohe had to go on foot. What a long,weary journey for a man alone, and onfoot. His heart would be heavy, andhe may have been afraid of robbers orof wild animals. He must often havewished he had never deceived his father.One night when the sun set, he laydown to rest with only some stones fora pillow and his thoughts for company.But what a dream he had! Read Gen.28:12. And from the top of the ladder,God spoke to him. Read verses 13-15.The same wonderful promises madelong ago to his father and to his grandfather were now made to him.Jacob never forgot that night nor theplace. Read verses 16-22.In spite ofhis sin, and Jacob had sinned greatly,God still loved him. Read Romans 5:8.Repeat the memory verse.For your note-book, write "God" atthe top of the page and "Jacob" atthe bottom. Draw a ladder with fiverungs connecting the two words andprint on the rungs, the words, BEHOLD,I AM WITH THEE.For the flash-card,ladder with the same words.draw a similarSABBATH SCHOOL LESSONOctober 17, 1954by Rev. Joseph A. Hill(Lessons based on International Sunday SchoolLessons; the Internationa] Bible Lessons forChristian Teaching, copyrighted by the International Council of Religious Education.)WISDOM FOR DADLY LIVINGLesson Material: Proverbs 3-4Printed Text: Proverbs 3:1-6, 9; 4:10-15,18, 19.Memory Verse: Proverbs 3:5, 6.Note: Beginning with this lesson, we areto have a series of five studies in theBook of Proverbs.Everyone is familiar with the maximsof the Book of Proverbs. There are many"proverbs"and pithy sayings uttered todaywhich are not to be found in theBook of Proverbs. "A stitch in time savesnine";"A bird in the hand is worthtwo in the bush"these common-sensestatements come from human experience,and are not to be found in the Word ofGod. The Proverbs of the Bible, whilethey were born in the minds of menthrough experience, are not merely "goodadvice"for prudent living, but mandatesof the sovereign God, that man mightlive, not merely for man's own well being,but for the glory of God. The Proverbsof the Bible are not primarily the sayingsof men: they are a part of the Word ofGod. They constitute, for the most part,some of "the duties which God requiresofIt is no doubt true that the variousproverbs of the Book were commonlyknown and often quoted, long before theywere collected and assembled to form theBook of Proverbs. The book contains i\summary of the best thinking of the ageon practical, everyday matters. But whenthe well-known proverbs were compiledin the "Book of Proverbs" by Solomon,whose work was guided by divine inspiration, God placed His own endorsementupon the "commonsense"of men. Godcould sanction it and place upon it Hisseal of inspiration only because God hadrevealed this "common sense wisdom tomen in the first place.God reveals all knowledge to men. Manderives his knowledge of science andmathematics, as well as of religion, fromGod. The source of wisdom for thepractical affairs of life is the mind ofGod. Man was created in the image ofGod, and therefore man's mind is a mirror reflecting the wisdom of God. Manthinks "God's thoughts after him." But!the reflecting surface of man's mindis completely covered by an opaque filmof sin. Man thinks God's thoughts afterHim only very imperfectly. Man couldnot get along merely with "commonsense,"for man as a sinner tends totwist God's thoughts and turn the truthof God into a lie. Man needs, in addition to human observation and commonsense, a special revelation, deposited inScripture, to preserve "the wisdom that isfrom Without the Scriptures,man's "common would be so confused because of sin that it would benonsense, and man's wisdom would turnout to be folly. The Proverbs, therefore,are not products of human wisdom, butof divine wisdom, preserved in the bodyof inspired Scripture, that sinful menmight keep the truth of God before theireyes, and practice it in their lives.So important is true wisdom for thelife of righteousness that almost one-thirdof the Book (chapters 1-9) is given to it,and it is the theme of the entire book, asstated in 1:2-7. The Book is a balancedstructure based on the antithesis betweenrighteousness and sin, wisdom and folly.It declares that the thinking and conductof the wicked man is folly, while that ofthe righteous man is wisdom. The Proverbs are assembled in an alternating pattern, showingthe black-and-white contrast between the good man and the evilman: "The wise shall inherit glory: but203

conversion"shame shall be the promotion of fools"(3:35).Questions for Discussion(Chapters 3 and 4).I. The Glory of Wisdom (3:1-20)1. What is wisdom?2. Why is man's wisdom unreliable?(3:5)3. How do we know that God is thesource of all wisdom?4. What are some of the rewards ofseeking wisdom, mentioned in 3:1-20?II. The Lord Preserves Those SeekingWisdom (3:21-26)5. How are the wise said to be kept insafety?6. Is the wise man always preservedfrom adversity?III. The Wisdom of Dealing BountifullyWith Men (3:27-35)7. How does wisdom fit in with theduty of love toward one's neighbor?8. What are some ways of dealingwisely with others?IV. The Instruction of a Father (chapter4)9. Why is it wise to listen and heedthe advice of those in authority?10. Why is wisdom said to be "theprincipal thing"? (4:7).11. Why is it not necessary to experience certain sins, e.g.,drunkenness, inorder to know the folly of them? (4:14-18)12. In what sense is the pathway of therighteous man as the dawning light ofday? (4:18 R. V.)PRAYER MEETING TOPICOctober 20, 1954CONVERSIONGENERAL ANDPsalms:PARTICULARRev. Lester E. KilpatrickJonah 3:5-10; John 1:12, 1380:1, 4, page 19851:5, 6, 9, page 13378:22-25, page 189References: All men are sinful: Rom 3:10-12, 23; Psa. 143:2; find others.Superficial repentance: I Kings 21:27-29; Ex. 8:8, 21, 28; 9:27, 29; 10:16,17; I Sam. 15:24-31.Evidence of conversion: Acts 19:18,19; find others.Having considered in this series 3rdWednesday of each month God's requirements for salvation, faith and repentance, we continue with a study of theresults in our lives, namely, conversion.Conversion is a "turnaround"in themanner of life. If the conversion is fromthe heart, it is because God has wroughtthere the new birth.Even the world sees the need for amoral change in some menneed is there in allthough theand in its widestsense that is what conversion is. Somewho know nothing of regeneration are204giving considerable attention to juveniledelinquency. And those closest to thatproblem see the need for a change, notjust in the youth who run afoul of thelaw, but in his parents.Judge Gilliam, successor to JudgeLindsay, Juvenile Court, Denver, says,"You can't just pat them on the headand give them a ball and bat, and tellthem to run and play. If you could dothat they wouldn't be delinquent. Furthermore, you couldn't trust most of themwith a baseball bat. These kids are mean,vicious.They want to kick somebody'steeth in. Do you believe that 'There is nosuch thing as a bad boy?' I'm almostready to say that 'There is no such thingas a good boy.' "It appears that Judge Gilliam does notmean the same by this statement as theScriptures which teach that the wholehuman race is sinful, and in need of redemption. But it is a far more realistic attitude, and more consonant with theScriptures, than the popular drivel thatall men are brothers, sons of God, in needonlyof proper education.ConversionGeneralIn Nineveh, Jonah, even though helwas going there only under compulsion,found a sympathetic and attentive hearing. When they heard the message ofGod's impending judgment they recognized the justice of it as they thought oftheir oppressiveness toward the helpless,of their wicked debauchery, their deceitand fraud. They turned from their sin andsecular ignoring of God and His claims.They were converted, turned about, andGod repented of the threatened judgment.This does not mean that the peopleof Nineveh came over en masse to become servants of the true God. They performed what isoutward. They fearedthe punishment due them for their sins,so they ceased their sins, at least for atime.Fear of punishment is a perfectly legitimate expedient to use to turn men fromsin. Noah, "moved with fear, prepared anark to the saving of his house" (Heb. 11:7). Jesus said, "Fear him who is able todestroy both soul and body in hell" (Mt.10:28). Many have been turned fromsin to righteousness, as were the Ninevites(3:8, 10), through fear of judgment,or, it may be, for even less commendablereasons. They are converted, so far as thehuman eye can see. Later, or at the time,they may come truly to believe God andto love Him.Thus, churches and those engaged inmissionary effort, count their "conversions"or their "converts" as a measure oftheir success. Within proper bounds, thisis proper, provided it is rememberedthough it is often forgottenthat thisnumbering is merely a count of thoseoutwardly giving indication of faith, andthat these may, or may not, be Christians.Becauseof the uncertaintyas to themeaning, it is probably better to speakof"professions"in this sense, ratherthan "conversions," and await the evidence of a transformed life to speak ofthe profession as a conversion.ConversionParticularOf those who give outward indicationof conversion, as the Ninevites and Ahab(I Kings 21:27), a usually somewhatsmaller number are truly converted. Theoutward flight from the just judgmentof God is accompanied by yes, springsfrom a heart that is changed from alove of self to a love toward God (John1:12, 13; Matt. 20:16)It is the special work of the Holy Spirit(Rom. 8:2, 9) alone that can change theheart, and without this no one can betruly converted.It would appear that most of the Ninevites were not truly converted, for Scripture leaves us no evidence of an Assyriantestimony to the true God. In fact, for thenext 200 years, until her downfall, Assyria was the inveterate enemy of God'speople, except for brief periods when expediencyand common enemies madethem temporarily friendly. Yet, throughthe preaching of Jonah, a testimony wasleft in that early time of God's concernfor those outside the Jewish nation, andof His exceeding great mercy and forbearance toward those who turn to HimingConversion is a radical change, a turnaround. A church that does not seeconversions through its ministry may betempted to follow the pattern of thosegroups and denominations that are getting great numbers to profess. Rather,they should humble themselves in examininganew the Word of God andtheir own obedience to it.There is some small movement inpresent day popular evangelism, towardpreaching, not only the need for an actof faith, repentance and profession, butalso of the need for a "converted" life,a life of Bible study, of a separated life,and of obedience, even when it requiressacrifice. Our own church has imbibed thespirit of our age, to the effect that onemay be a Christian by professing faithin Christ, and then doing pretty muchas the customs of society and the pressure of economic need dictate. Conversion, a manner of life opposite to thatdemanded by the flesh, is a necessity.wFor Discussion:1. Report on Ahab's conversion (I K.21:27).2. What can be said of the "generalof a people such as the Ninevites or of Japan in the two or three(Continued on page 205)COVENANTER WITNESS

NOTICE TO CONTRIBUTORSFor the convenience of our typesettersand others we ask that you double spaceyour manuscript. Handwriting- has to betyped at this office, means extra expense, and may delay publication afull week. Editor.OLATHE: A farewell party was givento Mrs. Chester Hutcheson by theOlathe Congregation, Wednesday night,August 25. Mrs. Harvey McGee led theDevotional Period after which therewas a piano trio by Mrs. Frank Stewart,and Martha and Anna Hutcheson. Atravelogue film "See America First"with senic views from many parts ofAmerica as seen from a GreyhoundBus, was shown and was enjoyed byall. The Chairman of the Congregation,Mr. Edgar Moore, then presented Mrs.Hutcheson with a beautiful pieceluggage and a General Electric SteamIron, gifts from the congregation. Wethen retired to the basement wheredelicious refreshments were served froma lovely decorated table. The programof the evening was planned by theSocial CommitteeofMr. and Mrs. JamesRedpath, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Gifford,Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Spencer and Mr.and Mrs. Clyde Redpath.PHOENIX: Dr. A. J. McFarland was inPhoenix booking the CAM Program onlocal radio stations. He preached for usboth morning and 'evening of the 29th ofAugust. His son Armour returned fromthe Palisades with the Phoenix group andaccompanied Dr. McFarland home.MONTCLAIR: Four of our young people are in attendance at Geneva Collegethis year; Marion McFarland, WendelMcBurney, and Tom Park are seniors.Mary Jane Park is entering her first year.Gene McFarland is a sophomore inBloomfield College.WINCHESTER: Rev. Waldo Mitchelpreached for us August 1.NEW YORK CITY: Mr. C.HaroldHutcheson of Olathe, Kansas,congregation and until recently at the AmericanMission, Latakia, Syria, was a visitor ofthe New York City congregation Sabbath,September 12.MONTCLAIR: The Rev. and Mrs.Luther McFarland and sons Marion andGene visited friends and relatives in themid-west after Grinnell. They returnedthe evening of September 1 to find members of the congregation in the midst ofredecorating the church auditorium.PHOENIX: Mrs. Mae Logan anddaughter Esther traveled with the Mc-Farland's to Topeka, Kansas.HOPKINTON: Mrs. Helen Johnson isteaching music in the town school andMrs. Florence Kenny is teaching in ,a district school in the vicinity of Hopkinton.Hopkinton has furnished many teachersboth for local and more distant schoolsand some of these have become schoolsuperintendents.TOPEKA: Mr. and Mrs. Bob McCracken worshiped with us on September5 and we appreciated receiving first handa report of the Pacific Pallisades Conference and the work being done atPhoenix.WINCHESTER: Bruce Curry visitedhis father, Mr. Neil Curry, then Neil accompanied Bruce to Denver to visit hissister, Mrs. John Madory and family.Bruce went on to Fort Collins to resumehis school work.KANSAS CITY. On Wednesday evening, September 15, Dr. R. Paul Wrightbrought to our house two gifts. One wasabook'whose decorated title page of"Notes from Auld Lang Syne" was followed bymessages to us from members and famipage after page of personallies of this congregation. It had been assembled and reproduced by Miss Margaret Hall. We shall often turn to this bookwith gratitude and emotion.The other gift was an envelope containing very generous checks from thecongregation and Sabbath School.We are thankful to the Lord and thiscongregation for these bountiful gifts oflove as fresh tokens of the kindly appreciation which has marked the fellowship of our years together.Paul and Margaret ColemanLAKE RENO: Miss Helen and MissFlorence Fattal of our Latakia, Syria,Mission visited their Uncle, Dr. J. R. Elsey following the Grinnell Conference.These fine young women easilywon theirway into our hearts. A party and handkerchief shower was given in their honorat the Ermel Blair home.Effective at once, the address of Reverend and Mrs. James D. Carson will be2415 N. E. 41st, Portland 13, Oregon.MONTCLAIRE: Early in July, Mr.and Mrs. John Park were called to NewKensington, Pa., by the death of Mrs.Emerson Boyd, sister-in-law of Mrs.Park.PHOENIX: Dr. and Mrs. J. G. McElhinney, Miss Lillian McCracken,and Mr.and Mrs. Robert McCracken attended thePacific Palisades Conference the lastweek in August.WINCHESTER: Miss Agnes Kenneybecame the bride of Mr. Richard O'Neillin a very pretty wedding service September 4 at the Presbyterian church at Oskaloosa. Autumn colors were used. After a trip to Colorado theywill maketheir home on the O'Neill old home place.LAKE RENO: Miss Marjorie Mitchel,student nurse at Rochester, Minn., willtake part of her training in Chicago, beginning September 20. Her address willbe: 1010 E. 59th Street, Chicago 37, 111.Attention: Old Bethel W.M.S.Humble apologies for reversing thefigures in the printed page, in the ratingon the S. of E., Witness of September 8.It should be 98% as the highest rating inthe Synodical. Sorry!Supt. S. E. and Ed.years immediately following World WarII, good or bad?3. Discuss Judge Gilliam's statementconcerning bad and good boys.For Prayer:1. For conversions in our own community.2. For new believers in the home churchand in our mission fields.3. That our own lives may give evidence of this radical change.1954 Minutes of Synodnow ready. Send Orders toChester R. Fox, Treas.209 9th Street, Pittsburgh 22, Pa.Price $1.00 per copyEVERY FAMILY IN THE CHURCHshould have a copySeptember 29, 1954205

us?"MONTCLAIR: Elder James A. Beattywas our delegate to Synod. Mrs. Beatty,their sonDonnie, Mrs. Thomas Parkand daughter Mary Jane also attendedGrinnell.PHOENIX: Mrs. Orville Wolcott returned home after spending the summervisiting friends and relatives in SouthDakota. Mr. Wolcott stayed for a longervisit with his father who is not well. Theirson Lauren, who will be a Senior atGeneva this fall, met them and traveledwith them following the Grinnell Conference.GENEVA: "Whom shall I send, andwho will go forIsaiah 6:8 was thetheme of the message our pastor Rev.Robert Tweed gave us on the evening ofSeptember 14 when the congregation helda special meeting with the purpose ofelecting two new elders and two newdeacons. He stressed the need for everymember to be faithful. Rev. Tweed constituted the court. The election was heldresulting in the choice of Merrill Robband William Garrett for elders andfor deacons, Willard Hemphill and Samuel Lathom. May these chosen be willingto say as Isaiah did, "Here am I, sendme."Our thanks is extended to the tellersof the evening, Wendell McBurney ofMontclair, N. J. and Mrs. James Mitchell from Allegheny.KANSAS CITY: The address of Dr.Paul Coleman is now 2421West 49thSt. Terrace, Kansas City 3, Kansas.Phone JO 6444.TOPEKA: School days are here againand our college students are leaving us.Sandra and Bill McElroy will be attending Geneva, Bob McElroy, Kansas Stateat Manhattan, Kansas, and Albert Crane,K. U. at Lawrence, Kansas.LAKE RENO: Sharon Adelaide,daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Roland McCrory, and Rita Ann, daughter of Mr.and Mrs. George Blair, were baptizedAugust 22.WINCHESTER: Rev. R. W. Caskey,Karen and Allen spent part of their vacation in N. Y. They and Mr. Neil Curryattended some of the meetings at WhiteLake Camp. Theyen route.HOPKINTON:visited several placesReleased Time Religious Education Bible Classes for pupilsfrom the first grade through high schoolare being held again this year for onehour each week in the Hopkinton church.MONTCLAIR: The Rev. and Mrs. G.M. Robb spent the last week of theirvacation in Montclair. Mr. Robbpreached for us August 29.PHOENIX: Miss Eleanor Faris spenta few weeks visitingEsther.206with her sister,LAKE RENO : Many friends have beenwelcome guests at our services and inour homes in recent weeks: Mr. and Mrs.Maurice Hutcheson and family, Mr. andMrs. Walter Hutcheson, Mr. and Mrs.Ralph Wilson and familyall fromMorning Sun, Iowa; Misses Helen andFlorence Fattal, Mr. and Mrs. KennethSanderson of Latakia, Syria; Miss EdnaElsey, Detroit, Mich. ; Miss Mary Adamsen route from Sterling, Kansas to Winnipeg, Canada; Miss Marjorie Mitchel,Rochester, Minn.; Mr. and Mrs. Dugdale(Lois Elsey) and family, SouthBend, Ind.; Miss Jean Elsey, Rochester, Minn.; Mr. and Mrs. Jim Blair,Corona, Calif.; Dr. Weir Ewing, ThiefRiver Falls, Minn.; Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Ewing and family, Mineapolis, Minn. ;Mr. and Mrs. Paul McCrory, Denison,Kansas.WINCHESTER: Gerilyn Tompson hasspent the summer with her grandparents,the Everett Houstons. Her parents visited Houstons Labor Day and took herhome to St. Louis.HOPKINTON: Mr. Ray Joseph is inPittsburgh and entering the Seminary forhis second year of studies there.WINCHESTER: Mrs. Irene White anddaughters Minnie Belle and Hazel went toMorning Sun, Iowa, to attend the funeralof Mr. Zeneth McMurtry August 19. Hewas Mrs. White's brother. She stayed withMrs. McMurtry a few days.GENEVA: Worshiping with us onSabbath September 12 were Mr. and Mrs.John D. Muskthel and their friends, Mr.and Mrs. Moore from Eau Claire, Penna.The Muskthels are Associate Presbyterians and were here visiting their cousinsthe Stewart McCreadys.KANSAS CITY: Since the pastor waslaid aside by sickness, we have had two ofhis recorded services; have had the ministry of Raymond Joseph of our Seminary throughout the month of June ; of Licentiate Gene Spear for three Sabbaths, ofRev. Awad of Latakia for a Sabbath, ofDr. D. R. Taggart for a Sabbath; of Licentiate Milton Harrington for two Sabbaths and his illustrated talk on our Kentucky Mission one Wednesday evening.We count it a privilege to have had theleadership of these men and the widenacquaintanceingwith our Covenanterministers. We are grateful to Rev. R.W. Caskeywho came on August 1 aspresbytery's representative to declarethe pulpit vacant. We sxpect Rev. PhilMartin for September 19 and 26.Dr. R. Paul Wright, 4902 BelingerRoad, Kansas City 3, Kansas is ourpulpit correspondent.MONTCLAIR: Mr.and Mrs. OrrinFerry enjoyed a three-weeks trip andvacation in New York and New England states.PHOENIX: Robert Cox has ValleyFever and is confined to the Base Hospital. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cox recentlymoved to their new home at 44 W. GerogiaSt. We wish you a speedy recovery,Bob.WINCHESTER: J. P.,son of Mr. andMrs. Gene Curry of New York, has madean extended visit in the Paul Hensleighhome this summer.HOPKINTON: A reception was heldin the parsonage for Mr. and Mrs. W.Kenneth Sanderson whohave recentlyreturned from Syria on the evening ofSeptember 9, following the prayer meeting. They have spoken on Syria in thechurch and at other meetings in the vicinity. On September 12Mrs. MarjorieSanderson told of the spiritual revival atthe recent conference of students at Sidon.She pointed out that the revival continued after they returned home to Latakia and several weretestifying by wordand life for Christ.WINCHESTER: Bob, Dr. and Mrs.Robert Keys' son, has spent the summerwith his uncle Ross Keys and is enteringGeneva College this fall.MONTCLAIR: The Rev. and Mrs. R.J. Crawford Jr. and children of Etna, Pa.,worshiped with us on August 22.PHOENIX: Mrs. Mary House is homeagain after spending the summer withrelatives in Chicago.WINCHESTER: Mr. and Mrs. JamesLucas visited her brothers Elmer andBob Adams recently.HOPKINTON: Miss Jacquelin patton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. AndrewPatton, has gone to Beaver Falls toenter Geneva College as a freshman.Miss Jean Mitchel of Glenwood cameby way of Hopkinton on her way to Geneva College. Miss Patton and MissMitchel went to Beaver Falls along withMr. W. K. Sanderson, who was drivingeast to visit his parents.PARNASSUS: The Rev. Willard McMillan has declined the call of the Topeka Congregation to become their pastor.Funeral services were held in SUPERIOR, Nebraska, August 21 for Miss NellsHutcheson, a life-long member of theSuperior congregation. Her brothers,Robert and William, and her nephews andnieces whom she cared for after thedeath of their mother were present forthe funeral. Miss Hutcheson spent muchof her life caring for others, first her father, and then her brother's children. Shewas born near Clarinda, Iowa, in 1866.WINCHESTER: Mr. Arthur Duguid,COVENANTER WITNESS

citizens."nation."71, is missed from his place at church,at his business, and at home since hisdeath August 7. The church was crowdedwith relatives and friends for his funeral.Mrs. J. M. Milligan, 89years, wasthe second funeral in the congregationin a week.She passed to her rewardAugust 11. She was very much interestedin the Mission at Selma, Ala., havingworked there twenty-three years.HISTORIC HEARINGSNever before in the historyof theUnited States have there been better attended and more enthusiastic hearings insupport of moral legislation than thoseheld in both Senate and House in supportof the Bryson Bill, H.R. 1227 designed toprohibit the transportation of publications carrying liquor advertising in Interstate Commerce from a wet state into orthrough a dry state, where such manufacture, transportation, or sale, is prohibited by statutory or constitutionallaw.This is the so-called Bryson Bill in theHouse and in the Senate, that enlivenedthe closing weeks of the 83rd Congress,recently adjourned. We have never beforein our experience of more than a half centuryin various official Federation capacities heard more conclusive and convincing arguments presented before aCongressional Committee, or a moralproposal more capablypowerful conviction.presented underWe wish there was room in the September Progress to reprint the 100 pagesof testimony presented before both Houseand Senate Committees which requiredfour days in hearing witnesses on bothsides, pro and against, which broughtfrom the Senate Committee hearings atleast a favorable recommendation, to thefirst session of the 84th session of Congress to convene in January 1955.We feel that progress has been madeand that we are all set for a good drystart when the 84th Session of Congressconvenes, with at least a sympatheticpresident in the White House.The testimony of Dr. R. H. Martinbefore the Senate Committee was one ofthe most forceful and convincing wehave ever heard in support of proposeddry legislation in the half century of ouractivityagainst the liquor traffic.Progress, September 1954SENATOR LANGER REPORTSSinceON STATUS OF C. A. BILLit has been quite widely rumored that the Senate Judiciary Committee acted unfavorablyupon theChristian Amendment bill, we are gladto pass on to the readers of The Covenanter Witness the official information onthis subject which has been receivedSeptember 29, 1954from Senator Langer. His letter is asfollows :United States SenateCommittee on the JudiciaryAugust 27, 1954Rev. T. C. McKnight, PresidentChristian Amendment Movement804 Penn AvenuePittsburgh 21, Penna.Dear Mr. McKnight:Thank you for your letter dated August24, 1954, concerning the status of S.J.Res. 87, the so-called Christian Amendment.S. J. Res. 87 was still pending beforethe Committee on the Judiciary whenCongress adjourned. Consequently, itmust be reintroduced in order that itmay be considered in the next Congress.With kindest regards, I am,(signed)Sincerely,William LangerChairmanTESTIMONY OF DR. R. H. MARTINPresident of theNational Reform AssociationIn support of the Joint Resolution 87on behalf of the Christian Amendment to the Constitution of the UnitedStates.To the members of the JudiciaryCommittee of the Senate :I submit the following testimonyhalf of this proposed Amendment:I.on beInasmuch as this Amendment would include in our Fundamental Law, the Constitution of the United States, a recognition of the authority and law of JesusChrist, the question naturally arises whereshall we go to find what that authorityand law is. The answer is, to the Bible.I submit the following testimony fromoutstanding American statesmen of thecontribution which the Bible has madeto our American civilization and nation:"The Bible is the Rock on which thisRepublicson.rests."President Andrew Jack"The Bible is the source of liberty. Ihave always said, and I always will say,that the studious perusal of the sacredvolume will make betterPresident Thomas Jefferson."To this Book we are indebted for theprogress made in our civilization and tothis Book we must look as our guide inthe future."President U. S. Grant."The more profoundly we study thiswonderful Book and the more closelywe observe its divine precepts, the bettercitizens we will become and the higherwill be the destiny of ourPresident William McKinley."The Bible has been the Magna Chartaof the poor and the oppressed . . . Nowhere is the fundamental truth that thewelfare of the state depends on therighteousness of its citizens so stronglylaid down. The Bible is the most democratic book in theTheodore Roosevelt.world."President"There are great problems before theAmerican people. I would be afraid togo forward if I did not believe that therelay at the foundation of all our schoolingand all our thought the incomparable andunimpeachableWord ofdent Woodrow Wilson.God.""The foundations of societyPresiand government rest so much on the teachings ofthe Bible that it would be difficult tosupport them if faith in these teachingsshould cease to be practically universal inthiscountry."President Calvin Coolidge.Also from our two greatest Presidents:"It is impossible to govern the worldwithout the Bible."George Washington."In regard to the Great Book, I haveonly to say it is the best gift God hasgiven to men .... But for it we wouldnot know right fromLincoln.wrong."AbrahamProgress, September 1954REPORT OF CORRESPONDINGSECRETARY1953-1954Reports from ninety-four societies,grouped inshow a total of 1,617classifications. This isnine presbyterial societies,members of allninety-two lessthan last year. One new society, the NewAlexandria Alva Jack,was organized thisyear. Two Canadian societies, Almonteand Lochiel, joined the New York Presbyterial in May.Average attendance at meetings is 56%of total membership. This is a two-pointimprovement over last year. Worthy ofspecial mention are: Kansas City, Cambridge Missionary Guild, Santa AnaKing's Daughters and Eastvale, whose active membership and average attendanceare the same.Total money receipts were $36,091,$2,473 in excess of last year. Boxes weighing 14,233 pounds were sent on their errands of mercy. A balance of $3,694 stillremained in local treasuries on March 31.Twenty-three letters, fifty-three cardsplus the mailingof report blanks andstatistical material comprise the twoyears of correspondence. The statisticalmaterial has been prepared for the Minutes of Synod each year. This year's reports were especially good in their completeness and promptness, enabling theSecretary to send this material to Synod'sclerk on time. Special thanks are due tolocal and presbyterial secretaries for this.May this poem challenge you to greaterendeavors.Respectfully SubmittedMrs. Wylie Daugherty207

Christian StewardshipPRINCIPLES1. GOD is the Owner of ALL2. Man is the Steward of what he POSSESSES3. GOD requires ACKNOWLEDGMENTINTELLIGENTCHEERFULONE'S SELFBySYSTEMATICGIVING ofiSERVICEPROPORTIONATESUBSTANCESACRIFICIALMETHODSOF YOUR INCOMEKEEP A STRICT ACCOUNTOF YOUR EXPENSESOF YOUR GIFTSA DEFINITE PROPORTIONSEPARATE UNTO THE LORDTHE FIRST FRUITSAT LEAST ONE-TENTHCHRISTIAN LIVINGUSE THE REMAINDER INCHRISTIAN THRIFTCHRISTIAN SERVICEEFFECTSINSURES GOD'S BLESSINGFINANCIAL -{ INCREASES CHURCH REVENUESPIRITUALCONFIRMS FAITHENERGIZES PRAYERSUPPLIES WORLD NEEDENOBLES CHARACTERIT GLORIFIES GODStewardship BureauPresbyterian Church208COVENANTER WITNESS

Missionary NumberLESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 24, 1954THE FIELD tS THE WORLD,THC SD IS THE WORD OP GODVOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1954 NUMBER 14The Challenge of New Fields in IndiaNew fields in India? How can that be? Isn't Indiaone of our oldest fields ? Hasn't the government complained that there are already too many missionaries ? What are these new fields ? Here is what onemissionary has to say about it.Before 1947 there were 562 native states inIndia. Interspersed like a patchwork among theBritish-controlled areas, these states were ruled ineverything except foreign affairs maharajahsor nawabs. Some were large, so large they hadby Indiantheir own railways and coinage. Others were smaller,right down to one that was less than two milessquare actuallyTwo-fifths of India belonged to these nativestates. One-fifth of all the people lived there. Buteven though the maps didn't show them any differan"estate."ent from the rest of India, conditions in the stateswere often very different. Some were progressive,like Mysore; others were just the opposite. Governments were autocratic, and some of the rulers hadlittle concern for the welfare of their subjects. Forvarious reasons manyrulers refused to permit Christian missions in their states.So here were vast areas totally untouched bygospel witness of any kind. For nearly a hundredyears missionaries from British India could not enterscores of these states. They were literally "closedlands."Then in 1947 came independence. Britain hadmaintained the sovereigntyof the native states.But to the new Indian government they were ananachronism. They stood in the way of unifying thecountry. The states would have to go. And in a remarkably short time they were absorbed into theUnion of India. Under the central government atNew Delhi they were grouped to form new provinces,all under the new Indian constitution.What does this mean for missions? Just this:India has written into its constitution a promise offreedom of religion. That means freedom in (the former native states as well as elsewhere. For the firsttime in history, many of these "closed lands" havebecome open to the gospel witness.In 1949 a mission survey called attention tothese territories. It notes that even where there wasa Christian group at all, it was just one to each million of the non-Christian population. Yet in the pastfive years the missions have been slow to respondto this great challenge. Perhaps they haven't hadthe resources to meet it. Perhaps they have seen thecoming opposition to all evangelistic work in India.But the challenge is still there. One medicalevangelisticteam entered such state for the firsttime. Its dispensary won the confidence of the people,and the village elders urged the team to come backagain. One headman said, "I bring you the request of300 men that you stay and open a hospital here." Heknew full well that if it were done, the gospel wouldbe preached, too.What a thrill the missionary feels to name theall-powerful Name in areas hitherto unreached ! Howthrilling to hear people say, "There goes Jesus ChristChrist,"there is much indifference, but when heis passing through a bazaar! He very literally becomes Christ's ambassador and the embodiment ofHis love.But the foreign missionary may not be the oneto answer this challenge. Sometimes God gives visions we can't carry out personally that we may burythem in the hearts of young disciples who will enterthe fray. Maybe it is for the missionary to challengethe Indian Church to arise and enter the open doors.We don't presume to choose the workers who willenter into this eleventh-hour harvest. The LordHimself must send them. But may our vision engageus as never before in victorious prayer that He mayfind suitable laborers to enter these unreaped harvestfields of India !Courtesy of Moody Monthly

once."The book by. Dr. R. H. Martin, Our Public Schools-year.-wagon,-'church."Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D.Bible-hearing BalloonsThe International Council of Christian Churches is sending Bibles behind the iron curtain attached to balloons. Somehave been shot down by communist border guards and confiscated, but the ICCC is determined to continue to send Biblesand tracts in the Czech, Slovak, Polish and Russian languages untilthey have sent 500,000 balloons bearing the Gospelmessage. No doubt many of these Bibles are reaching menand women who greatly desire them. God's Word will notreturn void, but it will accomplish that which He pleases.Promote Better Sabbe

Current EventsBy Prof. William H. Russell, Ph.D.WORLD FORUMThe ninth annual session of the United Nations GeneralAssembly in New York is the first time this body has metwithout having to consider a stooting war somewhere in theworld. But there are still many issues at hand. The first day,the U. S. succeeded in preventing the admission of Red Chinafor another year. Several items on the Assembly agenda reflect strains between underdeveloped countries and the West.The Asian and Arab countries are strongly supporting demands for the independence of Morocco and Tunisia. TheAssembly also agreed to debate Indonesia's request that theNetherlands give her West New Guinea, and Greece's call fora plebescite to decide the future of Cyprus. In both cases theU. S. was caught in an embarrassing dilemma and abstainedfrom voting. India has brought in complaints of South Africa'sdiscrimination against non-white residents, and Jewish spokesmen have asked for a U. N. inquiry into anti-Semitism inRussia and other Communist countries.AGAIN THE MIGHTY ATOMIn his opening speech to the U. N. Assembly, Secretary ofState Dulles renewed President Eisenhower's proposal for international cooperation in the peaceful use of atomic energy.He made clear Russia's responsibility for blocking the earliernegotiations on this project. Russia will not cooperate withouta ban on atomic weapons, but she will not agree to any reliable measures for enforcing such a ban. Dulles proposed aworld bank, under the U. N., to help develop atomic energy,and called for an international scientific congress on the subject next spring.A brief announcement from Moscow reveals the explosionof another atomic bomb, probably somewhere in Siberia. Thismakes the sixth atomic test Russia is known to have carriedout, compared with forty-four for the U. S. The news will nothelp to calm the Japanese, who still have vivid memories ofHiroshima and Nagasaki. They have reacted somewhat hysterically to the death of one of the fishermen who was burnedby atomic dust from our Bikini tests last March.TROUBLE FOR JOESenator Watkins' special committee to consider chargesagainst Senator McCarthy won general respect by its fairnessand its success in keeping the Wisconsin Senator within reasonable bounds inhis testimony. The committee's reportrecommends that the whole Senate censure McCarthy on twogrounds: (1) his failure to appear before a 1951-52 electionssubcommittee investigating his finances; and (2) his abuse ofGeneral Ralph Zwicker. The committee declined to recommendcensure for his abuse of other Senators. McCarthy's action inurging federal employees to give him classified informationwas called "improper," and his own publication of classifiedmaterial a "graveneither matter required formal censure.error;"but the committee decided thatRepublican leaders have again demonstrated their weakness on this issue by deciding not to recall the Senate, toconsider the censure report, until just after the Novemberelections. Nevertheless the matter will be fully discussed during the campaign. McCarthy certainly has lost further prestigeas a result of the committee hearings and report. Even beforethe report came out, he had retired from the campaign, partlyfor reasons of health.October 6, 1954BATTLE FOR NEW YORKAfter a spirited battle within the party, New York Demcr--crats have nominated Averell Harriman for governor. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr., the other leading contender, accepted anomination for Attorney General instead. He thus gives uphis chance for re-election to the U. S. House of Representatives, which would ordinarily be considered a more desirableposition. The breach caused by the pre-convention battle willnot easily be healed. Harriman's nomination was pushedthrough by the Tammany machine of New York City, andthere are no upstate Democrats in the ticket. Harriman hasnever before run for an elective office, though he was a contender for the 1952 Presidential nomination; but he has hadextensive experience in business and in administrative anddiplomatic positions under the federal government. To opposehim the Republicans have nominated Senator Irving Ives, who

Editorial NotesBy Walter McCarrollSummer Slump. The stream of letters from thefields has been reduced to a trickle. There was nonefor the September issue, and but one for the Octoberissue. Is this because the letter writers are all homeon furlough? Or was it because there was so littledoing since last spring that there was nothing towrite about? Or is there a feeling that the HomeChurch has let them down because no replacementswere sent out ? Facts are the fuel that keeps the missionary fires burning, and the Lord's intercessorspraying, so the monthly letters should continueregularly.Foreign Missions at Grinnell. As far as the reports in the Witness reveal, and personal reports indicate, our Foreign Missions were relegated to aunimportant place in the Grinnell prorelativelygrams. Even the Board's Report seems to softpedalthe work of our fellow-laborers in fields abroad.One gains the impression from the length of theBoard's Report, and the brief paragraph reported inthe Witness, that foreign missions did not occupymuch of Synod's time. Other matters appeared tobe more important. But of course one's impressions,far removed from the scene, may be quite differentfrom the actual reality.Then the short shrift given the schools in Syriaand Cyprus, in the announcement that no replacements could be sent out, must have acted as a wetblanket on the spirits of the missionaries. We allknow that schools cannot operate successfully without a full staff of teachers. The missionaries are thusconfronted with a serious problem. Our schools in theNear East have to maintain a high degree of excellence or they might as well close their doors. Whatis the answer? Limit the number of students tothose who can pay higher tuition fees, and reducethe teaching staff correspondingly? A multitude oflives and homes are woven into the web of the schoolsand their closing would work hardship on many, anda great disappointment to thousands scatteredthroughout the world.Another Minister for Japan. RecommendationNo. 5 of the Board's Report, which apparently wasadopted by Synod, reads as follows : "That an appealbe made for a replacement worker in Japan ; and thatthis worker be not sent until the extra funds arereceived sufficient to establish this work in Japan."Then in the Covenanter Witness of August 25 appears another Resolution, also adopted bv Synod,which reads as follows : "That the Board of ForeignMissions be authorized to appoint one more ordainedminister to serve in Japan, and that this minister besent out to Japan in September 1955, provided thecurrent year's budget is over-subscribed by $5,000or more by March 31, 1955. No special appeal forgifts outside of the regular budget shall be madepurpose."for thisThe budget adopted by Synod for this currentyear is $110,815. In order to send out another minister to Japan the Church will have to raise approximately $116,000 by March 31. Last year Synod requested $112,000 and got $103,400. The Church willhave to give $12,000 more than last year in order212to send out that minister. Two candidates for Japan,as reported, have offered themselves. If our pasthistory in budget raising is any guide, then thesecandidates may as well resign themselves to theinevitable.Why authorize the appointment of a minister toJapan and then close the door to the only likely wayin which his support can be secured? There are always some in the church who refuse to be regimentedinto channeling all their gifts through the Budget.There are some schemes of the church that theywill not support, so they will give only a stipulatedamount into the budget. The remainder they willgive to special projects that appeal to them eitherwithin or without the church. The support of anothermissionary in Japan, while the door of opportunity isopen, is a project that will appeal to such people, andtheir giving to that project is not likely to affect thebudget for otherwise that money might go outsideof our Church entirely.Missionaries Coming and Going. Late in AugustMiss McCrea returned home from Cyprus on furlough, and the Sandersons too from Syria. Mrs. Chester Hutcheson and Pastor Awad sailed for SyriaSeptember 9, and Miss McClurkin by plane September 20. The Weirs, we believe, have delayed theirreturn to Cyprus till the beginning of the new year,in order to complete the campaign for the schoolbuilding fund. At last word he had raised some tenthousand dollars during his year of furlough. TheFattal sisters, daughters of Sadik Fattal and MayElsey, have booked their return to their home inLatakia. They have had a wonderful time visitingtheir relatives in this country, seeing some of thesights, and spreading happiness as they traveled.They were thrilled with Grinnell. They have alwaysbeen staunch co-workers with and helpers of our missionaries. Pastor Awad made contacts with many ofour congregations and was well received everywhere.He was well liked by all and carries with him thegood will and the prayers of the church for theLord's blessing upon his ministry in Syria. His reportfollows :"The congregation at Latakia has 250 members.with some 85 families, and approximately 50 baptizedchildren who are not communicant members. Thecongregation contributes about $1,000 per year. Thechurch building is well filled at all the services. Inaddition to the Covenanters, those in attendanceinclude Moslems, Alouites, Greek Orthodox, andChristians of other denominations."The Hansens Write. In a circular letter tofriends we find a paragraph or two for the churchat large. Mr. Hansen, after speaking of life in Japanas he sees it, writes as follows :"But though we despair ofhelping them to anacceptance of the kind of life America leads, wenever despair of the work of showing them God's lovein Christ. No matter how strange our customs, howdifferent our backgrounds, how opposite our likesand dislikes, through Christ we may become realbrothers. Through Him we become children of Godand joint-heirs with Christ Himself. In the church.we see that Christian fellowship working out everyday and we find that together we have 'new likesand dislikes,' we have a common faith and a commonCOVENANTER WITNESS

work."hope. But church membership doesn't alienate themfrom their own people and society, for they are working to bring others to that same joyful knowledge ofChrist and hope of eternal life. A Christian's life hereis not without its trials, just as in other lands, butthose times of trial have their value and throughthem God's purpose is being worked out."Remember that this mission station is an opportunity given to the Covenanter church to serveGod as it has always wanted to do. We are reachingpeople who have never before been lifted out of thedarkness of idolatry. We have a very sobering challenge 'before us, and it seems to have a time limitplaced upon it. Let's not fall down on the job byleaving the whole thing to-the hands of a few missionaries. It is a job that requires each and everymember of the church to bear this mission beforeGod's throne of grace daily by prayer. It requiressacrifice that is more than just a word, for we musthave more workers to do this job even half right. AtGrinnell our church renewed its Covenont we madepromisesnow God has put this work before usLet's go toThe Board of Foreign Missions met, Tuesday,September 21, at the 23rd St. Y.M.C.A., New YorkCity. Following a devotional period led by Mr. A. J.Harding the problems of the fields were discussed.WORKERS ARE NEEDED FOR THE FIELDS. Theneed is urgent. Transportation for a worker will bepaid by the Women's Synodical and the schools willpay the salary. The Board urges candidates to apply.Inquiries should be sent to the Corresponding Secretary, Charles Sterrett, R. D. 1, Box 123, Newburgh,New York.The following officers were reelected :President, Mr. William MetcalfeFirst Vice President, The Rev. J. Paul WilsonSecond Vice President, Mr. Edwin McBurneyRecording Secretary, The Rev. G. M. Robb, D.D.Treasurer, Mr. Chester FoxCorresponding Secretary, The Rev. Charles Sterrett.GLIMPSES . . . Continued from page 210masons from his pulpit. This would exclude the Archbishopof Canterbury, Goeffrey Fisher, the head of the Church ofEngland.Yale ReportYale University has given out its report on drinking incollege in which it states that seventy-four per cent of the17,000 students who were questioned drink, and most ofthem associate liquor with "morallyhaviour."questionable sexual beSoviets Oppose DrinkThe Soviet government through its official organ hascalled upon the communist party in Russia to crusade .againstdrunkenness. It is considered a relic of capitalism. Our Lorddrew a lesson from the serpent, calling upon His disciples tobe wise as serpents. So we may learn something even fromRussia.Bible Societyon TelevisionThe American Bible Society, aided by some other organizations, will sponsor the television network program, "Lampunto my feet," on Sabbath October 17, at 10 .a.m., EST. Itwill be on the Columbia Broadcasting System.October 6, 1954Kobe Covenanter NewsBy Rose A. HustonThe "weak trembles" we had as we faced thelife and work here without the Boyle family, haveslightly eased with the passing weeks, as we findthe Lord's grace sufficient, and His strength madeperfect in our weakness. One or two days wouldcover all the minor ailments that interfered with thework of the missionary group, unless you count theovertime night work my eyes refused to do, duringthe past three months, I am glad to say they are almost back to normal again.We have good news from our sick folk amongthe Japanese Christians. Mr. Takihara, in a Hospitalin Koyoto with T.B., is ready for his first surgicaloperation much to the surprise of his physician whoexpected it would be some months later. We whohave been praying for him can understand, and givethanks to Him who heals our diseases. The operationwill be early in September.Last week Mr. Masunaga had another X-ray ofhis lung; his doctor also was surprised at the improvement, the spot being noticably smaller. Hewas no less surprised to learn of the many kindnessesa young man away from home receives from Japanese friends. He was assured it is wholly becauseof the brotherly love of Christians. The Nitta familywho live near by are most kind in preparing one ortwo meals a day for him; Mrs. Takihara does hiscleaning and laundry out of gratitude to God forthe help and healing granted to her husband.Mr. Doi is soon to be discharged from Hospitaland after a few months rest at home in Himeji, expects to take up his work in a bank again. He hasbeen able to attend church for some time, and ishappy to have Christian fellowship. We ask you topray that Mr. Doi in Himeji, Miss Matsuyama inAkashi, with several children who come from Akashievery week to the children's class at Ohashi, nearSuma, may become a nucleus for a group meeting atAkashi. Some whom we formerly taught at Ikawadani(not far away) would also be interested. Andthat means prayer for a worker to carry on the work.Pray for Jonathan Chao who is troubled with apain in one hip which the Doctor has not yet beenable to diagnose. He and his brother Theodore areentering Canadian Academy High School September6. There will be difficulties and temptations! prayfor them.These two boys have just finished memorizingthe Sermon on the Mount, one in Chinese, the otherin English, for which they each received a pocketsizeBible in English. When Jonathan was ordered to restin bed for a week, he said, "This is a good opportunity to memorize ; may I memorize something forA Daily Light ?" I asked what he would like to memorize. "Would the Shorter Catechism be good forsomeone who is going to studyTheology?"I saidafter church henothing could be better. Yesterdaysaid the first six questions and answers. Mr. Chaowent last week to Tokyo to give four or five talks ata Conference for Chinese Christians.And here is a tale of one of the Chaos for theJuniors. Ai Kwong, No. 9 in the family, is a littlegirl two and a half years old. Mr. Chao and the213

you."perish."me."us?"repentance."older ones all went for a swim about two o'clock ; theyreturned at four. Mrs. Chao, like a good shepherd,missed one. "Where is Ai Kwong?" " Is she not withyou ?" they said. "No, I thought she went withThen the hunt began. She used to go every day tothe Boyles' house to find Gladys, so they beganthere; then the neighbors. One had seen her goingdown the hill, but she knew what she wanted andrefused to come back. There are many places wherea child could fall over a cliff, so they searched thehill side and the valleys below. They told the police atthe foot of the hill, and they notified all the police inneighboring towns ; they searched the seashore, andthe two railway tracks, the park and the playground.The sun was about to drop behind the mountains, andit would soon be dark. Finally at half past seven, amessage came from the police at Shioya, the firsttown to the west, saying that a little girl had beenbrought to them. A taxi soon took Mr. Chao toShioya, and there at the police station was Ai Kwonghappily playing with some Japanese children. Aworkman had seen her as she leisurely crossed therailroad and he thought she might be hungry, so hegot some cakes and took her to his dormitory room,where she ate and went to sleep. He waited until shewoke, then took her to the police station. She toldher father she went to buy some candy, and that shewas not afraid. It takes a grown person half an houror more to walk to Shioya, so it was quite a longwalk for a small girl along a highway with manycars and trucks speeding along all the time. Surelythe Heavenly Father gave His angels charge overher.We held two Vacation Bible Schools, one atIchinotani, and the other at Ohashi where we teacha group of children on Friday evenings. At the former the attendance was between fifty and sixty ; Mr.Katayama was in charge, and with the help of twoyoung men, Ogasawara San and Arichika San, theNittas and others, we had plenty of help. At Ohashi,Mr. Morikawa who is helping to write and mimeograph Psalms, did some interpreting ; Mr. Maeda andMrs. Hansen helped with the teaching, Mr. Katayamaagain being in charge. For the first time we wereable to get a course in Japanese, which made ourwork easier.The church work goes on, with Mr. Hansen, Mr.Katayama and Mr. Chao taking turns preaching. AChinese preaching in English through a Japaneseinterpreter to a Japanese-Chinese- American audiencemay sound a bit complicated but it works very satisfactorily.Miss Edamatsu and Mr. Katayama now havecharge of the children's S. S. while I teach the adultdeeper into theology than Iclass. That means I digdid for the children; it is an inspiration to teachfifteen or more intelligent earnest men and women.The Shinoda family have been absent for some timebecause the children have had measles and whoopingcough.The two midweek meetings for women werediscontinued for several weeks during July and August because of my vacation and the Vacation BibleSchool. I had a very pleasant two-week vacation innot far from the mainland. Though they are educated and refined people,they knew nothing of Christianity; though I speaklittle Japanese and they even less English, she wrotea farm home on Awaji Island,214me that they had become "much influenced" by mystay in their home. I hope to take Mr. Katayama totalk with them.The work at the Book Room continues as usual,with the business and clientele growing. Mr. Mitais a conscientious and efficient manager, and MissEdamatsu a good assistant. Mr. Mita's English isabout a match for my Japanese, but I find he isstudying Biblical Theology by Dr. G. Vos in his sparetime. Strong meat, as to English.Mr. Hansen continued language lessons threetimes a week through the summer and now has twoweeks to rest before school begins again. We all enjoyBarbara Ann, who is now over three months old, andnot at all spoiled by the admiration and devotion ofall her friends.We do need additional workers, and it is ourprayer that the Lord will provide and send themto this work in this critical time.The Far East Missionary Crisis and theHistoric Christian FaithBy the Rev. Antonio F. OrmeoAn address delivered at the Third Plenary Congressof the International Council of Christian Churches,Philadelphia(Condensed in the Christian Beacon)A Missionary VisionProverbs 19 :18 says, "Where there is no vision,the people Yes, it is that missionary visionof Christian churches supporting and sending missionaries, the vision of the missionaries themselves,and of the churches they have established in the mission fields that can save the situation of the nowperishing millions for whom Christ died. It must be atransforming vision, like Isaiah's (Chap. 6), throughwhich he saw his own sinfulness and which resultedin self-condemnation and humiliation before a holyGod. And after the cleansing that followed, he heardthe voice of God saying, "Whom shall I send, andwho will go for Isaiah readily answered, "Heream I, send We must keep the vision of the crossbefore us. He tasted death for every man and He is"not willing that any should perish, but that allshould come toThere is life in thatblood of Calvary's cross, and without shedding ofblood there is no remission of sin. Without first seeing the vision of the cross we will also lose the visionof a dying world. Dr. Oswald Smith in his hymn,"I Have Seen the Vision," put it this way:Weary and helpless, souls are dying in the night ;No Christ, no Saviour, and no Gospel light.I have seen the vision, and for self I cannot live ;Life is less than worthless till my all I give.Chorus :Saviour, dear Saviour, Thou didst give Thyself forme.Saviour, blest Saviour, I will go for Thee.Hark ! they are calling I can hear them night andday,Moaning and dying, let me speed away.COVENANTER WITNESS

saved."scriptures."cursed."reformer."Weary, tired, and hopeless, groping still in darkestnight ;To the lost and dying I must take the light.Millions are dying I can hear their bitter wail ;How dare I face them if to help I fail ?Can I let them perish, souls for whom the Saviourdied,Live in ease and comfort while they are denied ?No one to tell them of adying Saviour's love ;No one to point them to a life above.Then farewell, dear homeland, I must break eachtender tie,And for souls in darkness, I must live or die.Yet, there are missionaries who put a differentmeaning to the cross of Christ. They pride themselves as being "modern." Dr. Stanton Lautenslager,a Presbyterian, U.S.A., missionary in China, comingto the Philippines as guest speaker to the young people's conference of the Philippine Baptist Convention,said, in speaking on "The Meaning of the Cross" ;"Why did Jesus die? Because He was killed. Why didthey kill Him? Because He was a This isnot the Christ, or the cross, the dying millions inthe Far East need. They need the Christ who wasmade sin for us, He also knew no sin "that we mightbe made the righteousness of God in him."A Missionary MessageIn Luke 24:45-47, we read, "Then opened hetheir understanding, that they might understandthe scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written,and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise fromthe dead the third day : and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his nameamong all Jerusalem."nations, beginning atThe first part of the missionary message isrepentance and remission of sins in Jesus' name.Peter, facing the men of Israel, said, "Repent yetherefore, and be converted, that your sins may beblotted out . . Conversion founded on repentancefrom sin is genuine.The second portion of the missionary message isand thou shalt bePaul simplified his message to the Corinthian"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,Christians, "For I declare unto you the gospel whichI preached unto you, which also ye have received,and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved,. . . For I delivered unto you first of all that whichI also received, how that Christ died for our sinsaccording to the scriptures ; and that he was buried,and that he rose again the third day according to theAnd to the Roman Christians, he said,"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ ; for itis the power of God unto salvation to every one that. .believeth, And then to the troubled Galatians,he declared, "But though we, or an angel fromother gospel unto you than thatheaven, preach anywhich we have preached unto you, let him be acThere is only one missionary message to the lostand dying world: Christ and Him crucified. Andthere is likewise one spiritual food for born-againChristians, Christ the bread and water of life, asset forth in the Holy Scriptures. Christ is the verycentral theme of the teachings from Genesis to Reve-October 6, 1954lation. The Holy Scriptures is commonly understoodas the historic Christian faith.The Gospel is a trust. It must not be changed,laid aside or ignored. And yet a majority of so-calledmodern missionaries now in the Far East are changing it and putting new meanings into it. Dr. ToyohikoKagawa, vaunted by some as "the greatest livingChristian,"is the head evangelist for the UnitedChurch of Japan,which is maintained by money fromthe main denominations in the U.S.A. In his book,The Religion of Jesus, on page 103, Dr. Kagawastates :"We do not know in what form the resurrectiondid come. Whether it was in the flesh as the Gospelsteach, or in the spiritual body as Paul tells us, itmakes no difference. Anyway Jesus was truly raisedin the hearts of his disciples. Here is the beginningof Christianity. If you want to take it as a superstition you may take it so. From this as a starting pointworld."the gospel has spread to the wholein his book, Love, the Law of Life, onpage 298, Dr. Kagawa states : "Belief in evolution isa faith in a progressive entrance into an ever-expanding freedom . . . from anthropoid ape to human,from ant to son of God. What a courageous faith!The belief that there is a direct line from amoeba toman is a more daring and romantic Faith than thebelief in the myth of a Creator making somethingout of.. .nothing evolution is growth from electronto Divinity." This is the man who goes about Japanas the chief evangelist for the United Church ofJapan, spreading lies in the very name of our Lord.Dr. Kagawa has been welcomed by many in theChristian church throughout the world as a greatand fine and true servant of Jesus Christ when infact he is a denier of the faith and worse than aninfidel.A Missionary ProgramThe missionary program is embodied in thegreat commission as found in Matthew 28:18-20:"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, Allpower is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Goye therefore, and teach all nations baptizing them inthe name of the Father, and of the Son, and of theHoly Ghost: teaching them to observe all thingswhatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I amwith you always, even unto the end of the world.Amen."There are many missionaries in the Far Eastwho either do not understand the great commissionin its three aspects, or perhaps they do but simplyignore it, taking things for granted, or perhaps theydeliberately disobey it. Here is a crude illustrationbut I hope it will help us see the truth. A mothercommanded her son to go to market. The commandwas specific: First Buy fish; Second Come homeimmediately; and Third Help prepare the fish fordinner. He obeyed and bought the fish. But then hetarried and played with friends for a couple of hours.He came home afterward and helped prepare thefish for dinner. But nobody could eat the fish. Itsmelled awful. There was fish crisis! Because heobeyed the first and third, and ignored the second.Mother was mad, but the boy reasoned, "I have obeyed, and I have fish, didn't I?"God commanded His children, "Go ye": First:215

you."nations,"works."evangelize,"choice."appearing""teach,"or make disciples of "all or allGentiles. This is evangelism, which means that Gentiles get saved and follow Jesus by consistent Christian living. Second: "baptizing them in the name ofthe Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."This is organization baptizing them into the localchurch ; conserving results of our evangelistic effortsby organizing local churches. Third : "teaching themto observe all things whatsoever I have commandedThis is indoctrination "all things" includesthe whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. "Allscripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness : that the man of God maybe perfect, throughly furnished unto all goodof His divine presence toGod promised the blessingthose who faithfully obey the three aspects of thegreat commission: "Lo, I am with you alway, evenworld."unto the end of theThere are missionaries in the mission fields whoobey only the first, and sometimes the third also,but ignore the second. This is also true of ananyGospel teams, evangelistic movements, Youth forChrist, and other crusades. "Ours is tothey always say, "and the Holy Spirit will take careof the converts, where to lead them." They areenthused with the provided-we-get-them-saved idea.This is the same as provided-we-have-fish idea ofthat disobedient boy in our story. They neglect thesecond phase of the great commission of the LordJesus, to organize the disciples into local churches.They deal with their converts as individuals and notas an assembly of called-out ones. With the addressof their individual converts they usually follow themup with a Bible study correspondence course. Sometime some of those earnest ones on inquiring as towhich church they should attend for worship areadvised to go to the church of their own choicevery silly advice to a new-born babe in Christ. It'sjust like putting a new-born child on the street andtelling him, "Go to the home of your ownThe crisis lies in the fact that these converts if theyare genuinely saved are in the infancy of theirChristian life, void of spiritual discernment, tossed toand fro with every wind of doctrine by the cunningcraftiness of men, and are therefore easy prey to theravenous workers of false cults. It is no wonder thatfalse cults, like the Jehovah's Witnesses (rightlycalled, Jehovah's sicknesses), thrive during theselast days of apostasy.The Christian's Hope(The following statement was unanimouslyadopted by the Third Plenary Congress of the International Council of Christian Churches meeting inElkins Park, Philadelphia, Pa., at the business session on Thursday, Augst 12.)The Christ of the Scriptures, the Hope ofGod's RedeemedThe Christ who is our hope cannot be conceivedof in terms other than those of the historical recordsof the Holy Scriptures if He is to remain our hope.He must be no less than one of the persons of theTriune Godhead, very God of very God, Lord of216lords and King of kings, sovereign of the universe,or He would be powerless to achieve the climactic concatenation of events associated with His future coming, in resurrection power to raise and receive Hisredeemed to Himself. Only the Christ of the Biblecan redeem a sinful man, indwell him, keep his heartin peace and tranquillity in a wicked and chaoticworld, take him to the joy of heaven where there isneither sorrow nor suffering, and bring him to theday of resurrection and restoration of all things.This is our blessed hope.The Christian's hope, the hope of the saints ofGod throughout the ages, is offered to all men everywhere, but offered on specific terms. It is offeredto all who will repent of their sins and accept theRedeemer, Jesus Christ, as God and our only Saviour.Only by the regenerating power of the Holy Spiritcan a fallen man be transformed from the sinful waysof this evil world and conformed to the righteousways of the Holy Christ. Only through the cleansingof the substitutionary atoning work of the crucifiedand risen Christ can a man be prepared for a holyHeaven. The Apostle Paul has declared clearly in hisepistle to the Romans (10:9-10) that there can beno salvation apart from recognition and acceptanceby faith of the fact of Christ's bodily resurrection,which truth applied to all men regardless of theirestate. The Christian's hope is thus in the Christ ofthe Bible, who is very God of very God, and consistsof a sure expectancy of the fulfillment of His wordsthat He will personally ond visibly come again inresurrection power to receive His own to a new worldwhere there will be neither tears nor sorrow, deathnor darkness; where the former things are passedaway and righteousness dwells forever more.The Christ of the Scriptures,The Judge of the Sinful WorldBright and comforting though the hope of theChristian thus is, not so can it be for a world withoutfaith in this Christ. The Word of God declares, "Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saintsto execute judgment . . (Jude 14-15). His coming toearth, far from inaugurating a day of hope for an unrighteous world which has not sought His salvation,will usher in the wrath and curse of God upon allsuch. It will be a day of woe and destruction, a dayfrom which there can be no turning back, a day without hope for all without Christ.To this confused and troubled world there mustnot be any uncertain proclamation of this fearfultruth. It ill behooves churchmen who profess to speakfor the church of Christ, to substitute their own confused thinking for the clear message of the Church'sLord, for the darkness they thus spread will be theirown place of stumbling. "Vengeance belongeth untome, I will recompense, saith the Lord," (Heb. 10:30)of whom it is written that He "shall judge the quickand the dead at his(2 Tim. 4 :1).There is no hope in Christ for any who wouldreduce Him to a level so low that sinful men couldimitate Him in their power. There is no hope thatsuch a Christ could deliver anyone out of this present world into a new world where all things are restored in perfection. He who is now offered to allmen as Saviour can only return to His deniers as anavenging Judge. In this day of salvation when thecrucified, risen and ascended Christ still holds outCOVENANTER WITNESS

workers"His pierced hands to a confused and hopeless world,loyalty to her Lord demands of His Church that withno uncertain sound she tirelessly spend her time inproclaiming His message of hope: "Come unto me,all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will giveyou (Matt. rest"11:28). This is the church's supreme task today! Apart from accepting and proclaiming the crucified and risen Christ as Lord andSaviour, and waiting for His literal, visible comingin power for the resurrection of the redeemed andrestroration of all things, there is no hope. For allmen Christ in you is the only hope of Glory.A Missionary SpeaksTo the Editor:"Missionary Facts Every Christian Shouldby O. D. Johnson, in your journal is an excelKnow,"lent article and contains much that should be helpfulto both pastors and the laity.The paragraphs concerning training of "nationalcontain statements that should again andagain be emphasized to the people in America. Iquote: "American Christians who support missionfield training schools do wrong to insist upon much,if any, direct contact with nationals in training. Theidea is prevalent in foreign lands that money growson trees in America, and young nationals in trainingcan easily be tempted to ask their correspondentsin America for money to help them in various ways.The trouble is this: money doesn't help them."Today we are witnessing the travel to Americaof well-trained English-speaking nationals, a numberof them being evangelists and pastors. They are making journeys there not only once, but twice, and repeatedly, and for what purpose ? Missionaries are outin these lands trying to win men and train them forthe Gospel ministry here among their own people.They are needed here. When they go to Americathey make contacts which often they continue for aperiod of many years, and money given to them forthe spread of the Gospel all too often goes to theirown personal use and they are not required to givean accounting of such funds to any one. We find thatthe ministry of these nationals after return to theirhomeland has often been impaired and becomes ineffective.Bangkok, Thailand.M. P. V. in Evangelical ActionTither's CornerBy D. H. ElliottFriends in HeavenIf my money is my life, as affirmed last week,it goes where I send it and where it goes I go also.If I desire to reach folks for Christ in Syria, Cyprusand Japan and cannot go in person the payment ofmy tithes and offerings transports me there inspirit. Thank God there is a way provided by whichwe all can work among the Negroes of the South,the Indians of the West and the people in the mountains of Kentucky.Do you ever think of the joy of meeting inheaven folks you have helped by your contributionson earth ? When you arrive will someone from Chinagreet you with :"I want to thank you for the part you had inbringing me to this place of everlasting joy. I will beeternity."your grateful friend for allYou say, "I don't understand. I have never seenyou before." "No, but you helped to send Miss Adamsto my country and she led me to Christ." Later youmeet others from Syria and Selma and Kentucky andother places with the same happy greetings and expressions of heavenly friendship. Another may thankyou for your contribution to the Bible Societywhich purchased a Bible through which he foundsalvation.Isn't that what Jesus meant in the parable ofthe unjust steward in the 16th chapter of Luke?The R.S.V. gives an accurate translation of verse 9."And I tell you, make friends for yourselves bymeans of unrighteous mammon (money), so thatwhen it (the money) fails they (the friends) mayreceive you into the eternal habitation."Turn your cash into character.Character abides forever.Lesson Helps for the Week of October 24, 1954C.Y.P.U. TOPICfor October 24, 1954MY LORD A LIVING WORDPsalms:(Personal Experiences)2 Kings 19:14-37; Phil. 4:198:1-4, page 1245:1-6, page 11655:12-14, 17, page 14080:1, 2, 5, 6, page 198145:4-8, page 350.References: Isaiah 45:5-8; 48:16-18; Acts3:14, 15; 4:10-12; 17:24-28; 1 Cor. 15:23-26; Col. 1:16-20; 1 John 4:12; Phil.3:20, 21; Heb. 1:1, 2.Comments by Remo I. Robb, D.D.A "lord" is a master. Everyperson hasOctober 6, 1954a master. Some say "I am the master ofmy fate." Others follow masters: who arein the grave and whose power lies only inage-old precepts engraved on mustyparchments. But the Christian's lord isJesus Christ, the living and true God.Plainly, self is a very uncertain master, no more to be depended on than oneknows himself to be. Self depends onothers and thereby proves to be no lordat all.The dead really are no masters. A deadperson has no more power than a deadanimal. Even good precepts spoken longago are valueless except as they affectlife, and the longnot themselves touch our lives.dead preceptors canOur whole beings call for life. We arealive, we hope for eternal life. Our Lord,our Master, Who commands our everymove, to Whom we devote our wholeheart, soul, strength, and mind, must beHimself the source of life, the power oflife, and the center of life eternal.All this the Lord Jesus Christ is. MyLord is alive at this moment. I know it.Therefore, by faith I live in Him and forHim./ have a three-fold testimony to myLiving Lord1. The Testimony of Scripture.The Bible is God's Word. On the truthof its message I stake my eternal des-

en."immortality to light through the Gospel."also."man!"eyes."tiny. Where reason or worldly evidenceseems to indicate something differentfrom the Bible, I choose the Bible, andwait for reason to be proved wrong. TheBible is right, and it reveals my LivingLord.Psalm 90:1, 2"Lord, Thou hast beenourdwellingplace in all generations.Before the mountains were broughtforth, or ever Thou hadst formed theearth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting Thou art God."John 1810:17, "Therefore doth my Father love Me, because I lay down mylife, that I might take it again. No mantaketh it from me, but I lay it downof myself. I have power to lay it down,again."and I have power to take it1591"To recognize the LIVING GODas the Searcher of hearts; and JesusJohn 14:18, 19 "I will not leave you Christ as the Judge, before whom allcomfortless, I will come to you. Yet alittle while, and the world seeth Me nomore: but ye see Me; because I live,ye shall liveLuke 24 :36-40"And as they thus spake,Jesus Himself stood in the midst ofthem, and saith unto them, Peace beunto you. But they were terrified andaffrighted, and supposed that they hadseen a spirit. And He said unto them,Why are ye troubled? And why dothoughts arise in your hearts? Behold,My hands and My feet, that it is Imyself; handle Me, and see; for aspirit hath not flesh and bones, as yesee Me have. And when He had thusspoken,and his feet."He showed them his handsActs 1:11 "Ye men of Galilee, whystand ye gazing up into heaven? Thissame Jesus which is taken up from youinto heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heavRev. 1:18"I am He that liveth,and wasdead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of helland of death."Romans 6:9, 10 "Christ, being raisedfrom the dead, dieth no more; deathhath no more dominion over him. Forin that He died, He died unto sin once ;but in that He liveth, He liveth untoGod."2 Tim. 1:10 "Jesus Christ . . hathabolished death, and hath brought life andThese and countless other passages declare He is alive. Besides, He is revealed as performing a great variety ofworks"supplies all ourneeds,""savessinners," place,""prepares a "sups withus,""givesrest,"etc.only by a Living One.which are possibleThe testimony of Scripture is unvariedand unchanging. Our Lord Lives!2. The Testimony of God's People.To the apostles the living, ascendedLord was a most vivid personal experi-218ence. To Paul He "appeared" as to one"born out of due time." To the countless hosts throughout the years, faith ina living Lord has been the motive forsteadfast livingeven under threat ofdeath. Remember Patrick Hamilton in1528, going to the stake, crying "Howlong, Lord, wilt Thou permit this tyrannyof And Andrew Melville's passionate rebuke to his king: "Sir, when youwere in swaddling clothes Christ Jesusreigned freely in Scotland."Think of the great "I believe" statements. Every creed expresses faith in ourLiving Lord.And the covenants:shall stand in judgment."This was the statement, renewed in 1638,to which 60,000 names were signed, manydeath."in blood, and "Till1871 "We receive for ourselves and forour children, the Lord Jesus Christ asHe is offered in the Gospel to be ourSaviour."1954 "We believe in the One living andtrue GodFather, Son and Holy Spiritas revealed in the Scriptures."Every person who has earnestly accepted these statements has known the LivingLord to be life's most vivid reality.3. The Testimony of Personal Experience.Volumes of Christian experience isavailable to demonstrate the truth of ourLiving Lord.A family, 800 miles inland from theChina seacoast, were robbed of all theirbelongings, moneyand even clothes. Sixweeks later they rode into the seaport,wearing new clothes, and with money intheir pockets.Cannibal chiefs,sworn to eat eachother, have sat as brothers at the Lord'sSupper.Orchestra leaders, singers,radio andTV entertainers and producers leave theirhigh income jobs and accept work aslay evangelists. 'The Christian Amendment Movement is blessed by the servicesof a producer and writer touched in thatway by the Living Lord.Myexperiences of these last monthsare my testimony. A hearing in Washington, with less than two days in whichto complete preparation and gather theforces. The Lord did it. No company ofmen could have so arranged it.And, as one who saw behind the scenes,the Grinnell convention was certainly theworking of the Lord. Mistakes? Theywere ours, and I'm sorry we got in theway. But, suitable weather, solemn reverence, consecrated young people, glorious praise, safety in travel, an upwardlook and liftand marvelous in our"This is the Lord's doing,He lives! May our hearts be His abiding place forevermore!THINK THESE OVER:1. Do the processes of natural life helpyou believe in a Living Lord?2. What in eternal life makes a LivingLord necessary?3. How is the Livingthe world?Lord manifest to4. Has any recent experience confirmedyour faith in the Living Lord?JUNIOR TOPICJACOB IN THE NORTH COUNTRYMrs. M. K. CarsonOctober 24, 1954Scripture: Genesis Chapters 29-31Memory Verse: Genesis 28:15a.Psalms:46:1, 6, psalm of the Month125:3-4,page 320127:3-4, page 322References: Answer these questions.1. To what place did Jacob come in hisjourney. Genesis 29:42. What else do we know about Haran?Genesis 11:31-323. Whom did Jacob ask for? Genesis 29:54. What relation was Laban to Jacob?Genesis 29:105. Where did Abraham's servant firstsee the bride of Isaac? Genesis 24:13-166. Where did Jacob first meet his futurewife? Genesis 29:9-107. Where did Moses first meet his futurewife? Exodus 2:16, 17, 218. Where did Jesus talk to the womanof Samaria? John 4:6-7Last week, we came to the end of thefirst chapter in the life of Jacob, the yearsat home in his father's house. Then thelong journey north was like the slowturning of the page to see what will happen in the next chapter. We know littleof that journey, how he knew the way,who helped himwhat adventures he had,as he traveled. Not one thing do weknow except the night he saw the ladderreaching to heaven and heard God'spromise to be with him. But that onenight was one of the great nights of hislife. In the light of God's presence, therest of the journeywas easy.In the fields of Haran, one sunny day,the second chapter of his life story opens,with Jacob talking to a group of shepherds. The lovely young woman comingwith her sheep, they tell him, is Rachel,the daughter of Laban. Truly the Lordhad led him. When Jacob saw Rachel,his cousin, he ran and rolled away theheavy, stone covering the well, and watered her sheep for her. Then with thetears running down his cheeks, he toldher he was the son of Rebekah who hadleft home so long ago to marry Isaac.What a welcome Jacob received whenRachel introduced him to the family!COVENANTER WITNESS

myself."me.".... Forcall"nations."mother."For a month, he was their guest, and inthat month, he came to love Rachel verydearly. So when Laban suggested that hestay and work for wages, he agreed towork seven years for Rachel, since hehad no "dowry" to pay. What a lovestory this is, and a true one! So muchdid he love Rachel that the seven yearsseemed but a few days. How he and Rachel must have counted off the months,then the weeks and finally the days!Then came the big wedding feast.Then a terrible thing happened. Whenmorning came and the bride took off theveil all women then wore, Jacob saw thatit was not Rachel at all, but her sister,Leah, that Laban had given him in marriage. Laban after all the seven yearswork, had deceived him. What a heartbreak for him and for Rachel! ThenLaban, who was greedy, as well as deceitful, told him that if he would workseven more years, he could have Rachelin addition to Leah for his wife. God hadnot yet told people that it was wrong tohave two wives at the same time, soJacob agreed, for he wanted Rachel veryvery much. And so it was that Rachelfinally became his wife.But the home was not too happy, forone wife was greatly loved and the othernot at all. So God sent four little boys tocomfort Leah, for to have sons was thehighest happiness a woman could have.They named the boys, Reuben, Simeon,Levi and Judah. Rachel was very sadthat she had no children and finally didwhat Sarah had done years before andgave her maid to Jacob for a wife. Bilhah,her maid, had two little boys, andthese Rachel named Dan and Naphtaliand called them her children. Then Leahgave her maid to Jacob for a wife, andZilpah also had two little boys, whomthey named Gad and Asher. After thisLeah had two more sons of her own,Issachar and Zebulon and finally a littlegirl Dinah. Last of all, God sent Rachela little baby boy and she was more happy than ever before and named him Joseph, who was in God's plan to become avery great man, greater than all his brothers. The names of these boys sound familiar no doubt. Why? Because they arenames of the tribes of Israel. So theseeleven sons, and later Rachel's secondson, Benjamin, were the working out ofGod's promise to make of Jacob a greatnation.During the years that Jacob's familywas growing, his wealth was growing too.He worked for Laban all these years,and though Laban was not an honestman to work for and had changed Jacob's wages ten times, yet God waswatching over Jacob and blessed him inall that he did. Finally, he became muchricher than Laban and Laban was jealous of him. After the birth of Joseph,October 6, 1954SABBATH SCHOOL, LESSONJacob felt it was time to go back to hisTo bring them to His side. Selected our "church families" has greatlyimhomecountry, especially after God spoketo him one night and told him to go back.October 24, 1954by Rev. Joseph A. HillRachel and Leah were very willing to (Lessons based on International Sunday Schoolgo, for Laban had not treated them well Lessons; the Internationa] Bible Lessons forChristian Teaching:, copyrighted by the Interand was getting more and more un national Council of Religious Education.)pleasant.MAKING HOME LIFE SUCCESSFULOne time when Laban was away shearLesson Material: Proverbs 4; 6:20-7:27;ing sheep, Jacob gathered all his family17:1; 19:13, 14; 31:10-31.and possessions and slipped away secretPrinted Text: Proverbs 4:1-4; 6:20-23;ly, lest Laban would make trouble for17:1; 19:13, 14; 31:10-12.him. When Laban discovered they wereMemory Verse: Proverbe 6:20 "My son,gone, he pursued after them and mightkeephave harmed them, but God in a dreamthy father,and forsake not the law of thytold him to say nothing either good orThe ideal home is the Christian home.bad to them. When he finally reachedJacob's caravan, he pretended that heWhat makes a home Christian? Does themere application of "Christianhad wanted to make a big farewell partymake a home Christian? If all membersfor them and spoke very politely to them.of a household are truly Christian, doesJacob and Laban set up a pillar ofthis fact guarantee that the home itself,stones and promised that they would notthe family, will be truly Christian? Orgo past that pillar to do harm to eachis Christian family life more than aother. Laban went back home, and sincerelationship between individuals who arehe is not important in the story of God'sredeemed? The family is not a group ofpeople, we hear nothing more from him.individuals, mutually related, but an orThis second chapter of Jacob's life, theganism, correlated to God, our heavenlytime in Haran, lasted some twenty years,Father. The home, if it is Christian,but is now almost over and the page isprises a redeemed family in covenant withbeginning to turn to chapter three in hisGod. The relationship is not betweenlife story. We know more about hisGod and each member of the familyjourney home than of the tripnorth whenseverally, but between God the Fatherhe was running away from Esau. In ourand the family as a whole.story next week, we shall learn whatThe Christianhappened when at last the two brothersfamily is a covenantfamily. The Covenant of Grace was instimet.This week, instead of note-book work,we have a Bible puzzle for you to solve.tuted and administered not with referenceto Abraham as an individual merely, butas the head of a household and thereforePerhaps you can then make similar puz"a fatherzles to bring to Juniors for others tomany God said tosolve. Find Abraham, "And I will establishthe names of themypeople whonant between me and thee andsaid the following quotations. Thethyfirstafter thee in theirletter of each name, taken ingenerations, for anorder, willspell theeverlasting covenant, to be a God untoname of one of the charactersthee and toin our lesson.thy seed after thee" (Genesis17:7). It was with reference to the fam1. "Intreat me not to leave thee, or tothee." ilyreturn from following unit, and with the human raceafteras an organism, that God established2. "I heard thy voice in the garden andand yet fulfils His Covenant of Grace.I was afraid, for I was naked and IAccordingly, when Paul and Silas werehidquestioned by the jailer concerning the3. "My punishment is greater than Ican bear."means of salvation, they replied: "Believe4. Go and search diligently for the youngon the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shaltbe saved, and thy house" (Acts 16:31).child; and when ye have found him,As the head of the household, his faithbring me word again, that I may goin Jesus Christ constituted aalso."and worship himfamily relationship with God. Through5. "Feed me, I pray thee, with that samethe Covenant of Grace the jailer's familyred pottage, for I am faint."became a redeemed family. God's ordin6. "Wherefore then didst thou flee secretaryly and steal away fromadministering salvation isthrough covenantal family religion, as(Answer next week)Peter implied in his divinely inspired sermon in the second chapter of the BookChrist has no hands but our hands of Acts: "Repent, and be baptized everyTo do His work today;one of you in the name of Jesus ChristHe has no feet but our feetthe promise is unto you, andTo lead men in His way.to your children. as ...many as the LordHe has no tongue but our tongues our God shall (verses 38-39).To tell men how He died;Failure to recognize the implicationsHe has no help but our helpof the covenant theology in relation to219

evangelism"afraid."alone."paired our church's witness for truth. Thefact that our membership rolls and statistical reports are compiled in terms ofindividual believers rather than familiesindicates that we do not take seriously thedoctrine of the covenant-family. Emphasis on "childand the socalled"mission Sabbath School" is oftencoupled with a lack of concern for family religion. True evangelism is ideallyfamily evangelism. And family evangelism is based on the Covenant of Grace.This is basic to anyconsideration offamily religion and of the Christian family itself.Because of the extremely high divorcerate in our society (nearly 400,000 divorces onethirdof all marriages ending in divorce)annually, approximatelythere has been a growing interest in family relations in rscent years. Family relations in recent years. Family RelationsClinics have been set upcities,in the largerand several of the popular magazines regularly publish articles writtenby marriage counselors, dealing with the"incompatibility,"problems offamilybankruptcy, unmanageable children andother difficulties characterized of non-Christian homes. The advice given bysuch counselors is generally good as faras it goes, but seldom is there any reference to family religion, except as it maycontribute to the welfare of the home.It is commonly taken for granted that ahome may be successful without being aChristian home. All such advice is basically wrong because it leaves God out andis not based on Scripture. A home without God may be "successful," but it doesnot fulfil the place in society which Godintended it should fulfil. The non-Christian home may be harmonious, but itdoes not glorify God. True religion isbasic to good family relations; hence theScriptures are basic to true family guidance.Human wisdom goes only so far; weneed God's' guidance for family life. Unless home life is really a living out ofScriptural principles, home will tend tobecome only the place where the teen-agergets the keys to the family car. Ideally,home is the place where the Holy Spiritdwells, where Christ is Lord and whereGod is Father.The divine guidance for family livinggiven in the Book of Proverbs may beclassified under three heads:1. Instruction in the home (Proverbs4:1-4; 6:20-23; 7:1-4). Even in manynominally Christian homes there is littleor no teaching by parents. Children growup in a state of ignorance. Some youngpeople do not know the simplest Biblestories, because their parents have nottaught them to them. The parents leavesuch instruction to the Sabbath School220teacher, who sees the boy or girl for fortyminutes a week.Parents should lead their children indaily Bible study, and should give themsystematic instruction in the doctrines ofthe Faith. The old practice of learningand studying The Shorter Catechismought to be revived by the families ofthe Covenanted Church, and Covenanterpastors should resume the duty of FamilyVisitation, as defined by the R. P-Testimony, XXXII, 2, 4.2. Guidance of Youth (Proverbs 4:5-27; 6:24-35; 7:5-27). The first .passagehere contains the remarks of a father tohis son, encouraging him to seek wisdom.Parents should realize that they are responsible for the education of their children. Not specifically "religious education"merely, but common dayschooleducation is one of the covenant obligations of parents toward their children.This is the principle upon which Christian education and the Christian Schoolare established.The other two passages are a frankdiscussion of the perils of sexual sins andthe necessity of purity and fidelity inhome relationships. Many a Christianfather has failed his son at this crucialpoint, and many an otherwise good mother has lost forever a God-given opportunity to lead a lovelydaughter in the waysof purity and impart to her a wholesomeview of marriage and home life. Let usnot entertain a false pietya sinful modesty concerning a vital matter whichthe Bible discusses so discretely butfrankly!3. The ideal home (Proverbs 17:1; 19:13-14;31:10-31). I have often wonderedwhether Solomon would not have exchanged his household of feasting andclamoring women for a home in which avirtuous, loving wife provided his familywith a simple but wholesome living.Compare the New Testament ideal forhome life: Ephesians 6:1-4; Colossians3:18-21.PRAYER MEETING TOPICOctober 27, 1954GREAT PROMISES IN ISAIAH:The Blessing of PeaceIsaiah. 26:3Comments byPsalms:34:1-6, page 7955:1, 4, 5,125:1-5,page 32085:5-8,page 138page 207James D. CarsonReferences: Acts 10:36; Romans 5:1;Philippians 4:6, 7; Romans 8:6; Colossians 3:15; 2 Thessalonians 3:16; Zechariah 9:9-10; Galatians 5:22,23; Psalm29:11; 85:8; 125:5.How is it possible to reconcile thewords of our text with such verses asMatthew 5:11, "Blessed are ye,when menshall revile you, and persecute you andshall say all manner of evil against youfalsely, for my sake"; or Philippians1:29, "For unto you it is given in thebehalf of Christ, not only to believe onhim, but also to suffer for his sake"?These verses, along with others, presentto us the idea of sufferingand persecution in the Christian life. How, then, canthere be peace?The accepted meaning of peace todayis "to let alone, and be let TheChristian definition of peace is something much different, for we might welldefine Christian peace as doing the will ofGod, for in doing the will of God, theChristian finds peace. It may also bedefined as fellowship with God, for whenGod and man are at one through JesusChrist, there is peace.Isaiah wrote for us the words as revealed by the HolySpirit: "Thou wiltkeep him in perfect peace, whose mind isstayed on thee, because he trusteth inthee."The American Standard Version,in the margin, gives variant readings torender the following: "A stedfast mindthou keepest in perfect peace (peace,peace), whose mind (or imagination.) isstayed on thee." And here we begin tounderstand what peace is. Peace comeswith having one's mind in key or in tunewith that of God. The Psalmist said: "OGod, my heart is fixed." Fixed upon God.And being fixed on God, with thethoughts of God permeating his soul, hewould be at peace with God.In the words of Jesus, we find theanswer to the problem: "Peace I leavewith you, my peace I give unto you: notas the world giveth, give I unto you. Letnot your heart be troubled, neither let itbe(John 14:27) Christ does notgive peace in the sense of which theworld considers it, but peace in theChristian sense,that of following thewill and the plan of God. And again weread: "These things have I spoken untoyou, that in me ye might have peace. Inthe world, ye shall have tribulation, butbe of good cheer, I have overcome theworld."(John 16 :33) The person who isat peace with the world might well consider his relationship to Jesus Christ.For the world and Christ are at continual war, and if we are at peace with theworld, we cannot be at peace with God.Do you have peace with God? Areyou sure you do, or are you taking itfor granted? Are you doing that whichis necessary to bring peace into yourheart? Isaiah said: "Thou wilt keep himin perfect peace, whose mind is stayed onthee."Is your mind fixed or stayed uponGod? The promise of this passage canbe fulfilled only when the conditions aremet, and if we turn our eyes away fromGod, then we shall not have the peaceCOVENANTER WITNESS

ward."of which this verse speaks. "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law,abomination"even his prayer shall be(Proverbs 28:9).How can we gain peace with God? ItNews Briefscomes first of all when we surrender ourlives completely to God and to His service. The Book of Isaiah was written toGod's chosen people, those under thecovenant promises.It was written tothose who had said that they would follow God. This promise of peace does notcome to the person outside of Christ whoallows his mind to think about God occasionally. It comes to the person whoselife is wholly within the hand of God.But acceptance of Christ is not thewhole picture. There must also be a willingness to obey the commands of God.Peter followed Christ, but he denied hisLord, and he did not have peace of heart.Jesus tells us the way in which we mayfind peace with God, "He that hath mycommandments, and keepeth them, he itis that loveth me: and he that loveth meshall be loved of my Father, and I willlove him, and will manifest myself tohim"(John 14:21). We must acceptChrist, but we must also obey Him.And in order to obey the Lord, we mustlove His Word, and we must study it, inorder that we may know what He commands us to do. The Psalmist writes:"Great peace have they which love thylaw, and them"nothing shall offend(Psalm 119:165). But do we love God'slaw? We sing of our love for the Bible,how it is our study all the day, but howmany minutes do you spend studyingGod's Word each day? Is it your meditation all the day?Peace with God is the greatest possession obtainable. Isaiah had that peace,and though he suffered in seeing God'slaw forsaken, he was right with God.David was hunted like an animal byKing Saul (1 Samuel 19, 20), but thatdid not effect his relationship with God.The Apostle Paul endured much sufferingfor the cause of Christ (2 Corinthians11:24-33), but he was at peace with God.Before his conversion, he was kickingagainst the pricks,and his heart wastroubled. Peter was able to say towardthe end of his earthly life: "Wherein yegreatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heavinessthrough manifold temptations: that thetrial of your faith, beingmuch more precious than of gold that perisheth, thoughit be tried with fire, might be found untopraise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." Peter was atpeace with God through all the sufferingsof his life.We all desire and we all pray for peacein the world. But physical peace is superficial. The world and the people in theworld will never change, until they haveOctober 6, 1954CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: September 20 marked the 25th ANNIVERSARYof the laying of the cornerstone of theCentral Pittsburgh church. An interesting display was prepared including abulletin from the 25th anniversary service at the former Central Alleghenychurch in 1890, some communion tokens,the program of the dedication weekservices, a beautiful scale model ofthe church built by Howard Elliott andEdwin Carson in their high school days,as well as other items of interest.On Sabbath evening, September 19, aspecial service was held at which Dr. D.H. Elliott, pastor of the congregation atthe time of the building of the church andfor a major portion of the succeeding25 years, spoke on "LookingBackward."Dr. J. R. Patterson, who succeeded Dr.Elliott as pastor, spoke on "Looking ForSurely this occasion should be a realchallenge to us and we ask the prayersof the whole church that we shall befaithful and fruitful laborers in this portion of God's vineyard in the years ahead.BELLE CENTER, OHIO: Dr. andMrs. John Coleman visited a few days atthe parsonage and preached for us Sabbath, September 12both morning andevening. He brought us very helpful messages.HETHERTON: Mr. and Mrs. H. E.McKelvy and Janie and Mrs. Sara Clydevisited with the McKelvy family ofHetherton in August. Recent visitors atthe Ed Roby homein Hetherton included his brother Elman and a coupleof boys who accompanied him from SanDiego, California. Helen and FlorenceFattal, cousins of Ed's and his auntMiss Edna Elsey, also spent some timein the Roby home.While there theywith the Roby family made a trip tobeen made to have peace with God. "Andthe peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keepyour hearts andminds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:7).PRAYER SUGGESTIONS:1. For strength to be granted to thoseChristians who are suffering forChrist's sake, that the peace of Godmay uphold them.2. That we as individuals may be atpeace with Godnot with the world.3. That God would see fit to use us inbringingtroubled hearts.the message of peace toBayfield, Wisconsin, to visit Mrs. Elizabeth Elsey.NEWBURG: Tuesday evening,September 7, the W.M.S. held their regularmonthly meeting.SEATTLE: It is nice to have an evening Junior High age group. This issomething new for our congregation andis sponsored by Joe Lamont, Jr. It wasfelt necessary to divide this age groupfrom the High School and older youngpeople's group which has taken on newlife under the sponsorship of June andBob Dunn. We would ask your prayersfor the continuation and growth of thesetwo groups.YOUNGSTOWN: The Juniors met atthe church on September 16, for a picnic supper and games. They all reported agood time.ORLANDO: The Builders for ChristSabbath School class held their monthlysocial at the home of Mr. and Mrs.Windham in the form of a steak frywhich was intended to have been on thelawn but because of rain their newlyfloored double garage made a good substitute.CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: Four institutions of higher learningwill be represented again this year by members of ourcongregation: Mr. Jack Oliver plans toreturn to Duke University GraduateSchool, North Carolina; Katherine Murlisand June Rinko returned to Geneva;Shirleyann Hoy begins her final yearat Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, Illinois; while her step-sister, Mary McCloskey,is a senior at the University ofPittsburgh.HETHERTON: Representatives atGrinnell were Ida Webber, DorothyBrown, Carol Hagadorn, Jo Leino, andHarriet and Milton Harrington.NEWBURGH: Sabbath evening services were resumed on September 12. Weare beginning a studyof Genesis. Tothose of the Newburgh Congregation, whohave not beenevening services, I say,attending the Sabbath"Let's supportour pastor and give him some encouragement by coming out, if at all possible.This is a 45 minute session.UNITED PHILADELPHIA: RobertAshleigh is teachingat Marion HighSchool and with his wife and son attendsour services.DENISON: Thomas Preston Robb ar-221

ived on September 19 to gladden thehome of Mr. and Mrs. Stewart Robb, Sueand Jimmy.SYRACUSE: During August we hadthe privilege oflistening to Rev. J. PaulWilson, Dr. J. Ren Patterson, Dr. S.Bruce Willson and Dr. R. J. G. McKnight. We were greatly helped by theirmessages.SEATTLE : Mrs. Eleanora Paduano anddaughter Lynn have just returned fromatrip to Alaska. They made the trip tovisit Mrs. Paduano's oldest daughter,Eleanora who just recently became themother of a baby girl. We also recentlyenjoyed a short visit from Mr. and Mrs.Talmage Mehaffy of Sharon, Iowa.NEW YORK: A teacher requested recently that the members of her class bringtheir favorite book to school the nextmorningdoingand tell her their reasons forso. A thirteen year old baptizedmember of our congregation brought herBible, explaining to the teacher she didso because it explained to all who readit the way of Salvation. The teacher commended her for the choice. Is there anything in this world to beat Covenantertraining?ST. LAWRENCE PRESBYTERY willmeet in the Almonte Church on Tuesdayevening, October 19, at 7:30 P.M. At8 o'clock that same evening, the Rev. F.F. Reade, who has accepted the call tothe Almonte congregation, will bestalled as pastor.inG. M. Robb, Clerk ofSt. Lawrence PresbyteryBELLE CENTER: Mrs. Fred Keys ofGrand Junct:on, Colorado, was calledhere by the death of her father, Mr. D. C.Wickerham. She visited her sister Mrs.R. E. Dill and brother, Mr. Del Wickerham and familyand other friends.YOUNGSTOWN The new curtains inthe church basement make it easier tohold several classes without interferingwith each other.CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: We werehappy to have Bobby Oliver home overthe week-end of the 5th, he was one ofthe fortunate 100 who were selected fromthe group in boot-training to go home ona short furlough. His address is.: Pvt.Robert M. Oliver, US 52318841, Serv.Btry. 509, AFABn, 3rd Armored Division,Fort Knox, Ky, Another recent visitor tothe congregation was Mrs. George Priceof the Philadelphia Congregation. Shirleywas home for the week-end visiting hermother Mrs. Piper who has not been invery good health.Rev. Sterrett was Manager of theWhite Lake Junior and Prep Campsthis year. Members from the NEWBURGH CHURCH attending were: Jun-222ior Camp: Brenda and Linda Russell;Mary Lee Meneely was a Counselor atthe Junior Camp and stayed to attend thePrep Camp, along with Linda Russell,Robert Meneely and Millard Simmons.Mr. and Mrs. John McKay, Martha andElizabeth Henderson attended serviceson one of the Sabbaths.HETHERTON: The Young Peoplesponsored their annual ice cream socialon Friday, the thirteenth of August. Despite that unfavorable date,they wereable to net a substantial profit to putaway for the expenses of delegates tonext summer's conference.LOS ANGELES: We received wordthat congratulations are in order for Dr.and Mrs. Esmond Smith on the arrivalof their daughter Leslie Jo, born August25. The proud parents are residing at thepresent time in Cincinnati, Ohio.CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: Thosevacationing during August and Septemberwere: the McKelvy Family to Hetherton,Michigan; Miss Mary Kenwill to Colorado; the K. M. Youngs to Van Bureau,New York; Spencer and Warfield familyto Indianapolis, Indiana; Jack Oliver atthe "Navigator" conference in Colorado;the Bish and Price families in Kentucky;Mrs. Brown is just back from a wonderful 7-weeks Greyhound tour with a groupof fellow-teachers up the Alcan Highwayto Alaska, visiting at the University there.DENISON: The Young Adult Groupat the homeenjoyed a supper and partyof Miss Annetta Knowles, August 27.Miss Kathleen McCrory directed the entertainment and Harold McCrory ledin the concluding devotional service.NEWBURGH: Duringthe month ofAugust, regular preaching services wereheld at our church with the exception ofAugust 22. On August 1, Rev. T. J.Wilson of White Lake brought us themorningmessage and on August 8 and15 the Rev. Robert Henning of New Yorkoccupied our pulpit. We enjoyed theirChristian Fellowship and the inspiringmessages brought to us. On August 29,our own pastor, Rev. Charles Sterrettbrought us the morning message.HETHERTON: Brown-Phillips. OnAugust 26, at seven o'clock in the evening,Geraldine Brown of Hetherton, was married to Mr. Harold Phillips of Alpena,Michigan, in Kingdom Hall, Alpena.Gerald'ne is the daughter of Mr. andMrs. Thad Brown and a member ofHetherton congregation. About two hundred guests attended the reception following the ceremony. Following a wedding trip to New York, the couple willmake their home in Alpena where Mr.Phillips is employed in a cement plant.SYRACUSE: The W.M.S. and Missionary Guild met in a joint meeting atthe home of Mrs. Kenneth Wicks Tuesday evening. September 14, when weheard Miss Erla Flannigan of the CityMissionary Association. We miss EvaDougall Russell, who passed away Memorial Day morning.Copied from the "Glengarry News";Brodie friends surprised Alice McKelvyvoyage"on Tuesday evening with a "Bonparty of games, program, etc. In behalfof those present, little Elaine Brodie presented her with the sum of twenty-fivedollars. Alice has gone to the CovenanterCollege in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania,not only with this fine gift in her pocket,but a glow in her heart and ahappymemory of her many friends back in oldGlengarry.CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: The Primary Department enjoyed an afternoonwith the animals Wednesday August 25,taking in both the Children's and Regular Zoos. Though they may have confronted many difficulties in locating alittle girl who had wandered off, they hadmany enjoyable moments, especiallywith a chimpanzee who persisted in followingthe example of one of the boysand took a drink from the fountain.HETHERTON: At a recent meeting ofW.M.S. held at Mrs. Ed Hagadorn's thefollowing ladies were welcomed as associate members of the organization: Mrs.Hailie Wiegandt, Mrs. Arlene Inman,Mrs. Amy Northrup and Mrs. NellieLamed.BELLE CENTER: A miscellaneousshower was held in honor of Mr. and Mrs.W. S. Tuttle at the home of Mr. andMrs. Howard Keys Tuesday evening,September 7. They received many usefulgifts. Mrs. Tuttle was the former MissRuth Shaw. Greetings were also extendedto Mr. T. M. Funk who was celebratinghis 87th birthday the same evening, September 7. We rejoice in the good measureof health which he enjoys.SYRACUSE: Those attending Grinnellfrom Syracuse were Mr. and Mrs. William Ramsey and Lois and Jack; Mr.Raymond Park, and David; CharlesStraub, Sharon Buskey, and Dr. andMrs. G. M. Robb. Lois Ramsey, DavidPark, and Jack Pinkerton were also counselors and workers at White Lake duringthe summer.SEATTLE: The September W.M.S.meeting was held at the home of Mr.and Mrs. Verd Dunn and all went alongas usual with the exception that at theclose of the meeting the men of the congregation appeared at the front door. Itwasn't just for the eats either! The occasion was ahousewarming party forthe Dunns in their new home. Mrs. S. M.Dodds and Mrs. Walter Mitchell, socialCOVENANTER WITNESS

chairwomen for the month, generouslyprovided food to go with that providedby Mrs. Dunn. Games, singing and agood time followed. The Dunns were presented with serving pieces tochina-theirware.YOUNGSTOWN: The annual SabbathSchool picnic was held at Mill CreekPark. Threatening rain did not dampenour enthusiasm, and a good time washad by all.A service by Rev. G. Macky Robb ofSyracuse, N. Y. (TOPEKA R. P.CHURCH pulpit supply for the day)and a mixed quartet of Mr. and Mrs. H.Davies and Mr. and Mrs. E. Grahamof Topeka, was much enjoyed on the lawnof T. B. Cottage of Topeka State Hospital by the patients there and a goodlynumber of patients from the WoodsviewSections of the Hospital, who gatheredcloselyenough to hear the quartet. Thea cappella quartet sang portions of Psalms107, 116, 100 and 23. They repeated the23rd Psalm to another melody on theT. B. men's ward for the benefit of allpatients inside.LOS ANGELES: A pot luck dinnerwas held at the church on September 17,at which time a surprise birthday cakeand an orchid corsage was presented toMiss Margaret McCartneywho celebratedher 90th Birthday. After dinner a congregational business meeting was held.CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: Mrs. Nellie Walsh Dumrauf and daughter Cynthia left by plane Wednesday night forOakland, California, to be with M/Sgt.Dumrauf in service. He is not permanently stationed at Parks Air ForceBase but will be moving around fromtime to time. Nellie hopes to be able tostaywith him.NEWBURGH: We were happy to haveRev. Robert Crawford and family worship with us recently. Also manyof ourother friends who have attended ourservices since our last news.YOUNGSTOWN: September 12, Mrs.Jessie Marshall presented a TemperanceFlannelgraph after which the f:rst twoclasses displayed temperance posters theyhad made.DENISON: The W.M.S. met September 10 with Mrs. Truman Hug. Mrs.Clarence Wing was the devotional leaderand Mrs. Delber Braum presented themission study.ORLANDO: The sacrament of theLord's Supper was observed on SabbathSeptember 12, our assistant was the Rev.R. C. Fullerton of New Alexandria congregation and the Seminary. His messageswere most helpful and instructive in leadingus to the communion table and preparing us for the signing of the covenantOctober 6, 1954after the Sabbath evening service. Wewere happy to have Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Geddies of St. Petersburg and Mrs.R. C. Fullerton with us for this occasion;however, we were sorry Mrs. Reba Stewart of St. Petersburg was not physicallyable to be with us. At the Friday eveningservice we had the sacrament of baptism administered to Debora Gail, thelittle daughter of Roy and Laura Bass.Five new members were added to ourroll: Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Brown of Winter Park, Lucy and Jennie Price, andMrs. Marymembership.Schnoebelen was restored toUNITED PHILADELPHIA: Jean andMarshall Smith print a weekly Bulletinfor us. Today's leaflet has these newsitems: "Our Communion will be heldon the 2nd Sabbath of October, October10, with Dr. T. C. McKnight of Wilkinsburg, Pa., assisting. Six of our YoungPeople are in attendance at Geneva College this year: Jean Finlay, Dick Howell,Bill Jackron, George Jackson, Ray McCracken and Ronnie Nimick."STERLING: Mrs. Eldo McFarlandand Mrs. Albert Young were hostessesthe evening of August 25 at a party inthe McFarland home honoring Rev. andMrs. Luther McFarland of Montclair,N. J., on their twenty-second weddinganniversary. The evening was spent playinggames appropriate to the occasionand in reminiscing. A large anniversarycake and other gifts were presented tothe honorees by relatives and friends.BELLE CENTER: Miss LorenaThompson of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvan'a,visited for a few days in the home ofMr. and Mrs. J. Roy Templeton and family. Miss Thompson and Mrs. Templetonare cousins.CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: We hadmany sick and hospitalized this month:Elmer Gates had his tonsils removed atthe Montefiore Hosp'tal; Irene Caputo'shusband had a serious spinal operationin the Presbyterian Hospital; Mr. Mc-Closkeyhas been laid up for severalCloskey has also been poorly; BarbaraZiegler has a foot that is giving her agreat deal of trouble; Mrs. Lavern Bishweeks with a back injury and Mrs. Mc-wa-is not nearly at full strength and vigor;Mrs. Acheson ill for several weeksbut is feelingmuch better now.SYRACUSE: Summer vis:to-s haveincluded: Dr. and Mrs. Robert Metcalfeand family, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Dodds,Mr. and Mrs. Robert Ashleigh and family, the Misses Alice and Jean Robb, andMr. and Mrs. Curtis Blake and familyand Dr. and Mrs. James MacFarland andfanvlywho were at Mrs. MacFarland'scottage at Cazenovia. We were glad tohave Mr. and Mrs. William Boyd andMr. and Mrs. R. Mercer from Torontostop at the Church on their way throughtown.HETHERTON: Mr. and Mrs. HughHarrington, parents of Rev. Harold Harrington, were present at his ordinationand installation at New Castle on September 10. Mr. and Mrs. Don Felkerbrought them back to Hetherton and Donpreached at Hetherton on September 12.On their return trip to Pennsylvania Dontook Harrietand Evelyn (Mrs. Felker)and Elsie Harrington and Joyce Hoy toGeneva College. Harriet is enrolled as asophomore and Elsie and Joyce freshmen. Harriet had only a short vacation athome as she spent most of the summerhelping with the work at Wrigley andSandy Hook, Ky.Two of our young people enteredJunior college in ORLANDO, this Fall,they are Annibell Donahue and AlanWindham. Donald Windham enters theUnivenity at Gainsville, Fla., the 20th,Alvin Smith, Southern College, the 27thand Roy White left for Gainsville,Georg'a, to attend the Riverside Academy for boys. Let us remember theseyoungpeople in our prayers.YOUNGSTOWN: The Young People held a weiner roast on the churchlawn. Visitors were from Beaver Fallsand Pittsburgh.LOS ANGELES : We were privileged tohave three of the Seminary students,Donald McClurkin, Armour McFarlandand Paul Robb preach for us recently.We were greatly inspired by the fine sermons they gave and we know they willbe good ministers and a credit to theChurch.NEWBURGH: Jack White, son ofElder and Mrs. John White, began hisstudies at Geneva College on September14. We wish him much success in hispreparation for his life work.SEATTLE: We are happy to extend awelcome to June (nee June McConachie)and Bob Dunn who have come to maketheir home inSeattle. Bob is at thepresent time looking for work here andwe are all anxious for them to getsettled so that their stay here might bepermanent.DENISON: The Young Adult Groupbegan a Bible Study period on Sabbatheven'ngs the first Sabbath of September.Genesis is the study and Lloyd Copelandis teaching. Miss Annetta Knowles andMr:. Delber Braum conduct two Juniorgroups at the same time.SYRACUSE: We are thankful thatsome who have had operations have recovered so well. Mr. C. D. Murphy andMr. C. E. Wright are back at work. Mr.223

salvation."saints."moveCalvin Russell continues to improve atHomer Folks Hospital in Oneonta, N. Y.CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: Mrs.Mary McConaughy McCrory and familywho now reside in Colorado were slightlyinjured in an automobile accident whilethey were vacationing in the RockyMountains. Mary and her son were hospitalized for a short time but are nowhome.HETHERTON: We were thankful tohave Miss Phoebe Summerland a member of the congregation, able to be ather home here for the summer vacation.Miss Summerland was unable to comethe previous summer because of seriousinjuries in an automobile accident.SEATTLE: Some people are fortunateenough to still be vacationing! At thepresent time Miss Roberta Dodds is ona month's vacation and is spending itin short trips around the State. Mr. R.J. Crawford from Philadelphia was avery recent visitor in Seattle while on atour of the West.NEWBURGH : Wednesday eveningSeptember 1, Rev. Awad gave us a verywonderful message on his work in theSyria church. Members of the Coldenhamcongregation joined with us on this occasion. After the message, a social timefollowed.UNITED PHILADELPHIA: We areglad to welcome George Gross of Denver,Colorado, who is studying at JeffersonMedical School here.LOS ANGELES: We are happy tohave Mrs. Jean Aiken back in our midstafter an extended visit with her daughterMrs. Lowell Huston and family in theEast.YOUNGSTOWN: On August 20 theRev. Hugh Blair of Ireland preached forus. We were glad to have so many visitors on that Sabbath. Besides the Blairfamilythere were Mrs. Boyd Tweed,the Rev. Robert Tweed, the Lytles,andMr. and Mrs. Elwood Woods.ORLANDO: Mr. and Mrs. W. C. McFarland and Mr. and Mrs. John Hustonhave returned from a trip through someof the eastern states up as far as NewYork where theywere guests of Mr. andMrs. Ren Tacey of White Lake congregation. We are sorry that Mrs. Hustonwas ifl on her return trip and was confined in the hospital in Luray, Virginia,for a short while. She is still on our sickiist. Mrs. B. C. Terry is in the hospitalthis week for a check up. Mr. Ernest Dillunderwent quite a serious operation lastMondayand is still in considerable painbut is now considered out of danger. Heis in the Orange Memorial hospital.BELLE CENTER: Mrs. J. M. Keys224visited her daughter Mrs. Ralph Mathewsand family of Baldwin, Illinois, in September.SYRACUSE: We were privileged tohear Pastor Khalil Awad on Wednesday evening, August 25.We also appreciated the opportunity to meet theMisses Helen and Florence Fattall, whowere visiting Mrs. C. D. Murphy.HETHERTON: We were happy towelcome Rev. and Mrs. R. A. Henningand boys from New York City for ashort visit. They were guests in thehomes of Ed Hagadorn and William Leino.Rev. and Mrs. Harold Thompsonspent a short vacation at Hetherton, staying in the parsonage. Dr. Alvin Smith ofOrlando, preached for the Hetherton Congregation on the first four Sabbaths ofAugust. The Hetherton people were muchencouraged by his messages and were gladto become better acquainted with him byhaving him as guest in several of thehomes. We hope Dr. Smith enjoyed ourNorthern Michigan Summer weather.BELLE CENTER: Mrs. Nellie Johnston Bell of Lansing, Michigan, visitedrelatives and friends here,her formerhome, for a few days the latter part ofAugust. She attended church servicesAugust 29. Mrs. Bell is a niece of thelate W. P. Johnston.CENTRAL PITTSBURGH: Mr. J.K. M. Tibby died on Tuesday, August10, at the age of 85. Manythe late Mr. and Mrs. Tibbywill rememberand their sonJohn who were at one time members ofour church.MR. ANDREW F. CARSONMr. Andrew F. Carson of Caledonia,N. Y., passed away on Friday night,September 3. Funeral services were conducted at the home on Monday, September 6, by Dr. G. M. Robb. Mr. Carsonlived to the ripe age of 86. He was amember of the York congregation untilits dissolution, at which time he andMrs. Carson transferred their memberships to Syracuse. Mr. Carson loved hisLord deeply. He loved his Church andwas much interested in its welfare. "Because he hath set his love upon me, .with long life will I satisfy him,him myMRS. MARY CONNERY. .and shewWe, the members of the SterlingW.M.S.,offer this tribute of love andrespect to the memory of our friend Mrs.whoMary Connerywent to be with theLord July 11, 1954.For a long time she had been in failinghealth and for many weeks she suffereda patient and cheermuch, maintainingful spirit, testifying of her faith in Christwhom having not seen she loved.She loved the church and was faithfulin attendance when physically able.She was a devoted and loving mother,a good friend, and a kind and thoughtfulneighbor. She did what she could tofurther the cause of Christ's kingdom.We know that "precious in the sightof the Lord is the death of HisGETTING READY TOLucy S. MacClementJennie AndersonMOVEThe owner of the tenement which Ihave occupied for many years has givennotice that he will furnish but little ornothing more for repairs. I am advise^to be ready to move.At first this was not a very welcomenotice. The surroundings here are inmany respects very pleasant, and wereit not for the evidence of decay I shouldconsider the old house good enough. Buteven a light wind causes it to trembleand totter, and all the braces are notsufficient to make it secure. So I am getting ready to move.It is strange how quickly one's interestis transferred to the prospective home.I have been consulting maps of the newcountry and reading descriptions of itsinhabitants. One who visited it has returned, and from him I learned that it isbeautiful beyond description languagebreaks down in attempting to tell of whathe heard while there. He says that in order to make an investigation there, he hassuffered the loss of all things that heowned here, and even rejoices in whatothers would call making a sacrifice.Another, whose love to me has beenproven by the greatest possible test, isnow there. He has sent me several clusters of the most delicious fruits. Aftertasting them, all food here seems insipid.Two or three times I have been downby the border of the river that forms theboundary, and have wished myself amongthe company of those who were singingpraises to the Kingon the other side.Many of my friends have moved there.Before leaving, they spoke of my cominglater. I have seen the smile upon theirfaces as theypassed out of sight.Often I am asked to make some newinvestment here, but my answer in everycase is, "I am getting ready toSelectedCOVENANTER WITNESS

LESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 31, 1954VOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1954 NUMBER 15A GREATER HORIZONFAITH, AND NOT BY

uncertainty."over."mobs."Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D.The Chaplaincy Has GrownThe chaplaincy of the U. S. has grown from a small beginning in 1775 until the present time when there are morethan 1400 ministers serving as chaplains. During the timeof the Revolution General Washington asked for clergymento serve as chaplains which was the beginning of the chaplains organization. That makes the present year the 179thanniversary of the U. S. Chaplaincy.How Many Christians?Less than 30 per cent of the people of the world are calledChristians, according to the World Christian Handbook. Thesame source indicates that more than half of the nominalChristians are Roman Catholics. The number of people whobear the name Christian is over 700,000,000, but the totalpopulation of the world is more than 2,400,000,000.Drummond's FaithThe editor of the Free Methodist narrates the following:A contemporary tells the story of Hunry Drummond, greatscientist and lecturer of Glasgow University, who at forty-sixwas dying of a mysterious disease. He was "weary of thejungle philosophy of evolution, and tired of rattling the driedbones of dead monkeys as a means of finding the orig'n oflife.'"So he said to Sir William Dawson, a scientist and devout Christian, "I am going back to the Bible to believe as Ionce did. I can no longer live inevolutionists then uncertain, notwithstandingAh, me, aretheir oft claimof intellectual arrival? Yes, every big one has this feeling.Some of the little ones are cocksure. Anyway, Drummonddid go back and "his intellectual wanderings wereArgentina Relaxes RulesArgentina has relaxed the restrictions which have beenplaced on evangelical broadcasting. Some broadcasters whohad been forced off the air are now allowed to resume theirministry. One group of broadcasters is going on the air fourtimes each week and covering Argentina, Paraguay, SouthernBrazil, and Chile. Thus, in the providence of God, the gospelis reaching out over the southern part of South America, andwe rejoice in the promise that God's Word shall not returnvoid but shall accomplish that which He pleases.Policeman Demoted for HonestyThe New York Times said: "We had been wondering forthe past week how long it would be before Deputy Chief Inspector Louis Goldberg's number came up. Yesterday he wasbroken to captain in rank, sent to a form of police Siberia,then turned in his retirement papers rather than go there."Inspector Goldberg's demotion followed his attempt to enforceanti-gambling laws, especially those against bingo. He hadwarned a Knights of Columbus club, a synagogue and threechurches, two of which were Roman Catholic and one aProtestant, to end their bingo games. He had served 36 yearson the police force in what is said to have been honest service,and in recent months as head of the morals squad, but all ofthis did not save him frcnn demotion when he had tried to interfere with church gambling for his punishment cams in lessthan 24 hours. What shall we say of the moral, or rather immoral, leadership of corrupt churches, when a policeman is226punished because he threatens the illicit income of certainchurches? One editor says: "The fact is that the nation hascome into a period when all sorts of easy-money schemes arebeing promoted under the guise of relievingchurches andchurch institutions of their financial worries. Some are riggedto afford a respectable front for the operation ofgamblingVisual Religious EducationThirty-two denominations were representedrecently atGreen Lake, Wis., to review and confer about audio-visual religious education, and it is reported that more than 52,000churches in the United States are equipped to show 16-mm.motion pictures. Some pictures that may now be shown arevery good, both educational and inspiring: but, on the otherhand, there are many that are not true to the Bible and unworthy of being shown.The American Bible Society has produced a motion picture which has cost nearly $250,000 with a cast of 250 people,showing the history and development of the Bible from thefirst century unto the present time. It was eight years in preparation and two years in production. It is 84 minutes long andcan be shown at one time or in three sections for separateshowings.Maine's New GovernorNews reports have noted with emphasis the election of aDemocrat as Governor of Maine and have spoken of it as adecline of Republican influence and a decided increase ofDemocratic power. But it should be remembered that thisman, Edmund S. Muskie, is not onlya Democrat but aRoman Catholic, and the first Catholic ever elected to thehighest office of that state. It is quite probable that Catholiismplayed a larger part in his election than the Democrats.We should not forget that the priest in Chicago who dared todenounce Senator McCarthy was soon removed for McCarthyis a Catholic.(Continued on page 232)THE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street. Newton, Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka, Kansasto promote Bible Standards of Doctrine, Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writers:not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen. D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll. D.D.Remo I. Robb, D.D.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdjrarMrs. J. O. EdirarMrs. Ross Latime-Subscription rates: $2.50 per year; Overseas. $3.00: Sinele Copies10 cents.The Rev. R. B. Lyons, B.A., Limavady, N. Ireland. Agent for theBritish Isles.Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Newton, Kansasunder the Act of March 3, 1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.COVENANTER WITNESS

Current EventsBy Prof. William H. Russell, Ph.D.LONDON AGREEMENTThe nine-power conference in London has worked out anagreement for German rearmament, achieving most of thebenefits of EDC except for an integrated European army.Britain, France, and the U. S. agreed to grant West Germanyfull independence, ending their military occupation. Germanyand Italy are to join the Brussels treaty alliance,which willset up a council to control arms production. The conferencepowers also agreed to recommend West Germany's admissionas the fifteenth member of NATO. The German army will belimited to half a million men and her air force to about onethousand planes. She has also promised not to attempt theunification of Germany by force.Two major concessions helped save the conference when itseemed about to fail. Britain promised to keep the four divisions and the aircraft which she now has on the continentthere indefinitely. This will help to balance Germany's newmilitary strength. France was further reassured by West Germany's pledge never to make chemical, bacteriological, oratomic weapons. The agreement now must be ratified by theparliaments of the countries involved. France is the most likely to cause trouble, but Premier Mendes-France has promisedhis full support.MODERATE LABORITESThe annual conference of the British Labor party resulted in defeat for the radical forces led by Aneurin Bevan.German rearmament, which Bevan had attacked as "Gunsfor the Huns," was endorsed, though bya small majority. Thisstrengthens Anthony Eden's work at the London nine-powerconference. The Laborites accepted all the recommendationsof their National Executive Committee, which is somewhatunusual. Bevan was not re-elected to the executive committee.The control of the moderates is especially important sinceLabor's political popularity has risen steadily in the last fewmonths. Most politicians believe Labor would win if nationalelections were held now.McCARRAN PASSES ONPat McCarran, a Nevada Democrat,was the fifth U. S.Senator to die this year. Though 78 years old, his death wasquite unexpected. He was a prominent Roman Catholic layman, best known in recent years for the "McCarran Act" deCommunists from entering this country. Mcsigned to keepCarran opposed all immigration,was usuallyCommunist or otherwise, andisolationist in foreign policy. His political utterances revealed the demagogue more often than the statesman. Nevada's governor has appointed a Republican to fill theremaining two years of his term, but the Democrats are tryingto secure a special election in November, which they believetheycould win.SOUTHBOUND EXPLORERSA small Navyexpedition is leaving in December for theAntarctic, as the first step in a three-year exploration program.They will make maps and collect other scientific data, butnot establish any permanent bases. Eventually, however, threeobservation stations will be set up, one directly at the SouthPole. Our last expedition to the Antarctic was in 1948. TheSouth Polar continent is considerably larger than Europe, butOctober 13, 1954much of it has never been seen, much less explored. Highmountains and extensive mineral deposits are to be found inthe interior. The new program will probably use long-rangeplanes for aerial mapping. One key problem is the rate ofmelting of the Antarctic icecap, and also the effect of SouthPolar weather on the rest of the earth. Admiral Byrd, veteranPolar explorer, will act as technical adviser for the new expedition, but may not actually go to Antarctica.SEGREGATION SURVIVESSome of the obstacles to the abolition of school segregation are now appearing. The DeepSouth has taken no important steps toward integration. Next month the people ofGeorgia and Mississippi will vote on amendments to theirstate constitutions, authorizing the legislatures to turn theschools over to private control if necessary to maintain segregation. South Carolina adopted such a provision in 1952,Louisiana has a similar proposal, that would give local superintendents the power to keeptheir schools segregated. In thestates of the border South, integration has usually proceededquietly. But in two communities in West Virginia and Deleware,the two races were again separated after local protests.Baltimore, Maryland, has also had some trouble. Some communities have groups called the "National Association for theAdvancement of White People." They fail to explain howmaintainingsegregation will advance the white race. The Supreme Court has set December 6 for the beginning of hearingson means of implementing last spring's decree against segregation.SECRETS FOR SALEFrance's latest internal difficulty involves the leakagecf defense secrets. Two workers in the National Defense department are accused of givingout secret documents, and theSecretary of the National Defense Committee has been suspended. Both the accused men are extreme leftists. A Communist newspaperman is charged with acting as their agent inconveying the secrets to Communist headquarters in France,and in paying them for their work. The documents concernedhad to do with the Indochina war. Politicians will doubtlessuse the scandal to discredit either the Communists or thepresent administration.AID FOR FILIPINO FARMERSPresident Ramon Magsaysay of the Philippines has begunsteps toward land reform, one of his country's most basicproblems. He appointed a three-member commission to administer an Agricultural Tenancy Act,passed at the last session of the Philippine Congress. The new law protects farmtenants against arbitrary dismissal. It also fixes a maximuminterest rate of 8 per cent on loans to tenants. This is designedto end the debt-bondage which held many peasants in virtualserfdom for generations. The new law also regulates leasingand sharecropping contracts, with specificquired. The maximumcropper cent of the tenant's share,agreements relien is reduced from 85 to 75and there are other safeguardsfor sharecroppers. Reform in this field is especially vital because it is a talking point for Communist agitators throughoutthe Far East.227

need"supplieth."world."poor"The Editor's PageOver Against the TreasuryYou may enjoy an interesting guessing gamewhile waiting in your parked car at the curb sometime, reading the faces, the clothes, the gait of thepassers-by. Is he a Christian or an unbeliever, abanker, a lawyer, teacher,craftsman? Is he rich oror widower or divorcee? Ispoor, married or single,he happy or morose, brilliant or dull, honest or acrook? The answers are there, but your score, yourbatting average, if it could be ascertained, will not behigh. You would not pick Hattie Greene in her fadedblack-green dress and out-moded sailor hat to be thepossessor of $400,000,000.00 or the man in the top"hat and monocle to be an escaped convict.Jesus indulged in this game too at times; forinstance the day that He sat over against the treasury and watched the people casting in their offerings. But His score was probably perfect, althoughrediculousmistakes. There were some munificent gifts,those who sat by Him considered He was makingquite in keeping with the opulent equipage of thegivers. Other gifts were less ostentatious, some evenface betrayedmiserly as you would expect. Jesus'until a poor widow inneither approval or disapproval,threadbare clothes, with horny hands, and a facewith all the evidences of malnutrition, came by andcast in one no there were two copper coins thenJesus with face beaming said to His disciples, "Didvou see that? That was the biggest offering of theday. She has cast in more than all the rest put together. Such faith ! Such love ! Such devotion ! Thatwoman doesn't know where her supper is comingfrom nor tomorrow's breakfast. She has cast in allher living."Do you think that Jesus was cruel to turn thespotlight on the poor modest wizened miserably oldstyledwidow ? And not for that moment only, but forall future generations to gaze upon her poverty ? No,for if we only realized it, the spotlight was not on herat all, but on every one of us, and on our bulgingpocketbooks, our luxuriously equipped homes, ourlatest model cars, our expensive wardrobes; howmean they all look in the presence of that woman smagnificent gift! These out of the theirabundancebut sheunusable surplus have cast into the treasury,out of her penury! Have their gifts and ours evercost us a hamburger's solace to our over-stuffedabdomens ? "Shall I give to my Lord that which costmenothing?"said David to the Jebusite. Have weever felt the pain of real sacrifice? It is a blessedpain The Lord looks upon the untouched surplus, aswell as the gift. He is still sittingtreasury.over against theBut does the Lord expect us to give as that poorwidow gave? His longexperience over against thetreasurywhere humans are constantly passing wouldnot tend toward great optimism. Certain it is thatsuggestion of censure inthere was not the slightestHis comment regarding her blind indiscretion in"casting in all her living." Had she not done it m lullreliance on Him who said, "Trust in the Lord and do228good ; so shall thou dwell in the land, and verily thoushalt be fed." We don't know where she got her supper nor her breakfast, but we doubt not that Hispromise was fulfilled in full.WHY DO WE REGULARLY FAIL TO RAISE THEBUDGET?There are several reasons ;First there is a formula that will not work. Suppose the Budget set is $100,000.00 and the homemembership is 5,000. $100,000 divided by 5,000 equals$20 per member. Each member's quota is $20.00.There are 100 members in your congregation, therefore the quota for your congregation is $2,000. Easyenough for a strong congregation, but suppose acongregation has only 25 members and the supportof the home congregation needs every cent they canraise. Where will their $500.00 come from ? We thatare strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weakand so fulfill the law of Christ. I doubt if any congregation is so naive as to suppose that the Budget canbe raised by that formula, but I do not doubt thatthere are plentyof individuals who evade their responsibility by use of that formula. The formula attributed to the Communists falsely so "Fromevery one according to his ability, to every one according to his was the very basis on whichGod built the human body, and the church is Hisbody "that which every jointAnother questionable formula, used by someconscientious, well-meaningcongregations is to seta congregational budget for themselves at the annualmeeting, and Synod's Budget is not forgotten butgiven a generous share, a little in advance of the previous year, perhaps. When March 31 comes around,all the items have been met, and everybody is happy,and they report to the church that their share of theBudget is paid. Since there is considerable surplus inthe treasury, a sum is set aside for emergencies, thepastor is granted a bonus and his salary raised, a finething to do. But who determines whether they paidtheir full share to the Budget? Is it not He who sitsover against the treasury? The fact is that if everycongregation followed this system, all their contributions to the Budget added together do not total thefigure required to carry the main business of thechurch "Go ye into all theBRING YE ALL THE TITHES INTO THE STOREHOUSEIt is often said that if all tithes were given byGod's people there would be more money than thechurch could use. Probably true if we stuck to themeasley plans of the present day for bringing in thekingdom. However it is my persuasion that if we allgave as that poor widow, or the boywith the fiveloaves and two fishes, the Lord would not refuse tobless and use every gift to the fullest extent. "Yeknow the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who wasyet for our sakes became He gave tenrich,tithes every day.But why does the tithe not reach the storehouse? First of all, there is leakage in the individualpocket. In reckoning our tithe we are apt to overlookCOVENANTER WITNESS

elders'exposition"revised."The Reformed Presbyterian Synod of Ireland- 1954Through the courtesy of Mr. H. B. Holmes ofBallymoney, Ireland, the "Minutes of the R. P. Synodof Ireland" has come to my desk and I offer a briefsummary. There were present thirty ministers andthirty-five elders: a reversal of the situation here,where the attendance is less than that of theministers. (In Ireland ministers who are absent forany reason send apologies.) The Rev. James Calderwood, minister of the Bready congregation, wasModerator.The Irish church has before it, as we had a fewa revision of its "Doctrinal and Practicalyears ago,Testimony"and of its Terms of Communion. The newTerms, which number four instead of six as beforeare said to have the general approval of the church.They do not mention the subordinate standards. Toremedy this the Rev. A. Barkley of Australia gavenotice that at the next Synod he would move an addition: "I accept the doctrines set forth in the Westminister Confession of Faith and Catechisms asfounded upon and agreeable to the Word of God."There was also a petition that came from the Sessionof the Geelong congregation, of which the Rev. Mr.Barkley is pastor, through the Eastern Presbytery ofthe Reformed Church in Australia complaining thatthe Terms had no specific mention of DistinctivePrinciples. The Minutes give at length the replyofthe Commission of the Synod: "It is admitted thatthere is no specific reference to the subordinatestandards of the Church in the Four Terms ; neitheris there reference to the Presbyterian Form of Government, Covenanting, purity of worship, the matterof oath-bound secret societies, political dissent, etc.All these points in doctrine, discipline, and practicerequire to be explained to those seeking membershipand it was felt that a general term likein the Church,the third, that required from members adherence toall the church stands for in doctrine and practice,would suffice. The Witness-Bearing Committee hasprepared that brief exposition of this position to beappended to the Four Terms of Communion."Evidently the question whether with the newTerms the Church can legally retain property givenit on the express condition that it remain faithful toitems of mint and anise and cummin, what the familyconsumes from farm and garden ; or our income mayeven be too large to tithe. Let's keep back a part ofthe price. And Sapphira agrees. "RobbingGod"and"Lying to the Holy Ghost" are God's ugly but truenames for such leaks.Then there are seepages in the local treasury.Perhaps enough has been said here. Is the local expenditure any business of the church at large ? Well itwas money on the way to the storehouse, wasn't it ?I believe we all ought to be conscientious about howmuch money we get out of the treasury of the Lord,whether en route, or after it arrives. The Lord thatsits over against the treasury has a keen sense ofjustice. Isn't the Lord saying to each of us, "Whatdoes the Lord thy God require of thee but to dealjustly?"October 13, 1954the principles held at the time of the gift has beencarefully considered, for the next paragraph reads:"Legal advice has been sought in the matter of defining the position of the Church property held underadherence to the former Terms. It is affirmed thatsince the Church is at liberty to revise her Terms ofCommunion, and since these Terms have been adopted by the decision of the Supreme Court, and sinceshe has not abandoned any of the principles formerlyheld, there is no violation of Trust regarding Deedsdrawn up on the basis of an earlier set of Termsof Communion that have been subsequently"All that the Church stands for" seems to adistant onlooker a rather vague and unsatisfactoryway of presenting to the world in the Terms of Communion the great doctrinal basis, government anddistinctive principles of an historic church. The particular and definite becomes general and indefinite.It is true that a "briefis "appended," butthis is certainly not authoritatively in the degree thatthe Terms have authority. However, the issue so faras doctrine is concerned will be before the next Synodwhen Mr. Barkley's proposed addition comes to avote.The missionaries of the Irish and Scotch Churches (theyoperate jointly) have been forced out ofSyria and have had difficulty in getting permissioneven to visit their former fields. The new work inLebanon, a country that has more religious freedomthan any other Arab or semi-Arab country, is progressing well.Three men, Messrs. Stewart, Beck and McKeereported on work done in the fields of Irish evangelism and Bible circulation.The two congregations in Australia are bravelycarrying on : that at Geelong under the Rev. A. Barkley and that at McKinnon, Melbourne, under the Rev.W. R. McEwen. These men are pleasantly remembered because of their studies here. May all thatgreat continent be brought some day into the Covenants !The Women's Missionaryand counted it an "eventful" one.came of age last yearThe C.Y.P.U. reported two new societies and aone-day Annual Conference.The Psalmody Committee reported the holdingof the first Psalmody Festival since the war with achoir of over two hundred voices. The question ofhaving sufficient Psalters was considered. It is saidthat a few congregations are using the RevisedPsalter of the Presbyterian but that this is not general. The cost of printing a new edition of the Rouseversion was said to be prohibitive and the matter wasleft at that. Of course the American church would beglad to have Ireland adopt our Psalter.Of the 122 pages of the Minutes 50 are taken upwith a report of the finances of the church and especially a detailed account of investments. One couldwish that a part of the income of these funds couldbe spent in printing a new edition of the Psalter. Itcould be repaid when the books are sold.John Coleman229

paper?"void."salvation."Suppose the Presses Stopped!When the newspaper strike in New York stoppedthe giant presses from rolling off their Niagaras ofnew editions daily, America's first city suddenly feltitself all but paralyzed."No daily eight of every ten peopleasked each other in bewilderment. One of the greatest publications missed its issues for the first timein more than a century.Inveterate readers who took their newspapersfor granted as much as their coffee suddenly foundthemselves "lost." Radio-television newscasts andflashes, and motion picture newsreels, proved no substitute for the paper to be read and digested at will.Whenever I enter a Christian home where noChristian publication is subscribed to and perusedregularly and intelligently, I feel that here is a domicile which in one sense is "lost." It has deprived itselfof the greatest continued news story of the timesthe story of the Lord at work in His world in thesedesperate, yet challenging days. The presses for thatfamily have stopped.But when I find a Christian publication alongside the Bible in a home of devout followers of theLord Jesus Christ, I sense that here is a family thatis alive to the world and its spiritual problems, and tothe many ways modern disciples are militantly battling to meet them.I regularly read eight or ten church weeklies ormonthlies, and I find no literature of the day moreinformative or invigorating, none more helpful inunderstanding current complexities or more revealing in the only way Christ's way to meet them.Newspapers and magazines are neither substitutesnor competitors of the religious press. Its service isunique, vast, incomparably important and influentialin advancing the Kingdom of God.There is no organization in our land comparableto the Christian Church. We count more than 90,-000,000 members on church rolls, but the number ofChristian adherents, including the nominal, mustrange from 130,000,000 to 150,000,000. Atheism oragnosticism, at least the militant, blatant type hasalmost disappeared from the scene. It is no longer thesmart thing to deny God. It is true a vast paganismexists, but there is a virile counter-faith,the fundamental doctrines of historic Christianity,which millions proclaim and live, and for which multitudes would be willing to give their lives.By William F. McDermott(Outstanding Christian journalist; formerly withChicago Daily News)October is Protestant Press Monthrooted inThere's news there, friend. The greatest, best,most exciting news anywhere. And there's only oneplace you will find it chronicled faithfully, fully, accurately and inspiringly in your Christian publication.The Bible itself sets the pattern for today'sChristian publications. Webster's dictionary definesthe word "gospel" as "the good news concerningChrist, the Kingdom of God, andWhatbetter statement could fly from the masthead of the230Christian press in our land today ?Likewise in the Acts of the Apostles, we find themeatiest story ever printed the story of the founding of the Christian Church and its spread in a fewdecades over the known world. It's news without parallel in history.Christian publications do a follow-up today ofthe "greatest storyever told." Let's look at the picture from different angles.Secular news columns are rife with threats ofwar, killings, corruption, and violence. Possibility ofthe suicide of the human race hangs like a black shadow over reports from the capitals of many nations.Is there no counteracting influence ?I turn to my church paper. I find there the storyof a Christian doctor in a primitive, hunger-riddenland, who in his missionary hospital performed3,000 cataract operations in a year on the eyes ofpeople going blind, and of an American group ofchurchwomen furnishing him with 500 artificial eyesfor those who have lost partial sight. Think of thegood will created thereby the good will which alonewill bring peace.Again, a story that mentions Halley's comet intrigues me. What has that to do with religion ? I discover that a descendant of that famous astronomercondensed the Bible to one-third its size and committed all that condensation to memory; for yearsHenry H. Halley held "Bible memorywhich his "sermons" consisted of Scripture quotations. He could recite Bible passages for an hour anight for six weeks and never repeat a line.revivals,"atYou read of juvenile delinquency increasing, ofdope addiction and vandalism, of jails packed withteen-agers, of adolescents committing atrocious murders. But there's another side to youth. In mychurchpaper I find the account of 11,000 Christian workerstraveling a total of 6,000,000 miles to attend a greatSabbath School convention. I read of young people bythe hundreds dedicating themselves to Christianservice.My church paper tells me of new churches beingfounded, of Christian service in prisons and hospitals, of evangelical schools and colleges preparingmen and women for missionry work, of progress being made in good race relations, in relief of the poorand needy, of the influence of Christ in all phases oflife.I read the story of revival the world over, ofthe Word of God being preached in hundreds of languages and of Bibles printed in more than a thousandtongues. I learn of thousands being converted inevangelistic campaigns here and in foreign lands. Ifind that God is working in His world in amazingways, making one realize that "My word shall not return unto meYour Christian publication not only informsCOVENANTER WITNESS

you but also broadens your vision. As you read fromweek to week or month to month the Kingdom newsof your own denomination and of others, your spiritual view is not limited to your earthly horizon. Yousee beyond your own neighborhood or city or nation.You will realize that you have brothers whom you willnever see or know in the flesh, who are of differentraces and cultures, whose food and manners arestrange to yours yet all are bound together with theindestructible ties of Christian love.Parochialism is no mark of the true Christian.He becomes world-minded in the realization that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of all men who seek Him,and that Saviourhood binds us to our unseen Christian friends with a closeness and understanding thatno political ties can ever develop. Big-mindedness andbig-heartedness go hand in hand, and your churchoaoer is priceless in its efforts to enhance such nobility of soul.You will find your church paper is an invaluablesupplement to the sermon and an aid to worship.Nothing is so inspiring as a sermon preached underthe guidance of the Holy Spirit there must alwaysbe the faithful preaching of the Word of God. Yetyour memory is the only way you have, or usuallyuse, in preserving for vourself the weekly oulpit message. And details tend to fade away as time passes.But your church paper can be read, digested andkept for permanent reference. You can peruse it asyou wish, and it can serve as a memory refresherfor years to come. You can clip it and use the material in it decades later. I have on file gems fromchurch papers which I clipped half a century ago ;they are as timely today as when printed. If I tookChristian publications for no other reason than whatI retain for future use, I would still be getting morethan my money's worth.I consider the Christian press the strong rightarm of the church. The denominations that havewell-edited, vigorous publications are divisions of theChristian Church that are advancing all along theline. At no time in history have the masses of peoplebeen more zestful for knowledge, and at no time havethey been more willing to follow the paths that reliable information outlines for them.An ignorant people are a static people. Povertyof body goes very much with poverty of mind ; andpoverty of spirit goes with poverty of informationabout God, His will and His Church. Nothing cancripple a denomination more, except outright sin orworldliness, than to lack an avenue of communication. Haphazard distribution of literature will not do.It is God's will that people should know and go forward. The efficient, attractive and consecrated Christian publication not only informs its people but alsoinspires them with its dramatic presentation of theKingdom of Christ in action, with its varied specialarticles, quotable bits of exhortation, and its editorials commending loyal, unremitting, joyous service tothe Master.You not only get but also give when you are aloyal subscriber and intensive reader of your Christian publication. You give support, financial and moral, to the Kingdom of God. You are serving God whenyou subscribe to the church paper as well as to thechurch treasury. No publication can exist withoutsubscribers or readers, and the larger its clientele theOctober 13, 1954better it can serve you. You inspire the editor andhis staff to do their utmost to present vital Christiannews, editorials, stories, articles and features. Justas a minister is stirred to preach more eloquently bya large, reponsive congregation, so the editor doeshis best when he has a large number of interested,appreciative readers. More so, when they write him.I know many editors of Christian publications,and I find them as a rule to be men of high intelligence and consecration. The days are gone when ecclesiastical authorities thought you could put anyoneinto the editorial chair and he would automaticallyfunction. To be an able editor requires not only anatural aptitude for journalism, but also technicalskill comparable to that of the surgeon or engineer.,To be a true Christian editor requires evenmore : the technique must be there, but also the devotion to Christ necessary to make a Christian publication a true bearer of good tidings. A brilliant editorof a secular journal might fail, if he depended solely on his own ability, to become a successful religiouseditor. This is another phase of the uniqueness of theChristian press. The real editor is not only a publisher but also a crusader. Ever in his mind andprayers is this : Am I doing what Jesus would haveme to do, and am I always doing my best for Him?In the evangelical press today, you will find editors whose personal lives have been surrendered tothe Lord for His service and direction, and who consider themselves called to their task the same asministers and missionaries. Many of them are ordained ministers to whom God has given editorialtalents which they in turn have dedicated to Hisservice.As I look back over the years, I see tremendousadvancements in the church press. Time was whenthe run of Christian publications was dry and colorless a few unfortunately are still that way, but areripe for "conversion." But the religious press wasn'talone in that drabness: Just take a look at an oldtimenewspaper and its columns of small type, deadheads and poor printing.This is a changing world,and while the tenetsof our faith are changeless, our customs and practices alter. The printing art has made incrediblestrides in the last 30 years ; journalism has likewiseprogressed. Tract literature, religious leaflets andpamphlets have come alive with color and high gradetypography. And most church publications today areattractive, well illustrated, printed on good stock,and easy to read. You can place many Christian publications today alongside smart-looking nationalmagazines, and they are fully as inviting to the eye.In fact, a few of them excell so markedly that I wouldsay they outdo nine out of ten of our most famousmagazines in eye appeal.As to dramatic and romantic writing not in thesentimental senses Christian papers take no backseat to any publication. As I read church journalsand Sunday School literature, I find them as fullyengrossing as the secular publications who pay highprices to noted writers for stories and articles. Thisis good news, for cheapness has no place in Christianity. We owe ourvery best to God. Christian editorshave a keen sense of that, and in giving their bestare winning millions of faithful Christians to a realization that Christian publications are indispensable231

nalism"see."to an effective blanketing of the world with the goodnews of redemption through Christ.Christian editors and publications have foundmuch of value in conferences and institutes of various types, for the exchange of ideas and for thereception of suggestions from editors of secularnewspapers and magazines. Tlie latter have given oftheir services willingly and their tips for the betterment of the religious press have been invaluable, andreceived with deep appreciation.The Christian Writers' Institute of Chicago, theEvangelical Press Association and similar groupshave done much to point up the possibilities of religious editing and writing, and should uncover furthervalues in the future. It should be clear that manyeditors of the secular publications are active Christians, who carry over in their own enterprises asmuch as possible the same Christian zeal which animates editors of the religious press.It is interesting to note how the word "ministry"has expanded in its meaning in the Christian field.We speak of the lay ministry, the ministry of music,and the ministry of education. The idea should, andof journalwill, go further to include the "ministryism."If it weren't for the written or printed word, wewouldn't have the Bible today. If the four Gospelshadn't been committed to writing, the whole storyof the historic Jesus might easily have been lost inthe mists of the ages that is, humanly speaking.No one would believe for a moment that God wouldnot divinely preserve in some manner the facts of thelife and death of His Son for the redemption of mankind. Yet He chose the written word for the record.Surely today, the story of how the Good Newsis spreading in the face of the appalling sins andevils of this age is also divinely inspired. God is usingthe pen and the typewriter in the "ministry of jourwherever it is truly carried on in His Name.It is an exalted opportunity for evangelism. Editorsand readers make the paper, and help make theChristian Church the invincible foe of mankind'scurse and the agency of redemption of the lost.Honor yourself and your household with Christian publications; give them a place of prominencethat your visitors as well as family may read andlearn. You will gather spiritual strength and inspiration along withknowledge, and your service toChrist will be enhanced.If the presses of religious journalism were to bestopped, havoc in the spiritual realm would bewrought. But if they are kept rolling faster, greaterblessing under God will come.GLIMPSES Cont'd from page 226The Adventists' Missionary EffortAs Jesus taught a lesson from the actions of an unjustjudge so we may learn certain lessons from the Seventh-DayAdventists. Their new president, R. R. Figuhr, has urged themto double their present membership which is now more than900,000 in the next four years. That church has 37,000 workersand 2,000 missionaries, doctors, and educators in institutionsover the world. They are able to support so many workersbecause they insist on tithingon the part of their members.Social SecuritySocial security for ministers is now available for the firsttime since it was started in 1936. The amount given to indi-232viduals under social security has also been raised.The U. S.Government Serves CocktailsDepartment's "entertainment" division hasserved 122 million cocktails since 1942. The liquor bill of thediplomatic center has totaled $6,000,000 in nine years.Tither's Corner"PROVE ME NOW"Delber H. ElliottI am writing this on the fiftieth anniversary ofour marriage. A testimony to God's faithfulnessthrough the years would seem appropriate today.Mrs. Elliott and I began our ministry at Denison,Kansas, in 1904. We have delightful memories of theeight years spent there. Our salary was $800 a yearand was paid quarterly in advance. On the first Monday morning of each quarter our esteemed treasurerarrived with the salary, not by check, but just as itreached the collection basket the Sabbath before.The $800 in purchasing power was not far from theequivalent of $3000 today. Our house rent for a newfive room cottage was ten dollars per month.From the first salary at Denison to the last oneat Mars the tithe has been set apart for the Lord.The same little tithe-box with which we began isstill in use. Then it contained the actualmoney, nowit holds the account each month of the amount setapart and the amount contributed each Sabbath Day.The tithing practice has helped us far more thanit has helped the Lord. It has been a blessing inthese four ways :1. We always had something on hand to contribute Sabbath by Sabbath.2. We never had to debate with ourselves abouthow much to give, but what is the least that we owe.The obligation is the same whether we pay the grocer, the rent collector or the Lord.3. We suffer no pangs of conscience because ofunpaid debts to the Lord. Of course there were freewill offerings to follow. But it is unethical business totip the waiter and leave without paying for the meal.Too many are just "tipping" God.4. It has offered us an opportunity to proveGod's faithfulness. "Prove me now herewith andWe have proved Him and we have seen. Therehas never been a day of unemployment during allthese 50 years. WE have been blessed with healthand little needed to be spent for doctors and hospitals.The generosity of friends and unsolicited gifts havecontinued through the years. We recall the abundantshowers of meat, fruits and vegetables in our ruralcongregations. At one time we had five dressedchickens on hand with no refrigerator and only thetwo of us to match them. Unexpected donations ofmoney and other gifts in subsequent congregationshave continued until this day. All this with an economical and a wise planning wife enabled us to haveeverything we have really needed.We take no credit to ourselves neither do weclaim any worthiness to merit all this. In every placewhere we have been privileged to serve the salaryhas not only been sufficient but more than myservices deserved.GOD JUST DOES WHAT HE SAYS HE WILL DO.COVENANTER WITNESS

glory.". . PerhapsThe Covenanter JuniorMrs. Philip MartinTHE BOBCAT WEST CLUBWe have been having some very pleasant chats, haven't we? We have beenthinkingabout the blessings that Godgives to all those who answer His "effectual" call. There are blessings whilewe are still living. There are blessingswhich follow our death and last until theend of the world. But do God's blessingsor benefits stop at the end of the world,Martha? No, for Jesus said that "whosoever believeth in Him (God's Son) shouldlife."not perish, but have everlasting So,today we want to talk about the blessings God gives His children from the endof the world and which never stop. We donot know nearly so much of the world tocome as we do about this world in whichwe live. But God has given us enough tomake us look forward to that time. Youwill remember that forty days after Jesusrose from the dead, he went up into heaven. Let us turn to that story as we haveit in the first chapter of Acts. As thepeople were gazing up when Jesus wentup and up and up, two angels spoke tothem. What did they tell the people,Roy, in Acts 1:11? Yes, Jesus is to comeback again.Now let us turn to I Corinthians 15:51, 52 to see something that will happen,when that time (the end of the world)comes. What will happen, Homer, whenthat last trumpet shall sound? Yes, thedead shall rise! Now, let us look in thissame chapter, verses 42-44 and see someof the differences there will be in thebodies of believers. Let us read these togetherWon't it be wonderful notto have any more aches and pains inthese old bodies of ours! And they won'tget tired with hard work or play. Thatlittle phrase in verse 43 seems to expressit all so well. "It (that is, our body) israised inYou and I cannot imagine what this glory will be like, butJohn tells us in I John 3:2 "We shall belike him (Jesus)." So that's one of thefirst blessings we will receive at the endof the world when we rise from the dead.Now, let's look at another blessing.Let's just suppose we have come to theend of grade school, or Junior High, orHigh School. We receive our report cardsand we hope we have all passed. Someknow they will pass, but others may notbe quite so sure about it. When they receive their report cards they know whether or not they have passed. Let us let thistime represent "death." When the reportcard says "Passed" we are happy. Butmaybe no one else knows except ourselvesOctober 13, 1954and Mother and Daddy, and of course,the teachers. After ,afew days comes"Graduation"or"Commencement" andat that time, when you receiveyourdiploma, everyone sees that you havepassed. Then, too, there are some prizesto be given out so that everyone cansee. Something like this happens at theResurrection and Jesus told about it inMatthew 25:31-46. However, there are afew differences. You see, at that "Commencement"or we shall rather call it"Day of Judgment" there are not onlythose who have passed God's test, butalso those who have failed. God's test isdifferent from man's.1. Have all your sins been washedaway in the blood of Christ?2. Do you have on the spotless robeof Christ's righteousness? Now, at death,you and I will know for certain whetherwe have passed God's test or not. But atthe day of Judgment even those who hate'God and His children will see that wehave been accepted by God. God willacknowledge us as His children. He willlet everyone know that He has forgivenand washed awayHe has acquitted usnever sinned.all our sinsthat is,"Just as if I'd"But our blessings don't stop there!Let us look at Revelation 22:3-5 andread it together. .a goodreader in your group could read Rev. 21:10-27 and 22:1-5.Say, Juniors, doesn't it all sound wonderful ! Wouldn't you like to go there andenjoy God and all His blessings for everand ever! Before we leave this study,however, I feel that we must have a wordof warning. In Revelation 20:12-15 thereis also a description of this JudgmentDay. All are raised from the dead. Godthe Judge, takes a bookthe Book ofLife. He calls the first name, the secondname, the third name, and so on, to theend of the book. Will your name becalled? Then the book is closed! "Whosoever was not found written in the book oflife was cast into the lake of fire!"separated for ever from God. Oh, myyoung friend, is your name written inGod's Book of Life? There is only oneWayreceive the Lord Jesus Christ intoyour heart. Tell God that you know youare a sinner and that you deserve onlydeath. Thank Him for takingyour punishment on the Cross. Ask Him to washaway all your sins in the blood of JesusChrist. Ask Him to take your little handin His and to lead you ,all the way to HisHome in glory.I almost forgot our little old friend,"W.S.C."Sometimes I think I can almostsee him smile as he thinks of the wonderful answer he has for us. "W.S.C, Whatbenefits do believers receive from Christat theresurrection?""At the resurrection, believers, being raised up in glory,shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment, and madeperfectly blessed in the full enjoying ofeternity."God to allFor our proof-text, let us use Matthew25:34. This is a verse from Jesus' storyof the great Judgment Day.NATIONAL JUNIOR TOPICJuniors, here is a "Thank-you" letterwhich came to me before Grmnell, butwe haven't had place to squeeze it intoour Junior page until now. The wonderfulthing to me about this is the way Godtimes our lives even to our giving. Dr.Brown from Selma, Alabama, writes:Dear Mrs. Martin:I want to thank you for the check forthe hospital beds. It certainly came ina good time, for I had bought some bedson credit, promising to pay somethingon them by the first of the month. Andyour check came, and I'm certainlythankful for it.Sincerely yours,(signed) Claude C. BrownSo the Lord brought your giftjust inthe nick of time. I'm sure this was ananswer to Dr. Brown's prayer.MISSIONARY STORYThis is a true story from Mexico. Abraham was a young chap of the town. Onemorning he seemed better after a longillness and ate a good breakfast. By nighthe was dead. His father is sure someonekilled him by means of witchcraft. Theyhad the usual funeral feast for him andhe was buried. The next day some of hisfamily went to mourn at his grave.Someone somehow put his ear to theground and heard noises down in theground where he was buried. Otherscame to listen and all heard the noisestoo. Abraham had not died, but he hadhad the heathen burial ceremonies performed. What did they do? They wenthomeand waited for the morrow toweep for him when theywere sure hewas dead. Did they love him? Yes, theyloved him. His father still weeps afterseveral months. These people need Christ.233

sin."saved."sinned."glory"sins"Lesson Helps for the Week of October 31, 1954Psalms:C.Y.P.U. TOPICfor October 31, 1954MY LORDA JUST GODRom: 2:12; 2 Cor. 5:107:10, 11, 14-16, page 119:6-10, page 1635:20-24, page 8536:5-8, page 9089:18-23, page 218.References: Deut. 32:4; 32:35, 36; Gen.18:25; 2 Chron. 19:7; Job 8:3; Psalms19:7-9; 119:121-124; 119:137, 138; 145:7-9; Jer. 9: 23, 24; 32:17-19; Dan. 9:11-14; 9:15-19; Rom. 12:19; James2:1; 2:12, 13; Rev. 15:8; 21:3-8.Comments by Remo I. RobbLast Sabbath morning in the Men'sClass, attention was called to a road-sidesign which read "By grace are yeThe speaker felt that it would leave awrong impression in the minds of the unconverted, who is apt to reason "Fine!By God's grace I am saved. It doesn'tdepend on what I do. That's great. I don'thave to do good. I can live on just as Inow live. God's grace savesme."Thepoint was made that "By grace are yesaved"is only part of a verse, and part ofthe story, and that it omits the doctrineof man's accountability to God.A young man came to myoffice notlong ago, saying "I'm finding out that theevangelism I've been learning has beenleavingHe had found people wantingout repentance and sorrow forto accept Christ but wanting not to have tochange their lives.In our anxiety to spread the good newsof salvation, we tend to forget why menneed it, and that God's plan issues notonly from His love for lost men, but fromHis justice, which must be satisfied.1. Justice as God's Nature.Justice, as we think of it, refers toevery person getting exactly what he deserves. The imaginary figure of Justice isthat of a person holdinga balance, tipped neither too far one way or the other.If a person does some great good forhis fellowmen, justice declares he shouldhave honor and thanks and more. If aperson harms his fellowman, justice declares he should be punished.In our world, a thousand injustices arenever balanced. Men serve their lives outand get no reward. Others defraud, kill,hurt their fellowmen at every turn, yetdie rich or at ease. Are these matters never to be balanced?Yes, for God is Just.Deut. 32:4 "He is the Rock, his workis perfect; for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without in234iquity, just and right is he."Acts 10:34, 35"Then Peter opened hismouth and said, Of a truth I perceivethat God is no respecter of .persons:but in every nation he that fearethhim, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."2 Cor. 5:10 "For we must all appearbefore the judgment seat ofChrist;that every one may receive the thingsdone in his body, according to that hebad."hath done, whether it be good or2. Man in the sight of a Just, Living God.Not so much man's inhumanity toman, but man's sin in God's sight is thegreat concern. Every sin of man is aninjustice toward God, and it must be balanced or punished.Every man is a sinner. Rom. 3:23.Every sin must be punished by death.Rom. 6:23.That was the law of the just and holyGod from eternity. "In the day" of disobedience "thou shalt verily die." "Thereis none that doeth good,no not So"death passed upon all men because allhaveJustice for the Almighty One, who hasbeen sinned against His Name defamed,His Power threatened, His Word doubted,His Law broken Justice decrees deathfor every sinner.3. Justice Satisfied.Love provided the way. John 3:16Grace made it effective to those whobelieve. Heb. 2:9, 10.The just command is "Repent,and bebaptized every one of you in the name ofJesus Christ, for the remission of(Acts 2:38). And considering the priceGod paid for your salvation, it is a graverinjustice than ever to the Father and theSon to expect salvation without repentance, or to turn from it altogether.Rather "there is no God else beside me ;a just God and a Saviour; there is nonebeside me. Look unto me,and be yesaved, all the ends of the earth; for I amGod, and there is none else. I have swornby myself, the word is gone out of mymouth in righteousness,and shall notreturn, That unto me every knee shallbow, every tongue shall swear. Surely,shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength;men come;even to him shalland all that are incensedagainst him shall be ashamed. In theLord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall(Isa. 45:21-25).The injustices of the world? It seems tome that Divine Justice which providessalvation for the repentant can be depended on to balance justly all the affairsof mankind. Don't you think so?A FEW QUESTIONS1. How do you answer the statement thatGod loves mankind too much to punish him?2. How does God visit His Justice to thenations?3. Do you believe it is an act of injusticetoward God to reject Jesus Christ?4. How does mercy season justice?JUNIOR TOPICJACOB MEETS ESAUOctober 31, 1954Mrs. M. K. CarsonScripture: Genesis chapters 32 and 33Memory Verse: Genesis 32:26b.Psalms:Sing from memory Psalm 46:1, 6,psalm of the month.Sing from memory other Psalms wehave used in this series.References: Find answers to the followingquestions.1. Who met Jacob on the way? Genesis32:1b2. When had he seen angels before? Genesis 28:123. What is the purpose of angels? Hebrews 1:144. Whom was Jacob afraid to meet? Genesis 32 :6, 75. How long had it been since Jacob hadseen Esau? Genesis 31 :41Last week we learned of Jacob's leavingLaban and starting on the long roadhome with his familyhad been afraid that Laban would harmand possessions. Hehim and try to keep him from leaving,but God had told Laban not to harmJacob in any way, so that danger waspast. But now a new danger lies aheadhis brother Esau. Twenty years had goneby since Jacob had stolen the blessingand left home. Was Esau still angry, hewondered. Would he stilltry to kill himwhentheymet? Now Jacob was afraidnot only for himself but for his lovedones and his many flocks, so he sentmessengers to the land of Esau to findout what Esau would likely do. Soonthese messengers came back to say thatEsau was on his way to meet his brother,but with four hundred men. Jacob wasreally afraid when he heard that. On yourmap find Haran, the brook Jabbok, theriver Jordan and the land of Edom(Esau).It was a long journey, and Jacobmust have gone down the east side of theJordan river to where he crossed the Jordan river so many years before. He hadonly his staff in his hand that long agotime, but now with God's blessing he hadbecome two bands. Still he was afraid. HeCOVENANTER WITNESS

men."knew he had treated his brother unfairlytwenty years ago, and his consciencehurt him. Guilty consciences make cowards of us all.Three things Jacob did to make easierhis meeting with Esau. The first you willfind in Genesis 32:7-8; the second isfound in 32:9-12 and the third, Gen. 32:13-20. Discuss these and see if Jacobdid wisely. After the servants with thefine presents had gone over the brookJabbok (see map), he sent his wives andchildren across the brook too, but he himself stayed alone. You remember thatnight when he saw the angels going upand down the heavenly ladder. Thatnight was one of the great nights of hislife. Now this night when he was aloneagain was also a night he never forgot,for God met him and wrestled with him.We do not know or understand all thattook place in the dark hours of the night,but we do know what Jacob said aboutit (verse .30) Also God changed his name(verse 28) because Jacob's heart waschanged. And lest Jacob should thinkthis night was all a dream, God touchedthe sinew in his thigh and for all therest of his life, he was lame. He was always to know that God was more powerful than he and that he must depend forall he had on the Lord.After ,all his preparations, and afterthe night of wrestling with the angel ofthe Lord, at last the day came, the day hehad been dreading. As he looked offacross the country to the south, he sawEsau coming with the four hundred men.Putting the children with their mothers,Rachel and Joseph being last in line,Jacob went on ahead to meet the brotherhe had not seen for twenty years. Howhumble he made himself! Many times inthe Bible we read of people bowing lowbefore a king or an angel or some greatperson, but here Jacob bows to theground, not once but seven times, eachtime gettingcloser to Esau. How hemust have wondered what was in Esau'sheart! But all this time, God w,as preparing Esau to meet Jacob. Whatever ofhatred he had for Jacob, whatever hehad intended to do with the army of fourhundred men, we shall not know, for justas in the case of Laban, God was keeping Esau back from doing any harm toJacob or his family or his possessions.Read in Gen. 33:4, how they actuallymet. What a load must have lifted fromJacob's heart! Then he introduced hisfamily whom God had given him, andthey, too, bowed before Esau. Aftersome little persuasion, Esau accepted thegift of animals that Jacob had sent onahead of him. How many were there inall? Gen. 32:14-15. Then Esau suggestedthat they go on their journey and that heand his men would lead the way. Butwith all the show of brotherly kindnessOctober 13, 1954and friendliness, it may be that Jacobdid not fully trust Esau, or it may bethat Jacob thought they would be happierto live in their separate countries. Whatever it was, Jacob did not want Esauto travel with him so the two brothersseparated and each went his own way.Where did Esau live?(33:16). Wheredid Jacob settle first? vs 17. On whichside of the Jordan was it? Where did hego next? (vs 18-20). On which side ofthe Jordan was Shechem? What did hebuild there? This altar he named usingthe new name he had been given, Israel,which means "Ruled by God," and thealtar was built to honor "God, the God ofthe man ruled byGod."Surely nowJacob meant to serve the Lord only.But the trouble with his brother wasnever really healed, for the Edomites, thedescendants of Esau, hundreds of yearslater, would not allow the children ofIsrael under Moses to go through theircountry, and later still in the time ofthe kings, frequently fought with the Israelites. Familyquarrels all too oftenreach down the family line for years andyears. Let us not dishonor God and bringtrouble on ourselves and our familiesby doing wrongto those nearest us. Itwas God's plan, however, that Jacob andhis familyshould be the ones throughwhom the blessings of the covenant wereto be carried, and for that reason Godkept them separate from other branchesof the family. They often did wrong andsuffered for it, as Jacob did, yet Godused them to carryout His great plan.This is the third chapter in the life ofJacob, his return to the land of Abrahamand Isaac, where he lived for many years.The last chapter of his life will be ourstory the first week in December. Wehave now three great names, Abraham,Isaac and Jacob. Be sure to rememberthem and to know that, though they werenot perfect men, yet they were chosen andled of God to do His will. Many times inthe Bible, God is called the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.For your note book. Write the namesof the three great men and under eachone name the thingbest remember him.To the leader:for which you willOccasionally plan aquizz program, modelled after familiarradio or TV quiz programs. Use questionsbased on the story of the evening,or onprevious evenings by way of review. Apaper microphone may be held in thehand to allow each child to "talk intothemike."Keepa record of correct answers and give a small prize to the onehaving the largest score.Answer to the puzzle last week R-uth,A-dam, C-ain, H-erod, E-sau, L-aban;Rachel.SABBATH SCHOOL LESSONOctober 31, 1954by Rev. Joseph A. Hill(Lessons based on International Sunday SchoolLessons ; the International Bible Lessons forChristian Teaching, copyrighted by InternationalCouncil of Religious Education.)THE DIGNITY OF WORKLesson Material: Proverbs 6:6-11; 12:24,27; 13:11; 14:23; 18:9; 24:30-34.Memory Verse: Proverbs 22 :29"Seestthou a man diligent in his business?he shall stand before kings; he shallnot stand before meanLabor is not a burden to man's life,but a blessing. God ordained labor as ameans of fulfilling man's needs. Whenman became a sinner, however, and thewrath of God was revealed against him,his labors fell under the curse of Godand became burdensome. After the Fallman began to earn his Dread in the sweatof his face. It was more difficult forhim to make his way in the world; hislabors were less fruitful now that theground was cursed for his sake; theground brought forth thorns and thistles ;labor began to be a struggle for existence, man-killing toil. But an elementof grace accompanied the curse on man'slabors: bread would still be bread,would sustain man's life.and itMan wouldstill be able, by his labors, to sustainlife (G. Vos, Biblical Theology, Wm. B.Eerdmans Publishing Co., p. 55). So labor belongs to the life of man in his creation, in the Fall and under grace.Modern man is struggling to be freefrom the curse of God on his labors.Without realizing that the burden oflabor comes from sin, man is ever tryingto alleviate the hardships of daily labor.He seeks shorter hours, higher wages tomake his labors more productive for himself; he demands better working conditions and greater securityagainst thedifficulties of old cge; he wants to retireat a reasonably early age and to enjoythe achievements of his life's labors. TheChristian, however, realizes that all laborproblems and disputes are a result of sinin the human heart and in society. Heknows that the curse on men's labors isremoved only by redeeminggrace. Helooks upon his labors, not as a necessaryevil, but as an opportunity. He thanksGod for the opportunity to earn his dailybread. At the same time he regards hiswork not merely as a means of earninga livelihood, but as a means of servingGod. The Christian knows that if manis to prepare for his eternal destiny, hemust fulfil his earthly calling. In fulfilling that calling he turns to the Wordof God for vocational gu'dance.The Book of Proverbs contains muchsound advice to man for guidance in hislabors. Laziness is one of the commonestsins of man's fallen nature. Hence theemphasis on laziness and diligence in the235

come."ed"servant."Book of Proverbs. We shall considersome of the Proverbs in the light ofthe Christian's vocation in the world.Proverbs 6:6-11. The figure of the antas a worthy worker is familiar to all.Through common grace,even an unsavedperson may be a diligent worker andmay provide abundantly for his family.We should thank God for this, for if laziness and indolence dominated the life ofthe unsaved, a much greater burden ofwork would be laid on Christians. Christians would then have to do all of thework that is done in the world, and inadditionthey would have to provide forthe lazy unsaved.On the other hand, indolence may dominate the life of professing Christians.We should remember that daily laborconstitutes a duty for all men. Hard workis a mandate of God's Word. It is theChristian's duty to work, even if he fallsheir to a large fortune and does not needa job for earning his livelihood. It is theduty of every Christian, except thosedisabled by infirmity or old age, to beengaged in some useful occupation."Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished; but he that gathereth by laborshall have increase" (Proverbs 13:11).Proverbs 24:30-34. This passage presents a picture of the run-down farm of asluggard, overrun by weeds and grownup with thorns and bordered by brokendownstone fences. This picture illustratesthe realityof the curse placed upon theground because of man's sin. After theFall God told Adam that the soil wouldbe much less productive than formerlyand that he would have to work harderto produce his bread. "Thorns also andthistles shall it bring forth to thee" (Genesis 3:18).Originally, God had placed Adam inthe garden "to dress it and to keep it,"and every tree and field yielded abundant fruit in its season. Man was given atask, and in performing his task he wasto subdue nature and exercise dominionover it, for the glory of God. But afterman sinned, nature, instead of beingman's friend, became his enemy. Manwas ordained to have dominion over nature, but after sin entered,nature beganto have dominion over man. The groundonly reluctantly yielded man a living.His struggle with the soil dragged himdownward to the grave, and so in the endsubdued man; man died and his bodyreturned to the ground from which itwas taken.The poverty that comes to the sluggard(Proverbs 24:34) is not merelythe natural consequence of indolence, but is apart of the curse of God and a manifestation of His wrath against human sin.Work itself, however, is not a curse; itis a blessing and a gift of God's grace.For the Christian, saved from sin and236redeemed from the curse, labor is ameans to serve God in his work for theexecution of the Plan of Salvation onearth.PRAYER MEETING TOPICNovember 3, 1954Comments by W. O. Ferguson, D.D.COVENANTING: DAVID'S PRAYEROF THANKSGIVINGII Samuel 7:18-29.Psalms referred to later may be usedin the praise service.References: Acts 13:22-23; Acts 2:25-31; Matt. 22:42-45; II Sam. 23: 1-5;Further references are given in connection with the outline.David's prayer of thanksgiving is oneof the most beautiful and significantportions of the Holy Scripture. A parallel is given in I Chron. 17:16-27. It isbased upon the Covenant Promise madeto David recorded in II Sam. 7:1-17.The promise referred to has in it thatwhich is of unmeasured greatness. Infact it is not one particular blessingbut includes a long line of blessings beginning with promise made to AdamGen. 3:15-17 and extending on to theend of time. In this prayer we maydiscover the causes that moved Davidthe King, to express the gratitude ofhis heart, and also the manner employedin so doing. The importance of thisevent to David and to Israel is seen inthe many references to it, foundthroughout the Bible. It is generallythought that the following Psalms written by David are based on this event:Ps. 61; Ps. 101; 102; 103; 110; 138. Whilethe 89th Psalm may not have been written by David, it celebrates the sameevent and shows the importance of itto Israel and to all Christian people.Any of the above Psalms maywell beused in the praise service of thanksgiving. (Psalms 18 and 21 should havebeen included in the above list.)When David was in the act of expressing his gratitude, his thoughts (a)go back to the past. God has chosenhim and preserved him from all foesand dangers that beset his path. Memory calls up the past and in it he seesthe good hand of God, for which he nowgives thanks, (b). Then the presentcomes to mind. Here Psalm 103 wouldbe a fitting tribute of praise, (c). Thenthe future comes before him as expressed in these words "For Thou hastalso spoken of thya great while toservant's house forI Chron. 17:17.Thus in the past, present and future,David found abundant reason for gratitude. In the Scripture chosen for oursubject we have the record of his grateful and believing acceptance of thehispromise of God, which assured him thatseed and throne should endure forever.I.Note that this Prayer of Thanksgivingconsists of praise for:1. Personal Blessings, "Who am I, OLord God, and what is mine house, thatthou hast brought me hitherto?" IChron. 17:16-21. All through his life hehad been the object of Divine favors,of which he deems himself unworthy andfor which he gives thanks.2. National Blessings, "And what onenation in the earth is like thy peopleIsrael, whom God went to redeem tobe his own people, to make thee a nameof greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people,whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt?For thy people Israel didst thou makethine own people forever; and thou,Lord, becamest their God." I Chron.17: 21-22. "Blessed is the Nation whoseGod is the Lord; and the people whomhe hath chosen for his own inheritance."3. God's Revealed Purpose. "Whereforethou art great, O Lord God: for thereis none like thee, neither is there anyGod beside thee, according to all that wehave heard with our II Sam. 7:22.ears.""For thou, O Lord of hosts, God ofIsrael, hast revealed to thy servant,saying, I will build thee an house:therefore hath thy servant found in hisheart to pray this prayer unto thee."II Sam. 7:27. "Therefore now, O Lord,thou art God, and hast promised thisgoodness unto thy17:26.I Chron.This divine purpose is to be wroughtout through David's descendants ofwhom the Christ should come. (Isaiah 9:7).II.Note the Spirit of Thanksgiving inthis prayer:1. A true view of self. In the 18thverse David expresses his sense of personal unworthiness and humility. Compare Job 22:5-6; Isaiah6:5.2. A true view of the Christ as the Onepromised. See II Sam. 7:19; II Sam. 23:3-4; Ps. 89:19.3. A true view of the end and purposeof life, as that in which God's name isto be glorified. II Sam. 7:26.III.Note that the Prayer of ThanksgivingGod."is addressed to And David theKing went in and sat before the Lord."His posture was one of reverence andhonor common in his day. The verbhere rendered "sat" may mean "remainor "continued." See Deut. 21:13;Judges 5:17; I Kings 11:16; where itis so translated. In David's prayer thereis the indication of:1. Complete confidence in God, resting(Continued on page 240)COVENANTER WITNESS

News BriefsORDINATION AND INSTALLATIONOF HAROLD HARRINGTONOver 150 members of the PittsburghPresbytery attended the ordination andinstallation of Mr. Harold Harrington asPastor of the Reformed PresbyterianChurch in New Castle on September 10.Rev. PhilipCoon acted as Moderatorand the clerk, Rev. Willard McMillen,read the procedure that had taken placeincluding the planningprogram.of the evening'sRev. T. R. Hutcheson of Rose Pointgave the invocation. Harold Harringtonpreached his trial sermon, after whichRev. Bruce Willson questioned Mr. Harrington on theology and Rev. R. A. Blairon personal piety.Upon roll call of the members of Presbytery, the sermon and examination ofMr. Harrington were heartily sustained.The Moderator then read the vows andduties of a minister according to the lawof the Church with Mr. Harrington givingassent. His signature was placed on theterms of communion and his name wasadded to the roll of Presbytery.Rev. Hugh Blair preached the ordination sermon, after which Rev. R. J. G.McKnight gave the ordination prayer, asmembers of Presbyterythe layingproceeded withon of hands. Rev. J. G. Vosgave the Charge to the Pastor and Rev.T. C. McKnight the Charge to the congregation. Rev. Willard McMillen gave theclosing prayer with Rev. Harrington pronouncing the Benediction.Mr. Kenneth Kennedy, as chairman ofthe Congregation, presented Rev. Harrington with a Pastoral Record Book onbehalf of the Congregation.At the conclusion of the ordinationservice, a reception was held in honor ofRev. Harrington.Miss Anna M. Dodds was GeneralChairlady of the reception, assisted byOctober 13, 1954Mrs. Stella Boohr, Mrs. Edward McConahy,Mrs. J. D. Pattison, Mrs. WilliamEidenire, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Turner,Zoe and Ena Cover, Darrell Kennedy,Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Kennedy, MissMartha E. Dodds, Miss Ruth Gilmore,and Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Gaston.The Reverend Mr. David Carson of ourGeneva facultypreached at the HOMEon Sabbath, September 26. His text was"Ye are the salt of the earth and the lightof theworld."No one at the home wantsto miss your sermons, David. Do comeagain!The address of Rev. and Mrs. JohnH. Tweed is 3035 Hudson Drive, Youngstown 11, Ohio.ORLANDO: We are glad to be ableto report that Mr. Ernest Dill has returned home from the Orange MemorialHospital where he recently underwent avery serious operation.GENEVA: Dr. and Mrs. John Colemanwere honored guests at our family nightprayer meeting held September 29. Preceded by a covered dish dinner withabout 130 in attendance, a short prayermeeting was held with Mrs. Ernest Lathom leading the meeting. Two psalmsthe 23rd and the 93rd, both favorites ofthe Colemans were sungand severalpassages of Scripture were read. Rev.Tweed ended the devotional part of theevening with prayer. William Garrett,chairman of the congregationacting asmaster of ceremonies, introduced KathieWillson and Virginia Henerywho entertained us with a piano solo and areading. Mrs. Robert Park, speaking inbehalf of the Ladies Sabbath Schoolclass presented Mrs.1954 Minutes of Synodnow ready. Send Orders toChester R. Fox, Treas.209 9th Street, Pittsburgh 22, Pa.Price $1.00 per copyEVERY FAMILY IN THE CHURCHshould have a copyColeman with agift from the class for the fine teachingshe has given us during her years asteacher of the class. Mr. Garrett, in be-half of the congregation, presented themwith a gift and an autograph book signedbythe members of the congregation. Wewish the Colemans God-speed as theyprepare to make their home in Philadelphia. Committees for the occasion were:Dinner, Mrs. Merrill Robb and Mrs.C. M. Patterson; Program, Mrs. FentonFarley and Mrs. Samuel Lathom; Tabledecoration, Mrs. Robert Hemphill.BLOOMINGTON: A new Sabbathclass has been organized under the direction of Rev. Roy Blackwood. The classis attended by our younger adults andparents of children in the Sabbath School.Rev. Blackwood is hoping to increase theattendance by interesting students fromIndiana University. The attendance hasbeen very good and the class is growing.Please note that the Treasurer of theReformed Presbyterian Women's Associaationhaving charge of the Home for theAged is now Mrs. Mary Coleman George,Forest Road, Bradford Woods, Pennsylvania.STERLING: Rev. Wylie Doughertysupplied the pulpit August 29; ArmourMcFarland, September 5 and Rev. PhilipMartin October 3. Rev. S. E. Boyle spoketo the congregationWednesday eveningSeptember 15. He was visiting his sonScott.GENEVA COLLEGE'S cross-countryteam opened the season against the University of Pittsburgh on the Schenleypark course in Oakland, Pittsburgh.George Jackson, veteran senior, and Homer Weaver, sophomore, both from Upper Darby, are Coach Robert Park's.possibilitiesleading scoring against thePanthers. Other members of the Coviesquad are Bill Jackson, Upper DarbySophomore; Wayne Spear, sophomore,and his brother Wendell, a junior, fromBovina Center, N. Y. ; Bob Morrow,junior from Shambaugh, la.; and PaulMathews, Pittsburgh senior.Other meets on the Geneva scheduleas announced by Athletic Director CliffAultman include: October 8 CarnegieTech (H) ; October 22 Westminster (A) ;October 26 Slippery Rock (H) ; October30Oberlin & Case (A); November 5Tri-State meet (At Slippery Rock);November fi West Virginia.Mrs. Grace McClintock of Steubenville,Ohio, is visiting her son and wife, Mr.and Mrs. Foster McClintock. It is nice tohave Grace attend church while inBLOOMINGTON.STERLING: Mrs. Maurice Reed spokeOctober 8, at the State Sabbath SchoolConvention at Hutchinson, on the subject of Vacation Bible Schools.237

GENEVA: Our newest recruit forChrist's kingdom, Gene List, is now serving in the Armed Forces. He is takinghis basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Let us remember him with ourprayers and letters. These boys have agreat responsibilityplaced on their shoulders to stand for their Lord. His addressis:Pvt. Ronald G. ListU. S. 53219426, Co. 2; 29th AID CCC,3rd Armor Div.Fort Knox, Ky.CAMBRIDGEThe service of ordination and installation of Donald I. Robb as pastor of theCAMBRIDGE congregation took place at7:30 p.m. on Wednesday evening, June23, 1954.The Rev. J. Paul Wilson as moderatorpresided at the service. The Rev. C. S.Sterrett offered the invocatory prayer.Mr. Robb was examined in "Soundness ofFaith"by the Rev. Joseph A. Hill, "Distinctive Principles" by the Rev. WalterC. McClurkin, and "Personal Piety" bythe Rev. Thomas J. Wilson.Dr. Remo I. Robb, father of the pastor, preached the ordination sermon,"Tarry Ye Here" and offered the prayerof ordination and installation.The charge to the pastor was broughtby the Rev. Robert A. Henning. The Rev.Luther B. McFarland addressed the congregation. The Rev. Donald I. Rcbb pronounced the benediction.A reception for the Rev. and Mrs. Robbfollowed with messages of welcomebrought by the Rev. Elmer Murdock, aneighboring pastor, the Rev. George McNeil, president of the New England Fellowship of Evangelicals, ProfessorCharles G. Schauffele, of Gordon Collegeand president of the New England Christian School Association and Mr. C. Frederick Millican of the Cambridge congregation.An informal hour followed at whichmembers of the congregation welcomedRev. and Mrs. Robb to Cambridge. Wewere happy to have Dr. and Mrs. RemoI. Robb at the services and reception.Members of the Cambridge congregation are grateful to the Lord for theblessings already receivedministry of our pastor.through theBLOOMINGTON: Some rather extensive improvements are beingmade in thechurch. The front steps, long in need ofrepair, have been covered with a new coatof cement and the floors of the sanctuary and Sabbath School room are beingrefinished at this time. The ladies of thechurch are planning to buy carpeting.On September 19, 1954 we had as visitors in the ORLANDO church Mr. JosephFleming and Mr. Thomas A. B. Dodds ofSeattle, Washington, and Mr. and Mrs.238H. C. Jamison and Mr. and Mrs. B. L.Abbot of the Southfield congregation.The NEW CASTLE CONGREGATION held their Fall Communion onSeptember 26 with Rev. John Tweed ofYoungstown as Assistant. Preparatoryservices were held on Thursday and Friday evenings, with a closing service onSabbath evening when the Congregationrenewed their vows and signed the Covenant of 1954.GENEVA: The special offering of ourSabbath School this month was sent toKentucky. Our workers there areRev. and Mrs. Raymond Hemphill andtheir children, working at Wrigley. AtSandy Hook are Miss Ruth Calderwoodand Mrs. R. C. Adams. We feel a specialbond to Kentuckyas Miss Calderwoodworshiped with us during her stay atGeneva and the Hemphill family havebeen members of our congregation sincecoming to Beaver Falls.STERLING: Miss Orlena Lynn spokeat the September 26 evening service, besides addressing the C.Y.P.U. and Intermediates. A coffee was given in herhonor at 9:30 A.M., Monday by theW.M.S.GENEVA COLLEGE: Dr. BernardSt. Clair Logan, assistant professor ofeconomics at the Universityof Pittsburgh, will be a visiting lecturer this yearin the economics and business administration department of Geneva College.Dr. Logan has been assistant professor ofeconomics at Pittsburgh since 1953. Hewas graduated from Bridgewater College,Va., in 1938 and received a master ofscience and doctor of philosophy degreesfrom the Universityof Wisconsin.BLOOMINGTON: The young peopleenjoyed a weiner roast at the home ofJimmy Faris recently. Outside gameswere played and everyone had a goodtime.GENEVA: About 60 CovenanterYoung People enjoyed a hike to the C,M. Patterson farm the evening of September 23. They included the Young People from the four congregations in thisarea,with the students of the college astheir guests. Our owngroup were hostsof the affair. Games enjoyed by the groupended in a song fest led by BobMcFarland. A huge bonfire, adding warmth and light to the site,provided a place for the gang totoast their weinersand marshmallows.At the close of the evening a brief devotional service was conducted by our pastor, Rev. Robert Tweed. He introducedeach of the other ministers, Rev. PaulMcCracken, Rev. Frank Lathom andRev. Howard Elliott who spoke briefly.Bob McFarland led the group in singingtwo psalms, the 19th and the 23rd, afterwhich Rev. Tweed led in prayer. KayMcCready and Kathie Willson hadcharge of the games with Jean Willsonand Sylvia Montini supervising the eats.The men were responsible for tending thefire.HOME: Miss Isabel McFarland hasbeen on the sick list, but is responding totreatment verywill soon be around again.nicely. It is hoped sheSTERLING: Rev. L. E. Kilpatrickassisted communion in Denison on October 3. The Rev. Joseph Caskey of Eskridge will assist at Sterling's CommunionOctober 24.NEW CASTLE: Mr. Roger Hare, sonof Mrs. Stella Booher, has returned homeafter serving his enlistment in the U. S.Army, having been stationed in Koreafor some time. The New Castle Congregation is glad to have him back worshipingwith us.GENEVA : Edward Carl was born September 25, the parents, Mr. and Mrs.W. Robert Dean. Eddie has two olderbrothers, Wendell and Ronnie. The proudgrandmother is Mrs. R. M. Dean. Welcome, Eddie.Mr. and Mrs. John A. Raschella, Johnson drive, Ellwood City, have beennamed co-chairmen for the 1954 HOMECOMING AT GENEVA COLLEGE. Thefestivities, scheduled for the weekend ofOctober 15-16, will be climaxed SaturdayOctober 16 with the annualHomecomingfootball game. Carniege Tech will meetGeneva in the latter's Reeves Stadium.Preceding the game, the student body willpresent their float parade. An informal reception will follow thegame, and the annual alumni supper will be served on campus. Frilland Dagger, Geneva drama club, will present a musical variety show in the collegeauditorium that night. Two special programs have been planned for Fridaymorning, October 15, and dormitories willhold cpen house Friday evening. Thecollege faculty club has arranged a special dinner meeting also for Friday night.BLOOMINGTON: Our pulpit wasfilled September 26 by Robert McCrackenof the Seminary, since our pastor, Rev.Roy Blackwood, was assisting with communion services at Hopkinton, Iowa.Robert was accompanied by his wife, theformer Mary Lynn Stone, and Bob Stone,who is now a freshman at Geneva.ORLANDO: Mr. and Mrs. MilfordWhite have been rejoicing over the safearrival of their new grandson born September 25 to their daughter and son-inlawMargaret and Frank Mulvey whohave named him Thomas Patrick.GENEVA: With the opening of Geneva College, our Sabbath School andCOVENANTER WITNESS

up,"children."memory-work projects are additionalchurch attendance has swelled to capaSabbath afternoon games, attendance and Junior society. We recommend that salecity. We welcome these students. May helps.God bless them as they continue to preCounting the cover design which maypare themselves for the work to whichbe used on missionaryGod has books,called them.there are 15 pages of Handwork Patterns.STERLING: Miss Alice Humphreysfell in her home September 25, crackingher hip. She is in the Sterling Hospital.BLOOMINGTON: Our congregationwas saddened recently by the death ofSince the book is spiral-bound it can beopened flat and these patterns traced andused repeatedly.A comprehensive Cross-index adds tothe value of the book.one of our members, Mrs. Howard Baird. Teachers, mothers, ministers, everyMrs. Baird had not been well for some one who works with children, shouldtime. She suffered a heart attack rathersuddenly on August 9 as she was prefind much help in this book. The lessonsoffered have already been used in Junparing to go to work. She was employed ior groups in Ala., Iowa, Penn., Ind.,in the Publications Department of In N. Y., Ont., and the Lord has blesseddiana University. Mrs. Baird is sur their use by bringing children to Himselfvived by her husband, her mother, Mrs.Kathrine Pleasants, one sister, Mrs. Hubert Brown, and three daughters, Mrs.through them.We are pleased with the reception ofthe book to date. The first order whichWilliam exton, Mrs. Kathryn Hrycak, Mr. Fox received was for 65 copies ! Theand Miss Jackie Baird.The Board of the AGED PEOPLE'SMusic Director of C.E.F. in the Kingston, Ont., area saw the Psalms withmotions, said: "This is something new.HOME is sorry to report the passing of Where can I get these Psalms with muMrs. Nancy Wilson Green at the Homesic? I shall order both books: theyas the result of a stroke, September 4.together. I can use them in my weeklyServices were held at the Home Septemradio programs over CKWS." The Onber 6. The Reverend Mr. Kermit Edgartario W.C.T.U. Supt. of Y.T.C. wants ahad charge of the services, and was ascopy. Also, the editor of "World Friends,"sisted by the Reverend Dr. T. C. McCanadian children's magazine.Knight, and the head of our Seminary,the Reverend Dr. Bruce Willson. TheOrder your copy of "Taught of thebody was sent to Morning Sun whereservices were held on the 7th.now :Mr. C. R. FoxLord"from209 Ninth St.Pittsburgh 22, Pa.W. M. S. DepartmentPrice, $1.10."And all thychildren shall be taught oftheMrs. Ross Latimer.Lord; and great shall be the peaceEditor,ofPrayer Hour. 1 :00 P.M. thyIsa. 54:13.MondayREPORT OF THE RECOMMENDAHave you ordered your copy ofTIONS COMMITTEE OF THE"Taught of the Lord," our new Synodicalbook of helps for leaders of children?WOMEN'S SYNODICALFollowing the theme, "Around theYour Recommendations CommitteeCalendar with your Juniors," it suggestswould respectfully submit the following:stories, object lessons, handwork, pro 1. Whereas, the Women's Synodicalgrams, etc., related to such rpecial timesas New Year's, Week of Prayer, ValentineDay, Communion and Baptism services,has been in existence 35 years and hascome to be a vital part of the Church'swork and since a record of the work ofFlag Day, Summer Camp, Birthdays,the Synodical should be preservedHalloween, Christmas, etc.through the years, we recommend that our52 lessons with suggestions for openingSynodical h'storian be appointed andand closing programs are given. In theselessons are found 13 Psalms with motionsauthorizedSynodical.to write a history of theby Mrs. D. R. Wilcox; 22 Object illustrations by Dr. D. H. Elliott, Dr. E. K. Pat2. Whereas, some of our congregationsdo not have organized Junior Societieston, Mrs. J. G. McElhinney, Mrs. M. K. and realizing the worth of the bookCarson, Mrs. Paul McCracken, etc.; 60stories and poems, including the historic"Covenanter Baptism," one of the new"Taught of the Lord" compiled by Mrs.Hayes McKelvy, we recommend that thesale and u~e of this book be promotedFlash-card stories "The Doll that Grew by Presbyterial and local Junior superand a story of Miss Metheny by intendents, and that each W.M.S. purDr. R. I. Robb.chase a copy for their Junior SuperinTemperance experiments, flannelgraph tendent and if possible take orders forand blackboard suggestions, finger plays, this book from parents where there is nothanks to Senator Langer for the courteous way in which he worked, and also toSenator R. Flanders for having introduced the Bill.7. Whereas the Radio Program "TheWay Out" is beingcarried on stations in33 states, free as a public service, werecommend that thore within listeningarea send messagesof thanks to anyradio station carrying CAM programs.8. Whereas, the Synodical has a Courtesy Committee, we recommend that allexpressions of thanks be taken care of bysaid committee.9. Whereas, realizing that all powercomes from God, we recommend that weall make regular use of the Prayer Reminder in Uniform Program, study morediligently our Standard of Efficiency,and pray without ceasing.10. Whereas, the national and localyoungpeople's conferences have playedsuch an important part in directing livesof our consecrated youth, we recommenda prayer of thanksgiving. "The Lordhath done great things for us whereof weareglad."Ps. 126:311. Whereas, the number of teen-agershas increased,we recommend that wherever a Junior High group can be organized, the W.M.S. sponsor it using Juniorstandard of efficiency.Respectfully rubmitted,Mrs. Luther McFarlandMrs. R. C. AdamsMrs. Paul D. McCracken.Ed. Note: Above report has been somewhat briefed.October 13, 1954 239

trip there, let us ask a more importantquestion. Why are so many people whosay they sincerely believe Heaven to bea place of absolute perfection in everyway, hesitate to accept a free passportand passage thither?They say they desire to go there, andeven hope to some day, yet they have notapplied to Him who said: "I am the Way... no man cometh unto the Father butby Me" (John 14:6). The Lord Jesus paidthe price of entrance to Heaven with Hisown precious blood on the cross; and Hewill take all who come to Him by faith,to that glorious place.You may have your own thought as towhy certain persons in the United Stateswho say they believe Russia to be theUtopia of the world, do not accept a freetrip there; but what is your thought regarding your own failure to accept theSaviour's offer of a free entrance to aglorious Paradise?Nowof thanks by David is in the form of aprayer. However we have alreadynoticed the many songs of praise thatgrew out of this experience. Blessingsreceived and valued always tend toawaken the spirit of praise in the formof song.1. When the Children of Israel hadcrossed the Red Sea in safety, they expressed their gratitude in a song thatascribed glory to God. Ex. 15:1-18.2. In the Book of Revelation, the Redeemed in Glory unite in a song ofpraise. Rev. 5:9-10.3. David offers his praise for the merFREE FARE TO RUSSIAA House committee has voted to paythe travel expenses of any United Statesresident who desires to take up permanent residence in Russia.The unique proposal was adopted by theHouse Foreign Affairs Committee withthe necessary expenses to be taken outof foreign aid funds.Under the proposal sponsored by Committee Chairman Robert Chiperfield,Republican of Illinois, anypersons accepting the offer would not be readmitted to this country once they went toRussia to live.Chiperfield expressed hope that theSoviets will counter with a similar offerto enable Russians to come to the United States.Up to the time of going to press, noone had accepted the Government's generous offer and there is no sarcasm inthis statement.There must be hosts of people in theUnitd States who have been made tobelieve that Russia is positively the bestcountry on earth for common people.Why the Government is not being besieged by this sincere group, for free tickets, is somewhat difficult to understand.For it is not the least bit difficult toimagine the great rush if the Sovietscountered with a similar offer to enableRussians to come to the United States.Before criticizing the people who saythey esteem Russia to be vastly superiorto this country, yet do not hasten to accept a bona fide offer of an expense-free240(Prayer Meeting Topic from page 236)upon the conviction of God's faithfulness. Ps. 89:1, 5, 8.2. Full submission to the will of God,based upon a view of God's sovereignty.Ps. 89:6-14.IV.Note the Form of this Thanksgiving.The historical account of the givingcies of God betowed in this life and alsofor the blessings of the life eternal. Inthe 89th Psalm the Mercies of God areseen in (a) the divine choice, (b) theabiding graoe, (c) the full pardon, (d)the stimulating promise.This Thanksgiving Service may wellbe closed by reading together in thespirit of prayer and praise II Sam. 7:28-29.A CASUAL OBSERVATION\,T0O MUCH OF THE TIMEI'M A PART OF THAT"RAT RACE "...THAT HARDLYTHE WAV THE CREATORINTENDED US- TO CA1SKV ONAND

pray"prayers"LESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 7, 1954THE FIELD IS THE WORLD, TUB 5EO (S THE WORD Of- GODVOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1954 NUMBER 16"Th i n e Bet ween V)by Edwin Raymond Anderson"There is a line that is drawn . . . says one ofthe gospel hymns. And there are also drawn lineswhere the Christian life is concerned as well, markof difference and distincing out the definite by waytion. One of these concerns the gap between sayingprayers . . . and praying . . .Happy indeed is that man who has learned thedifference and distinction, and has passed from thepoor first into the rich second, where the Lord wisheshim to be. And manyneed to learn that in this day,for it is a truth which needs to be run deep under thepoint of sharp emphasis. There is a vital need ofgetting back to the basic beginnings in this business.Note how the apostle Paul pointed that up in hisword to the church at Ephesus "praying alwayswith all prayer and supplication in the Spirit" (Eph.6:18). He did not say, "praying always with allPRAYERS,"but rather, "praying always with allPRAYER."There is a world of spiritual differencein the dropping of that letter S! That letter wouldbetter serve to be carried over to spell the energizingpower of the S-pirit ; the Holy Spirit Who marks thedistinctive difference. Paul was calling the Ephesiansonto genuine PRAYING GROUND, sound and orthodox as they might otherwise have been. Paul wascalling for a work of the Holy Spirit to conduct theminto the reality of this, lest they be found merelygoing through prayer-motions. And what was written to that church in that early day, surely needs tocome down and home to us in these last days; thereis the need of taking a stand on PRAYINGGROUND!Do not think that we are engaging in hairlinetheological quibbling when we thus differentiate between saying prayers and praying. We face the difference between a ritual and a reality, between whatall too often is a dead form, and what is alwaysmeant to be a living fountain of power direct andfresh from heaven. Of course if one really meansbusiness with the Almighty by "sayingthen well and good! . . . just so long as one realizesthe need of a practical laying-hold upon the throneof grace, the getting further and further away fromselfly aspirations and ambitions and accountings,closer and yet closer to His preciousthe drawingbleeding side with the passion of knowing more andyet more of Himself for His own sake (Phil 3:10),so that unto Him be the glory of the increase. If thatbe realized, then everything will be right.But the trouble is that we know so much aboutprayer, that we know next to nothing about praying !We have read all the books, listened to all the sermons, but the reading has not turned to reality,and the hearing has not been honored with the genuine heeding. We know all the facts as a theologicalproposition, but when it comes to the neverthelessafterwards of the doxology of the daily doing in living acts, we are known for our pathetic ignorance.Sooner or later it all shows up in the Christian life,more "sooner" than "later" at unexpected times. Weare weak and worn out and have not the strengthto prevail for the heat of the day, nor the strife ofthe course.It is always a positive step forward when wereach the place of perceiving our spiritual poverty.We need to enter more into the spirit of the disciplesas they came to the Lord with their heart-searchingrequest, "Lord teach us to (Luke 11:1). Theydid not ask Him to teach them HOW to pray ; theywere beyond the stage of being fascinated withmeans and methods, and they were not interested in(Continued on page 249)

.... Istruggle."season."Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D.Communism Versus ChristianityThe Christian Statesman presents a message with theabove caption by Chaplain Donnelly which was delivered overthe Armed Services radio network in Berlin. He says: "Todaythe world is in a state of emergency surpassing any in history.... The real cause is the evil hierarchy now engaged in supreme and final effort to overthrow God's kingdom and set upa satanic universal one-world rule in its stead.The Key Factors"Today the key factors in this conflict are the Christianchurch and the anti-Christ religion known as communism..... Communism has multiplied itself 20,000 times in 1 generation. It needs now to multiply itself only three times morein order to engulf the entire world. At its present rate of conquest, how much longer will it be? This satanic anti-Christreligion can be overcome only by another religion more vitaland dynamic than it is. Economic measures will not stop itbecause it is a faith. Military defeat will not overcome it. Itis a religion. Our faith in Christ must produce in us a discipleship more vital, more dynamic, and more utter thanthat which communism inspires.Dedicate Yourself to the TaskThe Chaplain calls upon Christians to "dedicate ourselvesto the task with such a passion and fervor that, beforeour holy might, communism will falter and fail. That theNation may be saved and the Gospel be preached with freedom, I challenge you to throw yourself with all your soul andstrength into the breach in this life-and-deathThe Way OutThe way out is stated by Maj. Donnelly"However, if tlie present buildupin these words:of armed might is to be accompanied by a triumph of truth, be sure of this: We musthave the Lord Jesus Christ uppermost in our hearts and livesnot the counterfeit Jesus of the brash unbelief, but the Scriptural Saviour, God's Son, who, with a love that passes ourunderstanding and description, suffered Himself to be nailedto the cross and there died to restore us to His Heavenly Father; because only He can make better men, a better nation,world."a betterWould that men of such high ideals and convictions asChaplain Donnelly could see that God calls the nations, assuch, as well as individual men to confess Christ, to honorHim as their Ruler, and take the Scriptures as the rule oftheir legislation and conduct. That would effectually and forever rule out atheistic communism. Our nation should notonly have "an altar in the midst of the land," but "a pillar atthe border thereof to the Lord" (Is. 19:19).Hindrances to RevivalThe editor of The Free Methodist writes: "In many placesnothing stands so much in the wayof a genuine revival asthe indifference of the professed followers of Jesus Christ ....There seem to be so few who really desire a thorough revival,and who are willing to make a determined effort to secure onehave been engaged in revival work more or less duringthe past twenty-three years, and I have never known it tofail that when the revival began, the devil got up somethingin the neighborhood to counteract the influence of the revival and to turn the attention of the people away from thesalvation of their souls. The opposition generally takes the242form of some public diversion or social functionanything infact, to keep people from attending the revival services. Indays gone by, Satan would oppose the revival work by havingthose under his control attend the service to make fun ordisturb the meeting, but in these latter days he accomplishesten thousand times more disaster to the revival by keepingpeople altogether away from the house of God during theseprotracted efforts."How very many there are who allow business affairsand social pleasures to keep them away from the house ofthe Lord. And many of these hindrances could be entirelyavoided if the individual was as thoroughly consecrated toGod's service as he ought to be and felt the absolute necessityfor concentrated effort during the revivalRecentlyFastingand Healthsome 600 doctors from various parts of the worldmet in London to study the question of old age in relation tomental and physical health, diet and other influences. A doctor from Oxford stated that intermittent fasting increased thelife span without affecting the growing rate of youth. We aretold in the Bible to fast and pray, and our Lord no doubtknew that this, rather than being harmful to the body, wasconducive to prolonging life. Carlyle said that most men digtheir graves with their teeth. Medical science not only recognizes the danger of over-eating, but the physical benefits ofoccasional fasting.Jehovah's WitnessesThe editor of The Evangelical Christian writes: "A hugegathering, estimated at 22,000 of Jehovah's Witnesses assembled in Toronto recently in annual convention. Those who attended were treated to the usual diatribes against organizedreligion, and an exposition of the Scriptures weird and wonderful but containing that grain of truth that makes all falsecults so dangerous. They are still talking about the end of theworld, as Pastor Russell, their founder, did fifty years ago, anda host of deluded followers with more credulity(Continued on page 245)THE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAthan com-at 129 West 6th Street, Newton, Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue. Topeka. Kansasto promote Bible Standards of Doctrine. Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writers:not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen. D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll. D.D.Remo I. Robb. D.D.Departmental EditorsRev. John 0. EdgarMrs. ,T. O. EdcarMrs. Ross LatimerSubscription rates: $2.50 per year; Overseas, $3.00; Single Copies10 cents.The Rev. R. B. Lyons, B.A., Limavady, N. Ireland, Agent for theBritish Isles.Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Newton, Kansasunder the Act of March 3, 1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.COVENANTER WITNESS

war"Current EventsBy Prof. William H. Russell, Ph.D.CLOSING ARGUMENTSAs the Congressional campaign comes to a finish, someof the early issues, such as Communists in government or theeconomic recession, seem to be fading. Instead, the argumentcenters over whether a Republican or Democratic Congresswould best support President Eisenhower. The President andother Republican leaders point with pride to the sizable bodyof legislation enacted by the last Congress. They also claimthat if the Democrats got control of either house, they wouldstart a political "coldand block all legislation supportedby the Administration. The Democrats deny this and claimcredit for much of the recent legislation. Theythe Republican party has no unity and is incapable of leadermaintain thatship. Both sides obviously are prone to exaggerate. It seemsto us that a more basic issue the assumptions underlyingEisenhower's economic program, or what Democrats call the"giveaway"is receiving too little attention.PROMINENT JURIST DD3SThe roll of men taken from public service bysuddendeath mounts steadily. Robert H. Jackson, Associate Justice ofthe Supreme Court, died of a heart attack at the age of 62.He began public work in New York State when Franklin D.Roosevelt was governor, and held legal positions in variousfederal agencies from 1934 to 1938. He became Solicitor General, then Attorney General,Supreme Court. Jackson wrote manyon the Court, including some notable dissents. He was outand in 1941 was appointed to thevigorous opinions whilespoken in upholding civil rights, but also warned against usingthe Court as a policy-making body. In the last few years hebecame increasingly conservative. Probably his greatestachievement was in presiding over the Nuremburg international trial of Nazi war criminals in 1945. At this writing thereare still no reliable indications as to Jackson's successor on theSupreme Court.of six to ten inches in twenty-four hours, the damage amounted to many millions and over twenty lives were lost. TheChicago River went five feet above normal level and floodedthe Union Station and the basements of downtown skyscrapers. Damage would have been much greater if the locks at themouth of the river had not been opened to allow it to flowback into Lake Michigan. This was the first time this had beendone since the natural flow of the river was reversed in 1900.Over sixty towns in the Chicago area were hit by the floods.and thousands were driven from their homes.TRD3STE AGREEMENTItaly and Yugoslavia have finally signed an agreementfor the division of the disputed territory of Trieste, ending aquarrel which has poisoned their relations since World WarII. Italy gets the city of Trieste itself and "Zone A" surrounding it, which has been under Allied occupation. Yugoslavia willabsorb the larger but less heavily populated Zone B, which shehas occupied since the war. Minority rights are to be protected in both zones, and Yugoslavia is to have free accessto the port facilities of Trieste. The seven thousand Americanand British troops who have been occupying Zone A can nowbe withdrawn. The Italians are especiallyenthusiastic overthe agreement, for they have made Trieste a tremendous emotional issue. The settlement of this dispute definitely strengthens the free world. It opens the way for Italy to join the Balkan defense alliance of Yugoslavia, Greece, and Turkey. Itmay also lead our government to establish closer military andeconomic ties with Yugoslavia, since we can now do so without offending Italy.BAMBOO CURTAIN EXTENDEDThe Communist troops of Vietminh have taken overHanoi, leading city of northern Indochina, as scheduled in theGeneva peace agreement. The city of 300,000 put on an enthusiastic demonstration for the conquerors as the last ofCLEAR THE ROADHighways and superhighways continue to make news. Acommittee headed by General Lucius D. Clay has met to consider ways of carrying out President Eisenhower's proposal todouble highway expenditures over the next ten years. Most ofthe suggestions for financing the proposed expansion call fora federal lending agency, somewhat like the RFC.Indiana has begun work on her east-west turnpike whichwill become part of the system linking New York City andChicago. Kansas is also beginning a turnpike leading southwest from Kansas City, and West Virginia is building another.Canada is putting together a four-lane superhighway fromWindsor, opposite Detroit, across southern Ontario to theborder of Quebec. The 542-mile route will eliminate all obstacles to through travel. Some units, bypassing major cities,are already being completed, but the whole system will notbe finished for another ten years. It is believed that the construction can be financed from gasoline taxes without charginga toll.HIGH WATER MARKFall rains brought floods to several parts of the UnitedStates, the worst disaster strikingOctober 20, 1954at Chicago. With rainfallthe French retired across the Red River. The French took outall portable military equipment, but of course they could notremove their big airfield or the city's many public buildings.About a quarter of a million refugees have been taken toSouthern Viet Nam, and an equal number are still awaitingevacuation in the northern areas which the Communists havenot yet occupied.Many of the refugees are Catholics, but amajority of the Catholics are remaining in the north.AT THE POLLSGuatemala has given President Carlos Armas a large majority in a plebescite for the endorsement of his anti-Communist regime. The results may not mean much, however, forvoting was by voice and the voters could only say whetherthey did or did not approve of the administration. At the sametime deputies were chosen for an assembly which will drawup a new constitution.Twelve anti-American Socialists and one Communist wonseats in the parliament of Syria in recent national elections.Though they will make up less than one-tenth the membership, their victory was something of a shock to the West.Meanwhile Israel is protesting against American moves tosend arms to some of the Arab nations. It seems impossibleto be on good terms with everyone in the Near East.243

me."make."over."good."place."Last summer while on a tour of the CityThe Great BridgeRev. John O. Edgarof Quebec our guide said, "You must be sure to see ourbridge while you are here. It is the Eighth Wonderof the World." The guide was speaking with perhapsjustifiable native pride, but certainly the bridgewhich crosses the St. Lawrence river seven milesabove the city is remarkable from the standpoint ofengineering and beauty.The Quebec BridgeOne evening we ate our supper in a Provincialpark near the north end of the bridge. It was a happyexperience to view the massive structure with therays of the setting sun shining through the lacework of girders and beams. Below were the deepblue waters of the St. Lawrence, on either side werethe precipitous gray banks of the river, and abovea broken skywith patches of blue which the sun wasstruggling to find.The St. Lawrence is comparatively narrow atthe point where the bridge crosses, so the waters areswift and deep. It was a great feat of engineering andconstruction to erect the massive stone piers whichsupport the tremendous weight of the 1800 footsteel span which is between them. This is the longestcantilever type bridge in the world. (There arebridges with longer spans but they are not of thecantilever type). Certainly, this is one of the mostbeautiful bridges, in one of the most beautiful settings in the world.When we had returned home we looked upsome information about this famous bridge. Thefirst attempt to bridge this point was in 1907, andit ended in disaster when a girder buckled duringconstruction, plunging the bridge into the river, andcarrying 82 men to their deaths. A new design wasprepared, heavier and more rigid, using two and onehalf times as much steel as in the former structure.While it was being raised into place in 1916, something slipped and 5,200 tons of steel crashed into thewaters below, carrying 12 more men to their deaths.The following year a third span was constructed, andraised into place, 150 feet above the river.It cost the lives of 94 men to build the Quebecbridge, to say nothing of the great financial cost. Ithas been in use for 37 years and thousands of vehicles have passed safely over it ; millions of peoplehave passed over this bridge without fear. Thereare many wonderful bridges in the world and mencome and go upon them without giving a thoughtor theto the vision which led to their being built,sweat, toil, cost and difficulties of construction.Ancient CrossingsIn Bible times it was often a problem to crossthe Jordan river. When the Israelites were aboutto go into the Promised Land they were faced withthe problem of crossing the Jordan. But Joshua, uncommandeddismayed, the procession to move forward and as soon as the feet of the priests who werebearing the ark, touched the water, the waters partedand the company went over on dryground. (Josh.3:15-16) Later when Ehud was judge, a call wasissued for the men of Israel to follow him, and weare told that "they went down after him, and took244the fords of Jordan toward Moab,and suffered not aman to pass (Jud. 3:28) Another time, duringthe reign of David we learn that, "There went aferry 'boat to carry over the king's household, and todo what he thought (II Sam. 19:18)It thus appears that when people wanted tocross the Jordan they had to cross it in a boat, orfind a place that was shallow enough to wade across.The case of the rolling back of the water was ofcourse exceptional. There is no record of a bridgebeing built across the river during Bible times. TheHebrews are not noted for their architecture. Nevertheless, it would seem that the construction of abridge might have been within their range of skills.They might also have hired the workmen of Hiram,king of Tyre, to construct a bridge for them.lt wouldseem that the cedars of Lebanon might have providedwonderful bridge timbers, or lacking wood, masonsmight have constructed a stone arch type of bridge.The Unavoidable RiverBunyan in "Pilgrim's Progress" tells of a riverthat all must cross. It is the river of death. He describes it in these words, "Now I saw betwixt themand the gate was a river, but there was no bridge togo over, and the river was very deep. At the sightthereof of this river, the Pilgrims were much stunned; but the men who went with them said, "Youmust go through, or you cannot come at the gate ....The Pilgrims then (especially Christian) ; 'beganto despond in their minds, and looked this way andthat, but no way could be found by them by whichthey might escape the river. Then they asked themen if they were all of one depth. They said, No:yet they could not help them in the case; forsaid they, you shall find it deeper or shallower asyou believe in the king of theBunyan is right when he pictures the river ofdeath as one over which there is no bridge, for noone is able to escape physical death. There is anothersense in which sin might be considered as the riverwhich separates between God and man. If thatanalogy is valid we do have a bridge in the Personof the Lord Jesus Christ. "I am the way, the truthand the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by(John 14:6)Bridges, False or TrueThe pope is often referred to as the Pontif ofRome and the head of the Pontifical college is calledthe Pontifex Maximus. In Latin the word "pontis"means "bridge," and the word "facere" means "toHence, the word pontif signifies one whomakes a bridge, and the term "Pontifex Maximus"literally means, "The Great Bridge." We do not accept the extravagent claims of the Roman hierarchyfor we know there is no human who can serve asthe bridge between God and man ; that honor belongsto the Lord Jesus Christ and to Him alone.It cost the lives of 94 men to build the Quebecbridge, and considering the two attempts which resulted in failure, it must be a very costly bridge.We might also point out that it cost the life of theSon of God to complete the bridge of man's salvation.I dare say that not one of the 94 men who lost theirCOVENANTER WITNESS

again."out"again."men."earth."nation."price."lives at Quebec died willingly. But the Lord JesusChrist gave His life as a willing sacrifice. "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay downmy life, that I might take it again. No man takethit from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have powerto lay it down and I have power to take it(John 10:17, 18)The Quebec bridge is striking for its beauty.Symmetrical in every detail, it has over each stonepier a net work of steel girders supported both fromabove and below. These huge structures are joined bysmaller section in the middle. The Lord Jesus Christis also noted for His beauty. This has been the universal conception of the artists. Isaiah wrote, "Thineeyes shall see the king in his beauty." (33:17) Inthe Song of Solomon he is described as "the one whois altogether lovely" (5:16), and as "the chiefestamong ten thousand" (5:10). John in John 1:14writes, "We beheld his glory, the glory as of theOnly Begotten of the Father."One day after we had returned from our tripI recounted to our family some of the things I hadbeen reading about the bridge. Our daughter Louise,who is 10, said, "Well Daddy, If I had known that ithad fallen twice when it was being built I would havebeen afraid to go across it for fear that it mightfall We assured her that there was littleto fear for the bridge has stood up under heavytraffic for many years, and is even used by railwaytrains.How many people there are unwilling to trustJesus Christ as their spiritual bridge! Some willsay, "What assurance do we have that Christ is ableto cleanse us from all unrighteousness ?" It appearsthat there are many who would rather trust in theirown ability to swim through the dangerous currentsin the river which no man can cross, than to committhemselves to the loving care of Christ.Years ago when the old trestle bridge was standing at Niagara Falls, trains in crossing it would justbarely creep along, as it was so shaky. People sat perfectly quiet with their hearts in their mouths withfear lest it should fall. There used to be an old coloredman come aboard just as they started across thebridge, distributing tracts, and in a clear voice cryout in the stillness, "If your trust is in the LordJesus Christ you have nothing to fear." We have theassurance of this truth from the Sacred writers andfrom the Lord himself: "All that the Father givethme shall come to me, and him that cometh to me Iwill in no wise cast (John 6 :37).Usually we have to pay toll when we cross alarge bridge, so we were surprised to find no tollcollector at the Quebec bridge. Perhaps in an indirectway we were helping to maintain the bridge when wepaid a gasoline tax, but in the usual sense of theword the bridge is free. We might have felt an obligation in crossing the bridge, reasoning that thebridge was constructed at great expense and that weshould therefore pay our share. But there was noone to whom we could have paid a toll had we so desired.When Clara Barton was engaged in Red Crosswork in Cuba during the Spanish American war,Colonel Roosevelt came to her desiring to buy somedelicacies for the sick and wounded men under hiscommand. His request was refused. Roosevelt wastroubled; he loved his men, and was ready to payfor the supplies out of his own pocket. "How can Iget these things?" he said; "I must have proper foodfor my sick "Just ask for them, Colonel," saidthe surgeon in charge of the Red Cross headquarters."Oh,"said Roosevelt, his face breaking into a smile,"Then I do ask for them." And he got them at once.But he got them through grace and not throughpurchase. The Scripture makes it clear that God'sgrace is free. "Come ye, buy, and eat; yea come,buy wine and milk without money and without(Isa. 55:1) Also in The Revelation we have the invitation of the Lord himself, "Whosoever will, let himcome and take the water of life freely" (Rev. 22:17).The next time you cross a large bridge, thinkwhat the bridge means to you and your fellow citizens. Consider the convenience of it, and of what itmust have cost to build it. But will you not also consider this bridge of which we have been writing ? Areyou ready to put your trust in the bridge which wasplanned in the counsels of eternity, the bridge whichcrosses the dark chasm of sin and which no man isable to cross in his own strength ? Commit your waynow to this bridge that you may never be caught inthe dark and swirling waters which carry men toeternal destruction.GLIMPSES Cont'd from page 242monsense or spirituality swallow their interpretations hook,line and sinker. That is the pathos of the thing. Who can tellhow many followers of this false cult might have been savedfrom its snare had the ministers of the Gospel in our variouschurches been faithful in their exposition of the Word?"The one thing about the Witnesses that one must admireand commend is their zeal. One sees them on every busystreet corner in Toronto, and we presume it is the same elsewhere selling their 'Kingdom' wares unabashed by rebuffs andunperturbed byrebuttals of their false philosophies. This isone respect at least in which the children of darkness arewiser than the children of Light. If the evangelical churchwould take a leaf from their book and go forth with theglad tidings of the evangelical faith and proclaim the Wordof God up and down the land, false cults and false faithswould soon disappear from theProtest the Queen's ActionThe Queen of Great Britain recently gave a donation toaid with the rebuilding of a Roman Catholic Cathedral inEngland. The Commission of the Assembly of the Free Churchin Scotland has protested this royal action in the followinglanguage : "This, in our opinion, raises a constitutional issue ofvital importance to our Protestant nation. In the Coronationthe Queen solemnly undertook to pledge herself to uphold theProtestant faith of the nation and it is, in our opinion, quiteinconsistent with these vows that she should also uphold afaith that is antagonistic to the Protestant religion and thatis in these days putting forth all its might to undermine andoverthrow our national Protestantism." Their resolution alsostated that this act is "without precedent in this realm sincethe Reformation."Commenting on this, the Canadian editor, J. H. Hunter,says: "The Protestant church there (in Britain) has largelyforgotten the pit from whence it was dug, and the eighteenthousand men, and women and children who laid down theirlives during the 'killing times' in Scotland that Popery andPrelacy might be then exterminated. Popery is coming backwith a vengeance in the old land and this action of the royalfamily cannot help but encourage it in its endeavor to gaincontrol in Britain and set a popish king or queen on thethrone. God made Britain great when she got rid of Romanism, and her decline and fall is being written with the riseand spread of that evil system throughout theOctober 20, 1954245

enough?"enough?"eh?"enough!"ain't'cha?"names."rock."off."out,"good."money?"minute."ones."I Became a BoweryBumJohn I. ShieldsI let my hair grow a month, then waited threedays for a beard. Finally, with an old cap and clothesfrom a used-clothing store, I made my debut asa bum.It was early in September when I stepped outupon that street, the saddest, loneliest, most forsaken street in all the world. It was gray, like death.Uneven cobblestones were worn into ruts to bounceand jostle passing cars. Towering above was the elevated, murky, dark, casting stark shadows acrossempty windows of tenements crumbling with decay.It was still, like death. Noises seemed muted, hollow,lostof the elepierced periodically by the passingvated mass rumble and shriek that wipes out allother sound. There were men, moving like death.Sprawling in doorways, keeled over in drunken stupor. Squatting on the curb. Leaning in twos andthrees against the buildings. Staggering down thepavement that leads to nowhere. Land of the livingdead. And I was to be one of them !I wandered, going nowhere. How to kill anhour. Just one hour? Make it two. Make it a dozen.How to go about killing all the hours left in life. Twodrunks leaned on a fireplug, their arms over eachother's shoulders and their heads close together. Inthicklipped speech they mumbled incoherently, eachtotally absorbed in what the other said. A man withonly an undershirt covering his hairy chest supportedhimself against a building, jabbering to himself,gesticulating with his hands and arms. Men slowlylurched along the street.Men everywhere, twenty or thirty in one blockalone. A glazed look in their eyes. Thin, emaciated.Lines of sorrow deeply etched around their mouths.Jaundiced complexions, coated with grime and beard.Congealed blood showing on their ankles from infections they had scratched. Six saloons, seven restaurants serving beer, four flophouses, three used-clothall within two blocks.ing storesA tall, muscular man stood swaying in a doorway, angrily yelling oaths and obscenities, but everyone kept passing by without seeming to hear. Suddenly he pulled a bottle from his hip, took a longswig, emptied it, and then tottered out onto the sidewalk, flaying his arms. "Ya don't think I'm goodhe shouted at no one in particular. Hereached out and collared a bum. "Ya don't think I'mgood he bellowed in his face. The bumwinced and tried to draw away. The man drew backand delivered a smashing blow that sent the bumreeling across the pavement. "Not good enough,He hurled the bottle shattering against the sidewalk.He clawed at his shirt and tore the buttons down thefront. He flailed his arms, and as he kicked, oneshoe went spinning off. "Not goodHestood, suddenly still, nostrils wide, a wild, huntedlook in his eyes. Then he fell forward. His knees hitthe pavement first, then his head. He sprawed, limp,as in stupor or in death.246I went over and started a quick investigation tosee if he were hurt. As I 'bent over I felt a hand onmy shoulder. I looked up and confronted a small oldman with a grizzly gray beard. "Leave him alone,mister. He'll thaw he warned. I straightenedup, and he cackled, as though highly amused, "He'sjust mokus. A smoke-bound. Nothin' to do but lethim sleep it He looked at me. "New here,he stated. "I always spot the newHis eyes narrowed. "Got any"Just enough for some food," I answered withhesitation.money,""New ones never got no he said disdainfully. "Try the horse-market up the street. They getleftovers from other restaurants, but it's cheap.Come on, I'll show you but wait aHe cast a furtive glance around, casually pickedup the shoe the boy had kicked off, then unlaced andremoved the other shoe. He tucked them under hisarm and joined me. "He'll sleep better without theseon his feet," he grinned.It was growing dark when I returned to thestreet. The numbers of men were multiplying. Downby the Bowery Mission there was a mob of at leasttwo or three hundred. I saw them begin to file inthe door of the mission down to the basement. Nocockroaches there, I thought. No stale bologna. Goodsoup, good bread, good coffee with cream.I felt an urge to join them, but that was the oneplace I was forbidding myself to go. The BoweryMission represents the outside hand, helping mento lift themselves above this human squalor, and asyet I wasn't ready for salvation.A crowd of men, all stupid with drink,stillmilled about the mission after the others had gonein. I wandered over and found they were sellingthings. "Pair a pants, buddy?" A man touched myarm. "Let you have 'em for a dime, only a dime."They were pin-striped and looked clean. Off on theside a sly-looking character was speaking to a blowsyfacedman who could hardly stand up. "What youneed is glasses, Mac. Make you see real good. Justtry these on, see how He pushed a pair ofheavy rimmed spectacles into the other's nose. "Nowread this." He held out a cigarette package. "Readthe The blowsy-faced man muttered something unintelligible. "See what I told ya. Read realgood, don't they? For you they're only fifty cents,half a The blowsy-faced man was still absorbed, trying to decipher the lettering, while the otherman nimbly searched through his pockets, where hediscovered a flask. "I'll take this instead," he declared as he pushed the man away and took a swig.The bowsy-faced man staggered away,still tryingto decipher the lettering.There were shoes for a quarter a pair,socksfor a nickel, wallets with the previous owner'sCOVENANTER WITNESS

price?"cheap."again,"you,"comin'."sure."mister?"cent."remarried."away."mission."waitin,'openings,"mister?"smoke."wearing."set."wanted,"anything!"you,"identification still intact for a dime. "Shoes, mister? Real I turned around. It was the oldman with the grizzly beard, holding the drunk man'sshoes. "Oh, it's he said. "Good place to buystuff here. This is the trading post. Lush divers,mostly. They roll drunks, strip 'em naked sometimes,and get the price of a bottle when they sell theBut,"clothes. he glanced over his shoulder, "let'smove along now. Cop'sI followed him across a side street, and then Isaw that all the others were crossing, too. "Thatso he can't botherstreet's the end of the cop's beat,us over here. When the cop on this beat comes, we'llcross back the old man explained. Then heshuffled away, stopping each man he passed, offeringhis shoes.Gradually I began to feel I was beginning tosuffocate. We were outside, but the air seemed deadand stale. And there was a stench. Alcohol, garbage,human filth. It was closing in on me. I began to feeltrapped. "Goof ball, friend?" A grinning man withdrool dripping down his wiskered chin was staringup at me. "Goof ball? Only a nickel, friend. Just alittle pill, see, but knock you higher'n a kite. Give youa real kick. Only a nickel."I hurriedly moved away. Then I noticed thateveryone had grown quiet. Trading had stopped. Thestaggering men stood still and stared. It was theBlack Maria, the patrol wagon, coming silently downthe street like a messenger of death. It stopped before a doorway. A patrolman got out, dragged acouple of sleeping drunks from the hallway, dumpedthem into the wagon, and locked the gate. Slowly theblack spector moved away, stopping at doorways,adding to its cargo, stopping again, and again, untilat last it was out of sight."Comes around five or six times a day." Theold man was at my side again. "Every time it goesback full. Don't ever get picked up, mister. Theylock you up ten days. You go crazy. Nothin to drink.Don't bed down in railway stations or subway depots. They'll pick you up for He scratched athis beard. "You got a jug on you, He saw Ididn't comprehend. "A jug's a bottle. Some fellerscall it a 'crock.' Costs thirty-five cents for a pint ofSneaky Pete. Dago wine, 20 per cent pure vitamins.Better'n smoke. That's denatured alcohol. Got theI shook my head. "Too bad," he repliedstoically. "I sold the shoes. Hoped we might havea bender together." He sauntered off, and I saw himenter the One Mile Saloon.Once more I began to wander down the streetnow teeming with these human derelicts. Three menstood on the corner, passing a bottle back and forth,each in turn tilting his head and taking a long swig.Another stood on the curb befouling the street. Thesaloons were lined with men. They sat at the bar,or in rows along the walls. Some had a glass of beerbefore them, others had nothing but the emptytables, covered with soiled oilcloth. They sat silently,sipping without sound, staring with apparent preoccupation, seeing nothing, thinking nothing, juststaring at the blankness confronting them.It was growing late along Misery Lane. A flophouse good place to spend the night. The clerkgave me a hanger and relieved me of thirty-fivecents. I went on upstairs, put myclothes on thehanger, as was the custom, and returned it to theOctober 20, 1954clerk, who guarded all the clothes during the night.I kept my shoes, as the others did, and slept withthem under my pillow so they wouldn't be stolen.There were no electric lights. The large room waspitch-black, filled with the coughings and cursings ofdrunken, broken men. No sheets, just a filthy blanketthat I put over the bare springs to keep them fromcutting my flesh. Men snored, deep, resonant snores,and in the corner one man whimpered throughout thenight. I felt a nipping along my legs and lit a matchto investigate. Bedbugs. They were crawling on theceiling, dropping onto the beds. I pulled the blanketover me and tried to sleep. Toward morning Idozed off.I was numb when I awoke. My body ached, andI itched all over. My eyes were bleary and a horribletaste was in my mouth. Off at the end of the roomwas a spigot that served as a shower. Water ice cold,and no towels. I rinsed my hands and face and wipedthem on my undershirt. I ran my hand through myhair and tried to smooth it down. I felt my beard,and wished desperately that I might shave.Downstairs I rummaged through a trash barreland found a morning paper. "Men the classified ad read. When I reached the agency, the girlat the desk looked up from her filing and glancing atme appraisingly. "Noshe curtly said."But, Miss, I just have to have work. I haven't aShe continued filing as though she hadn't"Miss,"heard. I pleaded, "I'll doSheturned toward me sternly. "I told you there are noopenings. We recommend only steady, reliable men.If you want to work, try over on Chambers Street, orgo to the BoweryIt was futile to try other agencies, I realized. OnChambers Street a group of men were standingaround in front of a building. A man came out andbellowed, "Dishwasher, one day." There was a surgetoward the door. The men pushed and mauled, fighting to get there first. A taut, thin man won. "That'stomorrow,"all tillthe man in the doorway announced. The men began to drift away. A scrawnylookingyoung man of about twenty stopped in frontof me."You got a smoke,"Sorry,"I shook my head."Just gotta have a His hands weretrembling. A man up front flicked away a butt, andthe boy hurried out into the street to retrieve it. Hecame back. "This it begins to eat at heexplained.We walked, automatically heading back towardthe Bowery, "I'm from Buffalo," he confided. "Camedown four months ago. Sixty-three bucks in mypocket; thought I'd be all He took anotherpuff and threw the snipe away. "All I want's a job.Been knocking around dishwashing, dock walloping,messenger boy for a week. Now look at me flat.Everything I own I'mHe was a nice boy. Clothes were dirty, naturally,but he was trying to keep neat. He even wore a tie."Back in Buffalo, I was a plumber's theassistant,"boy continued. "Couldn't stand the place though. Myfamily. Mom died when I was seven months old. DadHe nervously wiped his mouth with thepalm of his hand. "Lousy, rotten woman. I had toget247

mister,"robbin'once."once,"guy,"preachin',"see."waitin'stuff."now."me,"year."starved,"park.""The Lord teaches us to forgive," I said quietly."I thought of that he replied with bitterness. "So on her birthday I brought her a big boxof candy. Know what she did ? She slapped my face.Thought I'd stolen the money. That's her forgiveness.Look around, right here," he motioned with his arm."Call this a Christian world? All I want's a job. Iwant to work. I don't drink. I ain't no bum. But willanybody believe it?"We had walked a long way, and were nowabreast of the Mission. I stopped and put my handon the boy's shoulder. "I've got to go on ahead, butI think you ought to stop in here. They'll give youfood and a bed. You'll have a chance to look arounda bit.""I ain't in the mood for nodefiantly."Try it once, just once, andrected him toward the door.he repliedI quietly di"You seem like a right he said. "Why not?Sure, I'll try it He went in and I continueddown the street.Then, right there on the Bowery, I saw an employment agency ! I started over. "Don't go in there,a voice cautioned. It was the old man withthe whiskers. He was seated on the sidewalk by thedoor. "Some guys get desperate and go in," he explained. "That's what they're for. Make agandy-dancer out of ya. Go around fixing railroadouthouse."ties. Live worse'n rats under an"But I've got to find a job," I said. At this hecackled. "Not so easy here, mister. This city'll putyou on the island if you want, but that's no better'nbeing in jail. If you stand around with those fellerson the corner over there he pointed up to HoustonStreets "maybe somebody'll come along and let youmove some cargo. That corner's where the boys whowant to work all go, and sometimes they get a jobthat lasts an hour or two."I sat down on the sidewalk beside him. "Buthow do the men down here live?" I asked. He cackledagain. "Well, me, for instance, I get social security.Course that ain't enough. Some of the boys go onunemployment, but they get found out sooner orlater. You can always get a push cart, go roundgarbage cans. Good money in that. Pick upwhisky bottles, get a pennyfind."apiece for all you canI simply couldn't believe it. I got up and stumbled away, trying to make myself realize what Iknew deep down was true. "Surely a man can't becondemned for the clothes he wears; he cannot beforsaken because of sins he is forced to bear!" Ishuddered, for reality proved my credo false."Unless,"I decided. "Unless."I sat in a doorway and watched the hopelessderelicts plodding by. After a while it began to getdark. Some fellows were heading up Third Avenue,and I joined them. We ended up a block from theBowery at the Municipal Lodging House a bleakbrick building that used to be a school. I fell in linebehind an old ragged geezer with a beard. Fleas werejumping from his worn overcoat. Lice were crawlingon his eyebrows. We went in. First we got a bowl ofsoup, then an orange, and were taken upstairs to adormitory. The old geezer with the lice was on thebed next to me. On the other side was a decrepit248man with no teeth. "Best place is Bowery Mission,"he remarked. "They delouse you and fumigate yourclothes before you can have a bed. Makes no difference here. They only fumigate once aThe air was foul, and I woke up repeatedly,gasping for breath. The nipping on my legs continued, and in the morning I woke up scratchingfleas and lice. We got ugly-tasting oatmeal and anorange. Then I left.That day seeped away into nowhere. I triedstemming over on 14th Street. "Mister, I'mI begged. They passed me by or gave a contemptuousstare. One man laughed in my face.I had no lunch or supper and at night I stretchedout on a bench in a park. Someone tapped my leg."Don't stay here, pal. Cops patrol thisA man of about thirty-five, wearing only anundershirt tucked into ragged trousers, was bendingover me."Come withhe urged drunkenly. "I knowa good place cops never find." He pulled at my sleeve.me."'^Come on withWe went down several side streets, then intoan alley. Finally he led the way down some steps,and we came into a damp, cobwebbed cellar of anabandoned warehouse."Cops never find us here," he boasted. He shovedhis bottle toward me. "Yer a good pal. Have drink?"pal."I declined. "That's what I call a goodI kept answering in monosyllables, and he kepttalking and drinking until finally he became verysolemn. He held up the bottle and scrutinized it."I hate this stuff, but can't leave it alone. Burnin'out my guts. Look at my hands !" he quietly sobbed."They won't hold still no more. I can't even thinkstraight He took a drink. "Lost my false teeth.Woke up, my jacket's gone. That's the Bowery. Butwhere else could I go? No dough. I can't lay off thisHe was visibly crying now. He took his glassesoff and rubbed at his eyes. "I had a he beganwife,"again. "Good wife, but I'd lose my temper. I'd keepcriticizing. She took our little girl and left. I pleadedwith her to come back, but no. So I started drinking.I was an accountant, but they fired me. Worked upin the mountains awhile. Waiter at a winter resort,but that closed. Ran out of dough. What's a guy todo? Had no dough. Everything busted. Life's allbusted. My wife, she'sgone."He took a drink and emptied the bottle. Hestared at it, and his hands began to tremble morethan ever. "Gotta have a drink," he mumbled. Hegot to his feet and staggered up the steps. "Gottahave a drink," gotta."he sobbed. "Gotta, justI could hear him crying and shouting as helurched away down the street. His glasses were lyingwhere he left them. I put them in my pocket to keepfor him, then, in weariness and hunger, I rolled overand slept.The next day the streets were quiet. A carillonplayed in the distance. It was Sunday. Somethinginside me perked up, and I walked a little faster. Upahead was a church. Doors open, people going in. Ifelt a gladness in my heart. I started forward, butthen stopped. My clothes, I remembered. My beard,God would welcome me, but I knew His childrenwould not. I stood outside and watched them enter.COVENANTER WITNESS

you."steady."now,"rejoicing."salvation.";"again."me,"They scrupulously avoided me with their eyes. Theymade a wide detour around the spot where I was.They wouldn't let me mar their day of worship, butthey had ruined mine.Days after that became a succession of nothingness. Time was the immeasurably long distance between morning and night, between night and morning. The only feeling I knew was of hunger andaching muscles. The passing world became a blur. I'dstop to rest in a doorway and somehow I'd fall asleep.I'd wander along 14th Street, or Wall Street,ordown by city hall, everywhere being ridiculed whenI asked for food. Some mornings I went around withthe fellows looting trash barrels and garbage cans.I loafed around saloons and helped myself to "freelunch"of pickles and pretzels. Then one night, whenI was desperate, I stood before the Mission and soldthe glasses the drunk had left 'behind.I lost track of the days. It seemed I'd been therealways. One morning I was standingon a cornertrying to decide which street to canvass when aneatly dressed young man stopped nearby to buy apaper."Mister."I tapped his arm. "Could you help meout? Haven't had a bite all day.""Sure."He put a dime in my hand.He looked familiar. "Why," I exclaimed, "you'rethe boy I took to the Mission !"His face lit up. "I've been looking all over forHe grabbed my hand. "I wanted to thank you.It was only because of you that I've found how goodlife can !"really beArm in arm we moved over against the buildings, and he sat down beside me on a step. "WhenI went in the Mission," he related, "they gave mefood and a bed. I didn't go much for the preachin',not the first night. But the second night a wholenew world opened up to me. God was there. I feltHis power surge all over my body ; I felt Him pushingaround inside me. For the first time in my life I feltfresh and clean. It was all so clear, and what thepreacher said was true I just know it was true.I wanted to get up and shout, and tell everybody,and I wanted to work for God. The people at theMission helped me. They gave me these clothes. Theysent me out on jobs Everybody seems nice again,and already I'm workingHis face was radiant, and somehow it rekindled agladness in my heart. I was happy, so happy for thisboy, that all I could do was smile and nod my head.Then he laid his hand on my arm. "I don'tknow what you've got against the Mission, but youought to try it. Maybe you can get back on yourfeet again,too."I smiled. A rather melancholy smile, I guess."I think it's time to do that I replied.time.""Yes, I think it'sSlowly the men filed in, and downstairs we hadwarm, heavy soup, bread, and coffee. I felt betterthan I had in days. Then we filed upstairs to thechapel. All the pews were filled and the organ beganto play. The numbness and the weariness that hadtortured me gradually began to ebb away. There wasa spirit in that hall.The men started singing, "Near to the Heartof God," and I started singing, too. My whole bodybegan to feel a warmth, and when we sat down, IOctober 20, 1954felt at home, at peace among my friends andbrothers.Pastor George Bolton stepped to the pulpit andcalled for testimonies. One man after another stoodup and related how he had been saved throughChrist. Then a man in a neatly pressed blue suitarose. He didn't stand in his place the way the othershad done, but stepped out into the aisle and turnedto face the assembled men."For a week now I haven't had a drink," hestated, "and so help me God, I shall never have adrink again. I was down for the count. Sleeping ingutters, eating from garbage cans. I felt I had tohave it."Haven't I seen him somewhere? I probed backin my mind."Nobody was ever a worse addict than hecontinued. "It ruined my life, but not any more. Iwas desperate, so I came to the Mission,and it washere I foundThe man in the cellar the man whose glassesI had sold ! Slowly that night came back to me."Through Jesus Christ I've found new life. I'mnot dead any more. I can see and feel all the wonderful things God created in this world. I've got a job.Mr. Bolton has written my wife, and she's promisedto come back. I'll see my daughterHis voicequavered. "All of us are sinners, but God is merciful.He's given me the courage and the strength for anew beginning. For this new life I give eternalthanks."Tears were running down my cheeks as he satdown. Street of Forgotten Men ? By whom forgotten ?Surely not by God. Here He was among us. Welcoming ns. Here was Christ, cleansing our hearts. Understand these men? Understand the depths of theirmisery? It is but to understand and know the ugliness, the hopelessness, of a loveless, godless world.George Bolton came back to the platform."You've tried the rest, now try the best," he invited."Step forward to the altar now. Accept the livingChrist into your hearts. Who'll be the first to pray,sinner' ?"'God, be merciful to me, aI could not help myself. I rose and stumbleddown the aisle. I had been away, a long way away,and now, like all these others, I found I could comehome again.THE LINE BETWEENFrom "Listen," usedby permission.From front pagea theological discourse. They wanted but one thingand they wanted it as the one thing needful with allholy desperation . . . not to get into a prayer-school,but rather onto PRAYING GROUND !Their need was met and "they went on theirwayBut now, what about you and I?Have we reached such a place, where the Spirit isgiven liberty to transfer prayer from the "isle ofdreams"to the "impact of deeds from being a religious momento in the Sabbath sanctuary, into avital tool and sharp instrument to be applied andworked with, "out there" on the highways and byways of life . . HAVE WE? Some of us are like thoseat Ephesus; otherwise clear and sound, yet needingto begin all over again with the elementals and vitalities of "praying always with all PRAYER and supplication in the Spirit" . . .249

man"sinlessness."also."me?"ask?"pay."affliction"church."BOOK REVIEWSThree MacMillan PublicationsYour God Is Too Small. Making Men Whole.Plain Christianity, by J. B. Phillips.The first book, "Your God Is Too Small" emphasizes the truth that people will not worship the Lordunlessthey know Him as great enough to demandtheir loyalty and service. The first section deals withthe limited ideas about God which some people have.To some He is a mere policeman; to others He ismerely "a grand old who distributes His giftsto all ; to others He is just "mild." But He is far bigger than all these little ideas about Him. He is farbigger than all the churches, and no one church hasany monoply of Him. Then the author turns to consider God as He is revealed in Christ. Because JesusChrist is God, then "here is Truth, here is the character of God, and true Design for life, the authenticYard-stick for values, the reliable correcting or confirming of all groping and inklings about Beauty,next."Truth andGoodness, about this world and theThere may be a few sentences with which thereader will not agree, but the author makes clear theneed for Jesus Christ. He alone could say, "He thathath seen Me, hath seen the Father." It means everything to us that He did reveal the Father.It is a book of 140 pages and sells for $2.00. Itis interesting reading.The second book, "Making Men Whole," startswith the fact that we are distressed and have manyproblems. Because of these there is a need for thatwhich will strengthen and give hope to us. We do notneed to be overwhelmed by these problems for this isGod's world, and there is, for all who want it, a rightway of meeting the complexities of our situation.Nothing less than a world wide King and Shepherdcan do for our world what needs to be done. God hasplaced His people here to carry on His work of reconciliation and has given us resources for this work.One resource, he exaggerates. "Indeed, I think we doGod and ourselves a disservice by continually harpingon our own sinfulness. We do very much more good ifwe honestly believe and reckon upon our capacity,through Christ, of It is true that Christdoes give strength, but He does not give strength forsinlessness. But there is completeness in Him. Thebook does have much that is good and helpful. It is abook of 73 pages and sells for $1.50.The third book, "Plain Christianity" is a seriesof nine radio addresses. These deal with differentsubjects. Two have the title, "Plain Christianity."Another deals with the modern translations of theNew Testament. Another deals with the sense ofsin, and another with the Holy Spirit and JesusChrist. These are interesting, well prepared addreses,but some statements are rather puzzling. He sayson page 20, "I have not time to attempt to deal withtheories of the Atonement, and indeed, I am not surethat what we could never do has been done by JesusChrist."That can be truth or it can be somethingelse. It all depends upon what it means. But this istime, "I don't honestly see how we are going to getChrist."into contact with God without It is an interreadable book of 87 pages and sells for $1.65.esting,250*R. C. F.Tither's CornerD. H. ElliottPROVE IT"Are you a Christian ?""Certainly! Why do you"Do you love God?""Why do you ask me such insinuating questions ?""Oh, I was just following suggestions of Paul inthe 8th chapter of First Corinthians. He merely asksfor proof. It is easier to say than it is toNow that we have listened in on this imaginedconversation let us turn to the passage and listenin to what the Holy Spirit says. The whole chapteris about Christian giving.Paul commends the churches of Macedonia because even in "great trial of they abounded in liberality. They generously gave of their substance, but they "first gave their own selves to theLord."Without that our gifts have no merit in thesight of God.Then in verse 7 we read: "as we abound ineverything, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge,and in all diligence, in your love to us, see that yeabound in this grace What "grace also ?" Whythe grace of giving which is carried through thechapter.This clearly implies that we may have faith,ability to speak, knowledge of the truth, zeal andeven love for the brethren and still come short of ourduty in the grace of giving.An aged pastor with 30 years in one pastoratetold me of young married families which when theyhad little gave forty dollars a year to support thechurch. Now, he said, they have become prosperousand own their farms but "they still stick to theirforty dollars a year for the"Do you love We answer, "Thou knowestthat I love thee."Verse 24 applies the test."Show ye to them and before the churches theproof of your love."The proof called for here is Christian giving.^'GENTLEMEN OF THE JURY'(Missionary Review of the World)Some years ago a prominent French jurist wasattorney for a murderer. In his final address to thejury he said: "Gentlemen of the Jury! My task isvery easy. The accused has confessed; a defense isimpossible, and yet I want to add a few words. There,on the wall, I see the picture of the crucified Christand I pay homage to Him. There hangs the picturein this hall of justice, where you condemn the guilty."But why do we not hear anything of Him in ourpublic schools to which we send our children? Whydoes the murderer, for the first time in his life, seethe crucified One here in this hall, where the law willpunish him? If the attention of my client had beendirected to the Christ when he sat on the benches ofthe school, he would not now sit here facing infamy."Yes, it is you, gentlemen, whom I accuse. Youthat brag, with your education and your culture,and yet are barbarous ; who spread atheism and lustamong the people and then are astonished when thevulgarity."people reply with crime andCOVENANTER WITNESS

estate."sons'Lesson Helps for the Week of November 7, 1954C.Y.P.U. TOPICfor November 7, 1954THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENTEx. 20:15, Eph. 4:28.Rev. Alvin W. Smith, D.D.Orlando, FloridaADAPTABILITYGod's law was made to 'fit' all humanrelationships in society, over the entireworld and through all the centuries. Itwas suited to the tent living before Sinai,when the congregation was a great multitude. It was suited to their journeyingsthrough the wilderness for forty years.Then the Eighth Commandment withits supporting statutes was adapted tolife in the Promised Land, at last whenCanaan was divided by lot among thetribes, and among the families withineach tribe. There would be rural life andvillage life where the authority of law wasneeded for the protection of lands andhouses, sheep, goats and oxen, jewelryand precious stones.Skipping over the centuries to the settlement of America, there was the problem of acquiring the land from the Indians. Shamefully for a great part atleast, the record is one of force and fraud.After that the pioneering period of expansion and spreading westward. Longyears and decades of 'rugged individualism.'These generations brought the Bible with them. They read it in theirhomes, they heard it preached in theirchurches, they taught it to their children.THOU SHALT NOT STEAL was aguiding principle and a restraint againstviolence and greed.In thought let us make one more jump,right down to our situationtoday and thetrend now from the individual to themass. The writer of these comments suggests that your discussion in the meeting will stress the responsibility of theINDIVIDUAL before God, in observingthe Eighth commandment today, in thematter of acquiring and handling property as against shifting responsibility tothe government or any other group.Positive and NegativeThe writers of the Shorter Catechismperceived that God in His word implieda positive duty as well as a negative restraint. So they wrote:"The eighth commandment requireththe lawful procuring and furthering thewealth and outward estate of ourselvesand others.""The eighth commandment forbiddethwhatsoever doth or may unjustly hinder our own or our neighbor's wealthor outwardThese thoughts are contained in the ideaOctober 20, 1954of stewardship, which is the conception ofentrustment of propertyor possessionsfor the glory of God and for the benefit ofour neighbor. Take time to read andillustrate the admonition contained inEphesians 4:28. We are not only to refrain from stealing but we are to work inorder to help.A Timely StudyAmerica's record is shameful. Corruption by those in high places has put anevil example before ordinary citizens andbefore our youth. Fraud in the Department of Internal Revenue has been coupled with tax evasions and the scandals inthe field of Federal Housing have beenincredible.Following this it is no surprise to readfigures from the year 1953 as reportedby J. Edgar Hoover of the F.B.I., thatduring the twelve month period there wasone burglary every 1.1 minutes, one robbery every 8.3 minutes, one larceny every24.9 SECONDS and one automobile theftevery 2.3 minutes.The above figures are gleaned from thelate book "America's Spiritual Recovery"by the Rev. Edward L. R. Elson, pastorto President Eisenhower. Under the Chapter, The Moral Lapse, Dr. Elson observes: "And crime is only one of ourproblems. There is also money. Everywhere there is a fatal indifference to themoral implications of money. The primary ambition of a vast host of modernpeople seems to be to get rich and getrich quick, to achieve wealth for its ownsake by whatever methods are fast andeffective. To acquire money and to holdit as a custodian of the Almighty may bea laudable aim and pursuit and to. employ wealth as a steward of God, may beto exhibit one of the primary Christianqualities. But to seek wealth for its ownends is a one-way street: it leads directlyto the destruction of the soul. It is, forexample a tragic moment when a manlooks into the face of his pastor and says:T have discovered that it no longer paysto be honest in business.' It is a momentof peril for all of us when the chief ambition of any of us becomes that of merely making money, regardless of that higher admonition of the Catechism whichclaims that "the chief end of man is toglorify God and enjoyQUESTIONSHimforever."1. What is the value of having a useful occupation to follow?2. With scriptural authority show howprivate ownership of property is commendable.3. Name various ways by which property may be rightfully acquired. Contrastwith the unlawful.4. "Will a man rob God?" Breakinginto a church and stealing the offering isadmittedly wrong. How about stealingfrom God on the other end, in the withholding of tithes and offerings?5. What is the cure for the rash ofvandalism which plagues manycities?of ourScripture Reading, Exodus 22:1-13.Psalms:1:1-3, page 2.112:1-3, 5,119:1-4,19:5-7,page 277.page 288.page 42.References: Lev. 19:13; Ps. 62:10; Prov.22:22; Nahum 3:1; John 10:8, 10;Prov. 28:24; 29:24; Matt. 6:19; Titus2:10JUNIOR TOPICNovember 7, 1954by Mrs. Wilbur J. KeysJACOB RETURNS HOMEScripture: Genesis 35Memory Verse: "Trust in the Lord withall thine heart ; and lean not unto thineunderstanding."ownProv. 3:5Psalms to sing:Psalm 25:1-4, page 57Psalm 56:1-3, page 141Psalm 66: 8, 9, 10, 14, page 158Psalm 136: 1, 2, 12, 13, page 334(Learn this psalm of thanksgiving for themonth of November)Look up the answers to these questions:1. How many sons did Jacob have?Gen. 35:222. How many sons did Leah have andwhat were their names? Gen. 35:233. What were Rachel's twonames? Gen. 35:244. Who were the sons of Bilhah? Gen.35:255. Who were the sons of Zilpah?Gen. 35:266. How old was Isaac when he died?Gen. 35:28Wasn't it a wonderful reunion that Jacob and Esau had in last week's lesson!You see how God smooths the way forHis children and heals the hatred in theirhearts. Esau returns to his home, MountSeir, and Jacob heads toward Hebron inthe land of Canaan.Sometimes Jacob would stop on hislong journey to rest, and would buildan altar and worship God. After seven oreight years of living in the land of Canaan, God commands Jacob to go toBethel. You will recall that this is theplace where Jacob had first met God in adream and promised God, "If I comeagain in peace, this stone shall be God'shouse."Now Jacob takes all of the idols251

work,"that his family has collected along theway and buries them so that nothing shallseparate them from God.True to his promise, Jacob stopped atBethel and built an altar, El-beth-el, theGod of the house, and worshiped there.Jacob is very anxious to see his father;so they continue on their way.Rachel is taken ill and dies, but beforeher death, God gave her another babyson. Jacob named this little boy 'Benjamin', the son of myright hand whichshows what great love he had for thesons of Rachel whom he loved verymuch.They buried Rachel there, and Jacobset up a pillar to mark the grave andcalled it,"Bethlehem."What does thename, Bethlehem, mean to you?Jacob and the remainder of his familytraveled on to Hebron where they foundIsaac. What a happy meeting that was!Twenty years is a long time to be awayfrom home. Isaac was delighted to meethis grandchildren and probably told themmany stories of how God had cared forthem through the years and of the promises God had made to His children.Then Isaac died at the age of one hundred and eighty years. Esau and Jacobburied their father in the cave of Machpelah.Notice how wonderfully God changedEsau's mind. Look up Gen. 27:41. Godcan change lives of bad men to preventthem from doingevil to His children.Questions for you to answer:1. What threepersons'deaths are recorded in this chapter? Where were theyburied?2. What new name did God give Jacob?3. What covenant did God renew withJacob?4. What does Edom mean?6. Where did the Edomites settle?For your notebook, draw a map showing Jacob's journey from Haran to Hebron. At the bottom of the page write yourmemory verse.SABBATHSCHOOL LESSONNovember 7, 1945by Rev. Joseph A. Hill(Lessons based on International Sunday SchoolLessons; the International Bible Lessons forChristian Teaching:, copyrighted by the International Council of Religious Education.)THE SPLENDOR OFSELF-CONTROLPrinted Text: Proverbs 14:29; 15:1-3;16:32;20:1, 22; 23:29-35.Self-control is a part of the fruit of theSpirit. In the New Testament (Galatians"temperance."5:23) self-control is calledIn 1 Corinthians 9:25, Paul says that"every man that striveth for the masteryis temperate in all things." In this statement he is comparing the life of the252Christian with that of an athlete, who inpreparing himself for the games, abstained from unwholesome food, wine andother indulgence. An unsaved personmay exhibit a kind of self-control, outwardly; but real self-government is agift of the Holy Spirit,through regeneration. Sin has dominion over the unsaved.person; sin controls and governs histhoughts and acts. But when a person ismade a new creature in Christ, the HolySpirit takes control of his life. It is onlythe Spirit- governed person who has realself-control. In our "temperancewe should realize that an unsaved personcannot be taught true temperance, orself-control. As long as sin governs thelife of a person, his temperance can beonly outward and temporary.Temperance is one aspect of sanctification; it is co-ordinate with love, joy,longsuffering, meekness, etc. Temperancehas relevance to every area of the Christian's conduct. We shall consider someareas of conduct in which a Christian isto practice temperance.1. The control of the temper.Proverbs 14:29: "He that is slow toanger is of great understanding; but hefolly."that is hasty of spirit exaltethThere are times when a Christian shouldbe angry. His indignation should bearoused against all forms of iniquity.But a Christian should never be angrysimply because his personal rights havebeen denied or his pride injured, butrather because the law of God has beentransgressed. Anger should never be anoutburst of uncontrolled emotion, forthen the Christian must be classed withthe fool who is "hasty ofspirit."Christian anger should be a deliberate attitudecalmly contemplated and under control.Anger is a virtue; rage is a vice.Proverbs 16:32: "He that is slow toanger is better than the mighty; and hethat ruleth his spirit, than he that takethacity."Here the idea of temperance asself-government comes into clear view.A general does not take up arms againstthe enemy in a "huff" of passion. Hesits down and calmly maps out his strategy. To rise up in haste is to admit thathe has been overwhelmed by his adversary. Rage is evidence of fear and insecurity. The person who can, like agood general, control himself when theadversary strikes, also takes control ofhis adversary. The self-controlled manis better than a good general. God has ordained that man should be a prophet,priest and king. One of the domains overwhich it is granted man to rule as kingis his own person.2. The control of the tongue.Proverbs 15:1-3. A soft answer turnethaway wrath, not only of the adversarybut also of the person who speaks thesoft answer. The best wayto drive outsinful anger from our own hearts, whenwe are challenged, is to speakgraciouslyto the challenger. We may even provokehim to anger by our soft answer, but wehave control of him, and what is evenmore important, we have control of ourown spirit.Verse 2: "The tongue of the wise utterethknowledge aright; but the mouthof fools poureth out folly." This proverbsuggests the constant, unnecessary, meaningless and trivial conversation of manypeople. This is perhaps the commonest ofall sins. There are some people who almost never utter a serious word.Theycontinuously jest and pun and indulge insilly talk. Such nonsense is a sin thatshould be repented of.Profanity, vain swearing, boasting, theuse of slang and filthy talk are otherforms of folly that issue, not merely fromthe mouth but from the heart (see Proverbs 16:1, 9, 13, 21, 23, 27-30). Such foolish use of the tongue shows that the person's life is controlled by his sinful nature. He is in bondage to sin and hencedoes not have self-control. James tells usthat as the rudder of a ship controls thedirection of the voyage and even thedestination, so the tongue controls thelife and conduct of men (see James 3).An unruly tongue is the opposite of selfcontrol.3. The control of the appetite.Proverbs 23:29-35. No intoxicated person has control of himself. When drunk,a man has no more control of himselfthan he has control of an automobilewhich he attempts to drive. Intoxicationcauses a person to "utter perverse things"(verse 33), to say things he would beashamed to say when sober. Drunk mendo ridiculous and foolish things,such astaking a nap on a railroad track orsauntering across a busy intersection infront of fast-moving vehicles. A drunkperson has no fear of such dangers because he does not have control of hissenses. His mind is blurred and his thinking is distorted. No wonder a drunk manloses control of his automobile, when hedoes not even have control of himself!A drunkard lacks self-control not onlywhen intoxicated, but also when sober.He has a demanding thirst for strongdrink which dominates and masters him.The sin of drunkenness and intemperanceconsists not only in the injurydone tothe human body, but also in the enslavement of the human soul.We should remember, however,thatit is not strong drink that enslaves men'ssouls, but sin. Alcohol does not drive mento drink; it is sin that drives them todrink. It is a verycommon notion thatalcohol is intrinsically evil and has in itCOVENANTER WITNESS

alone."us."Whoeversin."experience."adversary."enticed."a degrading, demoralizing ingredient.This is directly contrary to the teachingof Scripture. Speaking by the inspirationof the Holy Spirit, Paul says, "I know,and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus,that there is nothing unclean of itself."(Romans 14:14). The contention thatany material thing is evil or contains atendency to evil is an assault againstthe integrity of the Creator. Paul says:"Every creature of God is good. . . "(1 Tim. 4:4). There is nothing in strongdrink which of itself is evil or habitforming.The evil is in the human heart,and the habit-forming tendency is an ingredient of fallen, sinful human nature.The tendency to indulge in strong drinkis just one manifestation of the inherentpower of sin to bring men into bondageand to control their appetites and actions.With all due courtesy to Mr. Hill'sexpressed opinion (above), the Editorfeels bound to say that he does not consider that alcoholic beverages are God'screatures (declared to be good), but arethe works of the devil's henchmen forsnaring the souls of the innocent, anddestroying the temple of God (the human body). As for such beverages notbeing habit forming let the 6,000,000habitual drunkards in the U.S. give ustheir personal testimony.PRAYER MEETING TOPICFor November 10, 1954HOLINESS IMPERATIVE:I John 3:6-10Comments by M. S. McMillan, D.D.Psalms:15:1-5, page 2524:1-3, page 5432:1, 2, 5, 6, page 74103:9-12, page 244References:The categorical imperativeof holiness: Matt. 5:44-48; Rom. 6:20-22; 1 Cor. 3:17; John 15:6; Eph. 1:4;5:27; 1 Pet. 1:15, 16; Heb. 12:14; Rev.21:27.Since all are sinners and since withoutholiness no one can see the Lord or getinto heaven, when and where does onebecome perfectly holy? Roman Catholicism says, in purgatory. God says, Rom.6:23; 7:24, 25; 12:2; Eph. 1:4, 5; 2:20,21; 5:26, 27; Col. 1:21, 22; 1 Cor. 3:11;15:51-53."Christ executes the office of a priest,in his once offering up of himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice,and to reconcile us to God, and in making continual intercession for"Justification is an act of God's freegrace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins,and accepteth us as righteous in hissight, only for the righteousness of Christimputed to us, and received by faith"Sanctification is the work of God'sOctober 20, 1954free grace, whereby we are renewed in thewhole man after the image of God, andare enabled more and more to die untosin, and live unto righteousness.""Blessed is he whose transgressionis forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessedis the man unto whom the Lord imputethnot iniquity." (Ps. 32:1, 2).A KEY TO THE INTERPRETATIONOF 1John 3:6-10. Keep in mind thatthe apostle is combatting the teaching ofthe Gnostics, that, First, "The moralprecepts of the Scriptures are not to betaken literally." Second, that, "Manythings commonly regarded as bad, thetrue Gnostic would not shun, but seek, asa means of enlarging hisThird, that, "There is no real evil in sin."Quotes from the Pulpit Commentary.The above should explain why theapostle John affirms, first, that all menare sinners, "If we say that we have nosin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth isnot in us"; "If we say that we have notsinned, we make him (God) a liar, andus"his word is not in (1 John 1:8, 10).Second, John tells the origin and thesinfulness of sin. "He that committethsin is of the devil; for the devil sinnethfrom the beginning." "Whosoever is bornof God doth not commitDO THE ASSERTIONS OF 1John3:6-10 MEAN: First, that the commission of a single sin proves that when onecommitted that sin, he was not abidingin Christ? that he had not seen Christ?neither known him? that he was of thedevil and that he was not born of God?Does that prove that all those things weretrue of Peter when Jesus said to him,"Get thee behind me Satan: thou art anoffence unto me: for thou savorest notthe things that be of God? and whenPeter committed the great sins of thethree fold denial? and when Peter was somuch to blame that Paul withstood himto the face? Does it prove that all thosethings were true of James and John whenJesus rebuked them and said, "Ye knownot what manner of spirit ye are of. Forthe Son of man is not come to destroymen's lives, but to save them." Were allthose things true of all the disciples whenthey were disputing over who would begreatest in the kingdom of heaven? Wereall those things true of Paul and Barnabas when the contention between thembecame so hot that theycould no longerwork together?IS THE PROBLEM SOLVED BYTHE WILLIAM'S TRANSLATION? Itreads: "No man who continues to live inunion with Him practices sin. No onewho practices sin has ever seen Him orcome to know Him ....practices doing right is upright. Just as Heis upright, Whoever practices sin belongsto the devil, because the devil has practiced sin from the beginning. This is whythe Son of God appeared, to undo thedevil's work. No one who is born of Godmakes a practice of sinning, because theGod given life principle continues to livein him, and so he cannot practice sinning."(Foot note, Christians cannotpractice sinning, but may sin") "This isthe way to distinguish God's children fromthe devil's children. No one who fails todo right is God'schild."End of the quotefrom William's translation, put out bythe Moody Press. It seems to harmonizewith the statement of Jesus that "Bytheir fruits ye shall know them." Andwith the teaching of 2 Cor. 6:14-18 aboutseparation from sin beingessential tosonship. And with Gal. 5:19-25 on theworks of the flesh and the fruit of theSpirit.SIN NEVER PROCEEDS FROMGOD. "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannotbe tempted with evil, neither temptethman"any (with evil). "But every man istempted, when he is drawn away of hisown lust, and Surely the lustwhich draws one away has its roots inthe corruption of his whole nature. "Thecorruption of his whole nature,commonlywhich iscalled original sin: togetherwith all actual transgressions which proceed from it."ALL SIN DOES NOT PROCEEDFROM THE CORRUPTION OF MAN'SWHOLE NATURE. When man firstsinned he was still in the image of Godin knowledge, righteousness and holiness,he was still holy, harmless and undefiled.All sin proceeds from the devil. "He thatcommitteth sin is of the devil," two ofwhose names are "the tempter" and "theThe devil gets a mighty assist from the corruption of man's wholenature but the devil did not have thatassist in his first temptation of the firstAdam who yielded to that temptation,nor in any of his temptings of the secondAdam who was tempted in all points likeas we are yet without sin. One is of thedevil just to the degree that he practicessin. One is of God just to the degree thathe practices righteousness. And differentpeople practice sin and righteousness todifferent degrees. The conduct of some ofthose who build on Christ is likened togold, silver and precious stones. Theconduct of others who .build onChrist is likened to wood, hay, andstubble, and the test of fire will tryevery man's work of what sort it is.Those whose work stands the test ."shallreceive a reward", those whose work isburned "shall suffer loss: but he himselfshall be saved; yet as by fire." Becausehe has built upon the foundation, JesusChrist. (1 Cor. 3:11-15)."Didst not thou sow good seed inthy field? from whence then hath it tares?He said unto them, An enemy hath done253

this"price."pleasure."devil."(Matt. 13:27, 28). "All sin is of thePeter's rebuking of Christ andhis denials of Christ and all the sins ofsaints and servants of God recorded inscripture were of the devil. And all therighteous things done by any.person areof God. The fruit of the Spirit is thework of God just as much as the fruitsof an orchard are the work of God. "Being confident of this very thing, that hewhich hath begun a good work in you willChrist."perfect it until the day of Jesus"It is God which worketh in you both towill and to do of his goodW. M. S. DepartmentMrs. Ross Latimer. Editor,Prayer Hour, 1:00 P.M. MondayW.M.S. TOPIC FOR NOVEMBERrich""The Blessing of the Lord makethProv. 10:22.1. God, the Giver of gifts: James 1:172. God's Blessing on Fruitfulness : Psalm92:13, 143. Eternal riches: 1 Timothy 6:17 to 19."We are not our own, we are boughtwith a Every sincere Christianacknowledges this. If then we are Christ's,all that we have is also His. God givestime, talents, energy, material possessions, opportunities, ability to get wealthand eternal life. God has placed the material things of this world in our handsthat we may use them to build the spiritual. Man attaches great value to the material,God places great value on thespiritual. We are stewards of all our gifts,not for our own selfish purposes but forthe building of Christian character."There is that maketh himself rich, yethath nothing; there is that maketh himself poor yet hath great riches."We are to invest our lives, our time,our talents, our material possession inthe Master's service. If we do we will beenlarging our own lives and character aswell as of others. What spiritual gifts webestow on others does not take from,but rather adds to what we already haveand increases our capacityto receivemore. In the exact proportion that weenjoy the Christian life here, likewise weshall enjoy the life that is to come. Weare developing our soul life here forthe hereafter. God will bless all the efforts we make to speak or write for Him,also our artistic and business talents thatare used in His work. He will bless us bygivingus the consciousness that we arereally living; we, will have the JOY OFLIVING.The world looks on the external, Godlooks on the eternal. He has promisedeternal riches. We leave our earthly possessions behind us and go to enjoy theNews BriefsALMONTE: Rev. and Mrs. F. F.Reade spent their holiday with theirdaughter and son-in-law, Rev. and Mrs.T. Wilson of White Lake. The Wilsonsreturned to Almonte with them for ashort visit.SANTA ANA: September 4 Mr. AlexBarnes was surprised on his 88th birthday, when his former neighbors ofOrange, came with their picnic lunch andgifts. They had a merry time on thebeautiful lawn, in the shade of a largewalnut tree, the birthdayinence.cake in promCOLLEGE HILL: Dr. and Mrs.Charles M. Lee enjoyed a brief visit withhis sister, Miss Louise Lee, lately returned from India where she has been amissionary for many years. We were gladto have her say a few words in our prayermeeting.ALMONTE: Miss Oreta Everett hasarrived in Canada and has secured aposition in Ottawa.CLARINDA, IOWA: William JohnMorrow was baptized at Clarinda at theSabbath morning service September 12.His brother, Robert stood upfor the baptism.with himALMONTE: A social was held onOctober 1and Edna Scott.at the home of Miss LillianDENISON: All members of the fiveJunior classes were present on PromotionDay, September 26 to participate in thedemonstration of their class work. Smallawards were given. Teachers of theseclasses are: Mrs. Merlin Wing, Mrs.Clarence Wing, Miss Annetta Knowles,Mrs. M. W. Dougherty. Copies of a comprehensive plan of memorywork fromAge 3 through the Ninth Grade were given to parents and teachers to be usedbeginningOctober 1.SANTA ANA: The Rev. Jas. Carsonwas our guest preacher August 22.treasures we have laid up."For what do you live?GetFor what you get,Or what you give?you must,If you would give;Giveyou must,If you would live;For getting without giving;Is existing, not living;Then GET and GIVE and LIVE."KATHERINE M. CARSONAll orders for WITNESS COMMITTEE TRACTS should now be sent to:David M. CarsonGenevaCollegeBeaver Falls, Pa.ALMONTE: The weekly ball gameswhich are held at the home of Mrs. S. J.Burns R.R. 1Carleton Place during thesummer months were brought to a close -on the evening of Labor Day, September6 with a weiner roast held at the Traverse Coates' cottage on Mississippi Lake.GENEVA:Promotion Day for ourSabbath School was held October 3. TheBeginners Class, which includes all thosewho are not in school, recited their versesand Bible questions besides singing threepsalms with motions. Seven of thesechildren were promoted to the Primarydepartment. They included Billie Hemphill, John McNaughton, George Householder, Jeffry Metheny, John Metheny,Jimmy Dunlap, and Libbie Fallon.Catechism questions were the order of theday for the rest of the classes and theywere well recited. Going from Class Ito Class II in the Primary Departmentwere Rachael Fallon, Richard Piper,Ruth McCready, Roberta McNaughton,Barbara Dana and Gregg Metheny. Promoted to the Junior Department wereElaine Bell and Freddie Lathom. Twofrom the Junior Department were promoted to the Junior High Class, DavidWillson, Jimmie Resinger and MarilynHemphill. We might add here that theselast three classes are divided by gradesin school. Class I students are in 1st and2nd grade. Class II in 3rd and 4th and theJunior class is grades 5 and 6. The JuniorHigh group is grades 7, 8 and 9. Read onfurther to find out about our system ofawards.ALMONTE: Visitors at the W. R.White home during August were MissBierer of Greenberg, Pa., Mr. and Mrs.John Mitchell ofMahoningDavid Bruce of Detroit.and Mr.COLLEGE HILL: Mrs. A. A. Wylieprobably takes the prize for long rangevacationing this year, having traveled toAlaska and back with Mrs. J. S. Tibby.Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Wagoner take theprize when it comes to dinner parties.During the month of September they entertained the Men's Club, and RedpathMissionary Society and the Dodds BibleClass with supper meetings at their lovely country home. It is not much wonderthey took another week of vacation inCanada the latter part of the month.254COVENANTER WITNESS

Theysaid the weather was sour in Canada, but they brought back some mightyfine fish just the same.SANTA ANA: The 23rd of August wasa happy occasion when the congregationhonored Mrs. Jennie Edgar on her 80thbirthday. Following a pot luck supper weenjoyed a planned program, entitled"This is Your Life." While Bob Betts displayed pictures on the screen, Mrs. CarrieBlackwood related incidents of Jennie'schildhood and youth (her early life) ;Mrs. Margaret McFarland told of theirwork together on the mission field inLatakia, Syria; Mrs. Eva Blackwoodspoke of the time when she was tenyears old, and the Edgars were at Eskridge. Mrs. Nell Thompson presented thebirthdaycake and Mr. Will Martin thegift. Best Wishes, Mrs. Edgar.NEW YORK CITY: Rev. Robert Henning assisted at Mont Clair CommunionOctober 3 and Dr. W. W. Weir preachedin his absence. It is wonderful to haveDr. and Mrs. Weir worship with us.COLLEGE HILL: Our SabbathSchool is getting off to a goodstart this fall under the capableleadership of Ann Lee, superintendent.A new attendance contest is being startedin October. Every member of the churchschool is asked to help in this endeavor.ALMONTE: Several members fromthe Almonte Congregation attendedGrinnell Conference. They were Rev. andMrs. F. F. Reade, Mr. and Mrs. W. R.White, Miss Evelyn Rose and MissPauline Burns. We enjoyed the reportsthey brought back to us and shared inthe inspiration they received there. "NCOLLEGE HILL: Our congregation is makinga special effort torally the young people in a newC.Y.P.U. A few of our young people attended a union meeting of several youngpeople's societies in the First BeaverFalls church the last Sabbath eveningof the month.ALMONTE: The W.M.S. met withMrs. F. F. Reade at the Manse in July.Mrs. Jas. Morton led the devotions. Following the meeting the hostess served adelicious supper and Dickie Pataillat entertained on his piano accordianandRaymond Morton played the piano.\DENISON: Miss Orlena Lynn broughtaninteresting missionary message, illustrated with film slides, to the FamilyNight Group at the church, September 29.ALMONTE: The D.V.B.S. was heldthe first two weeks of August in Grieg'sSchool. It was well attended with Rev.F. F. Reade in charge. The closing night'sprogram was a success and the offeringtaken that night was sent to Japan. v-COLLEGE HILL: We were saddenedby the death of Mrs. Mazie R. McElwainOctober 20, 1954on September 20 after a long illness. Thefuneral service was held in the CampbellFuneral Home on the 23rd with the pastor in charge. Burial was in the Gloverlot in the Beaver cemetery. Her memorywill long be cherished in the CollegeHill congregation.SANTA ANA: September 23 Mr. andMrs. Wm. Walkinshaw of Superior, Nebraska, enjoyed a picnic with 14 of theirCalifornia cousins, among the live-oaktrees in beautiful Irvine Park. While onthis trip Mr. and Mrs. Walkinshaw worshiped with the Santa Ana, San Diegoand Los Angeles congregations and planto be with the Fresno people one Sabbath.mention as they had already completed38 questions while still in Class I. Theywere given their Bibles. Story Books wentto Margaret Robb, Barbara Dana, andEric Park. We congratulate these for thefine work they have done.ALMONTE, Mr. and Mrs. Earle Pataillat and son Dickie of Roslindale,Mass., visited at the Manse in July.COLLEGE HILL: Mr. and Mrs. Walker Wilson are making an extended visitwith their son Paul and family in northern Vermont. We miss them from theirfamily pew.DENISON: The Rev. Lester E. Kilpat* T -. ^T,rvr- , ~* - . .. v sages for our communion season,rick brought earnest and searching mes-Sept-ALMONTE: The C.Y.P.U. held their\tember 30.October 4. Covenant signingquarterly business meeting August 20 atthe home of Mr. and Mrs. W. R. White inAlmonte. The programfollowing thismeeting was a debate Resolved "ThatTV and Radio do more to break down themorals of the country than to build themup."The negative side won!ORLANDO: Dr. and Mrs. A. W. Smithreceived many friends at the manse Friday evening, October 1, honoring h:sbrother and wife Dr. and Mrs. R. E.Smith of Keene, Calif., who were theirhonor guests for a few days. They wereably assisted by their children BarbaraAlice, and Alvin Jr. Mrs. John Baylesand Miss Nanna Terry served the punch,assorted cakes and nuts. Besides honoring the Dr. and his wife, this was thetwins, Alice's and Alvin's birthday. Aliceplans on going back to California Monday October 4 with her uncle and aunt towas the concluding part of the Saturdayservice.ALMONTE: The September meetingof the Almonte W.M.S. was held at thehome of Mrs. Milton Bowes, CarletonPlace. This being an evening meeting wehad several of our business girls there.We were happy to welcome four newmembers.ORLANDO: William Robb Dill, fivemonths old son of Dr. and Mrs. WilliamE. Dill, died Saturday morningat hisresidence. He is survived by his grandparent:, Mr. and Mrs. E. S. Dill, Orlando, and his grandmother, Mrs. William Robb, of Walton, New York.ALMONTE: Mr. and Mrs. J. Nicol\son of Winnipeg spent a couple of weeksat the Manse with Rev. and Mrs. F. F.Reade.visit her sister and family and perhapsCOLLEGE HILL: Several women ofstay and work for a while. We are go'nj the church held a work bee on the secondto miss you, Alice, so don't stay too long.Saturday of September and canned eightyALMONTE: Miss Eunice quarts of peachesMcClurkinV for the Aged People'sgave a talk in the Church on August 4 Home. These have already been deliveredwhich was well attended. Following this to the Home in advance of Donationthere w,as a social hour at the Manse Day, October 5.which gave the people the opportunity tomeet and speak with Miss McClurkin.Her visit was much enjoyed.GENEVA: The custom in our SabbathSchool is to have the children learn theShorter Catechism along with their otherwork. Class I in the Primary Departmentis awarded a Bible Story Book for learning the first 19 questions. Class II isawarded a small Bible for completingthrough 38. In the Junior class a Psalteris given to those who learn 81 quest'ons,and a Bible with a concordance is givento those who complete the entire 107.This year we had several awards given.Marilyn Hemphill had completed theentire 107 and was awarded her Bible.Psalters were given to David Willsonand John Fallon. Jeanne Garrett, WalterResinger and Jack McCreadywere giventheir smaller Bibles. Richard Piper andRoberta McNaughton deserve specialSANTA ANA: Mrs. Alice Blackburn'smother, Mrs. Mary Cure 94, died September 1. The burial was at Quinter,Kansas. The 22nd of September Mrs.Blackburn suffered a severe stroke andwas taken to the Hospital.ALMONTE: The W.M.S. met in August with Mrs. W. R. White. The hostessled the devotions and also served atasty supper followingthe meeting.COLLEGE HILL: Ellen Lathom isteaching second grade in the Austintownschool near Youngstown, Ohio. She getshome over the week ends. Ellen JeanRobb is taking work in Pitt for preparation in nursing.SANTA ANA: August 17 Mr. FrankO. Blackstone was called to be with hisLord. He wgs a faithful and devotedmember of the congregation ever sincecoming to California.255

HILL: Our communion isset for October 10 with Rev. Charles Sterrett of Newburgh, N. Y. assisting. Rev.Sterrett is the son of Mrs. Jessie Sterrettof our congregation.ORLANDO: The Juniors enjoyedswimming and games at the home of Joeand Susan Worsham on September 16following a hearty lunch of sandwiches,iced tea, milk and candy. Miss BarbaraSmith B.W.M.S. Junior leader taughtthem a new temperance song.SANTA ANA: Some of our womenhelped distribute literature in the W.C.T.U. booth at the County Fair which washeld August 10-15.MARS MINISTER AND YvTFE HONORED ON 50TH ANNIVERSARYCelebrating their golden wedding anniversary, Dr. and Mrs. Delber H. Elliottwere guests of honor at a reception andprogram last night in the Union Reformed Presbyterian Church at Mars,where Dr. Elliott has been pastor forthe past seven years. Hosts at the reception were the Elliott's son and his wife,-the Rev. and Mrs. D. Howard Elliott ofBeaver Falls, and their daughter and herhusband, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel V. Cooperof Washington, Pa., together with themembers of the congregation of the MarsChurch.The large assemblage attending the golden celebration weddingincluded friendsand neighbors from Mars communityand guests from Pittsburgh, Beaver Fallsand other localities,of whom offerednear and far, manycongratulations andbest wishes during the evening. A quaintfeature of the program was a "TomThumb Wedding" enacted by the couple'sseven grandchildren, ranging in age fromthree to 13 years.Letters of greeting were read from thechurches at Denison and Winchester,Kan.,as pastor,where Dr. Elliott formerlyservedand from Topeka, Kan., theirheadquarters while Dr. Elliott served forseven years asfor his denomination.national field secretaryPrior to coming to Mars, Dr. Elliottserved as pastor of the Central-Pittsburgh Church for 21years, and occupied the chair of Pastoral Theology atPittsburgh Seminary for seven years. Heis the author of three published booksand manyvarious topics.pamphlets and articles onThroughout their married life, Mrs.Elliott has been a loyal and devoted helpmate in their various fields of endeavor.256She specialized in young people's workand has been honored by havingthe Emma Elliott Young Missionary Society ofthe Central-Pittsburgh Church named forher.Following the program, guests wereserved refreshmentsin the newly-constructed social rooms in the basementof the church.The Butler EogleALMONTE: Mrs. Emma Barnes ofKetowne, British Columbia, left August18 after spending two months with friendsand relatives in Almonte and CarletonPlace.SUPERIOR: Mrs. Sarah Shaw, member of the Winchester congregation butliving at Superior, signed the Brief Covenant at Superior. She had signed theCovenant of 1871at Sharon when shewas 17 years old. Mrs. Shaw was 100years old in March.GENEVA: Starting where we left offseveral years ago, the Sabbath School isgoing to continue awarding pins and barsfor attendance. Promotion Day, five sixmonthspins were awarded, for attendanceuntil the present time. Fourfrom Januaryof these were in the Beginners class:Archie Fallon, Libbie Fallon, WendellDean and Bobbie Hemphill. The otherwent to Miss Mary Lou Swager who hasbeen attending our church this past year.Our thanks go to Miss Kay McCreadywho has the job of keeping track of ourcomings and goings, and to WillardHemphill, our Superintendent who leadsus each Sabbath.ALMONTE: A social was held at thehome of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Burns ofR.R. 3 Carleton Place on August 14 inhonor of the T. R. Hutcheson familyus for a few days. Wewho visited amongCOLLEGEwere very happy to see them all again.COLLEGE HILL: Our congregationrecognized the President's call to prayeron the 22nd. Dr. Clarence Macartneywas present at our prayer meeting andspoke.ALMONTE: Mr. and Mrs. J. Mclsaacof Beaver Falls worshiped with the Almonte Congregation one Sabbath morningin August.TEN LITTLE CHRISTIANS (?)Ten little Christians standing in a line,One didn't like the preacher, then therewere nine.Nine little Christians stayed up verylate,One slept on Sunday morning, thenthere were eight.Eight little Christians on the road toHeaven,One took the lower road, and then therewere seven.Seven little Christians got in an awfulfix,One didn't like music, then there weresix.Six little Christians seemed very muchalive,But one lost his temper, then there werefive.Five little Christians wishing there weremore,But they quarreled with each other,then there were four.Four little Christians, cheerful as couldbe,But one lost his religion, then therewere three.Three little Christians knew not whatto do,One joined a sporty crowd, then therewere two.Two little Christians, our rhyme isalmost done,Differed with each other, then therewas one.Selected.COVENANTER WITNESS

LESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 14, 1954J *"ttlzHELD IS THE WORLD,TVfE S& ( S THE WORD oKGODVOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1954 NUMBER 17The true Christian is busyUpholdingthe Honor of GodRobert E. CutbirthGod has a reputation to be maintained. His honor must be upheld among men.God's honor intrinsically is inviolate and mancan do nothing that will in any wise do violence to it.What God is He will always be. His love, characterand attributes are unchangeable. However, there is asecond aspect to the maintaining of God's reputation.Each Christian is responsible for its maintenance asit relates to his own life and to the living out of God'slife in him. Actually the Christian can Sdtnrothingthat will harm or hurt it in any way, for it stands asimpregnable as God Himself. But what Christiansdo with God's reputation does determine to a greatextent what the worldlings attitude toward God willbe. It is this particular aspect that concerns us here.For one thing, God has a reputation of love to bemaintained. We rightly insist that God is a God oflove. The Bible declares it and experience proves it.Yet how empty and meaningless the doctrine becomes if His love is not manifested through the onlymedia He possesses for the display of His character,namely, the Christians. What does it avail that werepeatedly assert He is a God of love if we are not apeople of love? Love was the distinguishing badgeof early Christendom. Christian lives deficient in thiswonderful qualitycan render null and void all thebeautiful affirmations of Scripture that God is love.The worldling has a legitimate right to expect tosee love manifested in the lives of Christian men andwomen. The indifference of 'Christians, their coldness, their insincerity, make a mockery of John 3:16and a travesty of First Corinthians 13. A criticalspirit, a gossiping tongue, a judging nature, are thevery antitheses of love, but they are tragically prevalent in Christian lives. God's reputation of being aGod of love can only be maintained blamelessly asChristians sincerely endeavor to manifest this wonderful quality.God also has a reputation for holiness. Holinessis that which God is. To be holy is to be Godlike. Itis useless to declare that the Christian is pure andholy unless we see pure and holy Christians. It isfoolish to insist that the Gospel can change a vilesinner into a pure saint unless we can show examplesof it. Worldliness in any form is opposed to God'sstandard of holiness and is a reproach to it. A superficial, indifferent, inconsistent Christian experience borders upon near blasphemy since it does greatdamage to God's reputation for holiness. Sometimes the harm done is irreparable. Sin of any kindwillfully indulged in is a reproach to His holiness. Ifwe would have the world think highly of God thenwe must show them holy Christians. If we wouldsee a real revival ofearthshaking proportions thenwe must live holy lives. If you would see God movein your own church, then you must live a holy life.When the Church was holy it was powerful. Cannotits lack of power now be an index to its state of holiness ? The holy nature of God is the source of all Hisblessings. Anything less than holy living by Hischildren does great harm to the cause of Christ.God also has a reputation for being passionatelyconcerned for the sinner. This concern, of course,stems from love. The Scriptures repeatedly affirmthis concern. It follows logically that Christians, likewise ought to feel this same concern.It is a serious responsibility to claim to be aChristian. May we each pray fervently that God willhelp us to realize our great responsibility and tolive in such a manner that we may faithfully upholdthe honor of God, and so glorify our Father 'in heaven.Used by permission of The Alliance Weekly, 260W. 44th St., New York 18, N. Y.

comics."room"choice."state."Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D.Outlaw Crime ComicsThe city council of Houston, Texas, after a two-weekscampaign by religious organizations, school officials andnewspapers, all of which asked for action to stopthe saleof objectionable literature at the newsstands of the city,adopted an ordinance outlawing "crimeAppeal for Aid for SufferingAn appeal for aid has been made to the churches to helpmore than 9,000,000 people in Korea, mostly refugees, penniless and homeless, for millions in India who do not haveenough to eat, for a million Arab refugees in the MiddleEast, for eleven million in Europe many of whom have beenin camps for 6 years, and for 300,000 refugees in Hong Kongwho are refugees from Communist China and are living in thepoorest kind of huts.Universal Military TrainingAn editorial in The Watchman-Examiner (Baptist) tellsof the effort to introduce Universal Military Training underanother name.A stake which the churches will have in the forthcomingCongressional elections relates to Universal Military Training.If the supporters of UMT win, we shall undoubtedly be facedwith legislative enactments which aim at makingStates a garrison state.the UnitedAccording to U. S. News and World Report for August 13,there is a draft plan to catch all youths, both for active service and for service in reserve units. This plan will be pushedin 1955. The military proponents aim at three million men onactive duty, backed bya three-million-man reserve. The prospect for American youth is two years in Army life, plus sixyears in home reserve, with a drill every week. No one,ablebodied,is to escape service under the plan. The plan will notbe called Universal Military Training, but will be a continued draft. The change is evidently to overcome the politicalhurdle which UMT has created. A scheme to militarize thenation by another name, however, will not deceive the people. Few of us want a Prussianized America. But elected representatives ought to know what we do want. Tell them. In thepast eight years, since the end of World War II, the churcheshave lost multiple thousands of young men who grew up inthem and were called up. What became of them is no mystery.We need to prepare for peace as well as to prepare for war. Todo that we need men of peace. We need bigger and betterchurches rather than bigger Pentagons.order to enact the recent legislation. Presbyterians will beparticularly happy to know that their efforts in "taking thelead"will be of benefit to a large number of ministers of otherchurches for whom there has been no pension program of anykind.Participation to be VoluntaryParticipation by ministers is to be wholly "voluntary,"and each minister will have two years in which to "make uphismind."His decision to participate is not dependent uponany action of the local congregation, nor does it depend on thecoverage of lay employees of the church. This is an entirely"new"provision in the Social Security law, for it gives ministers the special privilege of "individualCalled Self-EmployedMinisters are to be allowed to participate on a "selfemployed"basis. It may surprise many to learn.presbyteriesthat some denominations, such as the Methodists, would havedifficulty, under their present polity, in determining whoreally "employed" their ministers. The Episcopalians refer toa minister's "salary" as a "stipend," because the rector is notto be considered a salaried employee. Because of such differences between denominations, the lawmakers decided it wouldbe wise to classify all ministersfor the purpose of the lawunder the "self-employed" category; and theyare thereforeto self-pay the same taxes and receive the same benefits asemployed people, such as farmers, retail merchants, accountants, and architects.Separation of Church and StateAnother important reason for establishing the "self-employed"basis for all ministers was to avoid difficult questionsthat arose concerning the "separation of church andIf the ministers had been included on an employee-employerbasis, there would have been direct taxation of the church onthe salary of the minister. The Southern Baptists and the Roman Catholics were two of the larger groups which were deeplyconcerned about these mattersalthough not for the samereasons. Even on a self-employed basis there are some important questions yet to be decided concerning what is to beconsidered as "earned income" and what value is to be placedfor example on "board andand "manse," especially inregard to those pastors, priests, and rabbis who may be serving without officially established compensation.Social Security Granted to MinistersPresbyterian Life publishes an article on the new plan toallow clergymen to participate in Social Securityfrom whichwe quote.In the past, ministers who served local congregationswere specifically excluded from Social Security; but with theamendments recently passed by Congress, all ministers will at1955. The Presbyterianlast become eligible on January 1,Church was one of the first of the denominations to take official action requesting that the law be changed so as to allowministers to participate voluntarily. When the Congressmen ofboth the House and Senate became aware of the desires of theclergy, they made every effort to satisfy the requests andeven went so far as to break a long-established precedent in258The General Assembly's AttitudeThe 1954 General Assemblypassed a resolution to theeffect that if the Social Security provisions were to be soamended as to allow the clergy to participate voluntarily,both ministers and churches were urged to arrange for suchcoverage in addition to continued full participation in theService Pension Plan. The combination of both pension programs will provide a much more adequate retirement incomefor ministers in the future. Studies made by the Board ofPensions show that the combined benefits will, in general, increase the retirement incomes of ministers who retire on orafter July 1, 1957, to an adequate level for the first time.(Continued on page 266)COVENANTER WITNESS

Current EventsBy Prof. William H. Russell, Ph.D.DECISION IN FRANCEThe French National Assembly has approved the London agreement for rearming West Germany,and the agreement is already starting to take effect. First is the restoration of German sovereignty and the removal of the last occupation troops. Later will come West Germany's admissionto NATO and to a new European coalition under the BrusselsTreaty, which seems destined to be known as BRUTO. Francewas reluctant to approve German rearmament but hadlittle choice, since Britain and the U. S. made it clear thatthey would act with or without French consent.Mendes-France staked his tenure as premier on theendorsement of the London agreement. The Assembly votewas 350 to 113, with 152 abstaining, showing the strongestsupport any French premier has had in recent years. Theissue brought new unity to some political parties which werebadly split over the ratification of EDC. Only the Communists voted solidly against the premier.CHURCHILL CARRHSS ONAt its annual conference, England's Conservative partygave high praise to Anthony Eden for his part in promoting;the London agreement. Eden has been clearly designated asnext Conservative prime minister. But at the party conferenceWinston Churchill indicated that he has no intention of retiring in the immediate future. Since then the cabinet hasbeen reorganized, another sign that Churchilll will not step'down now. Viscount Alexander, hero of the North Africancampaigns in World War II, is replaced as minister of defenseby Harold Macmillan of the publishing family. Several otherministers have retired to private life and their places aretaken by younger men.Britain has been shaken by serious labor troubles thisfall. As we write, London is still in the grip of an unsolvedbus strike. Even more costly is the dock strike which hasspread from London to Liverpool and Birmingham. Thegovernment was prepared to use troops if necessary to unloadships. A dock strike is especially critical in England becausethe country imports a large part of its food supply. Laborleaders blamed Communists for stirring up the strikes.TIES THAT BINDRussia and Red China have announced a new series ofagreements which involved some major concessions by Moscow. The two countries will cooperate in building a new central Asian railroad parallel to the old Trans-Siberian line.Russia will give China more economic and technical aid forestablishing new industries, and will exchange scientific personnel and information. Next year the Russians will evacuate Port Arthur, the key naval base in northern China whichthey have held since World War II. They will also break upfour Soviet-Chinese joint stock companies and turn over theirholdings to the Chinese. The two .powers called on Japan tothrow off U. S. "domination" and resume "normal" diplomatic and trade relations with the Reds; but Japan promptly rejected the overture. These new agreements between Moscowand Peiping seem to indicate that they are drawing closertogether in the face of recent diplomatic gains by the West.AVIND AND WATERAmericans seldom lack for something spectacular in theOctober 27, 1954ricanes. Following "Carol" and "Edna" came "Hazel," probably the most damaging of all. "Hazel" smashed at the Caribbean island of Haiti, then swept up to the Carolina coast.From there it went straight north, far inland from the usualhurricane route. As the winds lost some of their force, thegreatest damage came from torrential rains. The final deathtoll may go over two hundred, with many millions of propertydamage. The hardest hit metropolitan area was Toronto,Canada. Heavy floods occurred all over the upper Ohio valley, but the Pittsburg area was saved from a major disasterby a series of ten dams built since the great flood of 1938.It is said that in this one storm the dams more than repaidtheir entire cost.MUD AND TOMATOESBy the time you read this, the fall political campaign willbe about finished. After beginning on a fairly high plane,the campaign descended to its usual level. The worst smearwas directed against Clifford Case, Republican candidate forSenator from New Jersey, who is opposed not only by the:Democrats but by a faction of reactionary Republicans. Hisopponents tried to link Case's sister with Red-front groupsof ten years ago. Even if true, the charges would not havebeen valid ground for attacking Case. The New York gubernatorial campaign lost its dignity with tomato-throwing andcharges of anti-Semitism. Even ex-President Truman had toway of weather. Last year it was tornadoes, and this year hur-every-join in with an attack on the Administration. Nearlycampaign produces a notable blunder. This year it was Defense Secretary Wilson's comparison of the unemployed to>hungry dogs which almost went unnoticed. And the campaign's most unusual development was the confession, by aUtah Congressional candidate, that the stories of war heroism he had told for several years were all false. Many seemedmore inclined to sympathize than to condemn him,COFFEE SQUEEZEThe Federal Trade Commission has finally taken actionin the matter of coffee prices. It charges the New York Coffeeand Sugar Exchange withboosting the price of coffee by unlawful and monopolistic practices. The Exchange controlstrading in coffee futures and thus sets the price for the wholenation. The traders deny the Commission's charges, and ahearing will be held in December. Meanwhile a Senate Banking subcommittee is resuming its investigation of the samesubject. Its chairman asserts that unjustified increases in theprice of coffee cost American consumers $293 million fromJanuary to August of this year.LABOR MERGERProspects are good for the merger of the nation's twogreatest labor organizations, the AFL and CIO. A joint committee which has been studying the question has reported itsdecision to go ahead with merger plans. George Meany andWalter Reuther, presidents of the AFL and CIO, have bothendorsed the proposal. The suggested plan would combine thetwo groups at the top first, leaving until later the problem ofconflicting and overlapping jurisdiction between AFL and CIOgroups in the same field. For the time being, all memberunions would have their separate identity guaranteed. Thecombined body would number about fourteen million members. Two and a half million would be left in other independent labor groups such as the railroad brotherhoods andthe United Mine Workers.259

obey"mind."yours."yours."up."ones."The Spirit in Which We Covenantby Rev. D. Howard ElliottIt was their silver wedding anniversary. Theyhad been happily married for twenty-five years. Tobe sure they had their ups and downs, times whenthey did not seem to be in complete harmony. Butthey were happy in their relationship and wanted itcontinued. So this western Pennsylvania couple decided that they would reenact the scene of a quarterof a century ago, and renew the vows they had taken.They went back to the same church where they hadbeen married, hunted up the same minister, and wentthrough the ceremony again, repromising their loveand devotion.They had belonged to each other for years, butby this procedure, they were recommitting themselves to each other. All over again they were saying,"I am Some would say that all this was unhadn't they done it once, twenty-fivenecessaryyears ago ? Yet they felt that this new expression oflove, this fresh attempt at devotion, this remaking ofvows to each other would deepen the sacredness oftheir married life and strengthen their joys, hopesand enthusiasm.In principle, this is the very thing that we dohere. As believers in Christ we are renewing thatmost sacred relationship with Christ, we are remembering our eternal union with Him. In the past,our part of this relationship has fallen far short ofthe ideal. Now we again make our vows and give newexpressions of love and devotion. We recommit ourselves to our Christ, promising to "love, honor andHim. To Him we are saying, "I am Tothe world we are saying, "I am His."As in the marriage relationship, our covenantrelationship with the Lord is primarily a relationship of love. Ideally it is whole-hearted, undividedlove to the Lord. This is the Lord's first requirementupon all those who would claim to belong to Him, forHe said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with allthy heart, and with all thy soul,and with all thyExcept this experience of covenanting beprompted by the love of God, its effect is nothingmore than that of a clanging cymbal.It was God's love for men that caused Him toestablish the Covenant of Grace whereby we mayhave eternal blessings. And since then, no covenantthat man has made with God has ever been effectual,that has not had its beginnings in the spirit of love.Without that spirit of love to God, a covenant isnothing more than a profitless, outward form. Without the spirit of love, this covenant cannot contributeto the reviving of our souls, nor will we keep thepromises we make herein.If this is to be more than a mere formality, itwill depend on THE SPIRIT IN WHICH WE COVENANT. In order for this to be a glorious experience,it must be grounded in love and accompanied bythese three essential attitudes, humility of mind, integrityof heart, and submission of soul. When youput the first letter of each of these together youhave the word "HIS," which sums up our whole declaration. We are saying to all concerned, "We areHis."Yet we are His only if we enter into this cove-nant with humility of mind, integrity of heart, andsubmission of soul.I.By this service we are not laying on God anyobligation. We are taking the obligations upon ourselves of seeking God anew, and of serving Him asloving servants. The fulfilling of these obligationsresults in spiritual revival. But we cannot seek Godnor serve Him properly without HUMILITY OFMIND. We cannot expect to be revived or lifted upwithout humility of mind. Isaiah 57:15 reads, "Forthus saith the high and lofty One that inhabitseternity, whose name is Holy : I dwell in the high andholy place, with him also that is of a contrite andhumble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble, andto revive the heart of the contrite Also James4:10 says, "Humble yourselves in the sight of theLord, and He shall lift you There can be no approach to God nor uplift of spirit without humility ofmind.A person is never properly humble without recognition of his failures and sins. This is the veryheart of all humility. As soon a we see how farshort we fall of the ideal and recognize our unworthiness, we have planted the seed from which truehumility springs.Hence it is fitting that a part of our covenantbe a confession of sin. When I recognize and confessmy sin, then am I humbled before the AlmightyGod. Only then am I able to practice Paul's injunction of Romans 12:3, "For I say, through the gracegiven unto me, to every man that is among you, notto think of himself more highly than he ought tothink; but to think soberly, according as God hathdealt to every man the measure of faith."This required attitude is extremely difficultnay, well nigh impossible except that one sees himself in the light of the person of Jesus Christ, whomakes all mortals look miserable by way of comparison. In seeing Christ, one sees himself and all prideTHE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOP NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street, Newton, Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka Kansasto promote Bible Standards of Doctrine, Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writers ;not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen, D.D.Prof. William H. EussellWalter McCarroll, D.D.Remo I. Robb. D.D.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdgarMrs. J. O. EdgarMrs. Ross LatimerSubscription rates; $2.50 per year; Overseas, $3.00; Single Copies10 cents.undeftKctVSarchtR' B- Ly

ashes"mind."attitudes."is put to flight. Thus while humility is a necessaryelement in coming to God, it is also the result ofcoming to God.Most of us would say that Job was a humbleman before his severe tribulation. However, histrials served to draw him nearer to God and his humility became complete. He said, "I have heard ofthee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eyeseeth thee ; wherefore I abhor myself, and repent indust and (Job 42:5, 6). Isaiah was a prophetof the Lord, but when he saw the Lord in that experience recorded in the sixth chapter of his prophecy, It humbled him greatly. "Then said I, Woe is me !for I am undone; because I am a man of uncleanlips . . . for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord ofhosts."As we approach God with humility of mind andas we see Him anew through this our covenant, thegenuineness of the experience will be evidenced bythe humility of mind that we display afterwards.Then follow the dividends that God declares throughthe medium of a humble mind. Proverbs 22:4 reads,"By humility and fear of the Lord are riches, andhonor and life." These are the treasures we seek,to which humility of mind is one of the keys.II.To make this covenanting time a success, alongwith humility of mind, there must also be INTEGRITY OF HEART. Integrity means uprightness,honesty, sincerity. If you have integrity of heart,you mean what you say, and you do what you sayyou are going to do. Integrityallows for no hypocrisy, no double standards, no questionable dealings.If we are to display integrity of heart in thetaking of this covenant, we will not allow it to be amere form. We will not take it because others aredoing so. It will not be something into which wehave allowed ourselves to be swept because of thebuild-up that it has received. But we will consider itas a very sacred and personal experience, for whichwe have prepared by careful heart searching. Wewill take it with a willing acknowledgment of thetruth contained therein, with a full recognition ofthe promises made and the resulting obligations,with true sincerity and intention to keep the vows.In other words, we must enter in whole-heartedly, as they did in King Asa's time. We read of it inII Chronicles 15:12, 15: "And they entered into acovenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers withall their heart and with all their soul . . . And allJudah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn withall their heart, and sought him with their whole desire ; and he was found of them ; and the Lord gaveabout."them rest roundIn any experience of coming to the Lord, wholeheartednessis demanded, as in Joel 2:12, "Thereforealso now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with allyour heart . . . This is the principle of the greatcommandment, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy Godwith all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and withThe Lord is pleased with nothing lessall thythan a whole-heart.III.The sacredness of such a covenant required humility of mind, integrity of heart and finally, SUBMISSION OF SOUL. This means giving-in complete-October 27, 1954ly to the Lord. It may be called unconditional surrender to the will of God. It is as Christ said in theGarden of Gethsemane at the climax of His soul anguish, "Not my will, but Thine be done." It is whatPaul calls for in Romans 6:13, "Neither yield ye yourmembers as instruments of unrighteousness untosin ; but yield yourselves unto God, as those that arealive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." Submission ofsoul is dying unto self and living unto Christ.By our covenant we seek to be brought intoright relationship with our Lord. Roy Heeson haswritten, "If we are to come into this right relationship with Him, the first thing we must learn is thatour wills must be broken to His will. To be broken isthe beginning of revival. It is painful, it is humiliating, but it is the only way. It is being 'Not I, butChrist,'and a 'C is a bent T. This simply means thatthe hard unyielding self, which justifies itself, wantsits own glory, at last bows its head to God's will, admits its wrong, gives up its own way to Jesus, surrenders its rights and discards its own glory thatthe Lord Jesus might have all and be all. In otherwords it is dying to self and selfGeorge Whitefield said, "I give up myself to bea martyr for Him who hung upon the Cross for me.I have thrown myself blindfolded and, I trust without reserve into His almightyhands.""Lord, bend that proud and stiffnecked I,Help me to bow the head and die;Beholding Him on Calvary,me."Who bowed His head forAnd so we enter into covenant with God, havinghumility of mind, integrity of heart, and submissionof soul, hereby declaring that we are HIS. We declare to God and the world that we are "For Christ'sCrown and Covenant."Tither's CornerLuke 16:9A tiny podIs hid in the sod,Somewhere in God's great acre.In the acorn's cupIs folded up,An oak tree, by its Maker.In the pod of the days,The one that paysThe best of all the seven,Is the day of renownThat wears the crownAnd brings us close to heaven.In the pod of the payFor the work of the day,The part that fails us never,Is the tithe we spendTo make us a Friend,Which shall be ours forever.Delber H. Elliott261

salvation"effect."evangelism."repentance,"saved."Salvation and the WordRev. W. R. McEwen, B.A.Salvation is the great theme of the Bible. Itshows the great need of salvation, and tells how Godhas provided it. It expresses, too, the desire of thesoul for such salvation. The Psalmist, in Psalm 119,hopes and longs, yea even faints, for that salvation.But it should be noted that it is a salvation "according to Thy Word" (v. 41). Many seek salvation according to their own ideas of it. They want salvation, but it must conform to their pattern. Nowonder they are disappointed. But that is not thesalvation of which the Bible speaks.The Might andMercyof GodSuch salvation has its source in the might andmercy of God. The Bible makes it clear that if manis to be saved it is God who must save him. It describes him as a helpless, lost sinner, dead in trespasses and sins. He can do nothing towards his salvationany more than a dead man can resurrect himself. Italso pictures him as in the fearful pit and miry clayof sin. He cannot get out himself,, and the more hestruggles the deeper he sinks. Nor can any man pullhim out. God's strong arm alone can bring salvation.But when there was no eye to pity and no arm tosave God wrought salvation. We must confess withthe prophet Jonah, "Salvation is of the Lord."But man is not only a helpless sinner; he is aguilty sinner. He is in the pit, not just by misfortune,but by fault. He deserves to be left there. He has noclaims upon God for rescue. He has done nothing tomerit consideration. It is mercy he needs. So heshould pray, "Let Thy mercies come also unto me,even Thy (Ps. 119:41). As Calvin rightlyremarks on this verse, "the Psalmist, according tothe natural order, puts the cause before theThe mercy of God is the source of salvation. If Godsaves it is not because we deserve it. The Bible makesit abundantly clear that salvation has its source inthe sovereign power and grace of God. It comes as aperfect boon to helpless, guilty man.The Promises of GodAlthough we are undeserving of this great salvation, yet the Word gives us rich and preciouspromises upon which we can have grounds for hope.Even in the Garden of Eden, ere our first parentswere banished because of their sin, there was heldout the promise of salvation. That promise was renewed and enlarged in God's subsequent dealingswith His people, so that they had strong grounds forfaith and hope. It was specially pledged to Abraham,with whom God established His covenant to be aGod to him and to his seed. That covenant was unfolded in God's gracious dealings with His people, asHe carried forward His redemptive purposes in providing salvation. Eventually that covenant wassealed by the blood of God's own Son,who bore thepenalty of sin on His own body to the tree, andits provisions are secured to all those who trust inthe Saviour.262But the Bible not only tells how God has plannedand provided salvation through the gracious workof His Son, the Mediator of the new covenant. Itpresses home that salvation for our acceptance. It isa Gospel of salvation, proferring power to the helpless and mercy to the guilty. It makes the way of salvation plain so that none need stumble, and encourages seeking sinners to find shelter in the Saviourfrom the wrath of God. It proclaims that "whosoevershall call on the name of the Lord shall be Itcommands sinners to "believe on the Lord JesusChrist,"and assures them that if they do so theyshall be saved and have everlasting life. So we havestrong consolation who have fled for refuge to layhold on the hope set before us. We have the sureword of God upon which to rely.The Need of RepentanceIn the recent issue of The Monthly Record of theFree Church of Scotland there is a leading article on"The Lost Chord of Modern Evangelism." The editorrefers to a warning by William Booth, the founder ofthe Salvation Army, against five dangers he couldsee confronting the world in the fifty years thatwere to follow his day: they were, "religion withoutthe Holy Ghost, forgiveness without repentance,Christianity without Christ, politics without God,and heaven without hell." No doubt, all this hasfound ample fulfilment in our own time, but theRecord editor singles out the second, "forgivenesswithoutas "the lost chord of modernSuch evangelism is also all too prevalent in our own land. Pardon is offered though thereis little sign of penitence. Sinners are assured of forgiveness though there is no insistence that theymake a definite break with sin.Such is not the salvation of which the Biblespeaks. Here we have a Saviour promised and proclaimed who would save His people from their sins.This salvation is not merely from the punishmentof sins, but from sins themselves. Indeed, we will nottruly seek the mercy of God if we do not realize howwe have offended against His divine majesty anddisobeyed His righteous laws. Nor can we be saved ifwe are not really convicted of guilt in God's sight,and turn from sin with a holy hatred. Christ does notsave us in our sins. For we can't really trust Him asour Saviour if we are still clinging to sin. That is whymany are not saved. They want to enjoy the pleasures of sin in this world and have God annul theconsequences of sin in the world to come. But it can'tbe done. We cannot have forgiveness without repentance.So the Bible insists on repentance. It proclaimsGod's holy law. It shows His righteous requirements.It points our how far we have fallen. It insists on adefinite turning from sin. "Let the wicked forsakehis way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts,"cried the prophet Isaiah, "and let him return untothe Lord, and He will have mercy upon him." Again,John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus ChristCOVENANTER WITNESS

crime."society."by preaching repentance, and very heartsearchingand definite he was. Christ Himself stressed thesame note. Peter's sermon at Pentecost led to thesame command, "Repent," while Paul declared thatin all his preaching he testified "both to the Jewsand also to the Greeks, repentance toward God andfaith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." The salvationaccording to God's Word involves repentance.The Fruit of ObedienceThe salvation of which the Bible speaks alsoissues in obedience. While we are not saved by keeping God's holy law, we are saved to keep it. The salvation which is according to God's Word not onlycancels the penalty of the guilt of sin, but deliversfrom its power. It not only means justification, inwhich the believing sinner is reckoned righteousin God's sight because of the righteousness ofChrist, but it also includes sanctification, in whichthe believing sinner is made righteous by the HolySpirit working in his heart. Thus we are led alongthe pathway of obedience.In this gracious process the Word is an important factor. Not only does it bring to us the offer ofsalvation, showing how it is provided and pressing ithome to the heart, but after the priceless gift is received the Word continues to nourish the newly bestowed life. It shows the high and holy standard Godexpects of us, but also reveals the Divine resourceswhich are available for us. It warns us of the snaresof evil, it guides our footsteps in the paths of righteousness, it encourages us by its promises, when weare downcast to press on with renewed zeal until weenter into the full enjoyment of that salvation, readyto be revealed in the last time. Such is the salvationwhich is according to the Word.The Crisis in the HomeBy Leslie R. Marston, Bishop of the Free Methodist Church(reprinted by permission from' the United Evangelical Action magazine \1/1U/5U)Some years ago J. Edgar Hoover declared thatcrime had so increased in America that our nationin a state of civil war with a crimwas then virtuallyinal army of 4,300,000 active enemies engaged in "apredacious warfare against Near the closeof 1947 he reported this army at 7,500,000. Aftersix more years of recruiting, its present strengthmay well be near 10,000,000.In 1952 more than two million major crimeswere committedan average of a crime approximately every fifteen seconds. This record surpassesall previous years, and is an increase of 8.2 per centover 1951. But crime statistics of the first sixmonths of 1953 predicted another record-breakingyear. Well has someone said that America has "aperennial carnival of And our annual bill forthis perennial carnival is estimated at fifteen billiondollars !The number of juveniles among the two millionarrests of 1952 is staggering. In 232 cities of 25,000or larger population reported in the 1952 Bulletin ofthe F.B.I, arrests of minors were : 13 per cent of arrests for all causes; 11 per cent of all arrests formurder; 35 per cent of all arrests for rape; 37 percent of all arrests for robbery ; 47 per cent of all arrests for larceny ; 62 per cent of all arrests for burglary; 69 per cent of all arrests for car theft.Disintegration of the HomeThe American home is in a precarious state. Itsdecline is directly and closely related to America'scrisis of crime. The increase in the frequency of divorce is the index of the home's growing instability.Whereas in 1890 there was one divorce to seventeenmarriages, now there is one divorce to only fivemarriages.Studies show that one-third of juvenile delinquents are from homes broken by divorce or othercause. J. Edgar Hoover asserts that the disintegra-October 27, 1954tion of the American home is the greatest single factor contributing to juvenile delinquency. Nor can weforget that juvenile delinquents grow into adultcriminals.But the home is disintegrating, not only fromopen breakdown in divorce, but inwardly throughdecay. Drunkenness and debauchery, immorality andcriminality of parents are influences that corrupt thedeveloping character of children. How often we readof small children, left in squalor and filth, withoutwarmth or food, perhaps tethered to prevent theirwandering; while parents, "without natural affection,"seek their pleasure in a round of taverns anddance-halls.At the other extreme cultured homes too oftenalso fail their mission, in consequence of which asurprising degree of delinquency is found in thehigher economic levels. Parents of wealth give luxuries to their children without love, and indulge theirchildren without disciplining them.In Mr. Jones, Meet the Master, Peter Marshall isquoted as charging that we in America have moremoney, cars, picture-shows, night-clubs, radio, television, crime and divorce than any other nation, withthe result that "the modern child is brought up in adecent, cultured, comfortable but thoroughly irreligious home." This indictment, we should say, applies especially to America's so-called "betterhomes.""Lovers of Pleasures"This citation to Marshall points to the root causeof the decay of the American home. The interestsdominating American life have become materialsuccess and present happiness. Moral and spiritualideals have been surrendered to the clamor of physical desire. The ethics of righteousness has beeneclipsed by the ethics of pleasure "Let us eat anddrink; for tomorrow we die." 263

defines the conflict that is on between the older"family-centered"home and the modern "individual-home. Marriage under the latter concept,Landis says, "clearly places pleasure above responsibility and duty. It aims at the satisfaction of theindividual rather than the perpetuation of the racecentered"productivity."or'apathy."About a quarter-century ago one of the most influential men of our era told an audience of youngmen that he was proud of them for working out theirown salvation; that whereas his generation hadplayed with fire in secret, their generation hadplayed with it openly, and he, said, "few of you areburned."About the same time there appeared in thiscountry a book by Dora Russell, then wife of theEnglish philosopher, Bertrand Russell. The 'book bespoke the changing ethics from duty to pleasure evenin its title, The Right to Be Happy. (Harper's, NewYork, 1927.) The author claimed that it is "the legitimate pleasure of men and women, especially theyoung, to drink and dance to intoxication from timeto time," and concerning pre-marital sex experimentation said, "The idea of sin must be banished."That such an ethics of pleasure advocated bypersons of high standing affects our youth wasforcibly impressed upon the present writer severalyears ago when one of his college students wrote thefollowing in a paper concerning her high-school experiences : "In high school we work out our own codesof conduct, perhaps helped along with the philosophyof Mrs. Bertrand Russell, which is interesting andeasy reading even- youngster."for a high-schoolFacing FactsSociologists now trace the trend of the homefrom the older ethics of duty to the contemporaryethics of pleasure. Ruth Benedict (in Science Digest,March 1949) is quoted on marriage and divorce(from her book The Family: Its Function and Destiny) to the effect that in a culture such as ours, "animportant goal of which is pursuit of happiness,"the right to divorce is a necessary concomitant of theright to choose marriage partners. An editorial leadto the book-digest here cited interprets the articlewith these frank words, "It is hard to see how divorce could be denied in a culture built on personalchoice and the pursuit of happiness."Paul H. Landis (Current History, Sept. 1950)or economicIt is impossible, of course, to measure with anydegree of accuracy the consequences in society of thedrift from the ethics of duty to the ethics of pleasurebut statistics certainly are indicative of trends. Therise in frequency of divorce is one index. The increasein delinquency and crime is another. These have already been noted. Analysis of some of America's major expenditures yields further light. Without conourselves with America's expenditures forcerningnecessities and comfortseven for luxuries, wewould contrast the extremes, expenditures for destructive self-indulgence on the one hand with expenditures for spiritual and character building purposes on the other hand.America's bill for destructive self-indulgence in1951 included $21,500,000,000 for gambling,$9,150,-000,000 for alcoholic beverages, and $4,703,000,000for tobacco : a total of more than thirty-five billiondollars! In the same year America invested in conedu-$9,000,000,000 forstructive character-^building264cation and $1,955,000,000 for religious and welfarepurposes : a total which was less than one-third theexpenditures for destructive indulgences!Admittedly, items may have been omitted fromboth sides of the contest, but it is doubtful if a morecomplete accounting would greatlychange the ratioof the character building to destructive expenditures.The Youth ProblemOur trail thus far has led us over terrain thatclearly reveals the modern youth problem as after allessentially a problem of youth's elders. Youth havenot produced today's moral and spiritual confusion,but rather are its victims. The generation now in itsprime, the parents (and some grandparents!) ofmodern youth, years ago slipped the leash of selfrestraint and cut themselves loose from their moraland religious moorings. At the beginning of this period of chaos, when social approval of adult liberalismwas making early inroads on the older conservatism,I was told of the eighteen year old girl who pathetically complained that parents had thrown everythingaway, leaving naught for youth to throw away.Frisky coctails and loosened marriage bonds,easy morals and irreligion in the forties how thencan the teens have their fling? But this is the tragedy, that where modernity prevails among parents,youth have nothing to regain, nothing to which toreturn. We may hope that some of today's modernparents, now in the prime of their forties, will seekagain the lost patterns of their own early training intheir declining sixties and seventies. But too generally the teens of today have never been trained withreference to standards of Christian belief and moralconduct, and consequently cannot return thereto.How, then, can modern youth on a sea of unchartedindividualism find either in their noontide forties ortheir sunset seventies the harbor of stable spiritualvalues ?It is our old-fashioned opinion that strong andstable character must be molded and that a patternis necessary ; that life needs a pivot if it is to achievestrength and freedom ; that much of the freedom ofwhich this age boasts is not freedom, but only thedisorganization that comes from the leveling ofmoralstandards, the fading of religious certainties,the decline of home-inculcated principles; that ourvaunted tolerance is in fact indifference due to compromise of one-time deeply etched convictions concerning social, moral and spiritual values.Moral and Spiritual IndifferenceBut right here, in the all too prevalent moral andspiritual indifference of today, is the crux of thecrisis of the home. Delinquency and crime are butthe results of the home's failure, not the environmental cause. Addressing a group of Methodist ministers in 1947, J. Edgar Hoover maintained that thebasic cause of crime is our dominant secularism orgodlessness which in its initial stages "is not an evilof immorality or aggressive badness" but "is an evilof amorality and indifference." Crime, he said, is aspiritual problem "because it results from spiritualIt follows that a heavy responsibility rests uponthose respectable members of society, parents especially, who live this side the bounds of criminalitybut who, perhaps by almost unconscious degrees,accommodated conscience to compromise and even toCOVENANTER WITNESS

eligion."claim"civilization."prayer."sin. They have leveled their ideals, dulled theirspiritualsensitiveness, and no longer are keenlyaware of sin. Their tragedy is the death of theirsoul's ideal.Then what happens to growing character? Whenparents compromise the black and white of wrongand right to a patternless neutral gray, the conscience of youth is left in chaos or is lulled to sleep.The resulting disintegration of character may equalthat caused by home examples of dissipation andcriminality. Our children need the sense of securitythat comes from commitment to a clear-cut moralstandard.Needed: Homes with StandardsThe home is the chief agency of moral education,rivaled by no other agency of society in setting thechild's standards of conduct and morals, be they goodor bad. If parents fail their responsibility, througheither their bad example or their weakness in enforcing standards, the school and the church havea heavy handicap in carrying their end of trainingfor character. Should home, church and school allfail, state correctional institutions may restrain butrarely can reform ; and far too often delinquents confined in these institutions are thereby confirmed intheir wickedness and graduate as criminals. Thehome is the place to lay the foundations of characterbeginning at the cradle.An investigation of 1200 children by ColumbiaUniversity several years ago discovered an agreement in character ideals between children and parents closer by far than the agreement of these children with the ideals of other groups with which theywere closely associated. The index of agreement was.55 with parents, with playmates, .35 .14 with clubleaders, and .03 with teachers. And of the two parents, the mother's influence was the stronger withthe index of agreement of mothers and children threetimes that of fathers and children.The hand that rocks the cradle rules (or wrecks)the world!Needed: Christian HomesEarly home training in morals is essential, butthe home should be more than moral it should beChristian. Morality without Christianity will soon bedepleted, for after all morality is the fruit and notthe root of the good life.For many years the Protestant home has largelybeen barren of spiritual culture. And Protestantparents seem not as concerned that their families situnder the church's instruction as are Catholics andJewish parents. The moral and spiritual indifferenceof our age seems to have paralyzed much of Protestantism which, we fear, has tried to pass over tothe secular school a large measure of the home's andthe church's responsibility for moral and spiritualculture. Roy E. Baber (in Annals of the AmericanAcademy of Political and Social Science, March 1948)commends Catholicism for "indoctrinating its children so effectively that their religious beliefs arelargely fixed for life," whereas many Protestantyoung people "know almost nothing of the tenets ofthe faith which they nominally and are "illiterate inEven family worship, so characteristic formerlyof vital Protestant homes, has declined disturbingly,October 27, 1954although recent worship helps for home use undoubtedly have improved the situation in late years.Worship in the home featuring the Bible, prayer andthe great hymns is unquestionably of high value asa means of moral and spiritual culture. Judge LutherW. Youngdahl when governor of Minnesota wrote:"Count me a firm believer in the family altar. I amthoroughly convinced that a widespread return to thepractice of regular worship in the home would workmiracles in meeting the many critical problems ofmodern life. Let the family altar become the centeraround which life revolves and we will regain theare goingspiritual resources so badly needed We . . .to replenish our moral reserves only by strengthening the religious life of the family."Again we quote America's most distinguishedofficer of the law who carries a deep concern for therestoration of righteousness in the nation. "If thereis hope for the future of America," says J. EdgarHoover, ". . .we, as a nation, must return to God andto the practice of daily family And elsewhere he has said, "Families that pray together staytogether."A revival of family religion throughout American Protestantism is needed to cleanse the springsthat are the source of our national life, and thus saveus from the fate of other nations whose life-streamhas been corrupted by the seeping poison of godlessness,greed and lust.Much that I have tried to say with many wordsin this article is compressed into these few lines bymy preacher-friend, Foreman Lincicome: "Ourhomes are just so many streams, pouring themselvesinto the current ofmoral, social and political life. Asthe home goes, so goes the church; as the churchgoes, so goes the nation ; as the nation goes,TOBACCO, ALCOHOL AND OPIUMBy William James Robinson, A.M., D.D.so goesAll quotations in this essay are taken from thewritings of Dr. Charles B. Towns, a world renownedneurologist, if not otherwise credited.Speaking of using drugs he said "the fact is thattobacco not only prepares the way for physical diseases of all kinds, as any physician will tell you, butalso, as long investigation has shown me, for alcoholand drugtaking.""The relation of tobacco, especially in the form ofcigarettes, and opium and alcohol is a very close one.For years I have been dealing with alcoholism andmorphinism, have gone into their every phase andaspect, have minute details of between six and seventhousand cases, and I have never seen a case, except occasionally with women, which did not have ahistory of excessive use of tobacco." This is to me avery severe indictment of tobacco. It proves that itassociates with very reprehensible evils.He goes on to say "for all men, tobacco is an unfavorable factor which predisposes to worse habits.A boy always starts smoking before he starts drinking, because the action of tobacco makes it normalfor him to feel the need of stimulation. He is likelyto go to alcohol to soothe the muscular unrest, toblunt the irritation he has received from tobacco.265

son."From tobacco he goes to morphine for the same rea"The nervous condition due to excessive drinkingis allayed by morphine just as the nervous conditiondue to smoking is allayed by alcohol. Morphine is thelegitimate consequence of alcohol, and alcohol is thelegitimate consequence of tobacco. Cigarettes, drink,series."opium, is the logical and regularHe said alcohol was the natural antidote for excessive use of tobacco. "For that reason the two gotogether, and the neurotic type of man too often combines the two. Tobacco thus develops thealcohol."necessityfor"It is very significant that in dealing with alcoholism no real reform can be expected if the patientdoes not give up tobacco."And now for his conclusion. "I consider thatcigarette smoking is the greatest vice devastatinghumanity today, because it is doing more than anyrace."other vice to deteriorate theReader, weigh every word of these quotationswith the utmost care note well all their implications.I will now give a quotation from Dr. J. H. Kellogg: "That tobacco is a form of 'dope' as truly asopium, cocaine or any other drug cannot be denied.The confirmed smoker is as thoroughly enslaved asthe opium smoker or the alcohol inebriate. He is a'dope'fiend, to use a common but rather repulsivephrase, an addict, and often requires the same restrictive measures to secure reclamation as does theconfirmed alcoholic or opium habitue."I have no other purpose in writing than to warnthe people of the evils involved in using tobacco inany form. I cannot understand why any Christian,especially a minister, knowing such facts as I havenarrated, will use tobacco.A MEETING OF NATO AIRFORCE CHAPLAINSIN BRUSSELSBy Robert L. ConstableVice-President Moody Bible InstituteIt was to tell us of this and of his desire to usethe Institute's films at the meeting that the chief ofthe U. S. Air Force chaplains called while I was at theMoody Institute of Science last week. When I arrivedin Chicago the next day, word came through that notonly were the films to be shown, but provision wasmade that transportation be provided for an Instituterepresentative to be at the meeting personally tomeet the chaplains and present the pictures. Dr. Cul"Go."bertson said, So I am in Brussels.Many things have been discussed in the meetings,among them, co-operation between the forces, chaplain exchange programs, chaplain publications, literature for the troops, and films.This morning we saw the U. S. Army's film showing the hydrogen bomb tests at Eniwetok, the greatest explosion ever set off by man and its terrifyingpossibilities in terms of destruction. After that"Dust or Destiny" with its presentation of the gospel, made even more impelling by the circumstancesof its showing just following the other film.266There was silence after the bomb picture had beenshown there was applause after "Dust or Destiny."And had it seemed proper I would have applaudedwith them for very joy that in these days of threatand fear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ shinesout as the one, the great, and the sufficient hope ofmen. And how gratifying it is that in presenting thetwo choices before men today, the Air Force selectedMoody films as the best means they knew by whichto make that point.This has been a wonderful experience. Men are atthis meeting from Belgium, England, France, theNetherlands, Norway, Portugal, Canada and theUnited States. Portugal has only a Catholic chaplain here, Norway only a Protestant, and each of theother countries both. These are men responsible formillions of troops. How good it sounded to hear theEnglish chief of Air Force chaplains say there's nouse teaching ethics and moralitywhen what menneed is to know God, and when they come to knowGod in Jesus Christ these other things get straightened up. Then he went on to say to me how greatlythe Institute films had helped their program, usedas they are in England, the Middle East and the FarEast.The films are available in nearly all the languagesof Europe. The chaplains eagerly took down the information about how to get the pictures for theiruse.When I see how wonderfully God has wrought,how He has led in the production of these films, intheir translation into many languages, in their distribution over the whole earth, I am so thrilled Icannot help but send you this special note tellinghow He is working and multiplying our efforts inHis name.It is the friends of MBI that have been used ofGod to do these things through prayer and help, encouragement and love, and to you friends I wouldsend this word from Brussels with our thanks. Someday we'll know the story in its fullness, but now wesee that even the hem of His garment is glorious.GLIMPSES Cont'd from page 258All Pastors May ParticipateMinisters, as a whole, will wish to participate in SocialSecurity because of the security which it will provide for themand their families. All ministers can participate if they servea church in any capacity and even if they are over sixtyfive.Because the salaries of some ministers are very low,it is possible that they may forego the privilege of participation because they "cannot afford to pay the tax"; it willbe 3 per cent of salary up to $4,200, or a maximum of $126for the year 1955. A congregation cannot enroll its minister inSocial Security, but it can encourage its minister to do so byan adjustment in salary in 1955 so as to cover this increasedcost.Never think you can do something if only you had adifferent lot and sphere assigned to you. The very thingsthat you must deprecate as fatal limitations or obstructionsare probably what you most want. What you call hindrances,obstacles, discouragements are probably God's opportunities.Horace Bushnell.COVENANTER WITNESS

weeks'need."common."apostles'Lesson Helps for the Week of November 14, 1954C.Y.P.U. TOPICfor November 14, 1954THE COVENANT IN THE EARLYCHURCHActs 2:41-47; 2 Cor. 9:15.Rev. Alvin W. Smith, D.D.Orlando, Florida,(A suggested program)PRAISE: using Psalm 43:3, 4. page 109.PRAYER.The Leader introduces the subject, discussing THE SIGNIFICANCE OFPENTECOST."Pentecost is the New Testament term,meaning fiftieth, indicating the celebration of this feast on the fiftieth day fromthat of the Passover. This is called inthe Old Testament the Feast of Harvest;and also the Feast of Weeks, because itwas seven weeks, or a 'week offrom the Passover. The Jews also calledit "The Feast of the joy of the Law," asoccurring, according to their tradition, onthe very day when the Law was givenfrom Mt. Sinai, the fiftieth of the Exodus, from the night of the first Passover.""And so this Feast of Pentecost associates the old covenant of the Law withthe new covenant of the Gospel, theorganization of the Old TestamentChurch under Moses with a partial ministry of the Spirit, with its reorganizationTinder the apostles with the fulness of theHoly Ghost. In this we see the vital connection of the new covenant with the old.On the first Pentecost the Law was written on tables of stone;on the last camethe Spirit to write the Law on living tables of the heart."cost.Second Speaker: The Events on Pente1. The waiting, united company.2. The sound, the filling of the house, theappearance of the cloven tongue like as offire, sittingupon each of them.3. Filling by the Holy Ghost . . . utterance with other tongues.4. The amazing news of it . . . and wonder.5. Peter's explanation of fulfilled prophecy, then the preachingof Christ.6. Conviction and conversion and baptism of repenting believers.7. The growth of the number from 120disciples to 3,000.Scripture Reading; Acts 2:41-47.October 27, 1954Prayer.Psalm 51:7-12,page 131.Third Speaker: The New Covenant inAction or The Life and WorshipFirst Converts.of the"The first representatives of the Christian Church on earth were the disciples ofvaried name and pursuit, men and womwith inen who first adhered to Christ,telligent faith in Him, as the Saviourof the world. The first local particularchurch was that formed in Jerusalem.But there was, in fact, little forming inthe matter. It formed itself, as it were. Itwas a collection of believing men andwomen who were baptized in testimonyof their Christian belief."Four essential elements were manifested in the Christian life of these First Believers'. See v. 42.1. Instruction. Jesus had said, "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoyou."ever I have commanded These converts then, receive the necessary teaching in the Apostles' doctrine. It was asthe Master had directed.(It is in place to inquire whether ornot the church of today is still abidingapostles'in the doctrine ... or has departed from it.)Follow-upwork was and is the wiseand true method. "Steadfast heed to instruction in God's Word wasand isneeded, not only for personal growth inthe Christian life, but for the great lifedutyof every believer ofWITNESS FOR CHRIST."BEARING2. Apostolic fellowship. "This meanscommunication, not communion, and refers to that self-sacrificing spirit of loveto our neighbor and fellow which promptsto deeds of helpfulness, and actual communication of good in supply of hisSee 1 Tim. 6:17, 18; Phil. 4:14.The idea is actualized in the facts statedin verses 44 and 45.Another speaker takes it up.3. The breaking of bread or the Lord'sSupper. This was naturally a divinemeans of deep and tender impression, aswell as of confirming other instruction.Such is still its purpose and may be, ifrightly partaken, its increasing happy effect. At first it seems to have been daily,then every Lord's Day. There was onecompany, no division into denominations, a situation which we have inherited by centuries of church history duringwhich all kinds of problems arose and lefttheir mark upon the church.4. In prayer or 'theprayers.'Naturallythe apostles took the lead in administering the sacraments and the instruction.Prayers were offered in connection withthe Lord's Supper. Soon as the problemsof administration arose, the apostles insisted that burdens be shared so that theycould keep on giving themselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of theword.Next speaker: v. 44,"had all things"There was a special reason for this atJerusalem, where converts to Christianitywould be regarded by the Jews as Renegades, and be cut off from domestic intercourse, (boycotted) and from formermeans of subsistence. The need to be metwas instant and special, and as such didnot exist afterward among the churchesformed among the heathen." There wasno surrender of personal rights of property, nor was there a community ofgoods. Everything was voluntary andspontaneous without compulsion.Through it all there was a spirit ofgladness and singleness of heart . . .without asudden break-off from theTemple. The gospel was not to be supposed to be divorced from the law ofMoses. They worshiped at the Templeto give practical confirmation to theirargument that Christ had been foretoldby Moses and the prophets, whose officeit was to prepare the way for Him.Upon this worship and fellowship theLord bestowed His blessing by addingto the church daily such as were beingsaved.This then was the new covenant promised years before by the Lord, inaugurated by the Lord Jesus in the New Testament Dispensation whose benefits youand I enjoy.Let us labor and pray to follow thevirtues of the early Church under theleading of the Holy Spirit.QUESTIONS1. What promises made by Jesus concerning the Holy Spirit were fulfilled onthe Day of Pentecost?2. Whypeated?will Pentecost never be re3. What will bring about genuineChristian fellowship todayso many denominations?PRAYER.when there are1. For a spirit of loyalty and devotionto the doctrine in carrying outOur Brief Covenant.2. For all called into the ministry, inactive pastorate and place of teaching;for those in training.3.For all of our missionaries, in homefields arid abroad.^267

giving,"values."gold."steal."values"values"values."values"JUNIOR TOPICNovember 14, 1954by Mrs. Wilbur J. KeysJOSEPH SOLD INTO EGYPTScripture: Gen. 37; 39:1-9, 20-40:23Devotional Reading: Proverbs 4:10-20Memory Verse: "What time I am afraid,I will trust in thee." Ps. 56:3Psalms to Sing:Psalm 118:1, 2, 4, 6, page 284Psalm 31:8, 13-15, page 72Psalm 125: 1-4, page 320Psalm 136: 1, 2, 12, 13, page 334(Memory Psalm)References: Genesis 28:15; Prov. 16:32;22:2-9; I Cor. 13:4; I Peter 5:6; 5:10;Heb. 13:5.Jacob continued to live in the landof Canaan where his father had lived.Joseph was a boy seventeen years oldwhen his brothers were grown men. Theywere shepherds.Jacob loved Joseph very much and toshow his love, he made a coat of manycolors. Probably, this was an indicationthat some day Joseph would be his heir.Joseph dreamed two dreamsone wasthat the sheaves bowed down to his sheafand the other was that the sun, moon,and eleven stars bowed down to him. Hetold his brothers that this meant theywould bow down to him. Of course, thisangered Joseph's brethren very much.They did not understand that thesedreams were visions of the future.The brethren went to Shechem and onto Dothan to feed their sheep. One dayJacob sent Joseph to see how his brethrenwere doing. When they saw him coming,they plotted against him. Rueben wishedto save Joseph, but Judah sold him forpieces of silver to some Ishmael-twentyites who were going to Egypt. These deceitful brothers, to cover their crime,dipped Joseph's coat in the Mood of agoat so their father would think thatJoseph was killed. When the Ishmaelitesarrived in Egypt, they sold Joseph as aslave to a rich soldier named Potiphar.Pharaoh was the kingof Egypt andPotiphar was one of his highest officers.Although Joseph was only seventeenyears old, he never forgot God. He wasnot alone, for God was always with him.In everything he did, Joseph prospered.Joseph did things so well that Potipharmade him manager of the whole household.For some time all went well. ThenPotiphar's wife tried to make love toJoseph. Joseph knew this was wrong, because she was married. So he ran away268from her. This made Potiphar's wifevery angry so she told lies about him.Joseph was put in prison. It seemedwrong for Joseph to be punished forsomething he did not do, but God had aplan for him.Joseph was well behaved in prison.Soon he had charge of all the other prisoners. The Lord prospered him.One day the king became very angrywith his chief butler and his chief baker.Theyseph's care.were cast into prison under JoOne morning Joseph saw these twoprisoners looking verysad. Upon inquiry, they tell Joseph of their dreams.They want to know the interpretation. Joseph tells them God can interpret theirdreams. Joseph tells the butler that hisdream means that he shall be restored tohis place in the palace. He tells the bakerthat his dream means that in three daysPharaoh shall lift off his head and hanghim upon a tree and the birds shall eathis flesh.Joseph asks the butler, when he isfree, to remember him to the king. Butthe butler forgets Joseph, and he remains a prisoner.Since space does not allow me to tellthis story thoroughly, I am going tosuggest that you use this plan. Have theleader prepare large capital letters spelling Joseph's name. These may be madeof flannel and used on the flannelboardor they may be printed on the blackboard with colored chalk.The lettersJ-O-S-E-P-H should be placed vertically.Ask six juniors to prepare the story foreach letter before the meeting. Here arethe outlines: 1) Jealousy Gen. 37:1-11;(2) Overcome Gen. 37:12-24; (3) SoldGen.37:25-36; (4) Egypt Gen. 39:1-6;; (5) Prison Gen. 39:20-23; and (6)Honor Gen. 41:1-43.Questions to answer:1. Give three reasons why Jacob lovedJoseph more than his other sons.2. Of what sins were Joseph's brethren guilty?3. Whydid Potiphar trust Joseph somuch and give him such a place of power?4. How was Joseph able to interpretdreams?5. What is the outstanding lesson ofJoseph's life?For your notebook, draw a picture of acoat .to represent Joseph's coat of manycolors. Color the coat different colors.At the bottom of the page copy Genesis 37:3.SABBATHSCHOOL LESSONNovember 14, 1954by Rev. Joseph A. Hill(Lessons based on International Sunday SchoolLessons : the International Bible Lessons forChristian Teaching, copyrighted by the International Council of Relieious Education.)A STUDY IN VALUESLesson Material: Proverbs 11:24-28; 13:7; 15:13-17; 16:8, 16; 20:11, 12; 22:1-5, 9; 28:6-28.Printed Text: Proverbs 11:27-28;15:13-17; 20:11, 12; 22:1-4.Memory Verse: Proverbs 22:1"A goodname is rather to be chosen than greatriches, and loving favor rather thansilver andThe expression, "spiritualhasgained such wide acceptance and usagein popular terminology that it has littlebaccalaureate speakerreal value. Everywithout fail mentions "moral and spiritual Everypolitical propagandist who feels that it might be valuableto him for the coming election speaksvalues."piously of "spiritual Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt addressed an assembly ofcitizens in a small village in New Yorklast winter, and spoke on the need of"moral and spiritualvalues"for maintaining stable international relations.Popular preachers are constantly talkingin a vague way about "spiritualIt is a part of the terminology of Moralism, which is the popular religion ofthe present day. "Moral is aconvenient term which covers all kindsof religion. Religion in general is thoughtto be a good thing, because it is valuablefor man's well-being. Thus, moral-valuismstems from the rationalistic unbeliefof modern man, which makes the purpose of religion to be values-for-maninstead of the glory of God. Accordingly,man-centered religion stresses "the valueofchurchgoing,""the value of Christian"the valuevalue of Christianofworship.""thecharacter,"etc., implying that the exercises of religion aregood because they are beneficial to man,to society, to the community. Because ofthe prevalent view of moral religion asbeneficial, the teaching of "moralin the public schools is receiving loudacclaim today. Children should be taughtthe value of honesty, for example. Theyshould be taught the commandment,"Thou shalt notIt is not necessary, however, to teach them that Godsaid this. Morals have their value, it issaid, apart from dogma concerning God.By contrast, true Biblical religion centers in God. The real value of man'smoral choices is measured by how muchthey glorify God. The benefits to manwhich accrue from right moral choicesare not to be regarded as an end inthemselves. "Man's chief end is to glorifyGod, and to enjoy Him forever." Hence,COVENANTER WITNESS

choice?"glorified?"you.". Butworks"the real question is not, "Will I benefitby this but rather, "Will GodbeThe Bible does indeed teach that prudence, humility and generosity bring rewards to man, and that they have realvalue for the life and well-being of man.But nowhere doesi the Bible teach thatman is to cultivate such virtues as ameans to his own happiness. The Proverbs must be seen in relation to thewhole context of the God-centered religion of the Bible. Only then can they beunderstood aright. Only as man's optionshonor and glorify God do they have realvalue.Proverbs 11:27, 28: "He that diligentlyseeketh good seeketh favor; but he thatsearcheth after evil, it shall come to him.He that trusteth in his riches shall fail;but the righteous shall flourish as thegreen leaf." Proverbs 22:3, 4, 9: "A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and sufferfor it. The reward of humility and thefear of Jehovah is riches and honor andlife. . . He that hath a bountiful eye shallbe blessed, for he giveth his bread to thepoor."These and other similar Proverbsshould be interpreted in the light of theteaching of Jesus concerning the rewardsof religion, e. g., Matthew 6:1-8: "Takeheed that ye do not your righteousnessbefore men, to be seen of them: else yehave no reward with your Father who isin heaven. . when thou doest alms,let not thy left hand know what thy righthand doeth: and thy Father who seeth insecret shall recompense thee," etc. Cf.also Matthew 6:31-33: "Be not thereforeanxious, saying, What shall we eat? or,What shall we drink? or, Wherewithalshall we be clothed? For after all thesethings do the Gentiles (heathen) seek ; foryour heavenly Father knoweth that yehave need of these things. But seek yefirst his kingdom, and his righteousness;and all these things shall be added untoIt is well-known that the person whotries the hardest to find happiness as anend in itself, is very often the least hapof all. And the person who devotespyhimself to virtues, for the value of them,always loses the true reward of godlinessin the end. We should seek righteousness,not for reward, but for the glory of God ;not because it pays, but because it isright. We should stop saying: "Honpolicy"esty is the best; rather, we shouldsay: "Honesty is the will of God." Andfinally, we should remember that Christianity is a truly moral religion, but thatmere Moralism is not Christianity, butthe heathen religion of "the Gentiles"(Matthew 6:32), the popular religion ofthe world. Let us honor God in our moralchoices, and then man will be trulyblessed.October 27, 1954PRAYER MEETING TOPICNovember 24, 1954GREAT PROMISES IN ISAIAHGod's UnfailingComments byPsalms:Word Isaiah 55:10-11.James D. Carson119: part 7, 1-4, page 293119: part 12, 1-5, page 29819:1, 3, 4, page 401:1-3, page 1References:I Kings 8:35, 36; II Chronicles 7:12-14;Hebrews 4:12; Isaiah 40:8; Exodus 16:4; John 4:14.All of us have watched the brownearth turn almost black as the springrains have moistened the ground, andthen have seen the ground become apparently dry on the surface, indicatingthat the water has penetrated into theground. And then, not long afterwards,the green shoots begin to appear, andweeks later, the harvest is brought in.There would be no harvest unless therehad first of all been water on thegroundwater which was allowed tosink into the ground and do its work.Water is necessary for the very sustaining of life, because only by it can therebe bread for man.In the Columbia River Basin area ofeastern Washington, it was found thatthe soil was very fertile, but no cropswere grown there, because of the lackof water. The construction of GrandCoulee Dam has made possible the irrigation of thousands of acres of thatcountry, and crops are now being harvested. But it was possible only bythe introduction of water.This, says the Lord, is an illustrationof the effect of God's Word on thehearts of men. The Word of God isdisseminated throughout the world forthe purpose of bringing forth the harvest of the souls of men. And while itmay often seem that the preaching andthe reading of the Bible is lost, we havethe assurance that it has been givenfor a very real purpose. The Word ofGod is as essential to the conversion ofmen as water is to the production ofcrops. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God"(Romans 10:17).Some rain water sinks immediatelyinto the ground where it may begin itswork of bringingnourishment to theseed and the plant. But some of the rainfinds its way into little gullies that runinto creeks and form rivers. It mayseem that the water is lost so far asits power of nourishment is concerned.But even there in the creeks and rivers,it brings nourishment to the trees thatmay be along the stream. And as thetrees drink of that water, so they growand become strong and sturdy. And inthis case, the Christian is likened tothe tree planted by the water's edge:"Blessed is the man that trusteth inthe Lord, and whose hope the Lordis. For he shall be as a tree plantedby the waters, and that spreadeth outher roots by the river, and shall notsee when heat cometh, but her leafshall be green; and shall not be carefulin the year of drought, neither shallcease from yieldingfruit"(Jeremiah17:7-8). The strengthening of a Christian life is brought through the waterof God's Word.The promise which is found hereregard to God's Unfailing Word is supported also by many other portions ofScripture. First of all, we find God'sWord to be unfailing in its effectiveness."For the word of God is quick, andpowerful, and sharper than any twoedgedsword, piercing even to thedividing asunder of soul and spirit, andof the joints and marrow, and is a discernerof the thoughts and intents ofthe heart" (Hebrewsin4:12). And again:"All scripture is given by inspirationof God, and is profitable for doctrine,for reproof, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good(II Timothy 3:16-17).Secondly,.we find that His Word isunfailing as to time. "The grass withereth,the flower fadeth: but the wordof our God shall stand forever" (Isaiah40:8). This is the hope of the Christian.Material things will pass away, but hewhose trust is in Jehovah has the assurance of the eternal continuance ofHis promises. It is because of this hopethat the Psalmist could write: "But hisdelight is in the law of the Lord; andin his law doth he meditate day andnight. And he shall be like a tree plantedby the rivers of water, that bringethforth his fruit in his season; his leafalso shall not wither, and whatsoeverhe doeth shall prosper."(Psklm 1:2, 3)Thirdly, God's Word is unfailing in itssupply. There is no shortage, and whatever the human need may be, we findthe answer to that problem through thepages of His holy Word. God had metthe physical needs of the wanderingIsraelites, as He had promised Moses:"Behold, I will rain bread from heavenfor you; and the people shall go out andgather a certain rate every day, thatI may prove them, whether they willwalk in my law, or no"(Exodus 16:4).And in the same way, God makes provision for the needs of His children ina spiritual way. "But whosoever shalldrink of the water that I shall givehim shall never thirst; but the water269

you"that I shall give him shall be in him awell of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14). God has Hisplan,and He has the power to see thatplan accomplished. It is to that end thatHis word is given, for He says: "...itshall accomplish that which I please,and is shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11).We are inclined to think a great dealmore of having three meals on the tableevery day than we are in studying thelaws of nature which made possiblethat food. We should likewise be verymuch concerned about feeding uponGod's Word. He has given it to us, butwe must feed upon it. The knowledgethat God's Word is unfailing will meanlittle to us, unless we make use of andappropriate the message of that Word."As newborn babes, desire the sinceremilk of the word that ye may growthereby"(I Peter 2:2). Some of us mayconsider ourselves ready for the meatof the Word, when we are not. "Forwhen for the time ye ought to beteachers, ye have need that one teachyou again which be the first principlesof the oracles of God;and are become such as have need of milk, andnot of strong meat. For every one thatuseth milk is unskillful in the word ofrighteousness: for he is a babe. Butstrongmeat belongeth to them thatare of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercisedto discern both good and evil"5:12-14).(HebrewsGod's Unfailing Word must becomeMy Unfailing Hope. If His Word doesnot give to our hearts joy, peace, andsatisfaction, then we have failed in itsapplication. How then maywe gainthese things? By seeking the grace ofGod. "But the Comforter, which is theHoly Ghost, whom the Father will sendin my name, he shall teach you allthings,and bringall things to yourremembrance, whatsoever I have saidunto(John 14:27). Apart from thegrace of God, there can be no growth inknowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.Why is it that we who are Christiansare not better Christians? What hindersus from becomingeffective in witnessing? "And the cares of this world, andthe deceitfulness of riches, and the lustsof other things entering in, choke theword, and it becometh4:19).PRAYERSUGGESTIONS:unfruitful"(Mark1. That we may be given a new heartto study the Scriptures,understanding.and a new2. That our hearts may be filled withgratitude at this Thanksgiving Season.3. That we may be more faithful in thesowing of the Word.270News BriefsDENISON :The W.M.S. met with Mrs.Ira Chestnut, October 7. Mrs. Paul McCrory was the devotional leader on thetemperance theme. Miss Mary McCrorygave the mission study from the book"Great Missionaries To India."The NEW CASTLE CONGREGATION was saddened by the sudden deathof Mrs. Kathryne Gaston on October 3.She had been attending our services forthe past year and a half and was a member of the Women's Missionary Society.The funeral service was conducted byRev. Harold Harrington.ROSE POINT: On Sabbath, October3, our pastor Rev. T. R. Hutcheson baptized Karen Louise, daughter of Mr. andMrs. James Dixson and Gerald Gene, sonof Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Graham.NEW YORK CITY: It was a pleasure to have the New York Presbyterymeet in our church October 11 and 12.Margaret Little, congregational Socialchairman, and her committee are to becommended on the turkey luncheonserved October 12.TOPEKA: On September 26, Rev. G.M. Robb supplied the pulpit for us. October 3, the Topeka congregation journeyed to Eskridge for the worship services. The hospitality of the Eskridge peoof Chrisple was appreciated and the joytian fellowship. On October 10, Miss Orlena Lynn spoke to the congregation.We were thankful for the opportunity ofhearing her. Rev. A. J. McFarland supOctober 17 and gave usplied our pulpit,helpful messages.LOCHIEL: Amongthe friends thatvisited Lochiel this summer, were Mr.and Mrs. Pinkerton and sons of Syracuse,and Mr. and Mrs. A. Parke of Toronto.We were happy to have these friendsworship with us, and thankful that theLord had restored Mrs. Parke who hadsuffered a slight stroke in February.CLARINDA: Mr. and Mrs. W. G.Dunn spent the month of August in Idaho and Washington.GENEVA: Our Communion week began on Monday evening the 11th of October when the session held its regularmeetingto receivemembers into ourchurch. Eight new members were receivedinto our midst byprofession of theirfaith in Christ. Donald H. Mullinnik, aGeneva student from Indianapolis, Indiana was one of these. The other sevenwere sons and daughters of those alreadyin the church. They include MarylinHemphill, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.Robert Hemphill; Nancy Ruth McFarland, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. RayMcFarland; Kathleen Aiken, daughterof Mrs. Ida Aiken and the late WilburAiken; David Bell, son of Mr. and Mrs.David Bell; John Garrett, son of Mr.and Mrs. William Garrett; David Willson,son of Dr. and Mrs. J. B. Willson;and John Fallon, son of Dr. and Mrs.Leslie Fallon. We commend these youngpeople to God and admonish them to"Come out from among them and be separate and God will receive them and bea Father unto them and they shall be Hissons and daughters." II Cor. 6:17LOCHIEL: Rev. F. F. Reade assistedat our Communion services, and broughtus very helpful messages from the "Songof Solomon." We were glad to have Mrs.Reade worship with us at this time too.ROSE POINT: Miss Blanche McCreastopped on her way home to visit MissRose Munnell and we had the pleasure ofhearing her at Wednesday evening prayerservice.GENEVA: We have had the pleasurethis Communion season of enjoying themessages of Dr. D. H. Elliott. He broughtus a series of messages on "The Greatness of God." Wednesday eveningin connection with our ordination service, heturned our thoughts to God as our Righteousness. "In His days Judah shall besavedHe shall be called THE LORDOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." Jer. 23:6Before the Covenant signing on Thursday, our thoughts were directed to God asour healer. "If thou wilt diligently harkento my voice I AM THE LORD THATHEALETH THEE." Exodus 15:26.In preparation for going to the Lord'stable, he spoke to us about God as outprovider. "And Abraham called the nameof that place, Jehovah- Jirah." Gen. 22:14. The climax of the event came Sabbathevening when he spoke to us of the newsong that He has put in our hearts. "TheLord is my strength and song, and He isbecome my salvation. Exodus 15:2.We were happy to welcome the membersof the College Hill congregation for thisevening worship.CLARINDA: Mr. William Moore, formany years a member of the ClarindaCongregation was called home on August 16.Mr. Moore has been in poorhealth for several years but was able tokeep the home with his daughter Kath-COVENANTER WITNESS

ass."man;"path."erine until the last week of his life. Hisson, Raymond Moore is an Elder of theCongregation.TOPEKA: The October meeting ofW.M.S. was held in the home of Mrs.Wilmer Piper. Mrs. Richard McAllisterwas devotional leader. Mrs. W. O. Martin read the book review "Fifty years inthe Church of Rome" byFather Chiniquy.CLARINDA:Mr. Thomas Whitehillspent two weeks in Montant and Wyoming visiting relatives.ROSE POINT: October 10, Rev. J. G.Vos, D.D., of Geneva College assisted ourpastor in communion, preaching Fridayevening and Sabbath morningning services.TOPEKA : We are happyand eveto report thatMiss Eleanor Woodburn is able to attendservices once again after being confinedwithmonths.a fractured shoulder for severalLOCHIEL: As we were unable to holda D.V.B.S. this summer, a combinedmeeting and picnic was held for the children and their parents. The Secretary ofthe British and Foreign Bible Societyshowed pictures of the people in Africareceiving the Sinahili Bible. Our D.V.B.S.had helped to finance the printing ofthese Bibles. A lady Missionary fromAfrica also gave a very fine talk to thechildren. The collection of approximately$27.00 was presented to the Bible Society.NEW CASTLE: The Adult BibleClass of the NEW CASTLE CONGREGATION held a farewell party and handkerchief shower on October 7in honorof Mrs. Elsie Stirling, who with her family, are leaving New Castle to maketheir home in Florida.ROSE POINT: Miss Rose Munnellshowed pictures of her work in Cyprusand of her visit to the mission in Syriaand Jerusalem. These slides were incolor and made an interesting hour's program on a Wednesday evening.CLARINDA: Rev. W. G. McMillanof New Kensington, Pa.,was the assistant at our Fall Communion and gave usconvincing and challenging messagesfrom the Word of God. There were sevenaccessions at this time; Richard andRobert Moore, Nancy Falk, Ann McCalla, Jimmie Dunn, Nancy Perry and JohnMorrow. The last two were baptized bythe Pastor.LOCHIEL: Rev. and Mrs. McKelvy,Alice and Ralph, spent six weeks thissummer visiting relatives and friends inMichigan, Iowa, and Kansas, as well asattending the Convention at Grinnell.They brought back glowing reports oftheir trip.October 27, 1954GENEVA: The Autumn time of theyear brings many beginnings, also theendingof some things and a renewal ofour relationship with others. Our FallCommunion, being held on the 17th ofOctober, willbring 'before us Christ'scommand "Do this in remembrance ofme."To prepare our hearts and minds forthis occasion, our Pastor has preached aseries of sermons on "Behold." He calledto our attention four phases of Christ'slife first as a man, John 19:5, "Pilatesaid unto them, Behold thesecond, as the Lamb of God, John 1:29 "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh awaythe sin of the world"; third as our God,Isaiah 40:9, "Oh Zion that bringest goodtidingsBehold your God"; and fourthas our King, Zech. 9:9 "Behold yourKing cometh unto thee lowly and riding on an A fitting summary canbe found in the 18th Psalm, "The Lordis my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my strength, in whomI will trust; my buckler, and the horn ofmy salvation and my high tower."NEW CASTLE: Mrs. Emma Buxton,who had recently made her home withMr. and Mrs. A. C. Gardner, passedawaymissed byon October 9th. She will also bethe NEW CASTLE CONGREGATION as she had worshiped withus quite frequently.LOCHIEL: Mrs. R. H. McKelvy hasaccepted the post of editor of the "Ontario"pages, in "The Canadian WhiteRibbon Tidings." Mrs. R. H. McKelvy,Mrs. W. C. Jamieson, and Mrs. W. A.Brodie, attended the Provincial Convention of the W.C.T.U. which was heldin Cornwall, Ontario.NEW CASTLE: The Women's Missionary Society of the NEW CASTLECONGREGATION held their Octobermeeting in the church and .boxes of usedclothing were packed for the Selma Mission. Luncheon was served at noon bythe hostess, Mrs. Kenneth McFarland.Mrs. Edward McConahy was in chargeof the business meeting and Miss AnnaM. Dodds was the devotional leader.DENISON: Mr. and Mrs. KennethSanderson brought interesting missionarymessages at a congregational thank offering meeting, Octobr 8. A social hourfollowed. Mrs. Jay Robb led in the opening devotional period.CLARINDA: After his basic trainingat Ft. Bliss in El Paso, Texas, WendellWestenbergspent his furlough with hiswife, Joyce in Clarinda.GENEVA: John and Mary Mitchellwere hosts to the Young People on theevening of October first. Held at theirfarm near Mars, Penna. the group enjoyed a covered dish dinner, after whicharoundthey went for an old-fashioned hay-ridethe country.Returningto thefarm the group gathered around camp-afire to roast corn and marshmallows.The evening ended with a serious noteas a short devotional service was held.TOPEKA: A call moderated for theTopeka congregation on October 14, resulted in the choice of Rev.HowardElliott. The election was made unanimous.D. R. Taggart, Moderator.ROSE POINT: Mrs. Bruce McElwainis spending the winter with her son,Glen and his family who live in Indiana.CLARINDA: Frances Dunn is teaching in Sheffield,. Iowa, again this yearand Martha Caskey at Leon, Iowa.TOPEKA: September 23, a S. S. Builders potluck supper and meeting washeld at the Westlake Shelter House inGage Park.GENEVA : The second meeting in connection with our Communion season wasthe ordination of two elders, MerrillRobb and William Garrett and two deacons, Willard Hemphill and Samuel Lathom. As they knelt before the congregation, our Pastor led in the ordinationprayer. In the installation service thatfollowed, Dr. J. G. Vos gave the charge tothem, basing his thoughts on the fourthchapter of Timothy. He admonishedthem to first please God and to be active in the Lord's service. Dr. John Coleman charged us as a congregation to"Obey them that have the rule over youfor they watch for yoursigning of the terms of Communioncompleted the serviceright hand of fellowshipsouls."Theafter which thewas extended tothem by their many friends who had witnessed the occasion.ROSE POINT: Our pastor Rev. T.R. Hutcheson assisted at communion inNew Alexandria on Sabbath, October 17Licentiate Donald McClurkin, Senior inthe Seminary, preached on Sabbathmorning in the absence of the pastor.GENEVA : Our Covenant signing service was held Thursday evening during ourCommunion week. With up lifted handswe gave our promise of allegiance tothis solemn Covenant. Dr. Elliott continued the service with his message ofthe evening on the subject "God ourHealer."At the close of the service thecongregation went forward by families toseal their promise in writing. We praywith the psalmist that God will "Show usthe wayand lead us in a plainGENEVA: We take time now to introduce to you our Session, those whomGod has chosen to go before us.Theyinclude Russell Lathom, C. B. Metheny.Samuel Edgar, M. F. Murphy, WilliamDodds, Fenton Farley, Merrill Robb,271

girls'William Garrett and S. R. Davis who hasservedfaithfully as Clerk for the past22 years.MID-WEST PRESBYTERY MEETINGThe Midwest Presbyterymet Oct.11th, 7:30 P.M. at the Hebron church,Clay Center Kansas. Rev. Wylie Caskeythe retiring Moderator preached aninspiring sermon from Luke 14:26.after which the following officerswere elected: Moderator, Rev. BruceStewart, Greeley, Cok>.; Clerk, Rev.Cloyd E. Caskey, D.D., Superior, Nebr.;Assist. Clerk, Geo. Milligan, Olathe,Kansas. On Wednesday, Two devotionalperiods were held centering around thetheme, "Know the truth and the truthshall make you free." The rest of theday was taken up with routine work.In the evening a tithers conference washeld with Rev. Wylie Dougherty presiding. Ross Latimer of Eskridge Congregation and Boyd Wallace of Stafford,were the main speakers. Expressions ofthanks were made to the Hebron Ladiesfor their excellent meals and entertainment. Presbytery adjourned to meetOct. 4, 1955 in the Clarinda, Iowachurch, where that congregation will becelebrating their 100th anniversary.SignedGeo. Milligan, reporterW. M. S. DepartmentMrs. Ross Latimer. Editor,Prayer Hour, 1:00 P.M. MondayFOREIGN MISSION REPORTThere are nine presbyterials as follows :Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, NewYork, Ohio, Pacific Coast, Philadelphiaand Pittsburgh. Two separate societies,Almonte and Lochiel in Ontario, Canadaalso reported, makinga total of 91 societies. Almonte and Lochiel joined NewYork presbyterial this year at the meeting at Syracuse.Contributions to ProjectsLATAKIA, Syria: Three flannelgraphs,"Power"magazine, S. S. papers, one taperecordingmonies.of Psalms and personal testiJAPAN: Three boxes of used Christmas cards, four boxes of clothing, twoboxes of books, two boxes of S.S. papers,quarterlies, pictures, etc. one box drymilk and cake mixes to Boyle family,shoes and used clothing to Chao family,magazine subscriptions and 25 boxes materials.SPECIAL PROJECTS: More than tenboxes of used clothing to Korea andGreece. Three quilts presented to missionaries and eighteen calendars sent at holiday time.FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS:China Relief $30; Latakia $19; Larnaca $414; Nicosia $763; Japan $649.14;Miscellaneous $5230.67. Total $7105.81.Sixty-four societies heard missionaryspeakers. Fourteen speakers were heard.1. Suggestions that might increase ourefficiency and further the missionarycause: that "Local and Presbyterial report blanks be coordinated to ask for thesame information, such as separating material and financial contributions, separating Larnaca and Nicosia and requesting names of missionary speakers.2. Societies should be informed whatthey should do about postage or duty onpackages to mission stations, so thatworkers won't have to pay.3. In order to stimulate missionary giving, gifts specified for certain purposesbe used as donor requests.should onlyMarian SpearForeign MissionSuperintendentSENATOR LANGER EXPLAINSSTATEMENT RE C.A. BILLA recent issue of the "ConvenanterWitness" carried a letter from SenatorWilliam Langer concerning the statusof the Christian Amendment bill (S. J.Res. 87) at the time Congress adjourned.Because ofcontinued newspaper andmagazine reports that the Senate Judiciary Committee had voted unanimouslyto disapprove the bill further inquirywas made of Senator Langer. The following letter was received in reply:* * *UNITED STATES SENATEformation concerning the status of S.J.Res. 87, the so-called Christian Amendment.I want to reiterate what I told youearlier, namely, that S.J. Res. 87 wasnot acted on by the Committee priorto adjournment. Consequently, the Religious News Service release which youquoted was in error.The hearings which were held on thisamendment are now being printed andI will see that your copy is forwarded assoon as we receive them.With kindest regards, I am(signed)Sincerely,WILLIAM LANGERChairmanFRANK H. MANNFrank H. Mann of Rye, New York,general secretary of the American BibleSociety died, after a short illness, onOctober 11.Mr. Mann was born in May, 1883,graduated from Hampden-Sidney College, Virginia, in 1903, receiving Litt.B.and M.A. degrees. For some years, following his graduation, he was engagedin educational work and later becameassistant secretary of the YMCA inHavana, Cuba. He spent a five-yearperiod as General Secretary of theAmerican Bible Society, following hisservice in World War I as a FirstLieutenant in the Field Artillery.Subsequently he was engaged in realestate activities, returning to the American Bible Societyagain as general secretary in 1942, where he has been responsible for the cultivation of theSociety's support by the churches. Inappreciation of his work among thechurches, in 1953 the Honorary degreeof Litt. D.was conferred upon Mr.Mann by the Board of Trustees ofMoravian College, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.LARNACA, CYPRUS: One box used Committee on the JudiciaryChristmas cards, boxes of books,October 13, 1954patterns, magazine subscriptions and twoRev. T. C.boxes S. S. McKnight, Presidentpapers.Christian Amendment MovementNICOSL JS: One box sermons804 Penn Avenueand pamphterns, three,;ed books, dress pat Pittsburgh 21, Pennsylvaniausee!- ngf."eeting cards,S. S. papers - Xt quarterlies, Christmasgift box to Miss Rose Munnell from herhome society.272Dear Mr. McKnight:This will acknowledge your recentletter in which you again request inMr. Mann planned and conducted theannual meeting in December of theAdvisory Council, a group representingmore than fifty denominations whichapprove and support the program ofthe American Bible Society.He married Anna C. Rogers in May,1919, who, with two sons, Roger C.and William H. Mann, and three grandchildren, survive him.COVENANTER WITNESS

Missionary NumberLESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 21, 1954THE FIELD IS THE WORLD, TUB 50 IS THE WORD Of- GODVOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1954 NUMBER 18Rejoicingto Suffer Dishonor for the NameBy Spiros Zodhiatesin Greek Harvest GleaningsFor a year now the Greek Government has beentrying arbitrarily to seize from the Evangelical Community in Katerini, Macedonia, a park located between the Evangelical Church and our Orphanagebuilding. This park has been used by the Evangelicals for over 30 years. The seizure was ordered bythe central Government which sent their officers tooccupy it. Immediately Luther's famed hymn "AMighty Fortress Is Our God" filled the air from thetower of the Evangelical Church. That was the signalfor all the women to assemble in the park where theychallenged the police to kill them if they wanted totake over their park. There was not much the policecould do but go away. However, they issued summonsagainst six of the women as disturbing public order.Finally these women were arraigned before a criminal court and were sentenced to ten days imprisonment. They could redeem their sentences by paying afine if they wanted. But they unanimously decidedthat they should go to prison for they considered it aunique privilege to suffer imprisonment for the sakeof Jesus Christ. Each one carried a Bible and a hymnbookwith her. When they arrived at the prison theguards were surprised to see the Bibles and hymnbooks.These were indeed strange prisoners! However, the guards did not permit them to take theirprecious books with them. The women then turnedknowwholechapters of the Bible by heart and we alsoto the guards and said: "Don't you worry, weknow many hymns. You can take our Bibles andhymnbooks away from us, but you cannot hold ourtongues and sew up our lips." In prison they didnot cease for one moment to sing praises unto God.That prison was turned to a Gospel Center. A womanwas brought in who had attempted to commit suicideand there she was exposed to the Gospel and to theclaims of Jesus Christ on her life that she tried todo awaywith. Greek Orthodox restaurant owners intown who heard about the imprisonment of theseEvangelical women sent them excellent meals as a token of their sympathy. The result of it all is that noweven the guards who would not permit these womento take the Bibles in with them want to read theWord of God. Everybody wants to find out about theChrist of these women for whose sake they considered it a joy to be imprisoned. One hundred Biblesare needed for the guards, their fellow prisoners andthe people whose lives were influenced by the wonderful testimony of these women. A great joy willoverwhelm you to complete the testimony of theseour gallant sisters in the Lord.It was in Greece Acts 16 :22-40 took place. Readit again.A Mohamedan Convert Suffering in thehands of "Christians"One of our missionaries in Northern Greece hasjust written us that as a result of his evangelisticefforts a Moslem came to know the Lord Jesus. "Hehas been trying hard to make a living as a cobbler.He was renting a small store which he had to abandon because he could not pay the rent. Then heshared another store with a Greek Orthodox, eachone paying half of the rent. A few days ago he wasasked to get out of that place because, as he was told,he became a Protestant. He is indeed very poor, butwe rejoice in his gallant faith. Will you please reprayer?"member him inIt is really a shame that a Moslem converted tothe Lord Jesus Christ should suffer such persecutionin the hands of so called "Christians." How dark candarkness get? Whatever you do for this convertedMoslem to help him in his utter poverty God will reward you.(Continued on page 278)

meeting.''way."Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D."The Sunday Morning TragedyThe above is the heading of an article in The Watchman-Examiner (Baptist), which has the sub-title, "Not forsakingthe assembling of ourselves together." The writer, Rev. D. H.Miller, says:"All over this land of ours there is a tragedy which takesplace every Sunday morning. The tragedy is that the Lord'sDay comes and goes and somehow God and h's people donot get together. This tragedy has many ramifications.First, there is the fact that a great proportion of our members do not come to church. And it is not just the fact thatthey do not come, but that they have no intention of comingworse still, that some of them plan deliberately not tocome, plan deliberately Sunday after Sunday to do things thatcarry them away from the Christian church. This is not aBaptist problem at all. Do you know that we ministers actually think we are doing better than average if we can getan attendance of one third of our membership on each Sunday.And may I say that some of us do try desperately hard toovercome this situation. But we fail ! We advertise. We invite.Sometimes we scold. We seek to lure our people with goodmusic and snappy sermons and appealing programs, but theaverage remains about the same. The fact remains that sixtysixper cent of our people do not even expose themselves to aservice of Christian worship more than about twice a year.Even Christmas and Easter do not mean anythingfor they have fallen so out of the habit of goingto them,to churchthat they do not even know how to worship when they do getthere."Mr. Miller continues:The Service a Mere Program"Here is another, and this one happens right in the church.I refer to the minister who has no conception at all of worship. He gets his people together each Lord's day, but he hasno idea of worshipThe service is not worshipevents strungand his people have no idea of worship.at all. It is just a program oftogether a sort of socialized good time areligious pep meeting in which the people sing and are led inprayer and listen to the church, and such. It is a folksy service. It is a people-centeredFaithful Preaching"Then there is a tragedywhich sometimes occurs in thepulpit,"says the above writer: "Our neighbor .... said whenspeakingof the hazards of the pulpit: 'A man must decidewhether he is going to preach the gospel fearlessly or merelythe kind of message acceptable to all who hear him. If hedoes the former, he is apt to be in trouble with some oeople.But if he does the latter, he is in trouble with God.' Howright he is. And he might have added: 'If you are going to bein trouble with anyone, it had better not be with God.' Thepreacher is in a ticklish spot. He is paid by the people whosesins he is supposed to correct. But if he is a wise and goodman, he will never forget that both he and theytained by God. . . ."Some preachers never hit the mark. Theyare susdeliver nicelittle homilies, but they do not disturb the sins and prejudicesof the people, and theynever get down to brass tacks withissues that are live and vital. They put upstraw men andknock them down, but they let moral or economic or racialissues red hot stare them right in the face, and they very274adroitly walk around them. The church is not a little smugsocial club of choice people. It is supposed to be a dynamicgroup of humble and redeemed sinners going out with Christafter those who have lost theirDrive Against DrinkSurprising as it may be, the Communist paper, Pravda,has called on its party and social organizations to organize"a realstruggle"against drunkenness. It stated that manyparty and trade union organizations were neglecting to campaign against drunkenness. The paper further affirmed thisis "alien to the spirit of the Sovietpeople."Let us hope thatthis is true and that Russia, with all its perversions and vices,may lead in a temperance movement.Student Missionary ConventionFrom December 27 to January 1, it is expected that 1,600students will gather in the Fourth International Student Missionary Convention at the University of Illinois, Urbana, 111.These students will come from Bible institutes, universitiesand seminaries in the United States, Canada and foreigncountries. The Convention is being sponsored jointly by Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, Foreign Missions Fellowship,and the Nurses Christian Fellowship. The theme will be,"Changing World, Changeless Christ."Dr. Ockenga Remains in BostonWe recently reported, that which was announced elsewhere, that Dr. H. J. Ockenga was to leave Park Street Churchin Boston to become active president of Fuller TheologicalSeminary in California. However, the Park Street Churchrefused to accept his resignation and the people of New England desired that he remain there and he has decided to yieldto their request. During his pastorate in Boston his congregation has increased its budget from $20,000 to $400,000 annually. The church supports upwards of 100 missionaries inmany lands. Prof. E. J. Carnell has been appointed presidentof Fuller Seminary.(Continued on page 281)THE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street. Newton, Knnsas orthrouffh its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka. Kansasto promote Bible Standards of Doctrine. Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writers;not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen. D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll. D.D.Remo I. Robb. D.D.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdgarMrs. J. O. EdcarMrs. Ross Latime*Subscription rates: $2.50 per year: Overseas. $3.00: Single Copies10 cents.The Rev. R. B. Lyons. B.A., Limavady, N. Ireland. Agent for theBritish Isles.Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Newton. Kansasunder the Act of March 3, 1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.COVENANTER WITNESS

coexistence."Current EventsBy Prof. William H. Russell, Ph.D.WESTERN EUROPEAN UNIONAfter an historic week of meetings in Paris, the Westernpowers worked out a plan for integrating West Germany intothe Atlantic alliance. Four different agreements were involved.Britain, France, and the U. S. will grant West Germany fullsovereignty, reserving only the right to station troops therefor the defense of the free world. An expanded Brussels Treatygroup, to be known as the Western European Union, will control German rearmament. Germany is invited to join theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization and supply twelve divisions to its armed forces. But unanimous consent of all sevenPROGRESS IN EGYPTEgypt and Great Britain have signed the treaty underwhich the British will withdraw from the Suez Canal zone.The last of the 80,000 British troops at the base will leaveby June, 1956. The company which operates the canal will remain under French administration according to its original99-year concession, but this expires in 1968 and Egypt willthen have complete control of the canal. The only state todislike the Suez pact is Israel, which fears that Egypt willbecome more aggressive. The general hope, however is thatthe agreement will lead to closer ties with the West.members of W. E. U. will be required before any of them canincrease their militarycontributions! to NATO. France thushas a check on German military expansion.The final agreement which made the others possible wasbetween France and Germany regarding the Saar, the vitalcoal and iron area which lies between them. The two countriesdecided that the Saar would be governed bya neutral commissioner named by W. E. U. The people of the Saar will hold aplebescite on this agreement, but once it is approved theycannot agitate against it. The French will continue to dominate the Saar's coal, iron, and steel industries. The West German Parliament will not like this arrangement, but it is believed that Chancellor Adenauer has enough strength to secureits ratification. All the countries involved must ratify theParis agreements through their parliaments, but no great difficulty is expected, and the prospects of Western unity are thebest we have seen in several years.RUSSIAN SIDETRACKOne measure of Western diplomatic success is the Russian reaction. Immediately after the London agreement, theSoviets proposed new UN talks on disarmament, withoutdisclosing their specific terms. A Disarmament Commissionwill be created, consisting of Russia, Britain, France, Canada,and the U. S. Then, when it became apparent that the Parisconferences would succeed, Molotov made a new move onGerman unification. He called for a Big Four conference within a month to discuss common problems, including Germany.For the first time, the Russians seemed willing to considerfree elections. Russia has never yet made anygenuine concessions at a Big Four conference, and we doubt whether sheintends to now. Her actual objective probably is to delay German rearmament by arousing new hopes of reunification anddisarmament.ASIATIC LEADERS MEETIndia's Prime Minister Nehru has paid a visit to Peiping,causing considerable concern to Western diplomats. Betweenthem, India and China have two-fifths of the world's population and can determine the destinyof Asia. Chou En-laivisited India on his way home from the Geneva conference,but Nehru had never been in China before. He was given agreat welcome at Peiping and conferred with Mao Tse-tungas well as Chou. No doubt the Chinese tried to bolster Nehru'shopes of "peacefulThe talks probably alsodealt with future southeast Asia, for Nehru visited all thecountries of that area on his way to and from Peiping.Nehru still claims to be neutral, but he appears far morewilling to trust the Communists than the western democracies.Krishna V. Menon, India's U. N. representative and a personal friend of Nehru, is bitterly anti- Western.Our government has already begun planning the economicaid which we promised if Egypt would settle the Suez difficulty. Egypt has asked for $100 million for next year, but willprobably get less. The projects for which she wants financialaid include irrigation and land reclamation, oil drilling, railroad and highway construction, production of chemical fertilizer, and the establishment of iron and steel, sugar, and paper industries. The greatest project is the Aswan Dam, whichwould irrigate two million acres and generate one millionkilowatts of electrical power, twelve times Egypt's presentsupply.DOLLARS ABROADOur country is shipping 30,000 tons of wheat to Turkeyto relieve a critical bread shortage. Turkey ordinarily exportswheat; but this year's crop in central Anatolia was almost atotal failure, and the Turks will need about 600,000 tons ofgrain to make up the shortage. We will probably send moregrain later, under the plan which the last Congress adopted fordisposing of agricultural surpluses.It is not always easy to give wisely. Burma has warnedthat if we "dump" surplus grain in the Orient to assist needynon-Communist countries, she may be forced to establisheconomic ties with Red China. Burma depends on rice asher main export and has 700,000 tons unsold from this year'scrop, with next year's surplus expected to be even larger.India, Japan, and Ceylon are normally her best customers.American officials say that our surpluses will go only tocountries which cannot afford to buyket.grain on the open marThe U. S. has agreed to increase its aid to Pakistan toabout$155 million this fiscal year. This is about three timesthe amount given last year. Two-thirds will go for economicassistance, and the rest for military aid. Premier Yoshida ofJapan, who has been visiting western Europe, will arrive inWashington early in November to present his country's needs.TIRED AIRPLANESAfter an exhaustive investigation, British scientists haveconcluded that the mysterious crashes of "Comet" jet air-liners were due to metal fatigue. Under the strain of the internalpressure used when cruising at high altitudes, the metal ofthe plane's cabin weakened and finally burst in mid-air. Toestablish this fact, thousands of fragments were recoveredfrom the bottom of the sea where a Comet crashed off theisland of Elba last January. Sabotage, crew failure, and designfaults were all eliminated as possible causes. The nature andcauses of "metal fatigue" are still not well understood, andthere is no remedy immediately apparent. The problem is aserious one because it presumably will affect other jet transports.November 3, 1954275

A pastor and lifelongmissionaryenthusiastgets his eyes opened to ..Your Missionaries'A few months ago I had an experience I shallnever forget. As a result of the profound impressionand conviction I received from that experience, myown missionary outlook has been almost revolutionized. In turn, those in my church have been affectedand their reactions have had untold results on ourmissionaries. But to get back to my story.As I sat back in the big plane that was takingme to the jungles of Brazil, I anticipated the visitwith our young missionaries. It would be good to seethem, see their work, where they lived, and how theywere coming along. It would arouse enthusiasmamong the folks back home to be able to give themfirsthand information about their own missionaries.I don't know exactly what I expected to find. Itseems that I have always been familiar with missionaries and their fields. Some of my earliest recollections are of my parents inviting missionaries hometo dinner and listening intently as they told of theirproblems and victories. As I grew up and preparedfor the ministry, I felt that the primary business ofthe church was to further the carrying of the gospel to the ends of the earth. In recent years I havehad contact through camp and radio ministry withyoung people going out to the mission fields. I'veknown something of the curriculum of Bible institutes ... of the varied courses designed to meet themissionary's needs when he reaches his field of service. I was certain that when a young person completed such a course he was ready to meet the difficultiesof the mission field. Thus, I had no misgivings aboutthe young people I was about to visit.Some time back, these four young Bible institutestudents and their families entered the communityin southern California where I pastor a church.They were sincere, earnest and of very high caliber.Gladly and willingly they took up the tasks whichcame their way, and theysoon endeared themselvesto all with whom they came in contact.When they finished their courses of study, theyapplied and were accepted for service deep in theAmazonian jungles of Brazil. It was the privilege ofour church to aid in providing their equipment and toundertake to send them a monthlytheir support.gift to help inFrom time to time, letters arrived telling oftheir problems and their victories. In one letter theysuggested that the pastor pay them a visit. The ideaseemed to strike fire, and one after another of themembers of the church decided it would be a goodthin* to do. The result was that,after a few months,accompanied by a good friend, I began the swiftflight over thousands of miles to visit our missionaries.276I repeat, as I sat on the plane, there was anticipation and thrill as I thought of my visit ; but therewas not much real concern. I was sure that the youngpeople were well equipped to meet every problem.When we arrived, the change seemed almostunbelievable. We were in another world. Before usflowed that "mighty Amazon," which was threemiles wide even at the place where we stood, sometwo thousand miles from its mouth! At our backswas the mass of profuse vegetation known as thejungle. Someone has called it a "green hell," and thatis what it appeared to us. Around us were the natives, with curiosity showing clearly in their eyes. Atour sides were the friends whom we had come toeagerfacedchildren, anxious to show us the mysteries ofvisit, and tugging at our hands were theirtheir new home.Here is what I had come to see. How did themissionaries fare ? What were their greatest needs ?How could the folks at home best help them ? Thesewere the things I had come to find out.At this particular mission station our friendswere exceedingly well off. Both of the families hadbrand-new wooden houses with bright and shiningaluminum roofs over their heads. The houses werecomfortable and commodious, although they were notto be compared to the luxury of even the simplesthomes in America.In order to build these homes, the young menhad been obliged to take a trip of five hundred longweary miles up the river.There, at a saw mill, theypurchased the finished boards, fashioned them into araft, and for three days and nights of danger and toilthey floated the house lumber down the river. Withnot too much experience in building houses and withnative helpers who knew much less, they cleared theland and completed the erection of their homes.As I stayed in the home of one of these friendsand talked with them hour after hour, as I openedmy eyes and watched all the proceedings, and as webared our hearts to one another around the fellowship board, I came to see that the large task of building a home, even though dug out of the jungle, was asmall thing in comparison to the more perplexing andalmost insurmountable difficulties that daily boredown upon these people.There was at the outset the never ending problem of the missionary's health. The native has beenthere for centuries and has built up an immunity tothe thousand and one possible diseases and annoyances that beset any jungle dweller. Not so the missionary. He is fresh prey to diseases, parasites andthe vociferous insects that almost overwhelm himdaily.COVENANTER WITNESS

earnest"Greatest NeedFrom Moody MonthlyBy William W. OrrThe problem of food was tremendous. For somethree months prior to our arrival our friends hadbeen unable to obtain flour. There was none to bebought either from the river boats or from theusual sources of supply, ninetymiles and fourteenlong wearisome hours by outboard motor up the river. Fresh vegetables were almost an unheard of commodity, and due to the steaming character of jungleland it was just about impossible to plant things andhave them mature before the seed rotted under thejungle pressure.Then there had to be native help if the missionary was to give his time to the greater work, but thehelp was unsatisfactory. These people were willingbut ignorant, and were not careful in matters ofcleanliness. They could not understand why perfectlygood river water had to stand for twenty-four hoursin order to let the silt sink to the bottom. It was amystery to them after that why the water had to bebriskly boiled for twenty minutes and then cooledagain before one could use it.I could go on and on speaking of hardships. Itseems as if the missionary never stops scratching,for there is that small, almost invisible insect whichburrows its way deep into the skin. There is the difficulty of obtaining suitable language teachers, andthe necessity for patience in acquiring agility inspeaking. There is the matter of distances a tenhours'journey on the river by outboard motor boat,for example, to send or receive mail. There is the lackof the everyday conveniences which the missionaryhas known in the homeland no electricity, no running water, no telephone, and pitifully few of themodern aids that civilization affords.Yet the lack of these do not constitute the missionary's greatest need !On the mission field there is a spiritual battle.There, Satan has entrenched himself in pagan superstition and darkness over a period of many centuries. Either there is a decadent sterlity of a greatfalse church, with its totally unscriptural forms andceremonies, or else there is the diabolical and shameful immorality of naked heathenism. The missionary must battle with these entrenched influences. Hemust combat an unbelievably powerful enemy. Thebattle is a spiritual one, and the missionary's adversary never fights fairly. He seeks to steal up on themissionary's weakest side. He daily implants doubtsand discouragement. He uses every unfair meansto bring about a defeat, first in the missionary's ownsoul, and then to nullify his work.I am convinced that the physical difficulties ofthe missionary are of secondary importance. He canovercome the lack of food and housing. He can getNovember 3, 1954along with much less than is generally thought. Hecan even make proper medical provision to care forhis body. But where is there a sure defense againstthe spiritual onslaughts of the greatest deceiver ofall times? If the missionary's heart is discouraged,then all other difficulties seem mountain high. If hehas lost the will to do battle, then he is completely defeated, even before lifting his weapons. Without adoubt the greatest thing to guard against is the theftof the missionary's peace of mind and inspiration ofheart. Without these he is utterly useless as a warrior of the cross.We returned from the Amazon jungle far moresober Christians than we had been before. Duringthe hours of our return flight our minds went overand over the scenes which we had witnessed. We endeavored to analyze the true missionary picture.There they are down there, our official representatives. They are fine young people, brave and courageous. They do not ask anything special for themselves, but want only that, through their lives, othersmay find the Saviour. How can we help deservingyoung people like these ? What is their greatest need ?As I think of it now, I am sure that through thisfirst-hand experience God answered that questionfor me. The greatest need of the missionary is notthe physical difficulty or material deprivation ; whathe needs the daily inspiration of God. He needs thehourly filling of the blessed Holy Spirit. He needsthat heavenly bubbling over in his life that will firehis mind and strengthen his hand. He needs the constant touch of Almighty God in his life. Then nothingcan daunt him.There isn't the slightest doubt in my mind thathere is the secret of true missionary accomplishment.When God's omnipotence touches the missionary'ssoul, Satan must turn and slink away before the inspired advance of a truly God-filled life. And the natives, too, will note the difference with amazementand will think that God Himself has sent His emissary in their midst.But how may the missionary be touched by thepower of God? How can we bring down that divinepower upon him which will overwhelm everythingin its path? It is true that the missionary himselfcan pray and can place himself on the altar. It is truethat he may read the Scriptures and study, but isthat enough? Is there not a task for those of us athome? I believe that the answer to the missionary'sdesperate problem of spiritual inspiration comesmostly from a "dead in use of the mightyweapon of prayer in the hands of those who hold thelifeline at home.What did I do about it? First of all I told the277

praying."praying people in my church. I told them of thephysical needs, and then I told them of the greaterspiritual needs. I asked them to begin to pray inearnest. I told them that it was not enough to remember these missionary representatives once aweek on Sunday morning. I reminded them thatthere are twenty-four hours in the day, and suggested that all day long, just as many times as theSpirit of God brought our missionaries to theirminds, they should lift up their hearts in earnest anddefinite prayer for these dear friends of ours, deepin the jungle, thousands of miles away.To aid the failing memory, we obtained a number of prayer cards. For wives we suggested the inside of the kitchen cupboard door ; to the men, a placenear their desk or workshop. I asked that in everymeeting of the church, the choir, the young people'smeetings, business meetings, etc., we not forget totalk with the Lord regarding our missionaries.It is now some seven or eight months since Ireturned from my visit, and you are wondering whatis the result of this prayer crusade. Has God seenfit to honor our faith ? Are there visible accomplishments on the missionary field? How happy I am tosay in answer, the news from the field is most thrilling.We have been praying for definite, specificneeds and we are seeing God answer our prayers in adefinite, specific way. The missionaries themselvesare receiving new inspiration. They are unable to explain it, but we know it has come from God. There isa real stirring among the people to whomthey havegone to minister. Souls are being saved, not only byones or twos, but whole villages are in line to betouched with the gospel story.The missionaries write, "Your prayers are beinganswered. Please keep onMore snecificneeds are coming, and these are placed in individualIiands with the instruction to keep on praying untilthe answer is forthcoming. We are finding God isfaithful. We are uncovering a source of irresistiblepower.What is the missionary's greatest need ? It is theconstant touch of Almighty God in his life. This isthe key to true success. This is the entrance intoeternal accomplishment. How may it be obtained?Only when you and I at home lay aside less important things, and through the amazing power of Godbelievingprayer bring it to pass in his life. May Godhelp us so to do!REJOICING TO SUFFER . . . .from front pageA Courtroom Turned to a Preaching CenterOne of our missionaries, Brother Constantin D.,was arrested in the course of his itinerant ministryof the distribution of Scriptures and Gospel literature. He was arrested due to the insistence of apriest who claimed that these books were circulatingillegally. Our Brother was taken to the police stationand there beaten relentlessly. After being detainedfor three hours he was issued with a summons to appear before the criminal court. The trial was held andthe single judge of the court sentenced our brother toa fine of about $100 and forty days imprisonment.We immediately appealed the finding to the court of278appeals before which the case was heard just a fewweeks ago. As a result of your generous help contributed to our General Fund, we were able to employa lawyer for the defense of our Brother. (This iswhy we advise you, when you are not sure how todesignate your gift to put it in the General Fundbecause that is the Fund that meets the greatestneeds and emergencies such as this one of employinglegal counsel for our persecuted brother.)There also came down as a witness one of ourEvangelical pastors. The trial opened before a threejudgecourt. The court room was packed with 200people, lawyers, professors, newspaper reporters andother leaders from the whole country who came tofollow this queer trial of a man accused as a criminalbecause he was distributing Evangelical Christianliterature. If this happened in heathen Africa or Asiaone would understand such an attitude, but it happened in Greece, the cradle of freedom and civilization and it was instigated by those who are the recipients of the benevolence of major Protestant Denominations in the United States through the WorldCouncil of Churches and who sit in religious councilswith the Protestants of the United States.In opening the case, the president of the Courtturned to the witness for the accused, the Evangelical pastor, and asked him to explain to the courtwhat the Evangelicals mean by "salvation." So ourbeloved pastor rejoicing for this wonderful opportunity took the New Testament in his hand and for halfan hour explained from the Word of God the wholeplan of salvation.Then the presiding judge turned to the GreekOrthodox theologians who were examining the booksthat the accused was distributing and asked themwhat they thought of them. They asserted that theteachings of these books were contrary to the teachings of the State Church and, therefore, on the frontpage of each, according to law, they should bemarked "Of Evangelical Principles." When the GreekOrthodox theologians finished giving their testimony, our pastor from Athens pulled out of his pocket a letter that was received from a Greek OrthodoxBishop who was stating that our Evangelical publications were wonderful and that the Greek Orthodoxpeople ought to read them because they would begreatly benefited by them. This surely put the courtin a dilemma. On the one hand the local Greek Orthodox theologians said the books were against theGreek Orthodox Church while the Bishop said theywere wonderful! The court finally decided to tablethe matter and refer the books to the Holy Synod ofthe Greek Orthodox Church.While the witness and the accused were leavingthe court room there was loud applause for them.Furthermore, the Lawyers' Guild of that town issuedan invitation to the Evangelical pastor who acted aswitness, to come down as soon as possible and givethem a lecture on the Evangelical Faith and the Bible. The most wonderful thing is that almost everyone of the people who attended the trial is now anxious to obtain a Bible and study it. Please pray thatwe may be able to provide these 200 Bibles in modern Greek. God certainly caused the wrath of manto praise Him in this case and it is expected of youand of me to complete this marvelous doing of Godby providing His eternal Word.Read Acts 5 :38-42.COVENANTER WITNESS

evangelism"evangelism."Editorial NotesNovember 3, 1954 279Syrian Mission 4,502.83Japan Mission 3,731.10By Walter McCarrollHome Base 552.22LossOverdraft Aprilof Scholastic Standing. It seems that 1, '54 __ 1,264.72ourTotalschools in Latakia haveExpenditures $14,023.02lost the right for their gradBalance overdrawn Sept.uates to enter the American University at Beirut 1, '54and$ 3,548.58Aleppo College on their diplomas, but must take theentrance examinations. The reason for this is theSUMMARY OF RESTRICTED FUNDSlack of necessary equipment. The library is not largeenough. Another room is needed and double the presChina Orphan FundChina Relief Fund$ 3,640.30542.13ent number of books. Also a laboratory is needed Milne Wilmoth Fund 5.403.65where each student can work out his own experi Farida Ibrahim Fund ___ 9,672.29ments. The schools have no chapel. Two or moreyears ago the roof was torn off the old chapel andhas not been replaced for lack of funds. It goes almost without saying that schools in these days mustNicosia Building Fund __Larnaca Building Fund _Gihon EstateAccomodation Account_378.27536.8215,000.00907.14be kept up to a certain standard in curriculum requirements, teacher personnel, and physical equipTotal in Restricted Funds $36,080.69ment or they will soon go out of business. There aretwo ways of putting a school out of business, one bydecisive action giving the schools the quietus, theother way is by doing nothing. Following the secondway the agony is prolonged but the end is the same.Looking at it from this distance one can see nogood reason for letting the schools in Latakia losescholastic standing for lack of the necessary physical equipment. There is the Farida Ibrahim Fundwhich amounts to considerably more than nine thousand dollars. This was left by a native Syrian woman,the product of our schools in Syria, who came to thiscountry and toiled and saved and died leaving herIt can be argued that these restricted funds arenecessary as a reserve to carry the work when nothing is coming in; that it is better to be safe thansorry. It can be argued that the support of the workalready undertaken must be guaranteed before making a larger venture of faith. On the other hand itcan be argued that because we refuse to make aventure of faith the Lord is withholding blessings.The door of opportunity for direct evangelism inJapan is now open. It may close soon. If a group ofgenuine Japanese believers can be raised up beforethe door closes to foreigners, then maybe this constitutes a distinct call from the Lord for immediatesavings to our Board of Foreign Missions to helpmaintain the work in Syria. Why should not some ofthat money be made available immediately to provide the necessary library space and meet laboratoryneeds, and put a roof on the chapel and make it usable? Mr. Hutcheson was sent out as an educationalmissionary. What does the church expect from aneducational missionary? That he will do his best tobuild up the schools under his care? Or does thechurch set limits on him and say in effect that heaction on the part of our church. WoeIsaiah 6.Tither's CornerSeven Ways of GivingIx> Go.must maintain only second-rate schools that lookrun-down-at-the-heels ?(1) The careless way: to give something to everyToo large a proportion of the church's money ispresented, without inquiring into itsmerits.spent upon schools and not enough on direct evangelism? Would that all critics of the schools could (2) The impulsive way: to give from impulse,spend about three years in the Near East on "direct as much and as often as love and pity and sensibility! That might open their eyes to the facts prompt. This is uncertain and irregular.of life. Rev. William Lytle was a strong believer in(3) The lazy way: to make a special effort to"directBut what happened? He was earn money for benevolent objects by fairs, festivals,thrown out of his field, and is now confining his efetc.forts to evangelism in and through the schools. Mr.(4) The self-denying way: to save the cost ofHutcheson writes: "The church is willing to spendluxuries and apply them to purposes of religion andmuch money keeping churches or even Presbyteriescharity. This may lead to asceticism and self-comalive, who haven't produced a missionary or studentfor our Seminary for nigh on to half a century. Thenplacence.why not continue here where the tangible results are (5) The systematic way: to lay aside, as an ofas good or better?"fering to God a definite portion of our gains onetenth,one-fifth, one-third, or one half. This is adaptTreasurer's Report. April 1, 1954 Sept. 1, 1954 ed to all, whether rich or poor, and gifts would beReceiptslargely increased if it were generally practiced.Contributions $11,516.76(6) The equal way : to give to God and the needyFrom Invested Funds___ 222.40just as much as we spend on ourselves, balancing ourMiscellaneous 629.44personal expenditures by our gifts.Total Receipts $11,739.16(7) The heroic way: to limit our own expenditures to a certainExpendituressum, and give away all the rest ofour income. This was John Wesley's way.Travel Expense $ 3,365.85Cyprus Mission 1,871.02Arthur T. Pierson

coming,"Latakia News BriefsHerbert A. HaysThe Hays family spent seventeen days in Bab Jennehand seventeen days in Bahamra during themonths of July and August. Muallim Sukur Yusufwas in Bab Jenneh. Each morning and evening wehad family prayers on the porch in front of thehouse. Quite a number of the villagers attended andMuallim Sukur explained the portion read. Duringthe day, we visited and were visited.In Bahamra, we did much the same, but fewerpeople came in for the morning prayers. Probably because in Bahamra, we have a compound to ourselves.Also, it was fig time and people were gathering theirfigs.The month of September was spent in Latakia.with the exception of four days that we spent seeingthe fair in Damascus.Harold Hutcheson left Latakia the latter part ofJuly after serving his short term of three years inthe Latakia High School. We would like to have hadHarold stay and help out this year when we were soin need of his help, but he felt that he wanted to gethome.C. T. Hutcheson spent about three weeks inCyprus visiting his brother Rev. T. M. Hutcheson.Miss McClurkin arrived in Latakia after her furlough in America on Election day, September 24.Mrs. Hutcheson and Rev. Awad left the Export Boatin Beirut and came to Latakia on Wednesday, September 29. The boat did not arrive in Latakia untilOctober 2.The following paragraphs are from a letterwhich I received from Dr. P. C. Krikorian of theChristian Medical Center in Beirut."This letter is to congratulate you and thankyou, your colleagues in the Mission there, the principal of the school, and your Mission Board, for thewonderful work you are doing there in God's kingdom. I have never seen the school in Latakia but thesweet fragrance of it has reached us here in Labanon."We are now having a C. E. Convention of theArmenian C. E. Societies of Syria and Lebanon. Ithas been on since the 3rd of September and it willclose tomorrow morning (the 13th). There are delegates from Egypt, Greece and our evangelist we haveinvited from France. We are having a real spiritualbanquet. There is a group of 150 youngmen andwomen gathered from all over. The delegation fromKessab region is quite strong this year. With suchcourage young people get up in quick succession inthe evangelistic metings and give their testimonies,offer prayers of repentance and testify for the Lord.It is a thrill to be in one of those meetings. As youngpeople got up to tell of how they had come to acceptChrist as their Saviour, in several instances the HighSchool in Latakia was mentioned. It gave me suchjoy to hear this and I thought I should be writingabout it to you and specially thank you for the workyou are doing and the harvest you are reaping forthe Kingdom. I am sure it will be a tonic for you andall your co-workers to hear this. I am sure as missionaries you have had periods of depression whenyou might be tempted to question whether the results are worth all the sweat, tears and blood thathave gone into the work. No doubt teachers in theschool have had times of discouragement when they280might have questioned how long theyshould continue to make sacrifices and teach in a mission schoolwhen they will be much happier and better rewardedin another school or another job altogether. Friends,do not give in at all to such thought. You are doing awonderful piece of work and it is well worth all thatyou all can put into it. Just think of it, You are winning souls. And Jesus says, "Everyone of those soulsworld."you win is worth more than all the rest of theThere is joy among angels in heaven over the workyou are doing. Is there any cause for discouragementor to be depressed ? Take courage and new strength,and continue in doing what you are doing till Jesuscomes. He will not be long. "Hold the fort, for I amJesus signals still."May the Lord bless you all on the field, blessyour Mission Board, bless all your churches andevery member of them who are praying and giving oftheir means liberally to support the mission and itsschools."Please convey my thanks and congratulationswherever it is due."With love in the Saviour's precious Name,Your brother,P. C. Krikorian.Witnessing in Zahleh, LebanonBy Rev. William Lytlein the Reformed Presbyterian WitnessWe have finished another school year which hasbeen a very interesting one. The longer I live themore convinced I become that the finest service onecan render any people and Christ is to teach and trainyoung men and women in the knowledge of Him.Since that is so, there is nothing to equal a boardingschool where you have the young people with you allthe time. You see them in all their moods and tenses,and get to know them, so that you can talk to themabout their different problems. One needs to be anexpert at personal work in order to get the best outof a boarding school. Instead of our usual conferenceat the end of the school year we invited a number ofkeen Christian young men to spend a week-end withus during the last month of school. As most of themwere laymen and some of them nearly as young assome of our older boarders we felt it would be goodfor our older boys especially to hear young menaround their own age speak for Christ and tell whatHe had done for them and in them.We were also fortunate in being able to makecontact with an old friend of the Antioch days whowas passing through Beirut and who had a model ofthe Tabernacle. We invited him to spend some timewith us. He fitted up the model and gave some of ussome interesting and challenging talks which mademost of our boys think very seriously. His last meeting was an especially serious and heart-searchingone, and quite a few of our boys claimed to have cometo a definite experience of Christ, and others weremade to think more seriously about their salvationsthan they had ever done before. Very definite sowingof the Word took place and we continue to pray thatthe Holy Spirit will bring the message given to theremembrance of the young people and make it bringforth fruit abundantly. One never knows when amessage given may bring forth fruit. It is our re-COVENANTER WITNESS

sponsibility to sow the seed and water it, but onlythe Spirit can make it grow. We can continue to playour part in prayer and we look to you friends athome to join us in this. The longer I live the moreI feel that this is where we lose out in our work. Sofew of us have ever put real prayer to the test. I wasreading and meditating lately on the prayer of Nehemiah. What an impossible situation his was when heheard the disturbing and distressing news aboutJerusalem! What could he do about it? Many wouldhave said nothing could be done. But that was not so.He could pray, and he prayed, and persisted in prayerin the face of what seemed an impossible situation,and his prayer brought him an almost incredible victory. What could we also do if we had like faith inprayer and were prepared to hold on till we got ananswer. Such praying as that of Nehemiah makesone think seriously and is a strong and severe rebuketo one's weak faith.We are running a small summer school for abouttwo months, beginning from the nineteenth of thismonth. It brings us into contact with many peopleand gives one many opportunities of preaching theWord. I was interested to meet a young man theother day who came with his young brothers to seeme about getting them into this summer school. After we had talked for a time he told me that he wasspecially interested in his brothers getting religiousteaching, and I told him that was what I was specially interested in giving, and that it was for thatwe had our school open. One does not generally findpeople so anxious these days to get religious teachingfor their boys.Zahleh, as we have told you before, is a nominallyChristian town of around 30,000 inhabitants. It isstrongly Roman Catholic. I have lately had sometalks with some of the outstanding citizens about theplace of holiness in the Christian life. The curse ofthis place is that people think they can commit allthe sins, and then come to the priest who grantsthem forgiveness, when back they go again to thesame old sins. Again they come to confess and beforgiven, and then back to the same old sins again.All sense of holiness in their daily living is foreign totheir thinking and teaching. To get people to breakwith such a system is no easy matter. Only theSpirit of God can do this. It is interesting to note thenumber of people who have gone from here to America, Canada, and Australia and have gotten soundlyconverted. I have met with three of them during thelast year who have come back for a visit to theirfriends. They are thoroughly disgusted withthe state of things here and have been witnessing faithfully to their friends. Through themwe have met with many of their people and havehad some good opportunities of speaking to themabout true Christianity as set forth in the Word. Ialways try, as far as possible, to hold them down towhat the Bible says. One can only try to show themthe teaching of the Bible, and then pray that theSpirit may enlighten their darkened understanding.We are all very well, I am glad to say. Mr.Macquigg and my son are in a place called 'Ain-Zahaltafor six weeks studying Arabic. Mrs. Lytle isjust back from a very interesting trip to Antiochwith our daughter and my sister. I am still on theblack list in Syria, and my wife had some difficultygetting into the country from Antioch. Poor Syria!When will her people know and enjoy true freedom?November 3, 1954My heart goes out to her ignorant people who do notknow what is for their good. We are delighted to getsome of her sons to teach and train, so that they maygo back and help in bringing light and liberty totheir own people, so if I cannot go, I hope to sendothers. Christ will one day come into His own in thatdark and benighted land. The liberty we enjoy hereseems almost incredible.We thank you for all your help and interest inthe work and ask you to continue to pray for us thatwe may be faithful in presenting Christ in all His fulness to those with whom we meet.GLIMPSES . . . from page 274Urge Freedom for IndiansLeaders of the Southern Baptist church of New Mexicohave urged an amendment to the federal Civil Rights Actto American Indians. Theysaid that the U. S. Constitutionguarantees such freedom to all citizens, "but we have no statute to enforce it within the boundaries of Indian pueblos andreservations established by treaties." Dr. A.C. Miller ofNashville, Tenn., executive secretary, urged Baptists throughout the South to interest their congressmen in this problem.Crusade of DecencyAt Trinidad, Colo., more than 100 men and women haveorganized a "Crusade of Decency" in a movement to suppressthe display and sale of objectionable publications. The LasAnimas County Judge estimated that 60 per cent of juvenilelaw violators there can be traced to reading comic books dealing with crime. Those who formed the "Crusade" have prepared a list of tests to determine which books are objectionable, vicious in content and demoralizing to children, whichare:crimes?1. Do they violate the Ten Commandments?2. Do theyexcuse or make attractive criminal acts?3. Do they present details and methods of committing4. Do they create disrespect for law, justice and the American way?dress?5. Do they display or contain vulgar jokes, gesturesi or6. Do they undermine the stability7. Do they ridicule anyof the home?religious or racial group?HOME IN ONE PIECE"If you go to a party and find that you aredrinking, put your car keys in a self-addressed envelope and mail them back to yourself. Then, if youshould want to drive, you won't be able to, as you'llhave no keys. You'll get home someway in one piece,it."and you won't kill yourself doingSo said Dave Garroway on his New Year's Evetelevision program "Today" as he and Dr. Jim Osterberger,of the New York Police Department, graphically tested the effect of drinking ondriving, usingactual demonstrations for his viewers. These testsproved that after a man takes six martinis, his reaction time is so reduced that he requires twentymore feet than normal to stop his car enough inmany cases to cause tragedy.Garroway concluded: "It sure seems silly tohave to beg people not to kill themselves. The fact isthat, when there is an accident due to drinking, ofteninnocent people who haven't been drinking getkilled."281

name."earth."people."gods.'name."afraid."Lesson Helps for the Week of November 21, 1954C.Y.P.U. TOPICfor November 21, 1954A. W. Smith, D.D.WITH ALL MY HEART MY THANKSPsalms:I'LL BRINGPsalm 138; 2 Cor. 9:15136:1-4, 12, 13, page 334.103:1-4, page 246.146:1-2, 5, 7, page 353.138:1-3, 6, page 338.References:Deut. 8:7; Psa. 67:3; 92:1; 95:2; 113:1;147:12; Luk. 17:17, 18; Luk. 22:19; Eph.5:20. Give others from memory.Five Minutes Acknowledgement.Here it is, Thanksgiving Season oncemore and we have been spared to experience it. Take time now in the meeting to testify and recount PersonalBlessings for thanksgiving, also theSocial and National; the Spiritual compared with the Temporal. The Lord isgracious. Let the redeemed of the Lordsay so.Psalm 138: A Thanksgiving Meditation.It is a help for us to begin with theassumption that David was the authoror agent through whom the Holy Spiritwrote this. Furthermore it is a helpfor us to know that this is an expression of praise and thanksgiving for God'smercies in answer to David's prayer,for God's mercies in carrying out the divine promises beyond expectation.The time or the occasion may havebeen when David ascended the throneafter the death of Saul, or toward theclose of his reign after his escape frominnumerable perils. We will do well toread in this connection David's prayeras recorded in 2 Samuel 7:18-29.A Noble Example in Divine PraiseWith our Bibles lying open at Psalm138 let us profit by what we observefrom David's example:I. He praises God. David did it. Hedid not forget or take God's merciesfor granted. The Lord was grieved overIsrael's ingratitude. Jesus was grievedthat nine out of ten lepers whom Hemade clean failed to turn back andglorify God.David showed his gratitude in a waywhich pleased God."I will praise thee.""I will sing praise unto thee.""I will worship toward thy holytemple.""I will praise thyGod has said in Psalm 50:23, "Whosooffereth praise glorifieth me:''It is human nature for us to feel pleased when282others compliment us or speak well ofus to others. How much more the Lordis honored when we acknowledge Hisgoodness.II. He praises God wholeheartedly. Inthe spirit of Psalm 103:1 "Bless theLord, O my soul, and all that is withinme, bless His holyThis was nothing formal, or grudging,or halfhearted. But rather it was action sincere and purposeful and intelligent.III. It was Praise in Public. (Not forshow but for devout testimony).a. Before the gods will I sing praiseunto thee. "Before the great ones oftheBefore his fellow rulers overthe nations. See Psalm 119:46.President Eisenhower serves as anoble illustration of this. He openlyconfessed Jesus Christ as his Saviourand united with the church. Then on theday of his inauguration he offered prayer to God before the actual presenceof a great assembly and in the hearingof a listening world. He let it be knownthat his dependence, as president, wasand is upon the grace and mercy of Almighty God. He makes no secret of hisattending the early breakfast prayermeetings, and of his attending servicesof public worship on the Sabbath. Bypresidential appointment also, September 22 was set aside and observed asa dayof prayer.There is another sense to be considered: 'before the"Before or in thepresence of the gods of the heathen;that is, in scorn of, in sight of, theidols, who can do nothing, I will praiseJehovah, who does miracles for me andfor HisGod speed the daywhen before the unbelievers of theUnited Nations, before the atheists ofthe Soviet and before the leaders ofheathen nations, the professed Christians of the United States who aredelegates to the UN, will rise and offerprayer unashamedly, in the name ofJesus Christ, the Sovereign Lord andMediator.b. "Toward thy holy temple." This ismost appropriate in observing anotherThanksgiving Day. Taking time out togo to God's house, on a week day. Thisshould take precedence over The Dinner of Feasting and/or sports in theafternoon.IV. God's Lovingkindness and HisTruth Are the Subjects of Praise. Daviddid not forget what it was all about.He kept things in right proportion. Hewas not telling God how great and howgood a man he was. Some thanksgivingproclamations in the past have read so.In coming to the Lord in 1954 weshould take thought to review God'smercies of which we have been so undeserving. In fact, David is testifyingthat God's goodness had gone beyondall expectations, v. 2b.Lack of space forbids taking up theremaining parts of the psalm in detail.Note the result of David's example andits affect upon the other kings of theearth. The psalm ends with confidentexpression of trust in God's continuedprotection and prayer for the completion of His work of grace. We maywell pray in the same spirit as weanticipate the future.Questions:I. Why is 2 Cor. 9:15 so appropriatefor Thanksgiving time?II. How does thanksgivingwith thewhole heart include consideration forthe needs of others?III. How large a place should thanksgiving fill in the prayer life?JUNIOR TOPICNovember 21, 1954by Mrs. Wilbur J. KeysJOSEPH INTERPRETS PHARAOH'SDREAMScripture: Genesis 41Memory Verse: "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not beIsa. 12:2a.Psalms to sing:Psalm 106:1-4, page 260Psalm 147:1-4, page 354Psalm 103:1-4, page 246Psalm 136:1, 2, 12, 13, page 334 (singfrom memory)Since Thanksgiving is this week, Ithought we would use verses that defineThanksgiving. Prepare flannel or feltto spell THANKSGIVING. Give eachchild a letter and the verse to go withhis letter. Have the child place his letteron the flannel board and tell what he isthankful for and give his verse. Itwould be nice to hand them out aheadof time so they could memorize theirverse. Here is the acrostic:I am thankful forMy Trust in God. Isa. 26:4My Heavenly Home. Ps. 23:6God's Abounding Grace. II Cor. 9:8The Name of the Lord. Prov. 18:10God's Kindness. Isa. 54:8My Salvation. Isa. 12:2God's Guidance. Ps. 48:14My Inheritance. I Peter 1:4Victory. I Cor. 15:57An Intercessor. Heb. 7:25COVENANTER WITNESS

,..my'.T-TT/earSmind."My New Nature. II Cor. 5:17As if to bind the appointment andGod's Great Gift. II Cor. 9:15 to make it official, Pharaoh put hisIsn't it wonderful how many thingsfor which we have to thank God? Weroyal ring on Joseph's hand. What elsedid Pharaoh do to show the royalty ofare indeed grateful to Dr. M. K. Carson Joseph now? (Gen. 41:42-44)for letting us use this acrostic which he nowworked out for our Thanksgiving ser-vice last year.Now for the lesson. Two years havethat Joseph was a great man,he must have a fine name. Pharaohnamed him Zaphnath-paaneah, the manto whom secrets are revealed.passed, and Joseph is still a prisonerNow j h must have a ^ Soof Pharaoh. God has not forgotten him pharaoh gave him Asenath, the daughbutprovides a way out for Joseph.ter of the prince of Qn God blessed thisKing Pharaoh dreams that he stoodunion and gave them two sons Theby a river, and he saw seven fat cows Rrst was named Manasseh, whichcome up out of the river and eat in a meang Forgetting. The second wasmeadow. Then seven lean, starvingnamed Ephrainli which means Fruitful.cows come up from the river and eatThus God helped Joseph forget his for.up the fat cows.mer troubles and made him fruitfulPharaoh awoke after this dream. m the land of Egypt.When he went to sleep again, he dream-gee how God blessed Joseph At thirtyed he saw seven fat ears of corn onye&rs Qf age Joseph is an Egvptianane stalk. After them came up seven ince ingtead of a Hebrew glavelean ears, blasted by the east wind,and ate up the seven full ears. "Pharaoh Meanwhile, Joseph gathered the extraawoke, and, behold, it was a dream." ^ain and stov^ il- ' The famme cfm^'not, only in Egypt, but in every land.In the morning Pharaoh was veryThe ,e were beginning to suffertroubled about the meaning of these from hunger ^^ they cried t>. . . ., ..two dreams. He sent for all the magic- pharaoh for bread he said Go untolans and wise men of Egypt, but theycould not interpret the dreams.j h; what he gaith tQ you_ doJoseph opened all the storehouses-, , , , ,.,,,, , .,Suddenly the chief butler rememberedT , , ., , ,and sold. .gram to..thei^m

great"shine,"riches"I. The Elemental Forces of NatureCreated (1-4).The first division celebrates the creation work of the first and second days(Genesis 1:3-8). The psalmist presents apoetic enrichment of the thoughts recorded very simply in Genesis. He speaks ofGod the Creator as though He were aman;as a poet he conceives of God'screative work in terms of human activity: "In splendor and glory hast Thouclothed Thyself; enwrapping Thyself inlight as a garment, spreading out theheavens like a tent- cloth, who layeth thebeams of His chambers in the waters,who maketh the clouds His chariot, whowalketh upon the wings of the wind,making His messengers out of the winds,His servants out of flaming fire" (Delitzsch'srendering). Such humanizing ofGod, in the Scriptures, does not degrade God; it exalts and honors Him, sothat frail, mortal man can say, "Jehovah,(verse 1).my God, Thou art veryGod is almighty. He had to use only avery small fraction of His power to createthe universe. The power God had touse in order to create all things is but asa nudge of the hand as compared withthe almighty power of God above andbeyond His creative power. The creationof all things was a verysmall and insignificant task for God. But for man,who can think only in terms of humanstrength and human activity, creation isan inconceivably immense undertaking.Hence, God is extolled and glorified whenman speaks of God's creation in terms ofhuman activity.LT. The Earth and Its Seas Created (5-9).The figurative language of the psalmistis continued in this part of the Psalm,supplementing the simple, factual account of creation in Genesis, chapter 1,by pointingus beyond the fact to themarvel of God's creation. The marvel ofGod's creation is not that God was ableto create this vast universe and all that isin it, but rather that God, being infinitelygreater than the universe, condescendedto bring it into being.The largest of the oceans, the Pacific,covers 63,634,000 square miles. The totalexpanse of the five oceans created by Godis 133,251,000 square miles. God, bycontrast, is so infinitely great, that thewhole universe is in comparison to Godwhat the smallest invisible particle ofvapor is to the greatest expanse of thevast ocean (Benjamin B. Warfield, Biblical and Theological Studies, 1952, ThePresbyterian and Reformed PublishingCo., p. 8).ILT. Food and Drink Provided bythe Creator (10-14).This and the next division correspondwith Genesis 1:11-13, where part of the284third day's work was completed, namely,the creation of the vegetable kingdom forthe provision of food for man and beast.God does care for His creatures. Thewonder of God's greatness is not that Heis able to provide food and drink for allthe beasts of field and forest, and for allthe people of the world, but that Godhumbles Himself in His grace to careabout His creation, (see Psalm 113:5-6).IV. God's Provision For His Creatures(15-18).This section of the Psalm continuesthe thought of the preceding, that God onthe third day created the vegetable kingdom for the sustenance of His highercreatures. Delitzsch says that the oil referred to in verse 15 makes man's "face tonot by means of anointingsinceit was not the face but the head that wasanointedbut bythe fact that oil increased the nutritiveness and savorinessof food.V. God'sAppointment*of Times andSeasons (19-23).The creative work of the fourth dayis taken up and reflected in this divisionof the Psalm, following the statements ofGenesis 1:14-19. God set the sun in theheavens to function not only as a luminary, but also to regulate the daily activities of man and beast. The moon wasdeclared byGod to be the principalmeasurer of the divisions of time. Hence,all of man's civil life is regulated according to the lunar month, and the cycleof the moon is the basis of our calendar.VI. God's Care of All His Creation(24-29)."Fixing his eye upon the sea with itssmall and great creatures, and the care ofGod for all self-living beings, the poetpasses over to the fifth and sixth days ofcreation"(Delitzsch). 'The psalmist expresses wonder at the great number ofGod's works, and the vast magnitude ofGod's activity in the earth. "O Lord,how manifold are thy works! in wisdomhast thou made them all : the earth is fullof thy(verse 24). From man'sviewpoint, God's care of His creatures inall the earth is an inconceivably vast enterprise. But we should remember that itforms only a small part of God's totalactivity. God's activity in the universeis like a game in comparison to the broadscope of His activity outside of the universe. It is an infinite universe to us,but to God it is only as a speck of dustthat cannot in any way claim His attention.VLT. A Renewed Creation, for theGloryof God (30-35).The Psalmist ends his review of God'swork of creation with a meditation reflecting the Sabbath-rest of Genesis 1:31-2:3. His desire is that the glory of God,reflected in a perfect creation, may continue forever, and that God, who whenHe viewed His works at the end of sixdays, saw that theywere good and wassatisfied with them, may be able to rejoice in them forever in glad Sabbathrest.God's works may cease to give Himpleasure because of sin and sinners; butGod will in due time purge His creationof all sinners (32, 35), and renew it asa new creation in Christ, for His ownglory.PRAYER MEETING TOPICNovember 17, 1954CONVERSIONA FACT IN THEPsalms:HEARTEzek. 18:30-32; John 12:40Rev. Leter E. Kilpatrick65:1-3, page 15650:14-17, 21, page 12951:7-10, page 13168:27, 31-34, page 165References: In the discussion. Find others.While conversion, so far as the human eye can observe it is concerned, isa "turn-around" in the manner of life,it is infinitelynoted in a previous studymore than this. As was(topic for 20October 1954), there may be a change ofconduct, and what appears to be a changeof attitude, which is only outward.Pharaoh saw his land being desolatedby one plague after another and changedhis words and defiant manner towardMoses. He "called for Moses and Aaron,and said unto them, I have sinned thistime: the Lord is righteous, and I andmy people are wicked. Intreat the Lord(for it is enough) that there be no moremighty thunderings and hail; and I willlonger"let you go, and ye shall stay no(Ex. 9:27, 28). Pharoah was "converted."But his heart of cruelty and avarice andgreed of gain remained unchanged. Assoon as the thundering and hail ceased hedecided it was just an unusually severestorm, and that he must be getting softin the head to be frightened by a naturalphenomenon. He refused to let this nationof slaves go. His conversion was not afact in the heart.God's appeal is never confined to mereconduct. He says, "My son, give me thineheart,"and again, "Keep thy heart withall diligence, for out of it are the issuesof life" (Prov. 23:26; 4:23).There Can Be No Conversion Without"Repent,Conviction of Sin.your transgressions . . (Ezek.and turn yourselves from all18 :30-32)The wicked heart of man is wicked chiefly in that man thinks he is righteous.COVENANTER WITNESS

gressions;'malefactor."world,"Even when the law of God written thereraises its warning against sin, the sinfulheart seeks to silence that voice, and toexcuse its conduct. It is the wicked heartof man that encourages him to ignorethe warningvoice of conscience. Thereare many other voices also which tend tokeep sin in check, fear of police power ofthe State, fear of losing the respect ofthe community which is necessary for oneto earn a living, fear of losing one'shealth. Sometimes these monitors areobeyed in measure, while still the evilheart is prompting this action because itappears to be most likely to gratify self.The wicked heart is not changed merelythrough experience or instruction. Itmay be made to see that "crime doesn'tpay,"or that clean, moral living promotes good health and vigor, and that"honesty is the bestpolicy."But thewicked heart still seeks to establish itsown righteousness (Rom. 10:3).Here is a sad basic reason for churchesgoing modernistic. Churches were full ofunconverted people. These unconvertedbegan to exercise their influence to maintain the lie that theywere righteous. Thismodernistic trend is simply the effort ofthe wicked human heart to try and showthat it is righteous; for modernism indoctrine is a fabrication to seek tolerance for the unconverted in life, withinthe Church.An earlier effect of having so many unconverted in the churches was the withdrawal of some and the formation ofso-called "splinter" denominations. Thisleft the larger older churches more andmore in the control of the unconverted,and so, inevitably, they began to entrench themselves behind ideas thatwould justify them in their worldliness.And so modernism is not wholly something foisted on the Church from leadersin high place. It is something demandedbythe unconverted masses.There must be a recognition of sin,conviction of its hatefulness ina deepGod's sight, a holy fear of standing beforea holy God. Sabbath breaking, lack ofrespect for those in positions of authority, hatred and envyeven toward thosewhom we recognize as Christian brethren, acquiescence in immodest if notoutright uncleanconversation, businessgain through lack of straightforwardnesswhen such could reasonably be expected,relating incidents partially so as to givean impression just opposite to that whichwould be given were all the facts told,covetousness, these are not isolated sinsrequiring a mere change of conduct.Jesus said, "For from within, out of theheart of men, proceed evil thoughts,adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts,covetousness, wickedness, deceits,laciviousness,an evil eye, blasphemy, pride,foolishness"(Mark 7:21, 22). Surely theNovember 3, 1954state of the Church today calls for somepain and sorrow of heart, for repentancefor a heart not right withGod, not justadmission that some things we have beendoing are not just right and we ought tochange our conduct. "Cast away fromyou all your transgressions,.18:30-32).. (Ezek.God's Remedy for Sin is a New HeartAny remedy less radical is bound tobe a total failure. The Gospel accordingto John was one of the latest writtenbooks of the New Testament, well towardthe end of the first century. Probablyhalf a century had passed before the account of Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus was written in Scripture, yet theapostles and preachers and missionarieswho ministered before this time hadabundant Scripture aside from John 3,to show the need for this deep seatedchange. David cried out, after being convicted of his most notorious sin, "Createin me a clean heart, O God; and renew ame."right spirit within (Psa. 51:10;find others).God was not here (Ezek. 18:31) commandingwhat man cannot do. He hadpromised to give a new heart. "And I willgive them one heart, and I will put anew spirit within you : and I will take thestony heart out of their flesh, and willgive them an heart of flesh. .(Ezek.11:19; see also 36:25-27). Yet, in theaccomplishingof this change of mannerof life, what we must do goes to the veryheart of life. Matthew Henry says, "Wemust 'cast away from us all our transwe must abandon and forsake them with a resolution never toreturn to them again. Give sin a bill ofdivorce; break all the leagues we havemade with it; throw it overboard, as themariners did Jonah, for it has raised thestorm ; cast it out of the soul, and crucifyit as aIf worldly companions insist that you"are too fanatical," that you "live in adifferentadmit it. The personborn of the Spirit sees that which thehuman eye alone cannot see.God Alone Can Implement the RemedyEven when men are persuaded by thedisappointments and failures of life thatthey need to be converted, the promptingof the flesh may insist that the Spirit ofGod is unable to act until we relent andgive the permission. This seems to be thedesperate, last ditch grasping of the sinful heart, after some shred of the creditin the transaction of salvation. Perhapsthis explains the lack of permanence, thesoon return to the worldly life, in somany who have yielded to a persistent,emotional appeal to accept Christ.John tells us (12:40) that the failure ofmany to believe on Jesus Christ was infulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah(6:10), "Make the heart of this peoplefat, and make their ears heavy, and shuttheir eyes; lest they see with their eyes,and hear with their ears, and understandwith their heart, and convert, and behealed."This is sometimes referred toas "judicial hardening." Those who oftenturn away from God's proffered grace,and harden their hearts (Ex. 8:15, 32;9:34), find that their hearts are hardenedby the act of God (Ex. 10:1, 20).Let not man postpone the day ofobedience to God. "Quench not theSpirit."If God hardens hearts in workingout His sovereign purposes, then surely,in accord with His pleasure (Ezek. 18:32)He supremely can impart the new heart.For discussion:1. Must conviction for sin always include sorrow that the heart was not rightwith God, or may it concern only the actof misconduct?2. Whydoes Ezekiel tell us: "Makeyou a new heart," when this is a work ofGod?3. Show from Scripture (John 1:12, 13and/or others) that God is the authorof our salvation.Prayer:For conversions of persons your congregation contacts;For a converted membershipCovenanter Church;in theFor those who are suffering because oftheir witness to the need for conversion.THE LOST SCISSORSA group of teen- aged girls were packing a bale of clothing and other articlesfor shipment to missionaries in charge ofan orphanage of the Sudan Interior Mission in Nigeria. There was much bustle,fun and blessing in doing it.Shortlyafter the shipment went out,one of the group leaders asked another ifshe had noticed a small pair of scissorsanywhere. She had used them the day wepacked the bundle. However, the scissorscould not be found.Some weeks passed and a letter of acknowledgment came from the missionaryin Nigeria. She told of the need and disposition of the various articles and thenwent on to say how much she appreciatedthe small pair of scissors which were enclosed. She had mentioned to anothermissionary just before the bale arrivedhow much she needed a small pair ofscissors. God indeed knew of that needand they were then on the way to her.This incident was a source of inspiration and blessing to that group. Todaythe group leader whose scissors went toNigeria is herself a missionary in Frenchequatorial Africa!Margaret Hill (Gait, Ont.)285

could."DENVER: We, the members of theDenver W. M. S. wish to express oursense of loss in the death of Mrs. RoseMartin Grotberg, who passed away July19th. She came to Denver from theBeulah, Nebr. congregation, as a youngwoman, where she took training in theDenver Nurses Training School, ofwhich she was an honor graduate. Shewas active in the nursing profession allher life, which made it impossible toattend meetings regularly. Neverthelessshe was continuous in membership andfinancial support. She was of a quietand kind disposition, ever ready withsympathetic understandingand encouragement to all. She was a devoted andloving wife, mother, grandmother, agood friend, and kind and thoughtfulneighbor. Of her it can truly be said"she hath done what sheIna Bailey BrooksAlice Sherbon MitchelOLATHE: The W. M.S. of Olatheinvited the Women's Missionary Societyparty"of Kansas City to a "dessertThursday afternoon, October 7, at thechurch. Mrs. Frank Redpath, the president of the Olathe W. M. S. welcomedthe guests and then turned the meeting over to Mrs. Paul Wright, thepresident of the Kansas City W. M. S.,who responded to the words of welcomeand also presided at the meeting. MissMcClennan of Kansas City led a helpfuldevotional period on the subject, "TheDeceitfulness ofStrong Drink." Mrs.Robert Moore of Kansas City gave avery interesting book review on thelife of Adoniram Judson. We were veryhappy to have Mr. and Mrs. KennethSanderson with us on this occasion andto hear Mrs. Sanderson give us a message on our work in Latakia.DENISON: Nine hundred feet ofwater pipe was laid from the highschool up to the church on Monday,October 18, as the first step in thechurch remodeling project that is toproceed at once with the digging of abasement.DENVER Congregation has beenblessed in havingquite a number ofvisitors during the summer. They camefrom the east coast and as far asCyprus; from the west coast and beyondto Honolulu, and many places between.Several of them gave us helpful reportsfrom the Grinnell Conference. Nineteen of the Denver folks attended a286Psalm Sing at Greeley directed by Mrs.Mel Martin following the Grinnell Conference. It was followed by a socialmeeting and refreshments, and a mostprofitable and enjoyable occasion. Theinvitation to attend was greatly appreciated by the Denver congregation.NEW CONCORD : Mrs. Agnes Wilsonwho has been seriously ill in UniversityHospital in Columbus is now in her son'shome. Walter's address is: 1772 W.First Ave., Columbus 12,Ohio.OLATHE: Joseph Patrick Egner, theinfant son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Egner,was baptized Sabbath, September 19.We were glad to have the grandparents,Mr. and Mrs. James P. Enright, Mr.and Mrs. Richard Enright, Mr. and Mrs.Delmer Reynolds and Mr. and Mrs. E.G. Mayes present at the church service.LAKE RENO: Several have madetrips away from home this summer andwe are happy to welcome them all backsafely again. The Charles Petermanfamily visited Charles' parents in California and attended the wedding of hisbrother, Lyman Peterman. The DaleBlair family visited relatives in California and in Seattle, Wash. Miss WillaHogan went to Morning Sun and toGrinnell. Joanne Wild and the Mitchelswent to Grinnell. Mikey and Jim Elseywere in Scout camps several weeks.OLATHE: Dr. and Mrs. Frank Stewart and Mr. George Milligan attendedthe meeting of the Mid- West Presbyteryat the Hebron Church, Clay Center.They greatly enjoyed and appreciatedthe hospitality of the Hebron Congregation.NEW CONCORD : Miss Ella MargaretStewart spent two weeks with her sisterMrs. Lawrence in Lakewood. Ohio. MissStewart's guest Miss Orlena Lynn ofJapan will conduct services in NewConcord and White Cottage on SabbathOctober thirty-first.DENISON :The Adult Group enjoyeda pot luck supper in the home of Mr.rnd Mrs. Andrew Porter, October 21.Mrs. John Young and Mr. Ray Knowlesdirected the entertainment. Mrs. WillLinton led in the concluding devotionalservice. Newly elected officers for 1955are: PresidentretaryMr. Henry Faris, SecMrs. Will Linton.FRESNO: September 26, we werehonored with first visit of Mrs. Westphallfor several years. Due to strokeparalizing one side. She has been unableto sit up alone for some years. This wasthe first time she has attended churchsince her slow recovery. Her wheel chairwas rolled down center isle of thechurch where she remained during theentire worship service. Same day Mrs.R. S. McClay attended her first worshipservice since sufferingsome weeks ago.a heart attackOLATHE: The following worshippedwith us Sabbath, October 17: Rev. andMrs. D. C. Ward of our Indian Mission,Mr. and Mrs. Work Carithers of Morning Sun, la., Dr. and Mrs. ClarenceWilson and Virginia of Stafford, Ks.,Miss Catherine Vos of Topeka and Mr.and Mrs. George Brooks and family ofLawrence, Ks.FRESNO : Rally Day. A day set asidefor the children. We had an attendanceof 119. Rev. McMillan combined themorning worshipservice and gave thechildren an object lesson. Before theshort sermon, all babies and theirmothers were honored. Also we wereprivileged to honor the visiting parents of some of our pupils from unchurched homes. An invitation was extended to all or anyone who wanted toaccept the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour.OLATHE: The October meeting ofthe Y. W. M. S. was held at the church.Mrs. Frank Stewart led the devotionalperiod and Mrs. Carrietta Brown had themission study. It was decided at thismeeting to purchase a copy of "Powerthrough Prayer" for each member ofthe society. This book was recommendedby our Presbyterial President, Mrs. Lester Kilpatrick. Mrs. Maude Randall wasthe hostess for the eveningvery tasy refreshments.FRESNO:and servedThe Pastor and Sessionare conducting family visitations to allmembers of the congregation. Thesevisits have proved to be an enlighteningexperience for most members.OLATHE : Dr. Cloyd Caskey of Superior, Nebraska was the assistant at ourFall Communion Season. Dr. Caskeygave us helpful andinspiring messagesfrom God's Word. It was a joy to havehim in our midst. We were happy tohave Anna Hutcheson and Mary Redpathhome for Communion. A fine groupfrom the Kansas City Congregationjoined us in a union service Sabbathnight, the closing service of our Communion Season.FRESNO: The Young Married Sabbath School Class have a new teacher,Mrs. McMillan. They had their firstmeeting Friday, October 22, in orderthat they might organize themselves.They elected the following officers:COVENANTER WITNESS

President, Joyce Chestnut; V. President, FRESNO : The wedding of Jim CopeNovember 3, 1954Jim Copeland; Secretary, Jean Gouge,Treasurer, Lois Copeland. They decidedto meet every third Friday of everyland and Virginia Ross took place atthe church on Septmeber 25. AnnettaFisher sang two songs. They traveledsecond month. At this meeting games North for a vacation. Following thewere played, refreshments and fun wereenjoyed by all.OLATHE: The wedding of Kathrynceremony a reception was held in thechurch basement.OLATHE : The September meeting ofEnright and Delmer Reynolds took the Y.W.M.S. was held at the home ofplace September 18 at the manse. There Mrs. Charles McBurney, preceded by awere 17 present, most of whom were picnic supper. The devotional periodrelatives, to witness the ceremony which was conducted by Mrs. Kenneth Gilwas followed by a reception at the ford, and Mrs. Patty May reviewed amanse.FRESNO : On October 17 in the evenchapter from our Mission Study book.After the meeting a surprise "handkershower"chief was given for Marthaing Lisc, Milton Harrington preached.and Anna Hutcheson who were to leaveOn October 20 a church supper, afterfor college shortly.which an illustrated talk on KentuckyMission with colored slides shown andINSTALLATION OFexplained by Mr. Harrington, whichREV. F. F. READEall enjoyed very much.OLATHE : We were delighted to haveSt. Lawrence Presbytery met in theAlmonte Church on Tuesday evening,Oreta Everett in our midst for a fewOctober 19, to install the Rev. F. F.days, the latter part of August. OretaReade as pastor of the Almonte congrehad been living in Portland, Oregon,gation in the signing of the Covenant.for the past several years and was onThe Rev. R. H. McKelvy, acting Modher way, eventually, to Ottawa, Canada,erator, determined that the congregationwhere she is now located. Oreta andher mother Mrs. Mary Everett drovefrom Olathe to Philadelphia, Pa., to visitMrs. Margaret Everett, and to see Mrs.Everett's new grandson. Oreta is aboutfifty miles from the Almonte CovenanterChurch where she worships each Sabbath. Fred May joined our church onprofession of faith. We welcome him inour midst.OLATHE: Edgar Moore showed hisand the pastor-elect assented to the calland its acceptance. The pastor-elect having answered the queries in a satisfactory manner, Presbytery proceeded withthe installation.The installation prayer was offered byDr. G. M. Robb. The Rev. R. H. McKelvy addressed the newly installed paster. Dr. G. M. Robb gave the address tothe congregation. The Rev. F. F. Readesigned the Terms of Communion, andpictures of his trip to the Caribbeanthe right hand of fellowship was exat a congregational Party, Wednesdaytended to him by the members of thenight. September 29 after prayer meetPresbytery and by the congregation.The Almonte congregation then preing. The colored slides were beautifulpared forand the narrator was very interesting.signing of the Covenant.Dr. G. M. Robb spoke on "Covenant ObRefreshments were served at the close.ligations,"the Rev. F. F. Reade on "TheWe were happy to have Mr. and Mrs.Challenge of Covenanting," and the Rev.Richard McAllister from Topeka, whoR. H.were visiting in the home of Mrs. Maggie McKelvyon "The Spirit in WhichWe should Covenant." The Rev. F. F.Rogers, present with us on this occasion.Reade read the Covenant as the AlmonteTHE SEMINARY: The Fall series ofcongregation raised their hands and sworestudent preaching will be heard in twoBeaver Falls churches. November 3rd atto the Covenant bond. After an addressCollege Hill Congregation, 7:30 P. M. by Dr. G. M. Robb on "Covenant Keeping,"the members of the congregationDonald McClurkin, Glenn McFarland,came forward and signed their names.Paul Robb, and Donald Felker willThe benediction was pronouncedpreach. November 10th at Eastvale Conbythe Rev. James Ritchie, pastor of thegregation, 7:30 P. M. Robert Fullerton,Almonte Presbyterian Church.Raymond Joseph, Robert McCracken,St. Lawrenceand Armour McFarland Presbytery met the folwill preach.A cordial invitation is lowing day for its usual transaction ofgiven to all thosebusiness.in Following the morning meeting,this area to plan to attend thesethe Almonte people provided a bountiservices.ful and delicious dinner at the manse.QUINTER A girl Marilyn Ruth wasborn to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bales atQuinter Hospital, October 1, 1954. Mrs.The delegates to Presbyteryreturned totheir homes amply reminded of the finehospitality of the Almonte people.Bales is the former Jewell Mann. Marilyn's grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. FRESNO: On October 17 Miss EleanorJoe L. Mann.Faris was our Thankofferingspeaker atour morning service. She gave her testimony and some experiences during herfour year term in Cyprus. Also expressedher thankfulness to the Lord for Hisguiding and leading in her life.QUINTER: Our Thank offering washeld September 27.Miss Orlena Lynnwas our speaker. Refreshments wereserved at the close of the meeting. Wethe difenjoyed her fellowship and seeingferent articles of work she had with her.TOPEKA: The Topeka congregationwishes to publiclythank the Eskridgecongregation for the privilege of joiningwith them in the morning services onOctober 3. After a joint Sabbath School,Rev. Joseph Caskey preached an excellent sermon. During the intermission,Sue Robb and Elmer Graham directed aPsalm sing, which was followed by whatEskridge called lunch, Topeka called itScalloped chicken dinner with all thetrimmings. After ashort interval thetwo congregations united in groups forPrayer circle, Blue Banner group, C.Y.P.U.and Junior. Topeka congregationreturned home feeling the dayable both as worshipEskridge served seventymeal.was profitand fellowship.at the noonFRESNO: October 24 was Baptismday. Children baptized were Paul William son of Don and Jean Gouge, Connie Sue daughter of Don and JoyceChestnut, and Ileen Wagner daughter ofNorma Wagner.OLATHE: We observed the "NationalCall to Prayer" by President EisenhowerWednesday night, September 22. CharlesMcBurney led in a very helpful PrayerMeeting.GENEVA: Some interested facts aboutour Communion. We had 137 communicants, 97 of which were members of ourown congregation. There were 21 Collegestudents and 11 others who are membersof other Covenanter Congregations butworship regularly with us. Besides thesethere were eight ministers. This is a goodrecord.THIRD PHILADELPHIA: Our FallCommunion was held on Sabbath, October 17 with Mr. Gene Spear assisting.Mr. Spear gave us some very searchingmessages on Thursday evening and onSabbath morning and evening. The Friday evening service was cancelled dueto the Hurricane Hazel. The attendancewas good at all services, with six members braving the storm on Friday nightand showing up at the church.GENEVA: Miss Adella Lawson, ourprecentor, has during the past two years,directed the work of the Beaver CountySabbath School Association. She presided at their Annual Convention held the287

23rd and 24th of October. Included inprogram were educational classes forthose interested in training adults andyouth. Mr. C. B. Metheny, Rev. DavidCarson, and Dr. Russell Rosenberger ofGeneva College were among the leaders.NEW ALEXANDRIA: The SeptemberSocial of the C.Y.P.U. was held at theParsonage. Ruth Duffield and her committee served the refreshments and TirzahBeattie, chairman of the EntertainmentCommittee, had charge of the games.OLATHE: We are very happy to haveMrs. George Milligan back in our midstagain after her very enjoyable visit withher daughter Mrs. Bernard Volkerdingand family, at Farmington, New Mexico.Mr. George Milligan went with Mrs. Milligan on the trip but was only able tostay for about ten days. Mrs. Milliganhad a more extended visit.FRESNO: Dr. R. E. Smith and wifereturned home October 24 after an extended trip visiting friends in variouscongregations. They visited Dr. Smithsbrother Rev. Alvin Smith in Orlando,Florida.Alice Smith, daughter of Rev. AlvinSmith, is visiting her sister Annetta Fisher. Alice is working in Fresno and willwill be appreciatedstay and her helpboth in the C.Y.P.U. and the congregation.NEW ALEXANDRIA: We were gladto have Mr. and Mrs. Glen George ofYoungstown, Ohio worship with us whilevisitingMrs. George's parents Mr. andMrs. Geo. McFarland.GENEVA: Mrs. S. E. Greer and Mrs.A. A. Wylie were guests of the LillianMcCracken Missionary Society at theirOctober meeting Mrs. Greer, field representative of the W.C.T.U. has beenspeakingin this area, especially in theschools. She spoke to our group abouther work and suggested several thingsthat we can do to helpthe temperancecause. Mrs. Wylie told us of her trip toAlaska this past summer, having takenthe trip as a guest of Mrs. J. S. Tibbey.These trips are sponsored each summerbythe Sunday School Times and arevery worth-while.NEW ALEXANDRIA: The Covenantwas signed in the New Alexandria, Pa.Church on October 10.THIRD PHILADELPHIA: Startingabout the middle of September a class forgirls under 13 years of age has been inthe church on Tuesday afternoons, withMrs. Frank Haussmann in charge, ateenage group meets on Thursdaynightswith Rev. Price in charge and boys under 14 years of age meet on Fridaynights with Mr. Walter McClay in charge.288Prayer meetingwas announced forWednesday, September 15 in the churchand to date we have had an average attendance of 24 at these meetings.QUINTER : A son was born to Mr. andMrs. Carl Jewell of Comas, Washington.Mrs. Jewell is the former Betty Graham.Jeffery Carl's grandparents are Mr. andMrs. Harry Graham, who are visiting inthe Jewell home.GENEVA: The Beaver County YouthTemperance Council held their Octobermeeting in our church. Marion McFarland led the devotional period. A newseries of alcohol education was begun,directed by Miss Adella Lawson. A social hour followed with Dick Cunningham andKay McCready in charge.THIRD PHILADELPHIA: Theprayers of the Third Church in Philadelphia were answered on Thursday, June17, 1954 when Mr. George W. Price wasordained and installed as our Pastor. Dr.F. M. Wilson was the moderator and wasassisted by Rev. Paul McCracken andRev. David Carson.Services were held in the afternoon andevening and a hard working committeeunder the leadership of Miss Jane Mcarranged for a catered dinner inClearythe church at 6 P. M. and then a reception for Mr. and Mrs. Price at theclose of the evening service.Since that time under the leadership ofour Pastor the attendance at SabbathSchool and Public worship has beenvery good.Rev. and Mrs. George W. Price areresiding at 5724 N. Mascher Street,Philadelphia 20, Pa.NEW ALEXANDRIA: A CommunityAdult Leadership training school is inprogress. It is for six weeks and each ofthe four ministers in New Alexandria isteaching a class. Rev. Fullerton hasChurch History. There is one class from8 to 9 and then it is repeated for anothergroup from 9 to 10. Considerable interestis being shown.GENEVA COLLEGE: David L. Colton, formerly of Gibsonia, Pa., has assumed the duties of college news editor inthe public relations department of Geneva College.A 1952 graduate of Pennsylvania StateUniversity, Colton is the former sportseditor of the Fairborn, O., Daily Herald.He is an army veteran.While at Penn State, he was active inathletic and journalistic endeavors. Heis a member of Sigma Delta Chi, professional journalism fraternity and received a bachelor of arts degree in journalism at Penn State.NEW ALEXANDRIA: Rev. T. R.Hutcheson of the Rose Point Congregation was the veryable assistant atour Fall Communion on October 17.Charles Hall united with the church atthis time.GENEVA: Witches, ghosts, and goblins of all sorts made their way to thebasement of our church, the evening ofOctober 25. It was that time again andwhat fun they did have. About 30 of ourJunior band were present. After paradingbefore the Judges' stand the guessinggame began and each one unmasked asthey were guessed. Prizes were awardedfor the hardest to guess Fred Lathom;Prettiest Marilyn Hemphill; Most horribleJack and Ruth McCready; most incharacter Elaine Bell; funniest BillyHemphill; and the most original JohnFallon. Games were enjoyed after whichtheir appetites were appeased with cider,doughnuts and candy. Our thanks tothe Junior leaders, Mrs. Lucille Heneryand Mrs. J. B. Willson for a most enjoyable evening.SAM MORRIS SUCCEEDS INGETTING BROADCAST TIMERev. Sam Morris of San Antonio, Texas,has scheduled a thirty minute broadcastover the coast to coast facilities of NBCfor November 7th. He will speak on thesubject: "LiquorA Curse to America."The broadcast will be given at 6:00-6:30P.M., Central Standard Time.Rev. Morris is a nationally knownBaptist minister, the author and publisherof many temperance and religious books,and for twenty years the broadcaster of"The Voice of Temperance" program advocating abstinence and prohibition. Heis also co-founder and president of thePreferred Risk Mutual Insurance Company with home office in Des Moines,Iowa, a nationwide auto insurance company for non-drinking car owners.This will be the first time since therepeal of national prohibition that a national network has sold time for a public discussion of the highly controversial subject of prohibition. It culminatesa fifteen year struggle on the part of theNational Temperance Council, spearheaded by Mr. Morris, to get on thenetworks.Sabbath, November 7, the InternationalSunday School lesson to be taught inchurches throughout the nation will dealwith the subject of beverage alcohol andworld temperance. The broadcast isscheduled to originate from Dallas, Texas,preceded by a mammoth afternoon temperance rally to be held in the First Baptist Church.COVENANTER WITNESS

National Reform NumberLESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 28, 1954VOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1954 NUMBER 19

.Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D.Alvin Dark a TirherAlvin Dark was captain of the New York Giants whichwon the World-Series in baseball. He attended the CalvaryBaptist Church in New York throughout the summer. OnOctober 3, he and his wife and three children attended theSabbath School and he talked to the pupils of the school onthe importance of attending church and supporting it. Hetold the children that they should learn to give early in life,and that when he was a newspaper boy his mother insistedthat he should give the tithe of what he earned to the church.He has been a tither ever since and intended to give ten percent of the $10,000 he earned in the World-Series, to his homechurch, The Trinity Baptist Church, Lake Charles, La. At thebeginning of the haseball season Mr. Dark and his family arrived in New York onSaturday night, but they were up intime for Sabbath School and church the next morning.Work for Religious HomesIn Cleveland, Ohio, 3000 Methodists at a recent meeting,pledged themselves to work with families in the effort to develop religious homes. Many of these are young marriedcouples who are attempting to persuade their friends to startthe practice of holding family worship, attend church regularly, asking God's blessing at meals and training their children in a Christian manner. The Southern Baptists have alsobeen making a concerted effort to developreligious homes.We as Covenanters should guard against the tendency to permit regular family worship and religious trainingdren to be neglected or to become a mere formality.Less Mai Mau Terrorismof our chilThere is much encouragement for the churches of theKikuyu tribesmen in Kenya Colony, Africa, in that the tribesmen are returning to their homes in greater numbers. Thisseems to be an indication that the Christian church is winningin its struggle against the terrorism of the Mau Mau in KenyaColony.Our Drink BillIs it not an amazing fact that this nation's drinkers spend$1,128,424 an hour for liquor? The treasurer of the W.C.T.U.,Mrs. H. F. Powell, not only made this statement at the 80thannual convention of the W.C.T.U., but that the drinkingpeople of our land spend $9,885,000,000 a year for differentkinds of intoxicating drinks.Religion of University StudentsIt is affirmed from what seems to be a reliable sourcethat of the more than 2,000,000 universitystudents in thiscountry, about three fourths of them have little to do withany church, although manycall themselves Christian.The Gideon Bible Case in N. J.Last September the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled thatthe distribution of New Testaments to the school children ofRutherford, N. J., is unconstitutional. The verdict of theState court was appealed jointly by the Board of Education ofRutherford and Gideons International, to the Supreme Courtof the United States, but the latter refused to review the rulingof New Jersey Supreme Court.290Guatemala's New ConstitutionThe new Constitution of Guatemala is opposed to specialprivileges for any religion. It has refused to adopt the Roman Catholic religion as its official religion. The governmentstates that such a step would destroyreligious freedom. Asfar back as 1870 the legal status of the Roman church wasabrogated and its property confiscated.Censoring Comic BooksThe Minneapolis Tribune conducted a poll in which itfound that four fifths of the adults of Minnesota are in favorof establishing a State censorshipbooks.Temperance Sabbathboard to rule on comicThe governor of Texas, Allen Shivers, when proclaimingNovember 28 as "Temperance Sunday," stated that 50 percent of the fatal accidents on rural roads involve drinkingdrivers. "Traffic accidents in Texas spoil the enjoyment of theholiday season of many of our citizens and their families," hedeclared.The Rev. Sam Morris has scheduled athirty-minutebroadcast over the coast-to-coast network of the NationalBroadcasting Company to be given on November 7 at 6:00p. m. Central Standard time. This is the first time since therepeal of prohibition that a national network has sold timefor a public discussion of the subject, "LiquorAmerica."A curse toThe National Temperance Council has been tryingfor years to get a message on the networks.The Inspired BibleMr. S. E. Anderson, in an article in the Watchman-Examiner, says that "most Christian people hold to verbal inspiration, whether not."they admit it or He quotes from thelate A. J. Gordon as follows: "Verbal inspiration seems absolutely essential for conveying to us the exact thought of God.And while many affect to ridicule the idea as mechanical andpaltry, the conduct and method of scholars of every shade of(Continued on page 297)THE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street. Newton, Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Toneka. Kansasto promote Bible Standards of Doctrine, Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writers ;not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank F,. Allen. D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll, D.D.Remo I. Robb. D.D.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. Edc.-,rMrs. ,T. O. EdgarMrs. Ross LatimerSubscription rates: $2.50 per year; Overseas, $3.00: Single Copies-10 cents.The Rev. R. B. Lyons, B.A., Limavady, N. Ireland, Agent for theBritish Isles.Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Newton, Kansasunder the Act of March 3, 1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.COVENANTER WITNESS

Current EventsBy Prof. William H. Russell, Ph.D.DIXON-YATES INVESTIGATIONTwo days after the Congressional elections, the jointCongressional Committee on Atomic Energywas to beginhearings on the controversial Dixon- Yates power contract.Congress must approve this before it can go into effect, andit has become the center of a bitter dispute. The contractwould authorize two private Southern utility companies tobuild a steam power plant at West Memphis, Arkansas. Thisplant would send power into the area of the TVA, to replacean equal amount that the TVA is now supplying to an atomicplant at Paducah, Kentucky.The TVA would prefer to build its own new plant, at acost of $100 million. The Administration claims it can savethis amount by having the plant privately built. However,the Dixon-Yates combine is guaranteed a nine per cent annual profit on their investment for 25 years, and will still owntheir plant. TVA claims that it could repay the cost of itsplant in forty years. Furthermore, there was no public biddingon the Dixon- Yates contract. Supporters of public power callit a move to destroy the TVA as a yardstick of utility rates.President Eisenhower, however, declares that the contractincludes ample protection of the public interest. It is in linewith his policy of not expanding public power where privatefacilities can be used.HOUSING WINDFALLSThe government has begun legal action, in five states, torecover nearly seven million dollars in "windfall" profits fromgovernment-financed housingprojects. The most importantindividual implicated in the housingscandal is Clyde L. Powell, assistant commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration from 1946 to 1950. Powell has refused to answer questions before the Senate Banking Committee; but other witnesses have testified that he received large amounts of moneyfrom builders in return for FHA approval of their inflatedmortgages. Much of this money apparently went to payPowell's gambling debts. Powell is now charged with criminalcontempt for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating the housing scandals. The Republicans promise thatmore indictments will follow.DISTINGUISHED GUESTSThe United States is entertaining several prominent foreigners this fall. First came President William Tubman ofLiberia, head of the only Negro republic in Africa. His countryhas always enjoyed the special friendshipand protection ofthe United States,ever since it was founded as a home forfreed slaves. Konrad Adenauer came for a week's stay, makinghis second visit to Washington since becoming Chancellor ofWest Germany. He signed a trade treaty with the U. S. Probably the most popular visitor was Queen Mother Elizabethof England, making a 24-day tour through the United Statesand Canada. She last visited this country in 1939, with herlate husband, King George VI. Then Premier Yoshida ofJapan arrived from his European trip for consultations inWashington.OIL FROM IRANOne of the recent triumphs of Western diplomacy is bearing fruit as Iranian oil again comes into the world market. TheIranian parliament recently ratified the agreement whereby acombine of eight foreign companies will run the Iranian oilNovember 10, 1954fields and refineries for twenty-five years. Within a fewhours after the Shah signed an export pact, the oil beganflowing into British, French, Dutch, and American tankers atAbadan. The Abadan refinery, one of the world's greatest,had been shut down since 1951, when Premier Mossadeghnationalized the holdings of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company.Within a year Iran's oil exports should be back to their normaLlevel of 32 million tons annually.ARMED SERVICES INTEGRATEWhile racial integration in the public schools promisesplenty of trouble to come, a more encouraging report comesfrom the armed forces. The Defense Department states thatthere are no more all-Negro units,and that integration hasbeen accomplished ahead of schedule and with no untoward.incidents. Negroes are now used on the basis of their individual abilities and not according to any racial distinctions. Theresult has been a "marked increase in over-all combat effectiveness."moneyThere are also savings in manpower, material, andas duplicate facilities no longer are maintained forthe two groups. The report notes that there is still room forimprovement in reserve and National Guard units. Community relationships are also a problem in many areas where thelocal populace believes in segregation. This problem isworse in the United States than at most overseas stations.INTER-AMERICAN ECONOMICSAn inter-American economic conference will meet inNovember at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Henry F. Holland, ourAssistant Secretaryof State for Inter-American Affairs.visited South America in September and early October to laythe groundwork for the meeting. After his tour, however, hestated that our government would not become involved inLatin American finances except where private capital couldnot meet domestic needs. In such cases we might liberalize theloan policy of our Export-Import Bank. Latin Americanswant more generous help than this and are not hopeful ofthe results of the conference. One topic at Rio which will beof major interest to us is the price of coffee. Representativesfrom Brazil, Colombia, and the Central American states areholding preliminary meetings to find some way to stabilize theerratic coffee bean.POLITICAL SMOGSmog has become a major political issue in southernCalifornia. In the Los Angeles area, surrounded by mountains,the air tends to become static when there is no wind. This isespecially true when a warm layer of air lies above a coolerlayer. Smoke and fumes accumulate to form "smog," bringinggreat distress to people with sensitive eyes or lungs. The problem has grown steadily worse as the Los Angeles region hasgained in population and industry. The worst attack this falllasted almost three weeks.Coinciding with the end of thepolitical campaign, the smog had citizens demanding that theircity and state officials do something. Federal assistance haseven been requested. Governor Knight may order a test shutdown of the area's oil refineries in the next smog period. Itwould also help if residents would give up their backyardincinerators. Los Angeles has laws for smoke control, but therehas been little enforcement.Something can be done whenenough people demand it, as shown by the experiment ofSt. Louis and Pittsburgh.291

good."mind,"good."world."earth,"Christ and Human SocietyJ. Renwick Patterson, D.D.Text : John 3 :17, "For God sent not His Son intothe world to condemn the world, but that the worldsaved."through Him might beWe live in a world of human society. The reference of the text is to that kind of world. In thistext Jesus is saying that he came into human society,not to condemn it, but that through Him the societyof men might be saved.Man was created a social being. In the very beginning God said, "It is not good that man should bealone; I will make him an help meet for him." Andso the woman was made and the home was established, the first of the Divine institutions, the unit ofsociety and of the national community. Thus, fromthe very beginning, according to the Word of God,man was made to live in society in community notin solitude, not in isolation. Now the type of societyin which he lives is tremendously important andplays a large part in most lives in respect to how farthey may rise morally and spiritually and what theymay achieve. The ideal society is that which providesthe atmosphere and the influences most conduciveto man's rising to the highest level of his God-givenqualities of life, one which challenges him to be hisbest and to seek to develop to the fullest extent hisGod-given capacities. Such a society will be one inwhich all the inalienable rights bestowed on him byhis Creator may have their full, free and proper expression.The Foundations NecessaryNow such a society, if it is ever to be realized,must be built upon the moral and spiritual foundations of life. We live within the compass of a moraluniverseone that wras created and is sustained by awise, holy, just and loving God. By His very natureare the morals of life determined. The moral lawsummarized in the Ten Commandments and brieflycomprehended in the first and great commandment,"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,and with all thy soul, and with all thyand inthe second which is like unto it, "Thou shalt love thyneighbor as thyself," is not a set of arbitrary rulesenacted at the pleasure of an infinite Creator. Rather, they are laws of God's own nature totally independent of any edict human or divine. Since God isunalterable, the laws which express His nature areunalterable. They are absolute, eternal andindifeasible.The Westminster Assembly has given us one ofthe most comprehensive definitions of God that hasever been formulated. It defined Him as a Spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.This God is our Creator. By the Word of His Powerheaven and earth were made. When God looked uponthat which He had made He saw that it was good.Five times in the first chapter of Genesis we comeupon these words, "and God saw that it wasVerses 10, 12, 18, 21 and 25 close with these words.And then in the 31st verse of this same chapter weread, "And God saw every thing that He had made,and, behold, it was very Everything being292good in the beginning must therefore have been madefor a good purpose. Nothing was made to be usedfor wicked, unholy or immoral purposes. He made thephysical order to operate according to His physicallaws and the moral order to operate according toHis moral laws. This world is made for moral actionnot for wicked or immoral action.Our approach to the universe as a whole or inpart, if it is to be an intelligent approach, must takeGod into account. The same is true in our approach tothe problems of the individual and to the problems ofsociety. After all it is God and not man who has thelast word. It is His law His will that counts. It isnot in our fallible human speculations, reasonings,deductions, determinations or experimentations, butin God that the ultimate of all truth is found.The Duty of KnowingSince this is true, and every Bible believingChristian believes that it is true, it follows that wehave a duty, a divine imperitave, resting upon us tofind out what is God's plan and purpose in society.What is His program for the individual? What isHis plan by which man in community shall live?There is only one infallible source of informationavailable to us from which the answer to these questions can be obtained. That is from the holy and inspired Word of God, the Bible.If ever the ideal society is to come into being,one that will be conducive to man's rising to the highest level of his God-given qualities of life, morally,spiritually, socially, economically, physically and politically, the Word of God must be the guide. We needto know that the Lord God alone is omnipotent, andthat He is our dwelling place in all generations. It isonly as we are under the protection of His everlastarms that we are secure. It is because the worldinghas drifted from these shadows that we find, in thewords of the Psalmist, that "all the foundations ofthe earth are out of course."Yes we have, in ourself-sufficiency, left God out of our thinking in somany of our national and international affairs. Whowill discover for us again the foundations of theearth ? Who will declare His plan for the societyofmen?Christian Leadership NeededMay I answer that questionby stating emphatically that only men of God can point the way. It ismy conviction that the ideal society is impossiblewithout regenerated men, and when I turn to theWord of God I find throughout it that regenerationfor the individual and reformation for the nation isever its appeal. But without regeneration there canbe no real reformation. Jesus gave to His disciplesthe everlasting gospel and sent them out with it tosave men and to rebuild the world. He said to them"Ye are the salt of the "Ye are the light ofthe Only those in the Light of the world canbe the light of the world. Our churches and our Sabbath Schools have a real place in God's plan. It is herethat boys and girls and men and women are preparedand trained to become builders in the world. TheChurch has a tremendous task. It must produce, byCOVENANTER WITNESS

you."you."the power of the Spirit of God, those regeneratedmen and women who will shoulder the responsibilityof reformation and who will point the way for moralaction in our society.The blind cannot lead the blind. Only those alivewith the conviction that if ever a society is to comeinto being that will be most conducive to man's risingto his highest level of his God-given qualities of life,it must be built upon the foundation which God Himself has laid, which is Jesus Christ, can point theway. Without Him we have no constructive program.Without Him we have no pattern, no blue-print, nospecifications. Without Him it is darkness and deathfor the individual and it is chaos for the world.But with Christ there is hope. He came not tocondemn the world but that the world through Himmight be saved. He has a program for the individualand He has a program for society. It is one that callsfor right thinking and right acting. But instead ofright thinking and moral action it is so easy for usto substitute convenience, expediency or compromiseand then to assume that we have performed ourduty. And then there is the ever present danger ofour being confused or mis-led or of the issues beingclouded by the seepage from the false or faultyidealogies of the day. There are so many groups andmovements pressuring for this and for that and insisting that their only purpose is the elevation ofman and the protecting of his rights or perhaps thoseof the State and the saving of the world. But youknow, my friends, the Word of God says that theheart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked, andfurthermore, there are ways that seem right to aman that lead to death, and there are social ideaologiesand economic theories which promise liberationbut which lead to enslavement, and many there arewho are beguiled thereby.The Majority Not Necessarily RightNow we would not deny the rights which belongto groups. They have their place in our society andgroupexpression has its place. We are all membersof one group or another. Most of us belong to a particular church. We are associated with a certain denomination and with a certain congregation. And webelieve that the group to which we belong has theright to speak, has the right to declare its convictions, state its principles and proclaim its objectives.We also believe that we have the right to ask of anygroup this question, what does it stand for? Whatare its motives ? Whom or what does it represent ?A Galluppoll of two or three years ago revealsthe fact that 59% of the adult population of thiscountry admit that they drink alcoholic beverages70% of the men and 46% of the women indulge inthe use of such beverages either socially, regularlyor habitually. Although statistics reveal that at leastone out of every nine drinkers becomes an alcoholicand that we have in this country today one millionchronic alcoholics suffering from organic damage,three million additional alcoholics not yet organicallydamaged and another three million problem drinkers,yet we are told it is interfering with the rights of theindividual and of the majority group to which he belongs to try to curtail in any way his consumption ofalcohol. Here we are confronted with group pressurethe pressure of public opinion. The argument advanced is, of course, that ours is a republic in whichNovember 10, 1954the majority rules, and should not the majority inall things have what it wants ?But are there not issues in which a majoritymay be in the right? Surely in regard to the liquortraffic and other kindred evils we have the right,though we be in the minority, to ask this question ofthe majority: On the issue before us, is that forwhich you stand best for the uplifting of man ? Is ithelping to build that kind of society most conduciveto man's rising to the highest level of his God-givenqualities of life? Is this helping to bring into beingthe ideal society?The Ideal SocietyYou know our Lord Jesus Christ spoke aboutthat kind of society. He taught us to pray for it."Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as itis in heaven." He called it "The Kingdom of God."And that kingdom isn't confined to heaven. It reaches across two worlds. It has to do with the here andnow and it has to do with hereafter.But Jesus said you can't even see that kingdomunless you are born again. Can't even grasp it withthe mind. That kingdom makes no sense to a manuntil he has experienced the new birth. The LordJesus sent His disciples out to work for the buildingof a kingdom that doesn't make sense to the worldand which can't make sense to the world until a newbirth has been experienced and one has been givena new heart and a new mind and has become a newcreation in Jesus Christ. But for that supernaturalexperience a great evangelistic-educational programis called for. That, too, was taken into account by themaster. He said that the Holy Spirit would come andthat He would convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment, but in doing this He wouldwork through men, and so it was that Christ commissioned His disciples and sent them out on a worldwide preaching, teaching mission, saying to them,"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizingthem in the name of the Father, and of the Son, andof the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe allthings whatsoever I have commandedChrist has given us a mandate. We are underDivine Commission. That is the authority back ofthe church. That is the authority back of the SabbathSchool. That is the authority back of our missionaryenterprises. That is the authority back of the workof national reformation and the Christianizing ofsociety and nations. We have a commission. We havea moral obligation. We have a tremendous duty toteach and educate. Christians are in a minority in theworld, but that does not remove the obligation. Instead it makes the obligation all the more urgent.It isn't just a matter of sitting back and letting themajority have what it wants. There is involved themoral obligation of teaching the majority what itought to want teaching "the all things whatsoeverI have commanded Until we do that our taskhas not been fulfilled.Our Responsibility Toward YouthThere are many groups which move in the otherdirection. Their purpose is to destroy the old pathsand to trample underfoot our moral standards andour Christian faith. Over against this we must havegroups pressuring for the right things for what isGod's wayfor what Christ has commanded. In this,we must be especially concerned about our youth.293

They are the men and women of tomorrow. For theirsafe keeping and for the future security of the nationit is essential that the Christian forces within America keep their fingers on the moral and spiritualpulse of the nation. This is a task which lies at thedoor of the church and at the door of those agenciesaffiliated with the church for the purpose of maintaining and strengthening the Christian principles inour national and governmental life and of our society. May we rededicate ourselves to the great taskof proclaiming the gospel not only to the individualbut to our society and nation as well so that soulsshall be eternally saved and God glorified here onthe earth, and thus do our part in bringing to fulfillment the petition He taught us to pray, 'Thykingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is inheaven,"that the world Christ came not to destroymay through Him be saved."Our Public SchoolsOr Secular"Dr. Carl F. H. HenryChristianThe American public school is caught in our daybetween two enemy forces :which wouldsecularism,rob education of all emphasis on moral and spiritualabsolutes, and Roman Catholicism, which condemnsall education free of ecclesiastical control. The American emphasis on separation of church and state isoften invoked today not merely against the RomanCatholic viewpoint, which it legitimately excludes,but in favor of the secularist viewpoint, which it wasnot intended to espouse. The Dewey hierarchy inAmerican education, which is mainly responsible forstripping super-naturalism from the public school,is attempting at the moment to "play itsmart,"andis re-emphasizing the propriety of ethical and spiritual values in the classroom without making plainthe naturalistic and relativistic sense in which itformulates these values.What are evangelical Christians to do? Doubtless they are turning in considerable numbers toprivate education, but what of their public responsibility as citizens ? To avoid a sectarian Roman Catholic dominance of public education, they are asked tosupport a secular domination of it. But is that anyreal answer? Can evangelical Protestantism conscientiously lend itself to a reactionary (anti-Catholic) line in education? Is. a secularistic educationalpolicy one it can sponsor? And can education reallybe morally and religiously neutral? Is not the newemphasis on moral and spiritual values not a confession that one scale of values or another is presupposed in education? Is not the real issue today:which values will provide the core ? Will it be Mosesand the commandments, pr Dewey and the lentativities?Into this controversy an important book was injected a few years ago by a former college president,now president of The National Reform Associationand editor of The Christian Statesman, Dr. R. H.Martin. The volume, "Our Public Schools Christian or Secular" has not had the attention it deservesfrom the evangelical camp. It bears an introductionby Dr. Luther A. Weigle, once dean of Yale DivinitySchool, who long ago warned the nation that the historic American doctrine of separation of church and294state was gradually being given an essentially sectarian interpretation (as that in Russia) whichplays into the service of the forces of irreligion. Itwould seem to me that the voice of evangelical Christianity ought to be lifted on the side of truth in education in whatever realm it is found, consistent withan avoidance of that sectarianism which the founding fathers excluded. That is the strongest point,among many others, scored in Dr. Martin's study. Hesees that a completely secular public education wouldsecularize American life as fast, if not more swiftly,than our Christian churches could Christianize it,and I not only regard this verdict as right, but do notconsider it the task of Christian forces to aid andThe Christian Statesmanabet that secularization.National Reform AssociationLiteratureThe Christian Philosophy of Civil Government :Christian Civil Government, DavidMcAllister $1.00The Bible and Religion in the Public Schools :Our Public Schools Christian or Secular,R. H. Martin 2.00God In Our Public Schools, W. S. __Fleming 1.50* Supreme Court Tragedy of Errors, R. H.Martin .25Christian Statesman, Special Issue, May, 1953 .15*Daily Readings for Public Schools, D. H.Elliott .05Liquor :Facts About Intoxicating Liquors .02*Crusade Against Liquor Advertising.10The Sabbath :-Six Studies On The Day, R. H. Martin .35*God's Day And The Soul Of Man, C. E.Macartney.10*What Is Sunday For? J. R. Sizoo andOur Civil Sabbath Laws, R. H. Martin .15Gambling :Do You Know, J. R. Patterson .92*Gambling Cheats Everyone, J. R. Patterson _ .03Mormonism :Brigham Young And His Mormon Empire,F. J. Cannon 1.00(Only a few slightly soiled copies remaining)Ten Reasons Why Christians Cannot Fellowship With Mormons .05Getting Their Eyes Open .05Mormonism Revealed By GovernmentInvestigation .05Why I Left The Mormon Churchmimeographed.05The Christian Statesman :Yearly subscription 1.00* Special rates for quantity ordersSend orders to:THE NATIONAL REFORM ASSOCIATION209 Ninth Str., Pittsburgh 22, Pa.COVENANTER WITNESS

"Let Us Build A New World"(Remarks of Hon. Ruth Thompson, of Michigan,from the Congressional Record, July 13, 195h)Mr. Speaker, about a year ago I introduced abill in the House which would create a Departmentof Peace in our Government. The Secretary of sucha Department would have Cabinet status and wouldwork toward peace and good will throughout theworld. No such action was taken by the committee,but I am still of the opinion that all the guns, all thetanks, and all our bombs we are building duringthese hectic times are not going to save us from ourenemies at home or abroad.I firmly believe that our only salvation lies inthe fact that we must revert back to the more simplelife, and give more thought to that overruling powerfrom which all blessings flow. God, in His infinitegoodness, and the teachings of Jesus Christ, His Son,are the only answer if we are to survive in thesedays of universal insecurity.Last week I was one of 160 members of Congress who attended a breakfast honoring Evangelist Billy Graham who has just returned from apreaching trip abroad. His audience was most attentive as he told of speaking to a total attendanceof more than two million people in Great Britainover a period of 12 weeks. On the Continent, he addressed 300,000 persons more through interpreters.Mr. Graham stated that much of the success of hismeetings was due to a spiritual resurgence as the result of World War II and the fear of the atom bomb.Friends, right now is the time to start building anew world. And, we can only build a new world whenwe discard the old implements of war and put Godback into the center of life. Let us do it now, not onlyfor ourselves, but for generations to come.Mr. Speaker, Evangelist Billy Graham has had atremendous revelation. And that revelation meansmuch responsibility. He should be supported by theCongress of the United States, and the present administration.At any cost, let us make this great God-fearingman, and his equally great team, our official ambassadors of good will and spiritual awakening. A miracle could yet happen.Startling Crime Increase in theUnited StatesJ. Renwick Patterson, D.D.The semi-annual bulletin of Uniform Crime Reports for the United States, issued in July, 1954, bythe Federal Bureau of Investigation reveals that thecountry's estimated crime total was up 8.5 per centfor the first half of 1954 as compared with January-June of 1953. In that same period the populationrose less than 2%. Thus the increase in crime is faroutdistancingour growth in population.Robberies during this six month period jumped20.4 per cent, burglaries rose 13.2 per cent and larceny 9 per cent. Murder rose only 0.9 per cent whileaggravated assaults showed no change. Rape offenses declined 1.2 per cent, auto theft 2.3 per centand negligent manslaughter 3.9 per cent.Looking at the crime picture during this periodNovember 10, 1954from the view point of crimes occurring daily, the report reveals that there were on the average, 35 people in the United States feloniously slain, 48 rapes,252 other felonious assaults, 197 robberies, 1,454burglaries, 3,683 other larcenies and 608 car thefts.In the light of these figures, comment is scarcelynecessary. The facts speak for themselves. There iscause for serious concern. Something must be donethe basic cause sought out and adequate preventativeand remedial measures taken.A Safety Program for YourCommunity38,500 people were killed, 2,140,000 were injuredon the highways of the United States in 1953, withalcohol figuring in from 25% to 60% of this deathand accident toll.In the endeavor to helpclear our highways ofthis greatest preventable cause of traffic slaughter,the National Reform Association has developed athreefold program warning of the danger of drinkingand driving in the hope that the eye-catching materials provided in kit form will gain wide usethroughout the nation and will help create a stronger public sentiment against drinking and driving.Each kit contains three items :1. An 8V3 "x3%" bumper sticker of attractive design printed with black ink on red flourescentred gummed stock.2. A strip of four small general use stickers, ofthe same color and design, each l"x 2^", for useon the back of letters, envelopes, parcel postpackages, or in any manner in which to catchthe public eye.3. A small wallet size calendar card, year 1955,with the same slogan on the back together withseveral statements about the retarding effectsof even one or two drinks on driving skill.A list of suggestions is provided for using theprogram materials, showing how they may be usedby automotive and allied industry dealers, public officials, school officials, civic, business and service organizations, insurance companies and their agents,churches and religious groups.The copy for the materials is in the hands of theprinter at this writing, and the kits, 18,000 of whichare being printed on the first run, should be availablefrom the National Reform Association headquartersby the time this issue of The Covenanter Witnessreaches you. The price of the kits is 15c each inquantities of 75 kits or less, with special rates forlarger quantities. The items may be purchased separately for those who do not desire the kit. Also, thecalendar cards may have your own imprint on thefront at a slight extra cost.Write for a free copy of our attractive four-pagepromotional form, describing the materials, theiruses and listing prices for various quantities.Address :The National Reform Association209 Ninth StreetPittsburgh 22, Pa.295

New Liquor Facts FolderOver a long period of years the National ReformAssociation has made a specialty of preparing, publishing and distributing folders on the liquor issue,containing reliable, up-to-date material on variousphases of the liquor issue.Our aim has been to make them superior in content and attractiveness. So far as we know, we werethe first to publish temperance literature in colors.Within the past year and a half, we have published450,000 copies of a four-page illustrated circular onthis subject, all of which have been disposed of. Thecontent of 25,000 of these graphs was National incharacter and distributed throughout the UnitedStates. The remaining 425,000, in addition to National data, contained on the last of the four pages, factual material pertaining to Pennsylvania, Indiana,Minnesota, Ohio, New York and Florida. Nearly all ofthese were published on orders from the Women'sChristian Temperance Union of these states and theTemperance Leagues of Indiana and Florida, andwere distributed largely by these organizations.We have completed the preparation of a newLiquor Facts Folder of four pages which, at thiswriting, is in the hands of the printer which, we believe, to be superior both in content and attractiveness to any we have heretofore published. It is printed on white paper in black and red, and deals withalcohol what it is and what it does alcoholism, thehuman cost of liquor 4,000,000 alcoholics and 3,-000,000 habitual and heavy drinkers; liquor causedcrime and traffic deaths and injuries; the amountspent by the American people for liquor in 1953$9,885,000,000 in comparison with the cost of operating the public schools of our country for the schoolyear 1952-53 $7,640,000,000 ; the expenditures ofthe brewers and distillers in advertising their products within the past year $260,000,000, and otherfactual material.In preparing this Liquor Facts Folder, we had inmind not only its general distribution throughchurches and other organizations, but also its use inSenior and Junior High Schools throughout thecountry. We are hoping to place one hundred thousand copies of this Folder in churches, homes andpublic schools of Allegheny County, (in which Pittsburgh is .located) One of the county school men hasasked for 20,000 copies of the Folder for distributionin the schools of the County under County jurisdiction. There are also some twenty independent schooldistricts and the Pittsburgh schools in the country.This Folder contains some startling facts withreference to the amount spent for liquor in AlleghenyCounty in comparison with the expenditures for operating the County public schools and the salaries paidthe instructional staff in these schools.A Pennsylvania Folder is also being publishedwith State as well as National data, and a Folder allNational in character for distribution throughout theU.S.Our program calls for publishing these Folderson orders for other States than Pennsylvania, withState data on the fourth page, and for extensive advertising of the Folders in the hope that we will havecalls for them in large quantities from many Statesof the United States. With little advertising, nearlyone-half million copies of the Folders last published296on orders were distributed in six states. With a moreextensive advertising of the New Liquor Facts Folder, we hope to have calls for a much larger publication of the Folder.Each of these Folders, The Allegheny County,The Pennsylvania and the National Folder can be obtained fromThe National Reform Association, 209 NinthStreet, Pittsburgh 22, Pa.The cost $2.50 per Hundred, $20.00 per thousand. Write for information of the cost in largequantities.Recommendations PertainingTo The National Reform Association,Adopted by Synod, 1954.1. That the Association, its Board of Directorsand staff of workers be commended by the Synod forthe work it has carried forward during the past year.2. That pastors, officers and members of thechurch be encouraged to assist the National ReformAssociation in the distribution of its literature and inthe promoting of its program locally.3. That the Temperance Committee of the Synodand the National Reform Association be encouragedto work closely together in promoting temperancework in the church.4. That each congregation be urged to name arepresentative from among its members to serve asan agent of the National Reform Association in securing subscriptions to the Christian Statesman andto handle the distribution of its literature locally.5. That pastors or congregational agents beurged to place copies of Dr. Elliott's Daily BibleReadings in the hands of teachers of the localschools. Also copies of our latest Facts About Intoxicating Liquors.6. That pastors, sessions, Sabbath School superintendents and teachers be urged to participate actively in the Crusade against Liquor Advertising, andto enlist others in their respective communities inthis Crusade.7. That congregations be commended for theirsupport of the National Reform Association in thepast, and that pastors and sessions be requested tokeep open their pulpits to representatives of theAssociation and to assist in arranging openings forits speakers in their communities.8. That the first Sabbath of November be designated for taking the National Reform annual offering, that $10,000 be set as the goal to be reached bythe church and that pastors deliver a National Reform message to their people preparatory to takingthe offering. Also that names and addresses of allcontributors and the amounts contributed be sent tothe Association headquarters 501 PublicationBuilding, 209 Ninith Street, Pittsburgh 22, Pa., sothat they may acknowledge the contributions individually, and that contributors may receive theChristian Statesman.9. That our people be urged to pray for theAssociation and its workers.Synod, in adopting the report of the Covenantermembers of the Board of directors of the NationalReform Association including these recommendations, once again as has been true through the years,has placed its approval on the work of the Association and has endorsed its program.COVENANTER WITNESS

While this does not necessarily mean an endorsement of all the personal views that may be held byany or all of the workers of the Association, it doesmean that it approves of the work of the Associationin general as being vital and necessary and worthy ofthe support and prayers of the church. It has, therefore, recommended that Covenanters pray for thework of the Association and for its workers, and thatmembers and congregations be urged to contributefinancially to its support.These recommendations are designed for action.They contain many suggestions which, if implemented by pastors and congregations, will greatly help theAssociation to perform its task. The attention ofpastors and congregations is called particularly torecommendations 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. With yourcooperation and prayer this work will bear fruit.It will not fail.J. R. PattersonDr. Martin To Speak on EvangelicalSocial Action ProgramAt the annual meeting of the National Association of Evangelicals to be held in Chicago, in April,1955, there will be panel discussions, sponsored bythe Association's Commission on Evangelical SocialAction, of which Dr. Carl F. H. Henry, professor ofSystematic Theology and Christian Philosophy ofFuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California, ischairman.The subject for one of the discussion periods is"Spiritual and Moral Values in Public Education."This subject will be discussed by the following persons in 20-minute addresses.Dr. Glenn L. Archer, executive secretary, Protestants and Other Americans United, Washington,D.C.Dr. Mark Fakkema, educational director, National Association of Christian Schools, Chicago, 111.Dr. Frank E. Gaebelein, headmaster of StonyBrook School and author of "Christian Education ina Democracy," Stony Brook, N. Y.Dr. R. H. Martin, president, National ReformAssociation, and author of Our Public SchoolsChristian orSecular, Pittsburgh, Pa.To sharpen up the panel discussion the issue isstated this way:What ought to be done with spiritual and moralvalues in public education in the light of the Bill ofRights and recent Supreme Court decisions; for example, The McCollum School Case?Dr. Henry invited Dr. Martin to participate inthis discussion and he has accepted the invitation.Tither's CornerBy D. H. ElliottThe Christian StatesmanAn unemployed Christian man in a New Englandtown had gotten down to his bottom dollar. He laidfifty cents of this on the offering plate on Sabbath,November 10, 1954Next morning he heard of possible employment at aneighboring town. The railroad fare was one dollar.Had he wasted that 50 cents which he needed now?With the other 50 cents he bought a ticket half wayintending to walk the rest of the way. Before walking a block he heard of a factory nearby needing help.Within half an hour he had a job at five dollars aweek more than he could have gotten at the othertown. His 50 cent offering was rewarded ten fold.That man was W. L. Douglas,shoe manufacturer.Luke 6:38who became theThe tithe, what is it ? Oh, who knows ?Just a fancy, I suppose."Giving, giving, every day!Taking out of pay!"everyKeeping, hoarding evermore,Makes me poorer than before.The larger grows my earthly sum,The smaller may my soul become.Help me, Lord, to clearly see,Withholding will impoverish me;That those who learn to freely giveHave only then begun to live.GLIMPSES Cont'd from page 290belief show how generally it is accepted. For, why the minutestudy of the words of Scripture carried on by all expositors,their search after the precise shade of verbal significance, theirattention to the minutest details of language, and to all thedelicate coloring of mood and tense and accent? The highscholars, who speak lightly of the theory of literal inspirationof the Scriptures, by their method of study and exegesis arethey who put the strongest affirmation on the doctrine whichthey deny."In the course of his argument Mr. Anderson says: "Todeny the verbal inspiration of the Bible seems to me a denialof its accuracy and dependability. Only God is perfect, andhe claims perfection for his Word (Ps. 19:7)." He gives fivereasons which we quote in part:1. The Bible says it is verbally inspired, and gives several proof texts.2. No other method of inspiration is stated in the Bible.3. The real issue as to inspiration is between conservativesand extreme liberals .... God's Word is true in and by itself,whether we accept it or not; the North Star is north, nomatter how lost we may be.4. The Bible's trustworthiness is established by verbalinspiration; any lesser view detracts from its divine certainty.5. The Bible's repeated assertion of its own verbal inspiration, and the complete confidence of millions in it, oughtto assure us of its solid strength.The writer quotes from Dr. Francis L. Patton, formerpresident of Princeton: "We are led .... to the irresistibleconclusion that the books of the Bible .... were composed bymen who acted under the influence of the Holy Ghost tosuch an extent that they were preserved from every error offact, of doctrine, of judgment; and these so influenced theirchoice of language that the words they used were the wordsof God. This is the doctrine which is known as that of plenaryverbal inspiration." 297

another."contrast."praise."others?"us."Lesson Helps for the Week of November 28, 1954C.Y.P.U. TOPICNovember 28, 1954THE NINTH COMMANDMENTExodus 20:16Scripture: Eph. 4:17-32Alvin W. Smith, D.D., Orlando, Fla.Psalms:5:1-3, page 815:1-3, page 2635:1-4, page 87101:1-4, page 239References: Ex. 23:21; Deut. 19:16-20;Prov. 12:17; 19:5, 9, 28; 25:18; Jer. 7:9; Prov. 6:16-19; Ps. 15:2; 51:6; Zech.8:16; Matt. 5:37; Ps. 101:7; Phil. 4:8; 1 Pet. 2:12; Rom. 12:9; Josh. 24:14;Psa. 119:104, 128; Lev. 6:3; 19:12.Ephesians 4:25, A Good Starting Point"Wherefore putting away lying, speakevery man truth with his neighbor; forwe are members one ofPersonal relationships are emphasized. Weare members one of another. Lying isevil, not alone because it is againstGod, but also because it harms one'sneighbor. The kind of lying denounced inthe Ninth Commandment is false-witness against a neighbor. This brings tomind such words as slander, libel, malicious gossip and most of all the wordperjury, false-hood under oath.False Witness a ViolationThou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. This has a positive side. The NinthCommandment requireth the maintaining and promoting of truth between manand man and of our own and our neighbor's good name, especially in witnessbearing. Likewise it is negative. Theninth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudicial to truth or injurious toour own and our neighbor's good name.Owe no man anything but to love oneanother: for he that loveth another hathfulfilled the law. For this, Thou shaltnot kill, thou shalt not steal,thou shaltnot bear false witness. Love worketh noill to his neighbor: therefore love is thefulfilling of the law."The Ninth Commandment is almostuniversally broken and is probably moreoften broken than anyother with theexception of the Tenth. Thousands ofhighly respectable persons, who wouldnever dream of committingmurder oradultery or robbery, engage in tale-bearing and detraction every day of theirlives. It is so easy and so pleasant to sitwith one's friends and discuss a thirdparty, especially if the conversation ismildly derogatory. It is such a pleasantform of sin, since it is not one for which298anyone can be sent to jail, and yet itgives a bit of excitement along with thesense of relative virtue in one's self. Justto talk of the shortcomings of anothermakes the conversationalist feel virtuousby (Trueblood)."It is precisely because we care aboutreputation so much that we can harmone another so easily. Nearly all blackmail gets its power from the desire forgood standing in the opinion of others.Thoroughgoing blackmail is, however,comparatively, rare. What is common,instead, is the equally dishonest but perhaps more cowardly effort to advanceour own standing by sly insinuations concerning our competitors for place andpower .... The most successful form ofthis attack is faintHow Do You Rate?Quakers asked a question at intervals:"Do you avoid tale bearing and detraction and are you careful concerning thereputations.ofAnother question might be added, "Are you as careful in being honest about persons as youare about things?" In the field of science,progress depends absolutely upon exacttruth both in the conducting of experiments and in the announcement of theirresults. Suppose there were cheating under those considerations. Yet it seems tobe a fact today that we are more carefulin what we say about atoms than weare in what we say about men.Persons, in the sight of God are sacredand of much more importance thanthings. "Falsification is wrong becauseit means takingson who trustsadvantage of the perGod holds accountable."An Honest Man's the NoblestWork of God"Coming back to Eph. 4:25 let us takethis counsel to heart which is containedin verses 20-32. It is all directed to Christians ... to converts from the world.The old man with its conversation is tobe put away with all of its corruptions:lyingangerstealingcorrupt communications.In its place we are to put on the newman with qualities of righteousness andholiness. The matter oftruth-telling andof being trustworthy heads the list ofChristian virtues.Let us seek grace to put into practicethis Ninth Commandment in the variouscircles in which we live, our home, ourchurch, our office, factory or whateverit may be. Let us seek to promote truthin maintaining our own and our neighbor's good name in honesty, generosityand kindness.Questions1. What effect does the takingof anoath bywitnesses in court have on thetruth or falsity of their testimony?2. What can we learn from David'seulogy over Saul? 2 Sam. 1:17-27.3. What is character assassination and,how can it be cured? .,^l*^4. What is the best way to spike a rumor?5. How should we act when spokenagainst falsely?MemoryJUNIOR TOPICNovember 28, 1954by Mrs. Wilbur J. KeysJOSEPH, THE GOVERNORScripture: Genesis 42, 43, 44Verse: "And we know that allthings work together for good to themthat love God, to them who are calledpurpose."according to hisRomans8:28Devotional Reading: Psalm 26:1-7Psalms to sing:Psalm 118:17-20, page 285Psalm 33:7, 9, 10, page 78Psalm 136:1, 2, 12, 13, page 334(sing from memory)Psalm 46: 1, 3, 5, page 119For the references, answer these questions:1. How does Judah's behavior herecompare with the work of our Saviour?I Peter 2:20-252. What apostle made an offer to takeresponsibility for another, similar toJudah's? Philemon 1:183. What great principle of Scripture isemphasized here? Gal. 6:74. Did Joseph's brothers have a guiltyconscience all these years? Gen. 42:21and Gen. 44:165. How did Reuben try to save Benjamin? Gen. 42:376. What part of his past life did Joseph recall when his brothers came toEgypt for food? Gen. 37:7, 107. What is the first object in self-sacrifice? Rom. 6:6In last week's lesson we just began torealize the full interpretation of Pharaoh's dream. The crops had been goodfor seven years and were harvested andstored. Now the famine was in all lands.Even Jacob who is still in Hebron istouched by the famine. When Jacobheard there was corn in Egypt, he calledhis sons to him and said, "Why do youstand here and look at one another? Godown to Egypt and buy corn that we dienot."So Joseph's ten brothers went toCOVENANTER WITNESS

money."Egypt- Jacob did not let Benjamin gofor fear some accident would come uponhim.In Egypt the brothers meet the governor, Joseph. Joseph recognized them instantly.Why didn't the brothers recognize Joseph? Joseph did not want to reveal himself, because he wanted to see ifhis brothers had had a change of heart.Joseph accused them of being spies. Theyanswered,"No."They told him of theirfamily. Joseph demanded that they bringtheir younger brother to him to provethat they were speaking the truth.Joseph put all his brothers in prisonfor three days. When Joseph let themout he demanded that one remain for ahostage. Immediately their consciencespoke to them and reminded them oftheir unconfessedand unforgotten sinconcerning Joseph (Gen. 42:21-24).Joseph filled their sacks with corn putting each man's money in the top of hissack and gave them food for their journey and sent them back to the land ofCanaan. Here we see the evidence ofGod's love in Joseph. He forgave hisbrethren, returning good for evil.When Joseph's brothers returned home,they told Jacob their father all that hadhappened. Jacob was heartbroken forJoseph was gone, Simeon was in prisonand now theywanted to take Benjaminaway. He did not want them to go backto Egypt.However, when they had eaten up thecorn and the famine was still in the land,Jacob commanded his sons to return toEgypt. How sad Jacob must have been tohave to send Benjamin with them! Theytook gifts for the governor and doublemoney to pay for both the previous andpresent sacks of corn.When Joseph saw his brothers coming,he told his servant to prepare a feast forthem, for they were to have dinner withhim that day.Joseph's brothers were very muchafraid when the steward took them tothe governor's home. They thought theywere to be punished for the money foundin their sacks. But the steward said,"Peace be to you, fear not: your God,and the God of your father, hath givenyou treasure in your sacks. I had yourbetter.Simeon was freed. They feltAs soon as Joseph came home, theygave their presents to him and bowedlow. When Joseph saw Benjamin, hewas so overjoyed that he had to leave,for he wept for joy. When he had gainedcontrol of his emotions theywere servedtheir meal, and Benjamin was servedfive times as much as the others. Theyall ate and were very happy. Joseph wasespecially pleased to discover that hisbrothers no longer had jealously in theirhearts.November 10, 1954Again Joseph sent his brothers homewith their sacks filled with grain. Againhe put their money in the top of eachsack. He also had the steward put hissilver cupsack. Before theyin the mouth of Benjamin'shad gone far Josephsent his steward out to overtake them.The steward accused them of taking thesilver cup. The brothers denied it andsaid, '/With whomsoever of thy servantsit be found, both let him die, and wealso will be my lord's bondmen." Thecupwas found in Benjamin's sack. Thebrothers were so distressed that they toretheir clothes. They all returned to Joseph's home and fell down on the groundbefore him seeking forgiveness.Of course, Joseph knows all and askswhy they have done such a thing afterhe has treated them so kindly. Finally,Judah offers himself to be a slave to Joseph in order that Benjamin might return to his father. Judah had guaranteedhis father that Benjamin would return.Judah's plea is so earnest and sincere thatJoseph can stand it no longer. He sendsthe Egyptians away. Then he tells hisbrothers who he is and weeps for joy.Next week you will study how Josephcompletely forgives his brethren and thejoy of a family reunion.Topics for you to discuss:1. Why did God send Joseph to Egypt?2.What gifts did Jacob's sons take toJoseph, the governor?3. Why were not Jacob'ssons* allowedto eat at the same table with Joseph?Did the brothers wonder at the seatingarrangement?4. For what purpose did Joseph testhis brethren?5. Name the brother whom you thinkhad the kindest heart. Why?6. Why do you think Jacob refused tolet Benjamin go with Reuben but allowedJudah to take him?For your notebookOn the top half of the page draw a fewcircles to represent money. Beside themcopy Gen. 42 :35a. On the bottom half ofthe page, draw or paste a picture of acup. Beside it copy Gen. 44:12b. At thebottom of the page print your memoryverse.SABBATH SCHOOL LESSONNovember 28, 1954by Rev. Joseph A. Hill(Lessons based on International Sunday SchooiLessons ; the International Bible Lessons forChristian Teaching, copyrighted by InternationalCouncil of Religious Education.)OUR EVER-PRESENT HELPLesson Material: Psalms 142 and 46Printed Text: Psalm 142; 46:1-3, 10-11.Memory Verse: Psalm 46:1"God is ourrefuge and strength, a very present helpin trouble."Refuges formed an important part oflife in ancient times. There were twokinds of refuge, natural and man-made.Travelers often found shelter in thenatural refuge of mountain caves, orif they were in the desert they sometimes hid from the storms behind alarge rock. Refuges were commonlybuilt for defense of cities or of an army,for example, a fort or garrison, whichserved as a stronghold against enemies.The modern counterpart of the OldTestament refuge is the air raid shelter.In America, none of the hundreds of airraid shelters have been used as a refuge,but we have built them, just in case ofa calamity.When there is no immanent danger orprobability that we will have to use ourrefuges, we tend to take our securityfor granted. This is true of both individuals and nations. We do not seek ahiding place until we are pursued, ora shelter until the storm strikes. Welearned our lesson in 1941 at Pearl Harbor when we had no refuges. Since thenwe have built our shelters, but can wesay, "God is our refuge and strength"?There are times in every person's lifewhen he needs a safe hiding place fromthe storms of life, and from foes. Thereare distressing and disturbing elementsin every person's life, but God's Wordassures us that we may find peace ofheart and joy in Him who is our everpresenthelp.These two Psalms, the 142nd and 46th,picture God as our refuge on high. OnePsalm is personal, the other nationalin its outlook.I. The Imprisoned Soul Finds Its Refugein God (Psalm 142).The title or superscription (in fineprint at the beginning) gives the settingof the Psalm: "A meditation of David,when he was in the cave, a Prayer."This indicates the historical backgroundof the Psalmist's experience, namely, hisfleeing into a cave, either at Adullam(I Samuel 22) or at Engedi (I Samuel24). Over a long period of time, Davidwas constantly being pursued and soughtby King Saul who was determined toput David to death.Notice that although David is in solitude in a cave, he prays aloud to God.This is because David is in dead earnest,and he is intent upon being heard. Godcan hear and answer an unspokenprayer, since He knows our verythoughts; but praying aloud has a goodeffect on the one praying. It helps todefine our thoughts, and put our feelings into words. So often, when we praysilently, we tend to let our feelingsdominate our prayers, and to let ourthoughts drift off into empty feeling.Praying aloud, even when we are alone,is the best remedy for wandering299

supplication"me."ourselves"me."thoughts. "I cried unto the Lord withmy voice; with my voice unto the Lorddid I make my(verse 1).David's prayer does not give God anynew information, since God alreadyknows of his circumstances and hisdanger (Read verses 2 and 3). Maclarensays that telling God his troubles is"for the complainer's relief, not forGod's information."In verse 4 David complains that hehad no friends to comfort or sympathizewith himwould know"There was no man thatDelitzsch translatesthis: "No friend appeareth foris not literally true that David had nofriends during his wanderings, for inthe historical background (1 Samuel22:1) we are told that when his brethren and his father's house heard of hiswhereabouts, theyItall went to dwellnear him. There were about fourhundred men with him during his sojourn in the cave of Adullam. David wasnot friendless when he wrote this Psalm.David had friends, but he complainsthat they gave him no help. It was not,however, that his friends would not helphim, but they could not help him.Human help and human sympathy goonly so far. Only God is a sure refuge.So David flees to God, and in Him putshis trust, verses 5 and 6. And in theend, although his friends could not helphim, they rejoice with him in his victory."We have companions in joy; sorrow wehave to face by(Maclaren).Do we sometimes feel that we haveno friend to sympathize with us or cheerus? Do we have foes that trample onour hurt feelings, and other cares thatburden us with worry and anxiety? Godis a sure refuge in the desert places oflife, and on the steepmountains ofearthly difficulties. If we climb upwardby faith, we will find our refuge onhigh.II. The Beleagured Nation Finds itsRefuge in God (Psalm 46).The godly believer's Refuge is also thegodly nation's Refuge. Delitzsch entitlesthe 46th Psalm: "A Mighty Fortress isOur God," borrowing the title from thewell-known hymn byMartin Luther.The historical setting for the Psalmis an interesting one, recorded in 2Chronicles 20. It takes place in the reignof Jehoshaphat King of Judah. TheMoabites, Ammonites and Edomites hadformed an alliance against Judah, andhad threatened to invade the capital,Jerusalem. Jehoshaphat called the nation together for a day of prayer. Thepeople assembled in the Temple to offer prayer to Jehovah for the nation'sdefense and security. During the day,the Spirit of the Lord came upon theprophet Jehaziel, who predicted that be-300References: Ezek. 33:31; Matt. 15:8; Ifore the break of day, help would come111:1-3, 6, 7, page 276 periority over all that went before.from Jehovah.Cor. 10:31; John 15:14; Romans 12:1;Next day, before the battle was Deut. 1:30, 31; 3:21; Phil. 4:18; Col. 1:pitched, instead of sending an army out 10; 3:20; Prov. 16:17; I Thess. 4:1;to meet the enemy, singers (the sonsof Korah; see the superscription of thePsalm) went to the front line and sanga song of victory, telling the heathenarmies that God was Israel's strongPs. 51:19.This is the last of the Prayer Meetingtopics on Covenanting to be used duringthe year 1954. We have considered "TheGOD of the Covenant" in topics oneRefuge. The Lord had providentially through four; then "CHRIST in His Rearranged for maurading desert bands, lation to the Covenant" in topics fivewaiting in ambush, to attack the through eight; then "The Holy Spirit inheathen enemies of Judah. The heathen the Application and Working Out of thenations were thrown into confusion, Covenant Idea, especially in Individualturned against themselves and killed one in topics nine through eleven. WeLife"another. So great was the devastationthat it took three days for the warriorsof Judah to strip the jewels and othervaluables from the dead.shall close this series of topics by considering "The Realization of the Covenant Promise" as it relates to our ownpersonal lives.Psalm 46 reflects the song which wassung out on the battle line on thatI.memorable day. The Levites no doubt In the Scripture chosen for this topic,sang the same theme: "God is ourwe have GOD set forth as the "God ofRefuge and Strength."Peace": (a) God is the God of Peace inMany times during the history of Israel His own person, and the One throughwhom alland Judah, God miraculously deliveredindividual and social peace isHis people from the power of godless,heathen enemies. This was part of God'sto be secured. Since peace is so important and so vital to the welfare of manwork of redemption. God's work of kind, this truth is worthy of much conprovidence is closely related to His worksideration, (b) Then God's concern in beof redemption; both serve toward the half of mankind is set forth in the folfulfilment of God's purposes for the lowing words, "Now the God of Peaceworld. God's people still have enemies,there is still evil in the world, and therethat brought again from the dead ourLord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd ofis still confusion and turmoil and war.thesheep."In many Scripture passagesBut God is still our Refuge and Strengthin the midst of the present evil world.God is still able to preserve and dewe are directed to consider the activitiesof God in our behalf, such as, "Ye haveseen what I did unto the Egyptians, andfend His people against the attacks ofhow I bare you oneagles'wings, andall godless enemies: the materialist,brought you unto myself. Now therefore,the secularist, theif ye willadvocate of modernobey my voice indeed, andheathenism (Mohammedanism, Bud keep my covenant, then ye shall be adhism, Liberal "Christianity," etc.) andpeculiar treasure unto me above all peothe communist. These enemies may at ple: for all the earth is mine: And yeshalltack the Church or the godly nation, butbe unto me a kingdom of priests,and anthey will stand as bulwarks of truth holy nation. These are the wordswhich thou shalt speak unto the childrenand righteousness. The movements ofnations are still under God's governingof Israel" (Ex. 19:4-6).hand. God's works of providence are In the New Testament the Resurreccoordinated with His work of worldredemption. God's people will triumphin the end, because the Lord of hosts ison our side. The Kingdom of God willcome not because we fight and work andtion of Christ is set before us as one ofmighty acts of God, which demonstrates the greatness of divine power. It isnot that the other acts of God as recorded in the Old Testament are to be leftbuild, but because GOD IS OUR out of view, but that in the ResurrectionREFUGE AND STRENGTH.power there is the supreme manifestationof God's work in man's redemption.PRAYER MEETING TOPICFor December 1, 1954II.The Ground of Confidence "throughCovenanting: The Covenant PromiseRealized: Hebrews 13:20, 21the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant."In the Resurrection of Christ we see notComments by W. O. Ferguson, D.D. only the working and display of power,Psalms25:7-12, page 59but also the ground of confidence. One ofthe main purposes of the Book of He106:22, 23, 30-33, page 263105:1-7, page 25769:25-27, 30, page 16889:14-17, page 217brews is to inspire confidence in Christand in Christianity. The author of Hebrews compares Christ with the formerservants of God only to present His suCOVENANTER WITNESS

edeemer"will."obedience."nurses'"Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers ofthe heavenly calling, consider the Apostleand High Priest of our profession, ChristJesus, who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithfulin all his house" (Heb. 3:1, 2). The resurrection and ascension are to be thoughtof not only as a triumph of power, butas God's full endorsement of all Christ'swork as the true shepherd of the redeemed flock.The RemedyIII.the Everlasting Covenant.""through the Blood ofThe Everlasting Covenant is the finalcovenant. The sacredness of blood is recognized all through the Scriptures. It isso considered in the blood sacrifices, ofthe Old Testament and in all covenanttransactions (Gen. 15:9-11; Ex. 24:6-8;Mark 14:23, 24). It sanctifies and sealsthe New Covenant of the Lord's Supper.It is as sacred as the divine love andmercy can make it. Its sanctity is broughtto mind in the renewing of our covenantvows. Such sacredness should remindus of the fact that it is all sufficient. TheBlood of the Covenant is God's own provision, and since provided by Him, itmust be adequate to accomplish the Divine Purpose. The Cross or the Bloodmay be foolishness to many, "But untothem which are called, both Jews andGreeks, Christ the power of God and thewisdom of God" (Cor. 1:24).The Goal:IV."Make you perfect in everygood work to do his will, working in youthat which is wellpleasing in his sight,through Jesus Christ; to whom be gloryfor ever and ever. Amen" (Heb. 13:21).(a) "Make you perfect to do hisThis is the new obedience in Jesus Christ.See Catechism Question and Answer 87,last part, "endeavor after newSuch obedience is indeed the work of theHoly Spirit within one's heart and life.It will be an expression of one's love toGod in Christ,as well as of gratitude forall blessings, with the desire to honor andglorify God. (b) "Workingwhich is wellpleasing in hisin you thatsight."Christsays "I do always those things that pleasehim"(John 8:29). What a goal it is andwhat an experience it will be when theprayer "Let the words of my mouth, andthe meditation of my heart be acceptablein thy sight, O Lord, my strength and myThis can truly(Ps. 19:14), has been attained!Covenant Promise realized.be thought of as thePrayer Topics1. That there may be a united faithfulness to our covenant vows.2. That the Covenanter Church mayrealize the blessing of the CovenantPromise.November 10, 1954News BriefsYour Editor feels that you have a rightto know (many of you do already) thatthis is the third issue of the CovenanterWitness prepared for the press from mybed in Stormont-Vail Hospital, Topeka.Extra help from my wife and daughteris acknowledged.hereby I wish to thankfriends who have remembered me withcards, flowers, calls, and especially youngand older who are daily praying for me.I think the next whistle post is just thisside of Wellville and the Three Taverns,and I am thanking God and takingcourage. D. R. T.NOTICE!CAUTION!The Prayer meeting Topic for November 24 was published in the Witness ofOctober 27one week ahead of its appointed space. And the Prayer meetingTopic for November 17 will appear inthe Witness of November 3, one weeklater than its proper time and place. Wehope this will not cause serious mix-upsand we ask that all our good contributorswill help us to run on schedule.Editor.Don't forget to order your Bible Readers. Do it now. See full notice in anotherplace in this issue of the Witness.I moderated a call for the HEBRONcongregation, Idana, Kansas on October27, 1954 which resulted in the choice ofMilton Harrington. The congregationhopes that he will be led to accept theircall. C. E. CaskeySHARON: Neil Wylie Kilpatrick, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Wylie Kilpatrick,was baptized on October 17.LAKE RENO: Lois Marie, infantdaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Blair,was baptized October 24.OAKDALE: Dr. W. O. Ferguson hasbeen supplying the pulpit very acceptab-ly-HOPKINTON: At our communionservices on September 26, the Rev. RoyBlackwood was the assistant. His sermons were highly appreciated bythe congregation. Mr. Blackwood spent one summer at Hopkinton during his studentdays and was welcomed in our midstagain.THE SHARON CONGREGATIONhonored Mr. and Mrs. Mell McElhinneyon the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary October 21 in the church parlors. A large number of friends and relatives enjoyed the original program andthe bountiful refreshments, including alarge wedding cake. Mr. and Mrs. DonaldMartin andfamily of Dayton, Ohio, wereamong the guests. Mr. and Mrs. McElhinney held Open House at their home inMorning Sun the following afternoonand evening.LAKERENO: Communion serviceswere held October 8-10 by the pastorwithout an assistant.Following the Friday evening service an election of elderswas held. Mr. Roland McCroryErnest McCroryand Mr.were elected. Our prayeris that these two may answer the callto serve the Lord in this way.OAKDALE: Mrs. Harold Auld andMrs. Kenneth Frieman recently attendeda W.C.T.U. convention held in Springfield, 111. While there they attended atea held at the Governor's Mansion.Did you see the announcement thatBible Readers are now ready for distribution? Look for it in this issue of theWitness. It is not hiding in an obscurecorner.SHARON'S YOUNG PEOPLE arescattered to many parts of the country.Marlene Robertson has enteredtraining at the Burlington Hospital.Marilyn Mehaffy is attending ButlerUniversity, Indianapolis. Mary Jo McClurkin is in Geneva and Donald McClurkin is in the Seminary. John Haysand family are located on Long Islandand Bill Hays is attending BurlingtonJunior College. Bruce Edgar is a JetPilot stationed atAlbuquerque, NewMexico, and David Edgar is at Okinawa.Mary Alice Pogemiller has a nursing position in a New Jersey Hospital andJoanne Pogemiller is teaching at FortMadison, Iowa. Miss May Allen is inSanta Ana, California helping in thehome of Mrs. A. M. Thompson.OAKDALE: Rev. Remo I. Robbpreached for us the last two Sabbaths inSeptember. We had the privilege of signing the Covenant September 25 and observed Communion September 26.LAKE RENO: Teachers and officers ofthe S. S. held a meeting at the parsonagein September to discuss plans for thecoming months. Offerings once a monthfor half the year will go to ourKentuckyfield. Much interest was shown in othertopics considered and decisions made.Teachers are: Rev. Mitcheladults; Mrs.301

at'Charles PetermanWilla Hoganyoung people; Missjunior; Mrs. Ermel Blairprimary; Mrs. Harold Malyonbeginners. Mrs. Ezra Wild was a faithful primary teacher during the summer. Mrs.Peterman recently had another of herpopular parties for the young people.Miss Orlena Lynn from our missionin Japan spoke and showed pictures ofthe work in Japan at a joint meeting ofMORNING SUN AND SHARON, inSun Church on Septemberthe Morning22. It was a privilege to hear Orlena'sfine message.OAKDALE: Three young people joinedthe church at the time of the fall Communion. Theyare: Doris Jean Brammeier, Myrene Carson and Jerry Frieman.LAKE RENO: Mr. and Mrs. KennethSanderson gave good messages on thework in Latakia, Syria, at our annualThankoffering meeting, October 20. Asocial hour followed. It was a privilege tohave Dr. and Mrs. F. E. Allen with uson this occasion, on their return fromcommunion servicesin Winnipeg. Thewomen and friends of the church wereentertained at the parsonage the preceding afternoon, in honor of Marjorie. Itwas a pleasure to have the Sandersonswith us.OAKDALE: The Juniors were invitedto Earla Jean and Ruth Aulds' homeSaturday afternoon, October 23, for aHalloween party. All sorts of funnyfaces showed up for an afternoon of fun.The refreshments were good too!SHARON : The Rev. Philip Martin wasCommunion services atthe assistantSharon on October 10. The congregationappreciated his fine messages leading upto the signing of the Covenant and to theSacrament.OAKDALE: Miss Nannie Piper felland broke her legrecently. She is beingcared for in the J. Ren Piper home.LAKE RENO: Dr. A. J. McFarland wasa surprise and welcome visitor at the parsonage September 18-20, and spoke to thecongregation Sabbath morning. He wason a trip bookingC. A. message.radio stations for theTHIRD PHILADELPHIA:Mr. andMrs. Frank Haussmann were unitedwith the church at this time.The Sacrament of Baptism was administered on Communion Sabbath morningto Robert J. Everett, Mrs. Frank Haussmann and children, Nancy, Cathy andGerry.NEW ALEXANDDRIA: Week dayReligious Education is given this yearto the upper grades of the Public School.Rev. R. C. Fullerton teaches the 6th302grade. The class meets in our Churchevery Thursday afternoon.SHARON: Mr. Kenneth Sandersonbrought the morning message at SHARON on October 24. We have a greaterappreciation of the work in the schools ofSyria sincehearing his fine address. Mrs.Sanderson spoke to the Sabbath School.LAKE RENO: Dr. J. R. Elseyhis Rest Home and has moved to a beauhas soldtiful location in Glenwood overlookingLake Minnewaska. Dr. Elsey has givenmany years of service in the Glenwoodcommunity, first as practicing physicianand later as manager of a home for elderly people. His quiet, sympathetic,helpful ministry is appreciated by many.BIBLE READERS for 1955 are nowready for distribution. Do not wait untilyour order gets held up in the Christmasrush. Better to be an early bird than the"sorry-I-forgot-to-order-sooner"varietyof person. We have always had some ofthe latter stripe of individual who havebeen wont to urge us,"Send these airmail"; or, "Rush these along as fast ascan."you We wonder if, during the earlydays of the new year, our committee willhave the privilege of enjoying a rest instead of a rush !We have three types of Readers,theregular Daily Reader (short passages) ;the Chronological Reader (through theBible in one year) ;and the Children'sReader (first and second series). If youused the first series of the Children'sReader last year, you will need to orderthe second series this year.Prices are the same for all types ofReaders,Less than ten, five cents each;ten or more, three cents each; one hundred or more, two-and-one-half centseach. Order from Rev. F. F. Reade, Box102, Almonte, Ontario, Canada.HOPKINTON: On September 29 theMisses Helen and Florence Fattal wereguests at the parsonage. A reception washeld in their honor at the home of Mrs.Maude Joseph Smith. Mrs. MarjorieSanderson introduced them and spokewith high appreciation of their help inthe Syrian Mission. They answered manyquestions which were asked to the enlightmentand satisfaction of all. Theirservices to the Mission have been freelyand generously given through manyyears.The missionary societies of SHARONAND MORNING SUN met at SharonFriday, October 22 for their Thank-offeringmeeting. Devotions were in charge ofMrs. Merritt McElhinney and the guestspeaker was Mrs. Kenneth Sanderson ofSyria. A generous offering was received.Following the program a Tea was enjoyed by the ladies.LAKE RENO: Several have madetrips away from home this summer, andwe are happy to welcome them all backsafely again. The Charles Peterman family visited Charles' parents in Californiaand attended the wedding of his brother,Lyman. The Dale Blair family visitedrelatives in Corona, California, and Seattle, Wash. Miss Willa Hogan went toMorning Sun and to Grinnell, Iowa.Joanne Wild and Mitchels went to Grinnell. Mikey and Jim Elsey were in Scoutcamps several weeks. Roberta Elsey hadthe honor of being one of 101 Senior GirlScouts of the nation to attend a two-weekencampment at Cody, Wyo. Roberta, aJunior in Glenwood High School, spoke,October 26, at a three-state regionalGirl Scout Conference in Minneapolis.THIRD PHILADELPHIA: Rally Dayin S. S. was also Promotion Day, and atthe close of the exercises, several littlegirls gave their impressions of WhiteLake Junior Camp. The Women's Missionary Society had a fine October meeting at the home of the Misses Ray andOsee Forsyth.The SHARON CONGREGATION metwith the MorningSun congregation onthe night of October 17th for the closingservice of their communion to hear Mr.W. W. Weir concerning the work in Cyprus. All enjoyed his splendid message.LAKE RENO: Some of the men andwomen of the church combined work andfun in an all-day church cleaning, September 24. We are happy to have such afine church building in which to worship.THIRD PHILADELPHIA: Our newPastor's visitation in the community hasresulted in the addition of a number ofboys and girls to our S. S. classes, andseveral visitors at Sabbath morning worship service. Mrs. Price is quite a busyand efficient pastor's wife; going out tothe Bebusiness, keeping house, teachingginner's class and helping with the Teen-Group activities onThursday evenings.These Teen-Group metings are under theleadership of Mr. Price assisted by Mr.Walter McClay. We thank God for answered prayer in sending such a sinceredevoted shepherd-team to tend His lambsand sheep at Third Philadelphia. Twentyfiveto thirty people have been attendingmid-week prayer service.OAKDALE: The Oakdale Young People andYoung Married Couples' Classenjoyed a hay ride on Saturday, October16. The group met at the Preston Carsonhome to 'get on thewagon'and rode tothe woods where a big bon fire was waiting for the weiner roasting that followed.Dr. and Mrs. W. O. Ferguson were present for the evening, too. Mr. FergusonCOVENANTER WITNESS

is the Y. P. sponsor and also the teacherof the Young Married group.BLOOMINGTON: Over thirty members of the congregation and their friendsshowed up for a "Work Night" Friday,October 8. The church was scrubbedfrom top to bottom. Each person broughtsandwiches, and coffee was served by theladies. Judging from the snapshots takenby Mrs. Roy Blackwood,the church wasnot only cleaned, but an evening of goodfellowshipwas enjoyed.HOPKINTON: The communion services held at Winnipeg, Canada, on October 17 were conducted by Dr. Frank E.Allen. He was accompanied by Mrs. Allen who visited her sister, Mrs. S. R. Mc-Kelvey. They greatly enjoyed meetingand ministering to former friends again.On Monday evening following the communion Mr. Allen gave a talk illustratedwith pictures to the children of the Sabbath School, at which time there were30 present. Miss MaryR. Adams is thecity missionary and is also attending tothe pastoral work, and doing it effectivelyand earnestly. Her friends there speakhighlyof her person and work. As thecongregation is small and the membersmostly aged,there is need of some outside aid to furnish the equipment that isneeded for effective workby Miss Adams.THIRD PHILADELPHIA: Gratefulness and thanksgiving to God prompt thisnotice of Third Philadelphia's blessings.We enjoyed to the fullest our FallCommunion season, just passed. We wereled by the inspired Word of God as interpreted to us by Mr. Gene Spear. He andMrs. Spear and their adorable childrenhave worshiped with us since their coming to suburban Philadelphia so thatGene could continue his study for theministry at Westminster Seminary.Visitors from other congregations andseveral life-long members of this congregation traveling from other States partook of the Lord's Supper with us. Theseincluded, Miss Edna Claypoole, and Mrs.William Foster, both of Yonkers, N. Y.;Mrs. Frank Wagner, of Atlantic City,N. J.; Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wilson, ofOcean City, N. J.OAKDALE: The followingwere in attendance at the meeting of Presbytery atBloomington October 26 and 27: Dr. andMrs. W. O. Ferguson, Mr. and Mrs. WardAuld, Mr. and Mrs. J. Elwyn Carson,Mrs. Lloyd Patton and Emily, Miss EvaMurrayand Mrs. Lawrence McClay.THIRD PHILADELPHIA: Our heartswere further gladdened bythe professionof faith and acceptance into membershipof Frank Houseman, his wife, Nancy andtheir three little daughters. Frank was oneof our Sabbath School members as a boyand we heartilywelcome him and hisNovember 10, 1954lovely wife and children into our fellowship. Nancy has already accepted responsibility in the Lord's work, sponsoring thegirls'junior club meeting after school onTuesdays. And Frank is filling the unexpired term of the late Herman Everettas secretary of the Sabbath School. Nancy and the little girls received the sacrament of Baptism administered by ourpastor Rev. George Price, and our pastor emeritus Dr. Finley M. Wilson madethe closing sacramental prayer.Mary Lou Everett's new little brother,Robert Crawford Everett, was also baptized at this service. He is the grandsonof Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Crawford, Sr.of this congregation and of Mrs. M.Everett of Olathe, Kansas. Mary Louand Robert are the children of MargaretCrawford Everett and Herman Everett,whom God called to be with Him beforethe birth of his little son.BLOOMINGTON :The newly organizedSabbath School classof young adultsand parents of the Sabbath School children, under the supervision of Rev. RoyBlackwood, enjoyed an evening of funand fellowship at the home of Margaretand Russell Kennedy, Saturday, October9. We understand the men made quite aShow."hit when they presented a "StyleHOPKINTON : Mr. and Mrs. W. Kenneth Sanderson,after nearlyseven yearsin Syria, were welcomed home by thecongregation in a reception held in theirhonor on September 9. Mr. and Mrs.Sanderson have both spoken earnestly oftheir work and the recent revival amongthe students of the school.THIRD PHILADELPHIA: We missedthe presence of Elder and Mrs. ThomasArmstrong at the Lord's Supper,regret the infirmityand wewhich confines himafter his many, many unbroken years offaithful attendance at Sabbath Schooland Church. Miss Helen Euwer and Mrs.Thomas Gill were missed, also. Cards received from Ireland and England expresstheir pleasure and enjoyment of their vacation abroad.NEW YORK CITY: Miss Lola Weirhas her arm in a sling as a result of afall in her apartment. Mayshe have aspeedy recovery!THIRD PHILADELPHIA: Rev. Julius Kempf is an occasional visitor onSabbath morning, traveling from Warminster, Pennsylvania, where he andMrs. Kempf reside since their retirement from active duty in our ChineseMission field.BLOOMINGTON:The High SchoolSabbath School class spent the evening ofOctober 9 at McCormick's Creek StatePark. The group fried hamburgers andeveryone ate until he was full and happy.NEW CASTLE: The Adult BibleClass of the New Castle Sabbath Schoolheld their October meeting in the form ofa tureen dinner at the Home of MissAnna and Miss Martha E. Dodds. MissRuth E. Gilmore, Vice-President,charge of the business meeting.was inOAKDALE: The Washington Countyconvention of the W.C.T.U. was held inAugust at Oakdale with Mrs.HaroldAuld, county president presiding. IrenePiper gave devotions in the form of aflannelgraph. Children from Oakdalesang L. T. L. songs. Four children weremade White Ribbon Recruits, three ofwhom 'belong' to our church.THIRD PHILADELPHIA: We arehappy that the Evans sisters, formerly ofSelma, Ala., are so constant in their attendance at worship and are sometimesaccompanied by their brother and nephew.NEW YORK CITY: Fall Communionwas observed October 24, 1954. Fourmembers were added to the roll by profession of faith: Mr. Florence Nichol,George Dymal, Margaret Rose Little andPeggy May.NEW CASTLE: Rev. Harold Harrington, pastor of the New Castle Congregation, administered the sacrament of baptism on October 31st to Joan Kim Chirozzi,daughter of Charles and Lillian Chirozzi;and to Laura Marie Clark, daughter of Robert and Evelyn Clark.BLOOMINGTON: A Sabbath Schoolteacher's meeting was held Thursday, October 14 for the purpose of choosing materials for the coming year and planning aHalloween party. Mrs. Ray Wampler,who is our Superintendent, was the hostess. Delicious refreshments of lemonadeand cookies were served.NEW CASTLE: Mrs. Harry R. Wilson, a member of the New Castle Congregation, fell in her home at Houston,Pa. and fractured her ankle. She is making recoveryand is able to be aroundsome with the aid of crutches.BEAVER FALLS: Mr. and Mrs. JohnColeman have moved from Beaver Fallsto a suburb of Philadelphia. Their newaddress :Pa.733 Lindale Avenue, Drexel Hill,NEW CASTLE: The Junior Club ofthe New Castle Congregation, under thesupervision of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Turner, held a Halloween party in theChurch on October 29th with 23 childrenin attendance. Judged as having thebest costumes were Jacqueline andWayne Evans, and Yvonne McCracken.Rev. Harrington was the "unknownghost."Games and refreshments werehighlights of the party.30S

Two InvaluableBooks"OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS-CHRISTIAN OR SECULAR" by ,Renwick H. Martin, D.D.,published in 1952.CODWOUR :PUBLICCHOOLSGOD IN OURPUBLICSCHOOLS"GOD IN OUR PUBLICSCHOOLS"by William S. Fleming, D.D., First Edipublishedtion, 1942; Second Edition, 1944;Third Edition, 1947.I6IBasically, both authors holdthe same view with reference tothe place the Bible and religionshould have in our public schoolsbut their treatment of the subject is quite different.WHAT OUTSTANDING LEADERSSAY OF THIS BOOKA GemA MasterpieceA Clarifying WorkA SledgehammerA Challenging PresentationIrrefutableFruitage of Long StudyA Battle CryStimulates, Stirs, CompelsRemarkable Collectionof QuotationsImportant developments havetaken place since Dr. Fleming'sbook was written, particularlythe U. S. Supreme Court's rulingin the McCollum (atheist school)Case. Dr. Martin discusses thesedevelopments and presents anddiscusses the present day situation with reference to the Bibleand religion in our schools.To those who need to be convinced of the right of the Bibleand religion in our schools and tothose who are already convincedand want to help in giving theBible and religion their rightfulplace in the schools, these bookswill be of invaluable service.APPRAISALS OF THIS BOOKA Masterful PresentationHolds One's AttentionLike Reading a NovelThe Product of a Half Century ofResearch, Travel and CampaigningWritten with the Passion of aCrusader but with the BalancedJudgment of a ScholarExpresses the Ripe Experience ofa Man who has Dealt with thisSubject throughout the Length andBreadth of the Land.DON'T DELAYORDER TODAYYOU CAN ORDER THESE TWO COMPANIONVOLUMES AT THE SPECIAL RATE OF $3.00orSCHOOLSCHRISTIAN OR'OUR PUBLICSECULAR"can be secured at $2.00 per copyor'GOD IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS"The National Reform Association209 Ninth St., Pittsburgh 22, Pa.Enclosed find $for which please send mesets of the companion volumes. "OUR PUBLICSCHOOLS CHRISTIAN OR SECULAR and "GOD INOUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS" at $3.00 each set, ORcopies of "OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS CHRISTIAN OR SECULAR at $2.00 per copy, ORcopies of "GOD IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS"at $1.50 per copy.NAMEADDRESS304at $1.50 per copy.COVENANTER WITNESS

me."me."me."me."me."Echoes NumberLESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 5, 1954THE FIELD IS THE WORLD, TUB SD (S THE WORD OF- GOD "VOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1954 NUMBER 20From a wise and loving Father comeThe Disappointments of LifeThis thing is from me. (I Kings 12:24) Condensed by Christian Digest from a TractThe disappointments of life are in reality onlythe decrees of love. I have a message for thee, MyChild, says God.Hast thou never thought that all which concernsthee concerns Me also ? He that toucheth thee toucheththe apple of Mine eye (Zech. 2:8). Thou art precious in Mine eyes, that is why I take a special interest in thine upbringing. When temptation assailsthee, and the "enemy comes in like a flood" I wishthee to know that "this thing is from I am theGod of circumstances. Thou hast been placed wherethou art not by chance, but by choice My choice.Didst thou not ask to become humble ? Behold I haveplaced thee in the very place where this lesson is tobe learned. It is by thy surroundings and thy companions that the working of My will is to come about.Hast thou money difficulties ? Is it hard to keepwithin thine income? "This thing is from ForI am He that possesseth all things. I wish thee todraw everything from Me and to depend entirelyupon Me. My riches are illimitable (Phil. 4:19). PutMy promise to the proof, so that it may be said ofthee, "Yet in this thing ye did believe the Lord thvGod."Art thou passing through a night of affliction ?"This thing is from I am the Man of sorrowsand acquainted with grief (Isa. 53:3). I have leftthee without human support, that in turning to Methou mightest obtain eternal consolation (II Thess.2:16-17).Has some friend disappointed thee? Onewhom thou hast opened thine heart? "This thing isfrom me.", I have allowed this disappointment thatthou mightest learn that the best Friend is Jesus.I long to be thy Confident.Has someone said false things of thee ? Leavetothat, and come closer to Me, under My wings, awayfrom the place of wordy dispute, for I will bringforth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday (Ps. 37:6). Have thy plansbeen all upset? Art thou crushed and weary? "Thisthing is from Hast thou made plans and then,the plans coming, asked Me to bless them? I wishto make thy plans for thee. I will take the responsibility, for it is too heavy for thee; thou couldstnot perform it alone (Exod. 18:18). Thou art butan instrument and not an agent.Hast thou desired fervently to do some greatwork for Me? Instead of that thou hast been laidaside, on a bed of sickness and suffering. "Thisthing is from I was unable to attract thineattention whilst thou wast so active. I wish to teachthee some of My deep lessons. It is only those whohave learned to wait patiently who can serve Me. Mygreatest workers are sometimes those who are laidaside from active service in order that they maylearn to wield the weapon of prayer.Art thou suddenly called upon to occupy a difficult position full of responsibilities? Go forwardcounting on Me. I am giving thee the position fullof difficulties for the reason that Jehovah thy Godwill bless thee in all thy works and in all the businessof thy hands (Deut. 15:18). This day I place in thyhand a pot of holy oil. Draw from it freely, My child,that all the circumstances arising along the pathway, each word that gives thee pain, each interruption trying to thy patience, each manifestation of thyfeebleness, may be anointed with this oil. Rememberthat interruptions are divine instructions. The stingwill go in the measure in which thou seest Me in allthings. Therefore set your heart unto allthy worksthat I testify among you this day. For it is your life(Deut. 32:46-47).

Current EventsBy Prof. WUliam H. Russell, Ph.D.DEMOCRATS IN CONTROLThe November elections produced important gains forthe Democrats, but not the landslide which some politicianshad expected. Many contests were decided by the narrowest ofmargins, and some of the results may yet be changed by recounts. The Democrats appear to have won control of theHouse of Representatives by twenty-nine seats, and of theSenate by one seat. This was less of a gain than the minorityparty has made in the average off-year election; but theDemocrats began the race with more seats than the minorityparty usually has.Of the thirty-three governorships at stake, the Democratswon eighteen and the Republicans fifteen. The Democratswon in eight states which had been Republican, while the Republicans did not capture any Democratic governorships. InNew York, Democrat Averell Harriman defeated SenatorIrving Ives by a few thousand votes. But Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr., running on New York's Democratic ticket for Attorney General, lost. This is a serious setback in his career.Pennsylvania and Connecticut are among the other importantstates which went from Republican to Democratic control.POST MORTEMSAmerican voters are becoming more independent of partyties. This may be a good thing for democracy, but it makes theelection more difficult to interpret. Apparently the voters favored a middle-of-the-road policy, since conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans were most successful. Unemployment was an important issue only in some areas, such asMichigan where Republican Homer Ferguson was defeated forthe Senate. The election provided no clear-cut decision onfarm policy. Farmers in drought areas or poultry and dairyregions tended to go Democratic, while others stayed Republican, and Iowans even defeated Democratic Senator Guy Gillette. The public power issue helped to produce Democraticvictories in Kentucky and Oregon. The Communist issue doesnot seem to have helped either party. It is even difficult toassess the effect of the all-out effort made by Eisenhowerpersonally in the last two weeks of the campaign. He is credited with saving some doubtful districts and arousing generalvoter interest; but most of the states where he made personalappearances went Democratic.LOOKING AHEADUsually our federal government is not verythe President and Congress are of different parties. Both Reeffective whenpublican and Democratic leaders spoke in conciliatory fashionafter the election, but the Democrats will certainly use theircontrol of Congress to build up an advantage for the 1956Presidential contest. Sam Rayburn of Texas will again becomeSpeaker of the House, and Lyndon Johnson of Texas theSenate Majority Leader. Democrats will also replace Republicans as committee chairmen. Foreign policy is not likely tobe affected, except that Congress may be more liberal onforeign trade. As for domestic legislation, President Eisenhower had to rely on Democratic votes to help pass every important measure in the last Congress. He has been growingin political skill and should be able to keep this Democraticsupport. But look for the Congressional investigating committees to begin turning their guns on the Republican record,in preparation for 1956.306ONE-MAN RULEA sharp contrast with our own election was the one heldin Cuba, which left the country in a dangerous situation. Themain Presidential candidates were the incumbent, GeneralFulgencio Batista,and Dr. Grau San Martin. Grau claimedthat his supporters were threatened with violence if they wentto the polls. He withdrew at the last minute and urged hisfollowers to boycott the election. Batista went ahead with thevote and was chosen President by a majority of six to one,though many claimed that Grau would have won in a freecontest. Batista seized power in March, 1952, and has ruledas a military dictator ever since. He now has another fouryears in power unless the opposition begins a civil war.NOBEL PRIZESAmericans have won three of the four Nobel Prizes awarded this year. The literature prize went to Ernest Hemingway,and the honor in medicine to three doctors who discovereda way to grow polio virus in artificial cultures. The chemistryprize is going to Dr. Linus Pauling, an expert on the structure of protein molecules. Two German scientists won theaward in physics. Each of these honors carries a cash grant of$36,000. The most famous Nobel Prize, for the promotion ofworld peace, is not beingWORLD'S FADSgiven this year.A heartening note in international affairs is the planningof a great international exposition to be held in Brussels, Belgium, in 1958. This will be the first world's fair since theNew York and San Francisco expositions of 1939. A Belgiancommissioner has been in Washington discussingplans forthe exposition, and has obtained the promise of cooperationby our State Department and private groups. The governmentof Belgium will invest $200 million in the exposition, in addition to the expenditures of private participants. Every aspectof human work and interest will be represented. It is encouragingthat the Belgians have enough confidence in worldpeace to plan such an exposition.CHURCH AND RACEA crisis between church and state seems to be developingin the Union of South Africa, over the issue of Negro education. The government is controlled by the Dutch Afrikaners,while most of the Negro schools have been conducted bychurches and mission societies, largely British. Premier Malan'sgovernment now intends to take over Negro education andenforce its ideas of segregation. It has limited its contributionto $18,200,000 a year, and says the Negroe? themselves mustmake up the balance. Negro education will not be compulsory. The whites will have a completelyseparate system,with the entire cost borne by the central and provincial governments, and compulsory attendance up to the age sixteen.The government's program of segregation and discrimination is supported by the local leaders of the Dutch ReformedChurch, who maintain that it is Scriptural. But at the recentannual conference of the South African Methodist Church,the new educational program was bitterly attacked. It is alsostrongly opposed by the Angelicans of South Africa. Thesechurches are now threatened by a proposed law which wouldinflict penalties on any pastor who criticizes the government'sracial policy.COVENANTER WITNESS

own."mine"us?"us."you."wonders!"come."mine"mine"waters."mine"own."OWNERSHIPWho Owns This World?MAN'S PRATTLE"Nobody"Says the Atheist"Everybody"Says the Materialist"Nobody Knows"Says the Agnostic"I do"Says the CommunistGOD'S PRONOUNCEMENTS"The earth is the Lord's .... and they that dwelltherein.""Where wast thou when I laid the foundation thereof ?""Who shut up the sea with doors . . . Who hath divided. . . the waters ?""Canst thou send the lightnings ? . . . Dost thou know?"the balancing of the clouds"No doubt but ye are the people,and wisdom shall die withJob. 12:2WHO OWNS ME?"And he said, Who made thee to be aprince and judge over(Ex. 2:14)(Egypt)"Who is the Lord that I . . . should obey (Red Sea)his voice . . . I know not the Lord."(Ex. 5:2)"Who is that God . . . that shall deliver (Babylon)you out of my hands?" (Dan. 3:15)"His citizens hated him saying, We will (Jerusalem)not have this man to reign over(Luke 19:14)"This Moses whom they refused . . . thesame did God send to be a ruler and adeliverer."(Acts 7 :35)"Thou didst blow with thy wind; theysank as lead in the mighty(Ex. 15:10)"There is no other God that can deliverafter that sort . . . how mighty are his(Dan. 3:29; 4:3)"But those mine enemies,which icouldnot that I should reign over them, bringthem hither, and slay them. (Luke 19 :27)"He that sitteth in theheavens shall laugh."MAN'S CLAIM"It is"I earned it""I'll save it""I'll spend it"WHO OWNS MY MONEY?GOD'S REPLY"It is"The silver and gold are"The cattle are"The world and they that dwell therein.""I will do as I please withmy"And he called his servants. . .occupy till Iand said"Then he commanded his servants to be called unto him, to whom he hadgiven the money, that he might know how much every man had gainedby trading.""It is he that giveth thee power to get wealth,that he may establish his covenant which hesware unto thy fathers." Deut. 8:18"Neither said, any of them that ought of thethings which he possessed was hisActs 4 :32WHETHER THEREFORE YE EAT OR DRINK, OR WHATSOEVER YEDO, DO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD. -1 Cor. 10 :31Stewardship Committee

to'will use will sound very similar the word "doublecross."you."The Editor's PageA Letter to ArchippusPlease read Philemon 2; Col. U:17; Rev. 3:1U-21Room 334-Bed CStormont-Vail HospitalTopeka, KansasRev. J. A. Archippus, PastorFirst Christian Church23 Easy StreetLaodiceaMy Dear Brother "Kip" :I have just laid down a letter from our mutualfriend Paul in which he urges me to write to you,from which I quote: "Say to Archippus, 'Take heedto the ministry which thou hast received from theLord that thou fulfil it'." You know how anxiousPaul is concerning the welfare of all the churchesand he prays long into the night that they may allbe "filled with all the fullness of God." That is atremendous order.I am sure he is especially concerned about youand your church in Laodicea. I take from his letterthat he has information by grapevine and direct contact with the brethren that things are not all thatthey should be within your church. As I learnedfrom other sources the members that were hothearted have somewhat left their first love and havecooled down to lukewarm temperature and the laterconverts who have come into your church have nevergeneratedany heat and I regret to say that the reason seems to be, dear "Kip," you, you, YOU."This one thing I do."Dear "Kip," it is with real sorrow of heart thatI have learned that you have taken on a full timesecular job in addition to your work in the Church.I cannot believe that you consider yourself a superman and nothing less than a super-man could attendtwo such jobs faithfully. I fully realize and fullysympathize with the circumstances that have ledyou to this decision. Prices are high and our wivesare overworked and the world is so full of a numberof things that we would all like to have, and ourneighbors do have, that we feel driven to seek outsideemployment to supplement the limited wage that thechurch has been able to give us. Not only is onenot physically able for two great tasks, but is hardlylarge enough to comprehend both spheres of work.Either he will love the one and hate the other orelse he will cleave to the one and despise the other.You cannot serve God and mammon.Now, I beg of you to take a longview of thesituation you are creating for yourself. First of all,your congregation will cease to pay the salary or atleast will pay it grudgingly. They will feel you havesold your full time to them, then have turned aroundand sold it to someone else, and the words that theyBut that is only a part of it. Good preachersmust read and study day by day, not only for theimmediate weekend ahead but for the years to come.A small mental supply is not sufficient to do thework efficiently. .Moreover, you are cheating308yourself and yourwhole congregation and your rating in the eyes ofthe community in which you are. This will cut downyour influence and effectiveness, and however goodyour sermons may be, your congregation will feel allthe time that they are looking up and not being fedthe finest of the wheat.Do I have a solution for your economic problem? I should have for I met the same difficultiesin my early ministry but I cannot say that I did thebest for the situation ; however, I suggest that if youmust have outside income that you seek it throughsome employment such as writing or religious teaching that will enrich and not impoverish your spiritualwork.But I have still sadder news from your community, namely, that you have not crucified theplayboy of your earlier youth. Besides devotinga large part of your sacred time to secular pursuitsyou have not crucified your lust for fishing or perhaps for hunting, playing golf and many such likethings you do. It is true one should have occasionaldays of recreation but let your moderation be knownunto all men. A few parts of days might be devotedto some particular sport providing it is for the gloryof God and the companionship of someone whom youwant to reach for Jesus Christ but do not forget youare first of all a fisher of men and have been calledfrom the ordinary kind of fishing. If you can walkthe streets and have conversation with townspeopleso that they will feel that you are a friendly man andthat you can speak a good word in due season andleave a spiritual impression or even bring a soul toChrist, you will have a thousand times the thrillthat the largest river fish ever gave you. AfterChrist's resurrection Peter, waiting impatiently said,"I am going fishing" and a group of others said "Iwill go with As you know the Lord metthem after a hopeless, fruitless search and whenthey had pulled their full nets to the shore accordingto His command He had a quiet talk with Peter inwhich His first searching question was "Simon, sonof Jonas, Lovest thou me more than these?" ThreeTHE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street, Newton, Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka, Kansasto promote Bible Standards of Doctrine, Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writers;not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen, D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll. D.D.Remo I. Robb, D.D.Subscription rates :10 cents.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdgnrMrs. J. O. EdgarMrs. Ross Latimer$2.50 per year; Overseas, $3.00; Single CopiesThe Rev. R. B. Lyons, B.A., Limavady, N. Ireland, Agent for theBritish Isles.Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Newton, Kansasunder the Act of March 3, 1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.COVENANTER WITNESS

good."ceived,"minister."written"ple."ministry."times the command was repeated, "Feed my sheep,feed mylambs." 'Kip,'if golf clubs cause thee tooffend, break them up and cast them from thee orgive them to thy caddy. If thy fishing tackle keepsyou from fishing for men, tie a millstone about itand cast it into the midst of the sea. If thy musicalinstruments or thy television or any other thingkeep thee from the work of the Lord, get rid of themby one means or another. It is better for thee toenter into life without any of the memoryof thesethings than having all of them, find yourself in thehell of remorse. It is better that you should be remembered as having converted one lost sinner thanyou should have the championship of the whole statein any sport whatever.Short change does not buy long tons.Ponder those words of the Apostle again, "Andsay to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry whichthou hast received in the Lord that thou fulfil it!"Ponder those words one by one : "the ministry whichthou hast received in the Lord." The word 'ministry'reminds us of Him who came not to be ministeredunto but to minister and to give His life a ransomfor many. This man of whom it was said that "ifbooks were written concerning all His deeds duringHis short life were written, the world itself wouldnot contain the books that should be andyet they who loved Him much condensed His biography into these few words that "He went about doingHis highest charge was : "Let him that will begreatest among you be your There is nolimit to things great or small included in that word'ministry.'How solemn are the words, "the ministry thouhast received from the Lord." You have not chosenyour profession ; you have been chosen for it by theone who wrote your name in the Lamb's Book ofLife before He laid the foundation of the world."That thou fulfil the ministry that thou hast reand then there is that word 'fulfil' whichmeans to fill full. The vessel is no pint-sized vessel.If the Pacific Ocean could be cleared of all its waterand you had the job of filling it full there would besome parallel between tha+ ^nd fulfilling the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord.Secondly, one cannot fullfill a rich ministrywith any other thing unrelated to the ministrycrowding out his life whether it be recreation or ameans of livelihood. You be saying that theApostle Paul made tents for his livelihood and thatis true but he did it for the glory of God and that hemight not be chargeable to any church. He did notreceive two salaries for the same time but only oneand the time he spent was not for anyeight-hourday or sixteen-hour day.Fulfilling the ministry means first of all doingthe very best you can in your pulpit work, then doingthe very best you can in your door-to-door work andfinally doing the very best you know how in work onyour knees. Read Paul's prayers for his convertsand see how much his prayer life meant.You may be saying the Laodiceans are not spiritual people, and that is evidently true. But it is yourChristian duty to make them so and to stand at theirdoors and knock and come in unto them and supwith them and sell them gold tried in the fire, whiteraiment, and eye salve that they may see, lest theLaodicean candlestick be taken out of its place ; andyou may be the person who has brought this about.Now, Kip, the most important word in Paul'sinjunction is fulfil, which means 'fill full.' "Fill fullfull'theWhen the Lord says 'fill hemeans, "Give and it shall be given unto you. Goodmeasure, pressed down and shaken together and running over shall men give into your bosom. For withthe same measure that ye meet withal it shall bemeasured to you again. I remember Cleoud Georgeof blessed memory using an illustration like this. Itis like a boy buying apples from his grandfather.Grandfather fills the half bushel measure up fulland shakes it down, heaps it up, presses it together,pours it into a bag and then throws in an extra peckfor good measure, filled full. The boy gives grandfather a dollar bill and grandfather gives back ahalf, two quarters, four dimes and a nickel. That isthe way God gives to those who fill full. But if wegive short measure it will be measured to us again.Are you filling full your ministry ?There is a text in Ezekiel "like priest, like peoThe Laodiceans will be the measure of you, andof the fullness of your ministry. The disciple will notrise above his master. Their spirituality is low;perhaps it is because your spirituality is low. Butraise your spirituality and theirs will rise accordingly. It was to the angel of the church of Laodiceathat the letter is addressed. Do you realize that thecontinuation of the Gospel in Laodicea is all dependent on you ? Every soul in Laodicea is dependentdirectly or indirectly upon your spiritual temperature. And it is not what you have in this world butwhat you have to give an account for in the Day ofJudgment that should determine your daily duties.A minister was lamenting to a fellow minister thesmallness of his congregation. The older minister'sreply was, "You will probably find it large enoughin the day of Judgment." Lukewarmness is a terriblecharge to make and a terrible responsibility to answer for.Now Archippus, remember me to your FatherPhilemon and to your Mother Apphia, to the Churchin their house and remember that they have dedicated you to this work and are praying for you as isalso the Apostle Paul and many others. Pray foryour people and ask them earnestly to pray for youand see if we cannot strengthen the things that remain that are ready to die.Yours most earnestly,THE YOUNG ROBIN"In a soft, warm nest in a shady tree,With bright little eyes and wings,Sat a fine old bird with his children three,Such tiny, good-tempered things,And the old bird said to the dear little birds,T want you to learn to fly.'And the little ones merrily chirped the words,try.''Dear father we'll try, we'llNow a little boy had a sum to-day,And was told to go quickly through it;But he pouted his lip and was heard to sayHe was sure he could not do it.Do you think this boy was half as goodAs the birdies who learned to fly ?He would wiser have been don't you think hewould ?Had he said 'I'll try, I'll try.' " 309November 17, 1954

stedfastly."recommended."soul-winning"continuously."evangelist."soul-winning."saints"come."success"VISITATIONT. C. McKnight, D.D.EVANGELISMThe request has come to me from Synod's Committee on Evanglism for a word of encouragementto the church on the second item of its report adoptedby Synod. That item is as follows :"A persistent plan of soul-winning effort for pastors and laymen. This should include training andwork in Biblical Methods to bring outsiders toChrist and the church. Visitation evangelism isespeciallyThe first and last sentences in that item areof special emphasis. We should all thinkdeservingmuch and act upon "a persistent plan of soul-winning.""Persistent"comes from the word, persist,which has for one of its meanings: "to continueSo the word "persistent" is partiallydefined as "having staying qualities; tenacious ofpurpose; existingSo a "persistentplan ofis evidently one that we propose to follow from now on."Everlastingly keeping at it bringsa challenging slogan of a great advertising agencyin one of our large cities. Paul exhorts us all to "dothe work of anSince there is no timelimit in the exhortation, it is necessarily impliedthat we should everlastingly keep at the work ofwitnessing for Christ. That is manifesly what thecommitte had in mind when it recommended that weadopt and follow through with a "persistent plan ofIt contemplates a practical applicationof the Christian doctrine of the "perseverence of thein a particular phase of Christian endeavor.peciallyThe last sentence, "visitation evangelism is esrecommended,"should be given most carefuland prayerful consideration by all of us pastors, andthe members in each congregation.Except for the one outstanding instance ofPentecost there was little or no mass evangelism inthe Church of the first century. Jesus called twelvemen individually to be His first disciples and latersent them out in teams of two as His witnesses. Hecalled the seventy and sent them out in teams oftwo "into every city and place whither He Himselfwould While Paul did much preaching in thesynagogues and other public places, he possibly didmore of what is now known as the visitation typeof work for the spread of the Gospel. He testifiedto the elders of the church at Ephesus, saying, "Ikept back nothing that was profitable unto you, buthave shewed you, and have taught you publicly, andfrom house to house, testifying both to Jews, andalso to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faithtoward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts. 20:20-21).Since the outsiders do not come to the churchtoday of their own violation, this condition andverytheir tragic need constitute an urgent call upon allof us in the Church to do the work of visitation evangelism. For experience has proved that many, whowill not come to the church to hear the Gospelpreached,310will receive a team of two laymen, or theisminister and a layman into their homes and will talkwith them about their soul's welfare and their needof Christ as their Saviour and Lord. Their need laysupon us the responsibility to take the church's message to them. Jesus Commanded: "Go out into thehighways and hedges, and compel them to come in."This method, moreover, is well adapted to reachwhole families for the church. Teams of two members in the home of an outsider can often have anopportunity to appeal to the whole family, bothparents and children, to commit themselves to Christand become active members of the church.This is a method our church can use and hasmany advantages for us over what is known as massor revival methods of evangelism. It could very possibly come to be the turning point from decline togrowth in the membership of our church. Some enthusiastic leaders in this work insist that any church,whose laymen seriously attempt visitation evangelism can greatly increase its membership. Whetherthat results or not, the fact of having faithfully witnessed to lost souls concerning the power of Christfor their salvation, would be a source of supremesatisfaction. Why don't we try it ?Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing if all our congregations could be persuaded to work simultaneously in setting up a visitation evangelistic program?This might be done through the leadership of ourCommittee on Evangelism in co-operation with ourHome Mission Secretary. Notice I did not say it couldbe done. I only said it might be done. It has beensuggested already by our Home Mission Secretary,but so far as I know very few if any of us ever triedit continuously for any number of years. We mayhave tried it once or twice ; but have we persistentlykept at it for a long period of time ? So far as I knowthe answer is "NO.Possibly we have too many methods suggestedfrom time to time. Maybe it would be a good ideato concentrate on this one method for a period of atleast ten years. That might bring good results. Acouple of good books for all of us ministers to get asguides in this work are the following: "New Testament Evangelism" by Arthur C. Archibald, and "AHandbook of Evangelism for Laymen by DawsonC. Bryan.The plan and outline of the of the work, presented in these two books, is naturally more adaptedto the larger denominations and congregations, butwith a good deal of culling we Covenanter pastorscan work out a plan adapted to our congregations.One of the great virtues of visitation evangelismis that it gets laymen to work at the very thingJesus intends every one of His disciples to do. Oneof the troubles in our church along this line is thattoo much of the work of winning others to Christand the church is left to the pastor. He cannot handlethis problem alone. There are too many unchurchedand nonchristian people. Laymen, furthermore, haveCOVENANTER WITNESS

sorrow."myself."andan approach to other laymen that Is often more appealing than the minister's. So visitation evangelismis an ideal method for a co-operative undertakingby both pastors and members. Let us all rememberthat Christ wants to make Himself known to others.He said "for their sake I sanctify He haschosen the method of making Himself knownthrough His people who already know Him. Let usseek to find an effective way of telling others whatthe Lord hath done for our souls.Book ReviewsA COMPLETE BIBLE COMMENTARYThe Moody Press has just issued a reprint ofa volume that was once widely circulated. It is acomplete Bible Commentaryin one volume withshort comments on every chapter of the Bible. Ina volume of this size, not every verse can be dealtwith, and not every question that is raised can beanswered. But it does contain a vast amount of helpful material. About one half of the material is takenfrom Matthew Henry's commentary and the remainder from Thorns Scott and other older writers.No modern authors are cited, but the truth has notchanged and its application has not changed.The quotations from Matthew Henry are greatly abridged. The material is explanatory, devotionaland practical. It will not take the place of a completecommentary, but this is an excellent brief commentary and will serve a useful purpose.It is true to the Bible. That is greatly in itsfavor in these days when so many commentariesdeny the truth of the Word. It was prepared forpeople wanting to know the meaning of Scripture,and that is in its favor when some commentariesshed more darkness than light. It gives a brief, understandable comment on the general meaning ofScripture. One who has it will find use for it.It is a book of over 1,000 pages and sells for$6.95. It is well worth the price. It is printed byMoody Press of 820 N. La Salle St., Chicago 10,Illinois.R. C. F."ODZ AND ENZ"This is a paper covered book from Moody Press.The material was gathered by Robert Parsons ofthe Moody Bible Institute and used by him in radiowork over WMBI. It has well known poems such as"Out to Old Aunt Mary's" by James Whitcomb Riley,"Little Boy Blue" by Eugene Field. It has otherpoems whose authors are not known, as well asprose articles. It is as the name says, "Odds andEnds."The material, however, as Dr. Walter L.Wilson says in his Introduction, is "an unusuallyprofitable and sweet varietyof messages in poemand in prose that will comfort the hearts that havebeen broken, will bring singing instead of weepingand solace instead of He goes on to say,"There will be found a message here for the strongand another for the weak. There is a portion forthe sick and provision for those in good health."Such a book will help and enrich every thoughtful reader. It is a paper bound book of 96 pages andsells for $1.00. Moody Press is the Publisher at 820N. La Salle St., Chicago 10, Illinois.R. C. F.November 17, 1954ANDY'S ORANGE HOUSEThis is one of the recent additions to the MoodyColportage Library, all of which sell for 35c a copy.It is a story, for youngsters, but older persons canread it, enjoy it, and find help in it. It was writtento teach the fact that happiness depends not uponwhat we have or where we live, but upon what weare; that one can be happy anywhere with Christ,but he will be unhappy with all earthly things, without Christ. Andy found that it works. In the Lord,he found peace of heart and true happiness, as allmust who enjoy them.The Bible in Questions and Answers, Vol. I,Old Testament, by The Rev. Wm. A. Karraker, B.D.,Ph.D., David McKay Co., 55 5th Ave., N. Y. 3, N. Y.,856 pp., $7.50.This is a book designed to make palatable tothe Bible student the humanistic view of the Bible,and to popularize the Revised Standard Version ofthe Bible as the trustworthy successor to the KingJames and the American Revised versions of 1611and 1901 respectively. Although in its more than4,000 questions and answers, and in its notes there issome worthwhile information, it is wholly uncriticalof the scholarship so-called which seeks to discreditinspiration. L. K.Tither's Cornerby Eleanor R. Faris"Bring ye all the tithes .herewith, saith the Lord ....a blessing. .."Mai. 3:10.. . and prove me now(I will) pour outI had tithed for several years before I realizedI could lay hold on the above promise as a personalpossession. My attitude at that time might be termed, "the keeping of the letter of the law," which, according to many, is the only purpose for tithing.After my experience with the Lord early in my college life, I came to realize that when God asks meto commit my way unto Him that He may bring Hiswill to pass in me, He is not dependent on the sizeof my bank account, for the wealth of the world isHis.But what is the place of tithing? Only as I amobedient to His command can I enter in to receiveHis blessing. This is no more the letter of the lawthan is believing on Christ because God commands it.Tithing is but the gateway by which we enter into acompletely new and thrilling aspect of God's blessings, both material and spiritual. As He pours outHis blessing we are led to give beyond the tithethankfully, cheerfully, and generously.I practice the principle of tithing for two outstanding reasons : first, because my Lord commandsit; and second, because He has proved Himself overand over again in fulfilling this particular promiseto me. Space will not permit me to tell you of incidents in which I have faced expenses greater thanI could meet, and He has faithfully provided, oftenjust "in the nick of time." Because of my own experiences, I challenge you to PROVE HIM NOWHEREWITH, for HE IS FAITHFUL WHO HASPROMISED!311

end."ment"me."REMO I. ROBB, D.D.For CovenaTO ILLUSTRATE THE TOPICSDecember 5An Inexhaustible Supply.God's Promises to Us.On a visit to the island of Trinidad wedrove to what is known as Pitch Lake.Here is one of the wonders of the world.On reaching the lake we found what resembles an extinct volcano with a radius of one half mile.This crater area is filled with asphaltwhich is hard enough that our party ofseven walked to the center, where twocrews of men were digging and loadingcars. Occasionally we found places wheregas was escaping,the surface.causing bubbles onThe men with sharp picks were diggingthe asphalt. It would break into goodsized chunks weighing from fifty to onehundred pounds. They loaded the carseight and ten in a train. These cars attached to a cable, were pulled to the refinery, built on the edge of the crater.In removing the asphalt, they didnot go more than five or six feet deep.They told us that within seventy-twohours the hole would fill up to the lakelevel, with no sign that any had beenremoved. They further told us that theyhad been digging and shipping this asphalt to all parts of the world for thepast sixty-three years. There is just asmuch asphalt in Pitch Lake as there wassixty-three years ago. Though manythousands of shiploads have gone into thehighways of the earth, the supply is notdiminished.A few years ago in the center of thelake they drilled a hole two hundred andeighty feet deep. All the way down theyfound nothing but black asphalt. At thatdepth there was so much pressure on thedrill bit that the project had to be abandoned; an inexhaustible supply 'of asphalt.When we looked upon this bit of God'screation, we said that this is the sameas with God's grace. The God of all gracehas an inexhaustible supply. All theChristians in all the world can havegrace in abundanceuseished.312all that they canand yet the supply is never diminC. Warren Jones, in OTHER SHEEPDecember 12Modern AhabsThe Tenth CommandmentSoon after Kaiser Wilhelm's accessionto the Prussian throne, he coveted sixacres that adjoined his Potsdam property.The owner refused to part with it for thesum the Kaiser offered to pay. Throughhis agent the Kaiser raised his offer tofour hundred pounds, but the owner saidthat seven hundred pounds was the lowest figure at which he would sell. Amonth later the owner received noticethat his land was required for militarypurposes, and he would be paid one hundred and fifty pounds. He was obligedto give up the land. Six months later theKaiser purchased it from the government for the exact sum which he hadfirst offered.There are many other Ahabs who "outbid, undersell, sometimes deliberatelyset themselves to extinguish every business which competes with their own, anddo everything which the law permits anda great many things which the morallaw does not permit to accomplish theirDecember 19Because He Died.The "Eleventh CommandIt was mid-ocean, and a great ship hadstruck an iceberg, and was going down.There were not enough lifeboats for allthe passengers. The captain made thepassengers draw lots; those drawing anumbered card were to have a place inthe lifeboats, those who drew a blankthose were to go down with the ship. Afather drew a card with a number, hiswife drew a blank card. The husbandexchanged with her, kissed his little babygood-bye as he placed her in his wife'sarms, saying as he did so: "When she istwelve years old tell about this day, andtell her that father died to save her."Eleven years passed by, and on hertwelfth birthday the little girl was toldthe storyof her. father's death. Sheclimbed on a chair that stood below hisportrait, and stood looking into his facefor some minutes, then she said: "I loveyou, I love you, because you died tosaveBilly SundayDecember 26Consecration to ChristTruths that Jesus TaughtAt the outbreak of the Civil War theyoung men of a country school in Mississippi were enlisting for the front. A stalserious-minded wart, young fellow,though pressed by his friends day afterday to enlist, persistently refused. But atlength he stepped up to the desk of theConfederate recruiting officer and enlisted. Then, stepping back, he said in avoice charged with emotion, "Boys, I'vesigned my life awaytoday."Have you enlisted in the Armyof theCross? If you have then you cannot sayof anything you possess "It is my own";for you have signed your life away to"the Son of God's love."LOST AND FOUNDI stopped at Grinnell College on Monday, October 18, and was given a cartonfull of articles left there by delegates toour 1954 Covenanter Convention. AlreadyI had accumulated a fair collection ofarticles, but with this added carton myaccumulation is indeed a collection.If you know that you left any of thesearticles at Grinnell, please let me knowright away and I will mail the article toyou. Unfortunately,a few have reportedlost articles that are not in this collection. I am sorry not to be able to helpthem.The list follows:Books1 Life of Christ in the Psalms with Music2 Life of Christ in the Psalms withoutMusic.1 Bible World Publishing Company.Presentation Page, Family Recordand picture of Jacob's Dream on opening pages.Men's Wear1 men's undershirt, size 401 men's drawers, size 341 men's drawers, size 361 Mallory hat, gray, size iy21 pair heavy work shoes, almost new,size10% C1 brown moccasin type shoe, size 9 C,for right foot.1 red, blue, purple, orange, yellow check"Panama Cloth,"ed cap"A Flip-it Exclusive."1 handkerchief, white1 handkerchief, faded yellow1 handkerchief, white with red stripedborder1 little boy's shorts,22"waist, size 41 boy's white sockCOVENANTER WITNESS

year."3ESYOUNG PEOPLE'SSECRETARYoung PeopleLadies'Wear1 pair sandals, brown, size 9, with brokenstrap1 blue-white Olympic bathing cap, largesize1 green rubber bathing cap, medium orsmall1 white Turkish-towel, swimming trunksor shortsfound in James' cottage1 black cloth dress glove for the righthand1 white sock, found in Haines, Room 4311 blue coat sweater, faded, summerweight1 costume brooch, with either emeraldsor sapphires the color is wearing verythin and some very doubtful diamonds. Appraised value, not over 25c1 handkerchief with wide lace border1 handkerchief with green tatted borderTowels1 orange and white turkish towel, medium size1 white turkish bath towel1 blue turkish bath towel1 blue washcloth1 salmon colored washcloth1 diaper, embroidered "Baby"Miscellaneous1 pair dark glasses with pink rabbitframes1 white comb1 pocket knife, two blades, one of thembroken1 black ball point pen1 red and "gold" ball point pen1 "cigarette holder" flash-light "gold"and white1 "gold" mechanical pencil1 blue and white "Washburn High"mechanical pencil1 heavy chain heavy enough to holda dog, but short enough to hold a key1 yellow pencil with red lead1 excellent baseball glove1 red plastic garment bag1 large enamel wash basinIf these articles are unclaimed beyondJanuary 1,1955, it is my intention tosend them to the Southern Mission UsedClothes Fund.SAD TO SAYMuch on the other side of the ledger,is the story of towels taken from Grinnell.I am sorry to report this, but it was partofour settlingNovember 17, 1954with Grinnell College.Here's the way the report reads:"Towel ShortageEast Campus30 hand towels @ 75 $22.5033 bath towels @ $1.50 49.50West Campus.75 15.7521 hand towels @14 bath towels @ 1.50 21.00Total cost of towel shortage$72.0036.75after Grinnell $108.75Please, PLEASE, don't ever let thishappen again.NATIONAL S-D (SAFE DRIVING)DAY, WITH GOAL OF NO TRAFFICACCIDENTS, TO BE OBSERVEDON DECEMBER 15.December 15 is S-D Dayperiod when everytrian in the country is beinga 24-hourmotorist and pedesasked to putthe Golden Rule to work on our streetsand highways with the objective of eliminating all traffic accidents.Governors and public officials of allstates are issuing Safe Driving Day proclamations in cooperating with the President's Action Committee for TrafficSafety, a volunteer group of citizens appointed by President Eisenhower to helpcut the toll of traffic accidents anddeaths.On S-D Day every driver and walkerin the country is beingurged to acceptfull personal responsibility in doingthese three basic things:1. Observe the letter and the spirit ofall traffic regulations.2. Be courteous to every driver andpedestrianpractice sportsmanship.3. Give full attention to driving andwalking."S-D Daywill demonstrate that theplace to attack the traffic safety problemis in the community, and that the responsibility rests upon each individual,"the President's Action Committee declared."It will implant in the minds of allmotorists and .pedestrians the realizationthat if they can greatly reduce accidentson S-D Day, they can do it every day intheChairman of the President's ActionCommittee is Harlow H. Curtice, president of General Motors Corporation.Other members are Raymond F. Leheney,American Federation of Labor; CharlesF. McCahill, American Newspaper Publishers Association; Mrs. Raymond Sayre,Associated Countrywomen of the World;Charles B. Shuman, Illinois AgriculturalAssociation; Robert R. Snodgrass, Atlanta (Ga.) Chamber of Commerce, andGovernor Dan Thornton of Colorado."The traffic problem is a national one,a community one, and one that concernseach individual," the Committee asserted.In 1953 there were nearly 10 milliontraffic accidents. One person was killedin traffic accidents on the average ofevery 14 minutes, around the clock andthroughout the year. The total death tolllast year was 38,300. Injuries in trafficoccurred approximately every 23 seconds,with a total of 1,350,000 persons beingdisabled beyond the day of the accident.For every fatality, one or more persons was totally and permanently disabled, thereby becoming a financial burden either to his family, or to the community, or both.The price of traffic accidents in 1953in terms of money is estimated to havebeen $4 billion, includingmedical expense, property loss and other costs.PEOPLE OF MANY NATIONS WILLREAD THE BIBLE TOGETHERPeople in forty countries will be reading the same passages of Scripture on November 25, Thanksgiving Day, in following the 11th annual observance of aWorldwide Bible Reading program,sponsored each year by the American Bible Society.The theme for the program, whichruns from Thanksgiving to Christmas,is "Faith for our Day." As a part ofWorldwide Bible Reading the AmericanBible Society publishes and provides,free of charge, a bookmark listing Scripture passages for the daily readings. Forthe second year, the Society has alsoprepared the passages in Braille, that theblind may join their sighted friends infollowing the readings.President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in hisendorsement of the program said :(Continued on page319)313

perform."you."Lesson Helps for the Week of December 5, 1954C. Y. P. V. TOPICfor Dec. 5, 1954by Rev. D. Howard ElliottGOD'S PROMISES TO US(Used by permission of the ChristianEndeavor Society.)Scripture Texts: I Kings 8:56;^^^^Isaiah 7:14; 9:6Psalm Selections:Psalm 75; verses 1, 4-6,Psalm 91; verses 7-10,page 182page 225c^Esalm 86; verses 1-4, page 210Psalm 119; verses 1-5, page 291"JjJ1. God's promise*, are numerous.God's promises to us in the Bible areso many, that it would take a long studyto gather them all out. Almost any Biblewith helps will give you a long list ofGod's promises. Thompson's Chain-Reference Bible lists the following: promises of blessing, Mai. 3:10; Matt. 6:33;of cleansing, Is. 1:18; Heb. 9:14; I Jo. 1:7; of comfort, John 14:1, 18;16:33;' ofdeliverance, I Cor. 10:13; II Tim. 4:18;of forgiveness, Matt. 6:14; I John 1:9;of guidance,~Ps. 25:9; John 16:13; ofhealth, Ex. 15:26; of mercy, Is. 55:7; ofpardon, Is. 43:25; of peace, Ps. 29:11;Is. 26:3; John 14:27; of plenty, Deut. 30:9; of preservation, Ps. 31^23j_37^28j/ ofreward, Matt. 10:42; Lu. 6:35; of salvation, Mk. 16:16; Acts 16:31; of spiritualgifts, Lu. 11:13; John 10:28; Rev. 2^10;]of strength, Is. 40:31; 41:10; of wisdom,Lu. 21:15; James 1:5; to the afflicted, Ps.34:19; Is. 43:2; to believers, Mk. 9:23;Lu. 17:6; John 14:12; to children, Deut.5:16; Ps. 27:10; Acts 2:39; to the humble,Lu. 14:11; to the liberal, Ps. 41:1; Prov.3:9, 10; Lu. 6:38; to the obedient, Lu.11:28;- Jo. 14:23; to the penitent, Prov.34:18; Acts 2:28; 3:19; to the prayerful,Ps. 91:15; Lu. 11:9; John 15:7; to therighteous, Is. 3:10; Matt. 13:43; to seekers, Deut. 4:29; II Chron. 7:14; Prov. 8:17; to the tempted, I Cor. 10:13; Heb.2:18; to religious workers, Dan. 12:3; ICor. 15:58.Of course there are manymore thanthese listed, but here are enough to givean idea of the number, nature and varietyof God's promises.2. God's promises are conditional.Are God's promises handed out toeveryone without requiring any thing inexchange? No, for in general God's promises are dependent upon the attitude oraction of the benificiary. As an exampletake II Chron. 7:14. God makes threepromises, viz. "I will hear from heavenand will forgive their sin, and will healtheir land." Yet before these promises314may be realized, God has laid down fourconditions, the people must humblethemselves, pray, seek God, and turnfrom their evil ways. Another exampleis John 14:13 "And whatsoever ye shallask in my name, that will I do, that theFather may be glorified in his Son."It is most important that we recognizethese conditions, for God's promises willnever become realities until we fulfillHis conditions. Take notice and point nu*the specified conditions to the promisesas you study over the list above.3. God's promises are backed by Hisunlimited ability to perform them.At the time of this writing, the nationis concerned with its political campaigns.Political candidates are noted for theirpromises to the people, and also notedfor their failure to carry out such promises, based largely on their inability toproduce. It is not hard to make highsounding promises, but it is another thingto carry them through.There can be no doubt about God'swillingness to keep his promises,norabout His ability to do so. "He is ableto make all grace abound toward"He is able to do exceeding abundantlyabove all that we ask or think." And particularly Rom. 4:21 says, "And beingfully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also toSeealso II Cor. 1:20.Thus if we feel that there is any breakdown in the fulfillment of God's promisesto us, the fault lies not with God, butwith us who have not fulfilled what islaid upon us regarding His promises.4. God's promises never fail."Blessed be the Lord, that hath givenrest unto his people Israel, according toall that he promised: there hath notfailed one word of all his good promise,which he promised by the hand of Moseshisservant."I Kings 8:56.Christians the world over have givenforth great volumes of testimony to thefact that God is not slack concerning Hispromises.Some of God's promises have alreadybeen completely fulfilled such as thepromise of redemption through His son.Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6 are promises of thecoming Messiah. This having alreadybeen accomplished, then the climax ofall other promises in the future for usis seen in the fulfillment of this onepromise and finally realized in eternalsalvation. "Whereby are given unto usexceeding great and precious promisesthat by these ye might be partakers ofthe divine nature, having escaped thecorruption that is in the world throughlust"(II Pet. 1:4). "And this is thepromise that he hath promised us, eveneternal life" (II John 2:25).Prayer suggestions:Thanksgivingto God that He haspromised abundant good things to us,and that he is able and anxious to perform on our behalf.Confession of sinour unwillingnessand inability to meet the conditions ofHis promises without the help of theHoly Spirit.Petition that our eyes may be openedto what is required of us in the fulfillment of His promisesdiligent in the fulfillingthat we may beof the promisesthat we make to others, especially untoHim,Psalmsexpressed in our Covenant.JUNIOR TOPICDecember 5, 1954JACOB COMES TO EGYPTMrs. M. K. CarsonScripture: Genesis 45: 25-28; 46Memory Verse; Proverbs 3:5-6105:1, 2, 5, page 25755:12, 13, 17, page 14046:1, 6, page 118136:1, 2, 12, 13, page 334.References: Three places to find on themap1. Where in Canaan did Jacob live?Gen. 37:142. Where was the first mentioned stopon the way to Egypt? Gen. 46:13. In what part of Egypt did Jacob settle? Gen. 46:28Three questions to answer with numbers4. How old was Jacob when he went downto Egypt? Gen. 47:285. How many sons did Jacob have?Gen. 46:206. How many were in Jacob's family.Gen. 46:27Three things God promised to Jacob7. I will Gen. 46:3c8. I will Gen. 46:4a9. I will Gen. 46:4bYou remember that in our previouslessons we talked about the chapters inthe life of Jacob, four of them. Three ofthese chapters we had in our lessons inOctober. Do you remember what theywere? First, his life at home and thatchapter ended when he ran away fromhome for fear of his brother Esau. ThenGod spoke to him for the first time. Canyou tellthe'story? Gen. 28:12-15. Tellsome of the things which happened inHaran. When it was time for him to return to the land of Canaan, his old home,COVENANTER WITNESS

God again spoke to him. What did hetell him this time? Genesis 31:3, 11-13.On the way south, God saved him fromtwo people who might have harmed him.Who were they? Gen. 31:24, 54-55; 33:1-4. God also met him again, face to face.Gen. 32:24-32. The third chapter of hislife was spent in the land of Canaan, theland of Abraham and of Isaac, and theland that was to belong to his children.Here for the fourth time God appeared tohim. What did He tell him to do andwhat promise did He make. Gen. 35:1, 9-15.Now we are at the beginning of thefourth and last chapter of Jacob's longlife. This is the time spent in the land ofEgypt and is the shortest chapter of all.Gen. 47:28. When his sons came backfrom the second trip to Egypt to buyfood, what a story they had to tell! Joseph, the long-lost son, is not dead atall, but very much alive and is the governor of all Egypt next to Pharoah himself. It was Joseph who pretended hethought they were spies and kept Simeonin prison while the others went home. Itwas Joseph who said they would have tobring their youngest brother down if theywanted any more food, because he wantedto see his own brother Benjamin. Josephhad invited them all to dinner in his ownhouse and had told them who he was, andhad forgiven them for what they haddone. (Here the sons of Jacob must havehad to confess that they had sold Joseph as a slave that day they broughthome the blood-stained coat.) Joseph, aprince in Egypt, still loves them and callsthem brothers. Now he wants most ofall to see his father again and has askedthem all to come to live near him inEgypt while the famine lasts so he cancare for them. He even sent gifts to hisfather and sent wagons from Egypt tomake the journey easier. Joseph, the lostbrother, is alive! When Jacob heard this,how did he feel? Gen. 45:26b. What madehim at last believe the story was true?Gen. 45:27. What did he decide to do?All at once there was great excitementand stir in the camp! "Grandfather Jacob says we are all to go to Egypt tolive,"shouted the children to each other.Fathers, mothers, servants, hurried about,making preparations to leave home andmake the long journey. Since they had nohouses to leave and not so many belongings as we are apt to have, it maynot have been long till all were packedand ready to start in the wagons Josephhad sent for them. How many of Jacob'sfamily went down to Egypt? Gen. 46:26.What a long procession that would make,and how the older ones must have lookedback often and wondered how long itwould be till theywould see again thehome they were leaving! Among them all,none was happier or in more of a hurryNovember 17, 1954to go than was Jacob himself, though hewas an old, old man, over a hundredyears old. This was the happiest of allhis long journeys. The first he had madealone, and on foot, running away fromhis brother Esau. On his second journeyhe had with him all the servants andflocks he had gotten while he worked forLaban, and his wives and little children.Again he was afraid of Esau who wascoming to meet him with four hundredmen.But now the children were grown andwere taking care of him and best of all,he was on his way to see the son he hadlost so long ago. On the other two journeys, God came and talked with him. Soalsoon this last journey, when theycame to Beer-sheba where Abraham andIsaac had lived and Jacob himself hadlived as a boy, there in the night Godcame to him and talked with him andmade the promises we looked up in ourreference verses. Read again the passageand see what God promised about Joseph.If Jacob had been troubled about whetherit was the right thing to go down tonow he knew that God meant himEgypt,to go and to be with Joseph. How veryhappy he must have been!Trace on your map the road they mayhave traveled from Beer-Sheba to theland of Goshen. It was a long journey,for they would not travel very far eachday, but they knew the way, for thesons of Jacob had already made this triptwice to buy food. But for Jacob, thedays would pass all too slowly until hecould again be with the son he had lovedbest of all. At last they were close toEgypt and Jacob sent Judah on ahead totell Joseph theywere coming. One manalone could travel much faster than thewhole company, and in this way, Joseph might be able to come to meet them.And so it was, Joseph got ready his finechariot and his fast horses and went toGoshen to meet his father. Picture inyour mind how each would be watchingfor the other, looking ahead into thedistance to see if any cloud of dustshowed some one coming near. (Andafter the years of famine and no rain, itmust have been dusty!) At last fatherand son met. Read verse 29. They couldnot even speak for a long time. Jacobwas ready now to die, since the thing hehad most wished for, to see Joseph oncemore, had really happened. Repeat thememory verse. Tell how true it was forJacob and for Joseph as well.For your note-bookSelect the right answer for each question in the following quiz (Courtesy ofMrs. Philip Martin) and copy the correct sentences in your books.1. The brothers at first were (glad; angry; troubled) when Joseph told themwho he was.2. Joseph (was angry with; forgave)his brothers for their cruelty to him.3. Joseph was (anxious; not anxious)to see his father.4. Pharaoh sent (automobiles; trains;wagons) to bring Jacob and his familydown to Egypt.5. Jacob's sons were (shoemakers;shepherds; electricians) by trade.6. Jacob's family came down to Egyptand lived in (Mesopotamia; Canaan; Goshen).SABBATH SCHOOL LESSONDecember 5, 1954by Rev. Joseph A. Hill(Lessons based an International Sunday SchoolLessons ; the International Bible Lessons forChristian Teaching, copyrighted by the International Council of Religious Education."A PRAYER FOR FORGIVENESSLesson Material: Psalms 130 and 86.Memory verse: Psalms 86:5 "For thouLord, art good, and ready to forgive; andplenteous in mercy unto all them thatcall upon thee."These two Psalms, the 130th and the86th, are taken together for study because of the height of spiritual experiencereached in them. They express a deepfeeling of personal need and an exaltedfeeling of personal trust in God. Fromfear to faith, from the depths to theheights, is the experience of the psalmists.It should be noted at the outset thattrue spiritual experience is not possibleapart from the redemptive work of Christas our Saviour. Many people feel that itis not necessary to experience religiousconversion or regeneration, so long asthey have a pious feeling of godliness intheir hearts through prayer and "meditation."The true religious experience ofthe psalmists was based on what God haddone for them in the outward sphere ofredemption, and in the inward realm ofthe spirit. Their experience was not merely a matter of pious feelingor religiousaspiration, but the reality of being redeemed from sin and granted the assurance of that fact.,Nor is it possible to have true religiousexperience apart from the revelation ofGod's work of redemption. True religionis the religion revealed in the Bible;hence there can be no true religious experience apart from God's revealed Word.There is a tendency among professingChristians to look within to the religiousfeelings, in the soul's search for God.We should remember that it is the Wordof God and not religious sentiment whichis the true source of our knowledge ofGod. Religious experience is not astandard of truth; experienceitself issubject to the standard of God's Word.To look within one's soul in search of315

evermore"mother."WhoseGod means placing religious"experience,"or the religious "consciousness," on apar with God's self-revelation in Scripture. To exalt religious experience abovethe Word of God in this way is a form ofidolatry. It is a deification of the creature. True religious experience, that is,salvation, makes man a new creature inChrist, and thus exalts and glorifies God.True spiritual experience issues in praise,such as we find in these Psalms: "I willpraise thee, O Lord my God, with allmy heart: and I will glorify thy name for(Psalm 86:12).It is to be feared that some professingChristians and church members have hadno real spiritual experience. Some havebeen affected bya superficial emotionalexperience that led them to make a"decision" Christ,"or to "accept but fewhave felt lost and helpless in the depthsof sin and transgression. Some have hadthe "experience" of "goingforward" at aConsecration service, but how many ofthese have felt miserable about their sinful nature and their manifold transgressions, and because of their guilt havewept bitterly before God in secret? Howmany of us who have sung these experiential Psalms have experienced therealities of God's grace expressed by thePsalmist?In Psalm 130 the psalmist has a profound consciousness of sin. Unless a person has a deep consciousness of personalsin, there is no possibility of his experiencingsalvation. His personal sense ofsin must not be: "All men are sinners,sinner."so I am a Instead it must be:"God be merciful to me asinner."Aperson who is not conscious of the depthof his own sinfulness can never reach theheight of spiritual experience necessary tosalvation. Mountains do not exist without valleys; and the mountain-top experience of redemption presupposes thevalley of the shadow of death. If we aresaved from the perils of sin, there oughtto be fervent joy in our hearts. Our experience of personal redemption shouldsing in a melody that stirs the deepestfeelings of our being.That praise is one kind of testimonyto the saving power and grace of God. Itshould aim at leadingothers to the Godof mercy. "Let Israel hope in the Lord:for with the Lord there is mercy, and withhim is130:7.)plenteousQuestions tor discussion:redemption"(Psalm1. Does true spiritual experience consist of a pious feeling of religious wellbeing?2. Why is a feeling of dejection anddespair sometimes a wholesome kind ofreligiousexperience? (Because it drivesus to seek God's grace.)3. Is true religious experience possible316apart from the shed blood of the Redeemer? Why not?4. Which is the real source of ourknowledge of Godor Scripture?religious experience5. Does religious experience consist inthe soul's seeking God, or in God's seeking man? What is the difference?6. What are the specific petitions of thePsalmist's prayer in Psalm 86:1-5? Onwhat different ground does he voice eachpetition?7. How can we become more sensitiveto the realities of our own experience ofredemption so that we will have joy inour relation to the Saviour?7. What should our spiritual experiences do for us?9. What should our spiritual experiences move us to do for Christ?10. Why is our forgiveness necessary toall other spiritual experience?PRAYER MEETING TOPICfor December 8, 1954Comments by M. S. McMillan, D.D.A DOUBLE CHECK ON THE STATEOF ONE'S SOUL, 1 John 3:14, 15Psalms4:5-8, page 662:4-6, 10, page 15216:7-10, page 2749:9-13, page 126Scripture References: Assurance of salvation: 1 Thess. 1:5; 2 Tim. 1:12; 4:6-8; Heb. 10:22; 1 John 2:3; 3:2, 3;John 6:51, 54; 10:9, 27, 28.Evidence that one is not saved: Matt.5:20; John 3:36; 8:24; 10:26; Heb. 6:4-6.1 John 3:14, 15 should be interpreted inthe light of Ver. 13, "Marvel not, myyou."brethren, if the world hate Ver. 14"We know that we have passed fromdeath unto life, because we love thebrethren.""We"is emphatic: howeverthe world may hate us our own love forthe brethren is evidence that we havepassed from death in trespasses and sinsto a new life in Christ Jesus.A lawyer once said to Jesus, "But whoneighbor?"is myA question we had better settle before going any further intothis discussion is : Who are our brethren?I. Who Are One's Brethren?In the context the apostle John uses thecase of "Cain . . . that wicked one, whoslew his brother . . . because his ownworks were evil, and his brother's righteous. Cain being evil was only Abel'sflesh and blood brother. That was thebeginning of the hatred and murder whichsprings from controversy over acceptableand unacceptable religious service and itseems to have set the all time pattern ofit being one who is offeringthe unacceptable religious service who is angryand who does the killing,and the one whois offering the acceptable religious service who does the dying. Christ, the lightof the world, was crucified by those wholoved darkness rather than light becausetheir deeds were evil. The martyrs ofboth Old Testament and New Testamenttimes were slain for turning the lightof God's Word on the wickedness of theworld. Loving the brethren is such achange from the usual order of life thatit is called a passinglife.""from death untoThe child of God is not conformedunto this world but is transformed bythe renewing of his mind. Regeneration isa work of the Holy Spirit; and the fruitof the Spirit first named is love."Marvel not, my brethren, if the worldhate you. The real occasion for surprisewould be if the world loved born-againChristians. But who are one's brethren?Once when Jesus was told that Hismother and His brethren were without,desiring to speak with Him, Jesus said,"Who is my mother? and who are mybrethren?"And extending His handtoward His disciples He said, "Behold mymother and my brethren; whosoever shalldo the will of my Father which is inheaven, the same is my brother, andIf one is a child ofsister, andGod all the children of God are his brethren. In Ver. 15 John at once passes fromloving to hating, implying that one eitherloves his brother or hates him. Jesussaid of Himself, he that is not for Meis against Me.II. Two Kinds of BrotherhoodSeeming enigmas may be avoided byremembering that there are both physicaland spiritual brethren. By physical birthJesus was a Jew; "For it is evident thatour Lord sprang out of Judah" (Heb. 7:14) ; "Who are Israelites .... arethe fathers, and of whom as concerningthe flesh, Christ came, who is over all,God blessed forever" (Rom. 9:4, 5); "ToAbraham and to his seed was the promise made. He saith not, and to seedsas of many but as of one, and to thyseed, which is Christ" (Gal. 3:16). Paulwrote to the Galatian gentiles, "And if yebe Christ's then are ye Abraham's seed,and heirs according to thepromise"(Gal.3:29). "Know ye therefore that theywhich are of faith, the same are children of Abraham" (Gal. 3:7). Jesus saidto the Jews, I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word has no place in you . . .If ye were Abraham's children, ye woulddo the works of Abraham ... ye do thedeeds of your father ... ye are of yourfather the devil, and the lusts of yourfather ye willdo."Though both Jesusand those Jews were the physical descendants of Abraham yet in charactertheywere no more kin to each other thanCOVENANTER WITNESS

eproved."unjust"us."us."wisdom"glory."light is kin to darkness. They were deadin their trespasses and sins but Jesus wasboth the life and the light of the world."Marvel not if the world hateyou."Themarvel would be if the world did not hatethe regenerate. "Every one that doeth evilhateth the light neither cometh to thelight lest his deeds beIII. A Kind of Universal Brotherhood"God made of one blood all nations ofmen"(Acts 17:24), so all men havingdescended physically from an originalpair have a flesh and blood relationship.But after the fall of Adam all men werein a universal brotherhood of death, "InAdam all died" in trespasses and sins."All mankind descending from Adam bynatural generation sinned in him and fellwith him in his firsttransgression."Catechism Q. 16. There are two kinds oflife and of death, physical and spiritual.Which of the two classes of brethrendoes the text of our subject require us tolove and forbid us to hate? Our brethrenaccording to the flesh or our brethren inChrist? The answer is both. "When wewere yet sinners Christ died for"Love your enemies, bless them thatcurse you, do good to them that hate youand pray for them which despitefully useyou, and persecute you, that ye may bechildren of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on theevil and the good, and sendeth rain onthe just and on the45).(Matt. 5:44,How can one keep from hating thosewho are terriblywicked? One cannot lovethem for what they are but for what bythe will and grace of God they may become. Saul of Tarsus could and did become the apostle Paul who seemed tolove and labor more abundantly thanthey all because of the grace of God inhim.1. To know the state of your soul examine your love. If you love your brethren both according to the flesh and inChrist you have the assurance that youhave passed from death unto life.2. If you hate your brethren either inthe flesh or your brethren in Christ youare assured that whoever"hateth hisbrother is a murderer: and no murdererhath eternal life abiding in him."Pray that God will make us like Himself in our attitudes toward both theregenerate and the unregenerate.Pray that God will give us the samecompassion on the victims of sin as wehave for the victims of physical maladies.W. M. S. DepartmentMrs. Ross Latimer. Editor,Prayer Hour. 1:00 P.M. MondayW. M. S. LESSON FOR DECEMBERBy Marjorie McElroy CoxREDEMPTION ANTICIPATEDBible Reading: Proverbs 8:22-31I. Redemption Foretold. Psalms 2:7"And I will declare the decree, the Lordhath said unto me 'Thou art my Son,this day have I begotten thee.' "The main theme for this year's work is"True and how can we trulyhave wisdom unless we know JesusChrist as our own personal Saviour andRedeemer? Our lesson for this month,the month in which practically the wholeworld celebrates the Birth of Jesus, weare to turn our thoughts toward JesusChrist as furnishing redemption, or theransom, or the deliverance, for our souls.Redemption was foretold hundreds oftimes in the Old Testament and men andwomen of God anticipated the time ofGod's promised deliverance by a Saviour.In Psalms 130:7 and 8we read, "LetIsrael hope in the Lord for with the Lordthere is mercy, and with him is plenteousredemption; and he shall redeem Israelfrom all his iniquities.II. Assurance of Redemption. Job 19:25Job was one writer who stated verypositively concerning this Saviour. "ForI KNOW that my Redeemer liveth andthat he shall stand at the latter dayearth."upon the Do you KNOW thatyour soul has been redeemed from death?Have you had the faith to believe thatJesus Christ paid the price of redemption with His very life? If a person isreally a Christian and believes the Biblehe must know that his reward is eternallife through Jesus Christ our Lord. Hebrews 9:12 states, "Neither by the bloodof goats and calves but by his own bloodhe entered in once into the holy place,havingobtained eternal redemption forOur catechism states, "Redemption iscertainly applied, and effectually communicated, to all those for whom Christhath purchased it; who are in time by theHoly Ghost enabled to believe in ChristGospel."according to theIII. Heirs of Redemption. Ephesians 1:7tyAn heir is a person who inherits properor virtues of a deceased person. Sowe could not become "heirs of redemption"until after the death of Jesus uponthe Cross. Again I refer to the ShorterCatechism in question 29, "How are wemade partakers of the Redemption purchased by Christ?" "We are made partakers of the redemption purchased byChrist by the effectual application of itto us by his Holy Spirit."We are made heirs of redemption notbecause of anything we have done, orthrough any merit of our own, but because God has chosen us to be partakersof redemption through His great love."For by grace are ye saved through faithand that not of yourselves, it is the giftof God ; not of works lest any man shouldboast."And again, "Not byworks ofrighteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us, by thewashing of regeneration and renewing ofthe Holy Ghost, which he shed on usabundantlySaviour."through Jesus Christ ourIt is Christmastime again but let us notforget what the season really means. Letus thank God for the hope that is provided through our Saviour. Let us thankGod that we have been chosen to sharethis blessed heirshipwith other Christians, that because of redemption purchased at such an awful price as death,that we can look forward to spendingeternity with our Heavenly Father.Ephesians 1:7, 13 and 14. "In whom wehave redemption through his blood, theforgiveness of sins, according to theriches of his grace. In whom ye alsotrusted, after that ye heard the word oftruth, the gospel of your salvation; inwhom also after that ye believed, yeweresealed with that Holy Spirit ofpromise, which is the earnest (or token)of our inheritance until the redemption ofthe purchased possession, unto the praiseof his1954 Minutes of Synodnow ready. Send Orders toChester R. Fox, Treas.209 9th Street, Pittsburgh 22, Pa.Price $1.00 per copyPraythat God would make us continually conscious of how we may imperilour soul by hating those whom we shouldlove.EVERY FAMILY IN THE CHURCHshould have a copyNovember 17, 1954317

LETTER FROM EUNICE McCLURKINLatakia, Thursday, Sept. 30, 1954Dear Olive,Thank you verymuch for your choiceof a "happy landings" gift. Please givemy thanks to the Women's Synodicalfor Irving Stone's fine novel, LOVE ISETERNAL. I read most of it on theway here, and have since finished it,reading while I ate. It's an interestingportrayal of Abraham and Mary Lincoln,and evidently well authenticated.The trip passed very pleasantly. Wehad just about twenty hours flying time,and landed in Beirut only 26% hoursafter take-off from Idlewild. You seehow near we are. Stops were Shannon,Paris and Rome. I met two Baptistwomenreturning to medical missionwork in Calcutta who had a long flightahead of them yet. It looked at first asif I would be delayed in Beirut a day,with no transporation to Syria on ElecTHANK YOU, LORDtion Day, Sept. 24. However, I got aplace in a car leaving Beirut shortlyafter noon, and arrived home in Latakiato find the third floor had been openedand cleaned. Shafeeqa had come acouple of days in advance as she promised. The Hayses entertained us for acouple of meals until we got settled.Since then I have spent every day butSabbath in the school, getting re-oriented and taking registrations and planningschedule for the new school year. Classesbegin a week from today. We are countingon your continued interest in andprayer for the work here, that we mayshow forth Christ in all that we do andsay,and that the Spirit may makeour service fruitful.Thank you for the verse referred toin your greetingsNews BriefsSince November is one of the twelvemonths of each year that a Christianshould be thankful, I take this occasionto hope that your heart is full of spontaneous praise to the giver of all Hisblessings unceasingly poured out throughwindows of heaven, life and breath andall things. No command of the Bible isemphasized and re-emphasized like thecall to "Praise Him." Therefore personalreferences need no apologies. So:I thank Thee, Lord, for the three weeksplus of comfortable living in a verymodern hospital under the care ofspecialists, physician?', efficient nursesand aids, orderlies and disorderlies, congenial fellow-patients and impatients fortheir pleasantries and unpleasantries,for thoughtful and faithful friends, forgrowing appetite and returning health. Ithank Thee for grace and strength to continue my work, and for doctors' permission to do so. Above all I am thankful forthe Great Physician with the Balm ofGilead who can say to the sinner, "Thysins are forgiven" just as easily as He issaying to the sick about me; "Take upthy bed and go into thy house" as He isdaily doing before my eyes. Praise to HisName ! EditorALLEGHENY: The Allegheny congregation was very happyto have theMisses Helen and Florence Fattal worship with them on October 10. MissHelen Fattal brought greetings from theLatakia, Syria congregation to our Sabbath School. The usual time of the morn-318Genesis 28:15. TrulyHe is with us according to His promise.Your friend in Christ,Euniceing service for the Ps.alm explanation wasgiven to Miss Florence Fattal to tell ofthe congregation and work in Syria.TORONTO: The members of the Toronto W.M.S. solicit prayer on behalf ofMrs. H. Phythian,a faithful member andworker of our group for over twentyyears,who has been laid aside for sometime with a poisoned leg.BELLE CENTER: Mrs. R. E. Dillleft for California October 18 to spendthe winter with her husband. We hopeMr. Dill will be able to accompany Mrs.Dill home in the Spring.LOS ANGELES: Recent visitors havebeen Mr. and Mrs. William Walkinshawof Superior, Nebraska and Miss AliceSmith of Orlando, Florida. Also Mr. andMrs. Merlin Wing and family ofMayetta,Kansas,stayed a week at the homeof her sister, Mrs. Jerry Yogoda.SEATTLE: Halloween was well takencare of in the Seattle Congregation thisyear with the first party being held Oct.28 at the Don Crozier home. This partyincluded all of our younger marriedcouples, down through college age. OnOct. 28 a party was held at the Martinhome for the Boys Club which is 5 and 6grade boys. That same evening a Jr.High age partywas held at the JosephLamont, Jr. home with 13 in attendanceand also that same evening there was an"over 40" party held at the Sam Doddshome. There were around 23 in attenfilleddance at the latter party and a rousingtime was had by all. Fun and foolishnessin the evening as well as a talk byMr. Joseph Fleming on his recent trip toIreland and Europe.QUINTER: Mrs. Roy Bailey spentfour weeks visitingFrancy in St. Louis, Mo.her brother AlbertALLEGHENY: Mr. and Mrs. Paul D.Bennett have bought a house on HolyokeStreet not far from the church. It is nicethat they are conveniently located.GENEVA: Among those on our sicklist is Mrs. Ida Aiken who spent sometime in a local hospital. Mr. C. L. Fallonis improving but still house-bound. Yourspecial prayer is requested for two ofour babies, one on the critical list: DavidRoberts, son of Dorothy (Lawson) andFarrell Roberts, and Eddie Dean, son ofBob and Marguerite Dean.TOPEKA: Mr. Herbert Davies underwent an ear operation at the KansasUniversity Medical Center. We are praying that the operation will be a success.OLATHE: Harold Hutcheson of Olathe congregation was inducted into thearmy at Pittsburgh, Pa. on October 7through his draft board at Beaver Falls,Pa. His address during training untilDecember 18will be: Pvt. C. HaroldHutcheson, U.S. 52320093, Bat. C-57,AAA-AW Bn., Div. Arty. 3 Armd. Div.,Fort Knox, Kentucky.ALLEGHENY: We enjoyed having theRev. Johannes Vos, Professor of Biblein Geneva College, as our guest minister the first Sabbath of October whenour pastor was assistingin communionservices at Mars. Mr. Vos challengedboth thought and action.BLOOMINGTON : Ghosts and goblinsof the Sabbath School have been havinga lot of fun and fellowship during theHalloween season. Several parties havebeen given. Mrs. Paul Wampler entertained the Junior High group at herhome; Miss Ruth Smith took the members of her class to the Cascades Parkfor a weiner roast; the primary classenjoyed a partyJohn Robertson;at the home of Mrs.and the kindergartenand nursery groups and their motherswere entertained in the nurseryroom ofthe church with Mrs. Robert Stone andMaryand Katherine Wampler assisting.SEATTLE: Our Sabbath School isgrowing and we are happy to announcethat twice in the last month we haveover shot our goal of 100 by reaching 102and 109.LOS ANGELES: On Friday, October15, Miss Eleanor Faris gave a missionarytalk, after which a social hour was held inher honor.WINCHESTER: Our W.M.S. heldtheir first allday meetingof the winterCOVENANTER WITNESS

at the home of Mrs. Charles Duguid inOctober. Rev. and Mrs. Jesse Mitchel,Mrs. Sanderson and Miss Orlena Lynnwere guests.DENISONThe Young Adult Groupenjoyed a potluck supper, October 29 atthe Delber Braum home. Mrs. HarlanPhilips was the entertainment leader andHarlan Philipps led in evening devotions.ALLEGHENY: We extend hearty congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. RichardGeorge on the birth of a daughter, LindaGail, on October 17. Mr. and Mrs. Georgeare living in Madison, Illinois while Mr.George is in the army.QUINTER: The Junior SabbathSchool enjoyed a partyafter schoolThursday October 28. Refreshments wereserved to the group.WINCHESTER: Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Sanderson of Syria told of theirwork at our W.M.S. Thankoffering meeting. Mr. and Mrs. Sanderson were guestsof Rev. and Mrs. Caskey. Mrs. Sanderson and Mrs. CaskeyTOPEKA: Mr.are sisters.Lester Oelke underwent surgery in October and made aspeedy recovery.BELLE CENTER: Our communionwas observed Sabbath, October 10. Rev.David M. Carson assisted his father Dr.M. K. Carson and brought inspiringand helpful messages. Rev. M. J. Sanderson gave a fine message on "CovenantKeeping"for the table address. Covenant signing was the concludingthe Sabbath morning service.part ofWINCHESTER: Rev. Philip Martinassisted with our communion October 17.Philip Charles, son of Mr. and Mrs.Charles Duguid was baptized. Mrs. Richard O'Neill came into the church byletter.QUINTER: On October 10 we observed the Lord's Supper; Rev. BruceStewart of Greeley, Colo, was the assistant and brought us messages during thepreparatory services. The Covenant Signing service was held Saturday afternoon.We appreciated his messages and his helpin these services. Mrs. Valeria Stewartwas received by letter from the Methodistchurch of Delphos, Kansas ; Jimmy Jamison by profession of faith.BELLE CENTER: We were privilegedto have with us on two occasions, theMisses Helen and Florence Fattal, Latakia, Syria. Monday evening September27 at the church, following their interesting messages in regard to the work inthe Latakia field, a social hour was heldso that all had an opportunityto meetand become acquainted with the girls.Miss Edna Elsey and Mrs. E. M. Elsey,aunts of the Fattal sisters werealsoguests on this occasion. Refreshmentswere served from a nicely arranged table.On Tuesday evening September 28 Mr.and Mrs. Wilbur Keys held Open Houseat their house with the Misses Fattal,Rev. and Mrs. W. J. Sanderson ofUtica, Ohio and their son Mr. KennethSanderson of Latakia, Syria, home onfurlough as guests.served.Refreshments wereORLANDO: The address of H. G. Patterson is: 1111 E. Washington St., Orlando, Fla.WINCHESTER: Mrs. Lynn of GaryIndiana and Miss Orlena Lynn of Kobe,Japan visited Mrs. Lynn's sister Mrs.Irene White. Orlena Lynn showed pictures and spoke of the work in Japan atthe Junior Thankoffering meeting inOctober.TOPEKA: We extend our sympathy toMrs. Paul Gibeson and family in the lossof her mother Mrs. Margaret Caskey whopassed away in Florida.DENISON: Mrs. Maggie Downie wasguest of honor at a large family dinner atthe City Hall in Goff, Kansas on October 30, the occasion being her eighty-thirdbirthday.LOS ANGELES : On Sabbath, October17 we were privileged to have Dr. CharlesT. Carson of Clarinda, Iowa conduct theworship service.TOPEKA: On October 24 WilmerPiper conducted our prayer meeting service using the recommendation of theEvangelistic committee for discussion.The evening services were dismissed incrder to hear Sam Morris who wasspeaking in Topeka. On October 31 WilberMcElroy had charge of the servicesusing for a topic "The Tithe." Rev. M. W.Daugherty of Denison supplied the pulpit on November 7.LOS ANGELES: Our Fall communionwas held on Sabbath, October 10, assistingDr. E. G. Russell was Rev. Norman M.Carson of Chicago, who also preachedthe preparatory services Thursday andFriday evenings. At this time the following were received into the membershipof the church by profession of Faith:Jerry Yogoda, Bobbie Chambers, Howard Huizing, and Donald Van Dyke.Mrs. E. G. Russell had her letter of membership transferred from the BloomingtonCongregation. This communion seasonproved very inspiring. We were happyto have Mrs. Norman Carson and sonMark with us at this time.BELLE CENTER: Misses Helen andFlorence Fattal were entertained in thehome of Mr. and Mrs. Robt. Stuber andfamily while they were in our midst. TheMisses Fattal and Mrs. Stuber are cousins.GENEVA: An interesting fact, pointedout by James Bowser, who has been amember of this congregation since itsbeginning, is the presence of one familywho has continued their membership inthis congregation for fivegenerations.Away back when, Mr. and Mrs. WilliamGarrett became Charter members. Theirdaughter, Mrs. R. J. Dodds continued theline. At the present time there are threegenerations who are active workers, Mrs.Davida Dodds Fallon, her son, Dr. Leslie and his son John who joined with usduring our Fall Communion. Can youbeat this record?ALLEGHENY: Mrs. Chester Fox hasreturned home after six weeks at theOverlook Rest Home in New Wilmington, Pa. We rejoice that she is improvedin health.LOS ANGELES: A congregationalHalloween Partywas held at the homeof the Oliver Walkers on October 29.The children came in costume and prizeswere awarded. Volley ball and othergames were enjoyed duringthe evening.Refreshments of pumpkin pie, cider andcoffee followed.TOPEKA: We regret that Dr. Taggarthas been hospitalized for rest and observation.LOS ANGELES congregation, onNovember 5th, extended a unanimouscall to Licentiate Paul Robb to becomeits pastor upon his completion of theSeminary course in theology next spring.Mr. Robb was elected on the first ballot.E. G. Russell, Moderator.People ofMany Nations (from pg. 319)"Religious faith, in our time, is undermassive attack by a strongly entrenchedatheistic materialism. In such a time, howclear it is that we should treasure andfurther every act which fuels the flameof our faith. The observance of Worldwide Bible Reading is such an act; and Iprayerfully hope that its success this yearwill be greaterthat its imprint in thehearts and minds of the peoples of theworld this year be more pervasiveever before.than"I am sure that all who value faithand freedom join with me in congratulating those good people who anually bringobservance."to pass this meaningfulThe high point of the program isUniversal Bible Day, Sabbath, December12, which will be observed in thousandsof Churches of every denominationthroughout the United States and in hundreds of Churches overseas. Packets containing material, especially prepared bythe Bible Society to assist the pastor inthis observance, have been mailed to over150,000 ministers.November 17, 1954 319

UniqueChartreaders."work."BibleTHE BIBLE fhat will Surprise You!Reveals Spiritual Meaningof VersesGives Desired Information More Quickly55 FEATURES...7 GREAT DEPARTMENTS MAKE-THE NEW CHAIN-REFERENCE BIBLETruly a Bible PLUS a Biblical Libraryin ONE VolumeREAD WHAT OTHERS SAY:The Late Dr. Walter A.'Maier, Former Radio Speakerof the Lutheran Hour: "It has been a great help tome in my radio work, preaching, literary and editorial activities. I recommend it highly to pastors,teachers, students, and BibleDr. E. L.McKnight, Former Moderator, Reformed PresbyterianChurch of North America: "This Chain Bible fixesand holds attention upon the Scriptures themselvesWe are finding this kind of Bible study much morehelpful than any we have attempted heretofore. ThisChain Reference Bible not only directs one's mind tothe study of the Bible text but offers the necessaryaid to such a study. I am greatly pleased with thisbook and do not hesitate to recommend it to anyonewho would know his Bible." Dr. Harry Rimmer,Biblical Scholar and Scientist: "I have never seenany other single volume that contains as many practical helps for the beginner, or the advanced studentof the Scriptures. I feel that no student should beRapidly Replacing Other BiblesEDITED BY REV. F. C. THOMPSON, D.D., PH. D.you to. study the Constructive and Destructive Forces of.1 chart showing Origin and Growth of the English32. Contrast Study of Great Truths of the Bible. Enables mind you not several crowded together on one page.Bible.Life, with the Bible verses printed out in full under such sub2. The Outline Studies of Bible Periods, comparing Bib jects as Faith Unbelief, Love Hatred, Courage Fear, etc.lical History with Contemporary Secular History.33. Life Studies, such as Business Life, Home Life, Devo3. The Analysis of the Bible as a Whole.tional Life, The Surrendered Life, etc.4. The Analysis ol each of the 66 Books of the Bible.34. Bible Stories for Children. A list of 56 stories to be5. The Analysis of every Chapter of the New Testament. read from the Bible itself.6. The Analysis ofthe Verses oftheentire Bible.35. Miracles of both the Old and New Testaments listed7. The Numerica I and Chain Reference Systems.Sn Chronological Order.8. Special Analysis of the Important Bible Characters.36. Parables of the Old Testament. Parables of the New9. Contrast between the Old and New Testaments.Testament, listing those given in One Gospel Only, those10. The Topical Treasury New Topics for Prayer Meet given in Two, and those given in Three.ings, Men's Meetings, Women's Meetings, Missionary Meet 37. Titles and Names ofChrist; of the Holy Spirit; of Godings, Young People's Meetings, etc.the Father; and of Satan.U. Special Bible Readings for private devotions and pub 38. General Bible Prophecies.lic services. New and differentsubjects.39. A List of the Prophets of the Bible.12. Bible Harmonies of the Lives of Moses and Paul.40. List of Judges of Israel and Judah given in Chronolog13. Special Portraits of Jesus.ical Order.14. Chart of the Messianic Stars.41. List ofthe Notable Women of the Bible.15. Chart showing cause of the Babylonian Captivity.42. Mountains and Hills referred to in Bible, listing the16. Chart of the Temple of Truth, illustrating the Ser Scenes of Great Events.mon on the Mount.43. Dictionary Material.17. Chart of Jesus' Hours on the Cross.44. Tables of Time, Money, Weights and Measures.18. The Christian Workers' Outfit. Of special value to soulEleven New Features Added in the Third Improved Editionwinners.19. AllProminent Bible Characters Classified, listing the45. The Historical Bridge, covering interval between thePatriarchs, Leaders in Early Hebrew History, CourageousOld and New Testaments.Reformers, etc., with meaning of their names given.46. Chart showing the History of the Apostles.20. Golden Chapters of the Bible.47. Harmony of the Gospels, citing references in different21. A Complete General Index of over seven thousandGospels where events are given.topics, names and places.48. Calendar of the Christian Era.22. Special Memory Verses selected from each Book of the49. The Post-Resurrection Appearances of Jesus, illusBible.trated with well-known paintings.23. Chart Showing Seven Editions of Divine Law.50. Chart of the Seven Churches of Asia, described by24. Graph of the ProdigalSon.John.25. Bible Mnemonics, or how to memorize.51. An Outline History of the Evangelistic and Missionary26. The Principles and Best Methods of Bible Study. Work of the Early Church.27. Pictorial Illustration of the River of Inspiration.52. The prophesies Concerning Jesus and their Fulfillment,28. Bible Markings, Explaining best methods of marking arranged Chronologically,with principal verses printed outone's Bible.in full.29. Concordance.30. Atlas of 12 colored maps with index for quickly locat53. Map Showing Approximate Distances from Jerusalemto Various Historical Points.ing places.54 Showing the Interior Arrangement of the TempleOther Features in Text Cyclopediaat Jerusalem.31. Topical Study of the Bible. Correlated Scriptures 55. Thirteen Special Illustrated Maps Showing the Jourprinted out in full under 2467 topics and sub-topics. Three neys of Jesus, Peter, Paul, and the Journeys of the Childrentimes as many as in any other Bible.of Israel from Egypt to Canaan. These are separate maps,andinstruction."without this splendid aid to studyDr. F. M. McConnell, Editor, Ilaptist Standard: "Ifirmly believe that a boy in the seventh grade can

prayer."word,"aside"much."ceasing."up."prayed."LESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 12, 1954VOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1954 NUMBER 21THE CHRISTIAN IN THE WORLD TODAYPrayer -A Nation's Greatest WeaponTheodore W. EngstromGod's people everywhere have taken great heartin the prominent place our new President, DwightEisenhower, has given to prayer. There is hope for anation when its leaders pray! God answers prayer!For a country to be great, however, not onlymust its leadership recognize the vital importance ofconstantly seeking the face of almighty God, but theindividuals of that nation likewise must share in theexperience of intercessoryprayer. What a responsibility is ours as God's people to engage in the important ministry of praying for our country and its leadership that God will deal with us as a nation in mercy, rather than in divine judgment. Do you pray dailyfor your country?The Importance of PrayerThere is abundant evidence in the Word of Godregarding the importance of prayer. Jesus said that"men ought always to pray and not to faint." Paulsaid, "'Continue in prayer, and watch in the samewith thanksgiving." Peter said, "The end of allthings is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watchunto James emphasized that "the effectualfervent prayer of a righteous man availethThe Christian ought to have an appetite forprayer. He should want to pray. One does not haveto force food upon a healthy child or adult. Exercise,good circulation, health and labor demand food forsustenance. So it is with those who are spirituallyhealthy. They have an appetite for the Word of Godand for prayer. If you find that you do not have sucha desire, or if that desire is extremely weak, youshould ask the Lord to reveal to you why this is true.There may be an obstruction in the way some sinthat interferes. The Bible tells us to "desire the sincere milk of the but in the verse just before,it tells us that we must "laycertain thingsfirst. If you do not have a desire for the Word andfor prayer, perhaps you should start by checkingyourself against that list.The admonition of Scripture is that we should"pray without It is not necessary to be onour knees all the time, but our heart should be on itsknees all the time.AloneWith God Not SelfWe need to realize that we do not come in prayerto find ourselves, but to meet God. Allow God tospeak to your heart. It is during periods of quietnessthat we most fully experience the presence of God.In our praying, everything depends upon God's taking the chief place. We have the full confidence thatGod hears and answers prayer. "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anythingaccording to his will, he heareth us : and if we knowthat he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that wehave the petitions that we desired of him."In your prayer and devotional life, it is best toget off alone. Early in the morning is usually best.There are fewer distractions and interruptions atthat time of day, and your mind is generally clearer.David said, "My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, 0 Lord ; in the morning will I direct my prayerunto thee, and will look Jesus likewise set thisexample: "And in the morning, rising up a greatwhile before day, he went out, and departed into asolitary place, and thereHowever, the important thing is be sure that youhave a definite time daily for prayer. You can depend upon it that a day that begins with prayer willend with praise. "Getting down on your knees helpsyou to stand on your feet."Skeptics may deride and those who are weakin faith may doubt but those who have diligentlyprayed know that God answers prayer. PhillipsBrooks said, "Prayer is not conquering God's reluctance, but willingness."taking hold of God'sChristian Digest

name!"gifts"Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D.Mission Problems in IndiaThere have been various reports about the difficultywhich missionaries have been having in India, or getting intoIndia. The Evangelical Christian has the following to say inthat regard: "The going has been increasingly difficult forforeign missionaries in India ever since she gained her independence in 1947. Indians for the most part are only contentto have the missionaries engage in medical, agricultural, educational, health and social welfare work. But they feel thatevangelism, one of the foundations of mission work, shouldbe left to Indians. Prime Minister Nehru himself declared hisopposition last month to evangelism byoutsiders. He believes,as do many government officials, that Indian Christians arebetter able to instill a sense of nationalism into tribes whoseassimilation into the country is far from complete. The result of this discord between Indians and missionaries has beenin many instances, the refusal to grant or renew visas.In an attempt to resolve the differences, Indian Christiansand missionaries last month proposed setting up a committeeto handle problems arising between the mission groups and thegovernment. It is acknowledged that many denominationalmission boards have been successful in obtaining visas fortheir missionaries; and a total of 4.683 missionaries are nowat work in India ; while only comparatively few have been denied visas.Crowning a PictureFor a Sober ChristmasWriting in United Evangelical Action under the caption,Christmas for Christ, Mr. Blackmore says: "In Chicago thehead of a big advertising agency was astounded when his staffby unanimous vote, decided to kick out the usual rumsoakedChristmas party and invite a crowd of orphans in foran old-fashioned Christmas tree instead.In Pittsburgh one of the biggest business machine corporations decided to sponsor a family party at Christmastime, ruled out all "bottleand turned an annual headache into one of the best public relations investments of theyear.In a small Iowa community church, leaders met withcivic groups to plan for a special Christmas campaign thatwould eliminate the liquid conviviality that had caused anew high in traffic accidents the year before. Special advertisements hit the newspapers askingtownspeople to remember that Christmas was a Christian observance; suggestingthat they leave liquor out.The writer continues :"Americans are getting fed up withthe over-commercialization and intoxication of Christmas.Churches, civic groups, law enforcement agencies, business organizations are all working together to remind the people ofobservance."their communities that Christmas is a holyCertainly, so far as it is observed, Christ should be kept in theforeground of men's thoughts'It was reported recently that the Pope crowned a pictureof Mary before a vast crowd in Rome. Even if Mary hadpower to intercede in a special way with Jesus, how rediculousit is to crown a picture which is only animaginary likenessof her! An article in The Converted Catholic shows how thetheory of the power of Mary has grown in successive dogmasof Rome. The writer quotes the president of St. John's University, John A. Flynn, as saying before a Catholic Convocation that it is not unlikely that Mary may be proclaimed"CoRedemptrix of the human race; that next, the dogma ofMediatrix of all graces may be promulgated; and that finallythe definition of her Queenship as participating with her Sonin the power of ruling the world may beproclaimed."He predicts that these three new dogmas will be announced beforeanother centuryto honor Mary in the way the Scriptures present her.passes ; and ends with a plea for all ChristiansThe editor of The Converted Catholic comments on this:"How humiliated, how embarrassed Mary would be if sheknew what is done in herPhone Orders on SabbathThe Lord's Day Alliance has protested to four of themajor department stores of Philadelphia for accepting telephone orders for merchandise on Sabbath. The General Secretary said in his letters to these stores (amongwhich wasWanamaker's and Gimbel's) that the acceptance of telephoneorders on Sabbath was "another entering wedge being made bygreedy people who are not content with six days of businessbut insist upon Sabbath."encroaching upon the ChristianModernism RebukedIn an argument which has become known as the "Hell-Dispute"in Norway Bishop Schjelderup stated that "thedoctrine of eternal punishment is not at home in a religion oflove."In the course of the debate the Bishop was accusedof "denying the Church's Confessions" and "placing himselfoutside the Church." He demanded a ruling by the h:ghestauthorities. The king of Norway is regarded there as the highDamage in Hong KongA recent typhoon in Hong Kong has done much damagethere. Dr. Mary Stone says that there was heavy damage totheir buildings. Half the roof of their library was blown awayand all the superstructures on top of Hughes MemorialChurch are gone and all the windows on the north side oftheir buildings are broken. Their new buildings which areunder construction are now delayed. She has not lost herfaith and still believes in Rom. 8:28, and that all will workout for their good.322est authority in the State Church and he issued a verdict whichwas favorable to Bishop Schjelderup.Thirty- four leaders of Christian voluntary organizationshave signed a joint statement in which they urge a strongerstand against those who dispute the teaching of everlasting.punishment.They exercise an important influence in Norwegian church life. They affirmed that the "teaching ofeverlasting punishment (in Hell) for the unrepentants cannotbe abandoned as a part of the ChristianConfession,"and that"both denial and false interpretation of this teaching is unfaithfulness to the message of the Church."COVENANTER WITNESS

cancer."Current EventsBy Prof. William H. Russell, Ph.D.NEW SUPREME COURT JUSTICEPresident Eisenhower has named John Marshall Harlanof New York as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court,to succeed the late Robert H. Jackson. Harlan's grandfather was Justice John M.Harlan, who served on theSupreme Court from 1877 to 1911. Though classified as aRepublican, Harlan is not a politician. He has followed thelaw as a career since 1925, and early this year was appointeda judge of the Second Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. Hisappointment will please many people who have urged thatjurists as well as politicians be considered for SupremeCourt positions. The Court now has two other RepublicansChief Justice Warren, and Associate Justice Harold Burton, a Truman appointee. If Harlan's appointment is promptly confirmed, as seems likely, he will participate in thehearings on means of carrying out the decision againstschool segregation. These important proceedings begin inDecember and a full court is desirable.BLOODSHED IN ALGERIAgeria.Nationalist terrorism has flared up in the hills of AlSimultaneous outbreaks at several points in theFrench North African state seemed to indicate some central planning and direction. Eight Frenchmenpro- andFrench natives were killed, and over thirty wounded. TheFrench sent in troops to track down the terrorists, whowere probably aided by Tunisian nationalists. About twohundred leaders of the independence movement known asthe Triumph of Democratic Liberties were arrested. Theoutbreak came just as Premier Mendes-France reaffirmedhisintention to give French North Africa greater selfgovernment.Unlike the protectorates of Tunisia and Morocco, Algeria is an integral part of France, with full citizenship for its inhabitants and representation in the NationalAssembly. The French therefore consider a revolt in Algeriaas equal to treason or civil war.SHIFT AT CAIROGeneral Mohammed Naguib,president of Egypt forover two years, has been deposed by the revolutionary council which has actually governed the country since the overthrow of King Farouk. This action followed an unsuccessfulattempt on the life of Premier Gamal Nasser. Eight shotswere fired at Nasser in Alexandria by a member of the fanatical Moslem Brotherhood. One leader of the Brotherhoodis said to have confessed that Naguib approved the assassination plot. The rivalry between Naguib and Nasser cameinto the open last Februarywhen Naguib was forced toresign as president and premier, then restored to the presidency as a result of popular demonstrations. His prestigehas declined steadily since then. Naguib's ouster, if it ispermanent this time, leaves the 37-year-old Nasser in complete control.Several hundred members of the MoslemBrotherhood are under arrest and the whole partyliquidated if possible.SMOKE CLOUDSwill beThe Tobacco Industry Research Committee has announced grants of $82,000 for six investigations on the medical effects of smoking. The Committee, formed last Januaryby fourteen companies, has $500,000 at its disposal. ItNovember 24, 1954claims that it will not try to influence the research findings,but its interest in the outcome is obvious. For example, theCommittee called "unjustified" the conclusions of a book on"Smoking and Cancer" by Dr. Alton Ochsner, who saidthere was already "massive proof that cigarette smokingcaused lungthe American Cancer SocietyDr. Ochsner was formerly president ofand of the American Collegeof Surgeons. His book urges federal legislation to protecttobacco users.TEMPERANCE FOR FRANCEPremier Mendes-France has finally made public recognition of one of France's major weaknesses, her excessiveuse of alcoholic beverages. The per capita consumption ofalcohol in France is twice as great as in Italy, and threetimes the rate for the U. S. or Great Britain. Two-thirdsof this is in wine, but the use of hard liquor has been increasing. Not only is there a high rate of alcoholism withits usual social and moral evils; but the wine industry,overexpanded under government subsidies, is unbalancingthe whole French economy.Mendes-France's cabinet has adopted measures especially designed to cut down on the manufacture andconsumption of hard liquor. Taxes are to be increased,restaurants and bars forbidden to serve hard liquor in themorning, and the penalties for public drunkenness greatlystrengthened. Advertising will be restricted, and an educational campaign begun against alcoholism. Such controlsare unprecedented in peacetime, and the first reaction ofmany Frenchmen has been cynical if not actually hostile.Mendes-France wants to bolster the French dairy industryand sets a temperance example himself by drinking milkon most public occasions.FRATERNITY BAN UPHELDThe U. S. Supreme Court has refused to hear an appealfrom a lower court decision, upholding the right of theState University of New York to bar national fraternitiesand sororities from its campuses. The University trusteesissued an edict against the national societies in October,1953, on the ground that they were not sufficiently subjectto local controls. The ban was part of a program to eliminateracial and religious discrimination at the state institutions.It affects twenty-two campuses, with over twenty thousandstudents. Several Greek-letter societies brought suit againstthe ban, claiming that it violated their freedom of association; but the courts denied this. The organizations will continue on a local basis. Other public colleges and universitieshave already national fraternities, and the University ofMississippi won a court test of its right to outlaw secretsocieties altogether. We have met very few college facultymembers who do not agree that all the institutions wouldbe better off without the fraternities.KANSAS CITY ATHLETICSFinal approval has been given for the transfer of thePhiladelphia Athletics to Kansas City. This makes thethird shift of a major-league baseball franchise in twentymonths, and the second within the American League. Thefamily of Connie Mack sold the Athletic franchise to Arnold(Continued on page 328)323

The Editor's PageRetrenchments Forced by Social ChangesA statistical graph of our mission work, Homeand Foreign during the past fifty years could bemade to look very drab, indeed. During this periodwe had in our Home Mission work three special missions, the Southern Mission which had at that timeKnox Academy with many students and teachersand which is now continuing as a congregation butwithout the large school of elementary and advancedwork. The Indian Mission had at that time a largeschool of boys and girls and quite a corps of workerswho were mostly doing the work on a voluntarybasis and the congregation was flourishing becauseit centered around the children in the school. Therewas also the Jewish mission which at sundry timeshad a varied number of workers and was reachingaffectively some Jewish families. This work is nowentirely quiescent, though funds are available torevive the work if the way should seem propitious.Over against the picture that has lost much of itsrosy hue we have the Kentucky Mission which isreaching hundreds of families, though not so manyas we were a few years back.Looking at the Foreign Field we had at thebeginning of that period a mission in Turkey and amission in Syria which had a medical departmentand also a medical department on the island ofCyprus, along with the beginnings of our schoolsthere. These medical departments are no longer functioning but otherwise the work seems to be as prosperous as at any previous period. During the fiftyyear period we had in China as many as fifteen ormore adult missionaries at one time and various boyand girl schools functioning, with several out stations and this work spread to Canton both as a medical school and as a preaching center as well as toother stations that were open up until circumstancesshut us out of that field as it did all other evangelistic agencies. Work was opened in Manchuria andthis work is now extinct as far as outward evidenceis concerned. Over against this picture we may citethe work in Hong Kong which is still being carriedon and the opening of work in Japan which is quitepromising. The impression seems to be that the timemay be very short there.If we take a superficial view of this graph itmight look as though our church has fallen down verydecidedly in its effort to preach the gospel to everycreature in all the world. However, it should be saidthat most of these changes are due to circumstancesbe chargedover which we had no control and mayto the general progress of history. The school workboth in Selma, Alabama, and in Apache, Oklahoma,has been taken over by the public schools to whichit properly belongs. The closing of the medical centers in Syria and Cyprus was due to the fact thatlocal medical facilities had made such an advancethat medical missions were no longer necessary. Theclosing down of the work in South China and inManchuria was strictly a result of Communism andwe may truly believe that it is God's will that thiswork should be closed down for the present time asit was during the Boxer uprising of 1900. We believe324that in no way are we censurable for these changeswhich are rather the' changes of history than changeof our attitude toward the work outlined above.Retrenchments Due to MisapprehensionsBut the retrenchment of our church in a worldwide field is what is now on the heart and mind ofthe writer of which I wish to speak here. For thosesame fifty years, I suppose, we have been the leadingcontributor in per capita giving and congregationalgiving of all denominations contributing to the American Bible Society. Our mark was so far ahead ofany other denomination that they were continuallypointing ours out as a mark to shoot at for othercontributors. So that while our contributions did notamount to a great deal in the general budget of theSociety, they had an influence which multiplied theirefficiency many times. What has transpired in thefalling off in our contributions during the past threeyears is appalling.Here are the Figures :1951 1952 1953Gifts $5,256.00 $3,013.00 $2,996.00Cents per Capita __.98^ .58y2 .58Dollars per Church 70.08 40.17 39.95A decrease in giving from 1951 to 1953 of42.9%.The United Bible Society publishes the Bibleor portions in 1,070 languages or dialects. Roughlyspeaking, our $5,000 contributed in 1951 divided by1,000 languages means that we contributed $5.00 forpublication in each of the languages, but in 1952 and1953 our contributions had fallen off to $3.00 for eachlanguage. Or if we take $5.00 for each language asa standard for our contributions then we have ceasedto publish in 400 languages; that is, we have retrenched by 400 languages in the last three years.How is that for going out into all the world andTHE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street, Newton, Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka Kansasto promote Bible Standards ofDoctrine, Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writers :not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen, D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll, D.D.Remo I. Robb. D.D.Subscription10 cents.The Rev. R.British Isles.rates,iEnf!eref under the Act of March 3, 1879.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdgarMrs. J. O. EdgarMrs. Ross Latimer$2.50 per year ; Overseas, $3.00 : Single CopiesB. Lyons, B.A., Limavady, N. Ireland, Agent for thefi3.af9ond class matter at the Post Office in Newton, KansasAddress communications to the Topeka office.COVENANTER WITNESS

evil."evil'evil"entrance."spotlights."world."preaching the gospel to every creature? Has ourhome church work and our mission work so drainedour funds that we have cut off so much of the worldto complete darkness. Not only is the present writerconcerned about this indifference of our church toward this great cause but the American Bible Societyitself, though its total Budget for a year is somethingover $4,000,000.00 is concerned because we the leaders of all contributors seems to have lost our enthusiasm for our world-wide mission through thisand its affiliated agencies.This falling off in contributions seems to bedue to a change of attitude on the part of certainpersons who have been sending critical letters tothe Bible Society (some pastors and some laymen)telling of their objections. The Bible Society findstwo principal reasons why they criticize this institution. First, there has been a rumor spread about thatthe Bible Society has become a part of the NationalCouncil of Churches. This they absolutely deny andno reason is apparent to doubt their word. Thepresent writer is a member of the Advisory Councilof the Society and attended the annual meeting lastyear and no official representative of the NationalCouncil was on the roll nor was the organization somuch as mentioned.The second objection offered is that the Societyhas been publishing the New Testament and some ofthe Gospels, etc., in the Revised Standard Versionfor those who prefer this edition. The Bible Societysells four varieties of English translations but theRevised Standard Version sales amounted to onlya fraction of one per cent of the total number ofEnglish translations sold.The critics of the R.S.V. have been very diligentin searching out its defects and it has far too many.But jn searching for the changes that are less accurate or less forceful than the King James Version,have they never found any that were an improvement and more accurate translations? That is, havethey been fair critics or prejudiced ones? All newversions have had their critics. A student in mySeminary days criticized the Revision of 1901 because it favored the higher critics. He cited the verse"Avoid every form of instead of "Avoid everyappearance ofpearance ofIf Jesus had avoided every 'apHe would never have eaten with unwashed hands, healed on the Sabbath, or cast outdevils. To the pure all things are pure, but to yourenemy, nothing you do is pure. The other translationwas exact and was far more in accordance with common sense. The King James version had its criticsand still has very many and they are not withouttheir reasons. Some of its translations even directlycontradict the meaning of the original text. Do notunderstand that I am holding a brief for the RSVas preferential to the King James. Personally, I readboth of them profitably.But I feel it is a dangerous thing to discourageour Church to the extent of 40% of its contributionson account of the very small number of RSV NewTestaments sold by the American Bible Society dueto the choice of the purchaser. They are not recommending that book but only supplying it where it ispreferred. To quote the late Dr. Mann of the AmerinoncanBible Society : "There are large areas of theChristian World which would be entirely withoutthe Word of God if it were not for the work of theAmerican Bible Society. To withhold gifts from theNovember 24, 1954Society is to withhold the Word of Life from millions in the great mission fields of the Iwould want to be very sure that I were in the rightif I were appointed to drop an A Bomb or H Bombor a C Bomb on any large city of the world. I wouldwant to be very sure that I was right before I woulddo anything to withhold the Word of God from anylarge section of the population of the world. Soulassassination on a mass scale is a very dangeroustransaction.It should be born in mind that if anyone wishesto designate his contribution as to its use, he candetermine that none of it shall go into the publication of any undesirable volume of the Book of Lifeor reasonable facsimile thereof and can send it toany particular part of the work he maywish tofavor. Bible Day is very close at hand; the editorfeels impelled to warn our people against retrenching in our mission field in 400 different countries.No other organization or field of outlet for yourfunds, I believe, offers so much distribution for adollar as does the American Bible Society and itskindred organizations under the United Bible Society. May God guide you in the amount you shallgive to this worthy cause !Tither's CornerThe Thrill of Tithingby R. McConaughyWhen I think of reasons why I am glad I tithe,two blessings immediately come to mind.First, the urge to live an honest and uprightlife. I was talking to a Chinese friend the other day.She is a widow and life is hard for her. She triedto tell me of some of her experiences and was hardto understand. But I understood this much. Someof her neighbors had suggested some tricks for herbusiness that they used. Her reply was "I no do.My hands clean. My heart clean. I belong to Jesee."After coming to a sufficient understanding of theLord God to want to give Him the tenth, I cannotcome to Him with the results of unchristian labor.I find myself challenged to give a good day's workand to shun the unearned dollar.And second, the interest I have in where mymoney goes. On my way to work, I pass an attractive new church and I think, "Why I probably paidfor that nice light at the I go to churchand I think "This is my church. My money goes intoGeneva and the Seminary that my minister attended ;into the pastor's salary, the newly painted walls andthe helpful outsideAt lunch the ladyacross the table speaks and I learn of her formeracquaintance with Dr. Vos in far-off Manchuria.And I'm reminded of the present work he is leadingthat takes God's message behind the Red curtain intosoutheast Asia and I have a part in that. An occasional quarter or dollar bill in the collection platewould not rouse such thoughts. But because a significant portion of my income is going into the Lord'swork, I have a very real interest in what it's doing.It's a thrill to see that tithe go and grow in thehand of God. Don't miss it !Central-Pittsburgh325

ashamed."so,"singing."The Reign of TerrorTHE KILLING TIME IN SCOTLANDQuite often Patrick Walker, telling, in his "SixSaints of the Covenant," of some incident or other,says that it took place in the Killing Time, in theSlaughter Years or in the Bloody Years. These yearshe dates from 15th August 1684, in Walter Smith'sLife. In "A Hind Let Loose," Alexander Shields isinclined to date the Killing Time from the death ofCharles II in the year after. Occasionally one seesthe whole period of persecution described as theKilling Time. It is a matter in which we need not beexact, for who can be exact at a time when killingwent on repeatedly ? It always went on, more or less,but it came to a climax at the end of the reign ofCharles II, and at the beginning of the reign ofJames. That is the period, then, which I propose tocall the Reign of Terror, for such indeed it was forScotland.The Sanquhar Declaration and the excommunication at Torwood had thoroughly enraged andfrightened the Government, as had also the fightingat Drumclog and Bothwell Bridge, and as a resultrepressive measures were intensified. Soldiers wereempowered to shoot at sight those who refused totake the Test, or to say that taking up arms againstthe authorities was unrighteous and evil. Soon thewhole of lowland Scotland was at the mercy of thedragoons and their leaders.Of these leaders Dr. Smellie gives us a very convenient list in his "Men of the Covenant." Let us consider some of them, for they will help us to realizewhat a reign of terror it was.Since last month we dealt with the daring andthe death of Richard Cameron, perhaps we can begin this list, which is by no means a roll of honour,with the name of Bruce of Earlshall, who conqueredhim and his little band of Ayrsmoss. Earlshall offered a guinea to whoever would cut off Cameron'sdurk,"head and hands. They were "hagged off with acarried in a sack to Edinburgh, set up on a halbert,and brought before the Council, which ordered themto be put up by the hangman on the Netherbow Port.His methods can be seen in the death of ThomasMcHaffie, a man much looked up to in Ayrshire forhis godliness. Captain Bruce found him in the houseof one of his friends, and proceeded to cross-questionhim. McHaffie was at once dragged out into the roadand shot out of hand.One of the worst persecutors of them all was SirRobert Grierson of Lag, whom Sir Walter Scott haspainted for us for ever as Sir Robert Redgauntlet in"Wandering Willie's Tail." Sir Walter tells us hehaunted "the puir hill-folk" with bloodhounds as ifthey had been so many deer, and when he found themhe demanded if they were ready to take the Test.If not, it was : "Make ready ; present ; fire !," and thatwas that. His grave may be seen in Dunscore kirkyard,and according to popular tradition, nothing butnettles will grow upon it. Many infamous episodeslie to his discredit, but the most famous of all was thedrowning of two women, Margaret Wilson, agedsixeighteen,and Margaret Lachlison, who was over326ty. These, refusing to abjure their religion, werefastened to stakes in the bed of the Water of Bladnoch, near Wigton, and left to die when the greattides of Solway came surging in.Associated with Grierson of Lag in this ferocious deed were Claverhouse's brother David, MajorWinram and Captain Strachan. Such another was theshooting of a mere boy, Andrew Hislop. The agent inthe killing was Sir James Johnstone of Westerhall,who, like the king, had signed the Covenant, but unlike the king, had shown considerable enthusiasmfor it. He declared, when the Test was drawn up,that he despised it; but when it was put to him, heagreed to it, and like all renegades, became exceedingly bitter against the people he had left ; so bitter,indeed, that he became an inveterate persecutor.To the cottage of Andrew Hislop's mother camea sick Cameronian from the hills,and taking pityon him she took him in and did what she could forhim. But all was in vain, for he died on theirhands. Knowing what trouble their deed of kindnesswould bring upon them, the boys, for there were several of them, took the body into a neighbouring fieldand buried it there. The grave was discovered, however, and, as a punishment for what they had donethe cottage was pulled down about their ears andall their poor belongings removed. Rendered destitute, they wandered about from place to place, untilAndrew was captured by Graham of Claverhouse andbrought before Johnstone, who without any delaysentenced him to death. Even Claverhouse had compunctions about this execution, for the boy was onlyseventeen. Perhaps, Woodrow suggests, his conscience was troubling him about what he had doneto Brown of Priesthill just a few days before. ButWesterhall would not listen, and so at last Claverhouse detailed three of his dragoons to shoot the boy.He was told to pull his bonnet over his eyes, but herefused to do so. "I can look you in the face," he said,"for I have done nothing of which I need to beSo they shot him, and buried him amongthe heather.Lieutenant James Douglas, brother of the DukeofQueensberry, has many dark deeds to his name,but the one usually associated with him is the killingof five men who were found by the dragoons in acave. Without any examination whatever they wereordered to prepare for death. One of them, a youngman called Gibson, prayed so fervently that even thedragoons were moved, but he was shot for all that,in the presence of his mother and his sister. Theother four were shot together, and three of themdied at once, while the fourth was mortally wounded,and was despatched by one of the soldiers with asword. He died affirming his willingness to die forhis Lord, "and says Smellie, "he went throughthe RiverBut of all that band of cruel men, none hasgained for himself such notoriety as Graham of Claverhouse has done. Dr. King Hewison seems doubtful as to his reputed good looks, while Dr. Smellie isCOVENANTER WITNESS

woman?"work?"sword,"short."scattered."prepared to admit them, but perhaps the truth lies inDr. McCrie's description of him as "a handsomebloodhound"; though a bloodhound is a large dog,and his stature was but small. He was fortunate inhis dying, for his death at Killiecrankie has served,withmany, to cover the ill-fame of his persecutingactivities. These, however, were so ruthless, that it isno wonder he came in time to be considered by hisvictims as in league with the Devil. He was the defeated leader at Drumclog, which did not make himlove the Covenanters very much. But for his deedsand his career we have little space, and must contentourselves with the worst of his many ill actions.be exactIt took place in the Killing Timein May 1685 toand is probably the darkest deed of adark time. It is the killing of John Brown of Priesthill, known as the Christian Carrier. Priesthill is alittle croft in the hills about five miles from Muirkirk.Therehe stayed with his wife Isabel, and supplemented his farming by acting as a carrier. Theyhad been married three years before by AlexanderPeden, who told the bride that she had got a goodhusband, but would not enjoy him long. At the endof April Peden visited them again, and spent thenight. Early next morning he went on his way, repeating, "A fearful morning! A dark, misty morning!"John Brown went out early too, along with hisnephew, to do some digging. Suddenly, out of themist, Claverhouse and his dragoons were on them,and they were led back to the little house. Grahamordered Brown to go to his prayers, for he was todie at once, but growing impatient, he interruptedthe prayer three times. Then he was ordered to saygood-bye to his wife, who stood looking on with ababy in her arms. Six dragoons were ordered toshoot him, and the first volley spattered his brainsunon t>e ground "What think vou of vour husbandnow, Claverhouse asked. "I thought evermuch good of him," she answered, "and as much nowas ever .... But how will ye answer for this morning's The reply is curious and fearful: "Toman I can be answerable, and, for God, I will takeHim in my own hands." Soon he was gone, and lefther with her dead among the lonely hills.This, then, gives you some idea of the reign ofterror for which the Stewarts, in their blind folly,were responsible. The last word on the subject is thatof Alexander Peden, that strange prophetic figure,and he said it twice. You will find both in PatrickWalker's life of him. Of the spot where he waspreaching no more is said than that it was in adesert place, but his sermon was upon the plumb-linein the seventh chapter of Amos. When he came to thewords, "I will rise against the house of Jeroboamwith the he went on to say that God wouldbring down the Duke of York, and banish him out ofthese kingdoms, and would remove the bloody swordfrom above the heads of His people ; "And there shallnever a man of the name of Stewart sit upon thethrone of Britain after the Duke of York, whosereign is nowPeden, as is well known, died in his bed, thoughhe was not allowed to rest in his grave, and it was in1685, the year before his death, that he made thesecond prophecy, preaching at night time in a barn atCarrick on the text, "Let God arise, and let HisThere was chaff about his feetenemies beas he preached, and with great expressiveness hestooped down and picked up a handful and said, "TheNovember 24, 1954Duke of York, the Duke of York, and now king ofBritain, a known enemy of God and godliness; itwas by the vengeance of God that ever he got thatname; but as ye see me throw away that chaff, sothe wind of that vengeance shall blow and drive himoff that throne ; and he, nor no other of that name,again."shall ever come on itAnd as we know and have seen already, it happened as he said.The BulkarkImmoralityon WheelsThe following article was written by the Rev.Robert F. Royster, rector of St. Paul's EpiscopalChurch, La Porte, Indiana. Fr. Royster was a practicing traffic and safety engineer before he enteredSeabury-WesternTheological Seminary, Evanston,Illinois, where he studied for the ministry.Many who are concerned with the carnage onour highways are beginning to see that behind thefundamental causes of traffic accidents lie real moralissues. For too long people have only been concernedwith traffic laws, and have been unconcerned withthe moral problems which gave rise to those laws.We do not like to be told we are immoral, andour favorite way of avoiding it is to attempt to take"right-and-wrong-ness"out of the picture. By suchspecious reasoning we have arrived, as a nation ofdrivers, at the conclusion that behavior behind thewheel is a legal matter, not a moral one. When careless, reckless, thoughtless, selfish driving begins tobe known as sin, we will all be safer.You see, sin is still a nasty little word. Eventhough our modern era tried laughing at it, itwouldn't go away; the era just before had tried toreason it out of existence, with like success. Manya person is willing to be a law violator who would resent being publicly recognized as a gross and unrepentant sinner. In spite of our veneer of amorality,most of us thoroughly detest real wickedness. It istime we faced the fact that most traffic accidentsare simply the normal consequence of wilful, wickedacts. Acts that are habits of sin,committed without a twinge of conscience.grown used to andFor example, a driver (your normally moral andfriendly neighbor) leaves for an appointment in anearby city too late to be assured of an easy tripand an on-time arrival. After a few minutes of impatience behind another vehicle while oncomingtraffic prevented passing, he suddenly decides topass, well aware that it will be close. THIS DECISION is what should concern us, for it is the sinthat may produce death, disabling injury, or mayimpoverish both the sinner and unknown innocentsin at least two other vehicles. It is in essence thesame sin that drives dictators to their mercilessslaughtering: a wilful pursuit of our own ends, without regard for others. The real question is not whether the decision of the driver was legal or not ; rather,it is whether the decision was immoral wickedly,destructively sinful.The driver who dawdles along at a pace well below the flow of traffic on a main highway is a sinneras well as a menace to life and limb. His sin is selfishness, reckless and often deadly selfishness. Theafter-cocktails driver is a gambler, with the stakes327

ow.";"cancer"his neighbor's life. The sleepy driver is an egoist,assuming that he can safely operate a vehicle withpractically none of his senses functioning. Whenever human failure is a significant factor in producing an accident (and that means in nearly everyone) the failure can be seen as a violation of God'slaw, not just man's law.The effects of these driving sins are those always produced by sin. They are outreaching circlesof evilconsequences,wavelets receding from theinitial act. We are so enmeshed in the effects of thesesins that the honestly safe driver is often a helplessvictim of this mass immorality. We are caught up ina web of sin on the highways, and heroic measuresare called for.It is not enough to advertise and propagandizeagainst dangerous and illegal driving practices: sinhas seldom been noticeably affected this way. Thebest answer to the problem is to recover our moralsense on the highway. For when we begin to seemuch modern vehicle operation as moral degradation,we can restore safety to our highways as a byproduct of restoring morality in our drivers.RE5TJuvenile DelinquencyWhile juvenile delinquency and crimes by youngpeople have been rapidly increasing in America,United Press reports from London say that in GreatBritain effective means of reducing juvenile delinquency have been put in operation.The result such delinquency decreased in GreatBritain last year by fourteen per cent. Four probation homes and two courts for juveniles have alreadybeen closed because of lack of offenders.Some of the means used, as outlined by the UnitedPress writer, include the establishing of youth clubsin large numbers ; the requirement that parents mustappear in court with their offending children; thefrequent punishment of the parents if they are foundto be neglecting their young people ; public whippingof offenders at the order of the court ; allowing schoolteachers to use corporal punishment where such discipline is needed; strict supervision of televisionprograms ; barringchildren from some types of moving pictures; restrictions on the sale of so called"comic books even jail sentences for children andyoung people who are found to be incorrigible.Americans have been slow to use most of thesemeans in dealing with youthful offenders. At thesame time the means we have used have not beeneffective, for as one writer points out, juvenile delinquency is "a spreading in our society. TheAssociated Press feature writer, Hal Boyle, usuallyregarded as a humorist, is more than usually seriouson this subject. "It is a bitter commentary on ourcivilization,"hesays, that we should "regard in feartoday the generation that is our only hope of tomorThough punishment and the other means usedhave brought quick results in England, and suchgain is not to be regarded lightly, these means do notget to the real heart of the matter. Courts andjudges are not the final solution to the problem.Most effective of all preventives of youthfuland next to thatwrongdoing is religion in the home,according to Director Hoover of the Federal Bureau328of Investigation, regular attendance by the wholefamily at Sunday school and church. This fact placeschief responsibility in the long run on the parents inthe home, the teachers in the church school, and theleadership in the churches and the community.Christian ObserverPrayer is the mightest thing put into humanhands. If we know how to pray, nothing is impossibleto us. Prayer should be a thingof plan and purposeas well as impulse. The power to pray, and the powerto teach others to pray, is entirely dependent on thedepth of the spiritual life. The one real lack of todayis a lack of spiritual life; the one great need therealization of the constant presence and power of theHoly Spirit.Robert E. Speer.CURRENT EVENTS Continued from page 323Johnson, a millionaire industrialist of Chicago. The wholetransfer cost Johnson and his associates nearly three anda half million dollars, and theyexpect to spend anothermillion for new players. The seating capacity of the KansasCity ballpark is to be doubled by the beginning of nextseason. The Kansas City Blues, an American Associationfarm club of the New York Yankees, will find a new home.The shift of the Athletics should benefit baseball as a wholeand make the American League better balanced.COVENANTER WITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of December, 12 1954C. Y. P. U. TOPICfor December 12, 1954by Rev. D. Howard ElliottTHE TENTH COMMANDMENTPsalms:71:1-4, page 1705:1-3, 9, 10, page 737:30-33, page 94115:1-6, page 281Scripture: Exodus 20:17References: Psalm 10:3; 119:36; Prov.21:25; Ezek. 33:31; Hab. 2:9; Matt. 6:24, 25; 16:26; Luke 12:15; I Cor. 5:11;Eph. 5:3; Col. 3:2; I Tim. 6:5-11; Heb.13:5.Look up the Larger and ShorterCatechisms and read the answers aboutthe Tenth Commandment. In the LargerCatechism questions 146-148. ShorterCatechism questions 79-81.Comments:What is covetousness? "Excessive andirregular desire after those worldlygoods which we have not and whichGod,in His Providence, does not seemeet that we should have." Fisher'scatechism.Man begins to break the first tableof the decalogue by breaking the FirstCommandment. And he is likely to begin breaking the second table of thedecalogue by breaking the Tenth Commandment. The Bible says that "thelove of money is the root of all evil."The love of money is covetousness. Soit is an important warning in Luke 12:15 "Beware of covetousness . . Forconsider such evils as the rackets,gambling, dishonesty in business, theft,graft, bribery, etc. These and manyothers have their beginnings in covetousness.This subject brings up the subject ofChristian stewardship,or the properuse of material possessions. It alsobrings up the subject of contentmentwhich is willingness to accept the condition in which God has placed uswithout complaining. Contentment isthe faculty of being happy with whatyou have. Paul said, "I have learnedin whatsoever state I am therewith tobe content. Covetousness and contentment cannot live together. They aremutually exclusive. And there is nodoubt which is demanded of a Christian.Discontentment is certainly a sin because it is the feeling of dissatisfactionwith God's providence. It is a suggestionthat God is not treating you fairly. Itis finding fault with God and this isirreverence amounting to unbelief inGod's goodness and love.November 24, 1954Of course this does not mean thatone should not strive for anything better. God intends for us to be diligentin our labors, to work for better things.But our strivingmust be lawful andour attitude must be one of happinesswith what we have.A communist opposes the Tenth Commandment because it teaches patienceand contentment with one's lot. To acommunist, contentment is not a virtue,but a vice because communism is basedon envy of the rich. Their programcalls for taking wealth from the richthat they themselves might have it. TheTenth Commandment sanctions privateownershipof property. Thorough communism would abolish this in favor ofstate ownership. The Tenth Commandment requires a charitable frame ofmind toward one's neighbor, to "lovethy neighbor as thyself" and be gladin his welfare and prosperity. But communism seems to teach suspicion ofone's neighbor especially if he has moreproperty than you do.The violation of the Tenth Commandment (1) disturbs the balance of societyby disturbing harmony among people,thus allowing hatred and strife. Covetousnesscan disturb any kind of organization. In society it leads the richto oppress the poor and it leads thepoor to combine for the destruction ofthe rich. When one thinks that he isworth more than he gets, it causes allsorts of disturbances.The violation of the Tenth Commandment (2) produces criminal deeds. Almost any crime you can think of canprobably be traced to somekind ofcovetousness. Among nations, covetousness produces aggressors and imperialists.The violation of the Tenth Commandment (3) embitters existence. Eventhough it may not lead to criminal acts,yet it takes pleasure from one's life,fosters envy and produces moral rottenness in his life. If society recognizescovetousness as a sin, in general itwinks at it as a rather respectableevil. Francis Xavier once said that hehad heard thousands of confessions butnever one of covetousness. It is a sin soeasy to ignore and never mention.Discussion:1. What is the relationship betweenstewardshipand covetousness?2. What is the difference betweencontentment and satisfaction?3. Point out Bible characters thatwere guilty of covetousness.4. How may we avoid covetousness?JUNIOR TOPICDecember 12, 1954DEATH OF JACOB AND OF JOSEPHMrs. M. K. CarsonScripture: Genesis chapters 47-50.Memory Verse: Proverbs 3:5-6.Psalms: Memory Psalms of this series.105:1, 2, 6, page 25755:12-13, 17, page 14046:1, 6,page 118136:1, 2, 12, 13, page 334References: Answer these questions.1. How old was Jacob at his death?Genesis 47:282. Where did he not want to be buried?Genesis 47:29b3. Where did he ask to be buried? Genesis 49:29-304. Who else was buried there? Genesis 49:315. How was his .preparedbody forburial? Genesis 50:26. How long did theymourn for himbefore the burial? Genesis 50:37. Who all attended the burial in Canaan? Genesis 50:7-98. What was the last act of Jacob'slife? Chapter 499. What two grandchildren did hebless? Whose sons were they? Genesis48:1, 13-20When Jacob and his family arrivedin Egypt, Pharaoh told Joseph to allowthem to live in the land of Goshen (locateit on the map in your Bible) for it wasthe best of the land and a good place fortheir flocks. It was divided from therest of Egypt by the River Nile, so wasin a sort of corner by itself. Here Jacob'sfamily were not tempted as they had beenin Canaan, to copy the customs and follow the religion of their neighbors. Besides, all shepherds were an abominationto the Egyptians, so probably the Egyptians would not want to have much to dowith them. God not onlygave them agood place to live, but protected themfrom learning wrong ways of life.This land of Goshen was to be theirhome for much longer than they thoughtwhen theywent down from Canaan tofind food. Not only did Jacob and thenJoseph and all his brothers die here,but in the days of Moses, more than fourhundred years later, the children of Israelwere still in the land of Goshen. (Exodus8:22) Let some of the older Juniors tellhow much has happened in our owncountry in four hundred years. That long,and longer did the Israelites stay in Goshen.One day, soon after Jacob arrived inEgypt, Joseph presented him to Pha-329

people."ever"appear"like to be introduced to aking or queenand to talk with them? How careful wewould be to have just the right clothesand to say and to do just the right thingsat the right time. Yet Jacob was notafraid, for he had talked with God Himself face to face and to be in the presenceof even the greatest kingwould be asnothing compared to that. Besides, Joseph was with him to introduce him andto see that all went well. What a picture that is of our Lord Jesus who introduces us to His Heavenly Father andspeaks for us. We are "accepted in thebeloved" and need not be afraid to meetthe Father of our Saviour. Pharaoh wasvery polite to Jacob and as was the custom then in speaking to very old people,asked him his age. Read the answer thatraoh. Can you imagine what it would beJacob gave. Gen. 47:9. Then Jacob,whose new name, Israel, meant "Princewith God" (Gen. 32:28) asked God'sblessing on Pharaoh, the king of Egypt,and left the palace.During all the years of famine, Josephwas in full charge of the stored up foodin Egypt. He provided for his ownfamilyduring that time, and sold food to thepeople of Egypt. When their money wasgone, he took their cattle in payment forthe food. When the cattle were all gone,he bought their land for the king andgave them food. In return, the people ofEgypt were to give the kingone fifthpart of the crops when the famine wasover. So Joseph saved the lives, not onlyof his own family, but of all Egypt aswell.Of the years after the end of the famine w>An not know very much, exceptthat Joseph and his family were stillhtxd :n great honor in Egypt and thatGod blessed them, both in numbers andin possessions. Jacob was by now growingold and weak and blind, and the timecame when he felt his death was near. Hehad lived seventeen years in Egypt andhad not only seen Joseph again but evenhis children and grandchildren. But nowhe called all his sons together and blessedthem and told what was to happen toeach of them. Read the special blessinghe gave to the two sons of Joseph. Gen.48:15-16. What a wonderful witness toGod's goodness to him ! When he had finished, he asked his children to bury him,not in Egypt, but in the land of Canaan,in the cave of Machpelah that his grandfather Abraham had bought for a buryingplace. How many of the family were buried there (See question 4 above.) Afterthis meeting with the whole family, hedid not live long, and, in the beautifulwords of the Bible, was "gathered untohisWhen Joseph saw his father was gone,he kissed the face of the one he had lovedand cried. Then he called in the Egyptian330doctors to embalm the body. Ask in advance some of the older Juniors to findout about the waythe Egyptians prepared for burial the bodies of kings andimportant people and how longthese bodies have been preserved. For ten wholeweeks, including the time it required toembalm the body, the Egyptians mournedfor Jacob. This long time of mourningand the fact that Jacob's bodywas embalmed as were the bodies of kings, showsin what respect and honor Joseph and hisfather were held in Egypt.We know very little about the burial ofmost of the great men of the Bible. AboutAdam and Noah, we know only that theydied. Abraham and Isaac were buried bytheir sons, the Lord Himself buriedMoses where no man could find the spot.But the burial of Jacob was like that ofa king. When Joseph asked .permission ofPharaoh to take the bodyof his fatherback to Canaan for burial, Pharaoh notonly allowed him and his brothers to gobut sent with them many of the peopleof the palace and of the great men ofEgypt, all in their rich chariots with thefinest horses. All these took the longjourney back to Canaan to bury thefather of Joseph. Then the twelve sonscarried their father to the grave he hadchosen and laid him there. The long lifeof Jacob had come to an end, and hisbody, after all the long journeys and theyears of joys and sorrows, was laid torest beside the bodies of Abraham andof Sarah, of Isaac and Rebekah and ofhis own wife Leah.Following the death and burial of theirfather, Jacob's sons were afraid that nowJoseph would punish them for sellinghim as a slave when he was a bov. Firstthev sent a messenger to him to ask hispardon, and then came themselves andfell down before him. Joseph must havehad a verv tender heart, for his eyesfilled w;

me"come".References: Illustrateren"wise"around."the world. He longs for the days gone bywhen he had gone to the house of Godwith the throngs of worshipers. But inhis sorrow he consoles himself with God'shelp. He knows that although he is farfrom the house of God, he is not far fromGod. Because of this, he can sing, evenin the darkest, gloomiest night of sorrow. "Yet the Lord will command hisloving-kindness in the daytime, and inthe night his song shall be with(verse 8). It is easy to praise and thankGod in pleasant times; and one canmanage to keepsilent in times of sorrow and distress. But it is a real test offaith to try to sing in the dark night oftrouble, to praise and thank God in themidst of grief. Mere resignation is notthe highest expression of our trust inGod. Merely accepting our woes withoutcomplaining is not enough. We must beable to thank God for misfortune, andwe can if we really trust Him. We canhope in God because we know thatbrighter days are ahead for us. But faithgets its supreme test when it has to trustGod when there is no prospect of betterdays ahead. Yet the Christian is neverleft without hope; for he can alwayssing : God is my God.//. Longing for the House of God(Psalm 84).This 84th Psalm and the 42nd have acommon origin: the experience of a godly believer estranged from the Lord'shouse. The psalmist was an "out ofbounds"member, who wished he could bewith God's people in the sanctuary. Itwill helplongingus to appreciate the intenseof the psalmist's heart for thehouse of God if we remember that truereligion was bound up with the life ofthe nation and its people, Israel. To beoutside of the boundaries of Israel wasto be cut off from the Lord's people andfrom the worship of Jehovah. For a godly Israelite there could be no fellowshipwith the people outside of the borders ofhis own nation, for they were worldly,heathen people. Hence we have in thesetwo Psalms, according to Delitzsch, "athoroughly heartfelt and intelligent expression of the love to the sanctuary ofJehovah which yearns toward it out ofthe distance, and calls all those happywho have the like good fortune to havetheir home there."Do we ever have the yearning expressedin this Psalm? Would we wish to dwellin constant communion with God? Wecannot literally dwell in the house of God,but we can fulfill our deepest longingsthrough regular attendance at God'shouse. If we really love to commune withthe Lord, we will never be absent fromdivine worship unless we have some goodreason. Notice verse 5: "Blessed is theman whose strength is in thee; in whoseNovember 24, 1954heart are the highways to Zion." We maynot live far from the church, but are wesometimes estranged in our hearts fromGod's house? If we have the heart of apilgrim, ever going up to God's house,we will find even the valley of Baca(weeping) a place of blessing, and stepby step throughout life we will findstrength in God, until we reach our finaldestination, where we shall dwell in thehouse of the Lord forever. "They gofrom strength to strength, every one ofthem in Zion appeareth before God"(verse 7). If we have hope of communionwith God in eternal glory, we should delight in the worship of God's house eachSabbath morning and evening. For thecommunion of saints in the visible churchis a sample on a small scale of the communion in heaven. Our hearts thereforeshould swell with exultant happiness aswe worship today in God's house.III. The Eternal, Unchangeable God(Psalm 102:25-27).Considering the Psalms as a whole, itis a prayer of a patient sufferer for himself and for the Jerusalem that lies inruins (Delitzsch). The poet shares thecalamity that has befallen Zion and thehomeless people of Israel. He longs forthe day when Zion shall be rebuilt. Hehas faith that Zion will not lie in ruinforever. The basis of his faith is thatGod is forever the same (verses 25-27).(Read the entire Psalm 102 at this point.)In the psalmist's lament and hopethere is certainly a prophetic message forthe Lord's people today. Manyof theLord's people are in the captivity of modernism. All about them is unbelief; Zion'swalls lie in ruin. Few, like the psalmist,are grieved because of the state of thechurches today; few are pining away atthe sight of modern unbelief and apostasy. But there is hope. There are somewho do care about Zion, and pray for herprosperity. There are some who weep forher sins, and work for her welfare. Andthere is the everlasting God. He will buildup Zion strong and fair. His Kingdomshall come; He will establish it in Hisown time. The Church, though part ofher is lying in ruin today, is about to seea new Reformation. "Thou shalt arise,and have mercy upon Zion: for the timeto favor her, yea, the set time, is(verse 13).Our chief concern should be to be readyto hear what God speaks and, hearing,immediately to obey. If we have notgrown in grace it is because we have resisted the Spirit. For it is through Himalone that we understand Christ. G.Campbell Morgan, D.D.PRAYER MEETING TOPICDecember 15, 1954CONVERSIONA RETURN TOPsalmsFIRST LOVERev. 2:5Rev. Lester E. Kilpatrick50:7-11, page 12832:10-13, page 7495:5-9, page 23180:17-19, page 197such "conversion"in the life of David, II Sam. 12; Manasseh, II Chron. 33; Jonah, Jon. 2; Jeremiah, Jer. 15.Conversion, as being the side of regeneration which we can see,occurs butonce. Jesus says, "I give unto them eternal (not temporary or conditional) life;and they shall never perish, neither shallany man pluck them out of my hand"(John 10:28). Yet it would appear thatstill looking at this matter from thehuman side there are frequently otheroccasions in human experience when thereis a desperate need for professing Christians to "turnWhen Jesus was using to the utmostthose last few hours with the disciples,He tenderly but firmly warned Peter ofhis need. "Simon, Simon, behold Satanhath desired to have you, that he maysift you as wheat: But I have prayed forthee, that thy faith fail not: and whenthou are converted, strengthen thy breth(Luke 22:31, 32). Peter felt no suchneed. "Although all shall be offended,yet will not I." And when Jesus addedHis "Verily I say unto thee," Peter"spake the more vehemently, If I shoulddie with thee, I will not deny thee inany (Mark 14:29-31).This was, of course, after Peter's greatconfession at Caesarea Philippi whenJesus had said, "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hathnot revealed it unto thee, but my Fatherwhich is in heaven" (Matt. 16:17). Peterhad been converted, but he had turnedaround again. In fact, his first recordedwords after Jesus declared that his confession wasof the Holy Spirit, showthat almost immediately he had turnedback toward sin, and needed to be turnedagain toward God.The letter in Rev. 2from which ourtext is taken was addressed to the churchat Ephesus. The Christian life and testimony are acknowledged,yet they areurged by the One holding the seven starsin His right hand, who walketh in themidst of the seven golden candlesticks,"Repent . . . else I will come unto theequickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except yerepent."Paul wrote to the Corinthians (I Cor.3:1 ff.), "I, brethren, could not speakunto you as unto spiritual, but as untocarnal, even as unto babes in Christ .. .331

epent."carnal."alone."speak."shame"works"reality."For ye are yetIt is sometimesneedful to speak to the Church the samemessage given to the world,"Repent."So far as the evidence that others can seeis concerned, many church members needto be converted, to repent. "Examineyourselves, whether ye be in the faith"(II Cor. 13:5). There is certainly muchroom for just such conversation withinthe Church today. And it is not an unheard of thing that the conversationshould be of the original kind, from thedarkness of sin.Church members today are so confidentthat they are saved and this "beingsure"is either taken for granted withoutreal self examination, or attained onsuperficial ground that many are goingon in the way of the church at Ephesus.All unconsciously, because so slowly andgradually, we have left our first love,and to us our Lord says, "I will comeunto thee quickly, and will remove thycandlestick out of his place, except thouFIRST LOVEIt's bright, refreshing. It gives energyand a reason for selfdenial and sacrifice,whether the love is for a human ortoward God.But have you ever found that lovedisplaced, so slowly that its loss wasnot even perceived? Were you ever wornout with the strenuous demands of life,school events, community affairs, keepingthe house, the clothes, the yard, the farm,just ahead of complete disorganization,with a mere routine schedule? You hadto snatch a hurried five minutes for devotions and family worship, or sometimes these necessary matters had to beomitted altogether. Then came sickness inthe home and before there was relieffrom the anxiety that a loved one mightbe taken, another member of the familywas stricken. Then there came a financial disaster on top of everything else.But under the added burdens of life, yousuddenlyfound the pressure that keptyou from prayer, relieved. At least, youfound time for prayer. You hungeredafter your Bible reading. You could getto prayermeeting after all.The city of Ephesus had droned awayat its humdrum work through the years,forgetting the slow but fateful silting upof its harbor by the never resting river,until it awoke to the fact that it wasabout to lose its position as a great imperial harbor. Unless it were to lose itsplace it must undertake the tremendoustask of clearingout those mountains ofsilt, now stifling the traffic of seagoingvessels which was willing to yield its treasure at Ephesus if they would only keepthe way open. Thus the city itself became a parable of the message to thechurch, "Thou hast left thy332firstlove."THE REMEDY"Repent,and do the firstworks."Godwants, not our gifts, our labors, our suffering and self-denial, our accomplishments. He wants ourselves. Perhaps somewill say He wants both ourselves andour contributions of every kind. But thecattle on a thousand hills are His. AndHe can but speak the word and do whatHe will. The Roman church was quitewilling that Martin Luther should preach"salvation by faith," if theymight addother requirements such as penance, ButLuther insisted on preaching "salvationby faithalone."Protestants take Luther'smessage rather than that of the Romanchurch, and hasten to add, "True faithis neverfollow.For good works alwaysThe love, even of a human, who wouldbe aided and enriched by the contributions of a loved one, has been known tosurvive, even when sickness has madethe loved one helpless, not now a helpwith the tasks of life but an added burden. Love wants, not the contributionsthat might be made, but the return ofpure and appreciative love.Of course, on our part if we have reallove for God we must express it. We willwant to do all we can for God and Hein turn will be well pleased. How it mustplease God when there is a return to firstlove before we suffer loss of health, before we suffer disappointment that sendsus to the depths, from whence we cry outfor deliverance! But the works withoutthe love are trash.These are hard words. Yet they are notso hard as those written to the Hebrews:"For it is impossible for those who wereonce enlightened if they shall fall away,to renew them again to repentance ; seeingthey crucify to themselves the Son of Godafresh, and put him to an open(Heb. 6:4-6). He said all this, eventhough he could add, "But beloved, weare persuaded better things of you, andthings that accompany salvation, thoughwe thus"Turn us, O God, that we may do thefirst works of first love."For Discussion:1. Report on the historical backgroundof this letter to the Church at Ephesus.(See What is Bound to Happen W. J.McKnight or The Apocalypse of JesusChrist, Aauthor.)Reappearance, by the same2. Since it is "eternal life" that the believer receives, why does the Lord speakof the Ephesians as having fallen, andof their candlestick being removed?3. Distinguish between the virtuescommended in the Church at Ephesus(Rev. 2:2, 3) and the "firstverse 5.of4. What is the "first love" to which wemust return?OPEN LETTEREditor, Covenanter WitnessTopeka, KansasDear Mr. Editor:In the MissionaryBeaver Falls, Pa-October 29. 1954Editorial Notes ofthe October 6 Covenanter Witness, page212, is a paragraph on "Foreign MissionsGrinnell."atDr. Walter McCarrollstates his impression that "our ForeignMissions were relegated to a relativelyunimportant place in the Grinnell programs."He softens this by concluding"Of course, one's impressions, far removed from the scene, may be quite different from the actualLest his first statement be acceptedby those who could not attend Grinnellas the truth concerning "Foreign Missions and the Grinnellprogram,"allowme to list the parts given to ForeignMissions throughout the week of theGrinnell convention.On the opening evening, the foreignfield was in our attention through thepresentation of Pastor Awad, pastor ofthe Latakia congregation.Thursday morning, all of the foreignmissionaries were presented to theWomen's Synodical by the Corresponding Secretary of the Foreign Board.Thursday, Friday and Saturday, theforeign missionaries spoke for 30 minutes each day to the Junior Hi convention, and again at the Junior convention.Saturday morning, the Rev. Sam Boylespoke for thirty minutes to the YoungPeople's Convention on "CovenanterMissions; Romance or Realism." Saturday afternoon, the missionaries, homeand foreign, past and present, were theonly special group to have a picturetaken.On Sabbath afternoon, after aninspiring Covenant Signing Service inthe morning, the young people presenteda program entitled "Covenanters Aroundthe World." Three of the four speakerswere from the foreign mission fields,Miss Florence Fattal from Latakia, MissSphrodite Thrombattis from Cyprus andScott Boyle from Japan. The fourthspeaker was Elton Yellowfish from theIndian Mission.On Tuesday morning, the youngpeople and the Women's Synodical mettogether to hear the foreign missionaries, and Synod took recess to join inhearing them. Furthermore, Synod tooktime during its own sessions to hear themissionaries who were not heard at thegeneral gathering.The Foreign Mission Board was givenits usual time on the floor of Synod.Pastor Awad was heard at least twicebefore Synod and also at the Women'sSynodical tea on Tuesdayafternoon. Inaddition, every foreign field was repre-COVENANTER WITNESS

scene."place"sented by a separate display in theExhibit Hall. An automatic slide projector, showing 14 colored pictures ona different subject each day, gave a fullday each to Japan and Syria. Cyprushad no pictures on hand.From this review, it is clear, at leastto me, that far from being "relegatedto a relatively unimportantforeign missions were before the conventionnearly every day. Knowing the interestand heart for missions of those whoplanned the program, I am sure thatit was their intention that the missionary interests should be prominent. Truly,I think they were.I am sorry that the editor of theMissionary Editorials got an unfavorableimpression. It must have been, indeed,because he was "so far removed fromtheI hope he will not get thosefar away impressions next time.Most sincerelyREMO I. ROBB"NO ARMOUR AGAINST TRUTH"The power of the Roman CatholicChurch in matters great and small, religious and political, has been an increasingly serious cause for alarm among freedom-loving Americans of late. The Roman hierarchy seems to be making tremendous progress in gaining influence inthis country.However, for Protestant Americans,there is one reassuring fact Rome has noarmour against the Truth! Christ's Mission of New York City has just publisheda folder on this very theme. Its title:"No Armour Against Truth."The folder shows that in spite of allher formidable power, Rome is still completely vulnerable to one weapon Truth.To prove its point, the folder gives brief,dramatic sketches of 11 former RomanCatholic priests who were won over bythe Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.These men and many others have beenaided by Christ's Mission in their spiritual and economic readjustment to lifeoutside the Church of Rome. "No Armour Against Truth" is, indeed, an encouraging and heartening folder for everyProtestant Christian to read. It points upvividly the importance of getting theTruth to those bound by error.The folder is available, free of charge,by writing to: Christ's Mission, Inc.,27 East 22nd Street, New York 10, NewYork.By our dailywalk and conversation weare either repelling or discouraging someone from attaining a vital faith in Godor we are channels of hope and confidencefor some struggling soul.Rast.November 24, 1954John MarvinSANTA ANA:DR. AND MRS. SAMUEL EDGARCELEBRATE GOLDEN WEDDINGWITH GAY RECEPTIONDr. and Mrs. Samuel Edgar, celebratedtheir 50th wedding anniversary recentlywhich also marked Dr. Edgar's 50th yearsince he was ordained in La Junta, Colo.A reception was given in the ReformedPresbyterian Church, Santa Ana, by theirtwo sons and daughters-in-law, Mr. andMrs. Faris Edgar of Lakeside, and Mr.and Mrs. Donald Edgar of Hollywood.The Rev. and Mrs. G. N. Greer assisted.The Edgars were active in the ministryfor 43 years, Dr. Edgar having been in thepastorate of the Reformed PresbyterianChurch for almost 20 years in Santa Ana.The couple spent 15 years in the mission field in Syria, and Dr. Edgar alsowent to Palestine with a Red Cross Unitduring World War I.The Edgars are now in the retired ranksof their denomination and make theirhome at 523 E. Pine St., still remainingactive in church work.The church parlor was filled withbaskets of golden chrysanthemums anddahlias for the event. The lace coveredtable, beautifully decorated, was presidedover by Miss Adah Ellis, of Pueblo,Colo., Mrs. Carrie Blackwood, Mrs. A. J.McFarland, Mrs. John Curry, Mrs. J. G.Betts and Mrs. Cal Connery.The guest book was presided over byMrs. Harold Sedgley.Mrs. Don Anderson of North Hollywood sang several selections, during theafternoon. She was accompanied at thepianobyMrs. G. N. Greer. Several recorded selections were played. A readingwas given byBellflower.Mrs. Merton Bedford ofAbout 200 guests were present duringthe afternoon, among whom were elevenformer missionaries and their childrenand three natives of Syria, many withwhom Dr. and Mrs. Edgar worked, whilemissionaries in Syria. Manyguests were also present.out of townMany beautiful gifts were receivedfrom friends far and near, including agift from the Reformed PresbyterianChurch of Los Angeles, and a gift fromthe congregation of the Santa Ana Reformed Presbyterian Church. This giftwas presented by Dr. Walter McCarroll.SEATTLE: A Halloween party washeld on Saturday, October 30 at the VerdDunn home. Attending this gay eventwere twenty first and second graders.SEATTLE: We were very happy toagain have as our communion assistantRev. James Carson of Portland. Jim,Dot, and Dougie arrived on Wed., October 20 for preaching that evening andFriday as well as the Communion Serviceon October 24.WINCHESTER: The C. Y. P. U. areplanning to entertain the churches ofthis district at a Psalm Festival on November 26.BELLE CENTER: On October 28 aHalloween social was held at the home ofMr. and Mrs. W. S. Tuttle. A fine timewas enjoyed by all. Refreshments ofpumpkin pie and cider were served by thecommittee.DENISON: Excavation began October25 for a new basement under our church.The men of the congregation plus someprofessional help are doing the job.TOPEKA: The November W.M.S.met at the home of Mrs. Herbert Davies.Mrs. Vincent Rocereto led devotionsMrs. W. O. Martin reviewed the firsthalf of the book "Farther into the Night"by Mrs. Gordon Smith.LOS ANGELES: At our recent communion service, Jerry Yogoda and Donald Van Dyke were baptized.ALLEGHENY: On the evening of October 10, the Alleghenycongregation united with the Central Pittsburgh congregation for their closing communion service.WINCHESTER: Mrs. Lloyd Northrup,a converted Jewess of Kansas City, gavea very interesting and inspiring talkabout her life and work at our Octoberfamily night.COLLEGE HILL : Our monthly Family Night was held October 20. After supper devotions were led by the pastor,and Mrs. S. E. Greer of Philadelphiagave a talk to the children. A temperancesound film entitled,"With His Help"was shown. The missionary societiessponsored this programas a part oftheir temperance educational program.It was well received.Dear Dr. TaggartI moderated a callin the HETHERTON congregation onNovember 5 which resulted in the unanimous call on the first ballot for CharlesS. Sterrett. The congregation is prayerfully awaiting his decision. Harold F.Thompson.333

Communion services were conducted atour COVENANTER HOME by theReverend Kenneth Smith, assisted by elder Robert McConaghy, on Sabbath afternoon, October 10. We have communionat the Home twice a year. In the springthe pastor of the Allegheny congregationconducts it in the afternoon of their communion Sabbath, and in the fall the Central Pittsburgh pastor does so.ALLEGHENY: The Central Pittsburgh united with us on the evening ofOctober 24 to hear Dr. Remo I. Robb inthe closing service of our communion.COLLEGE HILL: We observed ourfall communion October 10. Rev. CharlesSterrett, a son of our congregation, nowfrom Newburgh, N. Y. brought the messages. We were also glad to have a visitwith his wife and two children, MaryBeth and Sammy. Several members werepresent for communion who had beenkept away for some time. Among thesewere Mrs. May Metheny of New Brighton and Mrs. Bruce Elsey, lately returnedfrom her daughter's home in Bellefontaine, Ohio, and is now living in Beaver.One new member, Donald Ledrick, wasadded to our roll. Don is fullback onthe Geneva college football team thisyear and has been attending our churchwith his wife, the former Peggy Lathom,since his return from Korea last spring.NEW YORK CITY: Sabbath Nov. 7,Miss Orlena Lynn was the guest speakerfor the Women's Missionary Society andthe Missionary Guild Thank OfferingService.COLLEGE HILL: Two babies wereborn to members ofour congregationduring October. To Mr. and Mrs. Richard George (nee Patricia Sterrett) adaughter Linda Gail, on the 17th at St.Louis, Mo. And to Mr. and Mrs. LesterMcConville (nee Elsie Hardies) a daughter, Becky Lee, at Providence hospital,Beaver Falls. The McConville's live inPolland, a suburb of Youngstown, Ohio.GENEVA: Among thore students fromGeneva College selected for "Who's Who"was our own Erla Jean Willson, daughterof Dr. and Mrs. J. B. Willson. One ofseveral outstanding things that she hasdone was teaching French to fifth gradestudents. This was one of the experimental things being done in education andwas so successful that they have decidedto continue the plan. Our congratulations,Jean.SEATTLE: On Sabbath morning, October 17, James Renwick, infant son ofMr. and Mrs. Donald Crozier and StephenMichael, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. JackLamont were baptized by our pastor,Rev. M. W. Martin.The Misses Lillian and Elizabeth Stur-ges showed pictures of their western travels at the COVENANTER HOME onThursday evening, October 18. The pictures are very beautiful and were thoroughly enjoyed by all.QUINTER: Mr. and Mrs. Leslie A.Quinlisk are the happy parents of a newbaby girl born October 22. She tipped thescales at 8 lbs. 2 oz. Mrs. Quinlisk is theformer MaryMann. Paula Sue's grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Joe Mann ofQuinter, Kansas. Paula also has twosisters, Marsha, 3 years and Debra, twoyears.WINCHESTER: Aunt Bess Curry isrecuperating from an operation on her eyelid. Mrs. Ella McMurtry of MorningSun, Iowa is visiting Mrs. Irene Whiteand daughters.LOS ANGELES: On Friday October15, Miss Eleanor Faris gave a missionarytalk, after which a social hour was held inher honor.BELLE CENTER: Mrs. D. B. Elseywho has been with her daughter Mrs.Robt. Stuber and family has gone toBeaver, Pa. to make her home.Mrs. J. Roy Templeton, Chairman ofthe work committee of the M.M.S. senttwo barrels of fruit and vegetables, oneto the Aged People's Home and the otherto our mission in Kentucky the firstof October, a total of 137 qts. and 16pts.COLLEGE HILL: Mrs. Robert Clarkereturned home from the Nursing Homenear New Wilmington October 20. She isglad to get back and seems to be muchimproved in health. Mrs. C. M. Lee hasleft to spend rome time with her daughter Mrs. Margaret Boyce in New YorkState.KANSAS CITY: I moderated a call forthe Kansas City Congregation on November 3, which resulted in the choice ofRev. George Mackay Robb on the firstballot. The election was made unanimous.Frank L. Stewart, Moderator.ALLEGHENY: At this communionseason we welcomed into membershipMrs. A. T. Purvis by letter from theGeneva congregation and Miss June Ladebueupon profession of faith.COLLEGE HILL: Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Coon, Miss Lulu McKinney, Mrs.Brown Sterrett, and Rev.Lathom attended the Christian Amendment Movement banquet in Pittsburgh October 26.Dr. Bruce Willson of our seminary wanthespeaker. The seminary quartet sangrsveral special numbers.COLLEGE HILL: The Sabbath Schoolobserved Rally Day on the first Sabbathof October. There was a good turn outand a good program, thanks to our efficient superintendent, Ann Lee,and herhelpers. A contest was started to keepup attendance, and is working well. It willrun through the first Sabbath in November with the losingside furnishing entertainment at the Family Night program inNovember. Also a new class for studentshas been started under the leadership ofElwood Woods which seems to be meetinga real need.ALLEGHENY: On Wednesday evening October 27, Mrs. Dorothy Lee Dunnof the Clarinda, Iowa congregationshowed pictures of Palestine, of placesthere connected with incidents of the Oldand New Testaments. The Wilkinsburgcongregation united with Allegheny inthis interestingprogram. After the pictures those present enjoyed also a social hour as guests of Dr. and Mrs. T. C.McKnight and Rev. and Mrs. KermitEdgar who served cookies and tea.COLLEGE HILL: The Deacon Boardhas been supervising the building of anew two stall garage back of the manse.It will be greatly appreciated by the pastor and the neighbors, who were glad tosee the old barn taken away.ALLEGHENY: Illness has been in ourmidst recently. We have missed Mrs.Elizabeth Stranigan, Miss Isabel McFarland,and Dr. Ida Scott for some weeks.The American Council of ChristianChurches now invites orders for its WorldDay of Prayer program for use onFebruary 25, 1955. Before the "Christmasrush,"send for your free samplecopy today. The 1955 program theme is"In Whom We Live and Move and HaveOur Beinw." Acts 17:28)The striking front cover is suggestiveof the spiritual worth of its contents.Order from:The American Council of ChristianChurches15 Park Row, New York 38, N. Y.ALLEGHENY: The signing of theCovenant iust after the communion service will be long remembered. We praythat we mav indeed be more faithful,more obedient, more diligent about thework of the Master than before.COLLEGE HILL: Mr. and Mrs. WillDunn of Clarinda, Iowa, showed coloredslides on the Holy Land in the evening ofOctober 25. Many biblical scenes of interest were pointed out. Those attendingfelt well repaid.ALLEGHENY: Dr. Remo I. Robb wasthe assistant at the communion on October 24. His preparatory messages oncovenanting, given Wednesday, Thursdayand Friday evenings were very inspiring.TheSabbath evening sermon on "AnOpen Door" was a challenge to continuing effortĊOVENANTERWITNESS334

ning. Immediately following the com daughter, ORLANDO: The Young people of theNovember 24, 1954congregation are sponsoring another congregational dinner this year at CampIthael where we have had several picnics.On Wednesday, October 27, Mr. andMrs. W. G. Dunn showed pictures of Palestine at the COVENANTER HOME.Mrs. Dunn was dressed in native costumeand gave her lecture emphasizing geographical locations of incidents in thelife of Christ. How very very much themunion service, the congregation cameforward and signed the Brief Covenantof 1954.Dr. W. E. Dill of ORLANDO is attending a Dental convention at Miami,Fla. His wife Gladys accompanied himon the trip. The convention will lastabout a week. Dr. and wife paid $25which made Mrs. E. S. Dill a SynodicalLife Member of W.M.S.members enjoyed this! Do come again,Mr. and Mrs. Dunn!MONTCLAIR counted it a privilegeto have the Rev. Hugh Blair of Ballymony,PORTLAND: The home of Mr. andIreland as our guest ministerMrs. Carl Jewell was gladdened by thearrival of a little gem, Jeffrey Carl, onOctober 3, 1954. Mrs. Graham came fromQuinter to spend a few days with hernew grandson.September 19. We also enjoyed the fellowship of Mrs. Blair and their children.Monday morning Rev. and Mrs. McFarland drove the Blairs into New York"Olympia"City, seeing them board theon their return to Ireland.The Business Women's Missionary Society of ORLANDO held in October awork meeting at the home of Mrs. GladysDill for the purpose of making articlesfor the Bazaar at Selma. It is reportedYOUNGSTOWN: The Rev. J. G. Vospreached for us the Sabbath that our pastor, John Tweed, was assisting with communion at New Castle.that Gladys served them a very deliciousdinner.ORLANDO: A little baby boy wasborn to Mr. and Mrs. Larry Giesen ofMONTCLAIR :The appearance of our New Castle, Wyoming. The baby hassanctuary has been greatly enhanced withsilvery green paint on the walls, whitepaint on the wood work and varnish onbeen named for his two grandfathers,Robert Andrew. Mother and baby areboth doing nicely.the floors. Quite a few hours were spenton this project by members and friends. MONTCLAIR observed the Sacramentof the Lord's Supper October 3 with theYOUNGSTOWN: Following a churchcupper, the congregation met for a reception for Rev. and Mrs. John Tweed. Afterseveral speeches of welcome, the Tweedswere presented with a gift from the conRev. Robert Henning as our assistant.We were glad to have some of the NewYork City congregation worship with usCommunion Sabbath evening. The signing cf the Covenant took place followinggregation.the services on Preparation SabbathORLANDO: Word has come of themorning.death of Mrs. Frances D!ll of Erick,YOUNGSTOWN: The annual Thankofferingmeeting was held at the churchOklahoma, where she has been a teacherin the public school. She leaves her husNovember 1. Orlena Lynn was the guestband Will and twin sons Billy and Bobspeaker,by. Will is the son of Mr. Elzie Dill.interesting talk sheshowed slides of the mission in Japan.MONTCLAIR: Mr. and Mrs. W. C.McFarland of Orlando, Fla. were welcome visitors in the home of his brotherTea and cookies were served. We all enjoyed getting to know Orlena, and learning more of the work in Japan.Rev. and Mrs. Luther McFarland early inORLANDO: We were privileged toSeptember. Mrs. Warnock of Bostonhear Rev. Kenneth Sanderson and hisspent several weeks in September visitingwife Marjorie of the Syrian mission tellher sister Mrs. N. Hagmann and Mr.things of interest to them and us conHagmann of Montclair Congregation.cerning the mission. The Juniors andWe appreciated her attendance on Sabbath days and at Prayermeeting. Mrs.Young Women each put on a very fineskit which gave us much food forEdwin McBurney of Montclair Congrethought. The program was followed bygation spent a few days in Boston, earlythe Thankoffering, which at the presentin October visiting her parents, Mr. andcounting is $170.06. The Sandersons wereMrs. Faris.accompanied by his sister Marjory whoYOUNGSTOWN: Our fall communion was their chauffeur on the trip.was held October 10 with the Rev. R. J.G. McKnight assisting. Preparatory services were held the preceding Thursdayand Friday evenings with Mr. McKnightbringing inspirational messages each eve-Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Park, MONTCLAIR drove to Beaver Falls to attendthe Geneva Homecoming game, and tovisit until Monday with their son andTom and Mary Jane. They reported that the four Montclair youngpeople in Geneva are well and busy. Mr.and Mrs. John Park and Miss EleanorBoyd of Montclair also attended thethenbrotherEmerson Boyd inHomecoming game and visitedKensington,Pa.ORLANDO: Alice Smith who accompanied her uncle and aunt to California has started working in the motorvehicle office in Fresno.The MONTCLAIR congregation waswell represented at the New Jersey StateW.C.T.U. convention October 19-22Ocean City by Mrs. Paul Christner,State President, Mrs. Orrin Ferry, Corresponding Secretaryinand Mrs. LutherMcFarland, Essex Co. President. Mrs.Christner and Mrs. Ferry were re-electedto their respective offices, and Mrs. McFarland was elected Recording Secretaryto the Board of County Presidents andto represent them onCommittee.the ResolutionsDENISON: The W.M.S. met November 5 with Mrs. Jay Robb. Mrs. Jay Porter was the devotional leader. Somekitchen plans for the new church basement were discussed.Dr. and Mrs. H. G. Patterson of Morning Sun Iowa who are spending the winter in the home of Mr. M. C. Black ofORLANDO make a very welcome addition to the Orlando congregation.DENISON: The Community MensFellowship, under the presidency of Merlin Wing, entertained their families attheir first meeting this season, November12. The Rev. Clarence Brooks of Horton,Kansas, gave an address about Solomon'stemple and displayed a model that he hadmade which is one of the three models inthe U. S..ORLANDO: Miss Lida McClure hasimproved so much that she returnedhome from the nursing home where shehas been for some time. She was evenable to come with her sister Margaret tochurch again.NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OFEVANGELICALS CONVENTIONThe 13th Annual Convention of theNational Association of Evangelicals willbe held at the Sherman Hotel in Chicago,ment byApril 18-22, 1955, according to announcethe Rev. George L. Ford,ArsociateExecutive Director of the Association.Preliminaryplans calllor the emphasis of the various phases of the N.A.E.work in the open sessions of the Convention with ample time for the deliberation335

of the some twenty Commissions and affiliated organizations that comprise theoverall evangelical movement represented through N.A.E. The public sessions ofthe Convention will be held in the GrandBallroom of the Hotel which seats approximately 1,500. Fifty-one displaybooths will be available on the mezzaninefloor immediately adjacent to the Ballroom for the use of evangelical organizations. Information regarding the displaysmay be obtained by writing to the National Association of Evangelicals, 542South Dearborn Street, Chicago 5, Illinois. Program information may be secured from the Convention Chairman,Rev. C. C. Burnett, Central Bible Institute, Springfield, Missouri.From: Waukesha, Wis. Daily FreemanWednesday, November 3, 1954Chicago Pastor to Conduct torReformed Covenanter GroupCENTENNIAL SERVICES BEINGPLANNED AT THE VERNONPRESBYTERIAN CHURCHVERNONThe Reformed Presbyterian (Covenanter church of Vernon willhold its centennial services, of the churchbuilding, on Sabbath afternoon Nov. 7th,at 2:00 o'clock.The Rev. Norman Carson, pastor of theChicago congregation, will conduct theservices. He plans to bringa number ofyoung .people to help lead in the singingof the Psalms of David during the songservjce.The church as a congregation was setup in 1848, with services held at the farmhome of James Wright Sr. However, thechurch building was not erected until1854 as stated in the History of Waukesha County.The church records show that a congregational meeting was held at theWright home on May 24, 1854. At thismeetingfour trustees wre elected toacquire and hold title to the property ofthe religious societyWaukesha county.as incorporated inThese trustees were Wm. L. Wright(for 3 years), James S. Cummings (for 2years), and Wm. Turner and John McLeod (for 1 year).The next congregational meeting washeld, according to the records, "at theHouse of Worship" on Sept. 22, 1854,which would indicate completion of thechurch building by that time.The present trustees are I. M. Wright,and Mrs. Lena Bartholomew.The Lord provided us a perfect Sabbath in which to make the trip northward. The church auditorium had beengreatly renovated by Mr. Wright, whichadded in a large measure to the occasion.Nearly seventy-five were present, including thirteen from Chicago. A great many336of these were formerly Covenanters, several from the neighborhood, and others,including Mr. Smith Faris, West Allis,Wis., son of Rev. Isaiah Faris, long apastor of this church, Mrs. Faris, Mrs.Mann, wife of the neighboring UnitedPresbyterian Church, and Mrs. Colvin,who with her husband, served that denomination for many years on the mission field in India. Standingin such achurch building and ministering to such agroup, one cannot but become aware of aglory that has departed and a desire thatevents might transpire to renew theCovenanter cause in many such places.Norman M. CarsonMEETING OF ILLINOISPRESBYTERYThe annual meeting of the IllinoisPresbytery convened in the Bloomingtonchurch, Tuesday evening, October 26,1954. Mrs. Roy Blackwood, wife of thelocal pastor, welcomed the combinedPresbytery- Presbyterial, following apraise service, and Mrs. Ward Auld, Oakdale, responded for the guests. The retiring Moderator, Rev. Norman Carson,preached from the text, 1 John 1:3, onthe theme "A Basis For Witnessing."Following the constitution of the courtand the making of the roll, these officerswere elected for the coming year: Moderator, Roy Blackwood, Jr.; Clerk, Norman Carson; Assistant Clerk, W. O. Ferguson.Devotional services and the Biblestudy were held for both groups together.The theme of the Presbyterial was "JesusChrist The Way, The Truth, The Life."Dr. Ferguson conducted the first devotional service, Mrs. John McMillan thesecond, and Rev. Blackwood the third.The Bible study The Three Doorswasled by Dr. M. S. McMillan.In the afternoon and evening of thesecond day the Presbytery-Presbyterialgroup heard our own missionary, MissOrlena Lynn, Gary, Ind., speak on herwork and the work of our mission inJapan. We were much inspired and encouraged by her addresses.Our thanks goes to Rev. and Mrs.Blackwood and the members of theBloomingtoncongregation for the excellent arrangements provided for theirguests and for their warmth of hospitality.Presbytery adjourned to meet October25, 1955 in Oakdale, Illinois.Norman M. Carson, ClerkMrs. Glen McElwainThe women of the College Hill congregation wish to pay tribute to thememory of Mazie Glover McElwain,whose death occurred September 21. Inall phases of church and Sabbath Schoolshe willinglyand efficiently did herpart until illness gradually forced inaction. Even though unable to take herusual place at church or missionarymeeting, she maintained through longmonths of patient suffering her interestin all that was being done. She is greatly missed."And the inhabitant shall not say, Iam sick."For the R. W. Redpath MissionarySociety,Mrs. E. Dodds BalphMrs. John S. MclsaacMrs. Margaret CaskeyMrs. Margaret Jane Caskey, 73, of3447 Seward, died Saturday in GreenCove Springs, Fla. She was born December 14, 1880, in Ireland and came to theUnited States when she was nine yearsold. She lived on a farm near Denisonfrom 1920 until a year ago when shemoved to Topeka.Mrs. Caskey is survived by four daughters, Mrs. Helen Ray of Denison, Mrs.Velma Lusson of Green Cove Springs,Fla., Mrs. Maxine Gibeson of Topeka,and Mrs. Esther Olds of Robinson, Kan. ;and abrother, Sam Moore, Omaha, Neb.Mrs. R. J. MclsaacThe Bear Run andMahoning W.M.S.wish to pay loving tribute to the memory of Mrs. Hannah J. Mclsaac who wascalled to her Heavenly home August 26,1954. Although in failing health for several years she maintained a keen interestin all the activities of her church andmissionary society.We consider it a great privilege to havehad Mrs. Mclsaac as a member of our society during the later years of her life. Formany years a teacher in the Selma, Alabama Mission, her whole life was devoted to the advancement of the Lord'swork in all the mission fields. We shallmiss her wise counsel and mature judgment. Her life was an inspiration to allwith whom she was associated.We extend our sympathy to her son,Dr. Archie Mclsaac, also to daughtersin-lawand grandchildren in their bereavement.We believe Mrs. Mclsaac has answeredthe summons: "Well done good andfaithful servant, enter thou into thejoy of the Lord." Mrs. C. E. HendersonPres. W.M.S.COVENANTER WITNESS

Missionary NumberLESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 19, 1954VOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1954 NUMBER 22Leprosy: Aby Dr. Robert G. Cochranelew EraFollowing is part of an article published in the InternationalReview of Missions. The first section deals with the historicalbackground of leprosy and the last decade's revolutionaryscientific advances in its treatment. We are reprinting partof the last section on Christian Objectives because of itsinterest to the general medical missionary enterprise.It is the task of the Christian doctor to emphasize that health is the norm of life and that anythingthat interferes "with health is contrary to the willof God. We must, however, bear in mind that diseaseis primarily due to the fact that sin entered the worldthrough man's disobedience, and until mankind utterly surrenders to the sovereignty of God and perfectly fulfills His will, the world will continue to bein a chaotic state .... Until that day comes thedawning of the Kingdom of God on earth we haveseek the answer to thea solemn responsibility ... toconquest of disease. And, insofar as leprosy is oneof the diseases which bring misery and depair to ourbrothers it is our duty to strive to bring to themhealth and hope.The medical missionary has always been in thevanguard of the advance in tropical medicine, particularly in the matter of teaching, in order to prepare the nationals of the tropical countries forgreater responsibility towards the development ofbetter health services. One has only to recall thegreat efforts in this direction of Christie in Mukden,of Thomas Cochrane in Peking, of Chesterman inAfrica, of Edith Brown, Ida Scudder, Wanless andVail in India, to mention but a few, to realize thecontribution of the Christian enterprise in the realmof medicine in the tropics; and therefore the finalquestion is "What of the future?"If our forces are adequately distributed and intelligently placed and our resources pooled, theChristian Church has as glorious a part to play inbringing the world to a state of health as it everhad. We cannot, however, survive as an organizedmissionary endeavor if we plan our work as if therehad been little change in the last twenty years. Theeconomic crises which confront us demand a greater.expenditure of money, which is increasingly difficultto raise and of much less proportionate effect; Thisis liable to have a disastrous influence on the missionary enterprise, particularly in the medical field.If, therefore, we endeavor to burden the youngerchurches with the total medical missionary effort,we shall find that we are imposing a responsibilityfar too heavy for these young shoulders. Our Christian task is to create a group of men and women whoare convinced that healing, ifit is to be effective andbreak the shackles of fear and superstition, must bebased on the acceptance of Christ as Saviour andLord. We should not be concerned whether thosewhom we train go into missionary service or not,but we should be concerned that they know the meaning of Christian living.We are approaching a crisis-point in historytoday? tomorrow? God alone knows. But one thingseems certain: the kingdoms of the world shall become the Kingdom of God and His Christ. May we,by consecrated planning, by guided pooling of resources, by cessation of competitive effort, hastenthis day and demonstrate to this weary, war-torn,frustrated world that the Church of Christ is notdivided, that missionary and research worker, hospital evangelist and civilservant, university professor and village teacher, provided they own the Mastership of Christ, can work together and assist God,the Sovereign Lord and Controller of the universe,to achieve the final victory.

need!"spring.".cease."Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D.Missionary GoalsThe Free Methodist Church is calling for 52 new missionaries. Their church is urging that every member give tomissions every week. They have 218 missionaries on the fieldat the present time. Byron S. Lamson sums up the conditions in their various fields, Brazil, Congo-Nile, SouthernRhodesia, Portguese East Africa, Transvaal, South Africa,India, Japan, Philippines, Formosa and Hong Kong. Of thesedifferent missions our church is especially interested in Japan.The writer says, "Japan is the least Christian (measured bythe strength of the church) of any great nation in the world.There are between twenty and thirty million Christians inAfrica. The same is true in Russia. In Japan, a country of87,000,000 population, there are approximately 275,000 churchmembers. Less than one-half of one per cent of the populationis identified with the church! We have a strong conference inJapan with able leaders. Japan is important to the evangelization of Asia. We could send every new missionary we are ableto appoint to Japan and not meet theWebster's PreferenceStudents of American history are aware of the massivemind, the statesmanship and the oratorical ability of DanielWebster. He spent his vacations in the quiet regions of hishome state, New Hampshire. He attended from Sabbath toSabbath in a small countrychurch to listen to the sermonsof the minister and worship with the people there. Some of hisfriends wondered at this and asked him why he went to thelittle country church rather than in Washington where hecould hear famous preachers. He answered in this way: "InWashington they preach to Webster the statesman, and I stayat home. In New Hampshire they preach to Webster the poorsinner, and Igo."The editor of the paper in which this appearscomments: "Well said! There are people todaybelieve they are sinners. Webster did. Are theyhe?"who do notsmarter thanshould it be made obligatory upon any teacher in any publicschool to teach worldliness to pupils? Do conscientious andChristian taxpayers feel that their money is rightly used bysuch school boards? Our advice to any community where suchpractices go on is for Christian .people to get rid of their present school board and put in people who have sense in theirheads and a moral obligation to God in their hearts. Suchridiculous procedures as happened in Alexandria, Virginia, willthenLess Headache for RefugeesAt a recent gathering 150 representatives from churches ofeleven states and the District of Columbia,an agreement wasreached among officials of both church and state whereby thelong-promised resettlement in the United States of 209,000overseas refugees can now be carried out on a larger andmore rapid scale.Alcoholism and InsanityFirst admissions to state and private hospitals for insane due to alcohol psychosis or alcoholism have been increasing until about one in seven cases is due to the use of alcohol.This is revealed by the Public Health Service of the FederalSecurity Agency of the U. S.Political CampaignsThinking people will agree with The Grand Rapids Pressthe recent political campaign when it says: "Mostconcerningobservers will admit that this type of campaigning (smearcampaigns) doesn't contribute anything of lasting value to thescience of government by reducing office-seeking to the statusof a tavern brawl. It's doubtful whether any candidate reallylikes to campaign with bare knuckles, since he can anticipatetaking some hard blows in return. But the candidate whodwells on a lofty plane above the battle stands a good chanceof finding himself still there after the smoke has cleared andthe returns are all in." Another editor adds: "The onlygovern-Bug Poison(Continued on page 343)An item appears in The Banner which is well to re-readand remember. A tobacco company sent packages of cigarettesto high school boys accompanied by this explanation: "We aresending you a pack of our finest cigarettes. We hope you usemore."them to your satisfaction and want One of the boyswrote back, "I received the cigarettes and used them to mysatisfaction. I soaked them in a quart of water and sprayedour bug-infested rose bushes. Every bug died. The cigarettesare good poison. I want more nextTeaching Dancing in SchoolsWalter A. Kirk, Jr., is a former professional baseballplayer and a member of the Southern Baptist Church. Hehas been fired for refusing to teach dancing in a Junior HighSchool in Alexandria, Virginia. He was in charge of instruction in a gymnasium there and was told by the school boardto teach the young people how to dance. He replied that hisreligious scruples would not permit him to teach the "evilelement"of dancing to teen-agers. He affirmed that "Muchsin and ungodliness is committed on public dance floors."Because of these Christian convictions he was discharged.Commenting338on this the Watchman-Examiner states, "WhyTHE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street, Newton, Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topelta, Kansasto promote Bible Standards of Doctrine, Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writers ;not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen, D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll, D.D.Remo I. Robb, D.D.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdgarMrs. J. O. EdgarMrs. Ross LatimerSubscription rates: S2.50 per year; Overseas, $3.00; Single Copies10 cents.TJie Rev. R. B. Lyons, B.A., Limavady, N. Ireland, Agent for theBritish Isles.Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Newton. Kansasunder the Act of March 3, 1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.COVENANTER WITNESS

circle"Current EventsBy Prof. William H. Russell, Ph.D.WESTERN UNIONThe Paris agreements, by which West Germanywill berearmed within a Western European Union, are alreadybeing ratified. Denmark was the first country to completethe process. The British House of Commons followed closely,approving the agreements by a vote of 264 to 4. Most ofthe Labor Party abstained to avoid the embarrassmentof voting with the Conservatives. Chancellor Adenauer haspersuaded his cabinet to approve the pacts despite misgivings over the Saar arrangements, and parliamentaryratification by West Germany now seems certain. PremierMendes-France, while visiting Washington, has assured ourgovernment that the French National Assembly will ratifyby the end of the year. Our own Congress will take up theParis agreements in January.Soviet delaying tactics, such as their request for anew East-West conference, have thus failed. The Reds maygo ahead with their own meeting for Eastern Europeansecurity, but they can hardly create any stronger unionthan they already have behind the Iron Curtain. Theremay very well be a Big Four conference next spring, afterthe Paris pacts are ratified. We would then be in a muchstronger position to discuss such questions as an Austrianpeace treaty or the unification of Germany.SOUTHBOUND FACTORIESA subcommittee of the AFL has asked that Congress dosomething to slow down the movement of industry to theSouth. Cheap non-union labor in the Southern states hasled many plants to move from New England and the MiddleAtlantic states. One example is the hosiery industry ofPhiladelphia, which has nearly all gone South. Philadelphia'shosiery employment has dropped from 13,000 to 1,000 withinthe past ten years. New England has lost a large part ofher textile business. Another case, now in hot dispute, isthe movement of a steel mill from Follansbee, West Virginia,to Alabama. The AFL subcommittee calls for a boost in thefederal minimum wage, from $.75 to $1.25 an hour. Thiswould force the South to raise wages and cut down itscompetitive advantage. It is also suggested that localgovernment bonds, issued to subsidize new industries, beno longer exempt from federal taxation.ECONOMIC PICKUPPublic interest in the 1955 automobiles runs high, asseveral makes come out with their lines completely restyled.The general trend is still toward longer, lowerlines and more horsepower. Ford, Chevrolet, and Plymouthall offer more power than Cadillac or Packard had sevenyears ago. Employment in the automobile centers is booming, and the output for November and December is likelyto set new records for those months.The automobile activity is leading a revival of the steelindustry, which ran at less than two-thirds of capacitymost of this year. The housing boom is still growing, andother fields are also reviving. Industrial stocks have reached their highest point since 1929, and maysoon pass thatmark. The stock market took a sharp rise after the elections, though the cause is disputedDecember 1, 1954whether the business-men were glad for the Democratic victories, or relievedthat the Republican losses were no worse.FREEDOM FOR HISSAlger Hiss is beingreleased from federal prison. Hewas convicted of perjury for denying his Communist connections before a federal grand jury. His five-year sentencehas been automatically reduced to three years and eightmonths for good behavior. Hiss has never admitted anyguilt, and remained silent during his imprisonment. Soonafter his conviction, he and his friends developed an elaborate theory to show that he had been "framed." This hasbeen disproven by an overwhelming weight of evidence,but a more recent explanation is that he was actually inthe Red network as a counter-spy for President Roosevelt.He will probably write a book explaining all thisat leasthe may be counted on for some kind of a book if Americanpublishers show their usual enterprise. The Senate InternalSecurity and House Un-American Activities committees mayseek to question Hiss, for they believe he could still givevaluable information on Communist infiltration in theState Department and U. N. Secretariat. But there probablyis no way that they can compel Hiss to testify.POLIO VICTIM DIESDeath has finally taken America's most famous iron-lungpatient, Fred B. Snite Jr. Stricken with polio eighteen yearsago while in China, he spent the rest of his life in an ironlung, or smaller chest respirator, which did the work of hisparalyzed chest muscles. He became a symbol of the willto live in spite of overwhelming handicaps. Fortunately hisfamily was wealthy his father is said to have spent $1million for his son's care. He was also sustained by hisreligion, beinga devout Roman Catholic. He always remained cheerful, and eventually married and had threechildren. His fine spirit was an encouragement to poliopatients everywhere, and to victims of other cripplingdiseases. Finally, however, his heart wore out from thestrain put on it, and he died in his sleep.POLAR FLIGHTSScandinavian Airlines has begun the first scheduled commercial flights over the Arctic. The route goes from LosAngeles to Copenhagen, Denmark, with stops at Winnipegand on Greenland. Four trips a week will be made, two ineach direction. The polar route saves over 500 miles, andabout four hours, over the conventional trip by way ofNew York City, and there is no change of planes. It isconsidered safer also, for most of the trip is over landand the planes are never more than two hours from anemergency landing strip. A new gyro-compass makes accurate navigation possible near the North magnetic pole,where ordinary compasses go haywire. The weather is generally clearer than over the north Atlantic route, and theU. S. and Canadian military operate many radio aids. Thismay be the first of many new air routes taking advantageof the shorter "great routes in high latitudes. Forexample, the travel time between Europe and Japan couldbe cut in half by a flight making stops in Greenland andAlaska.339

available"years'away"Concerningthe New Minister in JapanBy Rev. Samuel E. BoyleIn the last missionary number of The Covenanter Witness Dr. Walter McCarroll called attention to the seemingly hopeless stipulation placed onthe Board of Foreign Missions by Synod's action requiring that, before a new appointment to Japan beallowed, the full budget of $110,815 must be raisedPLUS an added sum of at least $5,000. Dr. McCarrollremarks, "Two candidates for Japan, as reported,have offered themselves. If our past history in budget raising is any guide, then these candidates mayas well resign themselves to the inevitable."Is Failure Inevitable?As the author of a substitute-recommendationwhich replaced the more general one offered with thereport of the Board of Foreign Missions, possibly itmay help for me to explain why I offered such afantastic suggestion, i.e. to make appointment of anew man for Japan contingent on the raising of thefull budget plus another five thousand dollars.It was evident to most of us at Synod that therecommendation of the Board asking permission toappoint a minister to go out to Japan "when fundsarewas going to be voted down. Theurgent appeal of the Home Missions Secretary thatso many home congregations are without a pastor,realization that the church's financialand the heavysupply is annually falling short of present needs,seemed likely to cause Synod to vote down the request.This would have left the Board of Foreign Missions bound helplessly to wait for another whole yearbefore they could again request a minister forJapan. This made me offer the suggestion in placeof the one offered by our Board, allowing the Boardof Foreign Missions to go ahead now and appointtheir man and to send him out to Japan next yearif the church raises its full budget and five thousanddollars additional by March 31, 1955.I said in support of my motion, and I do nothesitate to repeat it here, that the CovenanterChurch CAN raise this full amount if it will. Ofcourse Dr. McCarroll is right when he says that onthe basis of past performance the likelihoodof our Church raising $116,000 by March 31, 1955is remote.What This Goal Means to Our Faithful GiversAlthough Dr. Taggart has dismissed the oldformula of dividing the budget by the total membership as an impractical solution of the church's financial problem, the device has its educational andpropaganda value. We sometimes hear it said thatthe whole financial burden of the Covenanter Churchis carried by about 2,000 adult members who do thebulk of all the giving, in the local congregation andto Synod's Budget. I am not aware of the factualbasis for this assumption, but we may accept for sakeof illustration its general truth.If this is true, there is something ungracious inapplying added pressure on these faithful donors.Farmers do not like to "whip a willing horse." Ifpeople are now doing all they can to keep a struggling340congregation going, it is not fair to shout at them,as Pharaoh did to the children of Israel; "Ye areidle, ye are idle." Paul the Apostle stressed the important need for fairness in church giving when hewrote to the Corinthians, "For if there be first awilling mind, it is accepted according to that a manhath, and not according to that he hath not. For Imean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened;but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that theirabundance also may be a supply for your want : thatthere may be equality: as it is written, He that hadgathered much had nothing over, and he that hadgathered little had no lack."Now, for sake of mental exercise only, take the2,000 who are supposed to carry the major part ofour denomination's load in giving and see whatwould be required of these willing givers (in additionto what they are already giving) if the big sum of$116,000 is to be raised by March 31. We find thatthese 2,000 faithful givers would need to give a totalof $58 each, which, broken down to months andweeks, would be $14.50 a month per person or $3.63per week per person. When we assume that these2,000 are already giving to their limit, the arbitraryload of $3.63 more per week for 12 whole monthsmight seem heavy.Dr. Taggart's impatience with this old numericalaverages formula is a practical one. In actual lifehuman beings do not give as these beautiful averagesseem to promise. But the truth cannot be deniedthat if the Covenanter church did give perfectlyaccording to these mythical divisions, the budgetwould be adequately raised. So the indications pointto the fact that our annual shortage is not the lackof means to raise our needed 'budget, but that thefault lies rather with those of our membership whodo not give generously to the Lord.While I do not believe in debts, think what mighthappen if 2,000 members of the Covenanter Churchsimultaneously borrowed $60 each and sent it intoMr. Chester Fox the Treasurer this coming Christmas. That would put $120,000 on the line by the endof 1954, and the donors might not find it too difficultto pay off their sixty dollar debt in a few moremonths.I do not recommend that plan at all, but is thisnot what many Covenanters are doing today? Payments on a new car or on the home, or even on deepfreeze or new refrigerator or washer go in far moreheavily than $60. Why not do this much for theLord?Or to approach the problem from still anotherangle. In a short time Christmas is coming. Will2,000 members of the Covenanter Church spend asmuch as $50 each at Christmas? Christmas cards,postage, gifts, wrappings, candy and a big groceryorder for the holidays surely will run the total up tofifty dollars in a hurry. I think the total of special,unnecessary, even wasteful expenditures in an average Covenanter home will reach much more thanthis. Say, however, that 2,000 Covenanters spend$50 each and that would be a "throwon our-COVENANTER WITNESS

missions"race"missionary"earth"rich."selves of $100,000 in a three weeks period. If peoplein our church do spend that much on a celebrationof the commercialized and pagan festival which hasno real sanction in Scripture, how can we face theJudge of all the earth next March and say, "We couldnot raise $116,000 so it is impossible for us to sendanother new minister to Japan" ?Our trouble as American Christians is not lackof money, but a lack of proportion and a serious lackof New Testament morality in stewardship of themoney we have. We must load up our homes withtrash and fill our stomachs with too much good food,but we cannot send another man to preach Christin Japan.Of course I do not minimize the difficulty whichaverage middle-class people meet these days in thegrand "ratof finance. Our marvelous standardof luxury living is not only our servant but, to agreat degree, our master. We are driven by thingson which we have come to depend. The auto, repairs,auto insurance and running expenses ; life insurance,hospitalization, and house insurance; school expenses, clothing, doctor's bills, income tax, new andbetter washers or refrigeration, furniture or newwall paper for the front room, etc. (And that newT-V set also.)Truly the American people today seem almostpoverty stricken trying to maintain the unbelievablestandard of living and convenience which has becomeessential to all.When we face these difficulties we may wellask, How can the Covenanter Church begin to raise$12,000 more this year than the sum raised lastyear? How can we afford to send new missionariesout when the money simply is not there to give?divinelyI know no answer except the same old, reliable,ordained plan of sacrificial Christian giving.The church has rarely had money enough to do thework God sent us. to do. Nor has foreign missionarywork ever gotten to the place where men and moneywithout a struggle. The foreignwere forthcomingmission program is from start to finish a cross-bearand in that response to God's love is theing venture,secret of success. "For ye know the grace of curLord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet foryour sakes he became poor, that ye through hispoverty might be God the Father gave Hisonly begotten Son because He loved us. Christ leftHeaven to bring eternal blessing to you and me,and it took Calvary to do this for us. Shall we notdo something of the same for Japan, Syria andCyprus ?New Testament Principles of Church FinanceBy Rev. S. E. BoyleChristianity from the earliest records of itsspontaneous expansion in the Book of Acts has been"foreignminded. It is to be so until thevery end of the age of grace, when Christ our Kingreturns to set up the Kingdom of glory. Because ofthis the apparently sagacious cry, "We must keep thehome church going or there will be no more foreignis quite opposite to the New Testamentview of things. Jesus said, "For whosoever will savehis life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose hislife for my sake and the gospel's, the same shallsave it."Dr. McCarroll suggests that there are Covenanters who do not limit their gifts to the budget, refusing to be regimented in their giving by this device. He sees in this group of our church membershipa possible source of income which might enable theBoard of Foreign Missions to send our needed replacements to foreign fields. Surely I cannot be accused of neglecting this area of financial support.Our first term in South China (1934-1947) was madepossible through such generosity under the "SamBoyle Fund" and it was evident for seven years thatGod is able to provide. The "Reformation TranslationFellowship" Room"and the "Covenanter Book ofKobe are both extra-budget projects. It might bepossible, if necessary, to place the whole Japan Mission on a special, non-budget arrangement, separatefrom the regular provision of Synod. But why shouldthis be necessary ? The Japan Mission is eminently acovenant-task of the whole Covenanter Church. It isthe Church's obligation and the Church's privilegeto sustain and enlarge our witness in so strategic aDecember 1, 1954center as Kobe, Japan. In four years the Japan Mission has had wonderful opportunities for evangelism,church building, ecumenical activities, witness bearing for the Kingship of Christ, and for linking thework of our church in Japan and China togetheragainst a coming day when God may send our workers back into South China and Manchuria. Whyshould so important a foothold for Covenanter evanwhen theonly possible hindrance is the lack of money? IsGod dead?One deadly heresy which is sometimes held andtalked in our church is what I call the "let the catgelism and witnessing be sacrificed todaydie"psychology of foreign missions. The argumentruns something like this: The Reformed Presbyterian Church in N. A. is dying. From a membershipof 11,000 in 1871 it has now dwindled to less than5,000. Hence our only course now is to decrease andretrench in foreign and home missions until ?Until the cat dies ? Then why not kill the old cat atonce ? one dying squawk and it will expire. Then weshall no more cumber the ground (Luke 13:6-9).There is no such materialistic, defeatist teachingin God's Word, and it is neither common sense norrealism to talk this way. What actually must controlour policy and spark our planning is the Divine mandate behind the Great Commission of Christ and Hispledge of the power, the presence and the materialsupply needed by His faithful church until the Taskis done. "All power is given unto me in heaven andin is not a text which can be limited to ourargument for the Christian amendment; this textalso gives us assurance that Christ the King has con-341

trol of material wealth needed to enable His churchto carry forward the Task which He has assigned us.I cannot imagine Jesus and the apostles becomJudas'ing panic stricken lest the fixed amount inlittle leather bag be insufficient for the trip intoGalilee.It is difficult to imagine the New TestamentChurch described in the Book of Acts refusing toallow Paul and Silas to start out on a missionaryjourney "to confirm the churches in Syria andCilicia"because there was no financial power in theJerusalem mother church after a recent famine hadstruck the district. We seem to have gotten off thetrack of New Testament finance some place alongthe line.How often we read and hear quoted Malachi3:10! And that promise still holds! Let us never beas was the lord on whose hand the King of Israelleaned, when Elisha predicted food on the morrow:"Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven,might this thing be?" Rather, let us remember thewidow with her mite and the poor Macedonians whoso courageously gave out of deep poverty and affliction, knowing that "God is able to make all graceabound toward you : That ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound in every goodwork."We have a top-heavy foreign mission task forso small a church, but we have an Infinite Father inHeaven to whom belongs all the gold and the silverand the cattle on a thousand hills. Our problem isspiritual, not material. If our church will do God'swork in God's way relying only on God's ability andreadiness to provide, we can find the money neededto enable us to do all that the Lord of the harvestasks us to do.I wonder what the Covenanter congregationsreally could go for Jesus this Christmas if we tookHis birth seriously?The Return From FurloughBy Eunice McClurkin(Excerpts from her form letter to the W.M.S.)As planned, I came byair from New York'sIdlewild Airport to Beirut. Elapsed time from theNew York take-off until landing at my destinationwas just 26yi hours. Intermediate stops were at theairports of Shannon, Ireland (\y2 hours) ; Paris(3^ hours); and Rome (1 hour). The interestinghistorical novel which the Women's Synodical gaveme as a "happylandings"present helped to relievethe tedium of the flight and the waiting in airports;After a night in a Beirut hotel, I found transportation on to Latakia, 150 miles to the north. So here Iwas at home on the 3rd floor of the Girls' School onFriday evening, after having left home at Coldenham Manse Wednesday morning. How near we aretogether by modern means of transportation; howmuch nearer still by the ageless means of fellowshipat the Throne of grace !Shafeeqa Yoonis, whose picture manyof youhave seen, had come a couple of days ahead of me,as promised. She had the house opened and cleaned,and has continued to take responsibility in the housematholdmatters, while I have plunged into school342ters. A year's absence from the job makes me keephumping now to catch up.There are other teachers here on the job, andwe've been cooperating in the business of gettingstudents enrolled and classes started. There are about320 students enrolled in the Girls' School to date.The Kindergartens and five elementary classes started October 7, and the intermediate classes, includingour high school classes, began October 13. The government bookstore has still not released textbooksfor sale to us, so many of our classes are short ofbooks or altogether without. We are short of classroom space and of school desks. The room whichwas the Sanderson's living room, here on the thirdfloor, has been converted into a classroom with oldbenches and makeshift tables. The carpenter hasmade a new blackboard for the wall, a piece of plywood, coated with slating paint, and framed withheavier wood. He has also made five new desks tosupply our most urgent needs.Miss Nooha Awad, a cousin of Adeebeh's whograduated last spring from the American Universityof Beirut is teaching high school classes five periodseach morning. She seems to enjoy the teaching andto be doing well in it. When no new teacher camefrom America to help in the high school, we triedto arrange for another from Lebanon, but learnedat the last minute that he would not come after all.Mr. and Mrs. Hutcheson and Rev. and Mrs. Haysand I are all teaching some classes, and so the busydays go by.Rev. and Mrs. Bassam Madany have a youngson. I believe his name is to be Michael, after thegrandfather, Muallim Michel, who is Mr. Hutcheson'ssecretary at the Boys' School. Bassam is teachingfive or six periods a day in the two schools two ofthem Bible classes, and two English language classesand he is to go to the nearby village of Gendereahthree or four Sabbaths a month to preach and carryon visitation evangelism. I haven't yet met Shirleyor their small son, but hope to soon.Mrs. Hutcheson and Rev. Khaleel Awad arrivedhere twelve days after I did, although they had leftNew York twelve days before I did. Their shin didn'tget away far enough ahead of Hurricane Edna, andhad a rough time of it for the first couple of days.They left ship in Beirut and came up by car to Latakia, though most of their baggage was unloaded inLatakia harbor three days later. My freight arrivedon the next American Export ship which stoppedhere last Saturday, but it hasn't yet been clearedthrough Customs. That's the disadvantage of notcoming with one's baggage, but I'm still glad I cameby air.The people in the villages will miss the Bibleconferences with Miss McElroy and her Bible WomanSameeah Zeyady, just as we miss her fellowshiphere in the third floor apartment. So much of mytime is taken up with school routine, that I don'tsee much of the village evangelists and others whenthey are in town. We had Muallim Suqr Yusef herefor supper, though, last week, and rejoiced to hearof some of the testimony he has been permitted togive for his Saviour. During the summer months hehas ministered to the people of Shafeequa's nativevillage, Bab Janneh.It was Election Day in Syria when I arrived,and a new Parliament has been elected to for- carryCOVENANTER WITNESS

office-seekers."ward the government. It is a multiple-party body,with no party having a majority. However, thoughthere have 'been many changes in government in theshort time of the Republic of Syria's independence,government regulations are carried out more stringently by career bureaucrats who become more experienced in their jobs even if the heads of theirdepartments change frequently. For instance, theinspector of the office regulating employment hasalready visited us, and told us about the regulationswith which we must comply. We have a month's timeto get everything in order before his next visit !I acknowledge with gratitude all your kindnesses to me while I was in the States,and remindyou that we count on your continual remembranceof us in your prayers.Kobe News BriefsBy Veva HansenWhen we stop to remember that Miss Lynn willsoon be returning to us and that the Boyles havebeen gone six months, we realize that time is passingvery swiftly. We are allvery busy and seem to beadjusted to our surroundings. We arrived in Kobethirteen months ago so we are well started on oursecond year.Since my last letter, Barbara Ann has come tolive with us and is certainly a constant source ofjoy to us. She has big blue eyes and brown curlyhair which is a great contrast to the brown-eyed,dark skinned and straight black haired babies overhere. The Japanese people love all children so ourchurch people are no exception. It is not often thatthey see a wee baby of another race so her development has been very interesting to them. Japanesemen are more open with their affection for childrenthan American men so Barbara is "held" by youngand old, men and women.It seems that many changes have taken placein the last two months. As reported, Mr. Doi wassupposed to go home from the hospital on August31. Only two or three days before he was to go, anexamination due to a cold which he had contracted,showed that though his lungs are healed, he still hadTB of the bronchial tubes which had not been foundnor treated before. So he was faced with anotheryear in the hospital after already having been therefor three years. The medicine which is injected intohis neck causes very severe pain. He had been employed by a bank in his home town but since he wasnot able to return to work in October, he now haslost that position. We never hear a word of complaint or bitterness from this young man. We praythat this extra time in the hospital may be a realtime of spiritual growth for him and we would alsoask for patience, encouragement and healing thatthe Lord alone can giveWe are rejoicing with Mr. Takihara that his firstoperation has taken place. Miss Huston, Mr. Maedaand Mr. Hansen went to Kyoto to be present at thetime of the operation. Mr. Takihara has very littlepain and is eating well for which we do give thanks.More operations will follow and the doctor hopes thathe will be well in one year. He is fortunate to be ina new wing of a fairlysmall hospital.It has been necessary to make one change in ourBook Room staff. Miss Edamatsu has been excellenthelp but it has become necessary for her to remainat home and help a frail mother operate the familytea shop. The father has become an irresponsiblegambling man so the daughter feels a responsibilityfor the home. We are sorry to lose her but she willcontinue to teach her Sabbath School class of smallchildren at the regular Sabbath service. Miss Kizumi,who has been forced to leave her home because of aheathen step-mother will come as our new helper.She is a college graduate and has majored in English so we feel that she will be quite capable in caringfor both the Japanese and the foreign customers.We would ask for your prayers for both of thesegirls.On November 3 we held a one day conferenceon Mt. Rokko. It was a beautiful, clear fall day andthe house that we were able to rent was very fine.The air was cool and crisp and the scenery verybeautiful. Talks were given by Mr. Katayama, MissHuston and Mr. Hansen after which discussion periods were held. Everyone went home feeling that ithad been a very worthwhile day. We hope that someday it may be possible to hold longer conferencessimilar to the ones at home.Mr. Masunaga shows gradual improvement. Hehas been very happy to have his mother with himfor the past two months. We pray that the HolySpirit may touch this mother's heart when shesees the consistent Christian life of her son. Wealso ask for prayers for Mr. Masunaga's completerecovery.We thank the Lord for the continued health ofthe workers. Miss Huston is carrying a very heavyload. We are thankful that her eyes are better andwe pray that the Lord will continue to give us allstrength for the many tasks. The need for workersis very great and we are praying that the Lord willlead the home church to send us some soon.GLIMPSES . . . Cont'd, from page 338ment that can last is the government that honors God andreally serves the best interests of the nation. Too many politicians are mereCommunism's OppressionQuoting from Christian Economics, The Banner showshow cruel and unChristian the Russian government is. "As ameans of liquidating anywho might have some recollection ofculture and well-being, the Soviet government of Lithuaniarequires anyone seeking employment to fill out a blank onwhich the following questions appear: a) the value of the realestate and/or bank account his parents possessed before theSoviet occupation; b) the number of domestic servants employed at the time by his parents; and c) names of his family members or relatives living abroad or deported for politicalreasons."A positive answer to any of these questions not onlybars the candidate from employment, but is considered sufficient grounds for his confinement to a forced labor campin Lithuania or the Soviet Union. In this matter, the Communists keep from 20,000 to 50,000 Lithuanians imprisonedin fifteen labor camps within that small country, while severalhundred thousand Lithuanians have been deported to similarcamps in Russia." 343December 1, 1954

earth."sermon."stakes."education."Cords and StakesBy Henry J. Evenhousefrom The Banner of July 16. Used byspecial permission.. . . lengthenthy cords, and strengthen thystakes. Isaiah 54 :2MisconceptionThere is a popular misconception current amongsome of our people which ought to be corrected.There are those who contend earnestly for Christianeducation but are rather indifferent towards missions. On the other hand, we find those who go allout for missions but remain cool toward Christianeducation. This misconception carries through to thepoint that we have ministers who become identifiedin the church as being either "school-minded" or"mission-minded,"as though it were possible to havea divorce in loyalties between two proper and legitimate functions of the Kingdom of Christ.About a year ago, wnen traveling through theWest on the Women's Missionary Union tour, I metMr. J. Christian Lobbes, one of the lay preachers ofthe Christian Reformed Church. Since he is a schoolteacher and has long been recognized as a zealousproponent of Christian education, I asked him whether at times he also preached a "missionHe replied that he certainly did try to do justice tothe cause of missions in his preaching and did soby preaching on the words of Isaiah 54:2: "...lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy Itwas his contention, and he was. altogether right,that the Christian school movement and the causeof missions are not two separate programs. Bothbelong to the Kingdom of God, and neither may beconceived of as isolated from the other.ExtensionThe text from Isaiah brings out that point mostbeautifully. The cause of the Lord must be wellstaked down on the home front, but there must bea range of vision that reaches far beyond that homebase. Tspjah, m exhorting the people of his day, reminded them that their seed would inherit the Gentiles, and also that the God who is their Maker is "theGod of the whole Just as a tent must be wellstaked down, so the Lord's cause must be well stakeddown. Otherwise the winds and the gale will comeand upset and destroy. On the other hand, theremust be the extending of the cords. This means thatas the cords of the tent are stretched out to covermore ground, so also the vision of the Kingdom mustbe suc^ that the people will see beyond the limits oftheir own national boundaries. However, if the cordsare to be extended the stakes will have to be madesecurA.This calls for reflection on our own Churchsituation with reference to the interest and loyaltiesmanifest towards both Christian education and missions. When conducting worship in one of our congregations recently I preached a sermon in which thecauseof missions received rather pronounced attention. After the service, one of the elders commentedwith the words: "Missions are all right, but in thischurch we are strong on Christian Itwould not be difficult to find others within the344r Church who would make an equally erroneous comment if a sermon were preached on the importanceof Christian education. Such a one might say: "Don'tcarry that Christian education business too far." Thefact is that there are those who have loyalties foreither Christian education or for missions, but havetogether andfailed to realize that the two belongare inseparable.. EducationChristian education is one of the great spiritualblessings which the Lord has given to us as a Church.For this heritage we cannot be thankful enough.Our Christian school system is, in the opinion ofmany,the secret of our ecclesiastical strength.Having learned of our school system, many orthodoxChristian churches have sought to establish theirown Christian schools. This fact ought to sharpenour own appreciation of what we do have. But thestrange fact is that whilemanyhave conceived oftheir Christian schools as having very importantlocal value they have not thought of them as havingreference to the entire world, and as being importantfor the whole earth. Certainly a strong Christianschool should be a bulwark for building a solid homechurch. History bears out the sad fact that manychurches which have been busy bringing in thesheaves from foreign fields have at the same timelost the harvest right at home. In such instancesthe fault lies not in doing mission work, but in thedereliction of the home front. It does not follow,however, that because some have erred in one direction that therefore the extreme in the opposite direction is right. It is also possible to err in the extreme towards Christian education. A pronouncedemphasis on Christian education without a healthymission attitude also works havoc, but in its ownway. The proper balance must be maintained.MotivesIn reflecting on the driving motives behindour Christian school supporters, I find that therehave been two which have been very prominent whilea necessary third one has often been sadly missing.First, there has been the motive to build well thelocal church and Christian community. A Christianschool can certainly work towards this goal and bea medium for really strengthening the stakes.Second, there has been the important emphasis, oftenthought to be Calvinistic emphasis, to prepare youngpeople to live for Christ in any vocation of life.This, too, has been significant, and has undoubtedlybeen the occasion of preparing for our churches andour Christian communities many a professional person whose training and influence has been contributory to the coming of the Kingdom of God. Athird aim should be the development of a missionaryconcern operating throughout our entire educationalsystem and giving to the scholars a rich awarenessof the universal significance of the Christian message, giving them a stirring sense of urgency to getthis message to the ends of the earth, and supply-COVENANTER WITNESS

another."robbery'."evil.'ing them with a profound enthusiasm for the worldwide assignment which Christ gave to His Church.Surely, many graduates from our Christianschools have given themselves for missions, butthere are fartoo many who have failed to catch thebreadth of vision and the inspiration for missionsthat a sound mission-mindedness would have supplied. The reason for this lies partly in the faulty conception that many still have which permits a divorce in their thinking between Christian educationand missions.Take care of your stakes. Indeed ! See to it thatthe local church is being edified. Let it be strongand virile. Have sound preaching, good catechism instruction, faithful familv visiting, and a strongemphasis on Christian education of the covenantThese may not be toyed with in any way!The edification of the local church is solemn businessand needs our finest and, if need be, our most sacrificial efforts. But also extend the cords of yourtent. This means : Reach out beyond your own areawith the gospel. Christian education and missionsbelonfr together. They are efforts really of one household. In the light of Isaiah 54 :2 we may say : "Seeto it that ye do the one, and leave not the otherTither's CornerSomething PracticalD. H. ElliottI assume that most if not all of our congregations use the envelope system for their offerings.The Central-Pittsburgh and Mars congregations (andperhaps many others) have for years secured theirenvelopes from the National Church Supply Co. Inc.,Chester, W. Va. This Company furnishes any formof envelope at reasonable prices. They will include apicture of your church if you desire at no extracost. They also offer a substantial reduction if ordersare placed before the rush season begins.This Company will furnish now an envelope witha different paragraph on "tithing" printed on theback of the 52 envelopes for the year. Here are a fewsample paragraphs of what we mean."Origen, Cyprian, Augustine and other 'ChurchFathers'tell us that the church of the first centurypracticed tithing. Such statements as this are foundin their writings, 'For tithes are required, and whohas been unwilling to give them has 'been guilty of"The Scriptural Basis for the TitheCommended by Abraham Gen. 14Continued by Jacob Gen. 28Confirmed by Moses Lev. 27Commended by Jesus :23"Matt. 23"Covetousness the Great Sin of the ChurchThe love of money and the things money can buy hasproved the undoing of more Christians than any onesin. God says that 'The love of money is the root ofallThis deadly sin, stinginess toward God,vanishes when people start tithing."Wouldn't statements like these prove a stimulant to the giver each time he inserted his offeringin the envelope?Please call this to the attention of your officialboard. A postal card will bring you the information,samples and prices of this service.(N.B. This is not a paid advertisement.)Lesson Helps for the Week of December, 19 1954C. Y. P. U. TOPICfor December 19, 1954by Rev. D. Howard ElliottTHE ELEVENTH COMMANDMENTPsalmsJohn 13:34107: verses 1-6, page 264116: verses 1-4, page 28289: verses 1, 5-7, page 21626: verses 1-5, page 61"A new commandment I give unto you,That ye love one another; as I haveloved you, that ye also love oneJudge Gary was the man who formedthe United States Steel Company out ofthe Carnegie Steel Company. He was aman of high moral character. He was theleader among the steel executives of thenation. When there came to be manysteel companies in the country, theowners would meet with Judge Gary inNew York to discuss their problems together. Theywould meet around a greattable at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Therewould be the best liquors possible on theDecember 1, 1954table, but one who was there said thatin all the meetings they had there, notonce was that liquor ever touched, nota man ever took a drop.One time Judge Gary opened the meeting by demanding, "How many commandments are there?" No one answeredfor a little and finallyThe Judge persued the subject until fione said"Ten."nally Rufus King, a Presbyterian Elder,and head of Jones and Laughlin SteelCompany of Pittsburgh said, "There areeleven commandments. 'A new commandment I give unto you that ye love oneanother.' "Then Judge Garywent onfrom there to speak on the subject oflove applied in business life.In a way, it is a misnomer to call itthe "Eleventh Commandment." In realityit is the Second Commandment accordingto Jesus' own words, "and the secondis like unto it, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.' "Jesus in speaking the words of the textwas speaking to His disciples alone, justafter Judas had left them in the upperroom at the last supper. You might thinkthat such a commandment were superfluous. Didn't they naturally love oneanother? We must conclude that love isnot always found where we might expectit.Each of us is a born lover. It seems tobe a part of our make-up to love something. But what we love makes up oneof the great differences between people.And what we love reveals what our character is. We can love evil things as wellas good things. The chief object of lovethat can be considered evil is the love ofselffor some are lovers of selves morethan lovers of God. It is right to loveself, but only after other loves are putfirst. Some are lovers of pleasure, wealth,honor, etc. which only reveals that theylove self first and are not seeking first theKingdom of God.Why should we love one another? (1) Itis the example of God. "God is love.""For God so loved the world that He345

another."gave His only begotten Son. . . And weare told to be like our Father in heaven.(2) It is the command of God. ". .. as Ihave loved you, that ye also love oneanother."(3) It is a source of joy andhappiness. This is not true of all kindsof love for the love of anything else firstin the place of God is sin, and sin isthe cause of misery and unhappiness. Butthis kind of love, first to God, and thento the brethren, creates lasting peace andjoy. It creates happy relationships, "Loveworketh no ill to hisneighbor."It is aforce opposed to selfishness and selfishness is the source of all evil and misery.(4) It is a means of overcoming problemsand troubles. "Perfect love casteth outlaw.""Love is the fulfilling of thefear."(5) It is a sign of discipleship, "Bythis shall all men know that ye are mydisciples, if ye have love one toWhat kind of love is it expected to be?Christ said, "as I have lovedyou."Hislove was an eternal love, without end.There is much superficial love or ficklelove today. One small incident betweenbrethren may change the whole face ofsome so-called loves, but that is notChrist's kind of love. Christ's love was anunmerited lovebestowed upon those utterly unworthy to have it by their ownmerits. We are to love more than justthose who love us, or those who dothings that please us. Love is not to bebased just on the action or character ofthe other party. If that were Christ's kindof love, we would all be without it.Christ's love was a sacrificial love. Anyreal love is sacrificial which is the puttingChrist's love was an unlimited love. Thisof others ahead of ourselves. Andis the kind of love we are to have towardour brethren.What does it mean to love the brethren? (1) It is to consider the other person's interests and welfare equal to ourown. It means careful consideration given to the other .person, his needs, ideas,etc. "Thou shalt love thy neighbor asthyself."(2) It means being glad inanother's blessings not envious. When abrother gets ahead of us in honor, wealth,position, if we love him we will rejoicerather than be jealous and peevish astoo many people seem to be. (3) It meansoverlooking faults in others even as wehope they will overlook ours. It is a sincere attempt to practice the golden rule."Forbearing one another in love." Wewill keepour irritations to ourselves andnot parade the faults of our brethren.(4) It means not striking back when weare offendedeliminating the spirit ofrevenge. "Dearly beloved, avenge notyourselves . . . Vengeanceis mine, I willrepay, saith the Lord." (5) It means seeking the company and fellowship of ourbrethren because that is what love does tous, attracts us to each other. (6) It meanspraying for one another.346JUNIOR TOPICDecember 19, 1954JOSEPH, a Type of CHRISTMrs. M. K. CarsonScripture references given below.Memory Verse of the Month: Proverbs3:5, 6.Psalms: Memory Psalms of this series.Psalms105:1, 2, 6, page 25755:12, 13, 17, page 14046:1, 6, page 118136:1, 2, 12, 13, page 334One of the beautiful things in thestory of Joseph is that in so many wayshe reminds us of the Lord Jesus Himself.Since in this holiday week we are thinking much of the coming of our Saviour,we shall take as our Junior lesson today,the ways in which Joseph is a type orpicture of the Lord Jesus,who came toearth so many hundreds of years afterJoseph lived and died. There are twentyparallels listed here, perhaps you maythink of others yourselves. The leadermight assign these parallels to differentjuniors the week before the meeting andhave each one reported on. Then at theclose of the meetingallow the juniorsto name as many parallels as they canfrom memory. In case this lesson in itsentirety might prove too difficult forthe smaller juniors, or too lengthy, twoBible puzzles are included for the sake ofvariety. The aim of the lesson should beto impress on the minds of the juniorsthe remarkable likeness between Joseph,one of the most lovable of the Bible characters, and our Lord Jesus, the One altogether lovely.(All of the Joseph References are inGenesis.)1. Joseph was the well-beloved son ofhis father. 37:3Jesus was the well-beloved Son of HisFather. Matthew 3:172. Joseph's father sent him, but he wasentirely willing to go. 37:13Heavenly Father sent Him, butHe was entirely willing to go. JohnJesus'17:53. Joseph's brothers did not believe inhim. 37:8aJesus'John 7:5brethren did not believe in Him.4. Joseph's brothers hated him without acause. 37:5, 9Jesus was hated without a cause. John15:255. Joseph's brothers plotted against him.37:19, 20brethren, the Jews, plottedJesus'against Him. Luke 20:13-146. Joseph was sold by his brothers fortwentyJesus was sold by a disciple for thirtypieces of silver. Matt. 26:15pieces of silver. 37:287. An innocent goat was killed to hide thesin of Joseph's, brothers. 37:31-34Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, waskilled to hide our sin. John 1:298. Joseph was accused of wrong he didnot do. 39:13-18Jesus was falselyaccused. Matt. 26:59-659. Joseph went about doing good.Jesus went about doinggood. Acts 10:3810. Joseph was forgotten by the butlerwhom He had helped. 40:23Jesus is forgotten by many whom Hehas helped. Luke 17:1711. Joseph was taken from prison by theking. 41:4Jesus was raised from the dead bythe Kingof glory. Eph. 1:19-2012. Joseph was given all power in Egypt.41:42-44Jesus is given all .power in heavenand earth. Matt. 28:1813. Joseph was in favor with God andman. 39:2-6Jesus was in favor with God andman. Luke 2:5214. Joseph saved much people alive. 50:20Jesus saves "whosoever3:16will."John15. Joseph knew all about his brothers.42:33Jesus knew what was in man. John2:2416. Joseph's brothers bowed to him andworshiped as the dream had foretold. 44:14; 50:18; 37:7-8Every knee shall bow to Jesus as itwas prophesied. Romans 14:1117. Joseph forgave his brothers. 45:4-5Jesus forgives all who confess theirsin. I John 1:918. Joseph prepared a place for hisbrothers near him. 47:11-12Jesus prepares a place for us thatwhere He is, we may be also. John14:219. Joseph's familyEgypt because of him. 45:16-20was accepted inWe are "accepted in the Beloved"Son. Eph. 1:620. Joseph is the onlycharacter in theBible of whom no sin is recorded.Jesus did no sin. I Peter 2:21-22Set down in order the first letter of thequestions. Theanswers to the followingresult will be the name of a famous Biblecharacter. Who is he?1. Who lived for three days inside agreat fish?2. From what citycome? Genesis 41:45did Joseph's wife3. Who was Joseph's great-grandmother?4. Who sold his birth-right for a bowlof soup?COVENANTER WITNESS

sky."leluiah, the Lord God omnipotent reign-(Revelation 19:6).eth!"angels,"pleased"origin"us"angels'5. To whom did the Midianites sellJoseph?6. In what place did Laban live?Genesis 29:4Here is a puzzle in Bible numbers.Multiplythe number of chapters inGenesis by the number of the sons ofIsaac (Gen. 25:24-26); add the age ofIsaac when he married Rebekah (Gen. 25:20) ; divide by the number of years offamine in Egypt (Gen. 41:30); add thenumber of years that Jacob lived inEgypt (Gen. 47:28); multiply by thenumber of sons of Noah; subtract thenumber of "forbidden" trees in the gardenof Eden. The result is the age of Josephat his death.For your Note bookWrite down six ways in which Josephwas a type of Christ.SABBATH SCHOOL LESSONDecember 19, 1954by Rev. Joseph A. Hill(Lessons based an International Sunday SchoolLessons : the International Bible Lessons forChristian Teaching, copyrighted by tbe InternationalCouncil of Kelieiou? Education.'GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHESTLesson Material: Psalm 148; Matthew1:18-25; Luke 2:1-20.Printed Text: Psalm 148:1-3, 11-13;Matthew 1:18-25Memory Verse: Psalm 96:6 "O come,let us worship and bow down: let uskneel before the Lord our Maker.""Hallelujah! praise the Lord" is thehighest expression of the Church's worship. God is the center of the Church'slife, and the glory of God is the purposeof the Church's religion. The theme of alltrue praise is gloria in excelsisglory[to God] in the highest. So many of thehymns sung in the churches are pitchedin the low key of human interest andsentiment, whereas the Psalms excel inthe loftiest conception of praise, Soli deogloriaglory to God alone! Praise is agift of God's grace, part of "the inheritance of the saints in light." The gloriesdoes not arise out of the natural heartof man; it is impossible without faith tosing to the glory of God, or even to understand this Hallelujah:"From heav'n O praise the LordYe heights, His glory raise.All angels, praise accord;Let all His host give praise.Praise Him on high,Sun, moon and star,Ye heav'ns afarAnd cloudyThe true response to this ancient gloriais the anthem which the angels sang overthe fields of Ephrata to honor the arrivalof the Son of God on earth: "Glory toGod in the highest, And on earth peaceamong men in whom he is well(Luke 2:14). Thus, redemption is theground of all true praise, and the gloriousHallelujah must be the believer's constant response to God's redeeming gracein Jesus Christ. The prophetic gloria ofthe psalmist has its highest fulfilmentin the birth of the Son of God in Bethlehem, and its highest expression in thelife of the the song of redemption which he sings is in some respectsmore glorious than the doxologyangels.of thePsalm 148 is a call to all creation, inheaven and earth, to join in a concert ofpraise, exalting the name of Jehovah because of the honor which He has bestowed on His people. God had gatheredHis people together in Jerusalem againafter delivering them from the exile inBabylon. This deliverance is a type orsample of the deliverance wrought byJesus Christ. "The church appears here asthe.choir-leader of the universe. It knowsthat its experiences have a central anduniversal significance for the whole lifeofcreation"(F. Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms, 1949, Wm. B.Eerdmans Publishing Co., Vol. Ill, p.405).Paul tells us that because of sin "thewhole creation groaneth and travailethin pain together," and that all creationearnestlyawaits the dawn of eternalglory (Romans 8:19-22). All non-humancreatures (except the angels) werebrought under the curse of sin, and sodeath and decay are apparent all aroundus in natural things. Redemption, accordingly, embraces all creation, especially God's people, but also natural things.Hence all creation is called upon toglorify God in praise of His redeemingpower. Angels and stars,sea monsters andoceans, fire and hail, snow and vaporand winds, mountains and hills,fruittrees and cedars, wild beasts and cattle,creeping things and winged birds, kingsand .princes and judges, young men andmaidens and old menand beings must singpraise of the gloryall created thingstogether to theof His grace: "HalSince redemption provides the groundand possibility of all praise to God, thehighest praise is sung when the Redeemeris born into the world. Even before thechoral annunciation of the angels to theshepherds, we hear the lyrical utteranceof Mary who praised God for her Saviour, yet unborn: "My soul doth magnifythe Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced inGod my Saviour . . (Luke 1:46-55).There is no possibility of God-glorifying praise apart from the truth of Christ'sincarnation. The incarnation is implicitlydenied by those who deny the virgin birthof Jesus. Of course, the virgin birth isa monstrosity if Jesus was not the divineSon of God. Prof. James Orr says, "Fora naturalistic Christ you do not need asupernatural(Charles Scribner'sSons, 1912, The Virgin Birth of Christ).For an ordinary human Jesus you needonly an ordinary human birth, but ifJesus is "the Word made flesh," a mirac^ulous birth is the only thing that willaccount for His advent into the world.The Bible teaching that Jesus Christwas conceived by the .power of the HolySpirit in the womb of the Virgin Maryis denied by all who regard Jesus merelyas a human being. The record of the gospel (Matthew 1:18-25) is regarded as amyth. But if the Bible has allowed amyth to enter at this point, then theauthority of the Bible as a whole is gone.If the Bible cannot be relied upon torelate the true facts concerning the birthof Christ, then it cannot be relied upon torelate the truth concerning His ministry,death and resurrection.To the writers of the gospels, the "momentous event, around which everythingelse turns and to which everything elsepoints, is the fact that Jesus was bornof the virgin Mary in the town of Bethlehem"(Ned B. Stonehouse, The Witnessof Luke to Christ, 1953, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., p. 48). But if noexplanation of such an unique event wereoffered, it would be unintelligible. Sothere is a divine revelation accompanying the virgin birth, which serves to expound its true significance. Matthew especially sees the virgin birth as the fulfilment of the divine revelation of theOld Testament: "Now all this was done,that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,Behold, a virgin shall be with child, andshall bring forth a son, and they shallcall his name Emmanuel, which beinginterpreted, is, God with (Matthew1:22-23). This declaration, however, ispart of the announcement made by theangel of the Lord to Joseph before thearrival of the child Jesus. The angel'sdeclaration concerning the coming eventis also a divine revelation, of equal valueand authority with that spoken by theprophet Isaiah (7:14), which expoundedthe significance of the advent of Jesus.The angel's annunciation was a contemporary prophetic message pointing tothe "immanent manifestation of the divine presenceand power through thebirth of the son of Mary" (Stonehouse,ibid.'). This contemporary announcementis itself a preaching of the gospel, a publication of the glad tidings of Jesus Christ(compare Luke 1:19; 2:10).Because God has wrought redemptionfor His people in the person of JesusChrist, we who have found in Him aSaviour may sing glorious praise toHim in response to the Hallelujah: "Glory to God in the highest." 347December 1, 1954

you". .thyevil"stumble."prosper."PRAYER MEETING TOPICDecember 22, 1954GREAT PROMISES IN ISAIAH:The Church as a Watered Garden,Isaiah 58:10-11.Comments by Rev. James D. CarsonPsalms:1:1-4, page 122:10-12, page 5196:3, 4, page 232102: 7-10, page 241References:Jeremiah 17:7, 8; Numbers 24:5, 6;Jeremiah 31:12; Proverbs 11:28."If a person, a family, a people, bethus disposed to every thing that isgood let them know for their comfortthat they shall find God their bountifulrewarder and what they layout inworks of charity shall be abundantlymade up to them." (Matthew Henry)We shall always be the winners for putting God first in every thought and activity. "But seek ye first the kingdomof God and his righteousness, and allthese things shall be added unto(Matthew 6:33).It would be to state only half of thetruth if we were to neglect stating thebasis on which this promise is made.The advocates of the social gospel wouldhave us believe that these promisesare for them to claim, since they minister in the name of the church. Butwhen we turn to see the conditionsunder which these promises are given,we must revise our thinking, and wemust limit the number of those whoreceive these promiseshave fulfilled these conditions.to those whoThe prophet Isaiah was sent to tellthese people of the fact that God wasnot being fooled by all of their outwardform of religion. God searcheth andtrieth the hearts of men,and eventhough we may seemingly fool ourselvesfor a time, God knows our hearts. Inthe first verse he states the commissionwhich he had received to tell thesepeople of their true condition beforeGod.Their problem seemed to be that theyseparated religion from every day living.They were one-day-a-week people, obeying the commands of God outwardly inregard to fast days, keeping up theirdevotional life because it was expectedof them, but their hearts were not inthe service. They were doing it becauseof the pleasant associations connectedwith these things. And because of that,their sacrifice was not wanted by theLord.Herein we find a warningfor allChristian people. What is the purposeof our worship? Are we doing it for348the sake of Him who died for us androse again? If we attend to Christianduties for reasons other than this, weare missing the mark. The prophet continues his condemnation by pointing out.specific ways in which they were transgressing the law of God. Then he givesthe true definition of the fast days.They were to apply their religion totheir business activity. While on theone hand they were piously seeking forgiveness from God, they were exacting all they could from their businessassociates.One is reminded of the prayer we alltoo often repeat instead of pray: "Forgive us our debts as we forgive ourdebtors."What a horrible condition wewould be in if God answered our prayer,and we were forgiven only to the measure that we forgive others! This wasthe sin of the Jews, showingon theoutside the acts of a religious life, butinwardly lacking the real heart relationship. Claims are made that churchattendance and membership are at anall time high, but judging from dailynews, we wonder what effect thatchurch membershipmakes in the livesof many. Is it only social? Is it an attempt to buy salvation by good works?Whatever the reason, God knows thehearts of those who worship sincerely.And the prophet gives this wonderful promise to those who follow thesecommands, and who, having ears, hearthe message of Jehovah to them. "Thenshall thy light break forth as the morn.ing righteousness shall ero beforethee; the glory of the Lord shall bethy rereward . . . and the Lord shall guidethee continually. . . and thou shalt belike a watered garden, and like a springnot."of water, whose waters failFirst of all, the promise of light ina dark world. "But the path of the justis as the shining light, that shineth moreand more unto the perfect day. The wayof the wicked is as darkness: they knownot at what they(Proverbs4:18-19) Darkness is the way of wickedness, and "men loved darkness ratherthan light, because their deeds were(John 3:19). Men are afraid oflight, because theydirt and filth which the light will makeare afraid of themanifest. But the Christian is one whoby the grace of God is willing to havethat dirt, which is sin, uncovered, andforgiven by the shed blood of JesusChrist. No individual, no church, willever prosper by covering sin, but onlyby confessing and forsaking it. "He thatcovereth his sins shall not prosper: butwhoso confesseth and forsaketh themshall havemercy"(Proverbs 28:13).Secondly, the promise of protection.Whatever direction we shall look, thereis God's protection over us. The children of Israelexperienced this typeof thing when they left Egypt. Behindthem were the armies of the Pharaoh,and before them the sea, and if theyhad had eyes to see, they would haveseenthe righteousness and glory ofGod protecting them before and behind.But instead theycomplained. The individual and the church too often lookat the physical forces around themwithout consideringthe spiritual protection. "When a man's ways please theLord, he maketh even his enemies to beat peace with him" (Proverbs 16:7).Thirdly, there is the promise of guidance. How essential that is to the happiness of the individual and of the church.It is only when we seek our own sinfulways that we find sorrow and trouble."There is a waywhich seemeth rightunto a man, but the end thereof arethe ways of death" (Proverbs 14:12).But when we are guided by the Lord,the end result will be happiness andpeace. The Lord will guide us in thoseways which will result in our benefitAnd fourthly, there is the promise ofeverlastingpeace. A garden is a placeof peace. A garden with a spring isespecially nice, for there is the assurance of continued growth in the garden. It is the promise of nourishment.We are reminded of the 1st Psalm:"But his delight is in the law of theLord, and in his law doth he meditateday and night. And he shall be as atree, planted by the rivers of water,that bringeth forth his fruit in hisseason; his leaf also shall not wither;and whatsoever he doeth shallThis lesson concludes our study in theseries of Great Promises in Isaiah.Perhaps the most important lesson ofall is that we must be quick to recognize and admit of the sin of our heartsand turn to the Lord. "God resisteth theproud, and giveth grace to the humble"(I Peter 5:5).PRAYER SUGGESTIONS1. That God may make real to thehearts of people the world over themessage of the cominginto the world.of the Saviour2. That the Spirit of God may use the"ThanksgivingtoChristmas"readings to convict men of sin.Bible3. That our church may be willing toadmit of sinfulness, and that we willturn to God.If all our misfortunes were laid in onecommon heap, whence everyone musttake an equal portion, most people wouldbe content to take their own and depart.Solon.COVENANTER WITNESS

ARE YOU GETTING DIZZY?Reading our News Briefs, I mean.They do remind one of the homemademerry-go-round that we used to ridein the vacant lot. The circle is sosmall you pass the same point so often,and when you are through reading themall you sometimes wonder, where haveyou been? The Editor accepts full responsibility for the result we have nowobtained. The purpose of the presentsystem was first of all that we wouldreduce our news space. We felt thatfour pages at the most would be sufficient to satisfy those who liked thenews best of all; and there are someand probably too many that read thatnews section only.We still want tosatisfy them but the system seems tohave outgrown its limits and that isbecause you have just adapted the oldsystem to the new. Correspondentswrote as though a small space assignedto their congregation would be an evidence of inferiority and consequentlythey sent enough to fill as much spaceas before.The second object in using the presentmethod was to have everything up todate as close as possible and nothingheld over from one week to the next.Here again the news space has outgrownitself and we have items left over fromweek to week as we did before.The main object in the present systemwas that we should have only items ofimportance as soon after they happenedas possible and we did not feel that thecongregations would have more thanthree or four events in a week worthyof record. We mean worthyof nationwide note. Some have felt they weredoing their duty toward this departmentif they sent us their monthly bulletinto select from, and this has the difficulty that the items at the first of thebulletin are at least six weeks old before they reach our reader public andthe congregation that they concern hasalready received them two or threeweeks ahead. But that system is a lazyman's way, to put it bluntly, and isquite unsatisfactory to the Editor here.A fourth difficulty isthat some feltthat if they only have a few itemsthat theyshould lengthen the comments so that our space would be occupied, but we always have had plentyof material of other kinds that wouldbe more profitable spiritually than inflated news. There is a tendency tooto sendus the items you would sendDecember 1, 1954for a small town paper where the editor wants to give you proper prominencebut there is not the freshness that thetown paper can furnish because whatyou send to them is printed within theweek that you write it.Have people been satisfied? We havehad many favorable comments but wehave found some who dislike the present system, although at first it didaccomplish the limitations of space andthe limitation of items that were considered important enough for the national distribution. As was said above thisoriginal aim seems to have been forgotten. It was an improvement for thetime, but has ceased to be an improvement and the number of dissatisfied hasbeen growing. We do not want anyone tofeel the criticisms we make here are personally aimed. We have all due respectfor the missionary societies; we feelthey have a right to space and we wantyou to have space but with 80 missionarysocieties to publish their leaders,their devotional leaders, the missionaryprogram leaders, etc., etc., it seems alittle unfair to burden the paper withthese leaders whose names will notremain in the minds of the reader ofthe Witness.Now your fickle editor is going tochange the system again, back to theold one if we can attain the aim wehad in mind at first. Beginning withJanuary 1 and thereafter we will continue to put all items of your congregation together in one spot, but please,please, PLEASE make them fresh; wemean recent. We feel from one to threeinches in a week is sufficent from anyone congregation. We do not want todiscourage folks in writing or reading.Where the congregation has but oneitem we will continue to use the NewsBriefs system but where it ismorethan two inches we shall put your itemstogether and those who wish to skipyour locality can do so but I think theywill not if the space occupied is brief. Iam askingagain for your cooperationto make this part of our paper interesting, important, satisfying and worthwhile.This is about the onlypaper I findamong our exchanges that takes anyaccount of the life or death of anybodyless than an elder but we are a smallgroup and we still want ours to be afamily letter.Don't criticize the editor if he turnsin a two page article occupying toomuch space. That privilege is a partof his annual salary and he lacks thatsoul of wit brevity.Well, let's try it for awhile anyway.D.R.T.HOT SPRINGS: Licentiate W. W.Weir ably assisted in ourSpring Communion services. It was good to hear ofthe progressof our Cyprus AmericanAcademy. While with us, Mr. Weir was aguest speaker at aRotary noon-dayluncheon.MORNING SUN: Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Sanderson filled the pulpit the evening of October 24;she was the speakerat the joint Thank-offering meeting ofSHARON and MORNING SUN. OrlenaLynn and her mother of the Chicago congregation visited Mrs. McMurtryand Orlena showed slides of Japan one evening.NEWBURGH: On October 5, the W.M.S. packed their annual boxes for Selmaand Oklahoma. A birthday party was heldafter the meeting, in honor of one of ourmost faithful members, Miss Martha G.Henderson. Hostessess for the eveningwere Mrs. Irene Coutant and Mrs. E. D.Mclllwee.Rev. Willard McMillan preached at thepreparatory services of the WILKINSBURG congregation for the fall communion, held October 24. Because of his owncongregation'sCovenant-signing serviceon Sabbath morning Mr. McMillan couldnot be with us then, but on Sabbath evening he preached a stirringsermon on"Continuing Steadfastly in the Apostles'Doctrine."Our pastor led in the communion service, while Dr. R. J. G. McKnight brought the table address.HOT SPRINGS: As a Post-Easter vacation, Boyd A. and Dr. Edna W. White,and Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Cunninghamvisited friends and relatives in California.It was a real pleasure to visit ourchurches in Phoenix, Santa Ana, SgnDiego, and to share in Communion servivesin Los Angeles. On the returntripthey visited Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon,the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forrest. Miss Elizabeth Weeks, formerly ofour Mission in China, returned with themfor a visit in Hot Springs.Zenas Robert McMurtry was born Oct.31, 1894, and died August 16, 1954 atthe age of 59, 9 mo., 15 days. Funeralwas held at MORNING SUN. He was anelder for twenty years, and was a veryfine bass singer in the choir.NEWBURGH: The W.M.S. Thank Orferingmeeting was held onWednesday,November 10 with Miss Orlena Lynn asspeaker. Coldenham folks joined with usfor this meeting. A mostinteresting andinspiring message was given to us byMiss Lynn.349

Participating in the special serviceconnected with the signing of the BriefCovenant by the WILKINSBURG congregation were Dr. T. C. McKnight, Dr.R. J. G. McKnight and Dr. S. BruceWillson. This service was held on theSabbath following the communion season.DENVER: Communion services wereheld October 28-31 by the pastor withoutan assistant. Four names were added tothe roll two by certificate from theMethodist church and two by certificatefrom Phoenix and Winchester congregations.GENEVA: Our Annual Thankofferingmeeting was held on November 17. Wemade the evening a family affair with acovered dish dinner preceding the meeting. Mrs. George Coleman and Mrs. William Garrett are hostesses for this part ofthe program. After adjournment to theupstairs, the serious part of the programwas conducted by Mrs. Stewart McCready, Thankoffering Superintendent ofthe Lillian McCracken Missionary Society. The Junior band led by Mrs. Lucille Henry and Mrs. J. B. Willson sangseveral Psalms and recited verses. Theguests of the evening, Kenneth and Marjorie Sanderson, told us of their work inSyria, especially the high-school agegroup and how the Lord was leadingpeople to becomemore of these younginterested in their Soul's Salvation.ALLEGHENY: The Annual ThankOffering Service of the Women's Missionary Society of the Allegheny Congregation was combined with the EveningWorship Service on Sabbath November14. Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Sanderson onfurlough from our Mission in Syria werethe guest speakers. They also spoke thatafternoon at The Reformed PresbyterianAged People's Home.BLOOMINGTON: Communion services were held Sabbath, November 7, withthe Rev. Ken Smith of the Central Pittsburgh Congregation assisting. We feel wehave benefited greatly from the messagesbrought by Rev. Smith. Mrs. Charles B.Cooper was accepted into the membershipof the Church and communed withus. The Sacrament of Baptism was administered to Thomas Michael, son ofMr. and Mrs. Russell Kennedy, andCharles Randall, son of Mr. and Mrs.Charles B. Cooper, Sabbath, November14.SANTA ANA: Friends across thechurch will be interested to know that J.Gordon Betts, noted Camp Manager, hasbeen in Surgery Department of the Hospital this week, and is making good recovery, hopinggiving.350to be home for ThanksThe HOT SPRINGS 1954 D.V.B.S.was its largest and, in some ways itsbest. Although not a Crusaders' Year, wewere successful in gaining the services ofMiss Martha Caskey and Miss GeorgiaWilson of Geneva and Mr. Armour McFarland of the Seminary. This was Armour's third D.V.B.S. year here; andthe group welcomed him "Armour,"as,their friend and capable leader. Havinga third helper made possible an addedgroup in the school. The attendanceranged from 40-50. Recently, a RomanCatholic boy told his Buddy, "Youought to go to the White Chapel VacationBible School. It's the best in town; andMr. White will pick you up in his Station Wagon." The Buddyagreed he wouldlike to go. Our prayers are for "Georgia,"in Geneva, for "Armour" in the Seminary, and for "Martha" in her teaching inTopeka; and for Robert Gross, MedicalStudent in Philadelphia, who was with usduring the D.V.B.S., and helped much inthe Church activities.MORNING SUN: Communion services and Signing of the Covenant was inOctober. Wilbur Weir was the able assistant, and spoke to both Sharon andMorning Sun churches in the evening. Apasser by was heard to say when he sawhere."the cars, "They really go to churchNEWBURGH: Our Fall CommunionServices were held on Friday, October 15and Sabbath, October 17. We were privileged to have Rev. J. Paul Wilson ofVermont bringus the messages at thistime. Due to Hurricane Hazel, few wereable to be out at the Friday eveningservices which were started by candlelight,the service began. However it was reas the electric power was off whenstored before the end of the service. Atthe Sabbath evening service, SamuelBrown,(infant son of our pastor andwife, Rev. and Mrs. Charles Sterrett) wasbaptized by Rev. Wilson.BLOOMINGTON: The annual Thank-Offering Service was held Friday, November 19 at the Church. A basket dinnerwas served to members and their friends.The two missionarysocieties joined inpresenting a play, "The Second Mile."Special music was provided by childrenof the Sabbath School,Mrs. Roy Blackwood.conducted byThe Rev. and Mrs. D. C. Ward, of ourIndian Mission, were with us in HOTSPRINGS to assist in the Communionand Covenant signing services, October31. They made a two weeks stay, andtook hot mineral water baths and treatments. Their visit was most helpful andencouragingto our "LittleFlock."DENVER: The Mitchels have returnedfrom a recent vacation in eastern andcentral Kansas and Nebraska visitingrelatives and a host of friends.MORNING SUN: Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Royer, Francis, Bruce and Jr. droveto Washington, D. C, to attend the wedding of their daughter Janet to DonaldJudd, at the Arlington, Virginia, BaptistChurch. They are living at 5424 Southeighth Road, Arlington, Va.NEWBURGH: The Semi-annual Congregational Business Meeting was held onWednesday evening, October 20. A raiseof $300 was voted our pastor at this time.A recent Family Night at WILKINSBURG was sponsored by the C.Y.P.U.An abundant basket dinner was enjoyed,followed by a clever and relaxing program by the young people.DENVER: Our W.M.S. Thank Offering service will be held Thanksgivingmorning in connection with the annualbreakfast. Mrs. WalterThanksgivingIkenberry, our Thanksgiving Superintendent, will have charge of the Thank Offering service.HOT SPRINGS: Mrs. Tillie M. Henn'spresence among us was very helpful. Shefaithfully attended our church services,taught a S. S. Class, in the absence ofthe teacher; and the evening before leaving here she led the prayer meeting.Though 83, she is fruitful in service forher Lord. At her daughter's home inAmarillo, Texas, she suffered a "stroke."Later she was flown by ambulance planeto her son's home in Blanchard, Iowa. Weare praying for her recovery.The Annual Reception and OpenHouse at the REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARYwill be held Friday, November 19 at8 P.M. Allegheny Congregation will havecharge of the refreshments this year.MORNING SUN: Rev. J. E. McElroyattended the Keswick Midwest at theMoody Memorial church in Chicago; healso visited his sister Elizabeth who isattending Moody Bible Institute. Her address is Immanuel Women's Home, 1511North La Salle St., Chicago 10, 111.NEWBURGH: We were happy tohave Dr. and Mrs. Julius A. Kempf visitwith us onSabbath, September 26. Dr.Kempf brought a brief message to thechildren in our Sabbath School.The MONTCLAIR W.M.S. held theirannual Thank Offering dinner and meeting on November 5. A delicious hamdinner was served by the committee:Mrs. N. Hagmann and Mrs. AdolphVoss, assisted by Mr. Thomas Slater,and waitresses, the Misses Faith McBurney, Jean and Diane Messa, Graceand Jane Small. Mrs. Harry Hunter, theT. O. Superintendent, led the devotionalperiod and introduced the speaker, MissOrlena Lynn, who gave aninterestingCOVENANTER WITNESS

and informative talk on her work in Japan and showed slides illustrating manypoints of interest.After a visit with friends at Mars, withher children and grandchildren nearPittsburgh, and a few days in the boundsof the WILKINSBURG CONGREGATION, Mrs. C. P. Anderson has returnedto the home of her daughter and familyin East Lansing, Michigan. Mrs. Anderson is always welcome in the home congregation!ALLEGHENY: The annual Thanksgiving Day Worship Service will be inAllegheny Church, Thursday, November25 at 10:30 A.M. The Central-PittsburghCongregation will unite with us in thisservice. Their pastor, the Rev. KennethG. Smith will preach the sermon.The followingattended Grinnell fromour HOT SPRINGS Congregation: elderand Mrs. A. H. Cunningham, Boyd A.and Dr. Edna W. White and Miss KayMitchell. Robert Gross went with theWhite's and helped greatly with the driving. En route, the White's spent the weekend in Stafford, and the Cunningham'sand Kay Mitchell in Kansas City. Following Grinnell the Cunninghams visitedrelatives in Ohio. The White Party returned via Colorado, and visited friendsand relatives in Greeley and Denver overthe week-end. They also visited Covenanter friends in Pueblo, the John McCrory family, Mr. W. S. Dill in Alamosa,and the Dr. John Dale Russells in SantaFe.MORNING SUN: Promotion exercisesheld in October promoted five girls to theYoung People's class taught by Mrs.Honeyman. Other teachers in the SabbathSchool are: Rev. Patterson, Rev. McElroy, Ralph Wilson, Alma Dickson, loneHutcheson, Latha McElhinney, and OliveBaird. Junior S.S. Superintendent is Jessie Hutcheson, and Ellen Armstrong isSuperintendent of S. S.We anticipate a full attendance at theof theannual Thankoffering meetingWILKINSBURG W.M.S. and Y.P.M.S.Dinner is to be served at 6:30, followedby our special guests, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Sanderson, of Latakia, Syria.BLOOMINGTON: Our congregationfeels it has been very fortunate in havingDr. and Mrs. Dale Russel of Santa Fe,New Mexico, with us for a month's visitthis fall. Dr. Russell is Executive Secretary of the Financial Board of the StateSupported Institutions of Higher Education in New Mexico. He is an elder inthe congregation at Truth or Consequences. During the time the Russels werehere, Dr. Russell conducted the SabbathSchool class for the senior adults.December 1, 1954MORNING SUN: Mr. J. J. McElroyaccompanied Elizabeth and Sandra McElroy to Topeka. He also visited at Quinter and Waukeeny, Kans. and returnedhere with his daughter Mrs. Reah Mathews of Hemet, Calif.Among our spring and summer visitorsin HOT SPRINGS, were Mr. and Mrs.John Park, and Miss Eleanor Boyd ofMontclair; elder Robert J. Crawford ofPhiladelphia ; Mrs. Mary Everett and herdaughters'families, the Randalls andWallaces. Glenn and Yvonne Wallace returned here from Beaver Falls, and havesince returned to California.GENEVA: Our triplets, Lois, Paul andBoyd Hemphill celebrated their eighthbirthday on November 1. Theychildren of Wendell and Mabelare the(McCready) Hemphill who have recentlymoved to a farm. Their children take anactive part in the Junior band.TheHemphills have two older boys, Richardand David.MORNING SUN: Jimmy Dunn wason a demonstration team at the IowaState Fair that received a Blue Ribbon.Young folks attending college are LloydBaird, Iowa University, Iowa City, whois out for football; Marilyn Todd asophomore at Teachers College, CedarFalls, Iowa, and Gwendolyn Wilsonsophomore at Iowa State College, Ames,Iowa.NEWBURGH: On Sabbath, October10, Rev. Sterrett assisted in Communionat Beaver Falls, Pa.HOT SPRINGS: In late August andearly September Mr. and Mrs. JamesLucas visited relatives in Sterling, Idanaand Winchester. This was their first visitsince coming to Hot Springs nearly tenyears ago. Since Albert Lucas has beentransferred from Chanute Field, 111., toWalker Field, Roswell, N. Mex., he frequently visits his parents.On the eveningof November 8 theWINKINSBURG Y.P.M.S., assisted bythe Blue Banner Club, entertained atthe Home on Perrysville Avenue. Bothparticipants and audience enjoyed a humorous skit, also a musical story reminiscent of the various stages in the life ofthe reader, entitled "Memories." The audience enjoyed joining in the singing ofseveral familiar songs. Then all gatheredabout the small tables to enjoy refreshments of sandwiches, cookies and coffee.The evening activities closed with a devotional time led by our pastor, Dr. T.C. McKnight. It was an evening of goodfellowship with our friends of The Home.MORNING SUN: Mrs. Howard Hensleigh is a regular attender at servicesagain after having spent manymonths inthehospital with a broken arm and leg.Rev. and Mrs. Patterson drove to Orlando, Florida, to live at the home of Mr.Black.ALLEGHENY: The Blue Banner Culbmet at the home of Mr. and Mrs. W. S.Robb on Friday, November 12. The cohostesseswere Mr. and Mrs. R. HowardGeorge.Recent visitors in HOT SPRINGSwere Mr. and Mrs. Howard Boyd of LosAngeles, who brought with them MissLillian McCracken from Phoenix. Theywere present for the fourth Anniversaryof the Dedication of the R. P. WhiteChapel.DENVER: We greatly miss the DarylIkenberry family who have recentlymoved to Colorado Springs. Miss JanetIkenberry has recently come through avery successful operation for appendicitis.Mrs. Lee Rice has just returned to herhome after being in the hospital for thesecond time in a little over three months.She will be confined to her bed for sometime.BLOOMINGTON: The teachers of theSabbath School met with the Superintendent, Mrs. Ray Wampler, and Rev.Roy Blackwood, at the parsonage Monday, November 15, to choose materialfor the Sabbath School for the comingyear. Teachers meetings are being heldperiodically and problems of the SabbathSchool are discussed. The staff and Rev.Blackwood have also been meeting forprayer a few minutes before opening exercises each Sabbath morning. Membersof the congregation and the young people's group have been calling on thoseliving near the Church and extending aninvitation to attend our Sabbath Schooland worship services.NEWBURGH: The semi-annual Sabbath School Teachers meeting was heldat the home of Miss Martha G. Henderson on Friday October 29. Plans weremade for our Christmas Party and forstarting a new S. S. Young Adult Class.This class was started on November 14.Each teacher was given some person inthe Congregation to contact about comingto this class. We trust that those folksspoken to will soon join us, and anyothers who would like to come. There is aclass for all ages and both sexes.MORNING SUN: Clyde McElhinneyrecentlywent to Chicago in his privateplane to see his cattle sell on the market.The Blue Banner group of WILKINSBURG held its November dinner andmeeting in the church dining-room. During the evening the men worked on newtables for the dining-room, while the351

manners."did a neat job of the finishingand painting inside and outside. Now the groundsare landscaped, until the plant as awhole looks like an invitation as youapproach it, and like a welcome whenSEMINARY STUDENTSFirst row: (left to right) Robert Fullerton, Donald McClurkin, Donald Felker, RayJoseph, Armour McFarland.Second Row: Paul Robb, Glenn McFarland, James H. Nye. Robert McCracken.women present planned for the Thankofferingdinner-meeting.In the evening of September 7,theMONTCLAIR W.M.S. had a porch supper at the church, preceding the regularmeeting. It is a rare occasion for one ofour W.M.S. to go away to college, and sowe honored Miss Mary Jane Park beforeshe left for Geneva, and presented herwith a woolen blanket to remind her ofthe warmth of our hearts. On this sameoccasion,birthday cake.we honored Mrs. Slater with aDENVER: Our Junior Society, organized a little over a year ago under thesponsorship of our W.M.S., continuesencouragingly. Mrs. George Killough ourable superintendent is assisted very capably byMrs. Orville Nash.BLOOMINGTON: Members of RobertStone's Sabbath School class and theirfriends attended a chili supper and hayride at Mr. Stone's farm on Saturday,November 13. The group also enjoyedsinging around a campfire, after which ashort devotional period was held. Rev.and Mrs. RoyBlackwood were guests.MORNING SUN: Gwendolyn andWinnifred recently planned asurprisefor their parents Mr. and Mrs. RalphWilson on the occasion of their SilverAnniversary.There are opportunities for employment for Covenanters wishing to maketheir home in this Health Center. The"Teacher's Oath'' is not required in NewMexico. (Hot Springs).352NEWBURGH: Many thanks are dueto Mr. and Mrs. E. D. Mclllwee for keeping our pulpit supplied with flowers eachSabbath.Tuesday, September 7th, was a busyday for the MONTCLAIR W.M.S. Mrs.R.M.C. Ward, daughter of Mrs. T. M.Slater, had invited the women to her homefor a delightful tea in honor of Mrs. Slater's birthday. The W.M.S. presented herwith a white nylon stole.GENEVA: It is graduation time. Twoof our Juniors have been promoted to theYoung People's group. They are KathleenAiken and Nancy Ruth McFarland. Several others are welcomed as new members,David Bell, John Garrett, and MelvinVos.Rev. D. Howard Elliott has declinedthe call of the TOPEKA CONGREGATION to become their pastor.TO THE COVENANTER WITNESSThis is a news item concerning FirstBeaver Falls, but not from anyone associated with the congregation. Thewriter alone is responsible.Among our growing congregations,First Beaver Falls is almost unique inthe manner of its growth; its increasehas never been by receiving membersfrom other congregations in our church.It is a working congregation. Whenthey needed more room, they built itwith their own hands. First, the basement. Then the enlargement of theauditorium and more class rooms. Theyyou enter.They are handicapped in the local"Mission"field forwork by beinglocated in a Christian community ofwell-to-do home-owners. In seeking tobroaden their Sabbath School work, theydid not attempt to start an outlyingMission School, but decided to try transportation. They selected as their fielda Goverr-ment Housing Project. TheYoung People canvassed it and as theysecured scholars, they went out withtheir cars to bring them in. When theysecured enough for a bus, they borrowed one for a while, then bought onethat needed some "fixin," which they didthemselves. Now they have a nice looking bus, on new tires, with a roadworthyengine and gear, a credit tothe name of the Congregation which isbears.Their field proved to be shifting sand,and the time came when in a few weeks,the families of all their children movedout of bounds.For satisfactory use of the bus, theyneeded a field not widely scattered.After somedisappointments, they foundin an outlying valley, a dead-end streetof modest buildings, occupied by homeowners. They had no Church. So FirstBeaver Falls visited every home on thestreet, and secured a bus load of children, whom they take into the heart ofthe congregation, (and into the heartsof the members,) and distribute amongthe regular classes of their SabbathSchool. Some of the parents follow theirchildren in their own cars.These children and parents are offered not only Christian instruction, buta Church Home."I was glad when they said unto me,Let us go into the House of the Lord."W. J. McBurney"The younger generation no longer respects its elders ; it tyrannizes its teachers ;fails to rise when older people enter theroom, and has atrociousThese are the words of a wise old manwho lived over 2,000 years ago Socrates, by name.Quote.COVENANTER WITNESS

LESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 26, 1954VOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1954 NUMBER 23Voices from OldBy Dr. G. Douglas YoungGraves(A Note From Archaeology)Back in the days of Samuel the men of Jabeshin Gilead were besieged by Na'hash the Ammonite.When things looked black for the Israelites in Jabesh, they called to Nahash and asked him to makea covenant with them. Nahash returned with a peculiar answer. He set up a condition for the makingof the covenant. This condition was that all the menof Jabesh allow the Ammonites to put out theirright eyes. The text of Scripture in I Samuel 11:2says that it might be "a reproach upon all Israel."The story goes on to indicate how Saul delivered themen of Jabesh.It would have been a great tragedy for the people of Israel to have had the mark of the enemyplaced upon them. To lose the eye would have beena tragedy, a physical inconvenience. The disgraceattached to this mark of defeat, this mark of theworld, would have produced an even greater tragedy.There are other illustrations, both from theBible and other sources, of such things happening toentire towns. In antiquity a town was responsiblefor a crime perpetrated within its territory. This isseen in the Bible, Deuteronomy 21:1-9. It is wellattested in the ancient non-biblical literature as well.For example, Daniel, a hero of the Ugaritic poemsfrom the fifteenth century B.C., lost his son Aqahtnear the town of Abiluma. Because his son was murdered there he cursed the town as follows :Woe unto thee, City of MournersNear which Aqaht the Hero was smitten !May Baal make thee one-eyedFrom now and unto eternityNow and forevermore !How analogous to our incident from I Samuel 11 :2 !Does it not have spiritual analogies as well ?What a tragedy for the child of God in our dayto 'bear in his body the mark of the world ! Are wecarrying about in our bodies the evidence of defeatby the enemy of man's soul, Satan ? Are there visiblein us evidences of participation in the things of theworld, things which draw us away from the thingsof God and not toward God? Does the world see areflection of its own image in us ? Or does the worldsee Jesus in us ? May God grant that it be true thatwe are bearing about in our bodies the marks of theLord Jesus and not the trademark of this old sincursed world!Northwestern Pilot

war."men."existence."suggGlimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D.The New Sno-BuggyMr. R. G. LeTourneau has produced what he calls aSno-Buggy with tremendously large and wide double tireswhich have exceedingly low per square-inch pressure designed to run over snow fields. Mr. LeTourneau himselfwent into the far north to see this machine tested as itwas driven beyond the Arctic Circle, a few hundred milesfrom the North Pole. Up in that far north the Snow Cap,1000 miles in diameter, the snow has kept building upthrough the years and is possibly several thousand feetdeep in its center. The Sno-Buggy has broken all recordsfor carrying a load over snow easier than any othermachine. It did not find any going that even bothered it.Mr. LeTourneau quotes Psalm 147:16, 17 and adds that"One cannot help but think how God's plan for the Universe is working out 'slow butsure.' "This Sno-Buggy is a remarkable invention, but themore important thought with reference to it is that it maybe a great impetus to the progress of the Gospel in thenorthern areas which have been very difficult of access tomissionaries in the past. Mr. LeTourneau closes his articlein Now with the words: "I am glad that God was willing tobe friends with me, and I have put my life in His hands."Bibles for German RefugeesThe Bible Society Record tells of the gratitude of theGerman refugees for receiving Bibles: "It was recentlyreported that as many as 2,000 people each week werefinding their way across the border into West Germany.This migration has been in process to some degree forseveral years,with the result that there are thousands ofpeople in desperate need in West Germany. Heroic effortsare being made to meet this need, which is not only physical but spiritual. For many months the American BibleSociety has been helping the Bible Societies of Germanyto supply these refugees with Scriptures." They have beendistributed in refugee camps and bunker relief stations, inchurches, convalescent homes and city missions. Pamphletsand booklets are made available to readers, and they areallowed to read them in the church or take them home.They thank the donors very warmly for making it possiblefor them to carry out this distribution. God's word is reaching many homes and, it is hoped, many hearts.The Bible is beingIn Other Nationsread around the world in greaternumbers. "In Japan, where, in April, the Bible Society therebrought out the New Testament in a simple colloquial formof the language, the people are takingfresh interest inthe Bible reading, which has been very popular ever sincethe close of theIn the Philippines Worldwide BibleReading is growing in popularity. Similar reports come infrom Korea, Formosa, Africa, Mexico and the islands ofthe seas. However, there are still hundreds of millions ofpeople who have never seen a copy of the Bible, but thereis scarcely a nation on earth where at least some partof God's Word is not available and some are finding joy infeedingtheir souls upon it.Testimony of Dr. OckerbladMr. Ernest Gordon tells of the testimony of an outstanding surgeon of Kansas University, the late Dr. N. F.Ockerblad. "A Surgeon's Last Words" was published in the354Moody Press. His concern was the spiritual life of the menof his profession, "successful, many of them, but dreadfullyunhappy, although they would not admit it. An alarmingnumber are chronic alcoholics. They are troubled by thedeath."realities of life and by the mystery and terror ofHe continues: "My plea to medical men, young and old,is to stop, look, and listen now before it is too late, and tofind this wonderful Saviour, so easily found and so easilyentreated. If one seeks after Him, one will not have toseek long. One may kneel down beside his bed or anywhere,alone, and say to God in his own words, 'God be mercifulto me a sinner. For long I would not listen, but now, God,I wish to come. Give me the spiritual birth that will makeme a true child of God. This I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.'If you really mean it. "our life- will be changed from themoment you get upoff your knees. Confession before menshould follow, and then association with ChristianIt is very encouraging to know that there have been andare such faithful Christian men, ready to testify for Christ,in positions of importance in the medical profession.Catholics Honor MaryThe Catholics are attempting to erect a shrine in honorof Mary which is to be "the most magnificent inIt is expected to take a half a century to complete thisMary""mighty basilica of 465 feet long with a dome254 feet high and a slender campanile even higher (332feet). The Catholics say, "Nowhere in the world will therebe a church in Mary's honor so imposing, so marvelous, solavish, so beautiful. Since she is God's mother, nothing istoo good for her." A pamphlet by Jesuit father, Daniel A.Lord, is entitled "Mary, Mother of the United States." "Animage of Mary, with a crown of jewels worth $50,000, hasbeen offered to United Nations, but declined."What Kind of Comics?The national president of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, Mr. E. L. Buckner, declared that "lewd and lawless"comic books threaten to spread moral decay among thenation's children. He blamed careless parents for not askingwhat kind of comic books their children intend to buy. Heaffirmed that the danger is in "the power ofin lurid stories based on sex, crime and murder. "Comicsseem to glorify in their ability to produce lawless situationsand to idolize the individual who circumvents the law."To Aid India's HealthThe churches of the United States have sent a ton ofvitamin capsules to New Delhi, India, to be distributed byIndia's minister of health in the States of Assam, Bengaland Bihar. These are to be used in fightingcholera, typhoid, anddysentery in the wake of flood disasters in that country.Baptists on Formosaepidemics ofA Baptist Convention has been organized in Formosa.There are 11 churches which have reported 748 baptismsduring the past year and have a membership of 2,000. Newchapels have been opened which would become churchesat once were it not the lack of missionary leadership. Several churches with 200 to 400 members are without residentpastors. There are about 9,000,000 people on Formosa,about the same as in the large state of Texas.COVENANTER WITNESS

competitive"Current EventsBy Prof. William H. Russell, Ph.D.PRISONERS OF PEIPINGRed China's aggressive policymakes it difficult for usto accept the Communist slogan of "peaceful coexistence."A Peiping military court has sentenced thirteen Americansto prison terms, ranging from four years to life, for espionage. Eleven of the men were members of the crew of aB-29 shot down in January, 1953, during the Korean War.There is some dispute as to whether they landed in NorthKorea orManchuria; but in either case they were in U. S.uniform and therefore could not be called spies under international law. The other two were civilian employees ofthe Army, shot down on a flight from Korea to Japan. Theyare accused of working for our Central Intelligence Agencyto supply and train anti-Red agents in China. The Reds alsoannounced that they have captured 230American andNationalist agents since 1951, and have executed 106. Mostof these were of Chinese nationality.Our government sent a strong protest, pointing out thatthe confinement of the thirteen Americans violated international law and the Korean armistice, which guaranteedthe return of all prisoners except those refusing repatriation.The Chinese returned a blunt refusal to our demand for therelease of these men, and the next move is up to us. Onepossibility short of war is a naval blockade of the Chinesecoast.FAR EASTERN STRATEGYThe Chinese Communists have also become more aggressive on the military front. They are sending largeamounts of military equipment to the Viet Minh, in directviolation of the Indochina truce. They have also madeperiodic attacks on Nationalist-held islands, and Nationalistshipping, off the China coast. One purpose of these raidsseems to be to feel out the intentions of the United States.Chiang Kai-shek has asked for a formal pledge that wewill defend not only Formosa but all the Nationalist-heldislands. President Eisenhower has not made any such promise; but the U. S. and Nationalist China seem to be nearagreement on a general treaty of mutual defense. Eisenhower seems to believe that war can be avoided and thatwe are due for a long period of what could be called "peaceful butcoexistence.The administration ismoving cautiously toward a new program of economic aidwhich will give even greater emphasis to Asia. The ForeignOperations Administration already has about sixty per centof this year's funds earmarked for South Asia and theFar East.VISHINSKY GONEThe death of Andrei Vishinsky removes a familiar figurefrom the international scene. Trained as a lawyer, he firstgained fame as Stalin's prosecuting agent in the great purgetrials of the 1930's. Since then he skillfully followed everytwist and turn in the party line. As the head of the Sovietdelegation in the U. N. General Assembly, he was notedfor his sharp sarcasm and violent attacks on the West.Personally, however, he was usually fairly agreeable. Hedied at the age of 70, of a heart attack. His place at theU. N. will be taken by Jacob Malik, who served there from1948 to 1952 and was head of the Security Council at theoutbreak of the Korean War. He has since been SovietAmbassador to London. Malik is believed to dislike theU. S. even more than Vishinsky. Soviet policy, however, isdetermined at the Kremlin rather than by her diplomatsabroad, and is not likely to change on account of Vishinsky"sdeath.PEACEFUL ATOMSPresident Eisenhower's atoms-for-peace proposals havecome closer to reality with the unanimous endorsement ofthe U.N. General Assembly. The resolution which wasadopted calls for the quick establishment of an InternationalAtomic Energy Agency to help develop the peaceful usesof atomic energy. There is also to be an international conference under U. N. auspices by August of next year, tostudy the applications of atomic energy in power, medicine,biology, agriculture, and other fields.Our government demonstrated its faith in the plan byallocating 220 pounds of fissionable material as fuel for experimental atomic reactors. Britain followed with a contribution of 44 pounds. These amounts are not enough to runa large power reactor, but will be distributed among thecooperatingmodels.nations for the operation of experimentalThe Soviets voted for the atomic plan, since it wasobviously going through with or without their consent.They are especially interested in the scientific conference,but did not succeed in getting invitations for states whoare outside the U. N., such as Red China and East Germany.The Reds have given no assurance that they will join theAtomic Energy Agency or allocate any fissionable materialto it. They want tlie Agency put under the Security Council, where it would be subject to their veto; but the Westwants it set up as an independent body like UNESCO.Due to this disagreement, the Agency's exact status remainsto be settled.SUCCESSFUL PREMIERSThe visit of Premier Mendes-France to Washington produced a marked improvement in relations between Franceand the U. S. No major decisions seem to have been made,(Continued on page 368)THE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street. Newton, Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka. Kan*to promote Bible Standards of Doctrine, Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writer.-*;not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Contributing EditorsFrank E. Alien, D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll, D.D.Remo I. Robb, D.D.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasDepartmental EditorsRev. John O. EdgnrMrs. J. 0. EdgarMrs. Ross LatimerSubscription rates: $2.50 per year; Overseas, S3. 110 : Single Copies10 cents.The Rev. R. B. Lyons, B.A.. Limavady. N. Ireland, Agent for theBritish Isles.Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Newton, Kansaunder the Act of March 3, 1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.December 8, 1954 355

us."unto"man?"Christmas or SaturnaliaPeter Eldersveld*"Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bringforth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel,which being interpreted is, God with Matthew1 :23.Suppose there were a ban on Christmas thisyear. Suppose all celebration of it were forbidden bystrict government order. You can just imagine whata storm of protest that would evoke not only fromchildren, who would have to give up their presentsand vacation and candy and fun ; and not only fromthe older folks who would have to give up theirparties and drinking and carousing; but especiallyfrom business interests. They would be furious. Itwould be a disaster for them. In fact, it might evenbring on a minor depression. Some of them would nodoubt go bankrupt. The national economy cannotafford to miss the profits of Christmas. So much depends upon them. And that, I fear, is the principalreason why there never would be a ban on Christmasin this country not because it would hurt Christ,but because it would hurt business.But meanwhile, the modern observance ofChristmas is itself a far more effective "ban" on thereal Christmas. Evidently it never occurs to manypeople, who would be up in arms if the governmentever tried to stop what they call Christmas, that theyare doing something much worse. For they are taking Christ out of Christmas. Even the Communistscouldn't do a better job of it. And, what is evenworse, they don't seem to miss Him at all. They arenot consciously trying to get rid of Him. They justdon't realize what they are doing. It is their ignorance that is the real tragedy.The Unknown Name in XmasI have often thought that the contracted andabbreviated form in which we spell the word,"Xmas,"is very fitting indeed for our day. In schoolwe are taught that "X" always represents the unknown quantity in algebraic equations. Well, "X"very properly represents Christ in our modernChristmas. He certainly is the unknown quantity asfar as millions of our people are concerned.Here in Chicago we always have a good exampleof "Xmas" when Santa Claus makes his annual pilgrimage to our city. This year over 400,000 peoplewere on hand downtown in the loop to greet him andto watch him on parade. Parents brought their littlechildren to see the jolly fat fellow in red suit andwhite whiskers who is the central figure in themodern Christmas. And now in these busy weeks ofthe shopping season they are all going down to thestores to see him in his temple and to offer theirbigprayers for his presents. He sits on a throne andpromises to grant every petition. Before him and athis feet the thronging children stand in long lineswaiting for hours to get a chance to speak to their* A sermon delivered over the nation-wide radio network of "The Back-to-God Hour." Used byUnited Evangelical Action.356permission ofChristmas idol in private. They have been taught tobelieve that Santa will "suffer the little children tocome him. One cannot help wondering howmany of these parents would want their children tostand in line for long hours if that were necessaryto see Jesus.The fact that we have to have a campaign in thiscountry to "put Christ back into Christmas" is a pretty serious indictment of us. It means that we don'thave Christ in Christmas now. And the way somepeople are trying to put Him back into Christmas is ahorrible thing to behold. They evidently think theycan put Him into this commercialized Christmaswhich has been built up without Him. So they justadd sacred music and nativity scenes and religiousgreeting cards to the shopping-season madness ofmain street. That only adds confusion to what wealready have. What possible connection can there bebetween sacred Christmas music and the noise of adepartment store? And what does the Christ-childhave in common with Santa Claus ? And what placedoes a nativity scene have in display windows withtalking dolls and other toys ? No, you can't put Christback into the kind of Christmas we have today.You'll have to change Christmas first.In other words, we will have to get back to thetruth about Christmas, which so many do not know,and which so many others do not want. It would bebad for business if we were to go back to it, but itwould be good for us; for it would take away our"Xmas"and give us Christmas instead.The Forgotten Truth About ChristmasWhat is the truth about Christmas ? What doesit really mean ? And why would it make such a radical change in our whole celebration if we went backto it? The truth about Christmas is that a youngwoman became the mother of a Child without havinga husband and without committing adultery! Shewas a virgin, and yet she conceived and bore a Son !That is the simple but solemn truth about Christmas. And don't try to cover it up in the interests ofa false modesty, or to explain it away in the interestsof a scientific reasonableness. You need not blush toface this plain biological impossibility or, rather,this divine miracle and holy mystery ! It was something that just could not have happened. And yetit did!Mary herself, the virgin mother, could not understand it. She was the first one to ask that question which all the world has been asking ever since :"How shall this be, seeing I know not aDon'tsay that you are too decent to ask that question.And don't say that you are too scientific to considerit. It is the big question which must be asked andanswered if we are to have a Christmas in whichChrist is the central figure. The angel didn't avoidthat question. He told Mary: "The Holy Ghost shallcome upon thee, and the power of the Highest shallovershadow thee : therefore that noly thing whichshall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."And Joseph asked that question too. Naturally.COVENANTER WITNESS

example"privily"sins."us."had done what an infinite sacrifice had to be madeHe was a disillusioned man when he found what anyDecember 8, 1954man would have considered to be evidence of infideli to save them !tyon the part of his future bride. Because he was But the Romans, their contemporaries in thata just man he was justifiably indignant. But because world, always had a gigantic celebration late in Dehe was a good man he didn't want "to make her a cember which they called "Saturnalia." It was apublic and was therefore "minded to put wild orgy of unbridled license and dissipation whichher away away from the censure of the was dedicated to their pagan god, Saturn, whom theylaw, away from the staring eyes of the curious, away worshiped as the god of seedtime and harvest, andfrom the whispered comments of the tale-bearers. to whom they gave thanks for teaching them theBut before he could carry out his plans he got the skills of agriculture. Once a year the Romans letanswer to his question. An angel came to him and themselves go completely in this festival of wickedsaid: "Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: ness. There were no limits to their immorality, forfor that which is conceived in her is of the Holy were they not paying homage to their god? It wasGhost. And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou religious, wasn't it? How could there be anythingshalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His wrong with it then?people from their That didn't put an end to In order to counteract these pagan customs thethe gossip of those who didn't know the secret, but bishop of Rome in the fourth century officially setit gave Joseph the truth about Christmas.December 25th as the date on which the birthdayAnd we have the answer to our question about of Christ would be commemorated. It was to be ait too. It may not be a scientific answer, but it is a season of deeply spiritual joy and gladness, in prodivine answer. It may not solve all the problems of test to the sinful pleasures of the Roman festival.our minds, but it does solve all the problems of our Christmas was intended as a sharp contrast and ahearts. For God tells us in Matthew 1 :22,23 : "Now severe rebuke to the Saturnalia, a means by whichall this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was the Church could raise up a witness against the evilsspoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold,of a pagan world. But today we can't help wonderinga virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a about the result. Obviously, the Saturnalia has notSon, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which been replaced by Christmas. On the contrary, it hasbeing interpreted is, God withinvaded Christmas, and in some respects, at least,That's why you can't put Christ back into it has conquered it. How much difference is there"Xmas."He simply doesn't fit anywhere in it. Santa really between the modern Christmas and the ancientClaus and drinking parties and commercialism andSaturnalia? No, we don't worship Saturn, but wesilly songs will have to get out if this truth believe incomesSanta; we don't have paganism, but weback into our celebration. You can't put the Incarna have commercialism ; we don't want davs of dissipation on store counters. You can't be in Bethlehem tion, but we have enough liquor to make them thatwhen you are in Babylon. You can't have Noel withand a great many people do. At any rate, therenoise. You can't sing Handel's Messiah to the tune ofisn't much more room in the modern ChristmasJingle Bells. In short, the truth about Christmas is than there was in the ancient Saturnalia for thefar too solemn and serious to have anything in comgreat and solemn truth of the holy Incarnation ofmon with the truth about "Xmas."the Son of God. We may give our celebration a religious appearance with music and pictures and naThe Origin of Christmastivity scenes, but the Romans did that too in otherways Anything can be done in the name of religionWhere did it come from this idea that Christ and especially today in the name of Christmas.mas should be celebrated with a spending spree and But the atmosphere of this annual season witha business boom, with drinking and debauchery, with its shopping and spending, its drinking and dissirioting and revelry, and with a legendary idol from pating, its rioting and reveling is hardly one whichthe north pole in the center of it all? Is there some leads men to exclaim in true faith; Behold, EmNew Testament teaching that gave birth to it? Is manuel. God with us !it something that arose in the early Church ? No, inThe Dangerous Counterfeitdeed. There is nothing in the whole Bible that condones it. And the early Church didn't celebrate Every year when I say these things on thisChristmas for over two hundred years after Christ. broadcast and, alas, they must be said every yearThose people were still under the impact of the people write me letters in which thev call me a killsacredness of the Incarnation. They were closer to joy, a wet-blanket, or something like that. Theythe mystery and the miracle of it all the virginask me: what's the matter with you? don't you havemother, the stable, the angels, the stars, the wise any children of your own? is that why you can'tmen, and the shepherds. They saw the wonder of see that you are spoiling this season for them ?it and stood in awe of it. And they knew the solemnpurpose behind it : that God had to humble HimselfYes, indeed, I do have children of my ownthree of them, thank God! And that is preciselyto become a man in order to atone for human sin. how I know something of the dangers to which manyThey understood that the manger in Bethlehem and children are exposed by foolish parents at this timethe Cross of Calvary were close together. They of the year. No, I am not condemning the joy anddidn't feel like saying "Merry Christmas !" the way gladness, the cheer and good will of the holidayso many people say it today, superficially and senti season, if it is t^e right kind. I only wish there werementally. Theycould not have tolerated our modern more of it, and that it would last longer. But I wantshopping season, and our Santa Claus, and our my children and yours and you to have a realsaloon parties. They were Christians who knew what Ohris+mas. Not one that teaches them to remakeChristmas meant what it meant for them, and God in the image of Santa Claus ; not one that leadswhat it meant for God! They saw what their sin them to look for the meaning of Christmas in store357

'us."church."evil."undone."windows and toy shops; not one that allows themto think that liquor parties and hangovers are alla part of the season ! I want them to have a Christmas that will reveal the Christ of Christmas to them,the only Savior for their souls ! And I know that theywill never find Him in the kind of Christmas whichmany of you parents, and teachers, and businessmen,and advertisers, and entertainers are giving them.That's why we preachers are saying these thingsevery year. It shouldn't be necessary, but you aremaking it necessary. And we will stop saying themonly when you stop your desecration of our Lord'sholy birthday. We are trying to preach His Gospelin this season, but you are making it extremely difficult. In fact, you are making it almost impossible tointerest little children in the truth about Christmas.If they miss Him in this celebration, it will be ourfault.And stop to consider what they and you aremissing. For this is the season in which men may seethe greatness of God in a little Child, who is Emmanuel, God with us ! A Child without a mother inheaven and without a father on earth; Lord of allflesh, and then born of it; Master of the sun, andthen dwelling under it ; Maker of the earth, and thenliving upon it; robed in heavenly garments, butwrapped in swaddling clothes ; the Word of God, butnow a speechless Babe ; Creator of the world becoming a creature; Ruler of the world becoming a subject; Omnipotence laid in a manger and later nailedto a Cross ; King of kings born in a stable and latercrowned with thorns; the sinless One living withsinners and dying for them! God with us, for us,and in us !Such is the miracle and the mystery of the Incarnation ! We may see it and believe it, though wecannot comprehend it. With learned wisemen andhumble shepherds we may kneel before a tiny Babewho is the mighty God. And He will save us fromour sins, without becoming a sinner, though He became like us in every other respect. We may loveHim because He first loved us. We may serve Himbecause He first served us. And at last we may go toHis heaven because He first came to our earth. Godwith us, and we with God, forever !Or, to put it in the significant words of ourConfession of Faith: "We confess, therefore, thatGod has fulfilled the promise which He made to thefathers by the mouth of His holy prophets, when Hesent into the world, at the time appointed by Him,His own only-begotten and eternal Son, who tookupon Him the form of a servant and became likeunto man, really assuming the true human naturewith all its infirmities, sin excepted ; being conceivedin the womb of the blessed virgin Mary by the powerof the Holy Spirit without the means of man; anddid not only assume human nature as to the body,but also a true human soul, that He might be a realman. For since the soul was lost as well as the body,it was necessary that He should take both uponHim, to save both. Therefore we confess . . . that intruth He is our Emmanuel, that is to say, GodwithLet that be our Christmas faith. And let usteach it to our children. And let us put it in the center of our celebration. If we do, it will mean a radicalchange in this season. It may be bad for the cause358of business and sinful pleasure. And it may explodethe fictions and fancies of children. But it will giveus Christmas instead of "Xmas." And that willcertainly be good for us, and for our children, andfor our world. For there is nothing we need moreurgently in this day and age than to have God withus. And that is what Christmas is for !Christ, by highest heaven adored,Christ, the Everlasting Lord!Late in time behold Him come,Offspring of the Virgin's womb.Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;Hail th' Incarnate Deity,Pleased as man with men to dwell,Jesus, our Emmanuel.Tither's Corner"COME ON, COVENANTERS, LET'S BETITHERS"By Charles R. CunninghamWe are not fooling any one but ourselves whenwe do not give the Lord His share. Some say "I can'tafford to give the tenth to the How canthese people afford not to give a tenth of their income to the church? After all, it all belongs to theLord."The love of money is the root of all Theremedy for covetousness is Christian stewardship.The principles of stewardship are designed more forthe raising of men than for the raising of money.Practicing the principle of tithing will do more for usthan the money we give can do for the Kingdom.Christian living includes Tithing. The Phariseeshad come to feel that if they paid tithes, they haddone their whole duty. Christ reproved them fortheir narrow view by saying, "These ought ye tohave done and not to leave the other Thatis, you should tithe your income, but you ought notto neglect other important matters of the law. TheBible states plainly that the tithe is and always hasbeen a permanent principle in the worship of God.The obligation, extent and blessing of tithe-paying are summed up in Malachi 3 :8 "Will a man robGod? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein"have we robbed thee ? In tithes and offeringsI am very thankful for the way the Lord hasprospered me and I am also thankful to be one of themany that knows that it pays to tithe. We find thatour money goes farther now than it did when wedidn't tithe. Going all out for Christ and tithingmakes a happy family.By their fruits ye shall know them. We shouldbe honest with God in every way. There are manyways to honor God such as, Remember the Sabbathday and keep it Holy, pay at least a tenth of his increase, attend both morning and evening Sabbathservices, see that our children attend these services,take our families to the Wednesday evening prayermeetings, search the scriptures, pray without ceasing, etc. If we are Christ-centered and tithe regularly, I am sure our Covenanter Church will grow.First Beaver FallsCOVENANTER WITNESS

me."stand.""Our Declaration of Faith." Psalm 60:4Speaker, R. C. Fullerton, D.D.Devotional Address delivered at Grinnell. Thursday morning."All your strength is in your union,All your danger in your discord."Longfellow."Can two walk together except they be agreed ?"Amos."A house divided against itself cannotJesus Christ.Unity is necessary. Therefore the first sectionof this covenant deals with the faith that unites usinto one church. "We believe the Scriptures of theOld and New Testaments to be the inspired Wordof God, the only infallible rule of faith and life." Ifa person believes that one sentence, he ought toaccept everything else contained in this covenant."The inspired Word of God." That means thatGod guided the writers of the Bible to write exactlywhat they wrote, that "holy men of God spake asthey were moved by the Holy Ghost." Or, as Davidexpressed it for himself, "The Spirit of the Lordspake by Therefore, because God given, theScriptures are the infallible, the perfect, rule of faithand life. Or, as the Shorter Catechism expresses it,"The Scriptures principally teach that man is to believe concerning God, and the duty which God requires of man."There was a time when almost all professedChristians would have accepted that, but that timeis past. A writer in one of the most recent commentaries, says, "Scholarly research into the Gospels hasconvincingly shown that they cannot be accepted asthey stand. They contain inaccuracies, inconsistencies, interpolations, omissions, overstatements andso forth." In other words, this man says that theGospels are human books, full of mistakes and errors.But, we believe that the Scriptures of the Old andNew Testaments are the Inspired Word of God.Theodore Engelder, in a recent book, says, "Thebattle for inspiration is a battle for the Bible. Ifwhat the modernist has been telling us is true, namely, that half of the Bible contains human errors,and that the other half, the good half, is broughtto us in words of man's own choosing, then theBible is nothing but a human book, the word ofuseless."man, unreliable, at bottom,We believe that the Bible is the Word of Godfor several reasons.It says that it is. It says "All Scripture is givenby inspiration of God." Some think that the RevisedVersion weakened this, but the recent RSV hastranslated this, "All Scripture is inspired by God."We believe the Bible is the Word of God because of what it has done. "By their fruits ye shallknow them." An English atheist challenged a minister to a public debate on the inspiration of theBible. The minister replied that he would be veryglad to debate, but since debates changed so fewminds, he would suggest a new type of debate. Hewould bring to the platform for the debate oneDecember 8, 1954hundred men and women, who had been drunkards,immoral, deniers of God, thieves, robbers and otherwicked persons, who through belief in the Bible andin the Christ of the Bible had been changed intoholy men and women of God. The atheist was tobring one hundred men and women who at one timehad been holy, trustworthy, reliable, but by beliefin the Bible and the Christ of the Bible had beenchanged into wicked, immoral, depraved, thieves,robbers, and murderers. The atheist never replied.The debate was never held.Those of you who are familiar with the autobiography of John G. Paton will remember that hetells that at the first celebration of the Lord's Supper in the New Hebrides, all the elders who passedthe bread and the cup, the symbols of Christ's bodyand blood, had earlier passed human flesh at theirheathen cannibal feasts. It was belief in the Bible asthe Word of God and the Christ of the Bible thathad changed their lives. Wherever the Bible has beentaken, men and women have found new ideals forlife and new strength for holy living. We believe theBible is the Word of God because of the worthyliving encouraged by such belief.We believe the Bible is the inspired Word ofGod because of its fulfilled prophecies. In this use ofthe word, a prophecy is a declaration about futureevents such as no human wisdom can forsee or nomerely human strength can accomplish. On one ofhis trips to the New World, Columbus told the natives that if they did not obey him, he would stopthe moon from its shining. But he knew that themoon was to be eclipsed. The moon did stop itsshining as he said it would, and some of the Indians felt that he must have great power. That wasnot a prophecy. The astronomers knew that thiseclipse of the moon was coming. There are literallyhundreds of prophecies in the Bible which foretellhuman events that no human being could possiblyforeknow, unless they were revealed. God had toreveal these future events to those who wrote theWord. These future events happened exactly as Godwould. No human wisdom could have predicted these events. God revealed them. Thereforewe believe the Bible is the Word of God.said theyAgain, we believe the Bible is the Word of Godbecause it is historically true. Two or three generations ago Robert Ingersol talked about the mistakesof Moses. His unbelieving successors do not talk somuch about the mistakes of Moses. The late Dr.Melvin Grove Kyle used to tell of going into theSinai Peninsula and watching the workmen in thetorquoise mines. The workmen found the gems"embedded in the very heart of the solid rock, whereblind but patient industry discovered them by breaking them out of the bed in which they had lain fromthe foundation of the world. Now if one of thesedusky miners should exhibit a large, rare gem ofmarked peculiarities of shape, with the claim thatit had come from that mine, and we should find359

come."mandments."one."earth."cappella."years."the empty matrix in a rock into which every nicetyof the gem fitted exactly we should not be ableto resist the conclusion that the miner's story wastrue."He added that, "In like manner the cultureof Bible lands is the matrix of Bible narratives ; theway they fit the matrix is the conclusive test ofnarratives."the correctness of theAgain, we believe the Bible is the Word of Godbecause of the comfort and peace and hope it bringsto those who believe. The Bible is not a fake remedyfor human ills and needs. It meets exactly our needas those who know it and believe it can testify. Itmeets exactly our need for correction, for instruction, for hope and for comfort.Because we believe the Bible is the Word of God,we stand, like the Jews of old, with bowed head before God and say, "All that the Lord hath said willobedient."we do and beBecause we accept the Bible as the Word ofGod, we must believe in the God of the Bible. "Webelieve in the one living and true God Father, Sonand Holy Spirit as revealed in the Scriptures." Ifyou believe the Bible you must believe in the TriuneGod. Again and again, it emphasizes that there isbut one God, yet three persons in the Godhead,Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "I andthe Father are The Jews took up stones tokill Him because He made Himself equal with theFather. Jesus said, "It is expedient for you that Igo away, for if I go not away, the Comforter willnot The Bible teaches that there are threepersons in the Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.Because it is taught in the Bible we believe this.Because we believe in the Bible, we must acceptits way of salvation from sin. "We accept JesusChrist as our Saviour from sin, and we acknowledgeHim as our Lord." The Bible tells us that all havesinned and come short of the glory of God ; there isnone righteous, no, not one"; "the wages of sin isdeath"; "God so loved the world that He gave Hisonly begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Himlife."might not perish but have everlasting Therefore, as lost sinners, we accept Him as our Saviourfrom sin. Those who take Him as Saviour must alsotake Him as Lord. "If ye love Me, keep My comWe must obey Him as Lord and wepledge that we will.Because we accept the Bible we must have arelationship to the church which Christ established."We believe in and accept the standards of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America asbeing in agreement with and founded upon theScriptures."That means all our standards.The Church, as Paul tells us, is to be the pillarand ground of truth. I am sorry to say that it isnot always that, but it ought to be. In his autobiography, John G. Paton tells us how his fathermade a study of the "Scots Worthies," the "Cloudof Witnesses," the "Testimony and the Confession ofFaith."Then he cast in his lot with the oldest ofall the Scotch Churches, the Covenanters, as mostnearly representing the Covenant and the attainments of the First and Second Reformations. We,too, have chosen the Reformed Presbyterian, theCovenanter, church."In particular we believe in the Reformed faith"emphasizing three truths, "the sovereignty of Christ,360the Presbyterian form of church government, andthe New Testament pattern of worship, with itsexclusive use of the Psalms, sung aThe Roman Catholic theologysovereignty of the pope. The Reformed theologyemphasizes the sovereignty of Jesus Christ who said,"All authority is given unto Me in heaven and inWe choose the teachings of the Bible, notthe teachings of the Roman Catholics.emphasizes theWe believe in the Presbyterian form of churchgovernment. There are three forms of church govmentthe episcopal, the congregational, and thePresbyterian. The episcopalian form of church government is government by bishops. The first NewTestament council shows conclusively that the Presbyterian form of church government was then inuse. The question arose, early in the life of thechurch, How are people saved ? Is it by Christ alone ?or, Is it by Christ plus obedience to the rites of thelaw of Moses? That question had to be settled. Ifthe congregational form of church government hadbeen in use, this question would have been settledin Antioch and in everyother congregation in everycity where it arose. Some groups would likely haveanswered it in one way and other groups in another,and there would be no one answer given. That answer would not have been satisfactory if the answersdisagreed. If the episcopalian form of church government had been in use, a few of the apostles as bishopswould have answered it for the church. But a Synodor general council was called in Jerusalem. The apostles and all the elders were present. The question wassettled, and the answer sent out over the churchas binding upon all believers. That was the Presbyterian form of church government.The New Testament church had its form ofpraise. The Psalms without any instrument wereused. The great historian of the church. Schaff,wrote, "The Councils of Laodicea (A.D. 360) and ofChalcedon (A.D. 451) prohibited the ecclesiasticaluse of all uninspired or private hymns, and the Greekchurch used nothing but Psalms for over 600(Quoted in The Psalms in Worship). In one of hislast lectures given shortly before his death, Dr.Melvin Grove Kyle said that the first hymns werewritten by a father and son. The father was deposed from the ministry because he did not believethe truth about Jesus Christ. So he and his sonwrote hymns to teach the falsehoods he was expelled from the ministry for preaching. He addedthat many of the hymns since then have taughtfasehood. Since we accept the Bible as the Word ofGod and the only infallible rule of faith and life, weaccept the Psalms of the Bible for use in the worship of God. A minister in another denominationsaid to me, "I know that the Bible teaches that weought to use only the Psalms in the worship of God,but it is such a small matter that it does not makeany difference." That man used his own judgment,not the Bible, as his rule of faith and life.The Psalms alone are inspired. The Psalmsalone are free from error. The Psalms alone praiseGod for all His attributes, even His justice. ThePsalms were never surpassed, never equaled, neveroutdated.Like the Jew of old, we bow before the Lordand say, "All that the Lord hath said will we doobedient."and beCOVENANTER WITNESS

scribes"me"ginnings"Lesson Helps for the Week of December, 26 1954C. Y. P. U. TOPICfor December 26, 1954TRUTHS THAT JESUS TAUGHTby Rev. D. Howard Elliott(Used by permission of the ChristianPsalms:Endeavor Society)Scripture: Matt. 4:23-2567:1-3, page 16171:10-13, page 17149:1-6, page 12325:1-5, page 58This is a subject that is big enoughfor years of studyand since the assigned Scripture passage does not dealwith any particular truths, it means thatyou are left to do about what you wantto with the words of Jesus found in anyof the four Gospels.Concerning the nature of the truthsthat Jesus taught we can say that theywere divine in their origin. "Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine isnot mine, but his that sent(John7:16). And we can say that they wereauthoritative in their presentation. "Forhe taught them as one having authorityand not as the (Matt. 7:29).In other words, what Jesus taught hadthe backing of God the Father andJesus knew what He was talking abouteven though there were times whenHis hearers did not.The method that Christ so often employed in giving forth His truths wasthat of teaching by parables. By thesestories that concerned the commonworkings of their lives, truth was moreeasily understood and readily received.There are six of Christ's parables foundin three of the gospels; there are threeothers found in two gospels, andtwenty-nine others recorded in only onegospel.You will need to limit yourselves tosome particular truth or truths in thismeeting. The following are suggestionsfor the development of such a meeting:1. Make a study of the truths thatJesus taught about Himself. For instance, He usually referred to Himselfas "The Son of Man." What does thismean and what does it teach? Thenwhat did Jesus teach or claim as toHis divine nature? What did He teachabout His own future in this life andthe next?2. Make a study of what Jesus taughtconcerning personal conduct and humanrelations in the Sermon on the Mount,Matt. 5-7.3. Make a study of Jesus' teachingsconcerning the Kingdom of God. TheDecember 8, 1954text for the lesson refers to the "gospelof the kindom." Look up verses amongJesus'words that refer to the Kingdom. This could be found in a concordance, or a topical Bible.4. Look up the truths Jesus taught onthe subject of salvation. A referenceBible will help. You might start withJohn 3:16.5. Study the subject of the truthsJesus taught in connection with themiracles He performed. For instancethe case of the palsied man who was letdown through the roof before Jesus.Jesus forgave his sins first, then healedhis body. Then as the result of the discussion with the Pharisees over it, whatwas Jesus teaching concerning the forgiveness of sins?6. Take a red letter Bible or Testament wherein all the sayings of Jesusare printed in red. Take a certain gospel and by reading just the red printing, pick out the truths Jesus was teaching.7. Study one or more of the parablesto discover the most important truthJesus teaches therein.8. Choose some great chapter of theGospels to see what Jesus is teaching.For instance there are such chapters asJohn three, fourteen, fifteen, or others.These chapters would suggest such subjects as regeneration, the future life,abiding in Christ, fruit bearing, etc.This is the last regular C. Y. P. U.meetingof the year. You might takesome time for looking back over theyear's work in your C. Y. P. U. Havethe efforts of the year borne any particular results? Have there been anyspecial efforts that you can be gladabout? Do you feel that you know theLord any better now than you did thistime last year? Are you satisfied thatthe next year should be just like thepast one with reference to achievements,growth in grace, and others reached?JUNIOR TOPICDecember 26, 1954REVD3W OF GENESISMrs. M. K. Carson.Scripture: the Book of Genesis.Memory Verse of the month: Proverbs3:5-6.Psalms:105:1, 2, 6, page 257.55:12, 13, 17, page 140.46:1, 6, page 118.136:1, 2, 12, 13, page 334.For the past six months, we have hadlessons in the Book of Genesis. In thislast lesson of this series and of theyear, let us see how much of the Bookwe can remember, and let us pay specialattention to some very important thingswe find in its chapters.The name of the book, Genesis, means"beginning."Since in a few days weshall begin a new year, it is a goodthing to see how many different "bethe Bible.we find in this first book of1. Beginning of the heaven and earth,1:1-2:8.19.2. Beginning of man, 1:26, 272:7.3. Beginning of sin on the earth, 3:1-4. Beginning of punishment, 3:8-24.5. Beginning of promising a Saviour,3:15.6. Beginning of God's judgment on thewicked, Chapters 6-9.7. Beginning of different languagesand nations, 10:1 11:9.8. Beginning of God's Chosen people(Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph), theremainder of the book.Let the Juniors tell what they remember of each of these "beginnings,"or assign them the previous week, forstudy and report.All of the Bible centers in our LordJesus Christ, and so even these earlybeginnings point to Him and His comingto earth "in the fulness of time." Let usmention some of the people and incidents in the book of Genesis that pointto Him.1. The sacrifice of Abel's lamb showedthat without shedding of blood there isno forgiveness of sin, and pointed tothe death of Jesus, the Lamb of God(John 1:29).2. The ark was a picture of salvation, for only those who believed God'sWord and went into the ark, weresaved. Only those who believe in Jesusand enter through Him, who is the Door,into the ark of salvation can be saved.No one outside the Door is saved.3. God's call to Abraham to leave hishome in Ur and go to a new home whichthe Lord would show him, is a pictureof God's call to us to leave the worldand all that is in it and follow Him to anew and eternal Home in Heaven.4. Abraham's offering of Isaac is awonderful picture of God's giving Hisonly begotten Son for us. God provideda substitute for Isaac and as Abrahamoffered the ram instead of his onlybeloved son, so Christ is our Substitute.But there was no substitute for the361

assembly,"man."sun."sun"vanities"vanity"universe,"only Beloved Son of God. He was offered a sacrifice for us, that we throughHis death might have life.5. Many things in the life of Josephpoint to the life of Jesus. Name at leastfive of those given in last week's lesson.Again, as above, allow the Juniorsto tell the story of each of these types ofpictures. Perhaps the leader or some ofthe Juniors may think of -others toadd to this list.Further suggestions for review. 1.If flash cards have been prepared andused, they may be made the basis ofreview of the stories suggested by eachone. Many different methods of reviewby use of the cards will occur to theleader. 2. Memory verses of the seriesmay be repeated and their applicationto the stories made plain. 3. Each Juniormay be allowed to name his favoritestory or character and give reasons forthe choice. 4. The group may be dividedin two sides, with each side alternatingin naming a character in Genesis. Anyone failing to give a character not previously named, within a given time limit,must drop out of line. 5. A Junior maygive one fact about a character inGenesis for the others to guess. If noone can identify the person from the oneclue, a second fact may be given, continuing until the name is guessed. Theone guessing the name may then chooseanother character for the group toguess. 6. The leader says, "I met a friendtoday."Some child, "What friend didtoday?"you meetLeader, "I met afriend with an "R" (first letter of thename of a person in Genesis). The firstchild to guess the correct name maycontinue the game, until all charactersstudied in Genesis have been named.The same game may be played usingplace names instead of those of people."I met a friend from "U", etc.Three important things for the teacher to emphasize:1. In the life ofAbraham, God'sFaithfulness.2. In the life of Jacob, God's Grace.3. In the life of Joseph, God's Providence.For your note-books. See if you canname the incident or person referred tounder each letter. Then put the acrostic,with the answers, in your note-book as areview of Genesis.G-od made it in the beginning. 1:1E-vil brought it into the world. 7:6.N-o quarreling over pastures. 13:8.E-nough room for wells without strife.26:19S-aw God near in a dream. 28:16.I-n a prison in Egypt. 41:14.S-aving his family. 47:12.(Adapted from the Sunday SchoolTimes.)362SABBATHSCHOOL LESSONDecember 26, 1954by Rev. Joseph A. Hill(Lessons based on International Sunday SchoolLessons; the International Bible Lessons forChristian Teaching:, copyrighted by the International Council of Religious Education.)THE WHOLE DUTY OF MANLesson Material: Ecclesiastes 1 5; 12.Printed Text: Ecc. 1:2, 3, 13; 2:1, 18; 3:16; 4:1; 5:10-12; 12:1, 2, 13, 14.Memory Verse: Ecc. 12:13the conclusion"Let us hearof the whole matter:fear God, and keep his commandments:for this is the whole duty ofNote: With this lesson the presentwriter lays down his pen, after a year'stour of duty. It has been a real pleasureto present these lessons to the church,but the honor of writing the weeklycomments ought to be passed around.And the church, no doubt, deserves achange.JAH.The title of Ecclesiastes is that affixed to the book in the Septuagint(Greek version of the Old Testament,ibout 250 B.C.) Everyone will recognizethe similarity between this title andour common word "ecclesiastical," coming from the Greek word ecclesia, meaning "an a group of peoplecalled together, hence in the New Testament,"church."The book is so-calledDecause it comprises the instructionPreacher,"given by Ecclesiastes, or "the;vho is known as qoheleth in the Hebrew. Students of Hebrew will recognizethis word as a gal active participle,feminine singular. The reason for thefeminine is probably that it denotes an office (Edward J. Young,Introduction to the Old Testament, Wm.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., p. 339).Qoheleth, translated "the Preacher,"then, is one who gathers or addressesan assembly.Qoheleth's purpose is to examine various areas of human experience to findone life-commitment, devotion to whichis worthy as an end in itself, the goalof life. He seeks the answer to the question, "What is the chief end of man?"To what end may a man devote hisentire life, that will satisfy man's entirenature? He examines several options:pleasure, wealth, business, philanthropy,formalistic religion, compromise. Willwholehearted devotion to anyof these"philosophies of life" bring lasting satisfaction and happiness? Qoheleth conducts an experiment in Goal-ethics, determined to learn from his own experience whether man can find permanentsatisfaction in any of these life-options.Is there finality to anything "under thesun"? Or is there something more tolife? If so, the Preacher meant to discover it.The book is given a certain pitch bythe constant recurrence of the expressions "under the(28 times), "underthe heaven" (3 times) and "upon theearth"(7 times). These expressionsdenote the temporal characteristic ofall the options examined by the Preacher. He finds that men cannot find truesatisfaction by committing his life toany earth-bound endeavor because manis not simply an earthly creature. Manhas a free spirit which soars high aboveall that is earthly. Man's heart is thetranscendent element of his being; man'sheart cries out that there is somethingmore to life than what he can see"under theMan is not simply acreature of here and now. Man's lifeis three-dimentional ; it consists of timespace-eternity.Notice Ecc. 3:11: God"hath set the world in their heart";but the A.R.V. correctly translates,heart.""He hath set eternity in theirGod has placed within the heart ofman an indestructible element whichsoars above the world of time andspace into eternity. Man's heart tellshim that there is a destinyhis choice of a life-option.at stake in"Vanity ofis the refrainthat we hear again and again from thelips of the man who is disillusionedbecause he gave his life to pleasure,wealth, or business success. "Vanity ofvanities; all is that sounds likethe ranting of an agnostic who likes totalk about "the meaningless"the ultimate emptiness" of everything,and gets his university salary by suchperforming. But down deep in his hearteven the agnostic doesn't believe whathe says. His raving is just a mask tocover up the sense of God inscribed onhis heart.Let us look brieflyat a single option,that of pleasure or mirth: We engagein pleasures with our whole being, bodyand soul. A ball game, for example, isnot just exercise for the body; it involves a certain spiritual participation.If you have ever sat in the grandstandin the last of the ninth inning withbases loaded and two men out and thescore tied, you will know what I meanby spiritual participation in pleasures.Sports have a remarkable power ofuniting themselves to our hearts, ofmaking hearts pound with thrills, buoyant with sensation. As a matter of fact,the more we put our heart into recreation, the more pleasure we get out ofit.Now, pleasures recreations, sports,travel, etc. have a legitimate place inlife. But that is not,the question in theBook of Ecclesiastes. The question is:COVENANTER WITNESS

vanity,"man"Is the pleasure-of-the-moment the"value"for which I should live and die?In gaining pleasure have I reached thehighest notch in the scale of true value?Is the height of my potentialities as achild of God exhausted in this? A manwho has no higher aim in life than tohave fun is like a structural engineer,capable ofbuilding a skyscraper, whois content to play with his children'sblocks. Man can never fulfill the demands of his whole nature in immediate pleasures, because man is capableof something more.But even if onecould be supremely happy living forthe sake of sports or nite-club floodshows,the most he could sayat theend of his day is, "Well, I had a goodtime."Isn't that a high achievement foran immortal soul made in the image ofGod!The day will come sooner or laterwhen the body will no longer be ableto engage in recreations and pleasuresof-the-moment.Old age will marchsteadily on,and it will be a burdeneven to hold up one's head. But theheart, no longer able to participate inthe game of life, will be left empty.The heart will then cry out, "All isas a protest against the lifecommitmentthat failed to satisfy itpermanently. In old age the heart willnot fail, however, if an earlier commitment has left spiritual deposits inthe soul. Hence Qoheleth counsels us:"Remember now thy Creator in thedays of thy youth, before the evil dayscome, and the years draw nigh, whenthou shalt say, I have no pleasure inthem"(12:1).After testing each worldly option,Qoheleth comes to the conclusion thatnone of them can fulfill the demandsof man's entire being. Life here andnow is not the whole of man."Letus hear the conclusion of the wholematter: Fear God and keep his commandments for this is"duty"the whole of("whole duty" is not accurate;is not in the original Hebrew)."Man's chief end is to glorify God, andto enjoy him forever." Nothing less thanthis can properly claim man's wholelife.I have learned that money is not themeasure of a man, but it is often themeans of finding out how small he is.Oswald J. Smith.In regard to the great Book, I haveonly to say that it is the best gift whichGod has given to man.Abraham Lincoln.PRAYER MEETING TOPICDecember 29, 1954Prayer and Scripture ReadingHebrews 4:11-15; Nehemiah 8:1-18Comments by Rev. Philip W. MartinPsalms:147:8, 11-13, page 35512:3-6, page 21138:1-4, page 338141:1-5, page 34485:1-3, 5, 8, page 207References: Isaiah 56:7; 55:8-11; I Kings8:12-15, 28-30; 2 Chronicles 30:27; Acts16:13; 12:5; 13:14, 15, 44; Luke 4:16,17. See also "Prayer" and "Reading ofScripture," pages 308-310 in "The Constitution of the Reformed PresbyterianChurch of North America," The Westminster Larger Catechism questions178-196 and the Shorter Catechism,questions 97-107.For the last prayer meetingof eachquarter this year we have been studyingthe parts of Public Worship. It is inthis light that we take up these twoimportant subjects. However, our dutiesin public and private Scripture Reading and Prayer are closely related.There is no spiritual exercise in orout of the pulpit to which the Biblecalls us which is more difficult thanprayer. Remember that our Savioursweat, as it were, great drops of blood,Luke 22:39-46. Yet so often we thinkthat the child's definition of prayer("Prayer is talking with God") is allthere is to it.How many of us have really experienced the awfulness of holy conversewith the living God,coming throughthe only Mediator between God andman? It is easy to discourse upon thisheaven-inspired and heaven-directedconversation, but it is quite a differentthing to learn the holy art of prayerin life and pulpit.Precious are the opportunities andpromises for the pastor and people asthey come before the Throne of Gracein the CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER.Yet so often we complain that theprayer is too long, the minister didn'tpray for me, or the work in which Iam especially interested or for this workor that work of the Kingdom of God.In these days ofices""stream-lined servthe pitfalls of the minister areincreased. Not all ministers have anequal gift in prayer.In the prayers in time of public worship the pastor comes before Godthrough Jesus Christ, our Mediator,in behalf of himself, the congregationwith its children, the kingdom of God,the various departments of the churchat home and abroad, and the unsavedof the community and world. However,the congregation is never just a groupof passive listeners to the prayer of theminister,but they are each to praywith the minister; congregational prayers are prayers of the whole church,every worshiper actively and reverently,by faith, laying the petitions before God.The view we take of the congregational prayers determines their contents.The minister appears before Godthe undershepherd remembering thesheep and their needs, spiritual and temporal, in light of the Covenant promisesof God our Saviour. With holy reverenceand care the pastor chooses the wordsof adoration and thanksgiving. He bearsin heart and mind each member of thecongregation and their needs. It is hisduty to humbly lay hold, by faith, onthe many rich and precious covenantpromises which He has made for Hisfavored covenant people. Thus the prayer will be filled with quotations fromScripture applying them to the presentneed, occasion and concern.Central in the worship service of theReformed Churches is the Word of God.When the pastor is READING THESCRIPTURE lesson for the worshipservice, God is truly speaking to Hispeople. When we consider this wereadily see the importance of the reading of the Bible in our Church services.In Nehemiah 8 we see the reverencedisplayed by the people and the preparation which was made by the pastor. InHebrews 4 we are told of the power ofthe Word and in Nehemiah 8 we see theeffect of the Word on the people ofGod. Great preparation should be madefor the Scripture lesson by both thereader and the worshiper.There are a few lessons on our subject which we should learn from thepresent Scripture lessons and assistingpassages :Nehemiah 8:1, 18 Worshippers assembling as one man Acts 2:41-47;Acts 10:33, 44Nehemiah 8:2, 3, 8, 13 Minds of worshipers applied to the Word Acts 17:10-12Nehemiah 8:5 Reverence for theWord Acts 20:28-32Nehemiah 8:8-11asSorrow for sin andjoy in God our strength Romans 7:18-8:4Nehemiah 8:12-18to action Acts 13:46-49Hebrews 4:12Worshipers movedPower of the Word ofGod Isaiah 55:11; I Peter 1:23-25;Matthew 5:17-19Hebrews 4:13-15Greatness of Christour Intercessor and Hearer of our PrayersEphesians 3:14-21; Col. 1:9-18Hebrews 4:16Call to prayer and encouragement in prayer Romans 8:26,27; James 5:14-20December 8, 1954 363

membership"arms'standards?"wise."red."again,"cohol."evil"cause."Open LettersTo the Editor of Christian Union Herald:It was with considerable surprise thatI read the item captioned "CovenantersSeek Union" in The Observation Post inyour issue of October 3, 1954. As thechairman of the committee of the Covenanter Synod which submitted the report on church union which was adoptedby the Synod, I know what the committeethought as well as what the Synod decided. The matter of "recurring net lossesin church(which The Observation Post mentions as the reason forthe Synod's action) was not consideredby the committee, was not mentioned inthe report, and so far as I can recall wasnot mentioned by any speaker on thefloor of the Synod in connection with thisreport on church union.The report which was adopted by theSynod was grounded in Scriptural principle, not in practical expediency as yourcommentator supposes. The ideal presentation is ultimate church union on thebasis of mutual confession of Scripturaltruth. The report clearly warns againstoptimistic hopes for rapid progress. Itstates: "We believe that church union onthe Scriptural basis is a long-range ideal,not something which can be attained bya single bound or a few rapid strides. Butbecause it is a truly valid Scripturalideal, we believe that our Church ought tokeep it constantly in view and also oughtconstantly to be making a practical effortto attain it" (Minutes of R. P. Synod,1954, pp. 11-14).Very sincerely yours,J. G. VosNovember 15, 1954Dear Dr. Taggart:706 Hillcrest Ave.Orlando, Fla.Nov. 5, 1954It was a shock to read some of thestatements which our brother Rev. JoeHill made in commenting on the SabbathSchool Temperance Lesson for November 7. At the same time, it was heartening to see that you pegged the matterimmediately in writing the concludingparagraph, in which you took proper andsharp issue with the opinions which Mr.Hill had expressed.For several reasons, I feel impelled towrite a reply for the Covenanter Witness,on my own responsibilityas chairmanof Synod's Temperance Committee, without waiting to hear from the other members of the committee. They are free toexpress their own reactions.First, I have been requested to writean answer, by people over the church,364who are 'up inover the matter.Second, The Covenanter Witness has awide reading, not only among our ownmembers, but also among the people inother denominations. It is read also bythe editors and readers of temperancepapers. Surely in the minds of manyreaders has arisen the question: "How'sthis? Has the Covenanter Church changedits position on the drink question andlowereditsThat questionshould be allayed. Third, Mr. Editor,thanks are due to you for the correctionswhich you have brought to Mr. Hill's attention. Your corrections should be buttressed and re-emphasized.In charity to our brother, who writesthe weekly comments on the SabbathSchool Lesson, a real job, let us say thathis better judgment was "out for abreak" when he wrote this one. But indefence of the truth let us nail downcertain things.Alcohol does enslave men's souls. Beverage alcohol (under discussion) IS intrinsically evil and DOES have its degrading, demoralizing ingredient. Strongdrink is of itself evil and HABIT-FORMING.That isthe teachingof the Bible.What was true in Solomon's day is stilltrue. "Wine is a mocker, strong drinkis raging and whosoever is DECEIVEDthereby is notThe very forcefulpassage for this temperance lesson forNovember 7, in Proverbs 23:29-35, ending with the statement, "When shall Iawake, I will seek it yet is thedismal picture of an enslaved alcoholic(drunkard) made so by sin, certainly,but also specifically made so by 'strongdrink'whose distinctive ingredient is alcohol, a narcotic, habit-forming drug.The Bible commands: "Look not uponthe wine when it is"Be not drunkwith wine, WHEREIN IS EXCESS."Eph. 5:18. (Pr. 20:31.)That is also the teachingof science.Dr. Sam Morris is right, in his oftquoted statement, giving at the hearingon the Bryson Bill: "It is an accepted,scientifically established fact, that ethylalcohol in beer, wine, whisky, gin, rum,et cetera, is a habit-forming, narcotic,poisonous drug, that beclouds the brain,depresses the nerves, distorts the vision,retards the reactions and releases the inhibitions."Dr. Haven Emerson, professor emeritus, College of Physicians and Surgeonsof Columbia University, New York City,says, "Alcohol is a narcotic drug."Dr. Emil Bogen, on the staff of physicians in a sanitarium in California says,"Alcohol is the most dangerous poisondiet."widly included in the humanDr. Bevan, of the American MedicalCollegeof the University of Chicago,says: "Alcohol, ether, and chloroform areall narcotic drugs."Dr. Alexis Carrel, long a distinguishedmember of the Rockerfeller Institute forMedical Research and Nobel Prize manin 1912, said: "The tissues of human beings are so constituted that they alwaysdeteriorate under the influence of al"He classifies wine, with bubonicplague, the virus of yellow fever andtuberculosis, as a thing."deadly and evil(Ernest Gordon in "Wet Science").The Encyclopaedia Brittanica says: "Apoison is any stupefying or over poweringdrug."Surely, Mr. Editor, our brother Mr.Hill realizes upon reflection that he madea grave mistake when he removed thelabels "Inherenting"and "Habit-formfrom strong drink. The evidence isoverwhelming that this thing which turnsmen into beasts and devils, is inherentlyevil and that it enslaves them.For several years the Yale Schoolbrand of teaching that "alcoholism is adisease"has been conditioning the American people. Let us not succumb to it. Letus remember, always, that never yet hasany person become a drunkard who refused to take the first drink, who refusedthe CONTENTS of the bottle.I have just taken from the shelf andre-read the spendid and forceful orationof Robert Fullerton delivered at ourGrinnell Convention in 1950. It is timelythat the church should read it again.Copy enclosed. Alcohol outside the body,wonderful! It has a thousand uses thatare beneficial to mankind. But alcoholinside the body is a poison and a destroyer. Beware!The Covenanter Church has notchanged its testimony.Sincerely yours,Alvin W. SmHh,Ch. of Temp. Com.Sterling, Kansas27 Nov. 1954To the Editor; Covenanter Witness :It would seem that a word should besaid with regard to the Editorial in thelast Covenanter Witness concerning contributions of the Covenanter Church tothe American Bible Society.Support of the Society is a matter ofhuman judgment in which Christianpeople will doubtless differ. I doubt,however, that the decrease in contributions from the Covenanter Church isdue to the "indifference of our churchtoward this great Rather, itwould seem that the late Dr. Frank T.Mann is correct in concluding that theChurch is not pleased with the Society's publication of RSV portions.COVENANTER WITNESS

small,"animals."millions."gospel."comparison."Certainly it seems an unfair chargeto make against those who decide a-gainst such contribution, that they havedetermined "to withhold the Word ofLifefromPossiblysuchChristians are as conscientious and asfaithful as those who decide to continue their contributions. Quite possibly some of these are making theircontributions elsewhere, where theythink they will do the most good. Surelyall those who do not give of theirmeans to this or that worthy agencymust not thereby be charged with "withholding theIt is true that the amount of theSociety's RSV publication is "verybut it is also true that it constitutes an American Bible Society endorsement of the RSV as a trustworthyversion. And that is no small matter.It is something like the contribution ofour church to the Society, really verysmall compared to their total budget,but considered veryvaluable for publicity purposes.So far as I know, no Covenanterhas wholly condemned the RSV, or evencharged that it is not in some placessuperior to the King James Version.The statement adopted byour Synodwould seem to be a fairer expression ofthe Church's attitude. The recommendation as adopted is, "That in view ofthe many imperfections of the RSV, it berecognized on a similar basis as otherprivate translations for purposes of reference orNo organization is perfect. Whetherthe good or the error in an organizationwarrants support or non-support is amatter for individual decision. Personally, I have no criticism of the personwho decides to continue support of theAmerican Bible Society, though for myself it has a far lower priority ratingin my giving than heretofore.Sincerely,EVOLUTIONLester E. KilpatrickGOES BACKWARDWriting under the title, "EvolutionUnwinds Backward at New York Cocktail Parties," Hal Boyle describes vividlythe drinking in the world's largest city:"The denizens of thegreat concretejungle foregather at a thousand waterholes at duskand begin the night pattern of life and death in the big cityforest. They call these watering placescocktail parties. Many people claimcocktail parties bore them. The truthis, the reason they go to them is theyare already bored."You can see in two hours the wholestory of evolution unwind. The guestsarrive as people. Three martinis laterthey are children, and from then on youcan watch them turn from children intoSTERLING: Mr. and Mrs. JamesHumphreys recently visited ten dayswith her parents Mr. and Mrs. Hindman of Fredericktown, Ohio.Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Wilkey and Mr.and Mrs. Foy Oline attended the funeralof Mrs. William Dill of Erick, Oklahoma.Dr. and Mrs. McFarland worshipedwith the Hebron Congregation October24 and 31, when Dr. McFarland filledthe pulpit.Scott Boyle visited with his grandmother in Topeka over the teachers'meeting vacation.Miss Ora Hays and Mrs. Sylvia McFarland attended the Kansas StateMeeting of English Teachers at KansasUniversity in October.Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Dill visited recentlyin the home of their son Dr. RaymondDill and familyat Auburn, Nebraska,where Raymond is practicing VeterinaryMedicine.Mrs. Truman Hugg and Mrs. LloydCopeland and children of Denison,Kansas, visited with relatives and worshiped with us on November 21.Miss Elda Patton accompanied by herbrother Renwick Patton of San Diego,California, visited relatives and friendsin Sterling during Armistice week. Several social events were given in theirhonor.WALTON: Rally Day in our SabbathSchool was held on September 26. Aninteresting program was given by thechildren. A miniature Bible, containingchoice verses from every book in theBible, was given to each child. Thesewere prizes for a recent attendance contest which the children's classes hadwon.ORLANDO: Mr. Grady Windham hasspent the last week in the hospital because of spasmodic muscles in his back,over work. He is on thecaused byroad to recovery and it is hoped that hewill be able to leave the hospital in afew more days.STERLING: W. M. S. met with Mrs.Isabelle Edgar, November 18. Mrs.Clara Patton led devotions and MissOra Hays gave the mission study.WALTON: The fall communion season, in Walton, was a fine one. Wewere privileged to hear the Rev. ThomasWilson of our White Lake Congregationas the assistant. Carol Henderson andLoretta Latin united with the churchon profession of faith. Pamela Holley,daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Holley,Linda Sue Russell, daughter of Mr.and Mrs. Clifton Russell, and LorettaLatin received baptism. The communionseason was climaxed by the signing ofthe Covenant. Rev. Hill led the congregation in this service.ORLANDO: Dr. Smith entertainedhis Sabbath class of middle aged students and their children in his homewith a Chinese checker tournament.There were around 20 present includingthe children.STERLING: The Young Adult BibleClass held its October meeting at thehome of Mrs. and Mrs. Joe McFarlandin Turon; Mr. and Mrs. Foy Oline wereassistant hostesses. Following dinner theMcFarlands were surprised with a storkshower.The November meeting of the YoungAdult Bible Class was held at the homeof Mr. and Mrs. Benhardt Fose, whowere assisted by Mr. and Mrs. SteveWilkey.Officers of the newly organized Intermediate Society are: Harry Wilkey,President; Vicki Wilkey, Vice President;Bonnie Morley, Secretary; Melody McFarland, Treasurer.WALTON: A Harvest Supper washeld at the church on October 22. Alarge number of members and friendsof the Walton congregation partook ofa delicious turkey dinner. Followingthis severalinteresting films wereshown.ORLANDO :Prof. Will White and wifereturned last week from spending thesummer in Almonte, Canada. They reported a rather cool summer. We areglad to have them back with us again.STERLING: John McFarland andLarry Oline won their letters in football atSterling this season. Sam Wilkeywon his letter for football at Nickerson.A football was presented to Sam Wilkey in a Nickerson school assemblyOctober 29. The football, presented bythe coach in behalf of the football boys,was autographed by the team andcoaches. Sam's record of 10 TD's and thedistance of 745 yards in five games wasrecorded on the football, making anaverage of 149 yards per game. Sam'sankle was broken in mid-season and hisfoot is still in a cast.WALTON: William Samuel Boyle wasDecember 8, 1954 365

orn to Rev. and Mrs. Samuel Boyle onNovember 7.Walton congregation rejoices with the Boyles in the arrivalof this son.ORLANDO: Mrs. Reba Stewart ofGulfport, Fla., recentlyin the St, Anthony Hospital for obserspent two weeksvation and treatment. Since returningshe is still in bed in the home of herson Mr. E. F. Charles.STERLING COLLEGE HOMECOMING and K. S. T. A. brought manyvisitors to Sterling for the weekend.Among them were: Mr. and Mrs. KarlCunningham, Gypsum, Kansas; Mr. andMrs. Joe McFarland, Turon, Kansas;Mr. and Mrs. Howard Mann, Wichita,Kansas.WALTON: Rev. Hill assisted in communion at White Lake on November 7.Rev. Boyle preached for us both morning and evening in Rev. Hill's absence.Rev. Boyle's evening message on sacrificial giving was a fitting preparationfor the Thank offering service whichwas to follow on Tuesday evening.STERLING: Mr. Ed Wilkey celebrated his 85th birthday November 20 witha family dinner.Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Young have announced the engagement of their daughter, Nancy Carolyn to Allan Marshallof Sylvia.Miss Alice Humphreys has recoveredsufficiently from effects of her brokenhip to return to her home.WALTON: The annual Thank Offering Service was held on Tuesday evening, Nov. 9. Miss Orlena Lynn broughtan interesting account of the work inJapan. She showed some very fineslides.These concerned Japanese lifeand our mission there. Margie, Patsy,and Gladys Boyle sang a psalm inJapanese and then in English. Theywere dressed in Japanese costumes.Carol Henderson gave a reading aboutthe Two Margarets of the ReformationPeriod. A social hour followed the program.The STERLING Jr. High band appeared on T.V. at Hutchinson Nov. 18.Those in the band from the SterlingCongregation are John Kilpatrick andElaine Boyd.Mrs. Agnes C. Wilson of NEW CONCORD, Ohio, was called Home on Sabbath, November 14 at the home of her sonWalter in Columbus, Ohio. Mrs. Wilsonwas the widow of the late Rev. WalterWilson who was pastor of the Topekachurch from 1905until his death in1907. Funeral services were conductedat New Concord on Tuesday. November16, by Dr. T. C. McKnight.366The EDITOR was released from theStomont-Vail Hospital on Thursday,November 18 after 30 days in the hospital. He is at home, looking forwardhopefully to the time when he can godown stairs to the showers, upstairsto the office, outdoors to the barbershop, and after that to the Church. Inthe meantime he wishes to thank allthose who have remembered him withflowers, good wishes, good prayers andmany other kindnesses.The W.M.S. of the NEW CASTLECongregation held their Fall Thankofferingservice in the church on Wednesday evening, November 10. Miss RoseMunnell was the guest speaker. Her pictures of Cyprus were enjoyed by all whoattended. A felliwship dinner precededthe evening meeting, with Mrs. FrankBooher, head of the Social Committeein charge of the arrangements for thedinner. Mrs. 'Edward McConahy wasthe devotional leader, and Mrs. Kenneth McFarland usher. Thankofferingprayer was given by Mrs. Booher. Mrs.Kenneth Gaston, Thankoffering Spuerintendentwas in charge of the meeting.CLARINDA: The Raymond Moorefamily attended the funeral of Mrs.Maggie Caskey at Denison, Kansas. Mrs.Caskey was a sister of Mr. Wm. Moorewho passed away in August.GREELEY: We are happy to havethe following out to church again aftertimes of illness : Dr. and Mrs. Owen F.Thompson, Miss Elizabeth Faris, Mr.Neeland Siebring, Mrs. G. E. McClelland,Mr. R. M. Carson, Mr. A. A. Carson,Mr. Frank Meeker, and Mr. James R.Hayes.OLATHE: The November meeting ofthe W. M. S. was held at the home ofMrs. Frank Redpath, Thursday, November 4. A delicious luncheon was servedat 12 :00 o'clock noon. Miss Belle McGeeled the Devotional Period and Mrs.Maggie Rogers gave the Mission bookreview.UNION, MARS, PA.,now has a completed new basement beneath the auditorium, includinga well equipped kitch^en and a gas heating unit. It was firstput to the test at the Elliott goldenwedding anniversary when approximately 300 guests tried to crowd within itswalls. It was put to use again whenMiss Rose Munnel showed her picturesand spoke on the work in Cyprus, inconnection with the W.M.S. Thankofferingmeetingon November 26.OLATHE: A Congregational Halloween Party was held at the church,Friday night, October 29. The lectureRoom of the church was "all dressedup"for the occasion as were most ofthe guests. Guessing "who'swho"waslots of fun! After playing a number ofappropriate games for the season, weretired to the basement where cocoa,dainty sandwiches, cookies and candieswere served by the Social Committeeof the Congregation: Mr. and Mrs.James Redpath, Mr. and Mrs. KennethGifford and Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Redpath.CAMBRIDGE: Deborah Carol McKeown, infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs.Leonard McKeown was baptized August 29th by Rev. R. I. Robb. We praisethe Lord in seeing another young lifededicated to His service.CLARINDA: Mrs. Wendell Westenbergaccompanied her husband to El Paso,Texas, on his return from furlough andwill be employed there during his periodof special training in the army.GREELEY: Mr. and Mrs. Charles A.Stewart, missionaries in Rawalpindi,Pakistan, were recent visitors in Greeley. Mrs. Stewart spoke at the November meeting of the W. M. S. Mr. Stewart,son of Rev. J. S. Stewart, served inour Mission in Cyprus before going outto India under the United PresbyterianBoard.OLATHE :Miss Rowena Spencer andMr. James Arnold were married at themanse, Saturday morning, October 30,at 11 :00 A.M. Mrs. Robert Payne, a sister of the bride, and her husband werethe attendants. The parents of the bride,Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Spencer, and thegroom's mother were present to witnessthe ceremony. The newly married couplewill make their home in Portsmouth.Ohio. May the Lord bless this newlyestablished home.NEW YORK CITY: Mrs. BlancheCarmichael passed away Monday, November 15, after a long illness. She willbe missed by her many friends. "Blessedare the dead who die in the Lord."OLATHE: Mr. and Mrs. Harvey McGee entertained Rev. and Mrs. BruceStewart and family at a lovely luncheonduring their visit in Olathe.UNION, MARS, PA., celebrated theLord's supper the first week in October.Rev. Kermit S. Edgar assisted atall the services to the edification of thecongregation. The covenant signing senicewas held on the Sabbath morningof the communion when all memberspresent attached their signatures.GREELEY:Congratulations to Mr.and Mrs. Deane Carson! Hugh andCarolyn now have a baby sister,Kimberly.Congratulations also to grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. R. M. Carson, andMr. and Mrs. H. C. Gilchrist!OLATHE: Norman W. Hutcheson isCOVENANTER WITNESS

now stationed at Ft. Monmouth, N. J.His address until May, 1955 will bePvt. Norman W. Hutcheson, U. S.55462769, Co. C, 9404 T.U., Ft. Monmouth, N. J.Mrs. Donald I. Robb was receivedinto the fellowship of the CAMBRIDGECONGREGATION on letter of transferfrom the Central Pittsburgh Congregation; Miss Janet Davis was received onprofession of faith. We are happy tohave them with us.The annual Selma party was held bythe Sabbath School of the NEW CASTLE CONGREGATION on Thursdayevening, November 18 under the leadershipof Miss Anna M. Dodds. A largenumber of toys were received for theSelma mission. Rev. Harold Harrington conducted a short devotional periodand then showed the pictures which hehad taken in Scotland. A social timeand refreshments followed.NEW YORK CITY: The Women'sGuild held their monthly meeting Friday, November 26, 1954, at the Home ofMiss Adele Newell. Christmas articlesfor Selma were collected.GREELEY: The Young People havebeen able to arrange services eachmonth in the Weld Co. Nursing Homeand the GreeleyConvalescent Home.Ken Meeker is arranging these serviceswith each of the young people takingpart.OLATHE: Mrs. Carrietta Brown entertained the Y.W.M.S. in her home fortheir November meeting. Mrs. DorothyBrown led Devotions and Mrs. Mary J.Cochran reviewed a chapter from ourMission Study Book. At the close of themeeting tasty refreshments were servedby our hostess. We were happy to haveMrs. Bruce Stewart of Greeley, Colorado, as our guest.CLARINDA :The Juniors held a Halloween party at the church, and Virginia Whitehill and Charles Perry drewthe prizes for the best character costume and funniest costume respectively.Mrs. Knox McCalla and Mrs. Leslie McCalla are the Junior sponsors.Darrell Kennedy, son of Mr. and Mrs.Kenneth L. Kennedy of the NEW CASTLE Congregation is enrolled as a student at Allegheny College, Meadville, Pa.The Semi Annual Business meeting ofthe CAMBRIDGE congregation was heldon October 11.Good reports were received from all the organizations showing signs of attentiveness to the Lord'sWork. Our pastor Rev. D. I. Robb wasaway at the meeting of Presbytery butleft a heart warming letter to be readto the congregation tellingDecember 8, 1954of his workand plans for the coming season. Thecongregation has rejoiced in the earnestness of his ministry and the fellowship ofboth Rev. and Mrs. Robb.GREELEY:Congratulations to Dr.and Mrs. Owen F. Thompson on thebirth of a grandson to their daughter,Dorothy.Mrs. Edna Kennedy of the NEWCASTLE CONGREGATION has beenconfined to her home on account of illness for several weeks.Hurricane Carol left her mark on theCAMBRIDGE church to the extent of$136.00 in stained glass window repairs.The large maple tree at the street curbwas blown over against the churchbuilding and has since been removed.Hurricane Edna, not to be out done, leftfour feet of water in the basement ofthe church. We are grateful that theLord cared for the members of the congregation in that none suffered anyserious damage to their property.OLATHE: Rev. and Mrs. Bruce C.Stewart, Douglas, Cynthia and Donaldwere welcome guests at the manse, theweek of November 9.GREELEY : Larry Stephen Dunn wasbaptised on Sabbath, October 24. Hisparents are Mr. and Mrs. James Dunn.CLARINDA: The semi-annual birthday dinner was held at the church recently and sponsored by the Golden Ruleclass of which Mr. Howard Caskey isthe teacher. Those having birthdays duringthe second half of the year wereentertained.GREELEY: Our beautiful new pulpitfurniture and choir chairs were dedicated at the morning worship serviceon Sabbath, November 7. This furnitureas well as the new furniture in the entrance hall, and the new rubber tile inthe entrance hall was presented to thechurch by Mrs. Edward C. Withrow andMr. and Mrs. James A. Stewart.CAMBRIDGE : Release time Religiousinstruction class is under way again with15 pupils in attendance from the fourthgrade of the Longfellow School. Our ownStephen Kouyoumjian is one of the students. Rev. Robb is the instructor Wednesday morning from 8:30 to 9:30 eachweek.*** The Board of Deacons of the OlatheCongregation wish to express their appreciation of the life and service of ourlate secretary, Miss Elsie McGee, whopassed to her Eternal Home M^y 3,1954. All her life she was a steadfastand faithful worker in the church, andwas an inspiration to all who knew her.She was always going about doing goodin her quiet, humble way. She had beena member of the Beacon Board forTwenty years.***Wanted To know the address ofDoris Ann Grier, so I can mail her theprize she won at Grinnell, Iowa, JuniorContest. I recently learned she is not inCentral Pittsburg Congregation.J. Ralph Wilson, Morning Sun, Iowa.Mrs.NEW YORK CITY: Thursday, November 25 at 10:30 a.m. the annualThanksgiving service was conducted.The NEW CASTLE CONGREGATION was represented at the Seminary"Open House" on November 19 by Rev.Harold Harrington, Zoe and Ena Cover,Gloria McCreary, and Robert Kennedy.UNION, MARS, PA., had the privilegeof hearing Lincentiate Paul Robb ofthe Seminary and Dr. J. Renwick Patterson, executive secretaryof the National Reform Association on the second and third Sabbaths of October. Onthese Sabbaths Dr. Elliott was assistingat communion at Central Pittsburgh andGeneva congregations.NEW ALEXANDRIA : On the eveningof Nov. 2, the Alva Jack MissionarySociety and the W.M.S. held a jointThankoffering Meeting in the Church.Miss Orlena Lynn, on furlough fromJapan, gave a very interesting talk onthe work there. She also showed pictures of the workers and many scenes.She answered numerous questions concerning the work.Lunch was servedafter the meeting. Mrs. J. W. Steel entertained Miss Lynn.CLARINDA: Justin Shackelford wasunited in marriage to Miss MarthaWolf at the Baptist church in Clearmont,Mo., on the eveningof Nov. 20.OLATHE: The annual Thank Offering Meeting of the W.M.S. and theY.W.M.S. was held Wednesday night,November 17.The meeting was preceded by a bountiful "covered-dish" supper at which time Miss Blanche McCreaand Miss Odessa McClellan were ourguests. Mrs. Charles McBurney led theDevotional Period which was followedbya short program by the childrenunder the leadership of Mrs. Harvey McGee, as taken from Mrs. Anna Mc-Kelvy's book, "Taught of the Lord." Wewere very happy to have Miss BlancheMcCrea with us on this occasion andto hear the recording of the Christiantestimonials of some of the young people in Nicosia and to see the pictures.Our combined Thank Offering was$166.50.CAMBRIDGE: The Sacraments of theLord's Supper were observed by Rev. D.I. Robb October 24 following a week ofinspirational preparatory services.Duringthe Friday evening services preceding367

communion, the members were privilegedto sign the Covenant.Evening services were started aboutOctober 1st in the NEW CASTLECHURCH with an average attendance ofabout 30. It is hoped that interest andattendance will grow.NEW YORK CITY: Miss Anna Hawthorne is able to return from the hospital to her apartment. Mrs. Jean Weirreturned home from the hospital Saturday, November 20. We wish them bothcontinued improvement.** * Myaddress while on furlough isKansas-1208 Avenue A, Dodge City,Blanche McCrea.CORRECTION: Typographical errorin the Prayer Meeting Topic for December 15: p. 322, first paragraph, lines 9and 11, read"conversation."Ineachcase the word should be "conversion."L. E. K.CLARINDA: The pastor and his wifevisited in Chicago recently at the homeof Rev. and Mrs. Norman Carson. OnCommunion Sabbath, October 31, Dr.Carson administered the sacrament ofbaptism to his grandson, Mark WinthropCarson.GRATEFUL ACKNOWLEDGMENTWe would be ungrateful indeed not tomake public acknowledgment of thekindness of individuals,groups and congregations over the church which remembered us on our fiftieth wedding anniversary.Especially do we thank the followingcongregations in the Middlewest Sharonand Morning Sun, the congregations ofour childhood, Denison and Winchesterwhere we spent fifteen happy years in thepastorate, and Topeka where we residedseven years more.Nearer home, we are grateful to Central-Pittsburgh where we served twentyoneyears and to the Union congregationat Mars where we now reside. Both ofthese, through their personal representatives remembered us with handsome donations of money. Added thanks is duethe Mars congregation for the lovely reception tendered us in co-operation withour children and grandchildren.Other congregations nearby which wedesire to thank are Allegheny, Genevaand First Beaver Falls. Of course we arenot forgetting the three hundred who favored us with their presence on the eventful evening. We feel so unworthy of it all.Above all we thank our Heavenly Father who has so supplied all ofgraciouslyour need "according to his riches inJesus."glory by ChristWe trust this public expression of gratitude will assure these and all otherswhom we have not been able to reach by368personal message that "at evening time"you have made it light.Emma and Delber ElliottMars PennsylvaniaPROTESTANTS AWAKE!A FREE OFFERBeginning January, 1955,The Converted Catholic Magazine will embark ona great national campaign to inform theChristian public on the inside plans,purposes and programs of the RomanCatholic Church. Editor of the magazine,Dr. Walter M. Montano, states:"The pressure exerted by the RomanCatholic hierarchy on the free press ofAmerica has become so powerful thatthe press has longsince ceased toprint the whole truth where Catholicismis concerned. Even the most daring ofour independent newspapers and magazines are paying homage to Romenotonly in the way they report the news,but more important in the news theydo not report."Protestant American leaders have become increasinglyalarmed over this situation, for an uninformed Christian public cannot be aroused to action. We cannot protect our American freedomsagainst the threat of Roman totalitarianism unless we recognize the enormityof this threat."The Converted CatholicMagazine,staffed by former Catholic priests andmonks who know intimately the innerworkings of the Roman Hierarchy, haslong been bringing to its reading publicthe truth about Catholicism. The Catholic problem has become so acute thatthe magazine is now forced to enlargeits size and writing staff to cover theCatholic question adequately for itsmembers."Not only must present readers bebetter and more fully informed, but itis vitally important that every Protestant Christian in America be informed on this issue. To introduce thenew, enlarged Converted Catholic Magazine to the Christian public, its publishers are offering free of all cost a threemonthsubscription to the magazine, beginning with the January issue."This free subscription may be obtained by writing to Dr. Walter M.Montano, The Converted Catholic Magazine, Dept-NM, 27 E. 22nd Street, NewYork 10, N.Y."CURRENT EVENTS(Continued from page 368)but the American officials who got toknow the French premier were impressed with his cordialityand reasonableness. The French, in turn, feel that theyhave achieved equality in the Big Threeand that we and the British will notmake further decisions without consulting them.Austria's Chancellor, Julius Raab, hasalso made a successful visit to thiscountry. He urged that the Westernpowers put an Austrian peace settlementat the top of their list of East-Westquestions. This issue has been deadlocked since the Berlin Big Four conference last January. Twice this yearthree of the occupying powers Britain,France, and the U. S. have offered toaccept a treaty which Russia once proposed, but the Soviets have refused.Further negotiations will now be postponed until after the ratification of theParis pacts for the rearmingof WestGermany. But the Reds will undoubtedly use this as an excuse for keeping theirtroops in Austria, so the deadlock maycontinue.CABINET SECRETARIATPresident Eisenhower has taken astep toward making the cabinet a moreeffective administrative body, by creating a Cabinet Secretariat. The Secretariat will draft formal agenda for theweekly cabinet meetings, record thedecisions made, and see that they arecarried out. The head of the new instrument, with the title of Secretary tothe Cabinet, will be Maxwell M. Rabb,a Boston lawyer who has been actingas assistant to Sherman Adams, who inturn is Assistant to the President. Theuse of a Secretariat carries out a pattern already followed by the NationalSecurity Council, and should increasethe importance of the cabinet as a formal policy-making group. Of coursesome time will be needed to test the effectiveness of the new setup.The Editor takes this occasion tothank Rev. Joseph A. Hill on behalfof the Church and himself for the faithful work he has done for the past yearin writing the Sabbath SchoolComments. Mr. Hill feels now that he needsto be relieved, at least for a time,andwe are acquiescing because we feel thathe has done his share for the time being though we are sorrywe have toseek another person to take his place.Whether you wrote to him thankinghim for his work or not we have hadfavorable comments from many.Editor.COVENANTER WJJNESS

you"mas".PublishersLESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 2, 1955THE FIELD IS THE WORLD,THB SEED IS THE WORD OE GOD"VOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1954 NUMBER 241 Message for This SeasonThis day is Christmas, and the best diagnosis ofthe true meaning was given by a doctor over 1900years ago. It cannot be improved upon. The doctor isLuke, and the diagnosis is found in the second chapter of his inspired "prescription," which is known tous as the Gospel according to St. Luke. In the 11thverse, we have the very core of the message: "Forof David a Savunto you is born this day in the cityLord."iour, which is Christ theNote how clear and sharp is the doctor's diagnosis:"Unto"This day" ."A Saviour" ... thatthat is PERSONAL.that is PRESENT.is PRECIOUS.There is all the difference in the world betweenChristmas and Christ. Millions make a holiday overthe former and forget the latter. Christ is frequentlycrowded out of that special day which is meant to remember Him .the most. Holiness is hidden beneaththe holly. The wreath is hung higher than the Cross.Often, the Saviour is replaced by Santa Claus.Yet without Christ there really is no Christmas.Without Him, there is nothing to sing about or rejoice over. Outward merriment all too quickly becomes inward mockery to the starved soul. It is timefor us to turn back to that perfect prescription of theold doctor and spend a quiet moment with his words :"UNTO YOU" .. . This is a personal message,and there can be no evasion nor denial. What haveyou done with the Lord Jesus Christ for this occasion ? You have remembered family and friends withgifts, but . . . have you remembered Him?"THIS DAY" . . .Yes, this day, this very moment ! Thoughts of Christmas fill the air and thereis at least the passing acknowledgment of His person.But do you know that the thoughts of Christ concerning you are those of grace and eternal life? Heoffers you the most wonderful Christmas giftavailable the gift of your soul's salvation? Whatwill you do with Christ at this Christmas?"A SAVIOUR" . . .Yes, that is the power-pithof the prescription. The road from Christmas to Calvary is really a short one, for this Babe of Bethlehemcame but for to die as the Sin-Bearer upon Calvary'scross. Not "Santa," but Saviour; not "Claus," butChrist. It is only the man orwoman, the boy or girl,who has truly been to Calvary, whose sinful hearthas been cleansed and transformed, who can reallyand truly know the blessed joy of a "heavenly Christwithin the heart.How precious are those words, "Unto you . .this ...day a Saviour," when the heart is opened toreceive them.How is it with you? Are you the Lord's? Or areyou still passing by the manger, forgetting that theHoly Babe long ago climbed from His cradle and diedon the Cross for your redemption ? "All have sinned,and come short of the glory of God . . . [But we are]justified freely by his [God's] grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3 :23, 24).Make this redemption your very own by accepting into your heart God's gift, the Christ of Christmas, as YOUR personal Saviour.Edwin Raymond AndersonIf this has helped you and you wish to 'help others writefor extra copies.American Tract Society a non-profit organizationof Christian literature since 182521 West 46th Street, New York 36, N. Y.

Theabroad."criticism."Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D.Spiritual DepthThe Associate Reformed Presbyterian, quoting from theNazarene Messenger says: "There is a crying need for strongChristians today. There is so much of the human in the churchand in everything. The tendencyfrom Christianity everythingof the age is to eliminatesuperhuman and miraculous."Intellectuality is largely taking the place of spirituality.The demand is for intellectual men, for orators, men who candraw the crowds, and can add unto the church those that arerespectable, and who have money, whether they have salvation or not. They tell us that the piety of the church is thesame as ever ; it is simply expressing itself in new forms. Timeshave changed and different methods are required today. Butwe notice that sin abounds on all sides and that the changedmethods are not bringingsouls to God. Some things have notchanged. Sin is the same, although it may express itself indifferent forms ....plan of salvation has not changed.The Bible has not changed, though the critics would have usbelieve otherwise. And best of all, God is the same yesterday,today, and forever. Never in the history of the world has therebeen a greater need for Christians who are 'strong in theLord.'In this age, when there are so many church membersand so few real Christians, we need folks who actually 'knowtheir God' that they may be strong and do exploits. People hadbetter get acquainted with the Bible than the daily newspaper. Preachers had better know God than higher criticismor any other kind ofCrisis in IsraelThis is a time of crisis in the land of Israel; so saysGeorge T. B. Davis, who leadsi the distribution of Biblesamong the Jews. Among the million and a half Jews whohave returned to their ancient homeland, multitudes of themare eager to read the Word of God. There are many secretbelievers among them. Because of the wide-spread distributionof New Testaments among the Jews, and the increasing success of missionary efforts, manyof the orthodox Jews inIsrael have become thoroughly aroused. They are doing everything in their power to combat the spread of Christianity inIsrael. Word reaches us that the Jewish religious leaders havesent out 200 young Rabbis to "villages to check the religioussituation."From various sources we have learned that persecution of Hebrew-Christians in Israel is increasing. A letterfrom a missionary in Israel says: "Some Jewish Christiansare facing persecution because of their faith in Christ. Afterfive years of service a dear Jewish brother lost his.position because he was attending Christian meetings. I could tell ofmany similar cases .... The Lord is also working in thehearts of Jews in many other lands in answer to your prayersand the prayers of others who love the Chosen People."Whisky tor IndiansA publication of American whisky, Repeal Review, saysof the Government's repeal of sales of prohibition to Indians,as quoted by Mr. Ernest Gordon: "The doing away of thisdiscrimination, long suffered by the Indians, has helped alsoto place our nation before the world as one which maintainsat home the freedom which it pours out money and blood todefendThe Indians think otherwise. To date not a single Indiantribe or pueblo has permitted the sale of liquor on their lands.370Several tribes have passed strict laws forbiddingeven the useof liquor in Indian territory, and are assessing stiff fines andjail sentences for violations.Three years ago, when the Legislature of Arizona passeda bill to legalize liquor for the Indians and the Governor announced that he would sign it, tribes from all over the statesent delegates to Phoenix to request his veto. They did notwant liquor on their reservations. So Governor Pyle did asthey asked and killed the bill.New Mexico, on the other hand, in 1953 repealed thestate constitution provision against sales to the Indians. Asa consequence, in Gallup, for example, the center of extensive coal mining, 1,200 Navajo and Zuni Indians went amuck.Shopkeepers were obliged to lock their doors, and the littlepolice force was paralyzed. The freedom ideals of RepealReview were realized.What the Lodge DoesA pastor who spent sixty years in the ministry writes inthe Christian Cynosure: "After years of experience and observation, as a pastor, I learned long ago, that the greatestforce in the world today that has rendered the Church ofJesus Christ so impotent as we see it today, is the mixedmembership. To illustrate: A church I served in years goneby, its Deacons, six of them, were ALL members of the Masons or Odd Fellow orders. This church once grew in revival,NOW it is very SOCIAL, but lacks Spiritual power. Alsomany churches I know well, have the same affliction theirleaders are nearly ALL LODGEMEN, God help the Church!"Protest World CalendarThe Board of Managers of the Lord's Day Alliance of theU. S., through its General Secretary, protested to the Economicand Social Council of the United Nations against the proposedWorld Calendar revision as follows:ing"The Lord's Day Alliance of the United States, representa great host of American Christians who believe in thesanctity of Sunday, the Lord's Day, protests against favorable(Continued on page 377)THE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street. Newton. Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka. Kansasto promote Bible Standards of Doctrine, Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writers inot necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen, D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll, D.D.Remo I. Robb, D.D.Subscription rates :10 cents.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdgarMrs. J. O. EdgarMrs. Ross Latimer$2.60 per year: Overseas. $3,(10: Sinirlo CopiesThe Rev. R. B. Lyons. B.A.. Limavady, N. Ireland, Agent for theBritish Isles.Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Newton. Kansasunder the Act of March 3, 1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.COVENANTER WITNESS

Current EventsBy Prof. William H. RusseU, Ph.D.verdict on McCarthyThe McCarthy censure issue was finally decided when theSenate, by a vote of 67 to 22, adopted a resolution condemning his conduct on three counts. The 44 Democrats votedunanimously for the resolution,while the Republicans wereevenly split. The action covered McCarthy's contempt of aSenate Elections subcommittee; his abuse of other Senators;and his new attacks on the Watkins committee during thecensure debate. There was so much disagreement over McCarthy's treatment of General Ralph Zwicker that that pointin the original resolution was dropped without a direct vote.President Eisenhower indicated his satisfaction with theoutcome by congratulating Watkins on his work. McCarthymade almost no effort to avoid censure, but instead took therole of a martyr to anti- Communism. He is only the fourthSenator ever to be rebuked in this way, though there is somedoubt as to whether he was "censured" in the technical sense.Passage of the resolution has only a moral effect and does notchange his powers or rights as a Senator. He will, of course,lose his committee chairmanshipwhen the Democrats takeover the Senate in January. Meanwhile he intends to resumehis inquiry into Communists in defense plants. We feel thatMcCarthy has done the cause of American democracy farmore harm than good, both at home and abroad. But he isnot likely to fade into obscurity as longparty is so sharply divided concerning him.REPUBLICAN QUARRELas the RepublicanSenate Republicans seem to be hopelesslysplit. WilliamF. Knowland of California, Senate majority leader in the lastCongress has been speaking openly against the Administrationpolicy toward Russia and China. He wants a stronger stand inboth areas, even at the risk of war. The break became widerwhen Knowland, who had not previously committed himself onthe McCarthy issue, voted against the censure resolution.Knowland seems to have joined the right-wing Republicanswho gave Eisenhower little cooperation in the last Congress.This is much the same group which supported Taft for President in 1952, but there seems to be no one of Taft's staturenow to lead them as a conservative element in the party. Eisenhower has stated flatly that the Republican party cannotsurvive unless it is progressive, and the recent elections support this view. It is doubtful, however, if the President wouldgain much by trying to oust Knowland as Senate Republicanleader.DEMOCRAT HARMONYWhile Republicans wrangled, the Democratic NationalCommittee worked for harmony. Party leaders agreed to dropthe loyalty pledge which raised a storm at the 1952 nationalconvention. The pledge required all delegates to support thenational ticket chosen by the convention, and was aimed especially at any Southerners who might break away over thecivil rights issue. But it did little good, for Democratic* leaders in four Southern states helped to elect Eisenhower.The Democrats also chose a new national committeechairman, to replace Stephen Mitchell who retires at the endof the year. The new chairman is Paul M. Butler of Indiana,generally considered a supporterstrong of Adlai Stevenson.DUPONTS VINDICATEDThe government has lost the biggest anti-trust suit inDecember 15, 1954its history, against the DuPont familyand associated companies. A federal judge in Chicago ruled that the governmenthad not proven any conspiracy to violate the anti-trust laws.The case took up five years of litigation, and several of theleading DuPonts died while it was in progress. The government had asked that the DuPonts be compelled to give uptheir 18 per cent share in the stock of U. S. Rubber and 23per cent in General Motors. The defense maintained that sizealone was not an indication of monopoly, and the judge apparently agreed. The decision is of special importance because of several recent mergers in heavy industry, some ofthem among General Motors' competitors.DOLLARS FOR LATIN AMERICAThe twenty-one American republics recently concluded animportant economic conference at Rio de Janeiro. Forty-nineresolutions wereadopted, most of them calling for a detailedstudy of specific problems. The U. S. agreed to expand theloan facilities of the Export-Import Bank and the International Bank. We declined, however, to contribute to a muchlarger fund for Latin-American development. We also rejected plans for international price-fixing of coffee and otherraw materials. Special studies are to be made, however, onmeans of stabilizing coffee and banana prices. The LatinAmericans were somewhat disappointed at the results of thisconference, but another one will be held in two years.CHURCHILL PASSES EIGHTYThis fall the opening of the British Parliament coincidedwith the eightieth birthday of Sir Winston Churchill. Thehonors and tributes paid the Prime Minister on this occasionsurpassed those given any British subject in modern times.Churchill received a tax-free testimonial gift of about $420,-000 raised by public subscription. It will be used to endowhis country home, Chartwell, as a museum.Queen Elizabeth's "speech from the throne,"openingParliament, was of course writtenby Churchill and his cabinet. The Conservatives again adopted part of the Labor partyprogram by proposing higher old age pensions, and betterhousing, schools, roads, and other social benefits. Both partiesare looking toward the next general election. The presentparliament can continue until October, 1956, but the Conservatives may call an election sooner if theytion favorable.SOUTH AFRICAN LEADERconsider the situaThe Union of South Africa has a new premier, JohannesG. Strydom. He is an extreme Dutch nationalist who has favored complete separation from the British Commonwealth aswell as strict racial segregation. Several weeks ago DanielMalan announced his intention to resign, and supportedNicholas Havenga as his successor. Havenga was in the Malancabinet along with Strydom, and led the moderate wingof theNationalist party. The extremists controlled the party caucus.however, and chose Strydom as their leader. Havenga refused to serve in the new cabinet and will retire from politics.There is great anxiety as to the policy the new government willfollow when South Africa's parliament meets early next year.Strydom will certainly propose further measures to ensure thedomination of the whites, who make up only about one-fourthof the .population.371

sinned."wickedly."went."would'sinner,"adulterers."sinner,"sinner."possess."Our Confession of SinDevotional Address at Grinnell Convention Friday Morning, July 16, 1954Speaker: Rev. C. E. Caskey, D.D."We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have donePsalm106:6.This morning we want to look at the Scripture,at this text and at other Scriptures ; we want to lookat the Covenant, at the Confession of Sin in the Covenant particularly; and with the gracious help of theHoly Spirit we want to look at ourselves. I don't liketo use that word "help" for it sounds like we are going to do something and are going to call the Spiritin to help us. That is not the proper attitude. PerhapsI should say with the "working" of the Holy Spiritwithin us we want to look at ourselves.Let us look at the text first. "With all our fathers we have Certainly that is true. Youcannot go out from here and sin a new sin. It may benew to you, but it is not a new sin. If they haveliquor stores here, and I suppose they have, youmight go down and get liquor No, you are too youngfor them to sell it to you, but you might get is someway and get drunk. That would be a new experiencefor you, but there is nothing new about that. Noahdid it. You might decide to tell a lie. Not a big lie, butjust what we used to call a "white lie." (I don't knowwhether they name them any more or not, but thatis what we used to call them.) Something that istrue one way you look at it, and you would ratherpeople would look at it that way, and another way itisn't true. There is nothing new in that. Abraham didsister."that. Abraham said of his wife, "She is myTrue, she was the daughter of his father, but not thedaughter of his mother. But she was his wife, thatwas the important thing. It would not be anythingTiew for you to tell a lie, for that is as old as Abraham. The sin that we would commit, though it mightbe new to us, is as old as Adam.In one of our Theology books there is a story ofa man and his wife who complained that they shouldnot have to suffer for the sin of Adam and Eve. Aman heard them. He did not argue with them. Argument does little good. You may recall the poem, "Myself when young did eagerly frequent Doctor andsage, and heard great argument. But ever morecame out by that same door wherein I Thatis not Scripture far from it, but it is true. So theman did not argue. He invited them to a dinner. Hemanaged to be called away just as they sat down atthe table. He said, "I shall have to leave. I am sorry.But help yourselves to anything that is on thetable, except that one dish in the middle of the table.You must not eat of it, and you must not even touchit."You know what happened. One of them judgefor yourself which one began to wonder what was inthe dish. Then they began to discuss it, and then theydecided it would do no harm just to look, for the manwould never know. So they lifted the lid, and a mousejumped out. Then when the man returned he madethe application. "Of all the trees of the garden you372may eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of goodand evil, which is in the midst of the garden, of ityou shall not eat, you shall not touch it. You saidyou not have sinned the way Adam and Evedid, but you have just proved that you would havedone just what they did." That is true of all of us.sinned.""With all our fathers we haveI picked up an old Session book recently. We hadto go back for some old records. There was mentionof a sin in that book which shocked me. I knew thefamily name, although I did not know the person, forthis had happened a good many years ago. The sinI will not even mention. "With all our fathers wesinned."haveIt is hard for us to confess sin, and Jesus gaveus some parables which would show this, some thatare valuable for us this morning. There is the oneabout the Pharisee and the Publican. Why did Jesusgive this parable ? He saw that there were some menwho thought that they were righteous and despisedothers. Two men went up to the temple to pray, theone a Pharisee and the other a publican. And thePharisee stood and prayed thus with himself: "LordI thank Thee that I am not as other men are: extortioners, unjust,And then as he waslooking around to see who was listening he saw thepublican standing afar off, and he added, "and noteven as this publican. I fast twice in the week. Igive tithes of all that I But the publicanwould not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven, ibutsmote upon his breast saying, "God be merciful tome, the the individual sinner. He singledthe individual sinner. Hehimself out, "thewent to his house justified rather than the other.It is hard for us to confess.I read a magazine story,I do not read toomany of them. I quit at the time when they stoppedhaving a nice young man and a nice young womanfall in love, struggle bravely through numerous difficulties, and end up being happily married. Whenstories started out with a couple already divorced, orwith a divorce just ahead, I quit reading. Someonesuggested that I read this story, and I am glad Idid, for it shows how hard it is for us to say, "God bemerciful to me, a It is a fantastic thing, andunbelievable, but it starts out with God punishing theearth for sin. Magazines and newspapers and novelshave their religion, but it is not the religion of salvation by the blood of Jesus Christ. Just the same itis a religion, and this story is full of religion, magazine variety. God punished the earth by holding backthe rain until finally they met for prayer and criedto God to send the rain. He did, in response to theprayer of a man who cried to Him to be merciful tothem as individual and national sinners. God answered with thunder and rain. But men immediatelydenied that God had anything to do with it. The rainwas from natural causes, they said, and would havecome anyway. Then the earth instead of bringingCOVENANTER WITNESS

sinner."answer."people."yet?"cold."wrong."world."sin."sins."forth fruit and grain grew noxious, foul-smellingweeds, and men had to close their windows againstthe odor and protect themselves and their cattle fromthe poison of these weeds. More than that, the weedscould not be destroyed. The man who is supposed tobe telling the story took his tractor and disc andwent against the weeds, taking satisfaction in thinking he was destroying them, only to look back andfind them closing over the track he had disked. Inhis extremity he cried, "God be merciful to me, asinner,"and the weeds receded for a space of aboutten yards, and the grass began to grow. (I told youthis was a fantastic story!) People came for miles tosee the miracle. And they asked him what he hadsaid, but he had forgotten what prayer he prayed.Magazine religion likes to add a touch of the magicalso he is pictured as trying in vain to recapture themagic formula he had used. Men came from Washington and analyzed the soil, the grass, and evensamples of the gasoline used in the tractor. Theychecked the kind of tractor and disc he had used, andthey said, "Science will find the After thedeath of his own child he finally remembered theprayer he had used, and he told his father and theirminister and the three of them went to this littlepatch of grass and good soil and there confessed theirown sins and the sins of the nation, and the grassreturned to the earth again. Fantastic? Certainly,but it does bring out this one point, We are afraid tosay, we are ashamed to say, "God be merciful to mea We see the sins of others and we say, "Yeswe are sinners, everybody sins, it is human nature,but after all we are not as bad as other Isn'tthat like the Pharisee and the publican ? Glad we arenot like other people ! God be merciful to me.Now let us look at the Covenant, at the Confession of Sin in the Brief Covenant. "We humblyconfess that we have transgressed the Law of God,and have come short of performing our duty." Amember of the Covenant Committee reminded theCommittee that the definition of sin in our Catechism is that "sin is any want of conformity unto ortransgression of the law of God." That definition iswhat is behind this first statement in the Confessionof Sin. "We confess that we have not measured upto our Covenants." There is the same thought ofmeasuring up. We may not at the moment be conscious of an outward act of sin, but have we "measured up"? A young man said, "What lack IAnd Jesus said, "One thing thou lackest, go,thou hast." We come short of performing our duty.sell allWe come short of measuring up to the Covenantof Grace. I selected only one of the Psalms we sangin this service, but did you notice in every one ofthem there was the thought of sin and of trouble,and then of God's grace, God's goodness? That is ourhope. The Covenant of Grace by which we are forgiven, by which we are saved, under which we live,are we measuring up to it? Are we walkingworthilyof that calling wherewith we are called?Then the Covenant of Church Membership, arewe living up to that ? We promise to be faithful aboutthe prayer meeting. How many churches do not evenhave a prayer meeting in the middle of the week towhich we can be faithful ! Read the Confession of Sinin the Covenant of 1871. It is a longconfession andit has many good things in it, things to which wehave not measured up.December 15, 1954In the next part of the Confession of Sin wehave four things: faith, works, loyalty, and love."We confess that too often our faith has been weak,and ourour works ineffectual, our loyalty wavering,love too Our works ineffectual. We startedout a few years ago each one to win one, and we triedand did not do it. Our works ineffectual. "We confess that, knowing the right, we have too oftendone "To him that knoweth to do good,anddoeth it not, to him it is We have known andhave not done. We have also been like the ApostlePaul when he said, "The good that I would I do not:but the evil which I would not, that I do."We have looked at the Scripture, we have lookedat the Confession of Sin in the Covenant, now letus examine ourselves in the light of Scripture. AChinese evangelist tells about a woman coming to doher washing. In many parts of the world womenwash their clothes at a stream or river. They find asmooth stone and lay their clothing on it piece bypiece, soap it well, and then by pounding and rubbingthey loosen the dirt and rinse each piece in the cleanwater. Here comes a woman with a bundle of clothes.She sees all the other women, and she says, "Whatshall I do? I have some very dirty clothing in thisbundle. I don't want those other women to see it." Sowithout even opening the bundle she moves it up anddown in the water a few times and goes away. Shehas done her washing! The evangelist said, 'Toooften that is the way we confess our How didyou sin your sins ? One by one. How should you confess? One by one as the Holy Spirit brings them toyour remembrance. If the Holy Spirit is now bringinga sin before you that is the sin you should confess.Then there will be others, for it is just like climbinga mountain and thinking that the ridge just ahead isthe last, only to find that there is another, and another, and another. The Bible says, "For all havesinned, and come short of the glory of God." And,"There is none righteous, no, notone.""If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess oursins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If wesay that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, andhis word is not in us. My little children, these thingswrite I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any mansin, we have an advocate with the Father, JesusChrist the righteous: and he is the propitiation forour sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sinsof the whole "If thou, Lord, shouldest markiniquities, O Lord, who shall stand ? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared." Ourway out is not to cover up our sins. It is not to denyour sins. It is to confess our sins.(Prayer: Our Father in heaven as we look back wethank Thee for the times when Thou hast filled oureyes with tears because of sin ; when Thou hast filledour hearts with contrition, and we know that abroken and contrite heart Thou wilt not despise;and then by Thy grace thou hast given us the graceto confess, Thou hast filled our lips with confession.We are asking now that what preparation we needThou wilt give for the signing of this Covenant. Andto Thy name be the honor and glory, for we ask it,with forgiveness of our sins, in Christ's name.Amen.)373

ated."sacrifice."Commemoration of the Birth of ChristA paper adopted by Pittsburg Presbytery and its publication requestedThe 25th of December was made a National Holiday, nominally, to give opportunity for the Commemoration of the Birth of Christ. Some have objected toany commemoration of Christ's Birth other than inthe regular Sabbath service, on the ground that it isnot commanded, and is therefore forbidden. Othersfeel that the prohibition is of the manner of worshipand not of the time of it. Surely the remembrance ofChrist's Birth is proper at any time, if it is in theproper spirit of reverence. Christ's Birth, Life,Death and Resurrection are so closelythe study of one involves all the rest.Christ's Birthday Is Differentrelated thatWe have seen many celebrations of Washington'sBirthday. His Birth or Babyhood was not once mentioned. His birth is just an incident of life common toall men. We study his life with no more than apassing mention of his birth or death.Not so with Christ. Nothing in man's experienceor imagination approaches the importance of themanner and nature of Christ's Birth. The recordplaces as much emphasis on the manner and natureof Christ's Birth as on His Life, Death or Resurrection. If Christ, the Son of God, had not becomeMan by the unique nature and manner of His birth,the resurrection could have no power.The importance of Christ's Birth is shown inthat it is foretold in the Garden of Eden and its purpose portrayed in every blood sacrifice from that offered by Abel, until its fulfillment on the cross. Itwas foretold by the prophets in minute detail. It washeralded by an Angel, a Heavenly Choir, and a Star.Every one of these incidents presents a subject forand an object and incentive for worreverent study,ship.It became a custom in the very early ChristianChurches to commemorate annually the Birth ofChrist. Not knowing the date, different days wereobserved in various congregations,until about 352,Bishop Christostom succeeded in having theChurches in Antioch unite on the 25th of December. That date was accepted rapidly by the Churchesover the Christian world. It was called in the variouslanguages, "The Birthday."Origin of the Word "Christmas"The name "Christmas" did not appear for over amillennium after the Birth of Christ. About 1082, theRoman Church instituted "Christes Masse" anddirected it to be celebrated on the twenty-fifth ofDecember. During the Dark Ages the name was sofirmly fixed that now the common definition runs,"CHRISTMAS; the 25th of December, the day orseason in which the birth of Christ is commemorOur Covenanter Fathers did not hesitate to callthe mass blasphemy. And the Confession of Faith,(Chap. 29) says, ". . . the mass ... is most abominably injurious to Christ's one, onlyOfcourse, we do not celebrate "Christes Masse," "theMass of Christ." We excuse the use of the name,374if we think of it at all, as just a name fastened onDecember 25 by custom. When we speak of celebrating or commemorating Christmas, we do not think ofthe meaning of the word at all. So when we coupleChrist's holy Name with the name of blasphemy,its use is thoughtless, meaningless, empty that'sthe definition of "vain." What about the ThirdCommandment? That raises a difficult problem;with the name so deeply rooted in custom, how canwe avoid the sin for which we will not be held guiltless?Observing the NativitySometimes a Reverent, Worshipful Commemoration is held under the name Christmas. The namesuggests so many diversions surely if a true namewere used, such as "The Nativity," it would havea vastly better influence. Christmas, a name in itselfprofane, is associated with so many profane eventsthat we need to have a care about its use.Here are two ways of commemorating the Birthof Christ that we have observed recently. One wascalled "The Nativity," and was presented by a HighSchool. Two hundred students took part, one hundredin the Floor Chorus, and the others appeared onthe stage. The stage, the costumes, the lighting werebeautiful. The parts were carefully prepared andpresented. The "Story" was read from the KingJames version of the Bible, without the change of aword. The various scenes, dialogues, songs, tableausand choruses all fitted in with the authentic story.The City Superintendent of Schools, who was thesponsor for the entertainment, told us that it was anannual event growing in interest; that much pressure was offered to have the story changed according to "Modern" ideas of entertainment but theyproposed to hold it strictly to the inspired story. Hefelt that it is having a good influence on the students and on the community. The auditorium wasfull with a normal mixture of ages. One little fellowwent to sleep. Most of the children were wide awake,and keenly attentive. There was no applause. Thequiet thoughtful and pleased attitude of the peopleas they left the room was unusual in an audienceof that kind. Here was a proof that the Birth ofChrist is not a theme too commonplace and "drab" tointerest childrenand adults.The other program was in a church, and wasannounced as "Christmas Entertainment Appropriateprayer, praise, reading of the story from Old andNew Testaments, recitations, dialogues, singing ofthe beautiful Carols of the Nativity, and then, intothis suggestion of the scene in Bethlehem, with the"Holy Parents and Child," surrounded by worshiping Shepherds and Wise Men, there comes "theClimax"ofinterest, toward which the children havebeen looking for a month which they have beenthinking about during the earlier part of the eveningprogram the even that they will remember to theexclusion of all others as they go home at last,the time has come! He is arriving. Santa Claus!Who is he?THE COVENANTER WITNESS

come."valiantly."salvation,"The Origin of Santa ClausSeventeen hundred years ago, he was BishopNicolaas of Myra, in Asia Minor, a city mentionedin Paul's journeys. Bishop Nicolaas loved God and hisfellow men. He befriended the poor, the unfortunate,and all laborers. He loved the children, and wasloved in return. In fact, he was loved by all goodpeople in three countries and many cities. He led inthe Commemoration of The Nativity, hoping in thatway to commend Christ and interest the children inHim. After the Bishop's death, to please the children, someone would impersonate Nicolaas. WhenSainted, he became Bishop Saint Nicolaas, and wasso impersonated for many years.During the centuries Saint Nicolaas sufferedmuch by pagan associations, and paganized Christianity as he was carried through Western Asia andEurope. At last he ceased to represent a man andacquired pagan attributes that never belonged toBishop Nicolaas. The character in which he cameto our colonies is mostly what was ascribed to himin Holland, with Norwegian influence. He came fromHolland with the Dutch pronunciation, Santa Claus,and soon after from England with his name pronounced Saint Nicholas. The Dutch version wasmore entertaining and so prevailed though bothpronunciations have continued.Who is Santa Claus now?He bears no resemblance now to Bishop Nicolaas.He has been metamorphosed into an entirely different character. Who he is now is shown in threeways:FIRST: By the time and place of his appearing,and the part assigned to him. Santa comes at thetime and place assigned for the commemoration ofthe "Nativity." Into that presentation of the scenein Bethlehem, he is introduced as the "Climax" ofthe evening's entertainment. He is called, "The Spiritof Christmas," "The Bringer of Joy," "The Harbinger of Good Will," "The Children's Friend." Anyone would reveal him in a guessing contest.SECOND: The attributes ascribed to SantaClaus in folk lore, poetry, stories, pictures, and impersonations, reveal the one that he is impersonating. We ascribe to him First : Omniscience. He, fromafar knows all our conduct, day and night. SecondOmnipresence. He visits boys and girls all over widecontinents, at the same hour, day, or season. Third :Wisdom and authority to judge our conduct, andpower to reward our good deeds. If he were divestedof the three attributes, there woud be nothing leftof his character that would interest either childrenor adults. There is only One Person to whom theseattributes belong.THIRD: Santa Claus is called "The LittleIf there is anyone who does not know theChrist."meaning of Kris Kringle, any comprehensive dictionary will enlighten him. What does a Christian thinkhe is doing when he laughs at a Clownish impersonation of Christ!beings."Fairies are "Imaginary Santa is verymaterial. Fairy stories may be profance they caneasily be made so. But the lesson they teach is good.Santa promises to reward good little girls and boys.When he comes, he treats all alike without respectfor Truth or Law.The children are not guilty of profanity. TheyDecember 15, 1954trust their parents and the officers of the churchto provide for them only what is good. They willsoon learn that Santa Claus and those who sponsorhim are acting a lie. Such knowledge is not goodfor the faith and morals of the children.It has been said, and this is a direct quotation,"But the children will be disappointed if Santa doesnot Certainly! The children expect just whatthey have been taught to expect.No exhortation or advice is needed. Those wholove Jesus Christ and the children will know whatto do.The Family AltarElder J. L. Wright, DenisonThe plan adopted by our Church for this year'sevangelistic work contains an earnest endeavor bypastors and sessions to establish a Family Altar inevery home of the church. Can it be that our Churchwhich holds such a high standard for Truth andRighteousness, and requires of every one upon entering its membership to take such solemn and sacredvows, that there are to be found families that donot daily call upon God's name? If so we must saywith the Apostle, "Brethren, we were persuaded better things of you, and not only things that accompany and flow from but more especiallythe things that are the evidences of Salvation.The importance of this family altar is plainlytaught both in the Old and the New TestamentScriptures. In Deuteronomy 6 Moses gave a specialcharge to all the families of Israel to observe all thecommandments, statutes, and judgments of theLord diligently and teach them to their children byengraving them upon their hands, doorposts andtalking of them when walking by the way, and whenlying down, and rising up. The 78th Psalm also givesthe same charge to fathers to instruct their sonsfrom generation to generation. The book of Proverbsis full of the same counsel. Many more might becited. The New Testament tells of the joy that cameto the homes where Jesus entered and dwelt. TheNobleman whose son Jesus healed, the Philippianjailor, the Centurion and Zachaeus, and many others.These are mentioned because they were homes whereJesus had not aforetime been known. The Scriptures give us no examples of families being convertedelsewhere than in the home. Psalm 118 tells us, "Indwellings of the righteous is heard the voice ofmelody and the right hand of the Lord doingJesus gives us an account of two men going upto the temple to pray and one of them going downto his house Justified. But he does not say that hewent down sanctified. If he had been sanctified thesame instant that he was justified, he would havegone up to his home on high. One purpose for whichGod leaves His people here upon the earth, is theirsanctification. While Justification and Sanctificationare both free gifts of God's grace, there is a vastdifference in His manner of applying them. Justification is wrought without, Sanctification within.Justification is instantaneous and complete. Sanctification may be and is always instantaneous in its final375

us."crimson."unequal,"vation?"call."Whengrow."power."completion, yet to His people to whom He gives anappointed time here upon the earth, He applies itprogressively and often so slowly as to be imperceptible to us, and like Israel in the wilderness, ourway."souls become "discouraged because of theWe need to be reminded that it is a long, longway we have to go. As Dr. Watson in his "Body ofDivinity"expresses it, "Men do not leap out of Delilah's lap into Abraham's bosom in the selfsameleap."Verily verily between those two conditions oflife there lies a great fixed gulf over which no onecan pass, even in this state of grace,where gracereigns abundantly over sin and death, without beingtransformed by grace into that condition of life thatmakes the believer meet and fit for the inheritanceof the saints in light and glory. This is not spoken ofthose only whose sins are "dyed red likeThere is no scale of prices in Redemption. It costsour Redeemer His life's blood to redeem from theleast sin as well as to redeem from the greatest sin,to extend common grace as to extend special andsaving grace ; to exercise mercy to His enemies thatslew and hanged Him on the tree, together with allthat united with them throughout all generations,in saying, "We will not have this man to reign overAll the love and the kindness of our Lord andSaviour Jesus Christ that has been bestowed uponfallen mankind, or that ever will be bestowedthroughout the eternal ages to come, is upon themerits of His precious blood that cleanses from allsin.Notwithstanding God's gracious ways of dealingwith fallen mankind in the state of grace, in makingHis sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sending his rain on the just and the unjust, He is oftenmisunderstood and His, "ways called theevil class accounting that God and His providenceapproves of their evil deeds, or in love, passes overthem, not knowing that the love of God is designedto lead men to repentance. Likewise His own peoplesometimes reckon that His providences indicate Hisdisfavor, not discerning that the trial of their faithis much more precious than gold that perisheth.Solomon observed that in God's providences,"one could not tell whether it was hatred or love."Often times it seems to be happening to the wickedaccording to the promises made to the righteous andto the righteous according to the threatenings madeto the wicked. The Psalmist tells us that this seemingfavorable treatment of the wicked almost causedhim to renounce his faith, until he went into God'shouse and there he learned the solution of his problem. That is, that this condition of life is only temporary and that God is working out His plan of redemption in men's lives.The manner in which these problems of life aresolved severs between the two classes ofmen, whichclass is serving God and which is serving Him notThe wicked base their hope too often at least, on Hisprovidential dealing by concluding that God is likethemselves, and approves of their sin. But theyneglect His word that reproves their sin and callsthem to repentance. The righteous observe Hisprovidences and seek a solution of them in His Wordand take heed according to His word. When God'sprovidence and His Word seem to contradict eachother, His Word is our rule always, instead of theapparent contradiction by His providence.376It is in the home life that thesequestions thatare hard to understand arise. One error of the people of God, or perhaps, we should say, the professedpeople of God, is to separate every-day living fromSabbath-day living; Church life from family life,while according to Scriptural teaching, they are inseparably connected. As before noted God's free giftof grace is applied only through His appointed meansof grace. In order therefore to become partakers ofHis grace, we must fulfill the requirements He makesof us to be partakers or be confronted with the question, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great salAs believers in the Calvinistic doctrine weemphasize God's Justice in our salvation, but in sodoing we in no wise minimize our own part. Whilerelying entirely upon God for our salvation, we laboras diligently to promote it as if it all depended on ourefforts. For His Word commands us to work out ourown salvation with fear and trembling for it isGod that worketh in us both to will and do His goodpleasure. Also His command is "Ask, seek, knock,strive to enter in at the strait Mosesgate."delivered to Israel God's law, testimonies, statutesand judgments, he told them it is not in vain foryou to take heed to these things for it is your life.To sum matters up, the work of grace is a continuouswork. One that cannot be accomplished merely bychurch attendance, Sabbath School and evangelisticwork. It must combine home worship with publicworship. It is in the home where most of life is spentarid there the greatest progress in sanctificationtakes place. Where there is no family altar, there isno evidence of God's presence in the home. Neglecting family worship and parental instruction separates the family from God. It is the daily devotionsthat keep the family in daily contact with God. ThePsalmist says, "Seven times a day it is my care togive due praise to thee." In our present day devotions we could outline them as follows: Privateprayer, morning and evening, twice. Morning andevening family worship, twice. Giving thanks atmeals three times, making a total for the day seven.It is through the daily exercise of grace, thatgrace is imparted to the believer. No one entersheaven without knowing how he got there. In producing the change from sin to salvation, the Spirit ofGod does no violence to the will of His creatures. Heenlightens the mind as He renews the will, and thisenlightenment of the mind brings us into the stateof mind that causes us to desire to be changed. Itwas "After I was turned that I repented and after Iwas instructed that I smote upon my breast," yea,"They are a willing people in the day of HisParents should be as much concerned about the salvation of their children as they are about their ownpersonal salvation.King David's declaration of his hope in thecovenant God had made with him contains a sadlack, "although it be not so with my house, yet Hehath made with me an everlasting covenant, orderedin all things and sure ; this is all my salvation and allmy desire although He make it not to Ourchurch covenant contains the lacking elements inDavid's personal covenant, "The promise is unto youand your children and as manyGod shallas the Lord ourOh the joy in the day of final accounts, whenthe judge of all the earth shall say unto Pastors andCOVENANTER WITNESS

up."pressed."yourself!"Sessions, "Where is thy flock, the beautiful flock,that was given thee," to be able to reply, "They areall here Lord," and fathers and mothers also responding, "Behold us and the children thou hast given usare all here present before Thee our God." No doubtthat will be the climax of joy in the Great Day.Seeing then in God's great plan of redemption themembers of the Church and the members of thefamilies that constitute the Church are all inseparably bound together in the bundle of everlasting life,can there be any question that the Pastors and Sessions and every member in our Church should beawakened to the necessity of an established altar inevery home in our church ?Tither's Cornerby Dr. Roy AdamsTITHINGThe years I grew up were known as the greatdepression. Many of us still have a feeling of insecurity when we remember those days. One of myearly worries was whether I would ever be able toget a full-time job. At the same time, of the moneythat was earned a tenth was always set aside forGod's work.Through the years that tenth has grown farbeyond my expectations until it amounts to almostas much as my father often received altogether during those years; and, as far as a job goes, God hasgiven me more interesting work than I can forseeever completing. With it have come the blessings ofa loving Christian helpmeet, three fine sons, andmuch beyond the necessities of life, with the goodhealth to enjoy them.In recent years I have tried to add a periodicoffering to the tithe as the Lord prospered, but,too often, it seems when the books were balancedaround March 15, that only the tithe had been paid.The Church has asked this year that we try tooversubscribe the stated needs so that we can senda new missionary to Japan. I, for one, hope to beable to say at the end of this fiscal year that I'vemade a real offering to the Lord besides paying Himthe tenth that I owe.GLIMPSES . . . cont'd, from page 370consideration by your Committee of the proposed World Calendar. This is the first time in our Judeo-Christian civilization that calendar revision has been attempted in violation ofthe seven-day week cycle as set forth in Genesis. The currentworld struggle has arrayed the forces of Atheism against thosefaithful to God. Any action favorable to this Calendar on thepart of your Committee would aid those who would destroyfaith in God."Melvin M. Forney, General Secretary of the Lord's DayAlliance, adds: "it is hoped that our Christian people acrossthe nation will add their protest to ours against the proposedchange in the Calendar which would violate the order of timeas set forth in God's Word."He further states: "Unofficial information has just beenreceived in our office that the Economic and Social Councilof the United Nations has referred the question of the WorldCalendar back to the entire membership of the U. N. for anexpression of their attitude toward Calendar revision. Actionby the U. N. will follow as soon as their opinions are exBecause this proposed World Calendar would shift theSabbath to an eight-day week once each year and twice everyfour years, Christians who have convictions should write theirprotests once and again to the United Nations, and to everyorganization which promotes it. The lax view and use of theGod-given Sabbath is disastrous to individual Christians, tofamilies, to the church and to the nation.Do not rest complacently in the smug feeling that thisproposal is so far distant that it will perhaps never affect us.It has already been endorsed by many nations, church leadersand industrial managers.Lesson Helps for the Week of January 2, 1955C. Y. P. U. TOPICfor January 2, 1955THE PERSON I NOW AM THEPERSON I WANT TO BECOMEPaaJms:Matthew 5:48 19:16-2263:1-5, page 15351:7-12, page 13140:1-4, page 10221:1-6, page 45132:7-11, page 330References: Galatians 2:20; Philippians3:8-10; 3:20, 21; I John 3:2; 2:1; Romans 8:14; 8:18; I Corinthians 15:49;II Peter 1:4; 1:10, 11.Comments by Remo I. Robb, D.D.One night a rain washed the smalltown in which I lived. It soaked theback yard gardens, and waxed the foliageof the great shade trees. In the morning, abright sun rose into a clear sky whereDecember 15, 1954only a few floatingtufts of cloud wereleft to remind us of the downpour in thedarkness. In the ditch along the uncurbedstreet the last of the rain drained away,leaving soft, oozy mud for the playingchildren to squish between their toes.Company came that day, parents andtwo sons. Being company they were "alldressedThe grown-ups visited, theboys ! Suddenly the company"mother"ran to the porch and calledvery definitely! A little boy rose timidlyfrom the ditch bank where he had beenfinding the soft mud a pleasant toy forother games than squishing between histoes. Sheepishly he started toward hismother."Look at yourself, look atshe cried in despair.But he didn't. He didn't have to. Heknew his clean "companydirty beyond wearing any longer. Withclothes"wereout dropping his eyes to look at them,he looked tearfully up to his mother andburst into a most earnest penitential wail.A wonderful year is closed, and a newone opens. 1954 brought the national convention, the Brief Covenant, new decisions, new concepts of the Bible, newmethods of study,new gratitude for tiepast and new hope for the future. 1954brought "showers of blessings." Yet facingup to the standard of Matthew 5:48, itis as though our Master were sayingLOOK AT YOUR"After these showers,SELF."I don't need to look. I know."Fvebeen playing in the mud. I've missed theintent of God's wondrous gifts. I've misused them. But down in my heart I'msick of it, sorry for it. I want to grow upinto the full use of my blessings. Whatshall I do?That's the very question the rich young377

ments'yet?"perfect."complete"voice"ruler asked the Lord Jesus. Can I finddirection in Jesus' answer?"Keep theCommandments."The Ten Commandments are God's standards for mankind.They're allgood, and all in operation.You can't break one and not damageyourself.I wish I could answer like the richyoung ruler did (read Matt. 19:20). But,of course, he hadn't learned the ShorterCatechism which says, "No mere mansince the fall is able in this life perfectlyto keep the Commandments of God, butdoth daily break them in thought, wordand deed." Keepingcommandments forthe keeping's sake or for the commandsake does not cleanse my life. Therich young ruler asked, "What lack IJesus answered, "If thou wilt be perfect,Some folks try to softenthe punch of "perfection" by noting thatthe original word means "to beor "to be finished." But according toMatt. 5:48, whatever that completenessrepresents it must be measured by thecondition of "even as your Father inheaven,"and that without question isflawlessness.The way to that heavenly perfection,said Jesus to the rich young ruler, is torate everythingmaterial as "stuff to berid of" and to estimate Jesus Christ and"following Him" as life's one worthy andworthwhile treasure. Perfect, even as theHeavenly Father is perfect.Thafs the person I want to be. Butit'll take me all eternity to attain it. Stillifs a most worthy aim, and the way isclear. It's Christ's Charge and my challenge. Til Follow Him!TALK THESE ITEMS OVER:1. "Be ye thereforeWhy setideals higher than we are able to attain?2. With Matthew 5:48 as the eternalgoal, determine some in-between goalsthat will assure you you are makingprogress.3. If keeping the Commandments doesnot save us, why do we try to keep them?4. How does keeping the Commandments contribute to "the person I want tobe?"5. List good things from 1954 that willhelp you toward your ideal for 1955.SOMETHING SPECIAL:This should be a good evening for aninstallation service of the 1955 officers.JUNIOR TOPICJanuary 2, 1955by Mrs. Philip W. MartinJOHN, THE FORERUNNER OFJESUSScripture: Mark 1:1-8Memory Verse: "He must increase, but I378must decrease." John 3:30Psalms:Psalm 1:1-6, page 1Psalm 18:25, 27, 28, page 33Psalm 23:1-5, page 52Memory Psalm for January: Psalm 18:12, 13, 16, page 37For the last six months we have beenstudying the Book of Genesis. We learnedthat the first man and woman, Adamand Eve, were created holy. But welearned the sad story of how Satan entered their hearts. And more than thatwe learned that because Adam represented all mankind,we are born in sin. Butwe are thankful that the picture did notremain black and dark for us. God gaveAdam and Eve a ray of hope in Genesis3:15 when He said to the serpent, "And Iwill put enmitywoman, and between thybetween thee and theseed and herseed; it shall bruise thy head, and thoushalt bruise his heel." We now knowthat the seed of the woman is JesusChrist who was put on the cross (bruisedin His heel by the seed of the serpent,the devil). But though Jesus died yet inthree days He rose again (He bruised thehead of the serpent). And so, for the nextthree months we want to talk about thisHope which was given to Adam, andthrough him to usJesus Christ.salvation through1. What name do we give to the firstfour books of the New Testament whichtell of the life of Jesus Christ? We aregoing to follow the outline of the Gospelaccording to Mark since it is the shortestaccount, but we shall have some references to the other gospel accounts and toother parts of Scripture.We first learn about John the Baptistwho is sometimes called, "the forerunnerof Jesus Christ." A story is told concerning the transfer of Abraham Lincoln'sbody from Washington to Springfield,Illinois. As many of you know from yourstudy of history, Abraham Lincoln waskilled by his enemies while he was president of the United States. His casket wasput on a train to take his body to Springfield. A short distance ahead of his trainwent a locomotive all by itself. Thislocomotive let people know that the traincarrying Lincoln's body was comingvery soon. We could call this locomotivethe "forerunner" of Lincoln's funeraltrain. This locomotive had another purpose also. It was feared that the enemiesof Lincoln would try to destroyeven thedead body of Lincoln by trying to wreckthe train. So the little locomotive wassent ahead to see if a bridge was brokenor if something was put on the tracks. Ifthe locomotive got through then Lincoln'strain could go on through. The locomotive PREPARED THE WAY for Lincoln's train.2. What does Malachi call John theBaptist? Malachi 3:1a3. What was John the Baptist sent todo? Mark 1:24. What does John the Baptist callhimself in John 1:23? What Old Testament prophet called him this? Isaiah40:35. What is Jesus called in John 1:1?John the Baptist was called "thebut Jesus is called "the Word." Perhapsyou have turned the radio on just alittle. You know someone is speakingthe voice comes first. Then if you turn iton more you can hear the words.6. Who were the mother and father ofJohn the Baptist? Luke 1:13. Ask yourJunior leader or one of your Junior members to tell the story of the birth of Johnthe Baptist.7. What kind of clothes did John theBaptist wear and what kind of food didhe eat? Mark 1:68. Where did John the Baptist do hispreaching? Mark 1:4 and Matthew 3:19. a. What was the message of Johnthe Baptist? Matthew 3:2b. What was the message of Jesus?Matthew 4:1710. What did John the Baptist do besides Mark 1 :4.preach?11. What was the difference betweenthe baptism of John and the baptism ofJesus? Mark 1:812. How did John introduce Jesus to his(John's) disciples? John 1:29This is the same way that Jesus isintroduced to you and to me. "Behold theLamb of God which taketh away thesin of theworld."My Junior friends, doyou know Jesus as your Saviour whotakes away your sin?Then John the Baptist said somethingelse which we should think about.13. What did John the Baptist say inJohn 3:30?This is our memoryverse. "He mustincrease, but I must decrease." We mustfirst of all have Jesus in our lives andthen we must live more and more inrighteousness ("He must increase") andless and less in sin ("I must decrease").14. Tell the story of the death of Johnthe Baptist. Matthew 14:1-12.For the notebook:Have two parts to your picture separated by the word BUT. First part: a smallpicture of a cross with broken lines fromtop and bottom reaching to the top andbottom of a larger cross. Under thisprint HE MUST INCREASE. Secondpart: print the letter I and have brokenlines from top and bottom meeting at adistance. Under this print I MUST DECREASE.For the Junior Superintendent:In letters big enough for the childrento see, print on flashcards the location ofeach memory verse and have the childrenrecite the verse. Review these frequently.COVENANTER WITNESS

soul"word,"sure"SABBATH SCHOOL, LESSONJanuary 2, 1955THE BIBLE OUR AUTHORITYRev. W. J. McBurney(Lessons based an International Sunday SchoolLessons ; the International Bible Lessons forChristian Teacning, copyrighted oy the International Council of Relieious Education.Lesson Text; John 20:21; Romans 15:4;H Timothy 3:14-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2Peter 1:16-21Thomas was an investigator. He madeexamination and knew that Christ wasdead on the cross. He repeated theexamination to prove His identity afterHis resurrection. John chose severalwitnesses out of many, to strengthenthe faith of believers in the deity ofJesus Christ, the Son of God, that theymight have life through His Name.Thomas, the Investigator, was a mostvaluable witness. This is the purposeof the Bible, to show the way of EternalLife, through Faith.Romans 15:4:The Scriptures were written for ourlearning. They encourage us in Patience,and lead us to Hope. A worldly hopesoon turns to ashes, and leaves no hopeat all. Are there sadder words thanthese, "Without Hope?" "Why art thoucast down, O mywhen you havethe Holy Bible to inspire patience, andencourage Hope? Hope in a wrongobject is Satan's most deadly snare. ButHope in God as revealed in JesusChrist will set us free. Hope is a spurto endeavor. Hope in God gives comfort and assurance both in prosperity,and in adversity, and it gives the incentive to greater hopes, and morenoble endeavors.2 Timothy 3:14-17It is the privilege and duty of parents to instruct their children in theScriptures, that they may be preparedto fill wisely their place in this life,and that they may have the assurance of Eternal Life. Others have a dutytoward our children, and should befaithful in it. But we, as parents, cannot delegate our duty to any other. Ifwe shirk, we cheat our children, andloose our blessing.Paul reminds Timothy that the children also have their duty to take heedto the instruction they receive fromparents and teachers. Wild oats may beforgiven, the wound may heal, but thescar remains. Paul rejoiced that, in amiraculous moment, God graciouslymade him a New Creature, and usedhim valiantly in defence of the truth.But henever ceased to regret thatthrough a perverted ambition, he hadspent his early years warring againstthe truth. Two groups are especiallyblessed; Godly Parents, and their Obedi-December 15, 1954ent Children. "Hope springs exulting onTriumphant Wings," to those who receive it through the Living Word, andare not carried away bystrange doctrines. The printing press, as a meansof spreading the Gospel, is of greatvalue in the hands of Christ's servants.It can help, but cannot do what Christhas assigned to His people. We mustuse "especially the preachingners.of theas a means of convincing sinHebrews 4:12"For the Word is zoon and energas,"living and moving with power. Lifecomes from life. Every element neededfor the nourishment of our bodies, isin the soil around us. We cannot useone atom directly for our physical life.A grain of wheat organizes those elements into life and by them we live.The Bible contains every truth neededfor spiritual growth and we receive itas it has been lived into life by JesusChrist, the Living Word.It was a long job turning the grindstone while Father sharpened the knivesfor the big beef, our yearly supply ofmeat. How those sharp knives cutthrough the flesh till the strong jointsfell apart! Those knives would separatejoints because they were sharp andskillfully used.Some boys in service found that theleaves from their India paper NewTestaments made splendid cigarettepapers. Occasionally they comparedtheir progress by the book and chapterthey had reached. One of the boys began to read the chapters before he torethem out. When he reached John, hekept on reading, but quit smoking. TheWord of God, had cut through.2 Peter 1:16-21The Word of God is fact, not fable.Two Mormon missionaries visited me.They had to confess that there was nowitness to the correctness of ProphetJoseph's translation of the goldenplates. In fact no witness except Josephthat there was more than one plate,for only one had been seen. They gaveme a copy of the Book of Mormon.It purports to give the history of thissect for 2600 years. Not once does ittouch on known history in a way thatcan be checked up. It tells of a journeyfrom Babylon to America in such vaguedetail, that their prophets cannot saywhether they landed on the East orWest coast. There is nothing that can beinvestigated. In striking contrast, theBible gives a full record of dates andplaces, inviting examination. All alongthe way it touches contemporary history in a way that makes examinationfor truth very easy. After three thousand years, geographic locations areeasily identified, and proven. Masons arenot allowed to discuss the truth of theirclaims. Christian Scientists are not allowed to continue discussion with thosewho would deny the claims of Mrs.Eddy. The Bible has no need to fearinvestigation.A booklet by Roman Catholics, claimsthat they are fortunate over Protestants in having no need to discuss themeaning of the Bible. For them, thatis decided by the Roman See. Thatlooks like "Private Interpretation."The Apostles wrote of what had beenseen and heard by many witnesses.Their writings bear the stamp of Truth.Are Fairy Stories more valuable or evenmore interesting than the True Storiesof the Bible?Old Testament prophecies are made"moreto us by their fulfillmentas recorded in the New Testament.Moroni (a Mormon angel) is supposedto have hid the golden plates about400 A.D. In the translation that wenow have, Moroni is made to tell howthe plates would eventually be foundand translated. That proves their truth!No one denies that the Old Testamentwas written centuries before the eventsof the New Testament.Peter says that we do well to takeheed. The Bible is a Light in a darkworld. That Light will lead us to thefull day, and to Him who is the Lightof the World. And He will come intoour hearts.Since the Bible is proven true inevery field open to human investigation,is it not reasonable to believe that itsoft repeated declarations are true? Notone of the three score writers makesany claim to be the ultimate author ofthe book that bears his name. It isnot the work of man, but Holy menof old spake as they were moved bythe Holy Ghost.That makes the Book supremely important to us.Psalms:PRAYER MEETING TOPICJanuary 5, 1955TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONSJames 1-4, 12-15; 5:7-11M. K. Carson, D.D.1:1-3, page 2119:1-5, page 29437:3-6, page 9140:1-4, page 102References: Col. 3:12; Romans 5:3-5;I Peter 2:19, 20; Hebrews 10:34-36;Matt. 5:11, 12References in the discussion.Christianity cannot be defined as asystem of ethics, but it does have ethicalimplications. This Epistle of James whichthe Prayer Meeting Committee has se-379

view."ren,"lected for our study one evening eachmonth, places primarily emphasis uponpractical morality. But James does notcontradict Paul. Rather he supplementshim. If there had been irreconcilable differences between this book of James andthe Epistles of Paul, the Church, underthe guidance of the Holy Spirit, wouldnot have given this epistle a place in thecanon. Luther evidently misunderstood itspractical message when he called it a"straw"epistle. The Lutheran Church,however, did not follow her leader inthis unfavorable judgment. James is emphasizing the evidence of our faith."Though a man say he hath faith, andhave not works, can faith save him?"We must do more than "say." If Paulis the Apostle of Faith, John the Apostleof Love and Peter the Apostle of Hope,would James be the Apostle of Works?Faith without works is as dead as thebody without the spirit (James 2:26).AUTHOR. James 1:1James is the English form for JacobThen as now the name was quite common. James the Son of Zebedee, Matt. 4:21; James the Son of Alphaeus, Matt. 10:3 and James, the "Lord's brother, (Matt.13:55; Gal. 1:19) were three leaders bythis name in the Early Church. Doubtlessit is James the Lord's brother who is theauthor of this Epistle. In his early life heseemed to be ashamed to be known as amember of the same family, now he is delighted to call himself a "servant of Godand of the Lord Jesus Christ. .Thisis as it should be. During this year maywe strive more earnestly to live whollyin the will of Christ servants of Godand of the Lord Jesus Christ.Dr. Philip Schaff says, "This 'Brothertheory'is exegetically the most naturalOne of the arguments against this"brother-theory"is that Jesus committedthe care of His mother to John and notto her own sons and daughters as wewould naturally expect (John 19:25,Matt. 13:55-58). The reason for thisseems to be that His brethren did not believe on Him (John 7:5; Mark 6:4). Nodoubt this failure of His brethren to believe on Him during His earthly life wasone of the trials of Jesus for He wastempted in all points as we are . .(Heb. 4:15).After His resurrection Jesus appearedto James (I Cor. 15:7). What a meetingthis must have been I What preciousmemories it had for James! Here nodoubt was the turning point in this unbelieving brother and on the Day ofPentecost His brethren were among thosewho were gathered together in the upperroom (Acts 1:13-15). How long-sufferingJesus is!James was in a Position of Leadership380The Lord's brother had a prominentposition among the Jewish people in Jerusalem. Was he one of the "pillars" inthe Jerusalem Church? Acts 12:17; 15:13;Gal. 2:9. Perhaps the position and authorityof James was abused by theJudaizing party (Gal. 2:12) for Jamesrecognized Paul's call to the Gentiles andknew something of the dangers which heendured for the Name of the Lord JesusChrist (Acts 15:26). James, Cephas andJohn gave the right hand of fellowshipto Paul and Barnabas (Gal. 2:9). Sowhatever differences there may have beenbetween these two, they had much morein common. Both were redeemed by thesame precious Saviour. Both preachedthe same glorious Gospel. Both werebond servants of the Lord Jesus Christ."Legends gather around the memoryof great men, and reveal the deep impression theymade upon their friendsand followers. The character which shinesthrough these James-legends is that of aloyal, zealous, devout,consistent HebrewChristian, who by his personal purity andholiness secured the reverence and affection of all around him." Dr. Schaff. Isit any wonder that he was called "Jamesthe Just"?To Whom Is the Epistle Addressed?It is addressed to the Jews and JewishChristians of the Dispersion "my breth"my beloved brethren," an expression which is found fifteen times in theEpistle. At the time this Epistle waswritten many of these brethren were beingtempted, tried, despised and oppressed(1:2-3, 12; 2:6; 5:6). The rich and powerful Jews oppressed and persecuted thosewho believed. Their faith was being tried.Life was hard. Before hisconversion,Saul was one of these bitter persecutors(Acts 8:1). But even if they were beingtried, they were to count it all joy. Is notthat the reverse of the ordinary and natural view of affliction? But can any"bad"thing come to the believer? Mustnot "all things work together for goodto them that love God?" (Rom. 8:28).Chastening for the present may seemgrievous; nevertheless afterward it yieldeththe peaceable fruit of righteousness. .(Heb. 12:11). And for those who enduretemptation there is the "Crown of life"which is promised to them who love theLord (James 1:12).Some claim that it is hard to believethese promises. Is it hard for children tobelieve the promises of loving parents?Why should it be hard for us if.wetrulybelieve in the goodness, the truthfulness,and the love of a Heavenly Father as Heis revealed in the Holy Scriptures? "Ifye then being evil, know how to givegood gifts unto your children, how muchmore shall your heavenly Father give theHoly Spirit to them that ask Him?"(Luke 11:13).But we often find it hard to wait forthe fulfillment of these promises. In ourdistress we feel that the Lord has forgotten us. Evidently they were makingthe same complaint in the early Churchfor James urged his brethren to be patientto let patience have her perfectwork, that theyentire, wantingmight? be perfect andnothing. The word "perfect" suggests maturity or completion.The word "entire" means completion inall its parts. A man is not "entire" if hehas lost an arm or an eye. Who of usdoes not need this grace of patience? Thefarmer must wait for months for hisharvest. The prophets were afflicted andtheir patience under very trying circumstances is an example to us. And shallwe not find as Job did that the Lord isvery pitiful and of tender mercy? James5:12. May the Lord give us grace to waitpatiently for Him. He does not forget hischildren. But like the refiner He is waiting for the perfected results."Why do we not tremble? Because wedo not fear any of the adversities of thislife. What could inspire us with terror?Death? We run so much the sooner intothe haven of repose. The loss of earthlyriches? Naked came I out of my mother'swomb and naked shall I return thither.Exile? The earth is the Lord's. False accusation? Blessed are ye, when men shallrevile you I looked upon the perilsand my eye beheld in spirit the Crown ofGlory."Chrysostom. May we in all ourtrials and temptations let patience haveher perfect work.PRAYER:For Christian patience;for ourmissionaries in Japan, Syria, andCyprus; for grace "to conform ourlives to the teaching and exampleof our Lord Jesus Christ."QUESTIONS:1. How was James qualified for theimportant position which he held?2. What is the essential message ofthe Epistle of James?3. How is patience a manifestation of a living faith?WHITE LAKE: Our ThanksgivingService was held again this year inunion with the Methodists and Presbyterians of this community. Last year theservice was held in the PresbyterianChurch and for our benefit, only thePsalms were used and they were sung ACappella. This year in the MethodistChurch the 23rd Psalm was sung justbefore the message. After one long blaston the organ it was shut off and we allsang this Psalm to God's praise. We enjoyed it and I feel sure that God did too.NEW YORK CITY: The Bible StudyGroup met at the home of Miss Jean McKnight in Brooklyn Friday, December 3.COVENANTER WITNESS

8,000.00GREELEY: Mr. J. Clyde Dunn andMr. Roland R. Snair were ordained andinstalled elders of the Greeley Congregation on Sabbath evening, November21. Our pastor conducted the service;Mr. A. A. Carson gave the Charge to theElders, and Mr. E. R. Keys gave theCharge to the congregation. We trust thatyou will join us in our prayer that Godmay richly bless these men in their service for Christ and for His Church.OLATHE: We were glad to have MissCatherine Vos worship with us on twoconsecutive SabbathsNovember 14 and21. She visited in the home of her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. George Milligan.to have Miss Orlena Lynn with us forourThankoffering Service on November 14. It was a real blessing to hearof the Scriptural work which our missionaries are carrying on in Japan. Itis also very satisfying to learn that sucha work does produce fruit.ORLANDO: We are glad to reportthat Alvin Smith Jr. is improving verynicely from an appendectomy operationwhich he underwent the night beforeThanksgiving. I am sure he realized hewas thankful for once for losing something.CENTRAL-PITTSBURGH: A babygirl was born to Mr. and Mrs. RayVarga on October 5. Joan and Adelewere very happy to welcome Little AnnMary, and they hope Daddya houseful of girls.SPARTA:won't mindThe parsonage has beenreceiving much attention and care lately.The kitchen has undergone a completeremodeling which includes metal cabinets and an electric sink with dishwasher and garbage disposal! What ajoy now to prepare the meals! The backporch has been enlarged and enclosed,and other improvements have beenmade.We thank the Lord and Hispeople for all this which contributesmuch to the convenience and comfortof the occupants of the parsonage.John and Marion McMillanFRESNO: The Bible School Councilmet at the church on Tuesday, November 23, in the evening. Theymeet regu-CENTRAL-PITTSBURGH: PittsburghPresbytery met in this church on Tuesday, October 12, at 10 a.m. with Mr.K. M. Young, Sr., as our delegate.Lunch and dinner were served by thewomen of the Church. The evening conference on "Continuing the Church inPittsburgh Presbytery" concluded thediscussions for the day.THIRD PHILADELPHIA:Practicaland inspiring messages were given usduring the month of November by ourpastor, Rev. George W. Price, whochose all his sermon-texts from TheWord as revealed in Isaiah. We aregrateful that interest and attendanceat the mid-week prayer meeting continues. The Christmas program will begiven on December 27.BELLE CENTER, OHIO: On Sabbathevening, November 7, Mrs. J. Roy Templeton brought their radio to the churchand those present had the privilege tohear the message"Liquor a Curse toAmerica"by the Rev. Sam Morris, "TheVoice of Temperance." After the message the group decided to send moneyto help Rev. Morris meet the expensesof this coast to coast N.B.C Broadcast.CENTRAL-PITTSBURGH: Fall activities got underway in October. Thegymnasium, which offers a wonderfulway to help bring the principles ofChristianity applied to this city, isunder the leadership ofGene Vogel.Prayer and good singing are both necessary for an effective Church;make Wednesday night a time for helpso toing in the work of the Church, webegan Choir Practice after Prayer Meeting under the leadership of our precentor, Mr. Lavern Bish.WHITE LAKE: We were very happyDecember }5, 1954BAD NEWSContributions to the Budget ofThe Reformed Presbyterian Churchof North AmericaSeptember 1, 1954 December 1, 1954Amount of Budget set by Synod $110,015.00Amount raised to December 1, 1954 49,244.81Amount raised to December 1, 1953 56,043.76Behind last Year December 1, 1954 6,798.95WHAT IS THE ANSWERDepartments to Receive Received to Dec. 1, 1954Foreign Missions i $27,000.00 $10,800.00Home Missions 9,000.00 3,600.00Southern Mission none 1,991.94Indian Mission 1,800.00 720.00Kentucky Mission 6,300.00 3,940.26Home Mission Sect. 3,625.00 1,450.00Young People's Sect. 225.00 90.00Woman's Association 4,500.00 1,800.00Theological Seminary 9,000.00 3,600.00Students Aid 1,800.00 720.00Ministerial Relief 9,900.00 3,960.00Widows & Orphans 2,700.00 1,080.00Geneva College 14,400.00 5,760.00Covenanter Witness ^_Pfd. claim 5,000.00Witness Committee 10,800.00 4,320.00Christian Education 450.00 180.00Miscellaneous Account 425.00 170.00Nat. Association of Evang. 90.00 36.00110,015.00 49,218.10The following Departments are OVERDRAWN.Theological Seminary $2,167.11Witness Committee 7,402.82Ministerial Relief 2,547.19Indian Mission 744.54Home Mission Sect. 357.6313,219.29Chester R. Fox TREAS.381

larly every month and decide on thework of the Bible School.There was a Thanksgivingdinner atthe church and from reports everyonepresent had plenty to be thankful forin way of food for the body as well asfood for thesoul. Our pastor told uson the Sabbath before Thanksgivingthat in the three years he had beenhere, not one of the members hadbeen called up Higher. We are thankful to God for such good health of allof us.CENTRAL- PITTSBURGH: Our sympathies were extended to those who haverecentlyexperienced the passing awayof loved ones: to Mrs. Ruth Hook uponthe death of her brother; to Miss BettyLayne whose grandmother passed awayon November 7; to the Lampus sistersand Mrs. Woessner upon the death oftheir brother, Theodore; and to Mrs.R. E. Dill upon the death of her fatherMr. Wickerham on September 17 at theage of 97. Mrs. Carolyn Sloan also passed awayat the home of her daughterin Bakersfield, Calif., on September 9.II Corinthians 1:3, 4.WHITE LAKE: Little Miss BeverlyJean Wilson was born on October 19,to the Rev. and Mrs. Thomas Wilson.THIRDPHILADELPHIA: We arethankful that so manyGroupof ourTeen-are attending Church serviceeach week. Some of the boys assist byreceivingthe offering.GENEVA: Our sympathy is extendedto the Ernest Lathom familyin thedeath of Mrs. Lathorn's step-father,Mr. Monte Toole of Princeton, Indiana.Her mother is also in serious condition,and we ask your prayers for her.CENTRAL-PITTSBURGH: Dr. RemoI. Robb was our guest minister in theabsence of our pastor on November 7.Rev. Kenneth Smith was in Bloomington, Ind., where he assisted in the Communion Services and assisted Mr. LeroyEims in putting on programs for twolivinggroups there on the Universityof Indiana Campus.GENEVA: On Sabbath November 14,Mr. Thomas Baird, arepresentative ofthe Gideon Society, spoke to us aboutthe work that theyare doing. The organization started when two men, awayfrom home and friends, realized thepart the Bible played in the lives oftraveling men. They started by placingBibles in hotel rooms. Now they haveextended their services to hospitals,service men, even school children wherepermitted. A free-will offering wastaken for their use. Two of our members, William Dodds and Stewart Mc-382Creadytion.are members of this organizaBELLE CENTER, OHIO: Our pastorhas been conducting a Bible Study onSabbath evenings beginningwith theOld Testament books. He gives us ageneral outline of each book. This hasbeen very interesting and profitable.CENTRAL-PITTSBURGH:'Mrs. NellisBoros was welcomed into the membership of our congregation on November 7, by certificate from our Cambridge Church.FRESNO: November 21 was FamilyPew Day, and we were glad to see somanychildren present with their parents. There were at least two dozenchildren under the age of 12 to heara fine sermon on "Martha, Martha."THIRD PHILADELPHIA: Mr. Arthur Danenhour was admitted toOsteopathic Hospital on November 26for treatment. Our prayers are for afull and speedy recovery.CENTRAL-PITTSBURGH: On October 31 Dr. J. Renwick Patterson, Executive Secretary of the National Reform Association, brought the messagefrom God's Word on "The GreatestThreat to Our Western Civilization."ORLANDO: The young people of thecongregation sponsored a dinner atCamp Ithael this Thanksgiving whichwas enjoyed by a nice groupof thecongregation. The young people andsome of the older ones of the congregation stayed for a social occasion aroundthe camp-fire and toasted weiners inthe coals of the fire in the center ofthe camp house.CAMBRIDGE, MASS.: Saturday evening, November 27, a full church witnessedthe marriage of Miss Janet Davis toMr. Fred Millican, an elder of our congregation. The church was decoratedwith ferns,lovely white flowers andcandelabra. The service took place ateight o'clock and was performed by Rev.Donald Robb, pastor.Mrs. James Calderwood played appropriate music for the service. Miss Davisescorted by her father, came down theaisle preceded by Miss Betty Jo Davis,Maid of Honor. At the front of thechurch her groom waited with his bestman, his brother Jim Millican. Theushers were Mr. Ralph McKeown andMr. James Calderwood.A reception was held immediatelyafter the service in the church with allof the indispensable ice cream, weddingcake and smiling faces.Mr. Millican is an electrician in theJohn Hancock Building in down-townBoston while Miss. Davis has been holdingdown a secretarial position. Aftertheirwedding trip they will be livingat 410 Woburn St., Lexington, Massachusetts.CENTRAL-PITTSBURGH: Mr. andMrs. Kenneth Sanderson, missionariesfrom Latakia, Syria,spoke at our Sabbath Thank meeting.Offering Mrs. JohnW. Oliver presided, Mrs. James W. Youngintroduced the guest speakers, and MissMary Kenwill gave the Thank-Offeringprayer for the morning.SPARTA: Our joint Thanksgivingservice with Old Bethel at Old Bethelwas well attended and the true spiritof thanksgiving to God seemed evidentin the testimonies, quotes of scripture,and requests for psalms to be sung.We also joined with Old Bethel forour Thankoffering service. Mr. KennethSanderson gave an interesting and encouraging message. We were sorry thatMrs. Sanderson was ill and could not bewith us. During the social hour whichfollowed we enjoyed music by severalof the younger generation and deliciousrefreshments served by Old Bethel'ssocial committee.THIRD PHILADELPHIA: The engagement of Miss Margaret Carl to Mr.Walter McClayof Third Philadelphiacongregation was announced at a familydinner on Thanksgiving Day.CENTRAL-PITTSBURGH:Perhapsas informative a description of whatit means, to be a Christian, as can befound in the Bible, was given us by ourPastor in six tests during the monthof September and October from theFirst Epistle of John. Climaxing thestudy in the fifth chapter, using the subject, "What Is This Thing Called'Life'? it stresses that Christianity is: Anew Lifevs. 2, A Life of Loveof Victoryvs. 1, A Life of Obediencevs. 3, and A Lifevs. 4 and 5. Have you become a child of God by faith in Christ?If not, I would invite you to read overthis Epistle of John and have a talkwith your Pastor, today.WHITE LAKE: On the evening ofNovember 4, a Covenant Signing service was held in our Church. We arehappy to say that the "Brief Covenant"now bears the names of every localmember of our congregation. There wereno "Conscientious Objectors."THIRD PHILADELPHIA: We areglad to see Mrs. F. M. Wilson in heraccustomed place after several weeksabsence due to illness. Mr. Nelson isworshipingaway several Sabbaths.with us again after beingCENTRAL-PITTSBURGH :Therehave been many that have been laidaside with sickness: Janie, daughter ofDr. and Mrs. Patterson, had her tonsilsCOVENANTER WITNESS

emoved on October 5 and has made asatisfactoryrecovery: Mrs. ThomasWalsh underwent a serious major operation in the Presbyterian Hospital, September 27, but is now back to her regular duties at the Church; Mrs. Spencer,mother of Mrs. Shirley Warfield, recently fell and suffered a broken hip andis in the St. John's Hospital after asuccessful operation on November 11;Mrs. R. E. Dill reports that Mr. Dill'scondition is much improved. Their address is 4123 N. Cogswell Road, ElMonte, Calif.BELLE CENTER, OHIO: Our Thanksgiving services were held Thursday,November 25 at 10 A.M. The new Richland Baptist church members joinedwith us. Dr. M. K. Carson brought themessage.THIRD PHILADELPHIA: Thanksgiving Day brought visitors from out oftown: Miss Elizabeth Evans, recentlytransferred to Massachusetts, was homeand attended the service with her sisterNaomi. Miss Ora Danes was the guestof the Misses Phyllis and Irene Rusk.MissMargaret Crozier arrived homefrom Florida intime to attend theThanksgiving service. It was a pleasureto see Mr. Charles Houseman with hismother and sister. The service ofThanksgiving and praise was led by ourpastor, Rev. George W. Price, and ourpastor emeritus, Dr. F. M. Wilson,preached the sermon and pronounced thebenediction.NEW YORK CITY: The teachers andofficers of the Sabbath School met Wednesday December 1 to finalize plans forChristmas entertainment and other matters of the School.CENTRAL-PITTSBURGH :DavidPatterson, son of Dr. and Mrs. Patterson, senior at Avonworth High School,was recently elected to the NationalHonor Society and president of theAssembly Committee. He planned a religious program for the Senior Highon November 25 which went over withjreat enthusiasm with the kids. Theygreatly enjoyed the comical skits whichRev. Kenneth Smith and Leroy Eimspresented and were overwhelmed withtheir personal testimonies on how theyhad received Christ.BELLE CENTER: Our Thank-Offering Service was held November 11 at8 p.m. Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Sandersonwere our speakers that evening and toldof their work in Latakia, Syria, whichwas greatly appreciated. Our Thank Offeringamounted to $402.20. A socialtime followed. The Committee servedspiced tea, cookies and mints.WHITE LAKE: Our Fall CommunionDecember 15, 1954continent and took over 800 coloredwas held on November 7, with the Rev.cently returned from a trip across the "; and last, it shall be a day of Wor-Joseph Hill bringing the messages fromGod's Word. At this time two of ourpictures of the various points of interesthe visited while away. We enjoyed theyoung people, Miss Shirley Williams magnificent scenery of the Yellowstone,and Mr. Albert Bergandahl were baptized and welcomed into full membership in the Church.THRID PHILADELPHIA: Miss MarBrice Canyon, Banff, Glacier Park, etc.,"shots"and his many of the CovenanterChurches and folks he visited en route.Delicious refreshments were served byIsabel and Mrs. Crawford.garet McCandless was hostess for theNovember meeting of the Women's Missionary Society.Since I am still Junior Superintendent, it might be well to put among theStar Notes our address for the time beCENTRAL-PITTSBURGH: The lasting so that local superintendents mayFriday of each month has been set as asend their Juniors' contributions:time of fellowship for young married725 Wyonacouples and young adults of our congregation. Our regular night for entertainment and devotional inspiration wason October 30 at the parsonage, climaxing the evening of fellowship with a personal testimony by Ray Joseph of theSeminary. The gang's second meetingwas at the home of Chuck and Dot McHot Springs, New Mexico.Mrs. Philip MartinCENTRAL-PITTSBURGH: We wereprivileged to have Dr. D. H. Elliott, former pastor of our church, as guest minister for the communion season. Fiveyoung people united with the ChurchKissock on November 26 which con on Friday night, October 8, upon procluded with a talk by Rev. KennethSmith on the personal life of Philip.fession of their faith in the Lord JesusChrist. Our warmest welcome and prayCommittees were appointed the evening ers went out to: Paul Flickenger,of the first meeting to take care of allfurther get-togethers. The committeesDelores Griser, Grace Grossman, Barbara Kenny, and Betty Ziegler.were as follows: Place and ContactMrs. Shirley Warfield and Minerva Reid;BELLE CENTER, OHIO: On OctoProgram Mr. James Young and Lavernber 31 our Sabbath School offering whichBish.amounted to $20.20 was sent to the Temperance Committee.GENEVA: To the Lawson family, toMildred Lawson Cox and her family and THIRD PHILADELPHIA: Recent visthe many relatives that attend ouritors at Sabbath Day worship service inchurch, we extend heartfelt sympathycluded Mr. Jamep B. McCandless, Missas we learn of the death of their grandMargaret Carl of Philadelphia; Missson, David Farrell Roberts, 18 monthElizabeth W. Robinson of Pittsburgh,old son of Dorothy (Lawson) Roberts.The Roberts have been residing in SouthCarolina since his discharge from theArmy.who was the guest of her cousin MissJane McCleary; Miss Vera Chapman, aguest of Miss Naomi Evans; Mr. andMrs. Fred Carl with Lynn and FreddieORLANDO: Mr. and Mrs. Frankof Strattonville, Clarion Co., Pa., guestsof Miss M. McCandless and Howard DieHarsh of Sidney, Ohio, and theirtrich accompanied by Miss Louise Andrus.daughter Mrs. Preston Carson and family of Oakdale, Illinois spent a few daysincluding Thanksgiving with Mr. and CENTRAL- PITTSBURGH: On FriMrs. Elzie Harsh. Mrs. Mary Pattersonof Houston 111., sister of Dr. H. G. Patterson and aunt of Camron Patterson,is spending a while here with relatives.day, November 24, 1 p. m. the Young,atPeople met at the Church for a good timeof fellowship and fun. A business meetingwas also on the program, and these newofficers were elected for 1954-55: PresiBELLE CENTER, OHIO: Our guests dent Paul Patterson; Vice Presidentduring the Thanksgiving vacation wereLois Vogel; Secretary Barbara Ziegler;Mrs. Delber McKee, Richard and Anne, Treasurer Paul Flickenger; RecordingNew Wilmington, Pa.; Mr. and Mrs.Secretary Margaret McCloskey.M. F. Murphy, Beaver Falls, Pa.; JamesTempleton, Ohio State University; HughGENEVA: Our annual ThanksgivingBarbour, Alice Templeton and Rev. Day service was conducted by our Pastor. HisDavid M. Carson, Geneva message, based on the storyCollege, andLeviticus where God commanded theMrs. Robert Griffin, Pittsburg, Pa.children of Israel to remember their PassTHIRD PHILADELPHIA: The entire over, pointed out three reasons for recongregation was invited to a social membering this special day. We keep itevening at the Church on November 9 first in memory. "That your generationsand entertained by Mr. and Mrs. Robert may know Then it is a day ofJ. Crawford, Sr. Mr. Crawford has re festivity; "And ye shall keep it a feast383

witnesses"needing."ship. "Ye shall offer an offering made byfire unto the Lord." Our Elder, WilliamGarrett led in the Thankoffering prayer.PRESENTINGTHE COVENANTER CHURCH"Who are the Covenanters?"This short essay answers that questionby presenting the historical backgroundof the church and closes with a summaryof our beliefs. 16 pagesW. J. Coleman, "The Aim of the Distinctive Principles of the CovenanterChurch."Four packed pages by the first chairman of the Witness Committee, relating our special beliefs to their centralpurpose the exaltation of Jesus Christ.Available from the Witness CommitteeDavid M. Carson, Geneva College,Beaver Falls, PennsylvaniaDEEPER SPIRITUAL LDJE WEEKF. H. Lathom, D.D. pastor of CollegeHill congregationLast summer while on vacation I satdown to make plans for my fall and winter work. Suddenly there came to me thethought that we should have at least oneweek of special services in the fall. Therecords of the church showed how suchmeetings had 'been held years ago withsuccess. Why not give it a try?Arriving home early in September thematter was presented to the session. Theythought the idea a good one and promised their support. Later the leaders of thedifferent organizations of the church weregathered together in a special meetingand the project was presented. All werein favor, and all promised to help as bestthey could.Definite objectives were drawn up suchas bettering the singing, giving opportunity to testify, asking questions aboutthe Scriptures and the Christian religion,preaching the Word, giving an invitationto accept Christ, inviting others to themeetings, and deepening the religiouslife in the home. It was also hoped that itmight inspire other congregations to dothe same thing and profit by our experience.Dates were set for the middle of November. Rev. Kenneth Smith was askedto lead the singing. Rev. Willard McMillan was asked to bring the messages,others were asked to give testimonies.Dr. J. G. Vos was asked to conduct thequestion and answer period.All wereasked to pray for the meetings. Specialsermons were preached leading up to themeetings. Other congregations were invited to join us when possible. All whowere asked to take part expressed awillingness to do so.384On Sabbath evening, November 14,the meetings started with a union service of the two congregations on the Hill.The attendance was good and all were inexpectancy.On Monday eveningthe attendancewas down to about sixty-five, but theprogram and preachingwere good. OnTuesday night the attendance came backup to about one hundred and fifty andcontinued at a high level duringSome stayed for counselingservices. On Friday eveningthe week.after theone studentfrom Geneva College, a football player,gave his heart to the Lord. Others weredeeply stirred.On the last Sabbath evening of thespecial meetings the church was filled,with people on the very front seats and afew chairs in the rear, with about thirtyin the choir. The singing was wonderful.The second offeringof the series wastaken which more than covered all expenses. The sermon was based on thetext, "Ye are myand was astrong appeal to go forth and witness forChrist. At the close of the service, as inevery service, an invitation was given toanywho wanted to come forward andconfess Christ for the first time. Thenduplicate cards were passed out by theushers asking each one to covenant withGod to engage in personal prayer eachday, to have grace at meals, to help withthe family devotions, to read the Bibledaily, to tithe one's income and to witnessfor Christ and the church. Most of thepeople present filled out the cards, kepta duplicate and left one in a box whenleaving the church. These cards are nowbeing checked and returned to differentpastors.At our first prayer meetingafter thespecial services we tried to sum up theimmediate results. We found that mostof our aims and purposes had been accomplished. The singing was wonderful.The testimonies were sincere and touching. Many good questions had been askedand answered concerning the Scripturesand the Christian faith. We had hadmany visitors during the week. Some hadcome from as far away as Rose Pointand Pittsburgh. We made some newcontacts with families here on CollegeHill. The spirit throughout the meetingswas excellent.Many said, "It is whatwe have beenWe would have liked much to have hadmore converts. Webringingseemed'to fail inin those who were unsaved. Butall the benefits of such a series of servicesdo not appear immediately. We believethe results will continue to come in. Ourcongregation is now faced with the taskof holding our gains and pushingon togreater goals. We must continue to prayand to plan and work.We trust that other congregations willtake over where we have left off and goon to greater revival. This we believe iswhat the Covenanter Church in Americaneeds.GENEVA COLLEGEThanks to the ingenuityof two members of the Beaver County astronomyclub,"Star DustMelodies" will onceagain be popular around Geneva Collegecampus. Norbert J. Schell, of BeaverFalls, and Roelof Weertman, Beaver,members of the Beaver astronomy club,dug a telescope with a cracked lens outof moth balls and repaired it for thecollege. So Geneva faculty members andstudents hope to resume the art of"star-gazing."The powerful telescope was originallyacquired by Geneva in 1890 but laterin use the lens was cracked, and thetelescope hasn't been used for about30 years. Until the lens was ruined thetelescope was constantly used by Genevaprofessors and various clubs. Interestwas shown several times about repairingthe lens but no definite action was takenuntil Schell and Weertman volunteeredto repair it. Both are engineers, but asmembers of the astronomy club havebeen active in the science.The telescope was made by John A.Brashear, who is one of the mostfamous names in his field. The glassused by Schell and Weertman to replace the cracked lens was shipped fromGermany. The lens was ground and installed at the Fechnar company, Pittsburgh, under the supervision of the twoengineers. Dr. William E. Cleland, headof the mathematics department andadvisor to the Geneva astronomy club,said the telescope is in better shapenow than it originally was. Dr. Clelandanticipates a lot of fun studying thesolar system,and plans to use the telescope in conjunction with some of hisclasses. The repaired instrument waspresented to the college at a meetingin room 9, of the college science hall,at 8 p.m., Monday, December 6. Dr.Joost K. de Jonge and Wallace Beardsley,of the Allegheny Observatory,attended Monday's meeting. Dr. de Jongespokeabout planet astronomy.Following Dr. de Jonge's talk, the repaired telescope was presented to Dr.Charles M. Lee, president of the college.COVENANTER WITNESS

up."men,"morning."LESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 9, 1955VOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1954 NUMBER 25The Message of Christmas Is Peace"Peace on earth, good will towardtheangelic song first heard over the starry hills ofBethlehem, is one day to be woven into every language and heard over all the earth. Already it is theprized possession of millions of people who in faithhave appropriated its message.With the purpose of God so clearly proclaimed, isit not strange that 2,000 years after the event, men'shearts should still fail for fear, and world peace proveas elusive as ever ?Enlightened humanity knows full well the utterfolly of fighting, that peace alone is the "nurse ofarts, plenties and joyful birth," yet plunges pell melltoward another holocaust as if driven by some irresistible power.Use of the first atomic bomb presaged a mad raceamong the nations for arms powerful enough to wipeout whole populations in a single attack. Realizingthe significance of this General MacArthur upon thesurrender of Japan said: "We have had our lastchance. If we do not devise some greater and moreequitable system, Armageddon will be at our door.The problem basically involves a spiritual recrudescence and improvement of human character ....It must be of the spirit if we are to save the flesh."And when later President Syngman Rhee, presidentof the Republic of Korea, solemnly addressed bothhouses of the Congress of the United States, heissued this grave warning: "Jet bombers lie withinten minutes of our National Assembly. But death isWashington."scarcely closer to Seoul than it is toIn the light of these conditions, only the foolishdare be indifferent. Either we must "wake up orblowBut must the world inevitably have war? Mustthe human heart forever live in a state of anxietyand fear? Not according to the inspired word ofprophecy. For peace is the message of Christmas.Peace is the gift of God's love.Peace on earth. An Old Testament prophet clearlyforesaw a daywhen men "shall beat their swordsinto plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks :nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neithershall they learn war any more."1 John, the Christianapostle of the Apocalypse, describes a new heavenand earth in which "there shall be no more death,neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be anymore pain.."2Peace in Life. Jesus was born in a manger, livedin poverty, and was buried in a borrowed tomb. YetHe enjoyed peace of soul. And He promised to shareHis peace with any trusting individual, saying: "Mypeace I give unto you: not as the world giveth[money, pleasure, false security], give I unto you.Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it beafraid."3"For it pleased the Father that in him should allfullness dwell ; And, having made peace through theblood of his cross, by him to reconcile all thingsunto himself ; by him I say whether they be things inearth, or things inheaven."4How important is such peace of mind. A famouspsychiatrist has written: "With peace in his soul aman can face the most terrifying experiences. Butwithout peace in his soul he cannot manage even assimple a task as writing a letter."Peace in Death. Men have a natural fear of death.Yet innumerable people have faced death in trustfulconfidence. F. B. Meyer, three days before his death,wrote to a friend, "I have been told that my hoursare numbered. It may be that before this reachesyou, I shall have gone into the palace. Don't troubleto write. We shall meet in theHow can such peace be found ? Read the passagesquoted from the Scriptures carefully. You will observe that true peace, whether it be on the personalor universal plane, is centered in a Person. It is inthe Christ of whom the angels sang, and named bythe prophet "the Prince of Peace."5"Therefore being justified by faith, we havepeace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,"6"And the peace that passeth all understanding, shallkeep your hearts and minds through JesusChrist."7David J. Fant, Litt.D.(1) Micah 4:3. (2) Revelation 21:4. (3) John 14:27. (4) Colossians1:19, 20. (5) Isaiah 9:6. (6) Romans 5:1, (7) Philippians 4:7.American Tract Society.

Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D.Safe-Driving DayThe Action Committee for Traffic Safety was set up byPresident Eisenhower. This Committee has designated December 15 as S.D Day (Safe-Driving Day). Every motoristand pedestrian in the U.S. is asked to act according to theGolden Rule on the streets and highways with the objectof eliminating all traffic accidents for that day, and withthe hope that it may be an example for the days to follow.The Governors of the various States are issuing Safe-Driving proclamations.The Late Governor of Iowa, Governor Beardsley, hadsuch a proclamation on his desk at the time of his deathwhen he was killed in a traffic accident. He was drivingfrom Ames and was two miles out of Des Moines when,as he came over the hill, he ran into a light truck thatwas going very slow. The driver of the truck was stoppingto help the driver of a car which had stopped on theshoulder of the road. No one has been blamed because ofthis accident, and there was no evidence of drink on thepart of the parties involved. It is possible that the Governor was driving too fast for night driving. However, hewas killed outright at once, his wife was injured and nowis partly paralyzed.Accidents Last YearThe number of accidents, the injuries due to them, andthe deaths caused are greater than the casualties in ourmost recent war with Korea. During the past year therewere almost 10,000,000 traffic accidents. The death toll was38,300 which means that one person was killed in a trafficaccident every 14 minutes. There was an injury every 23seconds, and the total number of persons disabled beyondthe day was 1,350,000. Along with every fatality, one ormore persons were permanently disabled. The cost of traffic accidents during the past year has been estimated atfour billion dollars, including medical expense, property lossand other costs. Such enormous figures present an astoundingpicture to the sane-minded citizens of our land.How Reduce the Death Toll?In order to materially reduce the death toll due to trafficaccidents we need much more than a Safe-Driving Day,or many of them in succession. The greatest cause of serioustraffic accidents is evident to observing persons. It isDRINK! The proportion of deaths or severe injuries dueto drinking drivers is at least 50 per cent. Some estimatethe percentage lower than that and some prominent officials claim that as high as 80 per cent of the serious accidents in their city is the result of intoxicating drink. Evena drink or a few drinks of beer impair a driver's judgmentand reaction so that he is much more liable to cause anaccident. Whether it be the reckless driving, of a teen-ageror a mature adult, drink in the majority of cases is thecause of death on the highways.Our newspapers and radio announcers tell us of accidents, but they rarely give the underlyingso frequently alcohol. We are told in Scripture that "moneyanswereth all things," and the income to the papers, thecause which isstate and the nation is so large that those who representthese organizations do not want to offend the liquor interests. When will our officers and reporters awaken totell the public the whole truth about alcohol at the wheel386and cry out against it? Beverage alcohol is a reaper ofdeath in every place, but nowhere more so than on theaccelerator and at the wheel of a speeding automobile.Those who appeal for Safe-Drivingshould also appeal foran awakened conscience in the mind of the public and forPROHIBITION of the sale and use of intoxicating beverages.Bible for the NavajosThe New Testament for the Navajo Indians is now inthe hands of the printer. The complete manuscript of thisTestament was brought to the Bible Society by Mrs. E.Dalton, a Navajo Indian. This language is exceptionallydifficult, and it has taken a long time to prepare the manuscript for publication. It will be a great blessing to the75,000 Navajo Indians who live in Arizona and New Mexico.Private SchoolsThe Departments of Commerce and Labor forecast thatthe construction of non-public schools, that is of parochialand private schools, this year will reach the great sum of$560,000,000, and in 1955 a new record of 650,000,000. Theobject back of much of this expenditure is the promotionof sectarian teaching. However, a considerable proportionof it is to permit religious teaching in private schools. Itis a sad situation in our so-called Christian land that wecannot have both Bible reading and teaching in the publicschools. This would bring the pupils a far greater blessingthan much of what they now receive, or at least it wouldbe the best additional curriculum that could be introduced.Armenian ChurchesMany Armenian Evangelical communities in the MiddleEast have started a movement to build or purchase churchesof their own. This is to end the longtime practice of conducting worshipin hired halls. The First Evangelical Armenian Church in Beirut is one of the largest in Lebanon.Much of the money for this structure was provided byArmenian Protestant churches in the U. S.(Continued on page 393)THE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Hoard of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street. Newton. Kansas orthrounh its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue. Topeka. Kansasto promote Bible Standards of Doctrine. Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and TuitionsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writer-* ;not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing Ed;tnr-Frank F>. Allen. D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll, D.D.Remo T. Robb. I). P.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdsrarMrs. J. O. EdsrarMrs. Ross T.ntime>Subscription rates: $2.50 tier year: Overseas. $3.00: Sinule Copies10 cents.The Rev. R. B. Lyons, B.A.. Limavariy. X. Ireland. Ajjrent for theBritish Tsles.Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Newton. Kansasunder the Act of March 3. 1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.COVENANTER WITNESS

provocation"Current EventsBy Prof. William H. Russell, Ph.D.U. N. CONDEMNS RED CHINACommunist China's imprisonment of eleven U. S. airmenhas become a major international issue. The U. N. GeneralAssembly adopted a resolution condemning the action ascontrary to the Korean armistice, and asked the SecretaryGeneral to try to have the men freed. The vote on thisresolution was 47 to 5, only the Communist bloc opposing.U. N. Secretary General Hammarskjold quickly offered tomeet Premier Chou En Lai personally to discuss the issue.At this writing, however, the Peiping government stilldenied U. N. jurisdiction. Red China may plan to use theeleven Americans as hostages in international bargaining,perhaps for admission to the U. N.; but they certainly willnot win our vote in this way. One reason they may beso aggressive is the recent completion of our mutual defensetreaty with Formosa. Premier Chou denounced this as a"warlikeeven though it is purely defensive.In the U. N., Russia introduced a resolution condemning ouruse of Formosa for acts of aggression against CommunistChina, but the resolution was defeated.SPREADING THE DOLLARSThe Administration seems to be turning toward economicaid in an effort to work out a long-range policy for dealingwith the Communist threat to Asia. President Eisenhowerhas set up a new agency, the Council of Foreign EconomicPolicy, to coordinate work in this field. The Council willbe headed by Joseph M. Dodge, former Director of theBureau of the Budget, and will include the Secretaries ofState, Treasury, Agriculture, and Commerce, and the Director of the Foreign Operations Administration. The cabinetis divided over increasing our aid to Asia, with Dulles infavor but Treasury Secretary Humphrey opposed.Foreign economic aid is now costingus a little over $4billion a year, or about one-eighth what we spend on ourown armaments. Recent reports indicate that the Administration budget for fiscal 1956 will call for expendituresof about $63 billion, about three billions more than theexpected receipts. Hope for a balanced budget has beenvirtually abandoned, but the deficit will be kept as lowas possible. If we cannot balance the budget with the nationin prosperity and the world about as peaceful as it is likelysoon to be, when can we hope to end the annual deficits?NEW NAVAL MIGHTThe Navy has launched the greatest warshipwe haveever built, the aircraft carrier Forrestal. It is to be the firstof five or more supercarriers planned for jet aircraft, andhas many new features. There is sharp controversy overthe future usefulness of aircraft carriers, but the atomicage may make their mobility of special value, since onebomb could wipe out a fixed land base. The building of theForrestal came after a long and bitter fight within thedefense Department. It was finally ordered in 1951, andwork begun in 1952. Its flight deck covers almost four acres,and its overall length is 1,036 feet, a few more than theQueen Elizabeth. The Forrestal will be able to reach speedsof more than thirty knots and carry at least ninety planes.The cost, without planes, is about $200 million.JAPAN IN TRANSITIONPremier Shigeru Yoshida of Japan and his cabinet haveDecember 22, 1954resigned, and power has passed to another conservativeleader, Ichiro Hatoyama. Yoshida's Liberal party has held185 out of 467 seats in the Japanese Diet. The Democrats,a newly formed group headed by Hatoyama, held 120,but were also able to get the support of the Socialists tooverthrow Yoshida. However, Hatoyama had to promise thatgeneral elections will be held next March, and the Socialists expect to increase their strength then. In the meantime Hatoyama will merely head a "caretaker" government. Yoshida had been premier since 1947 and cooperatedwell with the United States. Hatoyama was purged fromthe government under Gen. MacArthur, which may be anadvantage to him with the resurgence of Japanese nationalism. He has been in favor of diplomatic and economicrelations with Red China. There seems to be little'prospectof political stability for several months,point the outlook is not good.INDONESIA THWARTEDand from our viewThe U. N. General Assembly has voted down a resolutioncalling for new discussions between the Netherlands andIndonesia on the future of western New Guinea. The Dutchstill control this area, the last remnant of their East Indianempire. It is inhabited by the Papuans,an uncivilized peopleof Negro stock, who have no more in common, physicallyor culturally, with the Indonesians than with the Dutch.The Indonesian cry of "colonialism" is therefore invalid.Indonesia's government is plagued with chronic revolts byminority groups, and has the support of a growing Communist party. The general feeling is that she should solveher own minority problems before takingon more. U. S.delegates granted the justice of the Dutch claim, but abstained from voting for fear of appearing to support "colonialism."SLOW PROGRESSIn 1951 India began a five-year plan for economic development, covering power projects, irrigation, and industrialexpansion. A three-year progress report by India's ambassador at Washington claims an increase of 13 to 14 per cent innational income. Some industries have already achievedtheir 1956 targets, and industrial production has risen morethan one-third. Agricultural production, which accounts forhalf the national income and occupies three-fourths of thepeople, has increased more slowly. Perhaps the most hopeful sign is that a new enthusiasm for self-improvement isbeginning to replace India's traditional apathy.SPEEDY FIGURESA new electronic calculator, called NORC, is now inoperation in New York City. Built for the Navy, it will workon complicated problems connected with guided missilesand nuclear physics. Its official name is Naval OrdnanceResearch Calculator. It contains 9,000 vacuum tubes and25,000 germanium dioes, cooled bya large air conditioner.Problems are absorbed from high-speed magnetic tapes atthe rate of 70,000 characters a second, and the machinecan perform 15,000 calculations a second. The slowest operation is printing the answer, which is done at the rate of300 figures a second. Even faster machines are being planned, but this one can already do more in one day thana thousand human calculators in a life time.387

ment."paper."Discerningthe Signs of the Times Matthew 16:1-3(A sermon preached in our Orlando Church, by Alvin W. Smith, D.D., November 14, 1954).From your memory of Old Testament history,you recall that David was first made king in Hebron.After the death of Saul, the various tribes assembledto make the kingdom strong under the leadership ofDavid. These things are described in I Chronicles12:23ff. What caught my special interest and attention is the content of verse 32."And of the tribe if Issachar, which were menthat had understanding of the times, to know whatIsrael ought to do. The heads of them were two hundred ; and all their brethren were at their commandDavid was very fortunate to have had such acompany of wise counselors along with many mightymen of valor. It is this very kind of leadership thatis sorely needed today in our country,both as pertains to the church and to our government, leadershipthat has "understanding of the times, to know whatIsrael ought to do."Jesus, in the days of His earthly ministry, foundthe spiritual leaders incapable of discerning theirtimes. They were expert at discerning the signs ofthe weather. But when they came to Jesus, tempting Him, and desiring that He would show them asign from heaven, (a voice, or some wonder in thesun or the moon), Jesus branded them as hypocrites. He had already given them signs on earth, aplenty. They would not believe them.The Lord warned the disciples immediately afterthis of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees, which was unbelief and hypocrisy. (Lu. 12:1).Jesus called attention to His signs of feeding thefive thousand and of the four thousand, with fiveloaves in the one case and with seven loaves in theother and each time there was much left over. Hadthe Pharisees and the Sadducees been as careful anddiligent to interpret the Scriptures as they were tostudy weather signs, they might have understoodthe signs of Messiah's coming and the signs validating His claims.I have been led to ponder these things in connection with the significance of November 11, justthree days past. Until this year it has been knownas Armistice Day, but from now on it will be keptas Veterans' Day.With many of you, I myself, recall that firstArmistice Day in 1918, when at 11 o'clock in themorning, by previous agreement and announcement,all firing on the battlefields was to cease and didcease ; and people all over America stopped whereverthey were, for one minute, at 11 o'clock. Then therest of the day was given over to joyous celebration.That was thirtv-six years ago. It came at the end ofa war, World War I that had lasted four wearyyearsof slaughter, the war to make the world safe fordemocracy.Going back of that just a few years more, anarms race was on, between Germany and Englanddespite the fact of the Hague Tribunal and the peace388treaty signed by all the leading nations. Kaiser Wilhelm,animated by the spirit of Bismarck was infatuated with his dreams of expansion, as expressedin the idea of the Berlin-to-Bagdad railway. TheKaiser expected the Moslem World, under the leadership of Turkey to rise in a holy war against thewestern nations and revolt on the side of Germany.The Kaiser found his excuse to begin this war,in the shooting of the Crown Prince of Austria ; and,with the invasion of Belgium in his attempted driveto Paris, he voiced his famous words of contempt toward treaties which he violated, the treaty withBelgium was "just a scrap ofThose things all seem remote now. They are.Children and youth of today, not then born, haveto learn of those events in the history books. Andthat isn't the half of it. School children and studentshave other events of which to learn, closer to hand.World War II led up to byJapan's invasion ofManchuria,Mussolini's invasion and capture of Ethiopia.By such action Japan and Italy flouted the authorityof the League of Nations set up without praver, anddemonstrated its impotence. Soon followed the practice war in Spain, in which the great bombs weredropped on cities for the first time. Then came Hitler's invasion of Sudentenland in Czechoslovakia in1939 and World War II was on. The Pearl Harbortragedy broke in 1941 and soon the USA was involved in two wars at once. Four more years ofmobilization, war production, battle, loss, hopes andfears. Eventually peace settlements were made withJapan and withGermany on terms of absolute surrender.Once more the world hoped for peace, only to bedis-illusioned. Germany and Japan as a menace tothe world, were replaced by Russia and Red China. In1951 came the Korean Affair, called a police action,this time involving the United Nations. Again camegrim mobilization and slaughter and imprisonment.Eventually a truce settlement, now two years old.Where are we? What have we learned? Whathopes for tomorrow? What will occur in the next36 years? What will be the state of affairs in theyear 1990 ? These are times for thinking and heartsearching.Are we able to discern the signs of thetimes? Rev. Robert McMillan, chairman of the committee of Synod which prepared the report read atour meeting last July at Grinnell, calls attentionto the fact that "since the year 1863, the preparationof an annual signs of the times report for presentation to Synod has evidenced the thought of ourChurch that the signs of the times should be a substudy."ject for carefulIn accord with that idea, I desire to call your attention to some of the things that have happenedand other things which prevail in our day, hopingthat in the light of scripture, we may have understanding and know what we should do. Starting fromwhere we are, we must confess that, humanlyspeaking:COVENANTER WITNESS

church."pew"ToI. Prospects for peace in the coming years rest upona shaky foundation.a. The United Nations Organization offers nomore security in that direction that did theLeague of Nationsb. The winning of an arms race is futile. It isendless and leads nowhere.c. Alliances such as NATO are a false confidence.There is also place for more than passing concern over the granting of autonomy to both WesternGermany and Japan. The recent report of the reinstatement of the formerly Shinto-inspired leadership, as given in the Christian Patriot, was mostdisturbing. The Western nations have already hadsad experience from the re-arming of Germany afterWorld War I. Will it happen again and will the samething happen with respect to Japan ?Are we in the USA so occupied with buildingup military defences in a stock pile of arms and inalliances that we have little or no thought of securing peace on God's terms of repentance and dependence upon Him?ing on to the Lord and to the faith once delivered.They are holding fast.Second, there is a steady and aggressive propagation of God's Word. Despite the fact that somedoors are temporarily closed and some others maybe closed, strong missionary efforts persist and newdoors have been and are being entered. The spirit oftrue evangelism in our country is alive and no one canmeasure the fruitage that springs from the faithfulevangel in the pulpit, the press and over the air.Coupled with that is the strong movement of reformlabors and the application of God's word to the liveproblems of this present day.Signs of the times! May the Lord give us thegrace to discern them. God's purpose is establishedand He will fulfill it. Judgments will fall but God'smercy is upon His own. God can work. He does notdepend upon numbers, that is, size of numbers. Youand I have a place to fill and a work to do. We canthrow our small weight, at least, on the right side,to save America and to promote the kingdom ofheaven.II. Something serious has happened in the matter of attitude toward God's Word. This is true bothin the church and in the field of education. Authorityof the Bible as God's Word has been destroyed by adevotion to destructive criticism in the church andto the theory of evolution in the schools.Soon after the Armistice in 1918, Modernismbroke loose in the church, with its denial of theScriptures, the Virgin Birth and the Deity of JesusChrist, the denial of the blood atonement and thebodily resurrection on the third day. At the sametime, the theory of evolution began to come out infull bloo,~'. Faith in God, in the minds of students wasdisplaced by implanted doubts. Questions raised wereleft unanswered and the effect of spiritual havoc hasbeen increasing ever since.III. The spirit of the old virtues instilled bygodly training has given way to the kind of pagan,epicurean philosophy and way of life.Evidence of this appears all around us. There isappalling wickedness in high places, corruption inoffice and betrayal of trust. Increasing indulgenceof the fleshly appetites is shown in the nationaldrink practice, gambling and the general pursuit ofworldly and carnal pleasures. It is evidenced in theshocking and revolting crimes that beset our homesand communities a logical consequence.So one might go on and enumerate more of thestorm warnings of divine judgment, on the dark sideof the picture. Unless these trends are reversed bya thoroughgoing spiritual revival, what hope is therefor our generation and the one succeeding it*? Jesuswarned the men and women of His generation thatthey were blind and that they had failed to embracethe things which belonged to their peace. Are weblind also?Some Hopeful SignsOn the other side of the picture, however thereare some hopeful signs. First, there is still a staunchremnant of the faithful in the churches both largeand small in numbers. These loyal followers of JesusChrist, many of whom are young in years, are hold-December 22, 1954The Family Pew"The familv has not yet *ror>e the way ofthe prayer meeting and, in some sections, the Sundayevening service, but there are not as many such pe^'stoday as r^ost of us would like to see. In fewer andfewer churches is the custom still followed of thesame families habitually worshiping in the samepews week after week.Of this custom, Dr. Marshall C. Dendy, Executive Secretary of Christian Education, hasMany"The memory of going to church and sitting ina family pew, with the members of the family inthei1'Haces. is ore of t^e happiest and most blessedmemories of life . . . a person has beenstrengthened when tempted, has had the fires of loverekindled, and has had the vision of duty made moreclear, because the 'faith of his father,' discoveredwhen his family worshiped in the family pew, hadbeen r-ade a living experience in his life. ... havea family pew and to worship in it will bless any family."One of the present writer's happiest memoriesof boyhood days is that of his own small family inthe same pew at all the services of the church, and ofthe large and happy familyof six that occupied regularly the pew just in front. Whenever someone speaksof the old First church, that is the picture that comesto mind. Who can say how great an influence sucha memory can have on one's whole life?It was with such a thought in mind th^t thelate Dr. James I. Vance wrote many years ago : "I goto church for the sake of my children. I want them toknow God and make it their life's great aim to discover and do His will. I want them to grow a moralbackbone and join the uplift work for their fellowmen. I want them to escape the greed and animalismof the crowd who live for the sparkle of jewels andchampagne, and in marriage find love and a happyhome and devoted children. And I know of no placethat can do so much to give them these things as theChristian Observer389

need!"way."mind."creature"months."most,"glory."At The Fork In The RoadIn a Hollywood church one Sabbath evening notmany years ago, my son, Tom, turned to me after thepreacher concluded his sermon and said, "Mother, iseverything all right between you and the Lord?" Iwell knew that the answer to such a soul-searchingquestion was an unequivocal NO, yet in self pride Ihastily explained that I had accepted Christ as mySaviour at the age of 10. "But, Mother," he urged,"You don't know Christ the way I do! If you did,you wouldn't be so restless, always searching forsome new kind of religion to give you peace ofI was blessed with the most wonderful gift ina Christian Mother and Father, who toldthe worldme about Jesus as soon as I was able to understand.They took me to Sabbath school and church, not onlywhen I was just a babe in arms at Italy, Texas, butalso as I grew older after moving to Arkansas. Therewas a revival in Osceola when I was ten, and thereI accepted Christ as my personal Saviour. But youknow, there's a big difference between just acceptingHim and turning over your heart and life to Him. Isaid, "Jesus, I love you and I believe you're the Sonof God, but there are things that I want to do. Iwant to be a success in the business and entertainment world. I'll go to Sabbath school and church occasionally, but I want things myNot putting Him first in my life led to neglectedBible reading and prayer. Consequently, I strayedfrom His fold, eloping with my first sweetheart inmy early teens, shattering every dream my Motherhad for me. Though this was a failure, my sonwasn't, for out of that union God blessed me withTom, who proved to be a great anchor in the roughyears which later enveloped me.My Sabbath school and church attendance in theyears that followed was spasmodic, for I put my career first. At 28 I wound up in Hollywood under contract to a movie studio, the ambition of so manyyoung girls. But my life was hectic and full of mistakes, disillusionment, insecurity and wrong decisions which hurt others as well as myself. As I beganto acquire some of the things which ordinarily shouldhave made me happy, I was miserable, life holdingonly a disappointing shallowness.These things flashed through my mind as myson sat beside me, tears in his eyes, as he tenderlypleaded: "Jesus is all you Here I was, a moviestar, married to a famous cowboy, step-mother tothree lovely children, with practically any materialluxuries I could desire within my grasp. I crumbledinside, and suddenly the falsity and emptiness of myexistence loomed up before me. I knew why I hadmade such a mess of things ; I had never surrenderedmy will to Christ.My heart had been moved in a terrific way. Iwas at the fork in the road. Which path would Itake? That of unconditional surrender to JesusChrist, the Way, the Truth and the Life? Or wouldI turn again to the world and its glitter ; the applauseof man and all the superficial trimmings ? I managedto make it home, but then the dam broke and in aflood of tears and self reproach I saw how I had disfine Christian parents. I rememberedappointed my390the earnest concern of my boy,and the silent promiseI made to God the night Roy and I married to raisehis three children in a truly Christian home.I was like the Prodigal Son who went away fromhis father into a strange and far-away place andspent his substance on riotous living. I had to returnto my Heavenly Father. I could wait-forhardly thefollowing Sunday to arrive, for I had called Tom andtold him I would take my public stand for Christ onthe next Lord's Day. As I walked down the churchaisle and entered the prayer room, I made a full andunconditional surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ. Iasked His forgiveness, through the precious bloodHe shed on Calvary for the redemption of sinnerslike me. "Lord," I said, "Take my life, break it, twistit, bend it, but just USE it for thy I committed everything into His nail-pierced handssonal life, my loved ones, my career.my perIn place of a tempest-tossed soul and frustratedattempts to attain contentment, He filled my heartwith a peace that can be described only in suchwords as are found in the Holy Bible : "The peace ofGod, which passeth all I understanding."walked outof that church with a song springing up in my heartand a brand new perspective on life. I was certainlya "new in Christ Jesus.Two months later Roy accepted the Lord, and foralmost a year I was indescribably happy. Then,miracle of miracles, little Robin was on the way ! Wewere so happy to think we would be welcoming another little Rogers into the family. But four daysafter her birth we learned the heart-breaking newsthat she was not normal, and little hope was held forher future. "Five years at the the Doctor said,"but because of her heart condition expect her to goI suffered in an excruciany time after sixating Gethsemane, but my blessed Lord was constantly by my side during the two years of Robin'slife. Rather than breaking me, it blessed my life, forGod taught me lessons I had needed to learn tolerance, patience, love, understanding. When God tookher home to be with Himself, I felt the security ofHis everlasting arms supporting me, and I consideredit a blessed privilege that He would lovingly prune acrusty soul like mine. I came to understand His greatlove for us, for when I would yearn for the healingof my little Robin, I would think of how much greater ivas the grief of ourHeavenly Father as He lookedupon His only Son suffering the agony of Calvary'scross; He who was sinless, being made sin for us,that through His poverty we might be rich in Hisrighteousness.You know, the closest earthly thing to a woman's heart is her children, and our Master welded myheart to His forever through my two Tom andRobin. Tom broke down my wall of defense so Christcould get in, and then He sent little Robin to exposeme to suffering, so I could know Him better.I am not ashamed to say I belong to the LordJesus Christ, for He bought me through His bloodshed on that tree on Golgotha's hill, and a willingslave I shall be forever. He is the Shepherd of mysoul; my Lord and Master from here throughoutTHE COVENANTER WITNESS

ighteousness."eat."condition."eternity. I want to shout to the world that JesusChrist is the one and only answer to any need you'llever have. He alone can give joy in the midst of pain,and strangely enough, sorrow in the midst of joy.He is LIFE ITSELF! If you have not let Him comeinto your heart, I urge you to do so right now. If youare attuned with Him, He makes life truly worthliving."// we confess our sins, he is faithful and justto forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all un"For by grace are ye saved throughfaith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift ofGod: Not of works, lest any man should boast."My Light of FaithDale EvansAlmost three years ago, I introduced somethingentirely new and different into the show Dale and Iwere doing down in Houston, Texas the annual FatStock Show and Rodeo, which is held in a huge indoorarena. I didn't even tell Dale ahead of time what Iwas going to do. Not that I was hiding anything fromher; I guess it was just something I had to do bymyself.At the end of one of my songs, I held up myhand to show that I wanted to say something. ThenI just held onto the hand mike and opened up. I didn'thave a prepared speech ; just the thoughts I wantedto express. They went something like this :"I've been getting a lot of mail from kids boysespeciallywho ask me if I don't think it's prettysissy for them to go to Sabbath school. I want to sayright here and now that it isn't sissy at all. In fact, Ithink that going to Sabbath school is one of the bestthings any child can do."When your parents tell you to brush your teeth,they know what they're saying. Brushing your teethnow will help you to have good, strong teeth whenyou grow up. When they tell you to eat your spinachand drink your orange juice, what they're trying todo is get your bodies ready to stay strong andhealthy when you're older. And when they tell you togo to Sabbath school, they're trying to help you growstrong in spirit. The things you learn in Sabbathschool will give you the strength you'll need againstdifficulties and temptations of all kinds when yougrow up. So go to Sabbath school regularly, and learnall you can about the Bible and Christ's teachingsyou'll always be glad that you did."Now this was quite a statement for a cowboy tocome out with, right in the middle of a rootin', tootin'arena show. Dale told me later that when I first began to speak, she could hardly believe her ears. Butshe said she was glad I spoke up that way and soof God's spirit that Iwas I. I felt it was the blessingcould do it, and I meant every word.Speaking up in a meeting wasn't always easy forme. In fact, there were many years when I didn'teven go to meetings at all, and it was really throughDale that I came to know the true joy of religiousfeeling and of believing in Christ. Dale joined churchshortly after our marriage, and I couldn't help butsee how happy she was in discovering religion again,and how much better things seemed to be in everyway around our house.I had been brought up in a God-fearing home,but like an awful lot of youngsters, I sort of driftedDecember 22, 1954away from church-going, and even from thinkingmuch about religion.Then, with Dale's help, I started going to churchagain, and it wasn't long before I started catchingthat same feeling I'd noticed in her. The day camewhen I too accepted Christ as my personal Saviour,and joined church along with her.I was still a little tongue-tied about my religiousfeelings. It was months before I could even find myvoice to join in the grace we say before each mealat our house. Still later, I realized that I could standup and speak at our little Christian group meetings,and then at Billy Graham's revival meetings.Now I've always had a real sense of obligationto children. The way I figure it, they gave me myboost in this business. Through the years, their devotion and friendship have been wonderful. So it wasalong about this time that I decided that if there wasany way I could get back to them with a message onthe importance of religion, in language they couldunderstand, I ought to do it.Today, I can say along with Dale the Christiantestimony we have made our creed:"We believe John 3:16: 'For God so loved theworld, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but haveeverlasting life.' We have both accepted the LordJesus Christ as our Personal Saviour. We love Him,try to follow Him in our daily lives, and are bringingour children up under His guidance. To us, JesusChrist is truly 'The Light of the World.' " Roy RogersAmerican Tract Society TractCan I Trust My Conscience?Acts 24:16.By Rev. Thomas C. Clay.In the works of Edward Gibbon, the historian,there is found the story of one of the Roman emperors who by a strange vicissitude of fortune wasbrought from prison to receive the imperial diadem.But a smith could not be found at once to remove theheavy chains, so the monarch sat for some hours onthe throne of the Ceasars with the fetters still onhis limbs.We Christians often are in the same predicament. Our souls have been brought out of prison, buta few of the chains still cling to us. Royal signs andornaments of virtue mingle with half-broken fettersof evil.When one attempts to trust his conscience, he ismade keenly aware of the shackles still about hisfeet. Said John Homer Miller: "God put it in youbut did not guarantee to keep it in It isnot like an addingmachine which can never makea mistake. We have found that we can force our conscience to justify almost anysort of action. Adamtried to blame Eve when he said, "The woman whomThou gavest me, she gave me of the tree and I didThus we can evade our conscience, make excuses to it, and dull its sensitivity.Many people think that conscience is the voiceof God. But we know from experience that it canbe mistaken. What we think is not always what Godthinks. The conscience is a microphone through391

man."are."science"man,"with."which God talks, but we can damage it so that wewill not hear what He says.How, then, can we trust our conscience? Inmaking his defense before Felix in Caesarea, Paulsaid, "I always take pains to have a clear consciencetoward God and toward He "tookpains"withhis conscience. To trust it we must train it. It cannotbe left in the garden of our lives to grow wild andwither.There are at least four things we should do intraining our conscience so that we can trust it.For one thing, if we would trust our consciences,we should train them to be sensitive to individualsnearest us. This is what Paul did. He would not evensit down to a juicy steak if that simple act offendedsomeone else. If a man's character would be defamedor his life ruined by so simple an act as that, hewould rather not be a scumbling block.In the cabin of the "Mayflower" as it sailed intothe harbor of Plymouth in 1620, some of the members of the Plymouth band made 'discontented andspeeches"mutinous and threatened to "use their ownliberty"when they landed. They saw, however, thatsuch mutterings would only lead to anarchy. They,therefore drew up the "Mayflower Compact." By itthey regarded the needs of their fellowmen. Theybound themselves to make just and equal laws forthe government of the colony.A conscience is no good if it is not sensitive tothe needs of those near us. Many a parent has acorpse instead of a conscience. The child will soonforget the stories of the Sabbath school lesson leaflet, but he will always remember the father who tookhim to church and the mother who was enthusiasticabout morning worship.Francis of Assisi had the right idea: "Alwaystry to be as good as other people think you Wecan trust such a conscience which helps us be notjust our brother's keeper but our brother's brother.II.Again, if we would trust our consciences weshould train them to be sensitive to worthy values. Ithink this is what Paul meant when he spoke ofa clear conscience before God." He had in mind theworthy values of God.It was said of the early Christians : "They cameto despise what the rest of the world valued and tovalue what the rest of the world despised."You don't have to be much of a philosopher toobserve that we humans are rather changeable. Whatwe say today we deny tomorrow. But there arecertain values, thank God, which do not change.Goodness does not decrease in value with deflation.Justice does not respond to the summer heat. Rightis always right, regardless of how many vote for it.Consider the worthy values of the Sabbath.Here is the one day in seven which has been set asideso that we can rest and relax and do things we cannot do the other six. Your conscience should be sensitive to its value. It should be different from theother days. It really should be the happiest day inthe week. No one can give you a list of things to door refrain from doing on Sabbath. But you can trusta conscience which lets you go to work on Mondayas a man closer to God because of the Lord's Day.I like the remark of Charles Evans Hughes when392he was attempting to stamp out a gambling racket.He was told that the people who were opposing hisstand for right would stop at nothing to defeat hispolicy. "There is only one he replied, "whocan hurt Charles Evans Hughes. That man is CharlesEvans Hughes himself!"Thank God for men who will stand for worthyvalues of God. You can trust a conscience like that.III.To trust one's conscience, one should train it tobe sensitive to the times in which we live.George Buttrick, in discussing conscience, saysthat it is not mere social custom or tradition or heredity as many of us think it is. Isn't it a fact thatmany of us, in trying to determine the right thingto do immediatelv ask, "What have we always done?"But there is a difference between the voice of customand the call of Christ; between the fences of tradition and the standards of truth.To be trustworthy, your conscience must be sensitive to the times in which you live. It isn't aninstinct which gives the same answer for our dayas ito did for Abraham's. It is not a law which cannotbe repealed. It is not a cold, lifeless statue.Many years ago the Czar Nicholas determinedto have the finest observatory in the world. He instructed the famous Wilhelm Struve to see that itwas built, setting no limit to the expense. It waserected near St. Petersburg. Its buildings and equipment were magnificent. When it was finished, theczar came to inspect it. After being shown over theobservatory, he turned to the director and askedwhether he was satisfied. The man of science repliedthat he was for the moment. The astronomer realized that whatever is done in the investigation of theheavens is only tentative, and that new instrumentsare soon required to search the secrets of the sky.joint."This is a day when "the times are out ofYou can trust a conscience only if it is sensitive tothe crying needs of our times.IV.You can trust your conscience if it is sensitiveto the voice of Christ. Actually the word 'conmeans "to know This im^Me^ thatyou know something with someone else. We Christians believe that as we train and tend it, Christspeaks through our conscience.Count the number of great decisions which arebeing made in our generation: The decision to usethe atomic bomb in Japan ; the decision to enter theUnited Nations; the decision to enter Korea in thename of the United Nations and to arrest aprg"ession;the decision to sign an armistice ; the decision to develop the hydrogen bomb. One is left speechlesswhen he counts the crucial decisions which havebeen made in the last fifteen years. Whose voicehave we heard? Perhaps we have been the loudestin telling the statesmen what to do. Has the conscience of our country been trained to be sensitiveto the voice of Christ?You can trust a conscience you have taken painsto train to be sensitive to people, to values, to thetimes, and to Christ. Are you willing to take painsto have a clear, trustworthy conscience? In JesusChrist God has given Himself away "with both ofHis hands" will we receive Him with both of ours ?Christian ObserverCOVENANTER WITNESS

ers."Tither's CornerCalling all Tithe BoostersEighty-six persons, representing 44 congregations and mission fields, made this promise at Grinnell:"I will make a special effort to help the campaign this year for more tithers among CovenantWe are expecting to have something for you todo. There will be literature and pledge-cards to distribute, cortacts to be made with non-resident members and others not able to attend church, and followupwo-k in tallying records and reporting results tothe Stewardship Committee.tVp r-ould write you each a personal letter, butit takes time, energy and stationery to write to threeour four score people. Besides, Uncle Sam refuses tocarrv even one letter without a three cent stamp. Itried him out once and the letter came back.Now we are trving a little experiment to see ifyou are reading "Tithers Corner" and whether youare r^rdv to go on this proposition. We are publishing hplmv from our Grinnell signatures the names ofthe c^nnregations together with some who signedfro there. Where the names of both pastor and oneor more laymen appear we are naming a layman toact as ^~e Cantain of the congregational team. Wewant this, so far as possible, to be a layman's movement, -h it largely is. 65 of the 86 signers werefrom the laity.HERE THEY ARE BY PRESBYTERIESIllinoisPpthel Edyth AllenB^omington Roy Blackwood, Jr.Chicago Esther LatimerIowaHopkinton M^s. R. P. JosephTake Reno W?ldo Mitchel/Wring Sun Mrs. Ralph WillsonSharon John O. EdgarMid-WestBeulahC. E. Caskevrv^e Creek D. C. WardClarinda C. T. CarsonHebron Raymond MilroyT'"insas City Robert M. More^'at^e Charles McBurneyQuinter Elmer S. GrahamSuperior C. E. CaskeyTorjeka A. D. RobbWinchester Dr. F. W. HustonNew YorkBarnet Mrs. J. Paul WilsonCambridge Chas. F. MillicanColdenham Mrs. M. G. McClurkinMontclair Mrs. Luther McFarlandWhite Lake Wm. MillenDecember 22, 1954OhioBelle CenterWilbur KeysPacific CoastFresno Robert W. McMillanPhoenix Mrs. J. G. McElhinneySeattle Jean DillPittsburghAllegheny C. R. FoxFirst Beaver Falls Charles CunninghamCentral Pittsburgh Robert McConaughyCollege Hill Dr J. L. CoonConnellsville Ph. L. CoonEastvale Roy AdamsGeneva Mrs. Merrill RobbMercer Ruth RodgersNew Alexandria Mrs. R. C. FullertonRose Point Rose MunnellUnionD. H. ElliottPhiladelphiaUnited Deborah S. ArcherOrlando Mrs. A. W. SmithSyracuseSt. LawrenceWilliam RamseyYou will note that craite a number of congregations are not named in this list because no representative happened to be present at that particularmeeting. This implies no lack of interest on theirpart.In such instances we take the liberty of listingas "captain" on our mailing list the pastor or somelayman whose name the pastor or session will reportto the chairman of the Stewardship Committeewithin ten days of the publication of this article.In the meantime we wish to thank all of you foryour cooperation. We will work our side of the streetif you will work yours.D. H. ElliottChairman Stewardship Com.Mars, Pa.GLIMPSES Cont'd, from page 386Converts to JudaismIt is reported that about 2000 people of other thanJewish descent are being converted to Judaism each yearin the United States. It seems strange to us that thisshould be true in a land where Christianity prevails, andwe wonder if the most of these so called conversions arenot the result of inter-marriages with Jews when the non-Jew professes to follow the Jewish customs.Presbyterian UnionIt seems likely that the proposed union of the threePresbyterian denominations, North, South and United, willnot meterialize. There have been eleven presbyteries of the73 in the Southern Presbyterian Church which have alreadyvoted against the proposed merger and if there are 11more which give a negative vote the plain of union willfail. Information from various sources seems to indicatethat the required proportion will not favor the union in theUnited Presbyterian Church.393

ighteousness."Lesson Helps for the Week of January 2, 1955C.P.Y.TJ. TOPIC FORJanuary 9, 1954KEEP SPERITUALLY HEALTHY1 Corinthians 3:16,17; 6:19,20(Used by permission of InternationalChristian Endeavor)Psalms:84:1,3,4, page 205;26:1,2,4-6, page 61;27:1-5, page 62;37:1-4, page 91;131:1,2 (Oak) page 327.References: Psalms 119:67; Ecclesiastes9:10; Isaiah 32:16-18; Romans 5:1-5;14:7,8; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Hebrews12:11; 1 Peter 1:13,14; 1:22,23; 2:1-3.Comments by Remo I. Robb, D.D.In 1 Corinthians 6:19, Paul writes"Your body is the temple of the HolyGhost, but 1 Corinthians 3:16 is moredirect. It states "Ye are the temple ofGod."That statement is most startlingto me.A temple is a place dedicated to God,a sacred place of worship,of silencewhere even a whisper is out of place,of beauty where shafts of sunlightbrighten somber walls and cast theirglistening reflections from golden overlays. A temple is the most sacred placein the world when it is dedicated tothe One Living and True God. Howstartling then is the word "Ye are thetemple of God." God's temple is not ofgold and stone and architecture. It isalive and spiritual and eternal. God'stemple is you, His young people, Hischildren.One who truly regards God cares forHis temple tenderly. No smudge of dust,no broken windows, no tarnished metal.The temple of all places must ever appear and be clean and worthy of devotion to its god. The living temple ofJesus Christ must also be kept continually at its best. This cleanliness in aliving creature is healthfulness. Of you,God's spiritual temple, therefore, wethink in terms of Spiritual Health.Three things are essential to healthfood, exercise, rest. These are essentialalso to spiritual health.1. Food. Jesus said "I am the bread of"If any man thirst, let him comelife,"unto Me and drink." But where shallwe find Christ? In the Bible, of course.Amos once prophesied, "Behold the dayscome, saith the Lord God, that I willsend a famine in the land; not a famineof bread, nor a thirst for water, but ofhearing the words of the Lord." (Amos8:11) It is happening now. People don'tknow what the Bible teaches, they don'tknow how to use the Bible, and manyin America don't know even what theBible is. The sad moral conditions overall our country indicate how starvedAmerica is for Spiritual food.Knowing the Bible provides Spiritualfood, but it involves much more than394mere reading. When the Psalmist sang"The opening of light,"Thy word giveshe referred not to the opening of a book,but to the discovery of its meaning.Later he wrote "Thy Word have Ihid in my heart, that I might not sinthee."against We must memorize theWord, yet we cannot count our knowledge of God's Word by the number ofverses we know. It is not enough totake it in, it must take us.2. Exercise. An overfed man withoutexercise grows fat, but not healthy. Hemay die from overweight. Health involves use of the energy supplied byfood. Read Hebrews 12:11. Through theyears the strongest Christians have beenthose who were "chastened"the apostles imprisoned, Paul beaten with 39stripes, the victims of the Roman arena,John Huss, Martin Luther, the Scottishstalwarts, Abraham Lincoln, modernand present sufferers. The call is notfor physical suffering necessarily, butfor sue use ol the Word ox Liocl as willshow Christian vigor and strength inGod. It requires the willingness to sufferbut it issues in the "peacable fruits ofA sad cause of flabbyspirituality is "at ease in Zion." Wemust stir ourselves to be "exercisedthereby."3. Rest. After the tension of exercisethe body must have a recuperatingperiod. Spiritualy health needs such atime. "Rest in the Lord," the Psalmistsings, "nor for the wicked fret." Somuch of spiritual exercise is directedagainst the wicked. We are preparedof God to meet evil, we launch outagainst it, we receive its onslaughts,we defend ourselves from it. Oh, for agood rest!"Rest in the Lord!" Come to Him,and cast every burden on Him. Bereassured that He knows all, every veryall!! Let His Word continue tostrengthen, and His presence bring rest.All this comes, of course, throughprayer. Daily, constant, as regular andas welcome as the night for sleep.For rest, too, God has provided HisSabbath, but that is a subject for thenext meeting.The Word, Witness and Prayer. Bythese keep your spirit clean. For "YEARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD."SOME TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT1. Discuss Bible Memory or BibleStudy Systems for your Society.2. What items in the Grinnell Planof Work are you finding good "spiritualexercise"?3. How do the folks you brush elbowswith every day know you are a "templeof God"?4. How does prayer give you reassurance?JUNIOR TOPICJanuary 9, 1955by Mrs. Philip W. MartinJESUS'DISCDPLESScripture: Mark 1:9-20Memory Verse: "And Jesus said untothem, Come ye after me, and I willmake you to become fishers of men."Mark 1:17.January Memory Psalms: Psalm 18:12,13, 16, page 37.Psalm 119, part 2:1-4, page 288Psalm 51:9-12, page 131Psalm 34: 6,7, page 82In the Gospel according to Mark,Jesus is introduced at the time of Hisbaptism. As we study the life of Jesuswe must remember several things:1. Jesus is truly God. His birth wasnot like that of any other baby becauseHe is the only person who has ever beenborn without an earthly father. HisFather is God. All through His life Heperformed miracles deeus wmen nomere man could do. His death was notlike any other death and He is the onlyPerson who has ever raised Himselffrom the dead.2. Jesus is truly man. He was tempted; He suffered hunger; He enduredtrials at the hand of man; He experienced joy and sorrow.3. But Jesus never sinned, nor wasHe born in sin.And so, when we think of His baptismwe ask the question, "Why was Jesusbaptized since He was not a sinner?1. What reason does Jesus Himselfgive for His being baptized? Matt. 3:15Jesus was starting out on His work asa Priest and one of the first things thathappened to a priest was that he wasANOINTED to the office. So here Jesuswas being anointed by the Holy Ghostbeingpublicly set apart to the officeof our Great High Priest.2. What proof can you give that allthree persons Father, Son, and HolySpirit, were present at Jesus' baptism?Mark 1:10,113. Where did Jesus go after His baptism and how long was He there?Mark 1:12,13a4. How did the devil tempt Jesusin Matthew 4:3?5. What was the next temptation ofJesus? Matthew 4:5,66. What was the third temptation ofJesus? Matthew 4:8,97. How did Jesus begin each answerto the devil's temptation? Matthew4:4,7,108. How should you and I meet temptation?Now we come to the calling of Jesus'disciples. A disciple is one who followsanother for the purpose of learning. Andthese whom Jesus called, were called forCOVENANTER WITNESS

eases."use."room,"vain."a special purposeto be His missionariesor witnesses.9. Whom did Jesus see by the Seaof Galilea? What were these men doingfor a living? Mark 1:1610. What did Jesus say to Simon andAndrew? Mark 1:1711. How long did it take for thesefishermen to obey? Mark 1:1812. Name two other fishermen brotherswhom Jesus called. Mark 1:19To help you memorize the names ofthe disciples here is a poem which Imemorized when quite young. I'm sorryI don't remember the author:This is the way the disciples run:Peter, Andrew, James and John,Philip and Bartholomew,Thomas next, and Matthew, too,James the less, and Judas the greater,Simon the Zealot, and Judas the traitor."In this story of Jesus' calling Hisdisciples there are some lessons for usas Juniors to learn. These whom Jesuscalled were busy doing what they weresupposed to be doing. Have you readabout some famous foreign missionaries?Have you ever wished you could be amissionary in some foreign countryright now, without having to go toschool or do things that don't seem tobe at all what a missionary would do?But you must be faithful in your schoolwork, or whatever you should be doing.I know a girl who just wouldn't obeyher mother and she wouldn't dirty herhands to do things for others she wasgoing to be a "lady" missionary. But,children, God does not usually call suchpeople to be missionaries for Him, andthis girl ended up by being a veryselfish lady without friends. No missionboard wanted to send her out to someforeign field because she was so lazyand she was not prepared for missionarywork.Then, another lesson to learn is thatif we are to be His missionaries, we,ourselves must be His children. We can'ttell someone else about a person whomwe ourselves do not know.There is another lesson which we aschildren can learn. John tells us thatAndrew didn't tell his brother, Peter,very much about Jesus but "he broughthim to Jesus." Maybe you are too youngto tell someone a great deal about Jesus,but you can invite him to your churchand Sabbath School where someone elsecan tell him what he needs to know.Think of some other lesson we Juniorscan learn from our Bible lessons today.For your notebook: Copy the littlepoem about the disciples.To live in the presence of great truthsand eternal laws, to be led by permanentidealsthat is what keeps a man pat;entwhen the world ignores him, and calmand unspoiled when the world praiseshim.Balzac.December 22, 1954SABBATH SCHOOL, LESSONJanuary 9, 1955by Rev. W. J. McBurney(Lessons based an international Sunday SchoolLessons ; the International Bible Lessons forChristian Teaching, copyriphtea by the International Council of Religious Education.!Devotional Reading, Psalm 42.Memory selection: God is a spirit: andthey that worship Him must worshipHim in spirit and in truth. John 4:24Psalm 103:8-13This selection is matter for meditationand praise, rather than for .explanation.This is true in large measure of all thepraise Psalms. There is scarcely a sentence in the 103rd Psalm that needs anydefinition. Are the diseases of verse 3physical or spiritual? The answer is"Yes."The Psalm says, "All thy disThe Psalms of praise reveal God to usin His nature, in His works, and in Hisrelation to us. These Psalms show ushow His love deals-kindly with us,not asour sins have deserved, but according toHis forgiving grace.We are asked to join in praise with allpeople that dwell on the earth, with theangels in Heaven, even with God's handiwork where "Earth, with her thousandvoices, praises God." What an inspiration to sing with such a chorus! If anyone fails to enter into the praise, hispraise is not offered. It cannot be doneby proxy.When listening to a concert by radio orTV, is it not unpleasant to hear it interrupted by a commercial, though it beas clean as soap? The musician likes tohave a beautiful instrument and keepit well polished. The voice is the instrument of praise. We should keep it carefully, and train it well. It is really thethought of the heart carried by the voice,that is the praise. What does God hearas He listens to our thoughts while wesing?Isa. 40:25-29The Westminster Devines sought fora definition of God. When they were unable to find an answer, they appealed toGod, and He gave them the answer fromHis own Word. The first half of thatanswer tells us what God is; but therest is more practical to us, showing howHis Being is related to His creation andto us. God is self existant,the "IAm."God does not need man. Man cannotexist without God."Lift up your eyes and behold whohath created these things." We seek tosee God. Moses sought to see Him. Thefull power of God's light would destroyour natural vision as trulyas the light ofan A bomb would ruin our eyesight. Wecan only look at what the bomb hasdone. God hid Moses in a cleft in a rockand covered him till He had passed by.Then he was allowed to see where Godhad walked; what He had done;thethings He had made; the mountains, valleys, forests, beasts, and birds. Moseswas made to see God in His works ofcreation and providence. We are amazedat the marvels of radio and TV. Yet theyare simple enough that man can makethem,and understand them as well as heunderstands what makes a stone fallfrom your hand. Of course no man knowsthat. Even the falling of a raindrop, noman can explain. We marvel at the wisdom of the man who made the TV, andtreat as commonplace the eye and earwhich man cannot make nor understand.They can get along nicely without TV.But TV would not be valuable as junkwithout the eye and ear. The stinger of ahoney bee is a power drill more efficientand powerful, according to size, than anymachine man has built. It is not pushedin by the bee. Separate it from the bee,and it is still complete. It contains adrill, a motor, a battery, a poison tankand in injector, all of a perfection thatman can neitherimitate nor explain.Why, O Jacob, do you think you canhide from God? Have you never beenstung by a bee? We have many reasonsto be humble before God.Matt. 6:9bname.""Hallowed be thy A prayer,first, that God will show His name to beholy; second, a prayer in which we pledgeourselves to treat it as holy. "ThyName," also thy titles, attributes, ordinances, Word and works. It is plain thatwe are required to make a holy and reverent use of everything bywhich Godmaketh Himself known. That, accordingto Psalm 19, includes the heavens and theearth, all time, all communication. Ofthese, we should make a "holy and reverent "Yet they say, The Lord shallnot see, neither shall the God of Jacobregard it." But God said, "For the Lordwill not hold him guiltless that takethHis Name inJohn 4:23, 24; 10:30God is a Spirit, the Spirit of Loveand Life and Good Cheer. Perhaps another is the spirit of the profane institution which we call Christmas,an abbreviation of Christes Masse. We cannothave fellowship with the two spirits atthe same time.In Marshall Field's store, I was showna "schoolnicely equipped, whereevery employee was required to spend ahalf hour each day on paid time. Theythere met with one of the firm for instruction and discussion about the conduct of the store's business. In thoughtlessness, I said, "I suppose attendancehere is not checked so closely as at the395

counters.".References: Findmachine?"saints."not."The answer was, "There is nohere."excuse allowed for absence All daythey labored under the observation of themanagement. In that half hour, they didno work, but rested in close associationwith the management, and on paid time.I wondered if that was not a picture ofour Sabbath Day's "rest."The relationship of the Father and theSon is illustrated in the human family.But when two persons are said to be one,that is hard to understand. It is hard toillustrate or explain. Must we understandbefore we can believe or act? Place yourhand before you with palm open. Nowwatch carefully while you close it. Howdid you do it? You do things by closingyour hand. But how do you close it? Youmay read volumes about the influence ofvolition over muscular movements, butall you learn is a knowledge of technicalterms. This lack of understanding doesnot interfere with our use of our hands.Nicodemus was a great scholar, a deepthinker. He wanted to know the deepestsecret of the "how" of salvation. Christtook him so deep into the myrtery thathe gasped like a drowning man. ThenChrist pointed out what Nicodemus mustdo, in terms that fitted his power to understand and act.I once had weekly errands at a printshop. If the printer was at his type setting machine, I would put my paper inits place, and then walk around the machine. It intrigued me. I wanted to knowhow it worked. After examining it fromall sides for several days, without beingable to understand it, I said to the printer, "Do you understand thatHe said, "I do not. But I know how touse it." He and I illustrated two classesof Christians. He did not understand hismachine but he used it skillfully. Iwanted to understand it, but had no intention of using it.We may not understand the Onenessof God and His Son. We can profit by it,without understanding it. Commit yourway unto God. Trust Him,bring it to pass.and He willPRAYER MEETING TOPICJanuary 12, 1955"THE NEGLECT OF PRAYER"Psalms:James 4:1-10Rev. P. D. McCracken, D.D.5:1-3, page 8130:1-3, page 32585:1, 2, 4, page 207them scattered throughthe comments.COMMENTSWith this topic we begin a series o:twelve studies on the general subject o:"PRAYER"which will run monthlythroughout the year. The topics are all396vital, but the comments are necessarilybrief. They are suggestive rather than exhaustive, so it is hoped that each leaderwill diligentlygather and use othersource material to make the subjectsboth interesting and helpful. Remember,however, that the study of prayer shouldnot mean the neglect of prayer in ourPrayer Meetings.The Word of God is very plain aboutcertain things which are not to be neg-llected, such as "The Great Salvation"Heb. 2:3; "The Gift that is in Thee"I Tim. 4:14; "The Service of God" IIC!-ron. 29:11;Thereand others.are a number ofthings of vital necessity"Musts,"which are setforth in God's Word for us to rememberand do. There is the must of the newbirth, John 3:7; the mu~t of sacrifice,John 3:14; the must of decreasing self,John 3:30; of obedience, Ezra 10:12; ofworship, John 4:24; of service, John 4:4;and of judgment, II Cor. 5:10.Prayer might well be listed in either ofthe above groups, for it is a "Must" ofthe Christian life, and it certainly shouldnot be neglected.I. THE SERIOUSNESS OF THENEGLECT OF PRAYERWhen we fail to pray, we disobeyGod, and become guilty of one of thegreatest sins of omission. God has specifically commanded us to pray. In IThess. 5:17 we read His mandate "Prayceasing."without Again, in Luke 18:1,Christ in parable taught that "men oughtalways to pray and not to faint." TheHoly Spirit directed Paul (Eph. 6:11-18)to urge his hearers to "put on the wholearmour of Godpraying always with allprayer and supplication in the Spirit andwatching thereunto with all perseveranceand supplication for allThus thetriune Godhead has laid upon us a duty,and it is serim. THE RESULTS OF NEGLECTous to neglect it.OF PRAYERMoreover, Christ has set before us anSince God has ordained prayer as oneexample, and told us to follow Him. Aof the great effective means to be usedglance at His life and practice will reveala continual contact with His by His children to accomplish H;s work,Heavenlywhen we fail inFather, and long hours spent in comusing it. His worklanguishes and drags.munion with Him. Check the followingToday *h

opportunity."PRAYER MEETING TOPICS 1955An Open LetterJan. 5 Trials and Temptations James1:1-4, 12-15; 5:7-1112 The Neglect of Prayer James4:1-1019God's Love Malachi 1:1-526 Life: The Believer's Present Possession John 5:24Feb. 2Prayer James 1:5-8; 5:13-189 Reverence in Prayer Gen. 18:22-3316 The Danger of Spurning God'sLove in Worship Mai. 1:6-14; 2:1-923 The Recognition of Great Faith-Matt. 8:10Mar. 2 Doers of the Word James 1:16-279 Confidence in Prayer Heb. 4:14-1616 The Result of Spurning God'sLoveMai. 2:10-1623 Wrong Motives in Religion John6:2630What is that in Thine Hand? Ex.4:2Apr. 6 The Royal Law James 2:1-1313 Our Father in Heaven Rom. 8:15, 1620 The Punishment for SpurningGod's Love Mai. 2:17; 3:1-627 Opportunity Brings ResponsibilityMatt. 10:15May 4 Faith and Works James 2:14-2611 The Excellent Name Psalm 818The Tithe One Proof of OurLove Mai. 3:7-1525 The Necessity of the New BirthJohn 3:3June 1 The Unbridled Tongue James3:1-128 Pray for the Kingdom Matt. 13:31-33instead of praying, as he was told to do.Mark 14:38; Luke 22:40. Pace, in oneof his cartoons, pictures a man "In thesnare of the devil" because of his neglectof prayer, and he is in a bad way. "Lord,teach us to PRAY," Luke 11:1.CONSIDER:What is Prayer? See Larger CatechismQuestions 178-186The Seriousness of Neglecting PrayerThe Reasons for Neglecting PrayerThe Results of Neglecting PrayerEffects of Prayerlessness on Churches,Preachers, Laymen.The Prayer Lives of Muller, Finney,Brainerd, Taylor, Carey, Judson, Luther,and others.Be sure to spend a good portion of the"Prayer Meeting" time in PRAYER.December 22, 195415The Day of the Lord Mai. 3:16-18; 4:1-622The Bread of Life John 6:32, 3329What Shall a Man Give in Exchange for His Soul? Mark 8:37July 6 True Wisdom James 3:13-1813 Prayer for Obedience I Sam. 15:10-16; 22, 2320The Rich Fool Luke 12:16-2127The Great "I Am" John 8:58Aug. 3 Jealousies James 4:1-510 Prayer for Daily Necessities-Matt. 6:23-3417 The Rich Man and Lazarus Luke16:19-3124 The Only Door John 10:731 Whom Say Ye That I Am? Matt.16:15Sept. 7 Humility James 4:6-1214 Prayer for Forgiveness Matt. 6:12, 14, 1521The Marriage of the King's Son-Matt. 22:1-1528The Peril of Riches Matt. 19:23Oct. 5"Man Proposes: God Disposes."James 4:13-171 2 P r a y e r Against TemptationPsalm 19:1319The Ten Virgins Matt. 25:1-1326The Reward of Self-denial LukeNov. 2.18:29, 30Riches: An Asset or a Liability? James 1:9-11; 5:1-69 The Note of Praise in Prayer IChron. 29:11-1316The Prodigal Son Luke 15:11-3223 The Measure ofLiability Mark12:4330 Whom Shall I Send? Isa. 6:8Dec. 7 Personal Work James 5:19, 2014 The "Amen" in Prayer Rev. 7:1221The Pearl of Great Price Matt.13:45, 4628Life out of Death John 12 :24Synod Sabbath June 12 The Convicting Power of the Spirit John 16:7-11NOTE:It has been suggested to us that someof the prayer meeting topics and comments during the year might be especiallyprepared with a view to interest theyoung people and securing young leaders.We like the suggestion, and recommendthat the series of four topics on "GreatQuestions God Asks" be treated with thatdefinite aim in view. These topics fall onthe "fifth Wednesdays" during 1955, andshould be of special interest to youngpeople. Congregations should keep thisin mind in appointing leaders.The Committee onPrayer Meeting TopicsTithers Corner is surely a worth whilesection in our Covenanter Witness. Ifpeople really believe, they cannot refrainfrom seeking for the blessings promisedwhen people unite in this proposed covenant. The fullest blessing is promisedonly when all the tithes are brought in.Therefore it behooves each individual toexhort and encourage fellow Christians tojoin in this covenant to our mutual benefit and the advancingof his kingdom.No one has ever been found who wouldnot admit that the tithe of every memberof the Covanter Church would far surpass our estimated budget. Add to thisthe tithes of the increase promised andwhat have you? Surely there would be"meat"in the storehouse, beyond anyvision yet realized.But our responsibilty does not endhere. It is also the dutyand privilege ofthe individual to use wisdom and prayfor guidance as to where his tithe moneyshould go. Then follow up his contribution with earnest and sincere prayer forthe Lord's blessingon the project towhich he has designated his offering,thus findinginterest in prayer.a more personal and vitalAs suggested in a recent editorial in theCovenater Witness Why are our members not allowed a choice, as to wheretheir donations go? The first $110,815.00is regimented to certain specified projects, so that one individual designating$100.00 to missions means absolutelynothing, because a certain per cent of thefirst $110,815.00 willdefinitely go to eachof the specified projects. For instancehere is a congregation in which the sentiment favors giving direct to the missionary work of sending the gospel to thosewho have not heard of the true God,rather than to some other items of thebudget which they do not wish to support. Their only recourse is to give outside the church.Men by the thousands under the stressof deprivation and persecution are longingly seeking and ready to grasp at anypossible solution for their dilemmaready to try Christianity, Communism orany doctrine offered. "Man's extremityis God'sThe times demandcareful consideration of whether to workwith those who have heard and rejected,or to turn to those who are willing andanxious to receive. The burden of responsibility should rest heavily on our church,especially in regard to those who havenot heard. "How shallthey believe inhim of whom they have not heard andhow shall they hear without a preacherand how shall they preach except theybesent"(Rom. 10:14-15). There are397

urgent."single congregations in our church thatcould easily support another missionaryto Japan over and above their regularcontributions if theygive direct to this purpose at once. Referringagain to the editorialare ready to go. The need iswere permitted to"Two menWhy not a referendum to the people,giving them the privilege of designatingtheir money direct to this fund? If wevalue the place of the Covenanter churchin the religious world we can ill afforda policy that leads to giving money outside the church because of lack of freedom of conscience in the matter of designating where a person's donation shallbe used.An Interested MemberThis signature is not satisfactory tothe Editor, but is vouched for by Dr.Walter McCarroll.W. M. S. DepartmentMrs. Ross Latimer. Editor,Prayer Hour. 1:00 P.M. MondayOn board the S. S. Concordia SunOctober 27, 1954Dear Women's Synodical friends:We wish to thank you for your lovelyfarewell card and delicious fruit. We weretouched to tears with the kindness andlove the people of the church showed us.We enjoyed Grinnell and the visits withfriends. We are returning home richer inChristian friendship and happy memoriesand with thankful hearts.We hope to see you all againnext Grinnell.maybeHelen and Florence FattalDear Helen and Florence:We hear that you were sick on boardand were able to eat fruit for two days.We feel greatly blessed for having knownyou. God bless you both.Welcome back!Mrs. A. J. McFarland. Syn. Pres.Dear Mrs. McFarland: Please conveymy sincere thanks to the Synodical forthe rent check. I am in Moody Institute,Chicago, and this generous gift is greatlyappreciated.Sincerely, Elizabeth McElroy1511 N. LaSalle, ChicagoShould we feel at times disheartenedand discouraged, a confiding thought, asimple movement of heart towards Godwill renew our powers. Whatever He maydemand of us, He will give us at themoment the strength and the couragethat we need.398Fenelon.CENTRAL-PITTSBURGH:News BriefsGeorgeVogel left Tuesday evening, October 5,for the Navy. His latest address is: SR-473-42-55, Co. 304, 1st Reg., 12th Brtln,RTC, USNTC, Bainbrigde, Md.SPARTA: Martha Mclntyre has abroken leg and so is becoming experienced in the use of crutches. Miss ClaraFinley fell and broke a hip and will be inthe hospital for at least six weeks. Wepray that both Martha and Miss Finleywill have speedy and complete healing.THIRD PHILADELPHIA: The BlueBanner Society was entertained by MissIsabel Crawford on November 20. At theinvitation of the United CovenanterChurch, members of Third Philadelphiawere privileged to join them to hear MissOrlena Lynn when she addressed theirW.M.S. thank offering meeting.BELLE CENTER, OHIO: A finetime was enjoyed on Friday evening,November 26, at the home of Mr. andMrs. J. Roy Templeton where a "HomeTalent"party was held in honor of ourholiday visitors.CENTRAL-PITTSBURGH: Jack G.Pickens was married on Saturday, November 6, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church,Glenfield, to Joan K. Zahner. May Hewho has admitted these young peopleinto the halls of highest human happinessrichly bless them in their new life. Jeremiah 32:39.THIRD PHILADELPHIA: Mrs. R. J.Crawford, Sr., gave a very interestingtalk about the American Bible Societyin our Sabbath School in anticipation ofthe offering which was taken for theBible Society on November 21.CENTRAL-PITTSBURGH: TheMothers Club, a well-known fellowshipto many, started its monthly meetings onOctobr 24, after a rest of two years. After a message by Rev. Kenneth Smith, asocial hour followed. At their secondmeeting, November 24, Dr. John Oliverpresented a short historical talk on Pennsylvania.FRESNO: While our pastor and hiswife were away assisting Dr. J. G. McElhinney in Phoenix, Arizona, with thefall communion, our Young People of theYouth Temperance Council had charge ofthe service. It was a very appropriateservice for Temperance Sabbath, the 7thof November.BELLE CENTER, OHIO: Mr. andMrs. Howard Keys are the proud parentsof a little son Robert Otis born November 18.A PSALM FESTIVAL was held inthe COLLEGE HILL Reformed Presbyterian Church on Friday evening, December 3. It was sponsored by the youngpeople of the Pittsburgh Presbytery.EASTVALE was co-hostess and helpedwith the planning and the carrying out ofthe program. Rev. Kenneth Smith of Central Pittsburgh congregation led the singing. Rev. J. Paul McCracken helped withannouncing the psalms. Color pictureswere used to illustrate the one hundredth,the nineteenth, and the twenty-thirdpsalms. Unfamiliar tunes were presentedby the First Beaver Falls choir and thensung by the congregation. There was alsotime for several favorite selections.Following the singing there was a social hour in which four different groupspantomimed Bible stories. A Bible gamewas played by all, and refreshments wereserved. About three hundred people werepresent for the evening. It was a blessedprivilege for all who were able to bethere.ALMONTE: The Lord's Supper wasobserved on November 28. RaymondMorton was received into the church byProfession of Faith. Rev. Reade conducted the services and his messages gaveus the spiritual food which we needed,as well askeeping us reminded of ourCovenant vows.The annualThankoffering service washeld in CHICAGO, Saturday, December4, 1954. Miss Orlena Lynn, our ownmissionary, gave us aninspiring messageabout the work in Japan. The offeringamounted to $250.00. We thank the Lordfor generous hearts.ESKRIDGE: Those representing Eskridge at Grinnell this year were Rev.and Mrs. Joseph Caskey, Mr. and Mrs.Ross Latimer, Eugene and Doris Stevenson and Mrs. Marietta Junkin. Thetheme of the September W.M.S. Temperance study was "A Call to Prayer," basedon an article in The Covenanter Witness.Plans arebeing made to do some definite temperance work this year.COLLEGE HILL:The Men's Clubmet the first evening of the month fora supper meeting in the church. After themeal Rev. Harold Harrington of NewCastle showed pictures of Scotland whichcreated much interest and called forthmany interesting questions.COVENANTER WITNESS

SYRACUSE: It was with regret that ry, a senior from Ellwood City, andDecember 22, 1954we heard our pastor, Dr. G. M. Robb, president of the Engineering club wastender his resignation at the close of our chairman of the construction. Severalchurch service on December 5. Both Dr.and Mrs. Robb will be greatly missed byclubs participated in the building andplanning.our congregation. They leave to accept aPHOENIX:call at Kansas City about the firstRecent visitors in ourofmidst have been Mr. and Mrs. Lloydthe year.McElroy and Lynn, Topeka; AlbertThe CHICAGO fall communion washeld October 31, 1954, the pastor conducting. Miss Alice Manifold joined thechurch at this time professionbyof faith.The sacrament of baptism was adminisHardies, Beaver Falls; Milton Harrington, Hetherton; Philip Kennedy, Greeley;Joseph Fleming, Seattle: Dr. and Mrs.Esmond Smith, Fresno; and Alice Smith,Orlando.tered to Mark Winthrop,son of Rev. andMrs. Norman Carson, and Carol Ann, ESKRIDGE: Mrs. Caskey's parents,daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Calum MacRitchie. Mark's grandfather, Dr. C. T.Carson of Clarinda, Iowa baptized hisMr. and Mrs. J. D. Hill of First BeaverFalls spent three weeks at the parsonage.They returned home about the middle ofNovember.grandson.Some new porches and cellarsteps were built at the parsonage and Mr.NEW YORK CITY: The annual Hill was very busy helping with thisChristmas program of the Sabbath work.School will be held December 20 at 7:45.ALMONTE: We were happy to haveTOPEKA: We are thankful to Rev.Bruce Stewart for conducting our communion services November 14 with theMiss Orlena Lynn give her informativeaddress which she illustrated with colored pictures on the evening of Novemsigning of the Covenant at the evening ber 18. This was our annual W.M.S.service. Lie. Milton Harrington broughtus helpful messages November 21 and 28Thank Offering meeting. It was conducted by Mrs. Hazel Drynan, with Missand also had charge of the serviceRose Ellen Burns leading the DevotionThanksgiving morning.als. The Juniors directed by Mrs. AlanBurns presented a Thanksgiving Pageant.DENISON: Homes of the congregationAfter the meeting a social hour was enshared in entertaining the Wings Overjoyed at the manse givingJordan Choir, December 11. They oppreportunity to get acquainted with Misssented an excellent program in the highLynn.school in the evening, following a community fellowshipsupper. One purposeof their tours is to promote better racerelationships.A girl scout troop whose leader is Mrs.Clemens of the Methodist church whichis located near OUR HOME came in onthe evening of November 9, and sangCOLLEGE HILL: Dr. R. H. Martin,former pastor of our congregation, andnow President of the National Reformsongs and visited among our members.They brought with them individual baskets which they themselves had madeAssociation of Pittsburgh, made his an and filled with home baked cookies.nual visit to our congregation on thefirst Sabbath of November and spoke onThese they distributed among the Homemembers. The cookies were delicious andthe work. An offering was taken amountattractively presented, and were thoring to over $400. This makes a total ofover five hundred dollars given to thework of National Reform this year.oughly enjoyed. One of the members ofour Home is a member of this Methodistchurch. The pastor of the church, theReverend Pace, is delighted with ourA Christmas display that is attractingwidespread attention of Valley folk isoutstanding scene on the GENEVACOLLEGE CAMPUS. A life-size manHome and with the care which his parishioner receives, and so each year thechurch does something for the Homethrough one of its organizations.ger scene has been built by the collegeInterclub council and the Student Senatebehind the "Geneva College" letters alongCHICAGO congregation has had thepleasure of getting better acquainted withCollege avenue. Geneva students and Miss Elizabeth McElroy, as she is infaculty and passers-by are constantly reminded of the real meaning of Christmasby the Nativityscene. At night the manthe city taking some courses at MoodyBible Institute. We appreciate her finehelp in our Sabbath School.ger is illuminated by spotlights, and enriched by playing of Christmas carols.The manger is approximately 10 feet highESKRIDGE: Some peonies, a snowberrybush and a spitzer juniper everand includes figures of Mary, Joseph, green tree have been planted in thethe Christ Child, the Wise Men, shepherds, and several animals. Michael Per-Church yard this fall. November 21, MissBlanche McCrea was with us. In themorningshe played tape recordings giving testimonies of girls who are studentsin the academy in Nicosia. In the eveningshe showed slide pictures from Cyprus.ALMONTE: At the C.Y.P.U. businessmeeting on November 11 the followingofficers were elected: President, JohnWaddell; Vice President, Alan Burns;Secretary, Oreta Everett; Treasurer,Isaac McKee; Correspondent, PaulineBurns. We met at the manse for thismeeting.COLLEGE HILL: Family Night washeld on November 10 with very good attendance. It marked the close of our Sabbath School contest with the losing sidein charge of the program. After the supper and devotions Marion McFarlanda student in Geneva College from Montclair, N. J., entertained with a show ofmagic, much to the delight of all thechildren, old and young.CHICAGO: The sacrament of baptismwas administered on Sabbath, December5, 1954 to Karen Marie Jasmer, daughterof Robert and Dora Brelsford Jasmer.TOPEKA: The W.M.S. had charge ofthe services December 5 under the leadership of Mrs. Taggart. The subject used""for discussion was Ex. 14:15 "Our ChurchSpeak to the children of Israel thatthey go forward." We are thankful forthe improvement of Dr. Taggart and thathe was able to attend services December5.On Wednesday November 17 themiddle class of the Seminary, representedby Robert Fullerton and Armor McFarland, conducted a prayer meeting at THEHOME. It was a very fine prayer meeting Thank you, for the joybrought.which youPHOENIX: Robert Cox has returnedto work after his extended stay in thehospital for the Valley Fever.ALMONTE:The annual Halloweenparty was well attended. Mr. and Mrs.Thorpe Bowes were the host and hostessfor the evening.COLLEGE HILL: Our Thankofferingmeeting was held in the evening of thelast Sabbath of November with RoseMunnel of Rose Point speaking andshowing pictures. A generous offeringwas received.We are enjoying the presence of MissMarjorie Mitchel in CHICAGO. She ispresently at the University of ChicagoHospitals for an affiliation from herschool of nursing in Rochester, Minnesota.On Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving the Reverend Kermit Edgar cameto THE HOME and preached a very fineThanksgivingsermon. It was so much399

gress."appreciated! The Home folks always arehappy when they learn Rev. Edgar iscoming for his sermons and prayer meetings are so spiritual, and so thoughtprovoking.The Reverend Mr. Edgar isalways "on hand" when we need him,and, too, he does so much voluntarily.We cannot express our appreciation, Reverend Edgar.COLLEGE HILL: Mr. and Mrs. E.Dodds Balph, Rev. and Mrs. F. H.Lathom, Miss Lulu McKinney, and Dr.Edwin Clarke all attended the AnnualMeeting of the National Reform Association in the East Liberty PresbyterianChurch November 11.SYRACUSE: The October meeting ofthe Syracuse W.M.S. was a work meetingheld at the home of Mrs. Kenneth Wicks.The Young Women's Guild joined us forsupper after which we had an inspiringtalk by Miss Erla Flanagan telling of themany Children's Bible clubs she has beencarrying on in and near Syracuse. MissFlanagan is the City Missionary, supported bySyracuse.The followingthe Protestant churches ofpeople from CHICAGOattended the annual meeting of Presbytery and Presbyterial in Bloomington:Rev. and Mrs. Norman Carson and MarkCarson, Mrs. Thomas Lynn, and MissOrlena Lynn, who was the missionaryspeaker.DENISON: Wonderful progress hasbeen made on the basement project inthe six weeks from its beginning. Thebasement is all enclosed, kitchen and restrooms made. Two oil furnaces are beinginstalled and the wiring done. It is aboutWe acready for the finishing work.knowledge the kind providence of Godin giving perfect weather for the workand we deeplyappreciate the faithfulwork of the men of the congregationwhich makes this report of progress possible.COLLEGE HILL: The Highlandersand the Dodds Bible Class held theirsemi-annual rummage sale near the firstof the month. The money from this salegoes mainly to missions and the WhiteGift.On Sabbath, November 14, the Sandersons gave talks at Central Pittsburghin the morning, and Allegheny in theevening. In the afternoon they delightedTHE HOME members by their report ofthe Syrian Mission field, and by theirvisits in their rooms.ESKRIDGE: Miss Esther Latimer ofChicago is visiting at the home of herbrother Ross Latimer and Mrs. Latimerof Emporia. She worships with the Eskridge congregation and helps us in theSabbath School.400NEW YORK CITY: The monthlymeeting of the Women's Missionary Society was held Saturday, December 11.Mrs. Walter Smith was the hostess. Reports from the annual Thank Offeringindicate the goal of $1,000 will bereached.COLLEGE HILL: Mrs. M. R. Gloverleft for St. Petersburg, Florida, by planeonSaturday Nov. 27.Two recent visitors to CHICAGO wereKenneth and Marjorie Sanderson. Wewere happy to have them here for ourThankoffering services and for the Sabbath day.ALMONTE, CANADA: On October28 the Ladies' Missionary Society heldtheir meeting at the home of Mrs. SamBurns. This was the Temperance meeting and was in charge of Temperance SuMrs. White.perintendent,COLLEGE HILL: Student preachingwas held in our church on the first Wednesday evening of November. Four upperclassmen spoke with much acceptance.The lower classmen spoke in the Eastvalechurch one week later.An anonymous donor presented THEHOME with two beautiful large turkeysfor their Thanksgiving dinner. Thank youindeed, for the delicious turkeys andfor your thoughtfulness.TOPEKA: We deeplyregret the departure of Elmer and Lois Graham andBilly, who are going to Phoenix, Arizona,to make their home. It is truly a lossfor us and a gain for Phoenix. Sometwenty members journeyed to Winchester, November 26 to participate in thePsalm festival. The enjoyment of abountiful meal and Christian fellowshipwas appreciated by those who attended.PHOENIX: Rev. Robert McMillanassisted our pastor in our fall communion November 7. At the morning servicewe signed the Covenant. Mrs. McMillangave her testimony Sabbath evening. Itwas indeed a privilege to hear these finemessages.SYRACUSE: On November 19 we hada congregational dinner, after which wehad the pleasure ofhearing Miss OrleanLynn tell of our work in Japan. She thenshowed pictures which were very interesting. We were all glad to meet MissLynn and will take a greater personal interest in the work in Japan.CHICAGO: Mrs. Ann Gibson recentlyunderwent a very serious operation inMichael Reese Hospital in the city. Weare praying for her speedy recovery.ESKRIDGE, KANSAS: Mrs. Mary A.Carson, widow of the late Elder JohnCarson of this congregation passed awayon November 8, 1954. She was born February 12, 1871 and was a member of theReformed Presbyterian Church throughout her life. She grew up in the OlatheCommunity. Three sons and a daughterand seven grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren survive to mourn her loss.An evergreen tree has been planted inthe church yard in her memory but herdescendants will be her best memorialplanted as by rivers of water andbringing forth their fruits in due season.COLLEGE HILL: Mrs. James Pasarilladied in the Providence Hospital theday after Thanksgiving. She was themother of three of our members and thegrandmother of two more. Rev. Lathomwas in charge of the services. Burial wasin Beaver Falls cemetery.PROVISION FOR PRIVATE PRAYERA new and unusual action has beentaken by Congress of the United States,which is probably a first in the history ofthe world in human government.Theadoption of a resolutionby unanimousaction of both Senate and House, "providing for the creation of a room formeditation and prayer in the Capitol forthe exclusive use of members of ConThe Prayer RoomThe room, measuring about 300 squarefeet, is located about 50 feet from therotunda, on the main floor of the centerbuilding. It will have a window of stainedglass in subdued colorsdepicting threescenes, the top a lighted candle, symbolizing light, the center will have a scrollrepresenting the Sermon on the Mount,and the lower panel the picture of anOpen Book, symbolizing the law. Theonly other decoration or furniture will bethe Nation's flag, and a large Bible onthe center table. In front of the table willbe an ecclesiastical kneeling bench withchairs facing the window.Deacon Brooks HayesThe father of this room for privatemeditation and prayer is none other thanRep. Brooks Hayes, a Baptist Deacon ofLittle Rock, Arkansas, for a period ofthirty years when at home, and a supplyteacher of the Vaughn Bible Class ofMen atCalvary Baptist Church atWashington, the largest in the city andsaid to be the first Men's Bible Classin the country, if not in the world.Brooks Hayes is also a member of theBoard of Trustees of the InternationalReform Federation elected at its last annual meeting in January.ProgressCOVENANTER WITNESS

portion."ECHOES NUMBERLESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 16, 1955THE FIELD is THE WORLD, THB S/rtD

Glimpses of the Religious WorldFrank E. Allen, D. D.The New Administrative AssistantVice-President Nixon has appointed Robert L. King ashis administrative assistant who is to take his position at theopening of the 84th Congress next month. What is significantabout this? Mr. King has been vice-president and generalmanager of the Southern Comfort Distillery of St. Louis, andaccording to an announcement from Mr. Nixon's office, is tomatters.''"handle considerable legislative Some temperanceorganizations have protested this appointment, and as aresult Mr. Nixon has replied that Mr. King has resigned fromhis position at the distilleryand that he is a man of highpersonal character. Thoughtful Christian people know that aman who has sold his services to a liquor firm and as manager must have been in sympathy with it is likely to lend hisinfluence, and it is a powerful influence in this case, to theaid of the liquor interests in "legislativematters."And in anevenly divided Congress where one vote may decide for oragainst proposed bills it is a matter of very great importancewho shall formulate and promote such bills.The Milk Issue in FrancePremier Mendes-France has had his hardest struggle tohold his position because he has dared advise workers inFrance to drink water or milk rather than wine. The influenceof the winery interests and other stronger drinks penetratesall parties, even the Communist party, in France. One whochallenges the alcohol lobby or interests in France is likelyto face political death. An experienced economist has quotedfigures to show that France loses more economic strength fromthe ravages of alcoholism than any other country in theworld. Jesus said, if the blind lead the blind both shall fallinto the ditch. France has fallen before opposing armies morethan once because her army was debilitated through strongdrink, but most of her leaders blinded by the desire for drinkor the money procured through its manufacture and sale, areready to condemn and throw out of office one who opposesthem even though he may seek the welfare of their country.France has been rated as one of the great powers of theworld, but it is not and will not be a powerful nation so longas it continues to drink three times as much liquor as anyother nation.Schools for Missionaries' ChildrenOne of the most serious problems which face foreign missionaries is how to educate their children under Christian surroundings. Comparatively early in the history of the China Inland Mission Hudson Taylor established such a school inChina. Near Tokyo a school has been established which iscalled the Japan Evangelical Christian School. It is a schoolwhich is maintained by missionary parents in Japan who haveplanned and worked together to provide for the education oftheir own children. The constitution is modeled after the constitution of the National Union of Christian Schools. Theschool has been operating on the policy that the teachersshall be provided by missions which have missionary children in the school. This school opened four years ago with oneteacher and 13 pupils and now has an enrollment of about120 pupils. The nationalities represented in the student bodyinclude, U.S., Swedish, English, South African, Chinese, German, Canadian and Irish. The financial strain on many missionary families is very heavy.402The missionary editor of The Banner has written an article on this subject. In his concluding paragraph he states:"The education ofmissionaries'children is a matter of greatconcern to our church (Christian Reformed)and to the missionary parents a matter of compelling urgency. In Japan thesituation is being met for the present as above describedAs you pray for our missionaries and their work, don't forgetthe many boys and girls who are growing up in foreign fieldseducation."and need facilities also for theirThis means "greatrelief to the parents involved, but it also meets one of themost pointed problems that missionary candidates face asthey entertain the thought of moving themselves and familiesto a foreign field."Back to God HourFifteen years ago the Back to God Hour, the Radio Voiceof the Christian Reformed Church, was begun. Now the Mutual Broadcasting System has made all stations connectedwith it available which means that the Gospel messagethrough it is brought within the hearingrange of about 100,-000,000 people. This broadcast now is offering a 13-week series of 15-minute programs to all television stations in thecountry, and more than 80 of these stations have accepted theoffer. The Rev. Peter H. Eldersveld, who is an excellentpreacher of the Christian Reformed Church, gives all of histime to this work. Their desire is that soon this program willbe made available in foreign countries where their missionaries are sent.The Loyalty OathThe First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles is heading alegal battle against the California Levering Act which requiresa loyalty oath from religious, educational, and charitableinstitutions as a condition of their tax exemption. This churchand a number of religious organizations with it are refusingto sign the oath on the grounds that it violates the provisionof the First Amendment establishing(Continued on page 407)THE COVENANTER WITNESSseparation betweenIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 129 West 6th Street. Newton. Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka, Kansasto promote Bible Standards of Doctrine, Worship and LifeFor individuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writers .not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen, D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll, D.D.Remo I. Robb, D.D.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdgarMrs. J. O. EdgarMrs. Ross LatimerSubscription rates: $2.50 per year; Overseas, $3.00: Sincle Copies10 cents.The Rev. R. B. Lyons, B.A., Limavady, N. Ireland, Agent for theBritish Isles.Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Newton, Kansasunder the Act of March 3, 1879.Address communications to the Topeka office.COVENANTER WITNESS

services"Current EventsBy Prof. William H. Russell, Ph.D.STRONGER RESERVESThe Defense Department has announced the new militaryprogram which it will present to Congress for action. Itaims at providing a reserve of five million men by 1959.Three million of these would be in organized, trained forces,subject to first call in case of a general mobilization. Twomillion more would be in a non-organized, non-paid reservepool which could be called if needed. We now have areserve force of three million, but less than half of theseare taking any training, and there is no way to compelthem to do so under the present law. The new programwould make reserve training mandatory after two years ofactive duty. The draft and the National Guard system areto continue without major changes. However, 100,000 youngmen under 19 could volunteer each year for six months ofactive training, to be followed byreserve status for aslong as nine and one-half years. This idea will probablybe attacked as the entering wedge for Universal MilitaryTraining. Building up the reserves may allow some reductionin the active forces and thus cut defense expenditures, butthe Pentagon will also ask Congress for a general payincrease for the armed forces.FOUNDATIONS UNDER FIREA special House committee has brought in a reportsharply criticizing the nation's tax-exempt foundations.The foundations, the committee said, control about $7.5billion with an income of $675 million a year, and havebecomethe government"a force in our society second only to that ofitself."The committee divided on partylines.- The three-man Republican majority acknowledgedthe many "magnificentof the foundations in suchfields as science, medicine, public health, and education,but it found "graveabuses"in their administration. Insome cases, it claimed, foundations have been createdmainly to secure exemption from federal income and inheritance taxes, and to perpetuate family control of largeenterprises. The majority also charged that the foundationshave promoted world government and other"leftist"political views, and that the major foundations have combined to exercise control over public opinion.The two-man Democratic minority attacked the majorityreport as biased, and asserted that the foundations mustbe left completely free. The presidents of the Rockefeller,Ford, and Reid Foundations, three of the largest, havealso called the majority report unfair. They claim thatthey were not allowed to testify at the hearings, and thatthe committee accepted many charges against them without supportingevidence. The foundations have become oneof our major supports for social improvement, and it willbe very unfortunate if this report should lead to attemptsat political control of their work.HOUSING REPORTAnother Congressional report comes from the SenateBanking Committee, which has been investigating the FHAscandals. The grouprental projects,examined 543 out of a total of 7,045and found FHA-guaranteed mortgage loanstotalling $75 million more than the true construction costs.This represents"windfall"December 29, 1954profits, which the builders couldtake from tenants through excessive rentals. The committeesaid that it might be better for the government to buildthe projects itself than to allow such practices to continue.The report bitterly denounced Clyde L. Powell, former assistant FHA commissioner in charge of the rental housingprogram. It also blasted some of the builders, and recommended continued investigation by the Internal Revenuebureau and Justice Department.VIOLENCE IN CYPRUSThe U. N. has shelved Greece's demand for a plebescitein Cyprus to determine whether the Mediterranean islandshall remain a British colony or be given to Greece. Thisdecision resulted mainly from our announcement that theU. S. would not support the Greek resolution. The resulthas been anti-British and anti-American rioting in Greeceand Cyprus. At Nicosia, British police and troops used teargas to drive back the mobs and set a police guard over theU. S. consulate. Angry demonstrations also broke out inother towns in Cyprus, showing the strong feeling of theGreeks who make up a majority of the population of Cyprus.Covenanters are anxiously awaiting word of the safety ofour people and property in Cyprus, but until news comes wecan only pray for their safekeeping. The work of our schoolat Latakia, Syria, has also been interrupted by anti-American demonstrations.NATO STRENGTHThe foreign ministers of the fourteen NATO countrieshave met in Paris and agreed to the use of Americanatomic weapons for the defense of western Europe. Militaryauthorities will immediately begin to incorporate suchweapons in their defense plans, but the final decision ontheir use in a particular case will be made by the civiliangovernment of the member nations. The U. S. can still deliver atomic attacks from American bases without NATOapproval. In line with the adjustment of atomic warfare,emphasis was also shifted from sheer quantityto maintainingfor immediate combat.of troopsa smaller number of divisions in readinessThe annual review of NATO's military plans and accomplishments showed nearly every country except theU. S. easingup. Estimated defense expenditures for thisyear were less than for 1953, in spite of Europe's increasedprosperity. Plans for the next three years do not call forany increase in NATO armies, except the addition of twelveGerman divisions if the Paris agreements are ratified. NATOnow has about 48 active divisions assigned to it in Europe,whereas Soviet Russia has 175 and the satellite states 80more.SELF-PRESERVATION AT WORKSafe Driving Day, proclaimed by President Eisenhowerfor December 15, proved a worthwhile experiment. For thewhole country, there were 45 traffic deaths, less than halfthe dailyaverage of 97 for the first ten months of thisyear. These results show what can be accomplished by publicity, extra measures of law enforcement, and special careby drivers. However, some areas reported little or no improvement, and the number of accidents was still far higherthan necessary.403

man."come"stand?"glory."already.)"The Editor's PageHERODITIS "He gave not God theActs 12:23Heroditis is by no means an uncommon disease,though it is seldom so suddenly fatal as it was inHerod's case, which was somewhat unique.The people of Tyre and Sidon were in distress,for the temperamental Herod was highly displeasedwith them, and since they were dependent on hisdomain for their market and especially for their foodsupplies, it was highly important that they shouldavert a hot war or even a cold war. But happily theywere able to get on the good side of Blastus theKing's chamberlain who put them wise to the weakspot in Herod's defenses he was very susceptibleto a little flattery. He (Blastus) would arrange ameeting at which Herod would make a speech. Itwould be their part to keep the applause meter registering 1000. Of the outcome there would be no doubt.The plan succeeded beyond their fondest hopes.Herod could hardly finish a sentence until therewas a burst of applause, and when he finally finished, the audience cried in unison, "It is the voice ofa god and not of a Five days later, Josephustells us, Herod was just a corpse. The autopsy revealed the immediate cause was a mass of wrigglingworms, but the divinely inspired coroner's verdictglory."was "Because he gave not God theIt was a Chinese layman who remarked afterthe reading of the story of Ananias and Sapphirathat if the Lord would do that today, we wouldsee men and women falling down dead all aroundus. Yes "a thousand shall fall at thy side and tenthousand at thy right hand" but can we claim therest of the promise"it shall not come nigh thee?"There is an amusing story in the DecemberReader's Digest entitled "The Time God Didn't"Strike Us Dead." A girl and two boys pulled a fastone on their grandmother who had offered a prize often dollars to each, if they committed the ShorterCatechism. They divided it among them, each learning every third question, which they recited gliblyenough in rotation, but when it came to the question,"What doth every sin deserve ?" "Every sin deservesGod's wrath and curse, both in this life and thatwhich is to they were all conscious-smitten andwould not have been able to finish had not the questions from there on out brightened with hope ofredemption. They had scarcely accepted their illearnedrewards when a sudden thunderstorm sentrhem scampering for shelter, not scampering fromthe rain but from "the wrath and curse of God."lliey were not long in deciding that they should eachcommit the two thirds of the Catechism they hadskipped before they would cash Grandmother'schecks."If Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, 0Lord, who would Not Herod. Not Ananiasand Sapphira, and not I. Herod does not seem to havereplied to his compliments he just swallowed them,just as I and very many other ministers have done,at the church door with outstretched handstandingand eager ears, passing the compliments of the sea-404son. I remember one in particular from Father IsaiahFaris, enclosed in quotes, "That was a fine sermon(if the devil hasn't told you soAh, howmany of them come either directly or indirectly fromthat source we little suspect ! Sweet morsels for ourvanity !But why go back into ancient history? My doctor told me that I had a good recovery, implyingthat I had been a good patient. And I returned thecompliment, "I had a good doctor!" And the GreatPhysician to whom all the glory belonged was leftout of the picture, Lord, forgive us. This card hasrecently come to our daughter :"Can't you take time out and tell us aboutfather? Preachers don't as a rule sign into hospital,just to smell medicine and visit with three or fourdoctors and special nurses, just to rest from labor.Take us into the secret. Do hope father is better . . .Was Taggart sick, or just playing for sympathy?Whether I owe it to the public to tell you thedetails of my sickness, or not, maybe I do owe it tothe Lord. If it bores you, skip it from here. This wasnot done in a corner. Our Kansas City congregationwas made aware of my disability on October 10. Twoweeks previously they had invited me to preachtheir Preparation sermon, and though under a doctor's care at the time, I trusted that this was a divine intimation that I would be better when thetime came. Though neither strength nor appetitereturned in the meantime, the family drove to ahotel in Kansas City on Saturday. Until midnight,I could not be comfortable either sitting up in a chairor lying in bed, but from then on I slept soundly inbed. By morning I looked and felt so much betterthat the family consented that I should preach.But after the invocation, I thought it best to tell thecongregation that the service was a venture of faith.They gave good attention, but I could not get awayfrom the thought of the Apostle Paul shaking theviper from his hand into the fire. "They looked whenhe should have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly."But the promise was good, "As thy days is soshall thy strength be." As I had hoped, we were invited to Dr. Paul Wright's home for dinner that dayand he went over methoroughly with stethescopeand blood pressure gage, and recommended clinicaltests that these instruments could not reach, chest X-ray, blood count and sedimentation, and cardiograph.and quiet rest. Rest? Ah, that's too bad. This weekis full. Publication Board Meeting Tuesday, and arrangements will have to be made for someone tocarry on the Witness just in case; PresbyteryTuesday evening and three sessions Wednesday;home Thursday, and moderation of a call Thursdaynight ; Friday for finishing up the work on the nextweek's Witness ; Saturday we will arrange about theclinic. It s not exactly what the Doctor ordered butthe mill of the gods grinds on.Monday morning I took those tests, and thatevening the doctor at the Medical Center reportedthat the cardiograph shows that I have had a heartattack within the last two weeks and that I shouldgo to the hospital for two weeks or so, for a rest.COVENANTER WITNESS

sores,"softly,"well."up."By Tuesday noon, I had set my house in order, drovemy car to the hospital, checked in, put on my prisonstripes, then rested in bed until supper, and wasreading in a chair when the doctor came. "What'sthis ?" "Resting my bed I replied nonchalantly. Then he read his ultimatum that the one basis ofpeaceful coexistence between us was that I shouldget into bed and stay there until further notice. Anurse accepted my surrender of lounging robe andbedroom slippers, and the doctor accepted my surrender of my bill of rights, and for fifteen days myallotted space was six feet by three, an ominous size.A low sodium (no salt) diet was one of the majorhardships, but there were alternatives ersatz salt,or one could go on a hunger strike.But there was a brighter side. A large windowfurnished a view of the campus with trees of changing autumn foliage, and two busy intersecting streetswhere one could watch the ambulances coming infour directions, (the sirens told us when to lookout) : there were fifteen emergency cases one day.But the dead wagons moved more quietly and happilyless frequently, and never seemed to be in a hurry.Time was no longer so important. There were fourbeds in our room, but the occupants were transients,so I soon had the seniority. All of them brought theirailments but enough of them brought their senseof humor, and a group of visiting friends which weshared with one another. With three sets of foodtrays daily and innumerable rounds of medicine togripe about, a bevy of attendants to banter, the suffering to sympathize with, and the downcast tocheer, thirty days of excusable laziness in a hospitalis not a wholly unpleasant memory.Of course few patients were as care-free as I.My work was portable, I had daily contact with thehome folks, with my mail and with a typist as needed. My doctor was lenient. It was better to let amind expend itself on regular work, than to worryabout the accumulating heaps of unanswered mailand unpaid debts and unpublished papers. Suchthings are important in lowering blood pressure.But the nurses were kept supple changing the bedfrom resting to sitting up positions and vica versa.It was a glad day when I was permitted to sit ina chair for two fifteen minute periods, soon lengthened to 30 minutes, later to an hour, then allowed togo to the showers, at last to the X-ray room andhome with restrictions. But these are being liberalized, and I am allowed the freedom of the citydriving.After King Ahab had been rebuked by Elijah inNaboth's vineyard, he "lay in sackcloth and wentand the Lord spared him. After Hezekiahhad been healed of his sickness, "he rendered notaccording to the benefit done unto him, for his heartwas liftedMay the Lord grant me grace to gosoftly!In another column, Mrs. Philip Martin (a physician's daughter) says that the best definition of adoctor is that given by a small boy: "A doctor isthe man who collects a fee after God has made youThen I suppose "a patient is the man whoafter God heals him, slaps his inflated chest with onehand, and with the other pats himself on the back,down."while he boasts, "You can't keep a good manFriends, as we review the year 1954 and preview 1955, I suggest that we keep in mind Micah6:8, especially, "What doth the Lord require of thee,but .... to walk humbly with thy God?" or this,"Whatsoever ye do, do all to the gloryof God."Guard against every symptom of Heroditis.Soul-Winning in ActionRev. Kenneth G. SmithIndigenous ChristianityThe other day as I talked with an engineer ofone of the large chemical corporations here in Pittsburgh, he began to reminisce about the days whenhe had been down in the South Pacific as a Navyofficer. He told one experience after another abouthis activities there among the many islands wherehis ship had anchored. At one place he said that theyhad found the natives to be Christians ; and the contrast between them and the others he had met wascertainly apparent. Having just finished reading thelife story of John G. Paton, missionary to the NewHebrides Islands, I took a "shot in the dark" andasked him if he remembered what islands they were.After thinking a moment, he replied; and you canimagine how thrilled I was to hear that they werethe same coral atolls on which Paton and his coworkers had begun work nearly a century ago. Nearly ten decades ago natives had been reached withthe life-changing Gospel of the living Christ; andtoday their descendants are clean and civilized,enjoyingwholesome lives as true Christians.This seems incredible, does it not? Effectivedegree that they themselves not only become strongDecember 29, 1954and zealous Christians, but that another generationis also reached, is quite beyond the realm of realityto most of us. However, it is not normal Christianityaccording to the New Testament to believe thatwhat the Lord Jesus told the first century Christians does not apply today. Nor then can we say thatthe results that the early Christians experienced inwitnessing for the Lord are beyond credibility forour generation. The above example of the work ofPaton in the New Hebrides is proof enough thatwhen one employs the principles of the New Testament, he should expect the same results regardlessof the age or locality. If also the Word of God isproperly applied to one generation, it will becomea part of the next, ". . . that the generation to comemight know them, even the children which shouldbe born ; who should arise and declare them to theirchildren: that they might set their hope in God . .(Ps. 78:6,7)Furthermore the Bible does not indicate thatwitnessing to men about the person of Jesus Christis an art confined solely to those who have receivedevangelization of men, women, and children to thetraining in seminary or Bible school. It is for lay-405

work"man and pastor alike! Each has his own responsibility before God. Most of us know this; but thequestion we want answered is what to do in order tobecome effective witnesses for Christ.Scriptural Requirements for Winning SoulsFirst of all, there must be the scriptural conceptof "soul-winning." This concept is simply a recognition of the fact that it is God who saves, not I. Itis God who changes man's heart! Salvation is thegift of God (Eph. 2:8,9), not the result of someslick procedure of presentation. Many Christians aresincerely searching for some way to become effective in seeing others turn to Christ as a result oftheir ministry. And so they try this method andthat. They become proteges of one evangelist afteranother. They read books. They get interviews withothers, hoping that they will find the answer. Effective evangelism is to them something like the rightbottle in the medicine cabinet; and they are tryingevery bottle to see which is the secret, magicalformula. The search continues; their life is spent.Precious time slips by, but still they are not seeingothers become Christians through their testimony.The scriptural concept of effective evangelism,whether it be on the individual or the mass basis,indicates that there are two planes of operation : thevertical and the horizontal. The vertical plane is therelationship between the Christian and God ; the horizontal is between the Christian and those whom hedesires to reach. There must be a right relationship on the vertical plane before there can be resultson the horizontal. Paul wrote to the young Timothy,one into whom the apostle had poured his life; andto keep him seeing production, Paul reminded him:"If a man therefore purge himself from these, heshall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meetfor the master's use, and prepared unto every good(II Tim. 2:21). Unless one is walking uprightly before the Lord, keeping his heart right before Christ, he cannot expect to be used of God indrawing sinners to the Saviour! God will not usehim! In writing to the Romans, Paul said: "For Iwill not dare to speak of any of those things whichChrist hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentilesobedient, by word and deed" (Rom. 15:18). It is aprinciple of scripture that it is God who changes theheart of the sinner, and He does it through themedium of men. But only those men who keep themselves right before Him can expect to be used. Weare not to become buckets! We are to be pipes! Weare the channel ; but a clogged channel cannot transmit anything. Therefore, before anything else, onemust recognize that if he is to be effective on thehorizontal plane, it is absolutely imperative that hemake his relationship to the Lord the top item ofpriority in his whole life ! What a change would comeover the Church if this were all that were knownabout winning others and it were applied! Speaking to men about God is very important ; but speaking to God about men is much more basic !The Necessary PreparationNow in addition to this concept, there must be,secondly, the scriptural preparation for effectivesoul-winning. There seems to be little difficulty inrecognizing at least one of the chief reasons that"average Christian" of the twentieth century is not406producing new Christians. He would simply not knowhow to tell a person to become a Christian if theperson were to come to his front door and pose thequery. I remember one night when I was on boardship, and we were bringing home about two thousand Marines. One of those battle-scarred men whomwe had picked up in Japan wanted to become aChristian; and he was talking to a couple of myfriends about it. After talking with him for sometime, they turned to me and said that since I knewthe answers, why didn't I tell him. I could havedropped on the spot! But I was on the spot; so Irattled off some worn cliches and then beat a swiftretreat ! Know the answers ? Why I was shaking inmy shoes ! To my knowledge, that Marine has neverbecome a Christian.One must be prepared if he expects to be effective in his witness! An example of one who did accomplish his mission in reaching another was Philip,the Evangelist. When he knew of a man who wantedhelp, Acts 8 says that he "ran" to meet the man,offered his . . .help "opened his mouth, and beganat the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus."A very simple procedure; but Philip was prepared!Now there are two things that must be in one'slife if he expects to be prepared : The Word of Godand Prayer.It has already been said that God is the onewho changes men's hearts ; and that is true. But Hehas also ordained the means to that end, and thatmeans is His own Word. "Faith cometh by hearing,and hearing by the Word of God." (Rom. 10:17)Logically, if we are saved by faith, then if we desireanother person to acquire faith he must come intocontact with God through the scriptures. Now if Idon't know the scriptures well enough to be able totell him about Jesus Christ and what God requiresof him, how can he be expected to repent and believethe gospel?But we can also look at it from another angle.No one's witness can be effective if he defies God'sordained plan of effectiveness. If one does not havethe Holy Spirit in power in his life, if he is boggeddown with sin, if he does not like to talk to othersabout Jesus Christ, if he would rather watch television than give a helping hand to a hell-bent sinner,it does not appear that what that person needs issome scripture to give to someone else. That manis in grave need of the Word of God himself! It isconsidered in most average Christian circles todavthat a thorough knowledge of the Word of God iscommendable, but on the whole is extra-curricular.That is the reason that most of them don't witness,nor feel any compulsion to witness ! The Bible callsthem "carnal." If, however, these persons come under the conviction of their own need for a closer fellowship with God and begin to meditate on HisWord and spend time in prayer, it is amazing tonotice how they begin to experience victory overproblems, their attitudes change, the fruits of theSpirit become evident, and also they begin to be ofsome effect in helping others.Again, it becomes a case of being prepared ; andthe Word of God was given not only to show usthe truth about Christ, but also to show us how tobecome strong and joyful as we follow Him. "Allscripture is given by inspiration ofGod, and isprofitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,THE COVENANTER WITNESS

cop."not"pray"for instruction in righteousness: that the man ofGod may be perfect, throughly furnished unto allgood works" (II Tim. 3:16, 17).How to Know Your BibleHere are some simple suggestions that the Biblegives as means of getting the Word of God in ourhearts. Regular "hearing" of the Word preached eachweek as you attend your church services. Take noteson helpful sermons, and above all note the referencesof scripture. You should also have a plan of systematic "reading" of the Bible. Use the Bible ReadingFolders or read a chapter a day ; but when you read,look for something ! Read and ponder that your verysoul might find food, and note the verse or versesthat are of special help. The Bible also says that weare to "study" the Word of God. There are hosts ofprepared studies that would be of help ; or you mayprefer to take a chapter and analyze it. But make ita time when you sit down with a pencil and paper,and study. Don't make the mistake of trying to takemore time than you can consistently continue; oryour Bible study time may become something youdo when you get the time . . . about once every sixmonths. Set a minimum time on a weekly basis, forexample, one hour a week you will spend in concentrated study. The most efficient way of getting theWord of God into our hearts is through "memorization."It is something that can be done in the idlemoments of the day, thus preventing one's takingvaluable time. Anyone can memorize, but few do.Don't feel that memorizing is for youngsters alone,for the scriptures show it to be a principle of theChristian life. You will be amazed at the dividendsthat it pays, for there are many. Begin to memorizetwo or three verses a week with the reference ; andand soon your grasp of the Word of God will beginto deepen. When circumstances arise that call for thevoice of God, you will be "prepared."The Place of Prayer in Soul- WinningMuch could also be said in regard to becomingprepared through prayer. But let it simply be saidthis way. If there are those whom you desire to seebecome Christians, begin to pray for them by name.Take some time daily to get alone with God, where,you can unburden your heart to Himuninterrupted,and intercede for others. Don't make the mistakeso concerned about "how to that youof beingstop praying. The more time we spend with someone,the easier it becomes to talk to him. So it is withprayer ! God says : "Call unto me, and I will answerthee, and show thee great and mighty things whichthou knowest (Jer. 33:3).There is a girl here in Pittsburgh who used towalk back and forth across the Smithfield StreetBridge over the Monongahela River, trying to summon enough nerve to jump in and put an end to herlife. One night about a year and a half ago, shethought she could do it; but as she arrived at thecenter of the bridge, a man spoke to her and said:"If you don't leave this bridge at once, I'll call aFrightened, she left the bridge and went backto her residence; but later that evening she metanother person. This one was a Christian who talkedto her about surrendering her life to the person ofJesus Christ. A few nights later, she did confessher sins and asked Christ to save her and give herlife eternal. Over the past year, her life has beenDecember 29, 1954beautifully transformed as she was helped to getestablished in a regular and systematic intake ofthe Word of God and shown the value of prayer. Afew weeks ago I met another girl who is now aChristian as a result of her life and witness. Andthis is only one of many whose lives have been influenced through her. This story shows that it is inGod's plan that those who become Christians becomea part of His plan in reaching the world. You canbecome a part of that plan too.Tither's CornerHERE IS HOPINGThat this will prove contageousWord has reached us from Olathe, Kansas, thattheir pastor and his wife had made a rather startlingannouncement to their congregation on November21, 1954. That he was resigning as pastor? No! Received a large inheritance? Wrong again! Electedpresident of the Rotary Club? You're all wrong!This is the way we heard it :"The Second Tithe""My wife and I, in appreciation of the signing ofthe Brief Covenant of 1954, and because of our lovefor the Covenanter Church and because we want tosee our Church at large raise the additional $5,000over the budget to send out a new missionary, aregiving at this Thanksgiving Season the "SecondTithe" of our 1954 salary, to be used for our localbudget and Synod's Budget.We do this to encourage the tithing program ofour Church.SignedMr. and Mrs. Frank L. Stewart."Any comment we might make on the above actionwould only tend to spoil it.If there are other news items like this, won'tsomebody please turn them in. We're willing to paythe postage. Don't crowd, but we will try to handlethem as they arrive.D.H.E.P.S. No need to wait until next Thanksgiving. TheNew Year will do.Glimpses from page 402church and state. A Bill of Rights Fund, recently organized todefend civil liberties in the United States is making a grant of$1,000 to the First Unitarian Church to Oppose the requirement of the loyalty oath. While we differ widely from thetheological tenets of the Unitarian Church we think their pointis well taken in this struggle. Many self-styled patriots seemto think that to impose a loyalty oath on religious and educational institutions will rid our land of subversive elements.Oaths mean nothing to Communists and that ilk.Demand Close of OrphanageThe Greek government has ordered the Evangelical orphanage at Katerini, in northern Greece, to close within amonth. The orphanage's executive committee is making aneffort to have the order rescinded. If we mistake not thisorphanage is in the parish of the Rev. Argos Zodhiates. Itcares for about fifty Greek Evangelical orphans and is theonly Protestant institution in that country providing forhomeless children.407

weeds!"see,"production."up."now?"REMO I. ROBB, D.D.For CovenDecember, 1954TO ILLUSTRATE THE JANUARYJanuary 2C. Y. P. U. TOPICSStandards of PerfectionThe Person I Want to Be.Coleridge was once talking with a manwho told him that he did not believe ingiving little children anyreligious instruction whatever. His theory was thatthe child's mind should not be prejudicedin any direction, but when he came toyears of discretion he should be permitted to choose his religious opinions forhimself. Coleridge said nothing but aftera while he asked his visitor if he wouldlike to see his garden. The man said hewould, and Coleridge took him out intothe garden,which had not been wellcared for. The man looked at Coleridge insurprise, and said, "Why this is not agarden! There is nothing"Well, youhere butanswered Coleridge,"I did not wish to infringe upon the liberty of the garden in any way. I was justgiving it a chance to express itself and tochoose its ownYou will grow to be like the standardsset for you.January 9 Keep Spiritually Healthy.The Shadow of a ChristianIn Acts 5:15, some people became soconfident of Peter's ability to heal thatthey assumed even his shadow falling onthem had healing virtue. The shadow represents in some degree the substance; itmoves with the substance; and it imitatesthe substance. It is produced by a lightthat is stronger than that in which thesubstance stands or moves. It may belikened unto the Christian's unconsciousinfluence.If one's involuntary influence is to begood, we must be right at heart. We mustbe quickened before we can quickenothers. We must be recipients of the Divine before we can render spiritual service. A man mayhave but little of thisworld's goods and may occupy a lowlyplace, but if he has a Christ-like spirithis influence and message will be a blessingas was Peter's. On the other handman maypossess extensive knowledgeand immense wealth and he may move inthe highest circles of society, but unless408he has a Christ-like spirit his treasureand position mayfill him with pride. Hemay use these as instruments in theservice of the god of this world and hisinfluence may be as a deadly instrument.He may give much to charity to evadeincome tax, but if he lacks the true spiritof benevolence and the grace of Christ heproduces in the minds of others an atmosphere of shallowness and insecurity.Evangelical CommentaryJanuary 16 Should Christian YoungPeople Study on Sabbath?How is the Sabbath or the Lord'sDay to be sanctified?The Sabbath or Lord's day is to besanctified by an holy resting all the daynot onlyfrom such works as are at alltimes sinful, but even from such worldlyemployments and recreations as are onother days lawful; and making it ourdelight to spend the whole time (exceptso much of it as is to be taken up inworks of necessity and mercy) in thepublic and private exercises of God'sworship; and, to that end, we are to prepare our hearts, and with such foresight,diligence, and moderation, to dispose,and seasonably to dispatch our worldlybusiness, that we may be the more freeand fit for the duties of that day.117.Larger Catechism,January 23question and answer"Speak for Yourself, John."A Leader Who "Spoke Up."The Pine Grove Congregational Churchof Woodbridge, Ontario, founded in 1840,was once a thriving center of worship andinfluence. Reverses came, and the workdwindled down to only a handful of believers. It looked as though it might haveto close its doors. In 1940, Pastor J. W.Dudgeon took over the leadershipof thedepressed little flock and he brought withhim a faith in the miracle-workingChrist. He brought with him, also, theconviction that Christ works in relationto His on-going missionary program inthe world and he proceeded to plan hispastoral work accordingly. In 1943 thefirst missionary conference of the churchwas held. Attention was centered uponthe Lord Jesus and His work. The majority heartilyagreed to the suggestion thatthe church should support its own mis-sionary. Some dissented, murmuring under their breath, "We haven't done it ina hundred years ; how can we do itThe support of a missionary was undertaken. The offering of one Sabbatheach month went toward missions. Afterthree months undertookthey the supportof a second missionary. In four years thetotal budget increased from $600 to$3700. The pastor's salary was increased,the church was redecorated, and the congregation grew, and, needless to say,everyone was happier.Because one leader with a firm conviction of God's truth "spokeJanuary SOA Work of God.Needed; Earnest Christians.R. D. Hitchcock notes the ChristianChurch's triumph in four spheres. In thefirst six years of service she won ten ortwelve thousand from Judaism includingthe strongest Rabbi, Saul of Tarsus; asecond triumph was in the Greco-Romanworld where in a hundred years she wontwo or three million souls; the third tri-^umphwasamongthe Teutonic barbarians who within the space of a hundredyears were reading their Bibles! thefourth great conflict in which Christianity triumphs is found in her work with alower type of heathenism at home andabroad. Christianity's divine element isnot demonstrated so forcefullyin thenumber of people she touches as in whatshe does for those touched.C.Y.P.U. YEARBOOKS FOR 1955The 1955 Yearbooks are on the pressand before this is printed theywill beready for the Societies. Material is rearranged in a new order this year, withtopics, special suggestions, etc. for eachmonth being set on a separate page. Nothumbing through the booklet to findwhat you need. All the material for eachmonth is set by itself. The National Planof Work and other Grinnell reports areat the end of the booklet.Does every memoer of your societyhave a copy of the C.Y.P.U. pledge?They will have if they have a Yearbook.The pledge is on the inside of the frontcover.Send your order in now. 15c per copy.Mail remittance to Remo I. Robb, D.D.,1102 Ninth Ave., Beaver Falls, Pa.COVENANTER WITNESS

program."DESYOUNG PEOPLE'SSECRETARYfoung PeopleA PROGRESSING SOCD3TY(According to the Plan of Work)1. Follows a system of personal Biblestudy and memorization.2. Seeks "to share with others our experiences in the Lord," winning them toChrist and the Church.3. Cooperates with the pastor in a"visitation4. Promotes inter-society fellowship.5. Subscribes 100% to the Goal Post.6. Contributes $1.50 each month to theChristian Amendment Radio Fund tokeep some station on the air.7. Sends a letter of thanks and commendation to any local station carrying"The Way Out."8. Contributes tc the Crusader's CorpsFund.9. Holds weekly worship meetings,quarterly business meetings, and frequentfellowship get-togethers.C.Y.P.U. TOPICS FOR 1955(Topics marked * are used by permissionof International Christian Endeavor)January 2 The Person I Now Am ThePerson I want to Become. Matt. 5 :48; 19:16-22.* 9 -Keep Spiritually Healthy. 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17; 6:19, 20.* 16 Should Christian Young PeopleStudy on Sabbath? Exodus 20:8;Jeremiah 17:19-27.* 23 "Speak for Yourself,John"Romans 12:1, 2; Ephesians 5:15-21.* 30 Needed; Earnest Christians. 1 Corinthians 9:14-27.STUDY OF THE PSALMSFebruary 6 What's in My Psalm Book?Psalm 100 or a favorite Psalm.13 Psalms in the Lives of the EarlyMartyrs. Psalms 23, 121.20 Christ in the Psalms. Psalms 8,22, 30, 103.27 What the Psalms Mean to Me.Psalms 116; 113; 89.METHODS OF BD3LE STUDYMarch 6 Verse Analysis. 2 Timothy 2:15.13 Chapter Analysis. Colossians 3:16.20 Character Study. Psalm 119:1-5-112.27 Topical Study. Psalms 119:97-104.December 29, 1954April 3Dollars to Doughnuts (Stewardship Topic). Col. 1:16, 17; Deut.10:14; 1 John 3:16; Rom. 12:1.10 The Living Jesus. John 6:51; 14:1-19.17 Church Membership and Its Responsibility. Col. 1:18-29.24 Our C.Y.P.U. Pledge. 1 Cor. 10:31.May 1 Getting AlongFellowmen. Col. 3with God and our* 8 Boy Meets Girl Plus Parents.Genesis 24:61-27; Eph. 6:1-4.15 God's Will for My12.Life. Romans22 Forward with Christ. Philippians3:1-14.29 Heroes of Faith and Peace. Hebrews 11:7-10; Romans 12:16-18.BIG WORDS* June 5 Ought. Acts 5:29; Matt. 23:23; 2 Peter 3:11-14.* 12Grow. Luke 2:39-52; 2 Pet. 3:18.* 19Serve. Matt. 20:20-28; Gal. 5:13;Col. 3:22-24.* 26Love. 1 John 4:7-11; 1 Cor. 13;July 3John 3:16.Paul's Letter to the Galatians.Chapters 1 and 2.10 Paul's Letter to the Galatians.Chapters 3 and 4.17 Paul's Letter to the Galatians.Chapters 5 and 6.24 Paul's Letter to the Ephesians.Chapters 1 and 2.31 Paul's Letter to the Ephesians.Chapters 3 and 4.August 7 Are You Going to Camp?Col. 3:1-17; Matt. 6:33, 34.14 Growing in our Prayer Life. James5:1-20.21 How Well Do You Know YourBible Stories? Psa. 119:97-104.28Have You Forgotten? Psalm 111:1-10.September 4Lessons from the Campfire.Phil. 4:4-8.11 Living a More Consistent Christian Life. 1 Thess. 5:1-28.18 Witnessing. Eph. 6:10-20.25Follow Up. 1 Cor. 15:57, 58.MINOR PROPHETS WHOHEROESBECAME* October 2 Amos: Indignant Shepherd.Amos 5:14; 6:1-6; 8:1-6.* 9 Hosea: Forgiving Husband. Hosea3; 6:1; 11:1-4.* 16 Micah: Advocate of Peace. Micah4:1-5; 6:6-8.23Nahum: The Comforter. Nahum 130 Jonah: The Reluctant Missionary.Jonah 1; 3:1-3.* November 6 If the World WantsPeace, Why Not Have It? Isaiah2:1-5; Matt. 5:43-48.* 13"God's Kingdom" What Do WeMean? Matt. 7:21-29; 13:31-33,44-50.20"O Give Thanks Unto the Lord."Psalm 136.* 27 Wishbones, Jawbones, and Backbones. Psalm 27:4; 1 Kings 12:7;1 Pet. 3:13-18.* December 4 Prayer Changes Me. Isa.55:6-11; Matt. 6:5-14.* 11The Best Book for Me. 1 Tim.2:14-19; 3:14-17.18 How Much Emphasis on Christmas? Matt. 15:8, 9; John 4:24.25 Everywhere Christmas Today.Luke 2:1-20.The Young People's Topic Committeefor 1955 is:Alice Templeton,June Rinko PittsburghGeorgia Wilson MidwestMary Jo McClurkinChairman OhioIowaFor white males the death rate in 1953from cancer of the respiratory systemwas more than six times higher than in1930. Gospel Banner.Of the 14,000,000 Negroes in the United States, it has been estimated that8,300,000 belong to some Christianchurch, and 8,000,000 are Protestants.Gospel Banner.A grocery store in Beverly Hills, California, greetsSunday morning callerswith a locked front door and this sign:"Gone to church! That's where youshould be!"Selected.409

gers"midnight."study."well."Lesson Helps for the Week of January 16, 1955C. Y. P. U. TOPICFor January 16, 1955SHOULD CHRISTIAN YOUNGPEOPLE STUDY ON SABBATH?Exodus 20:8; Jeremiah 17:19-27Psalms122:1-3, page 3165:1, 3, 5, page 839:1-5, page 9961:1, 2, 4, page 151118:14-17, page 285References: Psalms 122:1; Isaiah 58:19,20; Matthew 12:8; Mark 1:21; 3:4;Luke 13:14-16; Acts 20:8; 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2; Revelation 1:10(Used by permission of InternationalChristian Endeavor)Comments by Remo I. Robb, D.D.Mid-year school examinations are dueabout now. Most colleges are based ontwo "semester" schedules. Many highschools use the same name for it, whileothers speak of two "terms" in the year.But no matter what it's called, it means"exams"duringthis week and next.They begin Monday morning. Everystudent wants to enter class with asmuch and as fresh "knowledge" as he cancram into his cranial capacities. So he"has to study on Sabbath" if he's to getthrough. Of course, this study question isnot limited to term examinations. It begins the first week of school in September and keeps up through finals in Mayor June, with possible recurrences duringthe sticky week-ends of summer school.So let's take a look at this problem ofthe Christian student and Sabbath study.The anchoring point is the Sabbath.The Bible teaches plainly that THESABBATH IS GOD'S DAY.Oh, there's a lot of wrangling aboutthat, even among Christians. Some saythat it is a part of the Old Testament butwas not restated for the New. But God'spromise to Noah about summer and winter, and day and night,in the New Testament either, yet everywas not restatedbody knows those things are still in operation and look for them regularly.And with as exacting regularity, theSabbath comes around every seventh dayof each week. It is in theat the beginningBible from the second chapter of Genesis(Gen. 2:1-3)where it is established as asanctified day, to the first chapter ofRevelation (Rev. 1:10), where, being"in the Spirit," John beheld his matchlessvision of his Victorious Lord. You cannever get away from the Scriptural truththat THE SABBATH IS GOD'S DAY.410All the excusesand haranguings ofsophists and skeptics are but selfish attempts to take what is God's and use itfor self. God's time is the first day out ofevery week "to be a holy Sabbath toHimself"not the morning, not thechurch hours, but the DAY.Look next at the Christian's obligationto God. The first obligation is LOVE andthe second is OBEDIENCE prompted bylove. God has commanded, "Rememberthe Sabbath day to keep it holy." Thegenuine Christian obeys God. Experienceis full of men who at a seemingly certainloss chose to obey God and keep God'sday holy, and were blessed by it. TheChristian's effort must be to provide asmuch rest and as little ordinary work asis humanlypossible. What provides restfor the most people should be accepted;what creates work should be avoided forone's self and for others. School studies.all will agree, are work (both ordinaryand ordinarily). Nobody has ever saidthere's rest in study, and if they did theteachers wouldn't like it.Hence, school lessons clearly are notin the Christian's obedience to God withrespect to the Sabbath."Oh," you exclaim, "you've been out ofschool too long. You certainly can't appreciate the full schedules we have tokeep. There isn't enough time forWell, I've been in school more years thanmost of you have been alive, and as forfull schedules you should see me tryingto set one evening agreeable to sevenpeople for a C.Y.P.U. Staff meeting.I know, too, the tendency to put offstudy when anything else can be done.So comes the week end. Friday night, aparty or a big date; home at 1:30 a.m.;sleep till noonj down-town in the afternoon, or maybe run a few errands formom; basketball Saturday night; "bur"gotta get in beforeand coffee;Sabbath afternoonother time." Whymorrow? But the morningstudy? "There's nonot get up early toprogram isanswer mom on the third breakfast call,gulp a glass of fruit juice and a piece oftoast, grab books and run, and turn intothe school hall just as the teacher's closing the door.This sort of a week-end programwrite your own variationsreally is aperfect demonstration of abject disorderliness.Anyone can see that. Yet it is repeated bycountless young people everyweek, and offered as a reason why Sabbath study is a "necessity."lovePaul wrote "Let all things be doneorder."decentlyand in The Christianorder is (1) God, (2) His Law, (3) Myorder, you'll find time for the study in theand obedience. If you will keep thatsix days granted you,full time.and give God HisSTUDY OVER THESE QUESTIONSAND DISCUSS THEM1. How do you deal with teachers whoassume that the Sabbath may be usedfor study?2. Set up a suitable week-end order thatwill include study time on Saturday.3. Is preparing for a young people's topicdifferent from studying a school lesson? How?4. Relate an experience of Sabbath keepingwherein you were definitelyblessed.JUNIOR TOPICJanuary 16, 1955by Mrs. Philip W. MartinA MAN CARRIED TO JESUSScripture: Mark 2:1-12Memory Verse: "When Jesus saw theirfaith, he said unto the sick of thethee."palsy, Son, thy sins be forgivenMark 2:5PsalmsJanuary Memory Psalm 18:12, 13, 16,page 37Psalm 103:1-4, page 246Psalm 32:1, 2, 5, 6, page 74Sing other psalms that your societyhas been learning.As we study these lessons from thelife of Christ we will find many proofsthat Jesus is God. Jesus could do thingsthat no mere man can do. We call thesethings "miracles." He raised .people fromthe dead. Perhaps you could tell some ofthe miracles of healing. Perhaps we thinkthat a doctor can do miracles. The Lordhas truly given doctors much knowledgeabout these bodies of ours and He is stillshowing them more and more ways totreat sick people. But the best definitionof a doctor I have ever heard is a littleboy's definition. "The doctor is the onewho collects the fees after God makesyouFor today's lesson wethese miracles of healing.have one ofJesus was in a house in Capernaum.Someone told that He was there and itwasn'tlong before the house was filledwith all kinds of people. Some were therebecause they really wanted His help.Some were there just out of curiosity andsome were there to see if they couldn'tmake out that Jesus was not God but avery sinful man. This last group, thescribes and Pharisees thought they weresuch good people but their hearts werenot right with God.COVENANTER WITNESS

son"years'There was a very sick man in Capernaum. He could not walk but had tostay in bed. Four of his friends were veryanxious to get him to Jesus. So they decided to pick up his bed and carry him tothe house where they heard Jesus was.But whentheygot there the place waspacked! How were they going to get in?The people inside were very selfish. Noone would let these men and the bedin, so they could get the sick man toJesus. But the sick man was very anxiousto see Jesus and the four men would notturn back until they had tried everythingthey could think of to get in. At last theythought of a plan. The houses in Palestine had flat roofs with an outside stairway leading upto the roof. These fourmen carried bed and all up the outsidestairway to the roof. They found outwhat part of the roof was very nearlyabove where Jesus was sitting in thehouse. Then the men began to take theroof apart! The people inside heard thesound and as they looked up they saw abed with a sick man in it being let downthrough the roof. Now they had to makeroom for the bed, or it would sit ontop of them.When Jesus saw that these men reallythought He could help, He turned to thesins besick man and said, "Son, thyforgiven thee." What a queer thing tosay! Jesus is teaching us that it is moreimportant to have our sins forgiven thanit is to have our bodies well and strong.How often we pray that God will makelis well when we are sick and forget toask Him to forgive and take away oursins.Some of the people sitting in the roomthought in their hearts, "This Jesus isonly a man. Who does He think Heis? Only God can forgiveJesus can read even our thoughts. Hesins."Butknows what you and I are thinking. Howcareful we should be not even to thinkevil thoughts. And Jesus knew what thesemen were thinking. So He said, "Whyare you thinking that I am not God? Justto show you that I am God and can forgive sin, I'll do something that no mancan do." And He turned to the sick manand said, "Get up, pick up your bed andcarry it home." What! a sick, weak man"who had been in bed for years gettingup and having the strength to roll up hisbed and carry it! And the people droppedtheir jaws in amazement and said, "Wenever saw this done before." And instead of thinking Jesus was only a man,they were sure He was God.Yes, Juniors, Jesus is God. Manychurch people would like us to believethat Jesus is only a man and just showedus how to be kind and loving and helpful to one another. But Jesus showed usby His miracles that He is God. No mancould do what He did. Men who say Je-December 29, 1954sus is only a man, have never knownHim.1. Where did the miracle in our lessontake place? Mark 2:12. How did four men and a sick manshow their faith? Mark 2:43. Why do you think Jesus first said,"Thy sins be forgiven thee" (Mark 2:5)instead ofhealing the sick man?4. How did Jesus show that He wasGod? Mark 2:10, 115. What effect did this miracle haveon the people? Mark 2:12For your notebook: Draw a picture offour men carrying, on their shoulders,a stretcher with a man on it.SABBATH SCHOOL LESSONJanuary 16, 1955CHRIST THE SON OF THE LIVINGGODRev. W. J. McBurney(LessonB based an International Sunday SchoolLessons ; the Intsrnational Bible Lessons foiChristian Teaching, copyrighted by the InternationalCouncil of Religious Education.)Matt. 16:13-17; John 5:17, 18; 1:1-14;14:8-14; 17:1-5; Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:15-20; Heb. 1:1-4Printed Text, Matt. 16:13-17;John 14:8-14Caesarea Philippi was at the base ofMount Hermon, near the headwatersof the Jordan. Alone with His disciples,Jesus led them to see the differences between the opinions of men and the truthconcerning Himself. Men, groping to explain His wonderful words and works,thought He must be John the Baptist, orone of the prophets. One of these men,noted for insight and fearlessness, musthave risen from the dead. Had the disciples shared in this delusion? Peterspoke for them. He announced the central truth on which the Gospel rests. Hehad not learned it from the wisdom ofmen. It had been revealed to him by theHeavenly Father.Both in doctrine and conduct, we areprone to be swayed by the opinions andpractices of men. Cefas, Peter, was nevercalled a Rock. But he announced theRock, the foundation of our salvation,THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THELIVING GOD. It is significant that inthis connection, Christ called Peter,Bar-Jonah (son of Jonah). It was those whodid not know Christ that called him sonof Joseph. Christ called himself The Sonof Man, and The Son of God, not A son.John records twenty-four times that Jesus spoke of his relationship with TheFather. He is the Son byPeter could become "aeternal right.by adoption.Satan sifted Peter and found much chaff.Surely Satan did not know,or understand, Christ's relationship to the Father,or he would not have wasted time tryingto prove Him false.John 14:8. Philip was partly right; Atrue vision of God, is all-sufficient. ButPhilip had been blind to his opportunity.Christ's mission was to reveal the Fatherin Himself. It was because of this revealingof the Father that the Jewssought the more to kill Christ. The Jewsconsidered neither the voice of God, northe works of Christ.When Philipfailed to receive the truththrough the higher channel, Christ offeredhim evidences to his senses. God's worksdeclare Him. The Truth is written plainfor all who sincerely seek it. Philipbrought his question to the right source.Christ gave him two answers; the firstwas Himself, the second was His works.Some minds receive evidence through thesenses more readilythan through spiritual appeal, and to meet such naturesChrist performed signs and wonders. Thiswas Christ's answer to the messengersof John the Baptist. Philipshould havebeen beyond the Junior grade in his studyof Christ and God. Christ was ready tomeet him where he was, and give him instruction suited to his attainments.v. 12. "Greaterworks."Yes, but not inquality, however. There were four men,who under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, wrote their story of the Life of Christ.Each, we suppose, wrote one copy. Theseare by far the best stories of the Life ofChrist that have ever been written. Christians today are producingmillions ofcopies of the Gospels, a greater workthan the authors ever dreamed of. Butnot better. It is possible that Billy Graham carried the message to more peoplelast year, than Christ met in His threeministry. And Billy is onlyone ofmany thousands that are carrying themessage today. A greater work, but notby man's power or skill. Christ said, "Because I go to the Father." Not becauseHe was going away, but because He wasarriving. He was not deserting His disciples, or His cause. He was going to abetter vantage point from which to bewith them in His Spirit of Power, evenunto the end of the world."If ye ask anything in My Name."Simple? Not very. Once, in a strange citywhere I was entirely unknown, where Ihad neither money nor property, I wentinto a Bank and asked for a sizeableamount of money. The banker gave it tome with a smile. A man whose name waswell known had given me a slip of paperauthorizingme to receive in his namea certain amount of money. When we askin Christ's name, it must be for what Hehas given us authority to ask, and wemust sign our name.John 14:13 ". . . . that the Father maybe glorified in the Son." What is the chiefend of man? Could any greater honor bebestowed on men than that Christ wouldallow him to glorify God by receiving411

gifts in the Name of(by the AuthorityChrist? Is not eating a pleasure?of)And that pleasure is increased, if we eatto the Glory of God? Managers of theCunard Line do not seem to know thatfact, (how many do know it?) when theyannounce their cuisine as a delight togourmets. What is for the Glory of Godis for the good of man, and ministers tohis pleasure. We loose in every way, ifwe eat to our own lust.The Name of Christ stands for allthat He has done for us, for all that Heis doing for us, and for all that He willdo for us. Christ's Name speaks His relationship to the Father and to us. The"self-made"man has a self-made name.His name, like his purse, is trash. Thatman is poor though no one filches hisname. It is our privilege to be Christmade,and to use His Name which namenone can take from us and which makesus rich indeed.What's in a name? Perhaps it is fragrance. But if the name is cabbage, itdoes not suggest fragrance. Jacob was theusurper on whom God had mercy. Whenhis name became Israel, he was a Princewith God, whom God honored. Sometimes Israel forgot his dignity, forgot hisduty to God and man; forgot that he wasGod's authorized agent, wearing God'sName, and acting by God's authority.What greater honor than to be Ambassador of the King!PRAYER MEETING TOPICfor January 19, 1955THE BOOK OF MALACHIRev. Roy BlackwoodPsalm Suggestions:78:pages 187 and 19190: page 222116: page 282INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOKThe word malechi (Mai. 3:1) means"My Messenger" and as is true in everygood sermon, the man is hidden by thesermon. There is no other mention ofMalachi in the Bible. God said,'thisbook contains "the burden" or drift, orsummary of my word as given you "bythe hand of mya critical moment.messenger." 'It came atGod had returned His chosen peoplesfrom another period of warning and suffering for their sins, the Babylonianbondage. Cyrus and Darius had helpedthem to rebuild. Ezra the scholar andNehemiah the administrator may havebeen living. Haggai had previously denounced them for their insolence inbuilding and "ceiling" their own houseswhile neglecting God's House. His message had incited them to feverish activitybut following the dedication of the temple they fell into another slump of412thoughtless indifference and open sin andwere in danger of losing the value oflessons learned in God's recent labors ofpunishment. Three sins were outstanding;1) Neglect of God's service, 2) Degenerate priesthood, 3) Divorce. God sentpoor crops and their own state of mindto punish them but they became moresullen and insolent and it was into sucha setting that God sent "MyMessenger."Preparation for MeetingIt requires approximately ten minutesto read the book and there could be nobetter preparation for this meeting. Asyou read, find the subject of the following division: 1:1-5; 1:6 through 2:9; 2:10-16; 2:17 through 3:6; 3:7-15; and 3:16 to the end. Also watch for the particular style of this writer: first, willcome a statement of fact by the Messenger; second, a sullen or insolent question or denial by the people, and third, afrank reply by the messenger exposingthem to themselves and explaining theoriginal statement. This style can be seenin verses 1:2, 2:17, 3:8, and others. Itwould not be easy to preach to peoplehaving attitudes indicated by such questions and in them we see the beginning ofthat same self-sufficient indifferenceand pride which Christ later encounteredin the Scribes and Pharisees (Matt. 9:13). God sent "My Messenger" to prepare the way for the coming of Christ,His Only Begotten Son, and He began byhaving him tell us of His continuinglove."God's Messenger" tells of God'slove of choice 1:2-5God introduces the message, gives usthe reason for it and the keynote of itin the first sentence of verse 2. Into thevery teeth of man's ingratitude He sendsa message of His love. This explains Hisclaims to honor and fear in 1:6; the attitude in 3:6; and the prophecy of 4:2.The sullen attitude of the question isthrown into sharpest contrast by thisstatement. The whole message must beseen through these 7 words in verse 2. Hesent His Messenger because He loved usand the message itself is prompted byGod's love.But messenger and message are notenough so God introduces His messageby citing His gratuitous choices (vss.2-5) as the best proof of His love. Hechose first to create man, not as dogs ordonkeys but with a Spirit. He chosesecond, one man from all those who hadalready spurned His love. He chose thirdone of Abraham's sons and fourth ONE(the second) of Isaac's rwin sons. Esau'stribe Edom and Israel were destroyed atthe same time but Israel was rebuilt andEdom could not rebuild. These men didnot DESERVE these special favors(Deut. 7:7) but God because of Hisgreat love, GAVE them to them.Hecould have chosen anyone in His worldbut He sorted out these few familiesand now He hears the ungratefulsneer,"Wherein hast thou lovedus!"Pauluses this same argument in pleading withJews of this same attitude in Rom. 9and 10. It wasn't anything they did ordeserved, it was God's free love, freelyconferred upon them (Rom. 9:15).God did not offer to prove His love bypointing to His creation of the Garden ofEden and the flaming sunset in anyevening sky; nor did He remind them ofHis providential control of the Red Seaand the history of the United States.God's works of creation and His acts ofprovidence reveal to us impressive thingsabout God many of His attributes areto be seen in them but they are made tolead men to God and it is in the comingof Jesus Christ and in His work that wesee the most complete revelation of God'slove. In choosing to use a man on earthand finally bring him to live with Himself for eternity, and in the plan of redemption which makes that possiblethat, we see our fullest revelation ofGod's love, involving the death of HisOnly Son. When His love was challenged,God pointed to His choices as conclusiveproof.This messenger is here pointing us tothose choices which God made in preparing for the coming of Christ, the Onewho would SHOW us as well as TELLus of God's love.The Usefulness of the Doctrineof ElectionThis doctrine of election, the fact presented here that God does choose to workwith certain people and finally take themto Himself, is objectionable to some people who say, "It isn't 'fair'." But unlesswe question God's "right" to create, wecannot question His "right" to choosefrom His creation, and far from provingHis injustice, God here uses these choicesto PROVE HIS LOVE.There is nothing we can DO to DESERVE such choice; it is God who hasgiven so freely and these thoughts shouldmake us humble and dependent, insteadof sullen and proud of our self-sufficienceyas were these Jews. Thesethoughts given us here by God shouldprepare us to receive the Messiah"My Messenger" intended them to do(Ps. 51:17; Eph. 2:8, 9).This view of God's gratuitous love, farfrom making us DISCOURAGED andindifferent and unconcerned for the soulsof others, should make us ever zealousand watchful lest we, like these Jewsprove our unworthiness by our ingratitude. If we spurn His Lordship) Hisdaily control of our lives it is one of thebest evidences that we have spurned HisinasCOVENANTER WITNESS

up"sin."ness."goods"salvation."love (Col. 2:6; I John 2:3, 6; John 14:23; 15:10.We may indicate ourdaily love forHim by admiring and praising His sunsets or studying His history; knowing ofHis acts of creation and providence, buta sinner turned from the error of hisways is yet today the BEST evaluationof God's loveHis love of choice! To beused by God to assist in this act is tobring joy into Heaven itself (Luke 15:7).It would be one evidence of having themind of Christ (Phil. 2:5).These Israelites did not"set"themselves to refuse to love God but theirheart attitudes and insincere actions, firsttoward God as demonstrated in their sacrifices and worship, and second towardtheir fellow men as indicated in their divorces, were in sharp contrast to thisgreat love of God. They were judgingthemselves by the churches around themnot by God's law (Rom. 3:20). "Myis here painting a rich backMessenger"ground of God's love against which eventheir inward thoughts and lack of lovewould stand out in naked and ugly contrast in the next few chapters (Titus 3:3-8).FOR DISCUSSION1. Compare the message and purpose ofJohn the Baptist with the messageand purposes of "MyMessenger."2. Compare Christ's reception by thescribes and Pharisees with the attitudeapparent in the question of these people.3. If you were God's Messenger,what illustrations and references could youoffer to men who honestly questionedor sullenly demanded, that you proveGod's love.SUGGESTIONS TO LEADER1. Avoid profitless discussion of theDoctrine of Election.2. Pray that the Interpreter will help inunderstanding these words which Hehas written.3. Report briefly on the years betweenMalachi and John Baptist.W. M. S. DepartmentMrs. Ross Latimer, Editor,Prayer Hour, 1:00 P.M. MondayW.M.S. TOPIC FOR JANUARYMrs. Willard HarshTODAY OR TOMORROW"Boast not thyself of to morrow; forthou knowest not what a day may bringforth."Prov. 27:1How many of us awaken each morningDecember 29, 1954with the thought, "What will I do today?"instead of the challenge, "Lord,what wilt thou have me to do?" We tendto plan our day's work, pleasures, etc.,days, weeks, and even months in advancesometimes, and yet our text tells us thatwe "know not what a day may bringforth."Perhaps weare afraid of what theLord will call upon us to do. It mightmean that we would have to leave our"planned" work and go to visit the sick,or speak to someone about his soul. Itmight seek a leader in some youth temperance or church work. That is exactlywhat most of us need, to get us out of the"rut"of daily routine. How restful itwould be to fill our minds with spiritualthings rather than the cares of a day!Self-satisfaction must be the answerto the "Why?" of our careless attitude.Are the things that we are "laying(Luke 12:19, 20)ficial?worth while and beneAre you guilty of sitting back and insisting that others are more capable thanyou for teaching Sabbath School classesor Juniorwork'before you have eventried? Maybe you were once active inthe church work but are now inactive inevery phase of Christian work. The onlyexcuse you can give is, "I'm too busy."Busy with what? Clubs? Hobbies?Sports? TV programs?Yes, we are busy storing up pleasuresfrom every source. Are they "treasures"that will last? That will be of benefit toothers? That will help to hasten Christ'sKingdom upon earth?What if He should call us out of asound sleep? Would we be "ready"? Or,would we regret our procrastination ofthe important things of this life?Self-satisfaction is one of the sins ofthe American people. Are we going towait for "tomorrow" (which may nevercome for us) to realize the importance oflaying upture?worthwhile "goods for the fuIn James 4:13-17 we are warned thatour lives are a "vapor" and vanish away,and that "to him that knoweth to dogood, and doeth it not, to him it isFor most people the one big aim inlife is to "getgain."This is true fromthe working class to the millionaire. Fewthink to seek the Lord's will in their ambitions to "gain." Rather, they delightin attaining goals set up for themselves.The Bible says, ". . . all such rejoicingevil."is Can we say then that we shouldneither be too satisfied with our livesto-day,material things.nor overly-anxious for future inOne of the greatest Bible promisescomes from Matt. 6:33. If we put firstthings first in life, we are going to beagain""born Christians and will inheritthe Kingdom. It tells us to "seek ye firstthe kingdom of God and his righteousMaterial pleasures of this life,worldly possessions, worthless gains arenot mentioned, hence theymust not be ofprime importance.Christian ministers, missionaries, andlaymen must have heeded the Master'scall first, else theyan easier, more relaxingwould have soughttype of work.Their very lives must serve as constantexamples among those with whom theymeet if they are to convince the unsavedof the wonderful power of God in fulfilling His promises throughout Scripture.Perhaps it is a temptation for us tospend the Lord's money (the tithe) forsomething that we especially want ratherthan for the Kingdom work. How greatare the needs of such organizations as theNational Reform, American Bible Society, Home and Foreign Missions, TheChristian Amendment Movement, theChurch Budget, and other phases ofChristian work. Are these not "firstthings"?Shall we not examine ourselves to determine whether we aren't apt to be content with the life we are now livingwithin our own selves, our homes,andour communities, without bothering toreach out to help someone else to "layupof a spiritual nature. Let usmake God's will our will in our futurelives. May we cease putting off until tomorrow what we should be doing to-day!THE AGE OF DECISIONDr. Horatius Bonar once examined therecords of 253 converts who had comeinto his church. He found that over halfof them (138) had given their hearts toChrist under twenty years of age eightyfivehad been converted between twenty;and thirty;twenty-two between thirtyand forty; four between forty and fifty;three 'between fifty and sixty; and onlyone between sixty and seventy. Therewerenone who had been saved afterreaching the age of seventy.Someone has said, "Life begins atforty,"but only eight out of 253 couldsay their spiritual life began after theybecame forty. Every day that a persondelays the surrenderingof his life toChrist lessens the likelihood that he everwill do it. No wonder the Bible says,"Now is the day ofPentecostal Evangel.A Very Poor Substitute.Some brewers put out a circular which says: "Beermay be substituted for bread." An editorin Wichita, Kansas, added the commentthat "frequently it is also substituted forshoes, school books, clothes, meat, houserent, and furniture."Pentecostal Evangel.413

ples'DELIGHTFUL GUESTS in Coldenham last summer, at Various times wereRev. Khalil Awad, the Misses Helen andFlorence Fattal, and Eunice McClurkin,and Mr. and Mrs. W. K. Sanderson, ofLatakia, Syria. This is no news, ofcourse, but there are still fresh andpleasant memories of these brief visits.On the evening of October 23, we witnessed a very pretty ceremony at theCorner Stone Baptist Church in CAMBRIDGE when Miss Myrtle Gibbs ofWaltham and Mr. Ralph McKeown ofArlington of our Cambridge congregationwere united in marriage. The bride hadthree attendants besides two little flowergirls, and was given away by her father.Her pastor, Rev. Gardner, performed theceremony. A reception was held in thechurch parlor. Their new home is in Lexington. We wish this Christian couplemuch happiness.TOPEKA congregation has been worshiping in the Woman's Club auditoriumsince the sale of their church last August.There was ample seating capacity, 600 or700. We have now moved into the UnitedBrethren Church, 12th and Quincy Sts.which they have loaned to us rent free,pending a possible sale. Very generous ofthem and very convenient for us.On November 16 at 8 p.m. a babyshower was given for Mrs. ThomasSmyth at the home of Mrs. Russell Faris.Amid the "oh's" and "ah's" and "Isn'tthatsweet,"the bassinet was graduallyemptied. We hope before long to be ableto say, "Mother, Father, and Babyareall doingwell."(Cambridge).ESKRIDGE: Rev. and Mrs. Joe Caskey are glad to welcome little Alice Mabel into their family. She was born onSabbath, December 19, at Stormont-VailHospital in Topeka.OAKDALE:The Senior Ladies andthe Willing Hands societiesMissionaryheld their Thankofferingservices at theOakdale Church Tuesday, November 30.Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Sanderson of ourSyrian Mission both gave interesting accounts of their work and of the spiritualgrowth of the young people attending theschool there. The Juniors took part in theService with the singing of a psalm, recitation of Bible verses and several exercises. A pot luck supper was held in thechurch basement preceding the service.Mr. and Mrs. Clyde McElhinney donated the dark green shingles for the414MORNING SUN church. Besides puttingthese on the church roof, light greeninsulation shingles were purchased bythe congregation for the outside of theparsonage, and some additional stormwindows. In case you do not know theoccupants of the Manse they are Joe,June, Jennie, Jimmy, Jerel, Janis andJohnie McElroy.REHOBOTH: We were blessed withmore than sufficient crops of all kinds.Lack of help both for house and farmwork compels less stock feeding.OAKDALE:Licentiate Milton Harrington preached for us the first andsecond Sabbaths in December. The congregation appreciated hissages.helpful mesCAMBRIDGE: Two Young People'sgroups recently combined in a VisitationProgram. On the evening of November5, those visited were Miss Rebecca Carson of Medford and Mrs. White of Brattle Street, Cambridge, both of whomseemed to enjoy this kind of a "surpriseparty."Singing, Bible reading, and prayerproved such palatable refreshments,seconds could have been served, hadtime permitted.Aphrodite Trombettas, of French Somaliland,Africa, a senior at GENEVACOLLEGE, is one of six Geneva studentsparticipating in a language-teaching experiment in the Beaver Falls school system. Miss Trombettas, who plans to return to her homeland after graduation inJune 1955, teaches French in the fourthand fifth grades at the Thirty -seventhstreet elementaryschool. The BeaverFalls school system started the experiment last year. French was taught in thefourth grade, and this year Spanish is also taught. During this season of the year,the children learn foreign Christmascarols and other holiday games and customs. The pupils do not have writtenexaminations, and Miss Trombettas seldom writes French on the blackboards.Thechildren learn basic conversation,days of the week, how to tell time, andother practical lessons. The classes meettwice a week and class sessions last ahalf-hour. Miss Trombettas, fourth gradeclass includes 30 pupils, and she has 21in her fifth grade class.senior ischology.The Genevamajoring in Bible and psyCAMBRIDGE: On November 12Women's and Young Women's Missiontheary Societies served a covered dish supper at the church, after which Miss Orlena Lynn gave a vivid account of theexperiences of herself and the other missionaries in Japan. Miss Lynn wasted notime and held the attention of the audience from start to finish. She had appeal, humor, pathos, and down-to-earthfacts of the remarkable way God is leading many into the fold and sustaining thenative and foreign laborers there. If youhave not heard her, do. The offering atthis Thank-offering meeting amountedto $150.00 from the W.M.S. and $77.00from the Missionary Guild.ningThe OAKDALE YoungMarried CouClass met at the church Friday eveDecember 10, fora chili and piesupper. After the meal the light fixturesin the church auditorium and SabbathSchool rooms were cleaned.HOPKINTON: Mr. and Mrs. Wm. G.Dunn have a remarkably fine set of pictures of Bible scenes, and Mrs. Dunnexcelsin her description and presentation of them. They showed them at Hopkinton for the Bible school in the afternoon and in the evening for the congregation and friends on December 13, 1954.MORNING SUN: Elizabeth McElroywill complete her school at Moody BibleInstitute in December and plans to visither brother Rev. J. E. McElroy and family and her father.HOPKINTON: Mr. R. J. McNeill, anelder in the Hopkinton congregation, hasbeen in the hospital at Monticello formore than three weeks as a result of aheart attack. He is somewhat better.OAKDALE: Mr. and Mrs. HaroldAuld visited recently with their daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. DaleMusselman in Kansas City. On the returntrip they visited with relatives in Clarinda and Morning Sun. Mr. and Mrs.Preston Carson and children have returned from Florida where theythe home of Mr. and Mrs. E. N. Harsh invisited inOrlando. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Harsh ofSidney, Ohio, accompanied them on thetrip.REHOBOTH, PA.: SHUT OUT OFCHURCH. That's what we did to thestarlings.They had built a large nestdown from the top of one of the flues.A long hand fire shovel, a longer wirehook, a peck of nest removed, and awrapping of one inch mesh poultry netting around the flues solved the problem.Two boys from the OAKDALE Congregation have returned to the UnitedStates after having completed their timeoverseas.They are Paul Auld, son of Mr.and Mrs. Ward Ault, and Larry McClay,son of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence McClay.COVENANTER WITNESS

man"salvation."Universal Week of PrayerSunday, January 2 -Saturday, January 8, 1955MONDAY"THE SPIRIT AND THE WORLD"Scripture ReadingsPsalm 139:1-10; Isaiah 40:12-15; John16:8-11.MeditationIt has been said that "there are fewdoctrines more perplexing to the averageman than the doctrine of the Holy Spirit."It is not the "averagealone whoneeds a clearer understanding. Many aChristian too needs greater enlightenment ;and there is nothing which the Church asa whole needs so desperately today as anexperimental rediscovery of the meaningof Pentecost.ConfessionThat we have failed to make ourselvesfamiliar with what the Bibleabout the Spirit of God.teachesThat we have so often been blind toHis creative energy, His controlling sovereignty and His convicting ministry.ThanksgivingFor the work of the Spirit in creation.He is the "breath" of God by which itwas called into being.For the countless gifts of"commongrace": the rain and the snow, the sunshine and the seed, the institution ofgovernment,science.For the ministryand the restraint of conof the Spirit in thework of redemption: in the awakening ofsinful, self-righteous, self-sufficient mento their need of a Saviour.PrayerThat the pride of men may be brokendown through the convicting power of theHoly Spirit.That the minds of the rulers of theworld may be enlightened by the Spiritto recognize their need of divine wisdomand to acknowledge the claims of thedivine law.That the unbelief which keeps menfrom receiving Christ as their Saviourand Lord may be melted into trustfulsubmission.TUESDAY"THE SPIRIT AND THE SAVIOUR"Scripture ReadingsMatthew 12:22-32; John 16:12-22.MeditationThe Jesus of the four Gospels was sucha person that of Him we are compelled toexclaim in one breath, "How truly God!"and in the next, "How truly Man!"December 29, 1954Looking at His manward side, we seehow dependent He was upon the HolySpirit. By the Spirit He fought the tempter, taught the truth, wrought the miracles, brought the "so greatConfessionThat we have failed to recognize in ourthinking the dependence of the LordJesus upon the Holy Spirit.That we have likewise sinfully failedagain and again, humbly to maintain ourown reliance upon the Spirit for the living of Christlike lives.Thanksgiving-That God in Christ is at once humanand divineGod.That Jesus,toiled and triumphed,came, bytrue Man no less than trueas the representative Man,suffered and overmeans of the same spiritualresource that is offered to us who believetheHoly Spirit.That it is the peculiar office of theHoly Spirit to bear witness to the LordJesus and magnify Him in the experienceof the believer.PrayerThat the Holy Spirit may unveil to usmore clearly the mystery and glory of theperson of Jesus Christ our Lord.That we may be saved from idealizingJesus as Someone dimly remote and begin realizing Him as One dynamicallynear.That Christian leaders, ministers andteachers may depend more fully upon theHoly Spirit in seeking to magnify theLord Jesus.WEDNESDAY"THE SPIRIT AND THE CHURCH"Scripture ReadingsActs 13:1-4; 20:17-28; I Corinthians12:1-13; Ephesians 4:1-6.MeditationThe glorified Jesus is at the Father's"right hand," while the glorifying Spirit(John 16:14) is in the midst of Christ'sChurch on earth.The Holy Spirit guides the Churchinto all truth; He governs the Church tomaintain order and continuity; He girdsthe Church with power for holiness andhelpfulness.ConfessionThat we have allowed needless strife,conceit, and pettiness to divide us anddistract us as members of the Body ofChrist.That we have sometimes sought unityand peace at any price, and in so doinghave sacrificed truth on the altar of expediency.For the ministryThanksgivingof the Spirit whichalways works towards the unity of theChurch in the one faith that Jesus Christis indeed God and Saviour.For the measure in which we are ableto apprehend that the basic unity of theChristian fellowship is something whichGod gives,creates.not somethingwhich manFor the community of the redeemedwho in all centuries and across all barriers have confessed Jesus as their Redeemer and King.PrayerThat we may discern the difference between those non-essentials which divideus as Christians and those essentialswhich must for ever unite us.That we may love and forbear evenwhere we cannot approve or applaud.That in our worship we may affectionatelyremember all our Christian brethren who form with us "the general assembly and Church of the First Born," whois Christ.THURSDAY"THE SPIRIT AND THE CHRISTIAN"Scripture ReadingsActs 1:6-8; 8:14-17; Romans 8:1-17;Ephesians 5:15-21.MeditationTo receive Christ in penitence andfaith is to receive the Holy Spirit, forby the Spirit Christ is made real to us asour forgiving Saviour and faithful Guide.It is one thing for the Christian to possess the Holy Spirit; it is another thingfor the Holy Spirit to possess the Christian. Converted by the Spirit? Yes. Controlled by the Spirit? No at least, notcompletely.ConfessionThat we have given Christ only a halfloyaltyand His Kingdom only a partialallegiance.That we have displayed far too manyof the failings of the human spirit andfar too little of the fulness of the HolySpirit.That bad temper, resentment, jealousypride, selfishness, have marred our discipleship.Thanksgiving'That the pages of The Acts and of theEpistles glow with so many heartening415

gospel."nice!"awful!"promises, and with portraits of Christiansmade adequate and triumphant by theSpirit.That the fulness of the Holy Spirit isnot offered to a chosen few among thechildren of God but to all who will consent to the dethronement of self and theenthronement of Christ.PrayerFor ourselves, that we may let theHoly Spirit take our false and foolishego and fasten it to the Cross, the placeof death, and launch us into a moreabundant life where moment by momentwe respond to His control.For other Christians, that they toomay pass from conflict to co-ordination,from inadequacy to power.FRIDAY"THE SPIRIT AND THE WORD"Scripture ReadingsEphesians 6:10-20; II Timothy 3:14-17; I Peter 1:10-12; II Peter 1:16-21.MeditationBy the Spirit of the living God five remarkable things were breathed into theBible: (1) Authority it does not debate;it declares. (2) Unity many books, narratives, literary forms, but one unfolding message. (3) Accuracy its translations demand revision and improvement,but its story remains unalterably thesame. (4) Vitality quickened and applied by the Holy Spirit, it convicts andconverts. (5) Permanencyrivals nor successors.Confessionit has neitherThat many of us have neglected ourreading of the Bible, or have been content with a quick look at it instead ofbecoming diligent students of the Word.That all of us have come short of ourtarget in encouraging others to becomehabitual Bible readers.ThanksgivingFor the revived interest in the studyand teaching of the Bible in the Churchthroughout the world.For additional dialects and languagesin which, during the past year,some portion of the Word has been made available.For the United Bible Societies, withtheir 150 years of glorious history, during which theyhave distributed billionsof copies of the scriptures in over 1,000languages and dialects.PrayerFor all Bible societies, translators,publishers and colporteurs.For blessing upon all Bibles placed inhotels, schools, hospitals, prisons andother centers.For the ministers of God's Word, thatthe fire of the Divine Spirit may glow intheir hearts as theypreach and teach.416SATURDAY"THE SPmiT AND REVIVAL"Scripture ReadingsJoel 2:28-32; Acts 2:1-4; 4:31-35; Titus 3:4-7.Meditation"Revival is the renewal of the first loveof Christians, resulting in the awakeningand conversion of sinners to God."(Charles Finney.)The outer mission of the Church is tothe unsaved,where the controlling command is, "Go ye into all the world, andpreach theBut the inner missionof the Church is to its own members,where the controlling command is, "Tarry ye .. . until ye be endued with powerfrom on high." ConfessionThat far too many of us in our churches have only "a form ofout the "power thereof."godliness"withThat we of the Christian Church havesettled into a "refined ineffectuality,"whilearound us anti-Christian movements have stolen for their evil purposesthe fire, the passion, and the dedicationthat once characterized the Christians.ThanksgivingFor the work of the Spirit of God insearching and convicting Christians whoare lukewarm, complacent, and unfruitful.For all signs of spiritual awakening inour time and for the multiplying circlesof prayer in which concerned Christiansare givingcession.themselves to earnest interPrayerFor all Church members who are nominal Christians without a living experience of Christ or an assured and contagious witness to others.For all pastors, evangelists and layleaders that they may be revived andkindled so as to give an effective leadto the Churches.For a vast and victorious renewal ofthe springs of faith and devotion amongChristians everywhere.CAMBRIDGE: On the evening of the12th of October, friends gathered at thehome of Betty Jo Dickson to tender abridal shower to Miss Janet Davis, soonto marry C. Frederick Millican. Complete surprise! After tremblingly acknowledging our presence, Janetbreathed, "This is But being anadjustable person, also a forgiving one,she was soon heard exclaiming, "AwfulEXTRA! EXTRA!FREE!Here is a beautiful little record book of 16 pages called Heaven'sBlessing Book that costs you nothing. It resembles a bank depositbook with a place to record all of your contributions with thedate, the amount and the cause for every Sabbath of 1955.You must see it to appreciate it.Send for enough to supply your congregation and do it todayso as to have them to begin Hie New Year.Just f01 in the followingThe Bible Meditation League, Inc.Box 477, Columbus 16, OhioI would like to have ( ) copies of the beautiful Heaven'sBlessing Book on Christian Stewardship for 1955. I understandthey are free of charge. My home Church isNameAddress,While these are free, a contribution to this Worthy Leaguewould be a gesture of appreciation.D.H.E.COVENANTER WITNESS