Covenanter Witness Vol. 75 - Rparchives.org

Covenanter WitnessTO JESUS CHRIST•THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONS'VOLUME LXXV NO. 1 JULY 7, 1965 STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSON FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 1, 1965HOT SPRINGS, NJ. CHURCH AND PARSONAGELllLOhi!i:.:-'VIY orhiji'

THE COVENANTER WITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Editorial Address125 N. Fourth, Sterling, Kansas 67579Telephone Area Code 316 - BR 8-3472Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 toMrs. M. W. Dougherty, 125 N. FourthStreet Sterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under thesupervision of the Publication Board byThe Patterson Press, Wapello, IowaTHE BOARD OF PUBLICATIONRev. Paul Faris, Pres.Dr. Wyley Caskey, Vice Pres.Dr. G. M. Robb, Sec.Mr. Donald Fee, Treas.Mr. Ross LatimerRev. M. L. McFarlandContributing Editors:Rev. Kenneth SmithDr. G. M. RobbRev. T. R. HutchesonDr. S. E. BoyleMr. A. D. RobbMr. Wilbur CopelandRev. T. R. HutchesonDr. R. Paul WrightDr. D. Howard ElliottDepartment Editors:Rev. Bruce C. StewartMrs. Robert B. MaineMrs. Willis M. EdgarRev. John K. GaultEditor— Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D. D.Opinion expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Church or of the Editor.Subscription rates: $4.00 per year, domestic and overseas,2 years $7.00. Group rates, $3.00. Single copies 10cents.Agent for Subscription in U.S., Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Agent for British Isles: Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A., 12Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, North Ireland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness.All material that is to appear in the Witness shouldbe typewritten, double spaced, and should be in Sterling,Kansas two weeks beforeit is to be printed.Obituary notices are limited to one hundred fiftywords; all words in excess Oi that amount are one centeach. Money should accompany the notice.News for the news section should be brief and up todate. One dollar is charged for death notices that aremore than six weeks old when they reach our office. Thisdoes not apply to minutes that have been adopted by anorganization.Give us one month's notice when you are changingyour address. This notice should be sent to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, IowaCHANGE OF ADDRESSWhen giving notice of a change of address, pleasesend the old address as well as the new address to thecirculation manager.WEHOLD THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only infalliblerule of faith and conduct.The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experience.The Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Holy Spirit.The fact of death and hell as the destiny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believein Him together with their children.The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church Government.welfare The That of Lord terrrls the Jesus Church. of membership Christ as the or only communion King and are Head essential of His Church. to theQUOTE"One aspect of requiring a special call for missionaryservice is the violence it does to the rest ofScripture. No man would think of interpreting hisBible in this way in other matters. Men accept theblessings which the Bible promises- They do notask for any special indication that they fall underthe blessings nor do they asume that the blessing isnot for them unless they receive some additionalextra-Biblical revelation. Men ought not to draw aline of distinction between the obligations of Christianityand the privileges of it. Nor should theyclaim only the privileges and leave the responsibiliiesfor the conscience of the few."Missionary Principles and Practiby Harold LindellThis Week's WitnessStrength For Our Day 3What's Happening In The CAM 3Glimpses 4News From The Field: Alvin Smith, Jr.Mrs. Ruth A. Spear 6Miss Blanche McCrae 7The Sixth Commandment andCapital Punishment 8If I Date A Roman Catholic 9Peter's Dream . .10Lesson HelpsHChurch News 14The duty which rests upon officers to maintain discipline andpreserve the purity cf the Church.Spiritual worship as a divine requirement mediated through theLord Jesus Christ.The exclusive use of the Psalms in the worship of the Churcn.The Protestant interpretation of the Sacraments.The divine right of the institution of Marriage and that It 1«not to be dissolved except by adultery or "Irremediable' desertion.The Sabbath as a day sacred to rest and worship.The duty of nations and their civil rulers to honor Christ anKing of Kings and Lord of Lords.That Christian cit zens are under obligation to obey lawful authority..The right and du y of the Christian citizen to dissent from allgovernmental and nat onal disobedience to the Law of God.That the Covenan s of the past are still binding.From "The Communicant's Class" by J. B. Tweed2 COVENANTER WITNESS

Glimpses of the Religious WorldT. R. Hutcheson820 New YorkHolton, KansasPUBLIC TEXTS FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLSNew York State has adopted legislation whichwould permit private and parochial schools to borrowcertain textbooks from local public school boards, effectiveSeptember 1, 1966. The deal is optional as far asthe students are concerned, but is compulsory as faras the boards are concerned. The student may requesta book from a list approved for public schools, in math,science, and foreign languages. Perhaps the reason forlimiting the program to these subjects is financial. Ormaybe religious schools feel that public texts in otherclasses would not meet their needs. We anticipate thatthe selected courses will be broadened, and that theavailable books will come to include those recommendedby the non-public institutions, in addition to the ones onthe current list. After all, why, in this democracy, shoulda parochial student be compelled by law to use the samereader as his counterpart in the public school?NEW CONFESSION A DEPARTUREAlthough in the proposed new creed book of theUnited Presbyterian Church the Confession of 1967 willbe but one document, along with the Westminster Confessionof Faith and others, such as the Apostles' Creed,it is evident from comments, both pro and con, that theconfession before the house will establish the position ofthe denomination. For example, some ministers welcomeit because they have been uneasy about subscribing tothe theology of the Westminster Confession. This indicatesthat in their estimation the proposed statement isdifferent than the previous one.RELAXED ENCOUNTERS WITH CATHOLICSThe Presbyterian Committee on Ecumenical Relationspresented to the recent General Assembly, meetingin Columbus, Ohio, a thankful acknowledgement thatrelations with the Roman Catholic Church were nowmore friendly. Said their report, "In the two years sincethe 175th General Assembly issued its statement on'Associations Between United Presbyterians and RomanCatholics,' a new and deeper fellowship has been realizedin every experience of ecumenical conversation.Protestants and Roman Catholics now live in a new climateof Christian charity. The opportunity presented bythis new climate of cordiality and mutual receptivenessrequires a further statement for the guidance of clergyand laity in our United Presbyterian Church."One of the guide lines called for "occasional, reverentattendance at Roman Catholic Mass by United Presbyterians."Not for Jenny Geddes! It seems to the Glimpserthat those who have retained membership in the U.P.Church in order to influence it in favor of an evangelicalfaith have surely been defeated.LABOR FEARS SCRUPLES CONFUSESection 14 (b) of the Taft-Hartley law permitsstates to pass "right-to-work" laws, which forbid membershipin labor unions to be made a pre-requisite toemployment. National labor organizations, naturally, areseeking to have this section of the national law repealed.A new issue has been entered, to the dismay ofthe labor leaders. That is, the religious objections whichmany people have to compulsory union membership. Athearings on the bill, an attempt is being made to insurethe right of freedom not to join. Those testifying in favorof exeption for religious objectors include the SeventhDay Adventists, the National Association of Evangelicals,Mennonites, and Plymouth Brethren.George Meany wants this factor left up to localunions and employers to work out an agreement withscrupulous applicants. He objects to it being made apart of the law, for the avowed reason that this wouldconfuse the main issue and endanger his bill's passage.He has urged all affiliated unions to make provision forreligious objectors. But the objectors are not content toleave their fate up to locals. They wish the protection oflaw.The trend, however, is against them. Laws are nowmade to protect the unscrupulous, not those with scruples.YOUTH OPPORTUNITY CAMPAIGNENDORSEDBishop Reuben H. Mueller, president of the NationalCouncil of Churches, has sent letters to the leadersof 1,000 state and local councils of churches urgingthem to support the Administration's Youth OpportunityCampaign. Noting that this is the year when the post-warbabies of the 1940's will try to enter the labor force, theBishop stressed the churches' responsibility to alert localcongregations to the emergency and urge local employersto cooperate in the national effort.If employers would hire one extra young personfor every 100 employees on their rolls, an additional500,000 jobs would be available to young people thissummer, said the Bishop's letter. Otherwise, he warned,"For many youngsters, including those who need moneyto return to school, it will be a long, hot summer withnothing to do."President Johnson's call for extra efforts went toFederal, state, and local government agencies, privateindustry, labor unions, trade associations and thechurches. —The Religious NewsweeklySee page 164 COVENANTER WITNESS

P.O. Box 589Kobe, JapanJune 11,1965Rainy Season Greetings from Japan!You have written that you are praying for usas we move into our new home in Okamoto on theeast side of Kobe. We have had unexpected contacts,and we attribute this greatly to the Lord'smerciful answer to your prayer support.In April, Mrs. Nitta from East Suma and Mrs.Shinoda, who lives about eight blocks from us, cameto make plans for starting a women's Bible studygroup here- Their attendance in classes of Miss Hustonand Grace Boyle and others plus their owngroup at East Suma gave us several ideas, and wehad our first class, May 11, after inviting somefrom the neighborhood. Three neighbors and Mrs.Shinoda and a neighbor from our former housecame. We were filled with thanksgiving and arrangedto meet twice a month. Two weeks later wemet and only Mrs. Shinoda of the first class camebut a grandmother in an apartment house across theroad went and brought five young ladies — eachwith a child under two years old. We hadn't expectedsuch a turnout and were ashamed of our httlefaith. But this was God's answer to your prayersas well as those of the people here. We meet againnext week and we don't expect a large group butwe do expect that God will lead to us the oneswho are ready for this type of spiritual food. Wehave felt that we are starting a little before we arewell enough acquainted in this community, butthe Shinodas are planning to build a new home upon the hills a httle east of here in the fall, so wewant to get as well started in women's work as possiblewhile we have her help so close by.We have three bedrooms upstairs and in thedownstairs a typical Japanese entrance with tiledfloor space at ground level, ten inches lower thanthe floor of the house, for leaving the shoes asyou enter, and this is surrounded with U-shapedspace of a study, two 9 by 12 living rooms (oneJapanese and one Western, with sliding doors betweenthat can be removed providing one largeroom), dining room, kitchen, and bath. This wasan old house to which we added two rooms anddid extensive remodeling. The actual floor space isa httle less than our former house but it is justideally arranged and therefore much more convenient.We are most thankful to you for makingthe purchase of this house possible by your supportof the Foreign Mission Board. As the weeks speedby we are more and more thankful.Tuesday night we had our second annual musicfestival! Sounds hke a big affair but it is a substitutefor our children's not being able to participatein the usual piano recital always held on SabbathDay. Three of ours plus a piece by the pianoteacher doesn't make a very long recital, so we imposedon the generosity and talent of our fellowmissionaries to make the evening more successful.Each of the mission children sang or played the recorderor piano, and Oreta Everett played her newaccordian, Jim Pennington his well-used trumpet,Gloria Pennington sang and played the piano, andDon Robb rendered two numbers on his beautifulguitar he made this past winter. The less talented,less courageous ones of us hstened with great appreciationas the variety ranged from Japanese kindergartenmotion songs and "Mary Had a littleLamb" to Mendelssohn's "Rondo Capricion" andChopin's "Ballade No. 2, Opus 38" We were greatlyanticipating Orlena Lynn's offer to play the radio,but not knowing what was on that night in time toget it printed on the program she reluctantly declinedto participate!Last night we were again very pleased with theconvenience of this house as we had eleven membersfrom Gene's college and business age EnglishBible classes here for a party.About three weeks ago Dr. Iida and Miss Nishimuramade formal announcement of their engagementand coming wedding, June 26, at the EastSuma Church. They are both members at East Sumaand we truly rejoice in God's blessing in this way.Our summer communion is to be held at EastSuma, June 20, and we expect enriching andstrengthening as our three groups meet together.We ask your prayers for: 1. Robbs as they goon furlough the end of July, 2. Penningtons as theymove to Tarumi to replace Robbs during furlough-3. Y.P. conference tentatively set for August 16, 17.4. Restful vacations for the missionaries withouta setback in regular worship and study.5. DVBS in August.Yesterday we again had a short but very pleasantvisit with Mr. Chao on his way back to theStates. We are thankful for God's gracious careover him during these past months away fromhome.We are praying for the meeting cf Synod thesedays and we are greatly interested in news fromeach of you telling of your work in your own congregations.Our children have enjoyed letters from severalJuniors telling of their activities.May God be gracious to make us more able topray, "Make me to go in the path of Thy commandments;for therein do I delight." Psalm 119.35.Yours in Christ,Ruth A. Spear6 COVENANTER WITNESS

Nicosia, CyprusJune 7, 1965July 7, 1965Dear Friends:Friends of the Lord's work in Cyprus, thosewhom we know, and those whom we do not know,but whom the Lord knows.We've come to the end of another year of schoolwork in Cyprus. Next week finds us in Nicosia withour Graduation Exercises in the Academy for Girls.Our class will be the smallest for some years and thenext two years will not have very many either. Thisis practically all due to the upheaval in Cyprus ayear ago last Christmas, when many had to leavetheir homes and some transferred to other parts ofthe Island or to other countries.This week we are having examinations, so everyoneis hard at work. Hot weather doesn't add moredesire to work, but necessity presses us all into itWe find more of our graduates going on to furthereducation than formerly. One will go to England fornurse's training, another three to England forfurther study, one of them probably in law. Onewill move with her family to Australia, anothercontinues her studies here in Cyprus, some want towork, and thus they go on their various ways. Wepray that the Christian training they have receivedhere, and for some of them their new hfe in Christ,will prove a bulwark for them in times of trouble,decision, even in their most joyful moments whenthey may seem to be carried away just with the joyof hving.The 16th of May saw the last service in the MissionChurch in Nicosia at its old location. The propertyhas been sold, and it is hoped in the future tofind a more suitable location in another quarter. Afitting farewell service was held on Sabbath afternoon.Temporarily, services are being held in theauditorium of the school. A combined Communionservice, which was to have been held in the NicosiaMission Church on the 30th of May, was held in theschool auditorium. It had been some time since wehad had a Communion service, and we felt especiallyblessed.The end of a school year often brings about achange of teachers, as some leave and new onescome- We shall miss the Sandersons next year, butthey deserve their turn at a home visit, and a sharingwith you of the work here. We shall be glad tohave Miss Reade back with us again. For new localteachers with us in Nicosia we expect to have oneof the present Larnaca teachers next year. He hasmarried a Nicosia girl and they want to make theirhome here. He comes well recommended. Our Kindergartenteacher is leaving us for marriage. Due tothe fact that our elementary section has few students,especially since we moved outside the citywalls ten years ago, aua]A {a A ^a'- 1 —s (now required)are difficult o I^.U, ~. .. *e .. ility of thatsection to keep up its share of the school incomehas made the Governing Body decide to close it andthus we shall be able to concentrate our efforts onthe secondary school. Another factor is that we havekept it up for many years because of the children ofthe church. Since so many of the church famiheshave moved to England or elsewhere there are veryfew such children, so we do not feel we need tokeep it open for that reason.Pray for us all as we separate for the summer-Some of us will join later at our Camp on Troodos,where a summer Conference will be held, I beheve,August 10- 16. It has not been possible to open theCamp for the past two summers, so we are anticipatingrenewing our acquaintance with famihar spots.A new road, however, may have made some changesin our approach to the Camp.Sincerely,Blanche McCreaCOME AND SEEIt is commonly said that if we meet Christ asSaviour He will answer all our questions, solve allour problems. That may not be true for some, butChrist will do something better. He will hft us aboveour questions, into a region which transcends themWhen Nathanael came into the Master's presencehe forgot his problem concerning how anygood thing could come out of Nazareth. He had anew problem. In awe and wonder he asked, "Howknowest thou me?" Here was one who knew him,who had been a witness of all his inward anguishand happiness. What additional proof did he need?Modern man has many questions— questionsconcerning hfe and death, faith and science. Scholarshipmay help a little or it may not. All who aretroubled are bidden, "Come and see the Christ."When we actually meet Him, how trivial are thoseother questions. God is made real to our poor waywardhearts. Life in Him becomes a wonder in itself.If you stumble over creeds, well, come and seeone greater than all human definitions. Are youpained by the inconsistencies of those who professto follow Christ? Why consider the feeble, imperfectcopy? Come and see the Christ, so exalted, soserene, so strong and so tender, so merciful, ^ fullof sympathy. Come and see, and then say if there isany good to be furtl- - desired.— The Free MethodistIn the straight and narrow y- - tft ~ isall one way.7

THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT AND CAPITAL PUNISHMENTRev. Ralph E. JosephPastor in Sparta and Old Bethel CongregationsFor some reason or another, there is a movementwhich resembles mass hysteria to eliminatewhat is known as capital punishment. Many reasonsare advanced for ehminating capital punishment,mostly humanistic ones, but some are supposedlybased upon Biblical principles. The Biblicalreason given by most supporters of this move andsubscribed to by many others is that the sixth commandmentforbids killing. It is rather ironic thatthis movement is gaining force at a time when thereis a general swing away from the Bible as the inerrantWord of God.Perhaps never in history has there been the attitudeso prevalent as it is now, that "if any conceptdoes not seem to be doing any good, then eliminatethe concept." It is good to be pragmatic, but thereare different ways to practice pragmatism, either bytaking the shortest and so-called easiest way out, orto look at all the possible solutions and then use thebest, the one that is most consistent with the teachingof Scripture and experience. All too often theformer way has been the one chosen, perhaps becausein the final analysis, Scripture has been tossedout of the window.If those who wish to use the sixth commandmentreally want to make sure that their argumentholds water (as well as emotion), then the first placeto start is to go to the passage itselt and see if itsupports the argument. The question may well beasked, "Does the sixth commandment support theposition that capital punishment is unscriptural?"The Hebrew word which is translated "kill" in theAV is the word ratsech which has the meaning ofkilling in the exclusive sense of "murder" There area goodly number of other words which are usedeither of killing animals or people, but this is uniquein that it is the only word used in this way and noother. The same thing is generally true in the NTGreek where the word phoneuo is used in this sense.When the position is taken that the sixth commandmentforbids killing in any way, we immediatelyhave the problem of the nature cf God and Hisdealings with men. If we interpret the sixth commandmentthis way, we have a God that is inconsistent;indeed a God that is psychotic. If this seemsstrange then look at the record. In the sixth commandmentHe says, "Thou shalt not kill," but beforewe look very much further, we find that GodHimself ordered the sacrificial system which is thehall mark of the OT economy. He ordered specificmen to be put "> death, i.e. Achan. He ordered thatfor certain offenses men were to be put to death;He specifically allowed killing for food and selfdefense.The greatest event in the world up to thispoint was the death of His own Son — and He haddecreed that! If this is the kind of God that wemean, then no, thanks!Advocates of the current movement to eliminatecapital punishment declare insistently that the Biblesays, "Thou shalt not kill," but very seldom do theygive any real thought to the ramifications of thisreasoning. The same ones who desire to be pragmatichere, i.e. the same ones who tell us that thesixth commandment forbids capital punishment enjoytheir pork chops, beef steak, chicken, and-orfish. Now if these pragmatists say that the commandmentabsolutely forbids killing, then they areinconsistent because to have pork chops, beef steak,chicken, and-or fish requires killing. The samewould be true of vegetables for to pick or pull thevarious vegetables for food is in itself a form ofkilling.So much for that aspect. Let us take this a stepfurther. If, as is implied by these people, the sixthcommandment must be taken in the absolute sense,we have another problem. This kind of reasoningwould then eliminate the right of self-defense- Tobe sure, there is a rather thin hne being drawn betweenself-defense and murder from a legal pointof view, yet self-defense is still recognized as a justifiable— in fact, inalienable — right of the individual,even if it means death to the guilty party. Tobe consistent in the application of this commandwould require us to eliminate also the right of selfdefenseeven though we may be threatened by deathat the hands of an intruder and may have access toa means of defense.It is always hard for people to resist the nicesounding arguments of the humanit arians. Sometimestheir arguments are not contrary to the law ofGod as revealed in His Word, but when there is aconflict, the Word of God must be allowed to prevail.This is precisely the case at present in connectionwith capital punishment, bui the idea thatit should be ehminated is completely foreign to theScriptures because God is the same yesterday, today,and forever.8 COVENANTER WITNESS

Youth AnmOMi ._• IF I DATE A ROMAN CATHOLIC ir^tmb Em/SitBy JosephDuring my years as a Roman Cathohc priest Ihad the opportunity of instructing several Protestantsin the Roman Cathohc doctrine before unitingthem in holy matrimony with a Roman Cathohc.I was not surprised to see Protestants sacrificesix or more nights to come to listen to a priest whowas trying to explain dogmas they could not and didnot care to accept. I knew very well they did notcome to learn about a new religion, but rather tobe congenial and help the Roman Cathohc personsolve several problems created by the RomanChurch.The Protestant well knew that to allow a priestto perform a wedding ceremony would serve to preventremarks, by Roman Catholic inlaws, that thecouple was living in sin. The Protestant relativeswould also recognize the vahdity of such a union becausea priest, hke a minister, is an agent of thestate for this particular purpose.Though I, as a Roman priest, could understandthe acceptance of a Protestant coming to instructionsand even having a Roman Catholic ceremonyfor the mixed marriage, I must confess it wasn't atall clear to me how a Protestant could sincerely believehis or her faith to be true and yet sign pledgeswith a church whose teachings, including marriage,are completely opposed, and which claims there isno salvation outside the Roman Catholic Church.The Roman Church claims: "The eternal salvationof any out of the true (Roman Catholic) Church ofChrist is not even to be hoped for." "Protestantism isnot another and diversified form of the one trueChristian religion in which it is possible to place Godequally as in the (Roman) Cathohc Church." (Syllabusof Pope Pius IX, Nos. 17, 19)Before marrying a Roman Catholic, think notonly of yourself but also of your unborn children,since the church will regard you as a permanent andactual danger to their faith.All such couples (mixed religions) must sign, inthe presence of a priest, a pre-nuptial agreementthat says: "... I promise on my word and honor . ..that all children of either sex born of our marriageshall be baptized and educated in the CathohcChurch even though the (Catholic) party should betaken away by death."No parent has the legal right to forever giveZacchello, D. D.away a child's spiritual future- Parents are obligated,however, to make provisions for the child's religiouseducation until he or she reaches legal ageat which time it is the child's right to decide whatfaith to follow. It seems therefore that the prenuptialcontract is not vahd because parents haveno legal authority to make a lifetime provision forthe rehgion of their children. The Church of Romesays, "Once a Roman Cathohc, always a RomanCatholic," and she brands those who would dareleave her as heretics. Can children respect a parentwho places them in such aposition?The difference between a Bible-believing Protant and a Roman Cathohc is not a superficial one ofceremonies and customs, but concerns the veryfundamental truth of Scripture. The basic doctrineof any religion is how to obtain salvation, and theRoman Cathohc Church denies this teaching of theHoly Bible that says man is saved through faith inChrist and not by good works. "For by grace youhave been saved through faith, and that not fromyourselves, forit is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8)."And if out of grace, then not in virtue of works,otherwise grace is no longer grace'' (Romans 11:6).(From Roman Cathohc edition of the Bible)Your children will have to beheve you are accursed,damned, and anathema because you have acceptedthese Bible truths: so says Canon 12 of theCouncil of Trent. "If anyone says 'hat justifyingfaith is nothing else but confidence in the divinemercy which remits sin for Christ's sake: or that theconfidence alone is that whereby we are justified,let him be accursed." You will not be allowed to takean active part at your own child's wedding in theRoman Cathohc Church if you are a Protestant.Your children maybe will not dare be present atyour funeral because you cannot have a Roman Cathohcservice or burial. To them and all RomanCathohc relatives you are an outcast, accursed,damned, an anathema.My advice to young Christian people, now thatI, a former priest, also have accepted the only Saviour,is never date a Roman Catholic and you wilnever marry a Roman Catholic. If you still want tmarry a Roman Catholic because you love him orSee page 16July 7, 1965 9

PETER'S DREAMby Mrs. George (Jean L.) McFarland(Continued)"The junior high children," said the announcer,"have not left the island; all children are safe excepttwo boys who are out in a canoe- Evidently theydid not see the storm coming and did not start backto shore soon enough. But it is thought they probablyhave gotten on land far from the landingbeach. The two boys are Peter Carver and Simpson(Wart) Hazelet."Uncle Matt waited to hear no more. He jumpedinto his car and drove home faster than he hadever driven in his life. He told Aunt Ella that hewas driving up the river road where a friend ofhis owned a motor boat, as it might be needed beforethe storm was over.Aunt Ella was worried. "Do you think that thechildren are all right?" she asked, anxiously. Shehad not heard the announcement on the radio."I hope so," he answered, as he put on his raincoatand hat- "Try not to worry," he added, as herushed out again to his car and started toward theriver. He kept his radio on and knew that the boyshad not been found. He could see even from theroad that the river was rising and seemed to berushing with an angry speed.Part 7Peter and Wart were still batthng the waves."We'd better try for the nearest shore," Peter said,in a frightened voice."Yes," agreed Wart, "we'll never get back to thelanding beach."They tried again to turn the boat but it seemedto be tossed in every direction and the oars were ofhttle use in guiding it. The boys were wet andfrightened, but their hope rose when they sawthat they were being swept nearer the shore."We'll make it," shouted Peter, above the roarof the storm- But just then the boat went over.Wart splashed out wildly and soon grabbedsome bushes hanging over the water and pulledhimself onto the shore. He looked around for Peter,but he was nowhere in sight. The boat also haddisappeared. Sobbing wildly, Wart called out toPeter, but there was not a sound except the windand water. Wart's first thought was that he mustgo for help, so he stumbled over the uneven groundto get back to camp.Peter had been carried under water by the boat.When he finally got free of the canoe, he swam,not knowing which way he was going. Then hesaw trees not too far away and he knew that he10was not too far from shore. He was farther downthe coast than Wart, but the water was rushingwildly and he couldn't find anything to catch holdof to help him get to shore- He swam on trying toget closer to land, but he knew he was gettingfarther away. Then he saw something sticking outof the water and caught hold of it. It was thelimb of a tree that had evidently been blown downby the storm and extended far over the water. Peterpulled himself into the tree, but he was tangled inbranches and water and couldn't find anything hecould pull himself up on- He at least could resta little from swimming and he looked around him.The storm was passing, the dark clouds were movingon, and there was a faint glimmer of sun inthe western sky. But the water tore and beat at thetree and swayed Peter with it. His arms were gettingnumb, and he wondered how long he could holdon or if the whole tree would be swept down theangry river and he with it."Help, help," he called, but his voice soundedweak and the water seemed to mock him with itsnoisy rush.It will soon be dark, he thought, and then nobodycan find me. He looked up and thought of God."Oh, please, God, help me," he cried, but he feltno comfort. How, he thought, can God help mewhen I haven't really believed on Him? Then hethought of the prayer Uncle Matt so often prayedat family worship, and he cried out, "Oh God, havemercy on me a poor sinful creature. I am very sinful,"he added in his own words- Suddenly he feltbetter even though his arms were numb and hewas cold.If I die now, he thought, I'll go to heaven and Ihave a friend there with kind, understanding eyes.Then far away he heard his name called, "Peter, Peter."It's God, he thought, calling me as he calledSamuel long ago. They had read the story only afew days before.But the voice came again, "Peter, Pe-ter," andit was much nearer and now he also heard a motorboat. Then he knew that it was Uncle Matt's voice.It was never clear in Peter's mind just how hehad gotten out of the tree and into the motor boat,or how they saw him at all, but he did know that abig flood light had been flashed on him and thatseveral people helped get him out.See page 16COVENANTER WITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of August 1, 1965Sabbath School LessonFor August 1, 1965CHRISTIANS GROW THROUGHFELLOWSHIPRom. 14; I John 1.Comments by John K. GaultIt is to be inferred from thischapter of our lesson that there werereligious differences in the church atRome. On the one hand there wereJews who had been trained from childhoodto observe the ceremonial lawin regard to the keeping of certaindays, such as the Passover, Pentecost,the new moon, and tabernacles. Theyhad grown up to observe these daysand consequently they were not disposedto end such practices.Likewise there were certain meats,or foods, about which a distinction wasmade. According to the ceremoniallaw some meat was "clean" and somewas "unclean." It was contrary to theceremonial law to eat any swine'sflesh or to eat blood. Many otherforms of meat were to be rejected.The other class of believers consisted,largely, of the Gentiles whowere received into the church underno such requirements. They were likethe gaoler at Philippi to whom Paulsaid, "Believe on the Lord JesusChrist and thou shalt be saved andthy house." So, it was not to bewondered at that contention shoulddevelop between these two classes ofbelievers: those who observed theceremonial law and those who didnot.Similiar differences have arisen inthe church even within the memoryof the present generation. For instancethere was the use of "tokens"which some considered to be an integralpart of the communion service.No doubt there was a time in thehistory of the church when such appurtenancesserved a useful purpose,but that time had long passed. Therewere some, however, who consideredthe abolition of "tokens" to be sin;consequently, there was contention.1: There Are Differences AmongBelievers.Some are strong and some are every man be fully persuaded in hisweak, even in faith. Some are learned, own mind." In verse 10 Paul continuesto say, "But why dost thouwhile others are unlearned. Some takeoffense at certain practices, while judge thy brother? or why dost thou liken the "meats and days," referredothers think such to be entirely proper.There also are multitudinous is­shall all stand before the judgment should not remain lest they fall shortset at nought thy brother? for we to, as switches on which believersJuly 7, 1965 11sues which arise, upon which membersdisagree, and the unanimity of thefellowship is threatened. In this lessonPaul tells us of the conditions inthe church at Rome, as he says inRomans 14:2, "For one believeth thathe may eat all things: another, who isweak eateth herbs," and also in 14:5."One man esteemeth one day aboveanother: another esteemeth every dayalike. Let every man be fully persuadedin his own mind."2: Christians Should not Despise norJudge One Another.This is brought to our attentionin verses 3 to 8. Paul says, "Let nothim that eateth despise him that eatethnot; and let him which eateth notjudge him that eateth: for God hathreceived him." One might not agreewith another man's servant in something,but he would not judge the servantfor he would be responsible tohis master. All believers are servantsof Christ. Each one is responsible tohis master who is Christ. Believersare not to judge or despise each otherbecause of some petty disagreement,for all belong to Christ and all areresponsible to Him. Verses 7 and 8tell us, "For none of us liveth to himself,and no man dieth to himself. Forwhether we live, we live unto theLord; and whether we die, we die untothe Lord, whether we live therefore,or die, we are the Lord's."3: The Church Courts Should DetermineWhat is the Best Policy toPursue.Since "we are the Lord's" we aretold in verse 8 and since Christ is the"King and Head" of the Church, thechurch courts which are constitutedin the name of Christ should tellpeople what they are required to doand what not to do. The courts of thechurch do not rule against some inconsequentialmatters but leave suchmatters to the individual's own conscience.That was how matters stoodin the church at Rome. If somethought it wrong to eat certain meat,such as swine's flesh, and that theyought to observe certain days, theywere not to be disturbed in their o-pinions. They were responsible to Godfor their beliefs and practices. "Letseat of Christ."4: A Christian Should not Put aStumblingblock in Another's Way.This is presented to us in verses 13,14, and 15, "Let us not therefore judgeone another any more: but judge thisrather, that no man put a stumblingblockor an occasion to fall in hisbrother's way. I know and am persuadedby the Lord Jesus, that thereis nothing unclean of itself: but tohim that esteemeth any thing to beunclean, to him it is unclean. But ifthy brother be grieved with thy meat,now walkest thou not charitably. Destroynot him with thy meat, for whomChrist died." Paul also, in 1 Corinthians8:13, "Wherefore, if meat makemy brother to offend, I will eat noflesh while the world standeth, lest Imake my brother to offend." Verse 21tells us, "It is good neither to eatflesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thingwhereby thy brother stumbleth, or isoffended, or is made weak." This adviceis not only for the members ofone's own family but also for all membersof a congregation who are closelyassociated in the work of the Kingdomof Christ.5: One Should Keep His Eye on theFundamentals.Paul makes the distinction betweenfundamentals and non-fundamentalsin verse 17, "For the kingdomof God is not meat and drink; butrighteousness, and peace, and joy inthe Holy Ghost." Any belief or practicewhich is conducive to these threegreat ends mentioned in this verseshould be accepted and practiced.These fundamentals are the righteousnessof Christ which comes throughfaith, and also the righteousness ofone's personal conduct. The "peace"mentioned, also has a two-fold meaning.It is inward peace which is theresult of a clear conscience and it isalso a peaceful condition in the fellowshipof believers.In every railroad system there isthe main line and there are also theswitches. A train that is run off on aswitch does not go far. It is soon stopped.A transcontinental train mustkeep on the main line, and any trainwhich is run off on a switch must bebrought back onto the main line ifit is to be brought to a distant city.In the study of this lesson we might

of the kingdom of God. The mainline is characterized by the terms"righteousness, peace, and joy in theHoly Ghost."6: Fellowship is the Peaceful Exchangeof Ideas.Since "fellowship" means that, wecan readily understand how it can bea great means of Christian growth. Inverse 7 of this lesson Paul tells us,"For none of us liveth unto himself,and no man dieth to himself." God isalways present whether we live ordie. No one can escape from God orgo to a place where God is not present.But this verse is also true inone's relationship to other people. Wegrow, therefore, either worse or better,through our mingling with otherpeople. The Psalmist in the first onesaid, "Blessed is the man that walkethnot in the counsel of the ungodly, norstandeth in the way of sinners, norsitteth in the seat of the scornful."Christians should, therefore, seek tohave fellowship with other godlypeople. In so doing he will grow and"shall be like a tree planted by therivers of water, that bringeth forth hisfruit in his season; his leaf also shallnot wither; and whatsoever he doethshall prosper." This is one of the greatbenefits derived from the fellowshipof the church. The Christian growsthrough such fellowship."Lesson based on International SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessonsfor Christian Teaching. convriEhted 1958by the Division of Christian Education. NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ in theU. S. A."Junior TopicINTRODUCTION TO JUNIOR UNIT"Covenanter Home Mission Work"ATTENTION: JUNIOR LEADERSMrs. Charles McKissockIt is important for our boys andgirls to have more knowledge and thusa better understanding of our missionsand their purpose. It is hoped asthese lessons are presented, a keeninterest in the missions might beawakened in each child, that wouldcontinue long after this unit has beencovered, indeed an interest that couldsome day lead him to the mission field.As you prepare these studies, endeavorto make the people from thepast and those currently working inthe missions really live for your Juniors.Most of the material presentedhere has been taken from "Sketchesof the Ministers" by Owen F. Thompsonand "Covenanter Ministers" by AlvinW. Smith. Additional informationmay be obtained from the Minutes ofSynod, the Covenanter Witness undermissionary news, or your pastor, orthe president of your Women's MissionarySociety.The memory Psalms to be used arePsalm 72, page 175, verses 9-12, andPsalm 67, page 161, verses 1-3.The following is a suggested outlinefor each meeting:Theme PsalmOther PsalmsLessonPrayerMemoryNotebook and-or Handwork.Of course you may want to varythis, but it is suggested that prayertime follow the lesson, so that thechildren may pray in a more meaningfulmanner for things concerning themissions.It may be that you will not haveenough time for work on a notebookand handwork so ideas for both willbe briefly outlined so that if necessaryto choose" one or the other you may doso at the beginning of the unit. For thenotebook have duplicated enough outlinemaps of the United States withstate lines drawn so that each childmay have 5 copies plus a copy onconstruction paper for the cover. Onthe cover locate your own congregationand all of the missions studied.Then devote one map page to eachmission. Whether or not you make themap notebook, do make use of a largewall map of the United States. Thefollowing will be used for handwork:penants, macaroni pictures, a newspaperwhich the Juniors make up,pictures pasted on paper plates and achart.Plan to use the offering collectedduring the time you are studying thisunit to be sent to a mission of theJuniors' choice.It might be well at some time duringthe two months to have the Juniorswrite to the missionaries, butwarn them that because of the busyschedule of the missionaries they maynot receive a personal answer, but tolook for items under missionary newsin the Witness.To vary the telling of the missions'histories plan to use different methodsof presentation. Some of the followingmight be suitable:1: Tell as a story, for example,"Once upon a time, now remembera group of Indians lived together inApache, Oklahoma. Dr. Carithers, apastor of the Wilkinsburg Church,heard God speaking to his heart, tellinghim of the Indians' need to knowJesus. So when the Home MissionBoard asked if he would go, his answerwas, 'yes.' "2. Pretend you are one of the foundersor first missionaries at a particularmission. Tell about the events asthey occurred during your lifetime.Give the remaining history as thoughyou were looking into the future.3. Enlist the aid of another adultand pretend you are the current missionworker and the other person anewspaper reporter interviewing you.With the reporter asking leadingquestions you can in this way relatethe story of the mission.4. Don't forget chalk talks. It isyour interesting presentation, notyour artistic ability, that will capturethe children. This might be well usedwith the Kentucky Mission to showhow the women had to travel to presentthe Gospel to school children.Tell the necessary facts concerningthe mission, then let the Juniorsdramatize the story.Topic:For August 1, 1965JEWISH MISSION WORK OF THEPASTMrs. Charles McKissockTheme Psalm: 72, page 175, verses9-12.Psalm 65, page 156, verses 1-3.Memory Verse: "But ye shall receivepower, after that the HolyGhost is come upon you: and ye shallbe witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem,and in all Judea and in Samaria,and unto the uttermost partof the earth." Acts 1:8When Christ gave the instructionsto His disciples so many years ago,which we find in our memory verse,He was also speaking to us. He toldthe disciples to go first to Jerusalemand Judea, that is right around home,then to Samaria or to a neighboringcountry, and finally to the farthestparts of the earth. And they obeyedHim! You have been studying aboutthe way the first missionaries wentout and took the Gospel message toothers. Today there are still manypeople in the world who have neverheard of Jesus. Our church has attemptedto obey this command givenby Christ by sending missionaries toplaces where there was and is a need12 this is a true once-upon-a-time story,for the Gospel to be taught. You re-COVENANTER WITNESS

member that Jesus said to tell thoseat home first. It is difficult to believethat in a country as modern and fullof good things as ours that there arepeople who don't know the Lord. Butthere are many who have not heardof Him and many more who haveheard of Him but refuse to acceptHim as Saviour. A mission is begunwhen God impresses upon the heartof a member or group of members ofone of our churches the spiritual needof folks in a specific area of thecountry. Also under Synod is theHome Mission Board which is concerneddirectly with the establishmentand guidance of new missions. Anynew ideas for mission work are presentedeither to Presbytery or to theHome Mission Board. If the ideacomes before the Board, its membersconsider prayerfully the idea presentedand decide whether or not toopen a mission in that particular area.If the decision is yes, then many otherdecisions must be made, the exactlocation, the securing of missionaryworkers and money needed for salaries,buildings, and other supplies.Money is supplied partly from theHome Mission Fund and also given bythe different congregations. Perhapsrecently your own congregation hasgiven help to one of our newer missions.The Women's Missionary Societiespay the salaries of all the womenmissionaries of the church.In the next two months we willbe studying the origins and historiesof the Jewish Mission, the IndianMission, the Kentucky Mission, theSouthern Mission, and other newermissions.Tonight we begin by going toPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, where theJewish Mission was located, and backto the year 1894. When Christ was onearth most of the Israelites or Jewsdid not accept Him as their Messiah.They did not believe that He was theSon of God. Today many Jews stilllook for the Messiah to come . In 18-94 God caused Dr. David Metheny, amissionary to Syria, to think deeplyabout the Jew and his need to knowChrist. This was so much on his heartthat he gave of his effort and moneyto help organize this Mission.The Mission was started and Rev.and Mrs. Moses Greenberg were putin charge. In 1901 a building was purchasedin the middle of an entirelyJewish community. During the yearsbetween 1894 and 1913 the followingpeople worked at the Mission: Rev.and Mrs. George M. Robb Miss Bell,Miss Evangeline Metheny, Mr. andMrs. E. J. Feuersohn, Miss Annie Forsythe,and Rev. and Mrs. R. A. Blair.In October, 1913, the Mission was reopenedafter having been closed fora few months. At this time the missionariesfaced great opposition. AJewish group of about 800 youngpeople was formed to prevent anyJews from coming to the Mission.Those who were faithful in attendancewere persecuted. However eventhough they must suffer for theirfaith, enough remained obedient tothe Lord so that the Mission did notclose because of the opposition. MissEmma McFarland, Miss Isabel Mc­Farland, and Miss Elizabeth Forsytheanswered God's call and renderedfaithful service to this Mission. Dr.Frank Stewart, a pastor of anotherPhiladelphia church preached onSabbath afternoon for a year, presentingmessages especially helpfulto the children. Dr. John Peoples alsogave of his time and energy to aidin this work. Members of the Philadelphiacongregations helped throughthe years by teaching in the SabbathSchool, helping in mother's meetings,girls' sewing classes, and devotionaland social meetings of the youngpeople. Here are listed names andsome of their services, but look behindthe names to the people. Blendyour hearts with theirs in the prayersoffered, the work with people, God'sChosen Ones, which at times musthave seemed so very discouraging andthe encouragements which came whenChrist was accepted by individualpersons.When Miss Forsythe resigned in1951, no worker was found to replaceher. The Jewish population had movedelsewhere and the location was nolonger suitable for a mission to theJews. The question then had to beconsidered by the Board whether toclose this Mission or locate in anotherarea. During the next four yearsthe decision was made to close theMission and sell the property. MissForsythe, although retired, continuedhelping until 1955 when the Missionproperty was sold. The building waspurchased by an elderly Negro ministerand his famliy and though thework of our church was discontinuedin this area, the Lord's work was carriedon. There are yet many Jews whodo not know Christ as their Saviourand perhnys sonic day God w'll againspeak to someone's heart to begin amission work for them. Maybe thiswill be in Philadelphia or maybe itwill be in your own community. Maybethe Lord will call you to do thisprecious work for Him. Read Romans10.For the notebook: The cover pageof the notebook should be saved to doat the end of the unit. On the firstmap page mark your own congregationand the location of the JewishMission. Then write the memoryverse and any facts concerning theMission taken from the lesson. Thesecould include the names of workerswho served there, important dates orevents. Let the Juniors use theirimaginations to further illustrate themap page if they so desiro. They maycut around the outline of the UnitedStates making their notebook in theshape of the U. S.For the handwork: Did you knowthat 65 percent of the people in theworld have not heard the Gospel? Toillustrate this have each Junior takea piece of white construction paper9" by 4" and a piece of black 9" by8" and scotch tape the two together onthe back. On the black with a whitecrayon write 65 percent have neverheard the Gospel and on the whitewrite 35 percent have heard the Gospel.Across the bottom of the paperwrite, "What can I do to help?"Prayer Meeting TopicFor August 4, J865PRAYER FOR MR. AND MRS. W. K.SANDERSONScripture Resources:Matthew 28: 18-20; Acts 1: 1-14,Titus 1: 10-16; 2:15.Suggested Plan ol Meeting:Praise Period.Seek Testimonies of AnsweredPrayer and Requests for Prayer.Prayers of Thanksgivir.g and Supplication.Scripture Reading and Study.Report on Work of the Sandersonsand their prayer requests.Prayers for the Sandersons andthe work in Cyprus.Rest assured that the prayers ofthe home church are much valuedby us, and as Moses felt the need forAaron and Hur to hold up his handsso that the army of Israel might prevail(Ex.17:11), i>o we know too thatwithout your valued prayers our workfor" God here would be much diminish-See page 15July 7, 1965 13

INewsCALL TO DENISONI moderated a call by the Denisoncongregation on June 16, 1965. KennethMcBurney was unanimouslyelected.T. Richard HutchesonMRS. ARTHUR A. CARSONMrs. Arthur A. Carson (Iona Dill)passed away on May 24, after a shortillness. She had been an active lifelongmember of the Covenanterchurch, first in Winchester, Kansas,later in Greeley, Colorado. She andMr. Carson had celebrated their 56thWedding Anniversary.The funeral services were conductedin Greeley by the Rev. Paul D.White of Quinter, Kansas, who is acousin.Besides her husband, she is survivedby four daughters: Mrs. BlancheAndrews, Carlsbad, New Mexico; Mrs.Mary Thompson, Denver, Colorado;Mrs. Jean Cross, Norwalk, California;and Ruth Carson of Colorado Springs,Colorado.NOTICEFor Sale—160 acre farm by a retiringfarmer. Good land, buildings,and location. It is near the ReformedPresbyterian Church at Glenwood,Minnesota.Carl GehlharGlenwood, MinnesotaNORTH HILLSNorth Hills congregation has beenenjoying the ministry in our newarea. New ideas, new faces, and variousactivities are keeping us all interestedand busy.We have had several new babiesjoining our group: Laurel Sue Cunninghamto Mr. and Mrs. RichardCunningham; Veda Grace Brown toMr. and Mrs. Edwin Brown; andBrian Elliott Walton to Mr. and Mrs.Frank Walton.Mr. Knox M. Young has been hospitalizedfor about three months nowwith a broken hip. We all have missedhim very much and trust he will beup and around soon.Many from the congregation sign-ed up for our Bible reading programfor the year. Reverend Carson hasbeen preaching each Lord's Day fromsome portion read during the precedingweek. Several have made a gameof trying to guess the chapter orverses from which he will preach!The Women's Presbyterial of thePittsburgh Presbytery met in ourchurch, March 18. Mrs. John Schaeferwas the program chairman for theday. The afternoon meeting was attendedby 90 women from the surroundingCovenanter churches. TheLord blessed us with a beautiful dayand a rich time of fellowship andplanning.Ten of our young people were a-mong the 85 attending a one-day retreatat Laurelville, March 19-20. "TheChurch" was the theme used by themain speaker, the Rev. Robert Fullerton.An overnight snowfall caughtmany by surprise; turned the campinto a winter showplace; and providedthe setting for a multitude offriendly battles.A total of twenty-one gathered onApril 2 for a progressive dinner. Thedessert course at the Cunninghamswas capped by a housewarming forthem and an engagement announcement.Keay Woolley made public herengagement to Ray Forman. Theyplan to be married this summer.Mr. and Mrs. Harold Hook took athree-week trip to Europe where theytoured and visited their son, Jonathan.Robert Cook was inducted into thearmy and is taking his basic trainingat Fort Jackson, South Carolina.About 100 people joined the festivitieson the evening of May 21 forthe Temperance Round-ur>. The eveningconsisted of singing, a skit put onby the young people, a poster contestand costume contest, and a film entitled"Time Pulls the Trigger."We are looking forward to summerwith its vacations and opportunitiesfor relaxation and planning for thecoming year.Day unto day uttereth speech, andnight unto night sheweth knowledge.NOMINATIONREV. R. B. LYONS has been nominatedby the Reformed PresbyterianChurch for the Moderatorship of the155th annual meeting of Synod, tobe held in Grosvenor Road church,Belfast, on the third week of thismonth.Mr. Lyons has just completed 40years as minister of Limavady congregation.A native of Ballymoney, hereceived his education at BallymoneyIntermediate School, Magee College,Londonderry, and graduated with honoursin mental and moral Philosophyin Trinity College, Dublin.He completed his training for theministry in the Reformed PresbyterianTheological Hall, Belfast.Mr. Lyons has given service to theChurch as convener of the committeeon witness bearing, convener of theboard of administrators of the AgedMinisters' Fund, and as editor of "TheCovenanter," the magazine of theChurch.The congregation of Dervock, Co.Antrim, honoured their minister, Rev,R. H. Creane, on the occasion of hismarriage.At a meeting of the congregation,presided over by Rev. Dr. H. J. Blair,gifts were presented to Mr. and Mrs.Creane on behalf of the congregationby Mrs. McFall and Mr. N. McConaghie.The Elders' Fellowship, at its latestmeeting in Belfast, has continuedthe study of the "Five Pointsof Calvinism." Mr. Joseph O'Neill ledthe discussion on the theme, "EfficaciousGrace."The Eastern Presbytery has takenunder its care two students in preparationfor the ministry.They are Mr. C. Knox Hyndman, amember of Trinity Street congregation,Belfast, and Mr. Edward Don-14 COVENANTER WITNESS

nelly, from Grosvenor Road congregation,Belfast.A special missionary meeting hasbeen held at Cullybackey.The speakers, Mr. and Mrs. RobertMcAllister, gave a thrilling andchallenging story of their recent experiencesin the Congo.Miss Ella Blair has received aspecial award from the SabbathSchool Society of Ireland for elevenyears unbroken attendance at BallyclareSabbath School.The Congregation of Bready, situatedmidway between Londonderryand Strabane, is one of the oldest inthe Reformed Presbyterial Church. Itcelebrates its 200th anniversary thisweek with special services conductedby Prof A. Loughbridge, of Portrush.The first minister, Rev. WilliamJames, was ordained on May 8, 1765.The present building was erected in1924 on the site of the original church.The congregation has had 11 ministersin its history.The present minister, Rev. J. W.Calderwood, has just completed aministry of 40 years in Bready. Mrs.Calderwood is a daughter of the congregation.The Covenanter Young People'sSocieties of the Northern Presbyteryheld a united meeting at Kellswater.The theme was of a missionary natureand was discussed in relationship tothe Church's missionary work inEthiopia.ChallengingPapers were read by Amy Crockett,Drimbolg; Donald Pinkerton, Kilraughts,and Annie Sibett, Cullybackey.A challenging address was givenby Rev. Dr. Hugh J. Blair, theSynod's Foreign Mission Convener.The bi-monthly meeting of theMinisterial Fellowship has been heldat Cullybackey Manse. The host andhostess were Rev. W. J. and Mrs. Gilmour.Mr. Gilmour led the dission on thetheme, "The Office of the ChristianMinister."The Synodical year ended on April30. Conveners of the committees ofSynod are busy making an assessmentof the Church's activities during theyear in preparation for the annualmeeting of Synod next month.The 77th anniversary of the foundingof Dublin Road congregation, Belfast,has been noted at special servicesconducted by Rev. F. S. Leahy. ProfessorJohn Mcllmoyle is the ministerof the congregation.PRAYER MEETING ... from page 13ed, if not useless.It will probably seem strange that asyou pray for us, as your missionariesin Cyprus, that this night we are mostprobably in Switzerland or Germany,for we expect to be in Europe on ourway home for furlough in August.Therefore, pray for us that we may bekept in safety as we travel and thatwe may have God's guidance in theway we can best serve Him duringour furlough year as well as theplace in which to spend our time andalso the things to do to prepare ourselveseducationally and spirituallywhile in the U. S. for our return toCyprus in 1966.As you know Kenneth is not a minister,although he seems to be calledupon to preach about two-thirds of theSabbaths. Also through chapel talks,teaching in Bible classes, etc. he hasmany opportunities to proclaim publiclyGod's Word and point out, "Thisis the Way, walk ye in it." As actingprincipal of the American Academyfor Girls in Nicosia the past year, hehas assumed new responsibilities anddecisions. We ask your prayers thatthe past school year may have beena blessing to the students and facultyof the Girls' School and the seedsown may remain in the hearts ofthose who receive it and bring forthfruit to life everlasting, not only thisyear, but in the years to come also.Both of us have opportunities forpersonal work and in this mannercome to realize the problems anddifficulties that many of the girls andteachers experience. Thark the Lordsome are now living victorious livesfor the Lord; others are overcomingtemptation, gaining courage to witnessto their families and friends, etc.Marjorie too had opportunities toserve Him through teaching, and wewould ask your prayers that not onlyour words may have been approvedof God but the example we set also.Pray that as she has so many opportunitiesin the homemaking classes toprepare the girls to be Christianhomemakers and mothers they mayfit the description of the virtuouswoman in Proverbs 31:25: "Strengthand horor are her clothing; and sheshall rejoice in time to come."In Romans 12:13 Paul exhorts us tobe "given to hospitality," so we havetried to make our home one open tofriends where they can feel welcomeand wanted. For the past several yearsa S.S. has been held at eleven a.m.(after church) in our home mainly forboarding department girls who wantto study the Bible together. It hasbeen our privilege to witness Christiangrowth, especially in a deepeningof prayer life among those who haveattended. Girls who ha\e attendedthis group are now scattered not onlythroughout Cyprus but in the U.S.,Greece, England, Tanganyika, EthiopiaLebanon, etc. Pray that these girlsmay profit by and remember the lessonslearned here. Pray that theirlives may be effectually changed andused to help others to know God'struths more fully.For the past three years we havebeen meeting with a Greek couplewho teach in Nicosia and Larnaca (thewife here, and husband there) forBible studies. Both are graduates ofAthens University but are very humbleand eager to study God's Wordtogether. This year we've been meetingevery other week. Pray that theymay, if it is God's will, eventually feelGod's leading to join our church. Webelieve they are already born againChristians. Pray too for another excellentyoung man who will beginteaching here this fall. He has shownsome response to discussion of Christianmatters with the Larnaca menmissionaries. Pray that he and hiswife may be contacted here this year,and if possible that regular Biblestudies may be carried on with thiscouple as well as the one mentionedbefore.One prayer burden wo carry is forformer students and friends both hereand in Latakia. We try to keep incontact with many of these via lettersand we are frequently called on to rejoiceas they recount how God is usingthem, answers to prayer, etc. Wefeel for many of these as Paul didfor Timothy, our children in the Lord.Pray for them with us that they maycontinue to witness for thc-ir Lord andSaviour by word and deed. One pleasurewe had last summer when in Lebanonwas to meet a former Latakiastudent who is now working in amost sacrificial way as a Bible womanamo.rg the poor of Beirut (such asporters, very poor Moslem women,Palestinian refugees, etc ) Pray forWadia.Finally nray for us r:s we will besharing the messages concerning(Sod's work in Cyprus wuh you andthe Foreign Mission Eoard during thecoming year that thiougn us you maybetter understand what God is doinghere and the opportunities that lieahead for the future.July 7, 1965 15

PETER'S DREAM . . . from page 10"Wart, where's Wart?" he asked, as they werestripping his wet clothes off of him."He's safe," answered Uncle Matt, "and Godhas kept you safe, too"Later when Peter was home and m his own bed,Aunt Ella was fussing around, putting a hot pad athis feet and tucking in the blanket. As Peter driftedoff to sleep, he thought, Aunt Ella is flutteringagain, but it's nice, like a mother, I guess.The next day the local paper ran a front pagestory about the boys with both of their pictures,and everyone at school wanted to know what itwas like to be ship-wrecked in a storm. But theboys did not like to think of that experience. UncleMatt called Peter's dad on the telephone, and itwas a real thrill for Peter to hear his father's voiceand tell him that he was safe and well."I'll be coming for you as soon as school is out,"Dad said.For some reason Peter's heart sank at that news,because although, he wanted to see his dad, yetWaverly now seemed like home to him, and hefelt hke he had grown a great deal in the pastyear. It would never be the same back at the university.He wrote something of how he felt whenhe sent his next letter to his father. He was overjoyedwhen his dad wrote that he was accepting aposition not far from Waverly, and that they couldlive at Waverly and Peter could attend school there.Peter worked hard to have a good report cardat the end of school, and he and Wart made plansfor the summer. Sue was happy, too, to find thatPeter was going to live in Waverly permanently.One afternoon Peter and some of his classmatesclimbed a hill near town to look for spring flowersto press for their botany notebooks. Sue and Peterclimbed higher than the others, and stopped tolook around."Do you still have your big dream," she asked,"to be a big scientist like your dad?""Yes," answered Peter, looking away toward thesunset. "I still want to be a scientist hke Dad, butI have a bigger dream now. I want to be hke UncleMatt, too, strong, honest, and good. And," he added,in a low voice, "I want Dad to have a real faithlike Uncle Matt's and know that God is bigger thanscience.""I'm sure he will," said Sue, earnestly, "if youshow him how-"Then Peter looked at Sue and grinned, andthey turned and started down the hill toward home.THE END.GLIMPSES . . from page 4SANDY HOOK FIRM GOES BANKRUPTReading through Human Events, we glimpsed anitem about a firm in Sandy Hook, Kentucky, the locationof the first Covenanters in Elliott County, and still thelocation of one of our mission Bible classes.The story was that Mico Manufacturing Co., cabinetmakers, was doing well enough until the war on povertybegan. "The administration discovered poverty in Appalachiaand termed Elliott County a depressed area. Washingtonwanted to get the county out of the depressedclassification and began to try to do it in the only way itknew how—federal money."First, the government built up and enlarged theplant, with a loan of $628,000. Nothing was going to betoo good for Sandy Hook and cabinet production rose to1,000 a day. Then, since the company was the recipientof federal funds, the government ordered the firm tofollow federal cost-control and employment-recruitmentprocedures. The influx of massive funds and red tape wastoo much for the relatively inexperienced company tohandle."In short, the firm became bankrupt and the plantis now idle.IF I DATE A CATHOLIC . . . from page 9her above all else, you can prevent a mixed marriageby helping the Catholic person find the true Saviourthrough studying and accepting the scriptural truthsin the Holy Bible before marriage.If, however, you have already married a RomanCatholic, and have signed that pre-nuptial document,it then becomes your sacred duty to amend byhelping your Roman partner, and children, if any,to find and accept the true way of salvation. Scripturalteaching, by the grace of God, will bring themto Christ if proclaimed by a heart and lips madewarm and eloquent by a living knowledge of Himwho is "the way, the truth, and the life' (John 14:6)-"Come boldly to the throne of grace" (Hebrews4:16). "Neither is there salvation in any other. Forthere is no other name under heaven given to menby which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).From the tract entitled, "If I Date a RomanCatholic," published by The Convert magazine, Box90, Clairton, Pa.16 COVENANTER WITNESS

Covenanter WitnessTO JESUS CHRIST'THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONS'VOLUME IXXV NO. 2JULYJ$??E 14, 1965STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST, £,. WAX-' ^ ,, • ,--rrr T '!t>Tu^OLOGiCAL AtAX^AAAGETTING FULL BENEFITSTo get the full benefits in spiritual things we must put ourwhole heart and soul in seeking them. A farmer who wants to havean abundant harvest carefully prepares the soil, sows good seedwithout sparing, cultivates and fertilizes, and looks to God for Hisblessing- He knows that if he puts little into the effort he will receivevery little in return. Because he does all that he can, he expectsan abundant harvest. The same law applies to spiritual harvest.There are many bargain hunters in rehgion. They want themost for the least. They give little of themselves to God and to HisChurch, but they expect great rewards. They want the benefits andblessings of the spiritual life without paying the price. They arecasual xxx their efforts to please God, spasmodic in attendance inworship services, sparing in their giving, but think they shouldhave places of honor and authority in the Church, and great favorsof God.God is a God of grace, and blesses us far above what we deserve.Yet He expects us to use the blessings bestowed for thebuilding up of His Kingdom and Church- The money He enablesus to earn is to be used with an eye to His glory. The time Hepermits us to live and to use is a gift to be used wisely, and notselfishly. The talents we enjoy are to be dedicated to Him. Theservants, in the parable told by Jesus, who used well their talents,were richly rewarded and highly honored. The servant who failedto use the talent entrusted to him was condemned and punished.One who expects to get a blessing from worship must giveclose attention and share in it. He will get out of it what he putsinto it. We shall have a blessing from God's Word only when wediligently study it. We shall receive blessings from God when weearnestly pray to Him. To get full benefits, to grow and produce agood spiritual harvest, we must give ourselves fully to Christ andHis service-—Associate Reformed Presbyterian

THE COVENANTER WITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Editorial Address125 N. Fourth, Sterling, Kansas 67579Telephone Area Code 316 BR 8-3472Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 toMrs. M. W. Dougherty, 125 N. FourthStreet Sterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under thesupervision of the Publication Board byThe Patterson Press, Wapello, IowaTHE BOARD OF PUBLICATIONRev. Paul Faris, Pres.Dr. Wyley Caskey, Vice Pres.Dr. G. M. Robb, Sec.Mr. Donald Fee, Treas.Mr. Ross LatimerRev. M. L. McFarlandContributing Editors:Rev. Kenneth SmithDr. G. M. RobbRev. T. R. HutchesonDr. S. E. BoyleMr. A. D. RobbMr. Wilbur CopelandRev. T. R. HutchesonDr. R. Paul WrightDr. D. Howard ElliottDepartment Editors:Rev. Bruce C. StewartMrs. Robert B. MaineMrs. Willis M. EdgarRev. John K. GaultEditor— Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D. D.Opinion expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Church or of the Editor.Subscription rates: $4.00 per year, domestic and overseas,2 years $7.00. Group rates. $3.00. Single copies 10cents.Agent tor Subscription in U.S., Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Agent for British Isles: Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A., 12Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, North Ireland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness.All material that is to appear in the Witness shouldbe typewritten, double spaced, and should be in Sterling,Kansas two weeks before it is to be printed.Obituary notices are limited to one hundred fiftywords; all words in excess oi that amount are one centeach. Money should accompany the notice.News for the news section should be brief and up todate. One dollar is charged for death notices that aremore than six weeks old when they reach our office. Thisdoes not apply to minutes that have been adopted by anorganization.Give us one month's notice when you are changingyour address. This notice should be sent to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, IowaCHANGE OF ADDRESSWhen giving notice of a change of address, pleasesend the old address as well as the new address to thecirculation manager.WE HOLD THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only infalliblerule of faith and conduct.The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experience.The Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Holy Spirit.The fact of death and hell as the destiny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believein Him together with their children.The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church Government.welfareTheThat ofLordterms theJesusChurch. of membershipChrist as theoronlycommunionKing andareHeadessentialof His Church.to theQUOTEThe Bible is the best means for learning the willof God. Through it, believers can discern the revealedmind of God for missions. This knowledgewhich comes to him from the Word at least in somedefinite sense, constitutes a call to the foreignfields of the world-The Bible declares that Jesus came to redeemthe world of men and that God's desire is for mento be saved.—from Missionary Principles and Practby Harold LindsellGOD' APPOINTMENTSIn time of trouble, first say, "He brought mehere. It is by His will that I am in this strait place.In that will I rest." Next, "He will keep me here inHis love and give me grace in this trial to behave asHis child." Then, "He will make the trial a blessing,teaching me to learn, working in me the grace Hemeans to bestow." Finally, "In His good time Hecan bring me out again—how and when He knowsbest." (I Thess. 5:18; Rom. 8:28).— Andrew MurrayThis Week's WitnessA Calf By Chance 19Glimpses 20Notes on Synod '21Deacon's Bench 24Our Youth 25Page for Juniors 26Lessons Helps 27Scribe With A Hard Pencil 29Church News3DOhio Women's Presbyterial 31^/iiuicn newsThe duty which rests upon officers to maintain discipline andpreserve the purity cf the Church.Spiritual worship as a divine requirement mediated through theLord Jesus Christ.The exclusive use of the Psalms ln the worship of the Church.The Protestant interpretation of the Sacraments.The divine right of the institution of Marriage and that It Mnot to be dissolved except by adultery or "Irremediable" desertion.The Sabbath as a day sacred to rest and worship.The duty of nations and their civil rulers to honor Christ anKing of Kings and Lord of Lords.That Christian cit zens are under oDligatlon to obey lawful authority.The right and du y of the Christian citizen to dissent from allgovernmental and nat onal disobedience to the Law of God.That the Covenan 3 of the past are still binding.From "The Communicant's Class" by J. B. Tweed18 COVENANTER WITNESSIt

Editorial CommentA CALF BY CHANCEReceiving things by chance seems to be a philosophythat has long prevailed in the mind of fallenman- How often we hear the word. Of course it isnot used many times as being contrary to the doctrineof Divine Providence, but it is used now andagain as such. But with deeper study, man will discoverthat things do not come by chance, but thatthere is a great plan behind it all, and a mightyhand governing all operations.One of the best examples of man's "passing thebuck" and crediting chance with the way things areis found in Exodus 32:24. After the children ofIsrael left Egypt they followed Moses through thelong journey to Mt. Sinai. They had seen the mightyhand of God at work in various ways. As they assembledat the foot of the Mount, Moses went upinto the mountain to receive the law. While hewas there, mutiny seemed to take place amongthe people below, and God sent him down to seewhat was going on. There he found the peoplecarrying on as though they had decided to dramatizePlayboy. In the midst of the multitude he foundAaron standing beside a finely carved golden calflike the gods worshiped in Egypt. He looked atAaron and said, "Aaron, where did you get it?"No doubt Aaron was embarrassed and confused,but he gave this sort of an answer, "We took thegold that the people offered, threw it into the fireand let it melt, and then when it was melted it ranout, and there came out this calf."Did he think Moses was so ignorant that hewould accept that? Moses knew, Aaron knew, andyou know that such a figure had to have help tomaterialize. There had to be some planning andskill back of the production of the Golden Calf.Yet today there are many who hold that CHANCEis the author of all.Over against this is the doctrine of God's worksof Providence. Not "something," but "Someone," isin control of all things. There are three things wemight notice in regard to this.God's works of Providence are universal. Allthings, all creatures and all their actions are underHis control. Inanimate matter obeys His bidding-The darkness, water changed to blood, in theplagues of Egypt, the wind at the Red Sea, came andwent as He bade them. Fire and brimstone destroyedSodom at His bidding. Fog enveloped the escapeaction at Dunkirk in answer to prayer.Irrational matter too is under His control. Asillustrations of this we have the frogs, hce, andflies amont the plagues of Egypt. The ravens fedElijah as recorded in I Kings 17; the cows left theircalves to carry the ark back from the Philistines.His works of Providence extend also to rationalcreatures. In the salvation of man, we find it isnot man's doing, for Christ says in John 15:16, "Yehave not chosen me but I have chosen you." Unbeheversare kept from being as wicked as theymight be, did not God's hand restrain them- ReadGenesis 20:6. Evil is allowed to go only so far aswe see in Job 1:12.The Providence of God is as detailed as it is universal.He notes the sparrow. In a childhood jinglewe are told how a battle was lost because a horseshoenail was lost. The Bible tells us how an arrowshot at a venture resulted in the death of an enemyking. In the nuclear world, we are told that whenthe chain reaction of atom splitting goes on, theparticles move faster and faster until they cease tostrike other particles and thus the reaction comesto a standstill. Who does this?God's Providences are as sure as they are detailed.The circuits of the heavenly bodies are so accuratethat man depends upon that accuracy. Everything falls into its niche of time-Man could not do these things. They could notoccur without any outside help. They are underthe ruling and overruling hand of God. It is to thisGod that we make our appeals. It is this God uponwhom we depend for everything that we have andthat we are.No, golden calves do not just roll out of thefire. Things do not come by chance. God's mind ismade up. It behooves us to find out what the mindand will of God is for us, and then to make up ourminds to cooperate with His, thus avoiding theagony which will be experienced in the overrulingof our wills to bring them into submission to His.SERMONS WITHOUT WORDSWhen you are tempted to chafe and repine atthe narrowness of your circumstances and the limitationsof your sphere, remember that Jesus, withall His rich life and all His great powers, for thirtyyears found room in a humble peasant home forworthy living and for service not unfitted for Hisexalted character. If you can do nothing but livea true Christian life—patient, gentle, kind, pure—in your home, in society, at your daily duty, youwill perform in the end a service of great value andleave many blessings in the world. Such a life is alittle Gospel, telling in sermons without words thewonderful story of Christ.—SelectedJuly 14, 1965 19

Glimpses of the Religious WorldCANADIAN BAPTISTS DROP NEW CURRICULUMThe Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebecvoted at its recent annual meeting to discontinue thecooperative use of the New Curriculum, published bythe United Church of Canada for use in church schools.It was charged by some delegates to the conventionthat the course material was not true to the Christianview of Christ and the Bible.The vote to drop the curriculum was close, by amargin of 75 votes among 900 delegates.There has been reaction to this action, naturally,from both Baptists and members of the United Church.An observer in the news section ofGospel Herald comments:"The worst is yet to come in the New Curriculumof the United Church of Canada. Dr. A. C. Forrest,editor of the church's Observer, says the next set oftextbooks will stir up even more controversy than thosealready published. In commenting on the production ofthe curriculum he says, 'We got help, of course, from theAmerican churches that had gone through this. Buttheir situation was different from ours. They had fundamentalistproblems which we don't have in the UnitedChurch.' "That says a lot, either about the Observer editor'sestimation of his denomination, or about the real situationin the United Church. It appears that among likeecumenically-minded leaders fundamentalism is considereda liability, not an asset. In theory all classes of theologiansare wooed by the ecumenicists. But if the abovequotation is a true sample, the welcome is with the hopethat the conservatives will be stifled, not copied.COMPETITION IN MISSIONS CRITICIZEDAllen G. Martin, from his experience as a Mennonitemissionary in Brazil, writes critically in Gospel Heraldof the spirit of competition which he has observed onthe field. "Many independent missionaries come from atheological tradition that is not 'church-centered.' Theyare frustrated in knowing how to relate a group of believersto the overall Christian community. Some fail tosee the value of trying. They have a total disregard forwhat God might be doing among other Christians. Theseexamples are from the cults but are independent agenciesthat advertise in well-known evangelical magazines. Denominationalorganizations are not immune to the competitivespirit in missions. However, independent andFaith groups are more susceptible to this evil. Their existencedepends on the publicity, true or false, which canbe produced. They often lack the stability and the continuitythat is common in denominational programs."CATHOLICS HIRE PROTESTANT THEOLOGIANSt. Norbert's College, a Roman Catholic school inT. R. Hutcheson820 New YorkHolton, KansasDe Pere, Wisconsin, has engaged Leslie Keylock, Baptist,as a teacher in the theology department. Keylock has hadhis training at the University of Alberta, with a mastersdegree from Wheaton College and a doctor's degree fromthe University of Iowa School of Religion.R.E.S. YOUTH RALLY IN AUSTRALIAThe Reformed Ecumenical Synod News Exchangequotes the following from Our Banner, May, 1965:From Friday, 16th, to Monday, 19th April inclusive,there was held in the St. Kilda Church the ReformedEcumenical Synod Youth Rally. Participating churcheswere the Reformed Presbyterian Church, the ReformedChurches of Australia and the Presbyterian Church ofEastern Australia. In all, there were between forty andfifty delegates, and the Rally proved to be a time ofgreat blessing and interest to all participants.Each day there were three sessions, of which themorning gatherings were devoted to the histories ofthe participating Churches, the afternoon meetings todoctrines held in common, and the evening sessions centeredon missionary themes and gave prominence to themission fields of the Churches represented.The history of the three Churches, dealt with in themorning papers on the Friday, Saturday and Monday,were presented by the young people themselves afterresearch made in their own Youth Fellowships. Each ofthese papers was of a high standard, and was followedby stimulting discussions of the principles for whicheach Church had firmly stood over the years. The youngpeople were stirred by these reminders of the heritagethey possess.The afternoon papers were taken by the ministersrepresenting three churches. On Friday, Rev. W. R. Mc­Ewen, of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, spoke on"The Doctrine of the Scriptures," while Rev. E. R. Leespoke on "The Doctrine of Salvation" on Saturday, andon the Monday Professor Van Groningen, of the ReformedChurches, spoke on "The Doctrine of the Church."Each of these sessions was most instructive.The themes for the three missionary papers in theevenings were: "The Need Today," "Missionary Methods,"and "Opportunities Today." These were taken by the ReformedPresbyterians, the Free Presbyterians and theReformed Churches respectively. Information was alsogiven regarding the mission fields of each church.CHURCH OF SCOTLAND NEEDS MISSIONARIESThe head of the foreign mission program of theChurch of Scotland told the recent general assembly ofthe denomination that unless 13 doctors can be foundit is likely that mission hospitals in South Africa, Nigeria,See page 2420 COVENANTER WITNESS

FRIDAY MORNING SESSIONJune 11, 1965Rev. Waldo Mitchell, D.D.The morning dawned cool and beautiful Synodmembers awoke to a sense of the Lord's merciesand the privilege of serving Him.Synod was constituted in prayer by Dr. M. W.Dougherty. Elder Harold Faris of Kansas City, whowas not present at the opening of Synod, was introducedas a delegate attending his first Synod.In the devotional period the Scripture was readfrom Titus 2 by Rev. Paul Mathews. Dr. M- K. Carsonspoke on the theme: "Expressing God's Grace inLife." He defined the grace of God as the unmerited,active favor of God bestowing on us the greatestgift, who deserved the greatest punishment. In hisusual clear and forceful manner Dr. Carson stressedfive things the grace of God brings to believers: Salvation,Sanctification, Expectation, Gratitude, andZeal.As business was resumed, a paper was receivedraising questions on certain alleged corruptions inour worship services, such as: hearing of BibleSociety representatives instead of the preaching ofthe Word, hearing of reports of young people's conferencesand of Synod, and occasional praise servicesinstead of the preaching. This was referred,as many former papers had been, to the JudicialCommittee.The report of the Woman's Association, whichsupervises the Home for the Aged, was read byMrs. Charles McBurney. It mentioned the gift of aHi-Fi musical instrument received at the Home,also the purchase of a set of Bible recordings foruse by the members. Dr. John O. Edgar was commendedfor his services as manager during hisfirst year. Changes of personnel at the Home werenoted. A paper was read containing the responseof the Woman's Association to a suggestion of the1964 Synod. The suggestion was to include severalmembers of Synod on the Board of Directors of theHome. This paper expressed the opinion that the Associationalready has adequate communication withSynod, and is carrying out Synod's wishes. Anotherpaper, containing a minority report, signed by 18members of the Association, was read. It favored includingrepresentatives of Synod on the Board ofDirectors and outhned a plan for doing so- Bothpapers were submitted to a special committee to reportto this Synod.The report on Overtures before Sessions thispast year was given. The overture on necessity ofDeacons in each congregation passed by more thanthe necessary two-thirds vote and is therefore adopted.The one on Representation at Synod failed tosecure the necessary two-thirds vote.Synod held no business session Friday afternoonin order to allow time for all presbyteries and variousboards and committees to meet.SATURDAY MORNINGJune 12, 1965Rev. C. E. Caskey, D. D.Synod, a deliberative assembly, is also still deliberatein its speed on Saturday morning. Only thechairmen whose reports are soon due, and whohad to wait until the scheduled meetings of Fridayafternoon to finish them, begin to feel pushed fortime. The delegates attend the opening devotionalsessions, and even committees whose business warrantstheir members being excused from the regularsessions take a recess lor the devotional period-So on Saturday morining the delegates were in theirplaces as Young J. Son presided and S. E. Boyledelivered the address from Titus 3:1-3 on the subject,"Christian Attitude Toward the World." Aspeople try now to exhibit a certain "image" beforethe worldit was necessary then that the Christiansin Crete project their "image' before those who werewatching them closely, and thatit reveal true characterand not a front assumed to make an impression.It would be shown in their attitude toward civilgovernment (verse 1), and toward the unsaved massesof people (verse 2, 3). They could disengagethemselves and suffer the consequences, or go alongand lose their identity.After devotions Synod adopted a proposed"Skeleton Synod" for 1966. (This is not a skeletonto frighten anyone, or to be hidden in the denominationalcloset, but in the sense of "the basic featuresor elements.") The thought is to give Synod'smembers an opportunity to get the blessing and inspirationof the conference next year at Carleton byhmiting the number of sessions and the amount ofbusiness to be taken up- Five three-hour sessions willbe scheduled. Reports will be limited as to length,are to be circulated and studied beforehand, andthose that may be delayed will be postp rN till1967.The report ol th* 3 'card of Evangelism gave usa good feeling as we got the picture of woik beingdone from coast to coast bv -^ X- onevangelism, special meeting' inv.. nation,etc., Bible st ' ; b:.:' - 1 orJuly 14, 1965 21

families and with neighborhood famihes in onehome), and year-round calling. Although to meet therequests the Board is receiving it would be good tohave a full time director, the problem of availablemanpower, finances, and the present attitude ofSynod make it advisable to postpone this. Thereforemembers of the Board are themselves being trainedfor field work and requests for a man or a teamshould be made to the Committee on Evangelism ofone's own Presbytery. October 24 is designated asEvangelism Day and a special edition of the COV­ENANTER WITNESS edited by Raymond P. Josephwill appear in October. Experience in reaching thosenot familiar with our manner of praise has led tothe suggestion that the structure and format of thePsalter be studied. This was amended to includealso a study of the words and music-In some way the fact that a Seminary electionshould have been held last year was overlooked, soSynod voted to waive the rule that Seminary Professorsare to be elected one year in advance and E.Clark Copeland was re-elected Professor of BibhcalLanguages and Literature.The report of the Board of Christian Education,which came next, called attention to the need tospecify "Reformed Presbyterian edition" when orderingSabbath School and Vacation Bible School suppliesfrom the Great Commission Pubhcations soas to receive the editions with the Psalms and withthe doctrinal changes to harmonize with our ownstandards. The campaign to raise $10,000 by June1 netted $7,441.38 of which $7,065.90 was forwardedto Great Commission Publications.Junior and Senior High Kits are being revisedand it is gratifying to see that they have so impressedthe Reformed Presbyterian Church, EvangehcalSynod, that permission for their use was askedand has been granted. A brochure will soon be availabledescribing our church and her work whichshould prove useful in the area of outreach. Alsothe Elders' Manual called for by Synod is being produced.The work of the National Conference Administrationwill be under the chairmanship of Elder WilburMcElroy again, and this time there will be representativesof the Irish and Scottish Churches aswell as of our own- Individuals or congregationswishing to help entertain those from overseas shouldcontact Robert Tweed, Geneva College, Beaver Falls,Pa. Our American CYPU societies are undertakingto raise $2500 to help overseas Covenanters attendthe Third International Convention. Over $1000 hasbeen raised already for this purpose. Leadershiptraining will follow immediately after Synod with aweek of concentrated instruction at the Seminaryand a full Summer Training Program (S.T.P.) forthose going to some of our congregations.The announcement that the hour for adjournmenthas arrived always results in a flurry to get afew last minute motions passed. Saturday these includedmaking two items of business the order ofthe day on Monday. Then in a quieter vein it wasvoted o ser. letter of sympathy to R- J. G. Mc­Knight who was ihen in the hospital. Synod was adjournedin prayer by Rev. Robert A. Henning.MONDAY AFTERNOONJune 14, 1965The docket called for the Boards of GenevaCollege to report. Mr. Merrill Robb, president of theBoard of Trustees, gave the report of the Trustees tothe Synod with a review of the activities during thepast year. Dr. William Metcalfe spoke on the DevelopmentFund drive, and reported that with about20 congregations reporting, more than 20 per centof the church's share of the campaign has beenpledged. Dr. Edwin Clarke, president of the College,spoke briefly, calling to special attention the attainmentsof good numbers of Covenanter students atGeneva through the year. Dr. Clarke emphasizedthe need for help in getting and keeping the kindof faculty members in which the College is interested.Herbert Hays read the report of the Board ofCorporators, a report which indicated elections tothe Board of Trustees. New Covenanter members onthe Board are Kenneth Smith, Roy Blackwood andRay Campbell. The report also indicated the.recommendationof the Corporators that the presentrules and regulations of the College with respect tocardplaying, dancing and smoking be upheld andmaintained.The "depth study" joint committee of Corporatorsand Trustees reported through the chairman,J. D. Carson, indicating progress in the areas of thestudy of the philosophy of Christian higher education,the implementation of this philosophy inthe area of faculty and admissions. The committeegave high praise for the splendid cooperation betweenthe committee and the College administration.As an addition to the report, the committee presentedthe two-page outline of the progress made onthe philosophy of Christian higher education. Thecommittee hopes to make more progress during thecoming year.Dr. W. W. Weir, administrative secretary of theNational Reform Association, reported on behalfof the Covenanter members of that group. The reportindicated much action on the part of the Associationthrough the past year, with plans for fu-22 COVENANTER WITNESS

ture development. The church is called to note thatseveral tracts are available from the Association andsome films on tobacco and alcohol are available.Consideration is being given to the purchase of somenew films for distribution. In many communities,school doors are open to the showing of films onthese subjects in connection with the policy of educationon these subjects.Robert R. Fullerton read the report of the Boardof Home Missions and Church Extension. The reportindicated the decision to close the work of theKentucky mission in view of the retirement of thepresent faithful workers, Mrs. Adams and Miss Patton.The Board continues to be concerned for theaid-receiving congregations and for new projectsaround the country. The session adjourned beforethe items of the report could be considered.MONDAY EVENINGThe Monday evening schedule called first forthe Elders' Conference report. There is evidence ofthe concern of the elders for the evangelistic outreachof the church, for the financial interest in theKingdom's work, and for the proper practice of ourchurch-state obhgations.Alvin W- Smith reported for the TemperanceCommittee. Especially interesting in the report wasthe notice of the persistent effort of Dr. Stewart Leeof Geneva's department of Economics to persuadeCONSUMER REPORTS to quit testing and rating ofalcoholic beverages. The reply sent to Dr. Lee is asfollows: "You will be pleased to learn that the CUBoard has decided henceforth not to test hardliquors. Your persistent campaign has paid off."There is surely a desperate need for action in thisfield.The committee to consider the "majority" and"minority" reports of the Women's Association recommendedthat a committee of Synod membersmeet with the respective committees of the Associationin "an effort to restore a good relationship betweenEuodia and Syntyche." The above reports willbe included in the Appendix to the Minutes.The delicate issue of the place of women inthe teaching of the church was discussed througha committee report on the subject- After a carefulstudy of the Scriptural references involved, thecommittee recommended that the Synod reaffirmits position that ordination of women as teachingand ruling elders is un-Scriptural. However, it isproper for women to participate in the SabbathSchool and prayer meeting, including teaching. Asan outgrowth of these principles, Synod ruled thatwomen serving on "governmental and didactic" commiteesshould serve as consultants or advisors.J. D. Carson reported for the Pastors' RefresherCourse. The report gave tbe histo" r of this year'scourse, which was act .^ ,^ ^ ors full-timeand by a number of others part-time. Synod approvedthe plans for a course in 1967.1966 will mark the 150th anniversary of thefounding of the American Bible Society. It seemsappropriate to make some special effort toward settingoff this anniversary in a special way- The committeerecommended that the members of thechurch continue to remember the work of the Societyin prayer; that various organizations of thechurch subscribe to the Bible-A-Month plan at acost of $25.00 per year; and that either a specialoffering, or an item on the yearly budget be setaside for the Society. The Society hopes to be distributing75 million copies annually of the Scripturesby 1966.Two papers were presented to Synod calhng fora study of rotating eldership. The committee askedto continue their study through the year and reportlater with the understanding that there are no apparentScriptural rules or principles in oppositionto the plan.The final report of the evening was that of theTraveling Fund and Absences Committee. It is thiscommittee which has charge of receiving travel expensesfor Synod and disbursing the same. Thetravel cost this year was over $6,000.00 Somechanges were made in the travel allowances fornext Synod.THE MORNING QUIET TIMEThe value of the morning watch in prayer cannotbe overestimated. In that hour the soul maypour itself out in worship and in intercession beforea listening God.More important is the glorious experience of alistening saint who hears God speak to Him.Through God's Word and by His Spirit, God willcommune with all who will wait upon Him in themorning trysting hour. Into a new day they willstep, fortified by divine power, encouraged by theword of promise, and challenged by heavenly utterances.In the diary of Robert Murray McCheyne aretwo significant entries. On October 17 he wrote:"Private meditation exchanged for con > ition.Here is the root of evil — forsake God axm ue forsakesus."On October 2o _v!cCheyne wrote: "Pose earlyto seek God, and found Him \ ion s I veth.Whc . t juid not rise early io i.ay?"stJuly 14, 1965 23

The Deacon's BenchyiNMiiiiifrAn article in a recent issue of The Eva^^-UcalChristian gives a small boy's definition of ' ardship:"Stewardship means that life is a great ship,loaded with a rich cargo of many things to be deliveredto many peoples in many places- God is theowner, but I am the captain of the ship."While the poster which has been sent to thecongregations representing the progress in raisingthe budget through April 30 is accurate, as toamount received, it is somewhat misleading as tothe prospects for future receipts. It had escaped theStewardship Committee chairman's notice that ofthe $42,433.00 received as of that date, $19,448.33was from the Synodical Women's Missionary Society,for the payment of the salary of women missionariesunder the Foreign and Home MissionBoards. This is the payment for the full year, andtherefore will not be repeated. Apart from thisamount, receipts up to April 30 total about $23,000.00. Pro-rating the Budget, except for the amountpaid by the Synodical W.M-S., about $41,000 shouldhave been received by that date. We apologize forthis inaccuracy, and we stress the need for continuedsacrificial giving if the Budget for 1965 isto be raised in full.Several questions asked at Synod indicate thatsome Christians are puzzled as to what constitutesa tithe, and how the tithe is to be calculated. TheStewardship Committee expects to publish someliterature on this subject, but in the meantime wewould make the following comments:The Biblical tithe is ten per cent of a person'sincome. In order to determine the amount it isnecessary to have a knowledge of the amount ofone's income, which, in these days of income tax,is not a problem for most people. The tithe, webelieve, is to be paid on the full amount of one'sincome, less the cost of producing that income. Afarmer's income, for example, is certainly not thefull amount he receives from his crops or cattle. Hemust deduct the cost of seed, fertilizer, machinery,etc., to determine his real income- On the otherhand, one's real income is not the same as his taxableincome, and a faithful steward will set asidehis tithe before he pays such things as hving costsand medical expenses.Tithing provides a guideline for giving; butChristian stewardship cannot be reduced to themechanical following of certain bookkeeping rules.The gift has value in the eyes of the Lord only asit represents the love and gratitude of the giver'sheart. Remember, the Pharisees were tithers! ButJesus said that their need was for something beyondtithing, not something less.One of the finest Scripture passages on the subjectof stewardship is David's prayer at Solomon'sinaguration. You will find ii in I Chronicles 29. Wecommend it to you for your prayerful study and application.GLIMPSES . . . from page 20and Malawi will have to close. In all there are 50 vacanciesto be filled by the board, including 15 ordained ministers.The Scottish Church reported a current membershipof 1,259,162, which is a loss of 9.725. The British attitudetoward Sabbath schools is reflected in the statisticwhich indicates only 264,328 pupils enrolled in Churchof Scotland Bible schools.ONCALVARYIf I had stood beneath the cross that dayCould I have mocked the grief so plain to seeWithin the eyes of One who came to stayOn earth brief years from His eternity?Surely my eyes would not have grasped the groundMy shoulders shrugged and hurried then to turnMe from the crowd who with their guilt are boundForever to this scene which none discern.And yet I cannot claim immunityBy being born today. I did stand thereBefore that cross. With voice I did agreeTo crucify Him; thus the burden share.I'm guilty of His death; and yet I liveBecause He spoke and said. "Father, forgive".(Mrs.) Doris Jean MitchellWhen God was telling what man was, He spokein one tongue ;when He was telling about HimselfHe spoke in many.You can't whitewash yourself while blackeningothers.24 COVENANTER WITNESS

OurYouthYOUTH SPEAKS ON ALCOHOLISM And SMOKINGRose Mary Hale*Alcoholism and smoking are terrible habitswhich some people acquire. They affect your healthand sometimes your reputation. Alcohol is a depressantand a anesthetic, not a stimulant.Seventy per cent of alcoholics begin drinking intheir teens. Roughly, one-half of the alcoholics diebefore the age of 51, and only about seven andone-half per cent of the other half live beyond theage of 70.Alcohol affects the judgment, makes you moresusceptible to colds and pneumonia, and affectsyour nervous system. There is no "alcoholic personality"prior to alcoholism. The same traits commonto alcoholics are also present in many moderatedrinkers and many abstainers.Excessive use of alcohol lessens chances ofsuccess in life about fifty per cent. Alcohol contributesto family neglect and has an effect on employmentand jobs.Every year traffic accidents are caused by alcohol.Twenty-five per cent of all adult pedestriansthat are killed in auto accidents have been drinking.Alcohol is involved in thirty per cent of all fataltraffic accidents.Drinking is not an inherited characteristic, noris there such a thing as a permanent physical cravingfor alcohol. The problem drinkers may be thehabituated or maladjustment type.There are several reasons for drinking alcohol:social pressure; habit; desire to escape; desire forexcitement; relaxation; desire for easy sociability;and liking the effects and the taste.The only sure prevention of alcoholism is abstinence.Real freedom comes when alcohol doesnot matter. Will-power alone brings neither freedomnor control-The problem of alcohol is becoming more andmore difficult and serious. Excessive use results inserious problems of both mental and physical health.Each year the amount of alcoholic beverages consumedand the number of persons participating inthe consumption of them increases. Alcoholismshould be studied as a serious condition possible foranyone who uses alcohol. It is important, also, forstudents to realize that the use of both alcohol andJuly 14, 1965narcotics can pass quickly beyond a person's desirefor control.Just as with the drinking problem, every youngperson must decide if smoking is worth the healthrisks it presents. Should I smoke? This is a decisionthat every young person will eventually have tomake for himself. Others suggest, warn, or even forbid,but in the long run it becomes a personal decisionthat each individual must make for himself.One reason young people smoke is that they havea desire to imitate adults. It makes them feel grownup-Another reason is their desire to conform, or tobe like others. Some young people start smoking outof curiosity and do not realize how habit-forming itcan become. Perhaps, the poorest reason is spite. Ifyour parents forbid it, probably that is why you dosmoke.There are things to consider before you begin tosmoke. Smoking is expensive, smoking may offendother people, smoking is habit-forming, and it hasa bad effect on your health for—it might kill you.Some authorities agree that it causes lung cancerand other diseases. The government is spendingmuch time and money on the research concerningsmoking. Some countries forbid cigarette advertisements.Advertising we see displays it as one of thebest enjoyments in life, supposedly.Parents who smoke will say don't start becauseit is extremely difficult to break the habit. Chancesare they are very sincere in telling you, even thoughthey themselves smoke.Eventually you will be called upon to make yourown decision about smoking. While you are still ateenager, you will be influenced by your desire tobe like your friends and to imitate adults. However,out of fairness to yourself and to others who mayhave to depend on you, you should also considerthis prediction by the American Public Health Association:One million of the young people now inschool will eventually die of lung cancer. Don't jointhis gang!*Rose Mary has just completed the 8th gradeand is a member of the United Brethren Chuich,Garnett, Kansas, where she is active in youth activities.This essay won 2nd place in a county contestsponsored by the W.C-T.U.—The United Brethren, June 12, 196325

AThe Spider and The Flyby Sadie P. PostlewaitThese bright, sunny days make allof us want to be out in the sunshine,for before we know it we will haveclouds and frost, and summer will beover. Outside I can see the childrenwith glass jars, catching insects ofsome sort—maybe butterflies.In my childhood days we didn'tstudy these things. We did have apoem in our Fourth Reader about"The Spider and the Fly," though. Wehad to memorize all the poems in ourreader, and this one in particularcame to my mind today as I watcheda black spider while I ate my lunchnear a window.He was outside the glass, but insidethe screen, on the top casing ofthe window above the table. I wonderedhow he got there. I don't likespiders, but today I watched as hecrawled along the sill, then all of asudden appeared to fall to the bottomof the window. I'm not sure he fell—maybe he was just making a web.For a little while I forgot abouthim while I listened to the news onmy little radio. When it had ended,I was surprised to see inside thescreen with the spider a fly. I wonderedhow he had got in there—theremust be a hole somewhere. I repeatedto myself one stanza of thepoem I had learned many years before:" 'Will you walk into my parlor,' saidthe spider to the fly,'Tis the prettiest little parlor thatever you did spy.The way into my parlor is up a windingstair,And I have many pretty things toshow when you are there.''Oh, no, no,' said the little fly, 'to askme is in vain,For who goes up your winding stairwill ner'er come down again.'"I watched the spider on the bottomsill. The fly crawled slowly alongthe top sill, then suddenly seemed tofall to the bottom. It didn't fly down,I was sure. A few seconds later itflew slowly as if in trouble, but onlymade it to the right side of the window.Then it crawled to the top, butagain it fell. By this time I was certainthat I was watching a fly whichhad been poisoned by the spider.Again it tried to fly, but barelyreached the casing. It repeated thisSee page 32PAGE FOR JUNIORS8.10.12.13.14.15.18.19.22./S'

Lesson Helps for the Week of August 8, 1965Sabbath School Lessonfor August 8, 1965GROWTH THROUGH WORSHIPMark 1:35; Acts 2:46-47; Col. 3:16-17;Hebrews 10:19-25.Comments by John K. Gault15303 San Bruno Dr.La Mirada, CaliforniaWorship is essential to spiritualgrowth. It is through worship that weapproach God who is the source ofevery blessing. If a child is to grow ashe should, proper food must be madeavailable. If a Christian is to growas he should, proper spiritual foodmust be made available to him. InJames 1:17 it is said, "Every good giftand every perfect gift is from above,and cometh down from the Father oflights, with whom is no variableness,neither shadow of turning." For peoplewho worship God, then, He is alwaysa constructive force; but for peoplewho do not worship God, He isalways a destructive force. Jesus saidto the woman at the well of Samaria,"God is a Spirit; and they that worshiphim must worship him in spirit andin truth."1: The Example of Jesus.Our lesson tells us in Mark 1:35,"And in the morning, rising up agreat while before day, he (Jesus) wentout, and departed into a solitary place,and there prayed." Jesus, the Saviour,"who did no sin neither was guilefound in his mouth," (I Pet. 2:22) feltthe need of worship through prayer.He was in Capernaum at this time,where He healed Simon Peter's mother-in-lawwho had been very sick."And at even, when the sun did set,they brought unto him all that werediseased, and them that were possessedwith devils. And all the city wasgathered together at the door. And hehealed many that were sick of diversdiseases, and cast out many devils;and suffered not the devils to speakbecause they knew him." (Mark 1:31-34)brethren, what shall we do? ThenPeter said unto them, Repent, and beNaturally after such an experience baptized every one of you in the nameJesus would feel weary but, nevertheless,He rose up the next morning, sins, and ye shall receive the gift ofof Jesus Christ for the remission of"a great while before day," and went the Holy Ghost." "Three thousandinto a desert place where He prayed. souls" were "added" to the numberSince Jesus, the perfect man, felt such of believers on that day. "And theya need for prayer, that he would arise continued steadfastly in the apostles'"a great while before day" in order to doctrine and fellowship, and in breakingof bread, and in prayers." (vs 42).do it, by how much greater reasonshould we sinners rise up early in or­It also says in verse 46, "And they,July 14. 1965 27der to pray? Worship, through prayer,is vitally necessary to spiritual growth.2: Worship, to be Effective, MustBe Held Regularly and Continuously.That is the way we regard ournatural food for our bodies. We cannoteat a meal and then forget aboutit for a year. We must eat our mealsregularly, day by day. Regular andcontinuous worship was the practiceof the early Christians. In this lessonwe are told about the Day ofPentecost having come and there wereassembled in the Temple people fromvarious countries. They spoke differentlanguages naturally, but, beingfilled with the Spirit, who came uponthem, they could all understand oneanother. There were some present whomocked and said, "These are full ofnew wine." Whereupon Peter stoodup and addressed the multitude. Thiswas Peter, the same man who, on thenight of the trial of Jesus denied Himeven three times.Peter refuted the charge that theywere "drunken." As he said it was"but the third hour of the day" (nineo'clock in the morning) and thereforeit was too early in the morning forthem to be intoxicated, especially ona feast day when the Jews did not eator drink before nine o'clock. Peter,then, described how the occasion wasa fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel,wherein it was said, "I will pour outmy Spirit upon all flesh: and yoursons and your daughters shall prophesy,and your young men shall seevisions, and your old men shall dreamdreams:" In this address Peter, also,described how the prophecy of Davidwas fulfilled in Jesus Christ whomthey, the Jews of Jerusalem, "hadtaken, and by wicked hands have crucifiedand slain."In Acts, 2:37, 38 it says, "Now whenthey heard this, they were pricked intheir heart, and said unto Peter andto the rest of the apostles, Men andcontinuing daily with one accord inthe temple, and breaking bread fromhouse to house, did eat their meatwith gladness and singleness of heart,praising God and having favor withall the people, «nd the Lord added tothe church daily such as should besaved." These people began theirChristian lives through repentance andbaptism and they continued to worshipGod daily.3: Christians Can Worship GodBoldlyHebrews 10:19 presents thisthought to us: "Having therefore,brethren, boldness to enter into theholiest by the blood of Jesus." Thisdoes not mean that one should beself-righteous as the Pharisees were,but it means that people should nothesitate to enter into the holy oraclesof worship. No doubt this word "boldness"is meant to be a contrast withthe attitude to be taken in the old dispensationwhen the people were warnednot to come near the mountainwhere God was "lest they die;" andwhen the ark of God was improperlyhandled people suffered and died. Butnow it is different. Jesus has madethe final and perfect sacrifice for sin.and by reason of His shed blood peopleneed no longer have a slavish fearof God but should enter into His presencewithout hesitation.4: The Requirements for True Worship.We read of these in verse 22. Thefirst requirement mentioned is a "trueheart." A true heart is not always indicatedby what one says or does.There is the implication of sincerity.God said to Samuel when he went toanoint one of the sons of Jesse to beking in the place of Saul, "The Lordseeth not as man seeth; for man lookethon the outward appearance, butthe Lord looketh on the heart."Another requirement for worshipis faith. The viiter says, "in full assuranceof faith." People can drawnear to God in this fulness of faith;fulness of faith that Christ has madesatisfaction for them.Spiritual purification is another requirementfor worship. The statementof verse 22 is, "having our heartssprinkled from an evil conscience, andour bodies washed with pure water."Sprinkling of blood or water was asign of purification. When people confessChrist, they are purified of an

evil conscience because their sins are would be feasible for this work to in the school. In many ways the workforgiven. "Bodies washed with pure begin. The following year the Women'sbecame more difficult. The Indianswater" evidently means the rite ofMissionary Society of the did not desert the mission, but con­baptism which was required of all Pittsburgh Presbytery guaranteed the tinued to come to worship and tothose upon their confession of Christ. salary of a missionary for one year learn more of the "Jesus Road." InBaptism is a symbol of the inward and this was extended indefinitely 1913 Mrs. Carithers, who had workedso faithfully and who was greatlycleansing by the Holy Spirit. If one through the years that followed. Rev.is to grow through worship, he must W. W. Carithers, pastor of the Wilkinsburg,loved by the Indians, died. Rev. Mr.fulfill the requirements mentioned inPennsylvania congregation Carithers continued at the Mission,this lesson.5. Worship Must be ConstantIn Hebrews 10:23 it is said, "Letus hold fast the profession of ouranswered the call to serve the Lordin this area. Mr. John Lee who hadbeen keenly interested in this workwas appointed as a temporary assistantbut in 1922 he suffered a physicalbreakdown and had to retire.Mrs. Anna Patton and Rev. PaulWhite were in charge of the work forfaith without wavering," and in verseto Mr. Carithers. A location was short periods. Rev. Cloyd Caskey,25 we also read, "Not forsaking the chosen at Apache, Oklahoma about who is now pastor of the Wilkinsburg,assembling of ourselves together, asthe manner of some is." Evidently the20 miles northwest of Fort Sill andwork was begun among the ApachePennsylvania congregation was Superintendentfor a year. Then Rev. Paulearly churches were troubled with unfaithfulnessand Commanche tribes. A well was D. White was appointed Superinten­on the part of some, and dug on the property obtained, and it dent and served until 1926. At thisalso with disputings and controversy is the only well in all that hot, dry time, Rev. R. C. Adams, who was onover various petty procedures. The prairie country whose water supply furlough from China, took over thepressure of the world is great and has never failed. A large two and onehalfwork. During the years that thethere is always the temptation tostory mission building of lime­Adams family labored at the Missioncease having family worship in the stone was built. The work of spreadingthey were afflicted by depression,home and to yield to the seduction ofthe Good News of Jesus Christ drought, and dust, but much more ser­recreation or work on the Sabbath. was started immediately and school ious and devastating to the work wereA stunted spiritual growth is characteristicwork soon followed. In 1889 Miss Alice the moral problems. The Indians wereof many lives. This unfor­Carithers and Miss Kate McBurney quick to pick up sinful habits of thetunate state has been caused by arrived to help in the work. Under white men with whom they came in"wavering" in one's Christian principlesthese servants of the Lord, the work contact. Picnics, fairs, and rodeosand the "forsaking" of times of grew very fast. Soon other buildings were a constant source of evil.worship, both private and public. The were erected, making an institution Of the evils encountered alcoholsigns of the "approaching day," which that was well equipped for its work was high on the list. At one time Mr.the writer mentions, should induceAdams wrote, "The Indian work aspeople to be more faithful and regularin the practice of worship. Peopleshould prepare for this "day" whichis sure to come by engaging in worshipat all of the regular times."Lesson based on Internationa] SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessons(or Christian Teaching, copyrighted 1958by the Division of Christian Education NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ in theU. S. A."Junior TopicTHE INDIAN MISSION—Early DaysMrs. Charles McKissockTheme Psalm: 72, page 175, verses9-12.Psalm 96, page 252, verses 1-3.Memory Verse: "And they shallbe mine, saith the Lord of hosts, inthat day when I make up my jewels;and I will spare them, as a manspareth his own son that serveth him."Malachi 3:17.The need for mission work amongthe American Indians was realized byour church as long as 1887 when Mr.John Lee and Rev. J. M. Wylie exploredsome Indian territory in theSouthwest in order to learn if it28of preaching and teaching. Theschool, which was always a boardingschool, had a capacity for 50 boys andgirls, and for many years it was alwaysfilled. An industrial departmentwas organized with the school. Heremen and boys learned broom making,carpentering, blacksmithing, etc.,while women and girls learned cooking,sewing, homemaking, etc. Not onlydid the Indian children receive instructionin the matters of the Lord,but the mission itself was the centerof a territory 40 or 50 miles in diameter.Members of other Indiantribes gathered there and at timesthere were encampments when hundredsheard the Words of Life. Whitemen were also influenced by theMission life. At first there were cattlemen, soldiers, and frontiersmen; thenlater on the settlers and people ofthe towns around about. However asthe area became more settled, newschools sprang up over the entireterritory. The Indians began to attendthese schools and attendance atthe Mission school was cut down untilonly the primary grades wereopen. Later the primary school wasalso closed. Field matrons then tookover the work in Indian camps andhomes that had been done by teachersa whole is at a low ebb, and manythink there is little promise of realprogress as long as the Governmentpursues its present policy." Thegovernment gave to the Indian andhe was thus trained to expect othersto give to him and not to work forhimself. This carried over into hisfeeling of responsibility for the thingsof the Lord. Fortunatly there was alsomuch to encourage the workers.A young people's society was organizedin 1929 and a program of recreationand basketball started. This providedan opportunity for Mr. Adamsto get closer to the boys. In 1930 Mr.Adams was invited to conduct aBible class once a week in the FortSill School and to conduct Sabbathservices once a month during theschool year. Many of the young peoplehe contacted there professed theirfaith in Christ and joined our church,the Cache Creek congregation. Prayermeetings were held in the homesof the Apaches and of the Commanchesonce a week. A Daily VacationBible School was started in 1935 andthis proved to be profitable.Rev. Mr. Adams was very muchrespected by both the Indians andCOVENANTER WITNESSwhites. He and Mrs. Adams and their

family worked faithfully here for 16years.Throughout the years since theMission was started many personsgave of their time and energy towardreaching the Indians for Christ.Some served for many years; othersfor a few months, but all because oftheir love for the Lord. In Sketches ofthe Ministers, by Dr. Owen T. Thompsonwe find listed 101 persons who insome way helped in this work from1887 until 1930.Think about the memory verse.Only God knows how many of theIndians were counted as "jewels" becauseof the love and obedience ofthese Covenanter folks who answeredHis call to serve on this particularmission field.For the notebook: On the secondmap page, mark your own congregationand locate the Indian Mission atApache, Oklahoma. Mark these locationsby crayon or appropriate stickers.Include on the map names ofworkers, or important dates andevents covered in this lesson.For the handwork: Materials needed:4 1-2" x 6" pieces *of constructionpaper, straight macaroni, food coloringand Elmer's Glue-all. On the constructionpaper have the Juniors drawa very simple picture. This could bea Bible, a cross, a church, a teepee,a feather, a well, or anything elsethat would remind them of tonight'slesson. At home dye the macaroni differentcolors with the food coloring.Have them glue the colored macaronison their pictures and fill inthe background with plain macaroni.This project may be completed atnext week's meeting.Prayer Meeting Topicfor August 11, 1965See page 32 for July 28 topic"PRAYER THROUGH JESUS CHRISTAS A PERSON — HIS ATONEMENT"Scriptures Resources: Leviticus 16:1-34: 23:26-32; Hebrews 9:1-28; 10:1-22Psalms: 5:1-3, page 8. 40:7-12, page 103,22:1-4, page 49.Bibliography:Boettner, Loraine, "Studies inTheology", pp. 270-351, Berkhof, Louis,"Manual of Christian Doctrine", pp.212-219. Murray John, "Redemption Accomplishedand Applied", pp. 13-91.Suggested Meeting Plan:Open with a series of prayers ofthanksgiving! (ask people to thinkabout this for a minute if you desire;what about prayer requests at the lastmeeting?)Sing several Psalms of praise andthanksgiving.Announce Topic and read Scripturesfrom Hebrews listed above.Have someone report on the GreatDay of Atonement as described in theScriptures from Leviticus.Study the fulfillment of this asbrought out in the portions fromHebrews.Consider how this applies to yourprayer life. How does the humanityof Christ in our Atonement apply''How does the deity of Christ in HisAtonement apply? How does the doctrineof Limited Atonement affect ourunderstanding of prayer?In your Prayer Time suggest thateach prayer pray with the thought ofthe topic as a basis for his petition.Seek prayer requests and then claimthe promises of God which He makesavailable to us through the Atonementof His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.Pray for a consciousness of the presenceof Christ in your midst.Scribe With A Hard PencilWe all recognize that city life is full of activity. However, it would besomething akin to grievous error to conclude that nothing ever happens in thecountry. Even in the midst of summer days filled to the brim with the bustleof farm work, often there are happenings quite out of the ordinary.The other afternoon the south bound freight train could be heardthundering down the track as usual. Then, suddenly, our ears were beset withsilence. The freight train had stopped, far from any normal stopping place.After a bit we began to hear shouts. Finally they hove into view — three menfrom the freight train, obviously the engineer and brake man and conductor —chasing ahead of them one foolish stubborn Jersey heifer that did not wantto be chased, and seemed pretty mad about the whole thing. If she had beengiven hei own way, she would have stood on the railroad track. With clodsand rods they dissuaded her — at least until they could get the train in motionagain without running over her and cutting her up in small pieces.All the horse power of a diesel locomotive brought to a halt, all thepersuasive power of three high priced train men brought into action, all forthe sake of one foolish young cow that wanted to stand on the tracks at atime when it wouldn't have done!People said, "Wasn't that wonderful!"It was.Have we given serious thought to the multitude of times when thepower of God through His Divine Providence has been brought to bear upon uswhen we were foolish, but were in danger, and in need of being delivered?In the providence of God, hunger drove the Prodigal Son to say. "Iwill arise and go to my father." Thirst drove the outcast Hagar to cry, "Thou,God, seest me!" A courageous prophet compelled the guilty king David toadmit, "I have sinned."What a comfort to know that in those times when we are foolish andrebellious, God still watches over us; and we can say with the great Apostle,"The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me untohis heavenly kingdom."July 14. 19G5 29

Church NewsNOTICESubscriptions are due from thesecongregations or groups, August 1,1965: Allegheny, Almonte, Clarinda,Eskridge, Hebron, Hopkinton, La Junta,Montclair, Morning Sun, New York,Olathe, Quinter, Santa Ana, Selma,Sterling, Superior, Third Philadelphia.MISS GEORGIA SMITHMiss Georgia Smith passed awayon May 4, 1965. She was born inSelma, Alabama on January 27, 1913,and joined the Selma congregation atan early age. When she moved toNew York she transferred her membershipto the New York congregation.Georgia achieved a very special placein the hearts of our members. Shewas a devout Christian who usedevery opportunity to impart the loveof Christ to all whom she met. TheLord showed her how to win thehearts of children in a very uniqueand gentle way. She unselfishly gavemuch time and energy to the workof the church and at the time carrieda full load of teaching in the NewYork City public schools.Georgia was a registered nurse onthe staff of a New York hospital in the1940's, then decided to go into teaching.She received her B.S. degree ineducation from Mills College and herMasters from New York University.Last fall she attended Columbia Universitythree nights a week to furtherher education.At her death she was president ofthe Women's Missionary Guild, afaithful teacher in the Sabbath School,and a member of the Board of Trustees.She is survived by her mother,Mrs. Annette Smith, her sister, Mrs.Ethel Tidmore and two brothers, Mr.Caldwell Smith and Mr. ColemanSmith, and one niece. Rev. J. R. Pattersonconducted her funeral serviceon Saturday, May 8. Her friends inthe church and the community filledthe sanctuary to capacity in gratefultribute to her memory. "Blessed arethe dead which die in the Lord.and their works do follow them."WILLIAM LYNN McCLUREWilliam Lynn McClure met withdeath at the Des Moines County Homeon Tuesday evening, May 18. He waslaid to rest in the Sharon Cemetery.Mr. McClure was born near Mediapolis,Iowa, June 1, 1901. He graduatedfrom Morning Sun High School, andattended Iowa State College. He wasa life long member of the Sharon congregation.In his later years he was afflictedwith illness and with deafness.While pursuing the rounds of eveningchores, he was attacked by some ofthe live stock he was feeding.He is survived by four sisters:Mrs. Hyma Murphy and Mrs. MargaretDwyer of Omaha. Nebraska; Mrs.Mary Emma Johnson of Ontario, California;and Mrs. Mildred Mahaffy ofDes Moines, Iowa: and by one brother:Mr. Robert McClure of Morning Sun,Iowa."And there shall be no more death,neither sorrow, nor crying, neithershall be any more pain: for the formerthings are passed away."HOT SPRINGSNews items from here are so far inarrears that now they are scarcelynews. Nevertheless, during a very busyyear with shortage of "laborers", wehave appreciated the helpful visits offriends who came to see us; and wewish to acknowledge the same. Amongthese were the Rev. and Mrs. JosephM. Cason, who helped to build ourChapel. Other California visitors werethe Rev. and Mrs. Phillip W. Martinand Bruce. These friends were weekendvisitors, at different times, andeach minister brought a Sabbath message.Later, Dr. and Mrs. John DaleRussell, charter members of our congregation,were Sabbath visitors whilein Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Then,while Mrs. T. J. Lynn was here takingtreatments. Mr. Lynn and Orlena stoppedfor a week-end visit, en route toPhoenix, and Miss Lynn brought usvery helpful messages regarding ourKobe, Japan Mission. In recent yearsthe Lynns have been among our regularvisitors, and we were especiallyhappy that Miss Lynn could be withthem this time.The Rev. Verd V. Dunn, of Superior,Nebraska, assisted with communionservices March 24-28. While herehe had opportunity to see the type of"out reach" work being carried onhere, where 'The harvest truly isgreat, but the laborers are few." OnApril 28 a call v/as made by thecongregation for a pastor. The callwas unanimous for the Rev. Mr. Dunn.We are happy and thankful to announcethat he has accepted the call;and we are looking forward to thecoming of the Dunn family during thefirst week in August. May the Lordof the harvest abundantly bless theirlabors among us.On May 12-16 two members of theHome Mission Board: the Rev. R. C.Fullerton, D.D., ana the Rev. RobertFullerton, and also two visitors fromMid-West Presbytery: the Rev. GlenMcFarland and elder Andrew Robb,visited the Hot Springs congregation,and its field of labors. We appreciatetheir commendations and support ofthe call of the Rev. Verd Dunn.NEWBURGH, NEW YORKDue to illness in the family, thiscorrespondent has been rather lax insending news to the Witness.Newburgh continues to hold Sabbathmorning services either with recordedsermons or guest ministerswith fairly good attendance.During April we held a congregationalmeeting to make out a call,but the call was not accepted. Howeverwe continue in prayer and trustthat the Lord will send us a leadersoon, in His time and way.Bobby Meneely who is in the ArmedServices was home for a short timeand worshipped with us. He is at presentstationed in Texas. Other visitorswho have worshipped with us areMr. and Mrs. Millard Simmons ofBurlington, Vermont. Mr. Simmons,the son of Mrs. Elizabeth Simmons ofour congregation, is at present studyingfor his Doctor of Medicine degreeat the University of Vermont.Hostess for the April meeting ofthe W.M.S. was Mrs. Everett MclllweeThe May meeting was held at thechurch with Mrs. Elizabeth Simmonsand Mrs. Henrietta Hill as co-hostesses.At the June meeting, held at thehome of Mrs. Andrew Price, our President,Miss Elizabeth Henderson,gave a report of the second night'smeeting ot the Women's Presbyterialheld at Walton, New York.Miss Henderson. Mrs. John McKay,and Mrs. John White attended this30 COVENANTER WITNESS

meeting. Mrs. Samuel J. Robinsonattended full time at the Presbyterial.Our spring Communion serviceswere held on Friday evening, April 30,and on Sabbath, May 2, with Rev.James Carson conducting all of theservices. His messages were very inspirationaland helpful. Rev. JamesCarson was entertained in the homesof Elder and Mrs. John White andMiss Elizabeth Henderson. Rev. MrCarson also made a pastoral call onMr. Waler H. Somers, who has beenin the hospital for about a month andis now recuperating at his home. Thiscall was much appreciated.On Sabbath, May 9, Mr. ThomasEdgar of our Cyprus Mission gave avery interesting account of the workthere. On Sabbath, June 20, Rev. M.L. McFarland preached for us. Hissermon was helpful and we enjoyedmeeting him and his family at thistime.Congratulations and best wishesfor future success are due Dr. andMrs. Hugh Hunsinger on the openingof his new dental office in New Windsor,a suburb of Newburgh. We wishHugh the best in his chosen life work.Mrs. Hunsinger is the former MaryLee Meneely, daughter of Elder RobertA. Meneely.Mr. Clarence Whitehill has been illlately, due to an arthritic condition,and although he has been able to dopart of his work, he has been sufferinga great deal. He was to enterKingston Hospital for tests, and wetrust that help can be found shortlyfor his condition. On the sick listalso, was Miss Nancy Klomp who hadan appendectomy a couple of weeksago. Wc were happy to see Nancy atour services yesterday, June 20.Many of our members attended theOpen House and Dedication Serviceson Friday. May 7, and also the closingservices on Sabbath, May 9, forthe new Educational Building in Coldenham.We congratulate the friendsat Coldenham for the work done there,and wish them much success in spreadingthe Word of God in that part ofHis Vineyard. We also wish to thankpublicly, the Rev. John McMillan forthe many calls he has made on themembers of the Newburgh congregationwho have been sick, while wehave been without a regular pastor.Linda and Dewey Mclllwee, havebeen attending the young people'smeetings at the Coldenham Churchsince Newburgh has not been havingevening services.Elder John White, who was ourdelegate to Synod, gave a report ofthe meetings on Sabbath, June 27.Mrs. White attended the SynodicalOfficial Board meeting.Congratulations are due Dewey Mcllweeon his graduation from highschool, on Monday, June 28. Deweyplans to enter the U.S. Navy the latterpart of July.On Friday, June 25, the annual S.S. picnic was held at Algonquin Park,with 40 members and friends sittingdown to the picnic supper. The weatherwas very pleasant this year, anda wonderful Christian fellowship wasenjoyed by all. Thanks are due toMiss Elizabeth Henderson and Mrs.John White, the committee in charge.Temperance Sabbath was observedon June 27, with special verses beingread and a film on Temperance beingshown during Sabbath School hour.W. M. S. DepartmentOHIO WOMEN'S PRESBYTERIALMay 31 and June 1, 1965The Ohio Presbytery and Presbyterial,combined with the ordinationand installation of Mr. Donald Weilersbacher,met jointly on May 31, 1965at 7:30 p.m. in the Southfield ReformedPresbyterian Church. The meetingwas called to order by the Moderator,Rev. Jerrold S. Milroy.The devotional theme of Presbyterialwas "How Beautiful are thefeet of them that preach the gospelof peace, and bring glad tidings ofgood things." Romans 10:15b. Mrs.Leonard Harrington did a fine jobof presiding over the meetings in theabsence of the President, Mrs. C. M.Patterson. The four devotional pewereall centered around Romans10:14, 15 and were presented by thefollowing: "Who Shall Preach?" byMrs. J. D. McClure; "What Shall TheyPreach?" by Mrs. J. S. Milroy; "ToWhom Shall They Preach?" by Mrs.Charlotte Adams, and "Why ShouldThey Preach?" by Mrs. Jessie Shell.and "Why Should They Preach?" byMrs. Jessie Shell.On Monday evening, after the Moderator'ssermon "The Sin of BeingAverage," Lamentations 3:40, and theconstitution of the Court, the Addressof Welcome by Mrs. Ruth Stevensonof Southfield and the Response byMrs. Geneva Rutherford of Belle Center,we were privileged to hear LicentiateDonald Weilershbacher's sermonon "Vital Christianity", I Thessalonians1:3; and on Tuesday morninghis sermon was entitled "Contendingfor the Faith," Jude 3. W r e also witnessedthe examinations of the Candidateon Theology by Rev. Jerrold S.Milroy: Distinctive Principles by Dr.M. K. Carson; and Personal Piety byRev. Keith E. Copeland.During the Presbyterial businessmeeting, acting president, Mrs. LeonardHarrington delivered a fine message.Prayers were led by Mrs. RuthStevenson and Mrs. Clara Elsey forPresbytery and Presbyterial, Mrs.Geneva Rutherford for Junior Camp,and Mrs. Haddie Hagadorn for C.Y.­P.U. Camp. The roll call included sevenmembers from Southfield, fivemembers from Hetherton, and threefrom Belle Center.The minutes of the last meetingwere read and approved. The Treasurer'sreport was read by Mrs. M. K.Carson for Miss Roberta Rambo, andthe various superintendents gave theirreports. All were accepted. A lovelymemorial service was conducted byMrs. M. K. Carson with appropriatepoems and beautiful white peoniesplaced in a vase. Memorials were readfor Mrs. James A. Templeton by Mrs.Geneva Rutherford and for Mrs. RosabelleYoung White by Mrs. EvelynRobb. Psalms 73 and 23 were sungand Mrs. R. E. Beardslee led us inprayer. A prayer season followed forour missions. A letter from SynodicalPresident, Mrs. John O. Edgar, wasread by the secretary, and the presidentappointed various members towrite to our out-of-bound members.The newly elected officers are asfollows: President, Mrs. C. M. Patterson,Orlando; 1st Vice President, Mrs.Wilbur Keys, Belle Center; 2nd VicePresident, Mrs. Donald Harrington;Recording Secretary, Mrs. Ed Roby,Hetherton. Corresponding Secretary,Mrs. R. E. Beardslee, Southfield;Treasurer, Miss Roberta Rambo., BelleCenter.The Time and Place Committee reportedthat we would go along withPresbytery and their decision. Mrs.Milroy extended an invitation to cometo Hetherton next year.A motion was made and secondedthat we contribute S25.00 of the balanceof our treasury to the SynodicalProject. Motion was carried.The President presented the newofficers. The following Superintendentswere appointed: Foreign andSee page 32Julv 14. 1965 31

Prayer Meeting Topicfor July 28, 1965"PRAY FOR THE ATTRACTIVENESSOF YOUR CHURCH BUILDING"Scripture Resources:Exodus 25:1-40; 26:1-37; 27:1-21; 28:1-43; 30:17-38; 31:1-11; I Chron. 22:6-19;28:11-21; II Chron. 2:1-18; 3:1-17; 4:1-22;5:1-14.Psalms 29:1-3, 6, page 6696:1, 3, 4, page 232122:1-3, page 31627:4, 5, 8, page 62Suggested Plan of Meeting:Open the meeting by asking thosepresent what would be noticed mostby visitors to your church for the firsttime? (Visitors might be divided intothree categories: other Covenanters,other Christians, and non-Christians.)Have period of praise and prayerfor God's leading in your Hour ofPrayer.Select Scriptures from those abovewhich show the beauty of the Tabernacleand the Temple. Discuss thereason for such beauty.Consider the topic as it applies today.Ornate beauty as required in theOld Testament is not necessary forworship today; in fact, there can beeffective worship in the open fieldsor in a humble home. However, thesurroundings of worship can have abearing upon the participation andresponse of the worshippers.If a visitor comes to call in a homewhere the yard is overgrown and fullof junk and the house is in bad needof paint and repair, he will get a certainimpression of the people who livein that house before he even meetsthem.As the man of the world looks atthe church he will form certain impressionsbefore or if he ever enters.A church building that looks unkept orrun-down can by its very appearancebe a barrier to the non-Christian anda poor testimony for the Church.While the teachings of the Bible maybe an "offense to the world," thechurch building should not be offensive.The non-believer is brought toknow Christ frequently by the preachingof the Word, and how can we gaina hearing if the non-believer is stoppedeven before he enters the door?The inside of the church is just asimportant. Here again, cleanliness,brightness, and attractiveness removeexcuses or barriers which could keepvisitors from returning.Let's face it, the environment ofa true Church of Jesus Christ is verydifferent from the environment of thenon-Christian. But why is it different?If the church building is dirty or unattractiveor badly in need of repair,it would be very easy for the visitor toattribute the worship and teaching ofChristians to the same slipshod lackof organization and concern. The attractivenessof your Church buildingis important to visitors.It is also important to you. Can webe good stewards if we are less concernedabout the condition of God'sHouse than we are about our own? Itsattractiveness is an incentive to evangelism,and a necessity for effectiveteaching. The 1966 emphasis suggestedfor the church by the Board ofChristian Education is Facilitate. Attractivefacilities and adequate teaching"tools," equipment, and materialsare essential if we are to reach andbuild people in Christ.Take time for Prayer: Pray notonly for your own needs, but for eachof our congregations.Spider and the Fly ... from page 26several times.My attention was drawn away bysomething for a short time. When Ilooked again, the spider was on thetop casing, almost out of sight, goingYOUR OPPORTUNITY TO SERVEThe Lord, and the Church. Home Missionaries are needed towork in established congregations, to help build the Kingdom of God.Special training to be provided. S3,000 per year plus housing.Write for further information and application blank to:The Home Mission Board,care of Rev. M. W. Martin308 Dunlap StreetPittsburgh, Pa. 15214through a hole in the screen, carryingthe fly with him.Then I remembered the last stanzaof the poem I had memorized when agirl:"He dragged her up his winding stair,into his dismal den,Within his little parlor; but she ne'ercame out again.And now, my dear young friends, whomay this story read,To idle, silly, flattering words, I prayyou ne'er give heed;Unto an evil counselor close heart,and ear, and eye,And take a lesson from the tale ofthe spider and the fly."—The Free MethodistW.M.S from page 31Home Missions, Mrs. J. D. McClure,Belle Center; Temperance, Mrs. EdwardForest, Orlando; Literature andMission Study, Miss Edna Elsey,Southfield; Juniors, Mrs. J. M. Rutherford,Belle Center; Thankoffering,Mrs. Jerry Milroy, Hetherton. A voteof thanks was given to those who preparedthe program — very nicelydone! There was a rising vote ofthanks to the hostesses. The businessmeting adjourned with a Psalm andprayer.At the evening service on Tuesdaythe edict was read and a narrationgiven of steps taken thus far. . ., thecongregation's adherence to the calland the acceptance of the call. Thenthe vows of ordination, and the ordinationsermon was delivered by Dr.E. C. Copeland, Acting President ofthe Seminary. After the ordinationand installation prayer the Presbyteryextended the right hand of fellowshipand the congregation greetedthe Rev. Donald Weilersbacher. Rev.Keith E. Copeland gave the address tothe pastor and Dr. M. K. Carson addressedthe congregation. It was avery impressive and inspiring service,ending with the singing of Psalm33:1-3, and the benediction by Rev.Donald Weilersbacher.A social time followed with refreshmentsand visiting.Respectfully submitted by(Mrs. E.L.) Shirley RobyRecording Secretary32 COVENANTER WITNESS

Covenanter WitnessTO JESUS CHRIST"THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONS"VOLUME LXXV NO. 3 JULY 21, 1965 STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 15, 1965NORTH HILLSREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

THE COVENANTER WITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Editorial Address125 N. Fourth, Sterling, Kansas 67579Telephone Area Cede 316 BR 8-3472Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 toMrs. M. W. Dougherty, 125 N. FourthStreet Sterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under thesupervision of the Publication Board byThe Patterson Press, Wapello, IowaTHE BOARD OF PUBLICATIONRev. Paul Faris, Pres.Dr. Wyley Caskey, Vice °res.Dr. G. M. Robb, Sec.Mr. Donald Fee, Treas.Mr. Ross LatimerRev. M. L. McFarlandContributing Editors:Rev. Kenneth SmithDr. G. M. RobbRev. T. R. HutchesonDr. S. E. BoyleEditor— RevCHRi*T s lMr. A. D. RobbMr. Wilbur CopelandRev. T. R. HutchesonDr. R. Paul WrightDr. D. Howard ElliottDepartment Editors:Rev. Bruce C. StewartMrs. Robert B. MaineMrs. Willis M. EdgarRev. John K. GaultM. W. Dougherty, D. D.Opinion expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Church or^of the Editor.Subscription rates: $4.00 per year, domestic and overseas,2 years $7.00. Group rates, $3.00. Single copies 10cents.Agent for Subscription in U.S., Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Agent for British Isles: Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A., 12Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, North Ireland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness.All material that is to appear in the Witness shouldbe typewritten, double spaced, and should be in Sterling,Kansas two weeks beforeit is to be printed.Obituary notices are limited to one hundred fiftywords; all words in excess of that amount are one centeach. Money should accompany the notice.News for the news section should be brief and up todate. One dollar is charged for death notices that aremore than six weeks old when they reach our office. Thisdoes not apply to minutes that have been adopted by anorganization.Give us one month's notice when vou are changingyour address. This notice should be sent to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, IowaCHANGE OF ADDRESSWhen giving notice of a change of address, pleasesend the old address as well as the new address to thecirculation manager.WE HOLD THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only infalliblerule of faith and conduct.The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experience.The Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Holy Spirit.The fact of death and hell as the destiny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believein Him together with their children.The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church Government.The Lord Jesus Christ as the only King and Head of His Church.welfare That of terms the Church. of membership or communion are essential to theQUOTE"Worship is right conceptions of the characterand works of God suitably expressed. It is seeingHim, and expressing our thoughts and feelings concerningHim- It is an act of the soul. There areforms of expression used in worship, but forms andwords and attitudes are not themselves worship.That is essentially an act of the soul. We are calledupon to pour out our hearts to the Lord. God is aspirit, and they who worship Him must worshipHim in spirit and in truth. The most reverentgenuflections, the divinest strains of music, and themost devotional words are nothing and worse thannothing unless the soul of the worshiper is goingout to God in them."Rev. W. H. McMillan, D.D-, LL.D.in The Psalms In WorshipONIONS . . . from page 41in effect are saying just that. But do not forgetthat God's most severe punishment may be to takeus at our word and give us our own way, and withit send leanness to our souls.There was a young man once who insisted onhaving his own way: "Give me," he said to his father,"the portion of goods that falleth to me." And hisfather took him at his word, but the granting ofthe son's request led ultimately to the swine-troughsof the far country, where "no man gave unto him."But, thank God, there is a way back, even from theconsequences of self-will. It is to say, as the prodigalsaid, remembering the plentiful provision of hisfather's house, "I will arise and go to my father, andwill say unto him, Father, I have sinned ..."—Reformed Presbyterian WitnessThe duty which rests upon officers to maintain discipline andpreserve the purity tf the Church.Spiritual worship as a divine requirement mediated through theLord Jesus Christ.The exclusive use of the Psalms ln the worship ot the Church.The Protestant interpretation of the Sacraments.The divine right of the institution of Marriage and that it 1*not to be dissolved except by adultery or "irremediable" desertion.The Sabbath as a day sacred to rest and worship.The duty of nations and their civil rulers to honor Christ a*King of Kings and Lord of Lords.That Christian cit zens are under oDligatlon to obey lawful authority.The right and du y of the Christian citizen to dissent from allgovernmental and nat onal disobedience to the Law of God.That the Covenan » of the past are still binding.From "The Communicant's Class" by J. B. Tweed34 COVENANTER WITNESS

Publication Board —1. That congregations subscribing to The Covienanter Witness on the club plan, be reminded of' the proportion of subscribers necessary in order to' entitle the congregations to club rates — which proiportion is: 90 percent of the famihes of the conigregation.••< 2. That our ministers and other qualified writersli. in the Church be strongly urged to accept assignisments from the editor of the Witness for articles tofc be published.i 3. That when one of our pastors delivers a mes-*i sage of outstanding quality, his congregation makei it a point to request this message condensed intoarticle form and length, and send it to the WitnessD. for publication.4. That our Church inaugurate a special campaignthis year to place subscriptions to The CovenanterWitness in the hands of students away fromhome, in the hands of men in our armed forces,and in non-Covenanter homes — through gift subscriptionsand other suitable means-. Coordinating Committee —1,1 • 1. That the Contributed Budget of Synod for"'' 1966 be set at $150,500.00.* 2. That the Clerks of Presbyteries be directed tosend to the Chairman of the Coordinating Com-!"* mittee the names of their representatives as soon*": as their Presbytery appoints them, so that informae" tion and a reminder can be sent to them before the9* meeting.** Reformed Ecumenical Synod, Regional Conferencee*' 1. That pastors inform their congregations of«* the Regional Conference of the R.E.S. and that ouriktf churches make it possible for their pastors, eldersi0 and others to attend. (July 26-28, 1966, Grandiji# : Rapids, Mich.)led>• Foreign Mission Board —#* 1. That the Synod authorize the continued appealfor an ordained minister to establish a BibleSchool in Cyprus for training of native Christianworkers.^/ 2. That Synod authorize the continued appealuu^for six teachers and personal workers for Cyprus^iox at least two full years on the field.^iSigns of the Times —j

Glimpses of the Religious WorldT. R. Hutcheson820 New YorkHolton, KansasMINISTERS SALARIES BELOW MEDIANHarold Sedrel, a personnel director in Rock Island,Illinois, is quoted in Miss>"n-Grani5, published by the FreeWill Baptist Home M ons, on the approach whichshould be used to determine how much to pay the minister.He suggests starting with the national median income.Half the families in the United States receive lessthan the median, and half receive more. In 1963, the figurewas $6,20;. Mr. Sedrel thought that considering theminister's training and responsibilities the pastor shouldbe paid the median amount plus the use of the parsonage.There are complications. The above median includesfamilies of the unemployed and underemployed, as wellas the retired. For families with the "head a year-around,full-time worker," the 1963 median was $7,483. Wherethe head of the family is a "professional, technical, orkindred worker," the figure was $9,837. The figures aresupplied by the Bureau of the Census.Some differences are noted for different parts ofthe country. In the Northeast the median is $431 abovethe national average; in the North Central States, $169above; in the South, $1,140 below; in the West $988.88above.GHETTO LITANY IN CHICAGO CHURCHThe First Congregational Church, on the west sideof the Chicago Loop, is an old church, but the presentregime has inaugurated new ideas. The attendance, in aracially mixed area, had dwindled to as few as eight people.But there were about 1000 at the service which markedits change to "Metropolitan Cathedral of Secular Issues,"on July 4. One half of these were delegates to theconvention of the United Church of Christ, one of thethree denominations supporting the Urban Training Centerfor Christian Mission. The Rev. Archie Hargraves,director of mission development for the Center, conductedthe service. Other denominations cooperating inthe project are the Protestant Episcopal Church and theUnited Presbyterian Church.The special report to The New York Times indicatedthat the "highpoint of today's service was a litany ledby Mr. Hargraves." Then it quotes some of the responsivereading:Leader: O God, who lives in tenements, who goesto segregated schools, who is beaten in precincts, whoin unemployed—Congregation: Help us to know you.Leader: O God, who hangs on street corners, whotastes the grace of cheap wine and the sting of theneedle—•Congregation: Help us to touch you.Leader: O God, who can't read nor write, who is onwelfare and who is treated like garbage—Congregation: Help us to know you.Leader: O God, whose name is Spik, black nigger,guinea and kike—Congregation: Help us to know you.Leader: O God, who is cold in the winter, whoseplaymates are rats — four-legged ones who live with youand two-legged ones who imprison you—Congregation: Help us to touch you.Leader: O God, who smells and has no place tobathe—Congregation: Help us to be with you.Leader: O God, who hustles 50 cents for lousy wine,who sells copper and lead to clean his clothes—Congregation: Help us to touch you.Leader: O God, whose toys are broken bottles, tincans, whose play yard is garbage and debris and whoseplayhouse is the floors of condemned buildings—Congregation: Help us to touch you.Leader: O God, who is a bum, a chiseler, who islazy, because people say you are when you don't workand you can't find a job—Congregation: Help us to be with you.Glimpser: we are not sure what is the appropriatecomment; because we are not sure what the deviser ofthe litany meant. If he wants to impress worshippers withthe fact that Christ came to save sinners, and that Christidentified Himself with fallen man, there is some point.If, on the other hand, the worshippers are made to identifythemselves with God, as opposed to the clean and thesober, then harm has been done.Glimpser: Some people really live as this litany describesthem. But worship is something different thanself-pity.GREAT SOCIETY REQUIRES GREAT MENRiverside Church in New York City has been considereda center for the proclamation of the "socialGospel." As the Glimpser understands this term, it is theidea that if man's social environment is made good hewill become a good man. Now for excerpts from a recentsermon by Dr. Robert J. McCracken, the present pastorof Riverside. The statements indicate that the social Gospelhas not done the job, and cannot be expected to."People generally have not been stirred to theirdepths by the challenge to build the Great Society. Manyregard it as a political strategem; others see in it onemore Utopian dream.... Our real problem is not technologicalor economic, but moral and spiritual... Modern manhas made nature his servant, bound the continents togetherand created for himself numberless comforts andSee page 4836 COVENANTER WITNESS

MINISTERS TO THE HEIRS OF SALVATIONRev. E. Clark Copeland, D. D-Professor in the Reformed Presbyterian Semin^.-yIt is an unusual occasion when a heavenly beingcalls on a man. The sacred writer says (Heb. 13:1)that in the course of showing Christian kindnessto strangers some have unknowingly entertainedangels. Would you like an angelic visitor?One's mind goes to the incident of the threestrangers who turned out to be heavenly messengersafter Abraham had opened his home in simple, yetunstinted hospitality. These men were unusualangels. After they had told Abraham they were ontheir way to Sodom, we read (Gen. lo:22," "The men. .went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet beforethe Lord." There seems to be a diflerence a-mong them, though Abaraham had not recognizedsuch. ("The Lord" has been introduced to the reader,but not to Abraham, in the soliloquy in vv. 17-19.)Abraham then pleads with God for Sodom and Lot.Chapter 19:1 tells us that the other two strangers,now called angels, appeared in Sodom."The angel of the Lord" appeared several timesin the history of God's people. He appeared twiceto Hagar and saved her son's life (Gen. 16:7ff; 21:-17ff). He stopped Abraham from slaying Isaac andshowed him a ram to take his place (Gen. 22:11).He appeared to Jacob in Padan-Aram (Gen. 31:11),spoke to Moses at the burning bush (Ex 3:2), andled Israel through the wilderness (Ex. 23:20; 32:34,etc.). He appears with messages to a number ofpeople in the book of Judges. Probably his lastmentioned appearance (Isa. 37:36) was when heslew Sennacherib's army and delivered Jerusalem.This angel seems to be especially related to theLord Himself, and in some of the accounts "theLord" and "the angel" are used interchangeably forthe same being: note Gen. 16:7ff, where we aretold that "the Lord" found Hagar . ."and he said. . .She answered. . .and the angel said. . " etc.When He had gone Hagar "called the name of theLord that spoke to her 'Thou God seest me'." Jacobseems to do the same as he blesses Joseph's sons(Gen- 48:15-16): "the God which fed me all my lifelong, the Angel which redeemed me from all evil. ."( The AV capitalizes Angel.) In describing God'sloving care for Israel Isaiah says (63:9), "In alltheir affliction he was afflicted, and the angel ofhis presence saved them: in his love he redeemedthem; and he bore them, and carried them all thedays of old." The reference here is obviously to theredemption from Egypt and the wilderness journeywhen God said ". . . mine Angel shall go beforethee" (Ex. 32:34). There is only one instance wherethis angel does anything but graciously aid theheirs of the covenant in realizing the blessings promisedin the covenant. In 2 Samuel 24:16 (cf. 1Chr. 21:16) he is the minister of judgmentupon the covenant people when David tookthe military census. It is worthy of note thatin the first verse of this chapter, we are introducedto the incident by the statement that God was angrywith Israel, though we are not told Israel's sin whichbroi: v it on God's wrath.Angels do not always appear singly. Angelsviewed creation (called "sons of God" Job 38:7). Thelaw is said to have been spoken by angels (Heb. 2:2;cf. Deut. 33:2; Acts 7:53; and Gal. 3:19)- A chorusof them sang to the shepherds at the birth of Christ,and they will be present in 10,000's at the triumphantreturn of the Lord and participate in theevents of that great day (2 Thess. l:7ff). A doubleprocession of angels made Jacob aware of the fellowshipand protection of God as he started off toHaran. Again he was comforted and encouragedwhen the "angels of God met him" just before helearned that Esau was coming. They must haveappeared as an army for his protection, for he calledthem "God's host" and named the place Mahanaim,"army camp" (Gen 32:1-2). Elisha and his servanthad a similar experience when the Syrian armysurrounded Dothan to capture the prophet and preventhim from telling the military secrets of the Kingof Damascus to Ahab (2 Kings 6:17).Angels are described as spirits whom God sendsto minister "to the heirs of salvation" (Heb- 1:14).As supernatural beings they enjoy privileges mencannot enjoy. They are in the direct employ of thetriune God. When Christ became man He wasmade for a little time lower than the angels thatHe might bring "many sons into glory" (Heb. 2:7,9).However, except in their supernatural properties,the angels are in every way inferior to man. Theyare the guardians and servants of man as they wereof Christ, the second Adam as Satan pointed outat the temptation, and as Jesus told Peter at thetime of His arrest (Matt. 26:23). Further "they desireto look into" the mysteries of divine grace (1 Pe.1:12), but will learn of it only as they see it displayedin men who have been called to expert .2 it(Eph. 2:7). The saints will be their judyc^ v^ Cox.6:3). They shall eternally sing the praises of Himwho redeems sinners and makes them sit with Himon His throne, but will not share in the glory of it(Heb. IT. 2-L).it is immensely rewarding to s 'redness tostrangers.Julv 21. 1965 37

A BRIEF HISTORY OFTHE CENTRAL PITTSBURGH REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHMrs. Chades E. McKissockTo trace the history of the Central Pittsburgh gregation in 1865, the Allegheny congregation continuedcongregation it is necessary to go back to the yearto worship in the old church at the corner1797, because prior to this most of the Covenanters of Laccck an ndusky Streets. Dr. Sproull wasresided east of the Allegheny Mountains. In the fall pastor there until October of 1868. Upon his reignation,of 1797, Rev. John Black was assigned to labor a-a division occurred and a Centralmong the societies west of the Allegheny Mountains. Allegheny congregation was formed in October ofHis labor was to be done in the vicinity of the two1870. The Rev. David B. Willson was installedcities, Allegheny and Pittsburgh- A congregationpastor of the Allegheny congregation incentering around Pittsburgh was organized underthe general name of "Ohio," and Rev. John Blackwas installed the pastor, December 18, 1800. Theservices were held in the old courthouse until 1803when the famous Oak Valley Church was built onLiberty Street. Here the congregation worshippedharmoniously until August of 1833 when a divisionin the church occurred and a great majority of themembers (including Dr. Black) departed from thedistinctive principles of the church and went intothe New School body. There were but thirteen membersof this body which held to the distinctive principles,and in September of 1833 they reorganizeda new congregation. Rev. Thomas Sproull was installedpastor, May 12, 1834. He held a most successfulpastorate of 34 years, during which timea large and influential congregation was built up.On October 1, 1836 a church was erected on thecorner of Lacock and Sandusky Streets in Alleghenyand for thirty years the congregation worshippedin this church-November, 1870, and they worshipped in a newchurch building. Rev. John W. Sproull was installedpastor of the Central Allegheny congregation inApril, 1871, and they worshipped in the UnitedPresbyterian Seminary until the occupation of achurch on Sandusky Street.Thus at this tirne in the early 1870's there werethree congregations. The Eighth Street congregation(Pittsburgh) under the pastorate of Rev. David Mc­Allister; the Allegheny congregation under the pastorateof Rev. David B. Willson and the CentralAllegheny congregation under the pastorate of Rev.John W. Sproull-Rev. Mr. McAllister continued as pastor of theEighth Street congregation until June 13, 1907. Hewas succeeded by Rev. Thomas H. Acheson whowas pastor from January, 1908, until March, 1925.In September of 1926, Delber H. Elliott becamepastor.Rev- Mr. Sproull continued as pastor of theCentral Allegheny congregation until October 26,In October of 1865, fifty-eight members formed1909. He was then succeeded by John Yates whoa new Pittsburgh congregation and in May, 1866,Rev. A. M. Milligan became the first pastor of thenewly organized congregation. For nineteen yearswas pastor from June, 1910, to October, 1915. In1916, Robert Cameron Reed became pastor.It was under the pastorate of Robert CameronDr. Milligan preached with great power and success Reed and Delber H. Elliott that the Central Alleghenyin Pittsburgh. His health failed in 1884, and he diedof an incurable disease in May, 1855. The newlyformed congregation worshipped for a short timein the city hall and in 1870 a church was erectedon Eighth Street in Pittsburgh. And thus we havethe birth of the famous Eighth Street or Pittsburghcongregation.In October of 1887, Rev. David McAllister wasinstalled pastor. He was not only a great preachercongregation and the Eighth Street con­gregation united. On July 25, 1927, the sessions ofthe Eighth Street and Central Allegheny congregationsmet together at the Eighth Street church toconsider the possibility of a union. There was a desireexpressed by members of both congregationsfor such a union. At this meeting it was concludedthat the proposition to unite the two congregationsbe given prayerful consideration by the people- Aand pastor but was equally well known and committee of two from each session was appointedappreciated in work outside of his congregationalcharge. He was one of the leaders in National Reformwork. He continued to fill the pastorate untilthe time of his death, which occurred on Juneto draft a paper for presentation to each congregation.This paper was so worded that the memberscould express their preference for a place of worship,whether at Eighth Street or Central Allegheny,13, 1907.After the organization of the Pittsburgh con­or to erect a church building in a new location.These petitions were prepared and submitted.38 COVENANTER WITNESS

The result was overwhelmingly in favor of a unionand with a desire for a new location.The two sessions met again on September 12 toreview these petitions and consider what furthersteps should be taken. At this meeting certain recommendationswere passed and these recommendationswere to be submitted to each congregation,meeting in its own church, September 28, 1927.Included in the recommendations were the following:that the name of the united congregationbe "Central Pittsburgh Reformed Presbyterian Congregation";that the trustees, session, and deaconsbe chosen from both congregations that the proposednew church be located in th neighborhoodof Union or Cedar Avenues of the North "^de; thatthe present pastors be continued a ' ici .te pastorsof the united congregation and that the recommendationsif adopted, become binding only oncondition that they be adopted by both congregations.Central Allegheny and Eighth Street congregationsthen met separately in congregational meetingson September 28, 1927. Central Alleghenypassed every recommendation unanimously andelected their deacons. The Eighth Street congregationdid likewise but not until the 9th of November-On February 14, 1928, a special meeting ofPresbytery was held in the Central Allegheny congregationand the petition for the union of the twocongregations was presented to Presbytery at thattime. It was at this meeting in February that Central-Pittsburghcongregation was formed.In the meantime the Central Allegheny congregationsold their church property located onSandusky Street. A lot situated at the corner ofUnion Avenue and Park Way was taken as partpayment for their building.The two congregations then worshipped in theEighth Street Church until a building was erectedon the newly acquired property.It might be well to mention here that on September20, 1927, the corner stone of the buildingwas laid.At the death of Dr. Reed, Dr. Elliott became fullpastor of the newly formed congregation. He servedwith much vigor, enthusiasm, and sucess fortwenty-one years, until November 1, 1947, when heresigned as pastor-The congregation was then without a pastor un-Angust 1, 1948, when Rev. J. Renwick Pattersonbecame pastor. He ably served the congregation untilJune of 1951, when he resigned in order to takeup the work of the National Reform Association. Hewas elected to the office of Executive Secretary ofthat Association.(To be continued)'ulv 21. 1965RECOMMENDATIONS . . . from page 35Mastery Month" and the portion chosen be the bookof Malachi.Stewardship Committee —1. That Sabbath, November 14, 1965, be observedas Stewardship Sabbath, and that pastors beurged to preach a message on tithing that day.2- That in connection with Stewardship Sabbath,the Stewardship Committee provide literature ontithing, and tither's pledge cards to each congregation;that our people be urged to enroll as tithers;that the pledge cards be turned in to the sessions,and used as the basis for reporting the number oftithers.3. That any suplus in contributions to Synod's1966 Budget be designated for the work of ChurchExtension.International Conference Committee —1. That Synod look with favor upon an exchangeof personnel with the Scottish and Irish R.P.Churches as a means of strengthening our witness toReformation Principles and that pastors be encouragedto work out the details involved in such an exchangeof pulpits with the help of Dr. R.B. Tweed.Committee for Developing the Geneva CollegeFinancial Campaign —That each delegate of the 1965 Synod be appointedas a committee of one to further the enthusiasmfor Geneva College in their individualcongregation and do everything possible to furtherthe collection of Synod's overall goal of $500,000in their home church.National Reform Association —1. That earnest prayer be offered that the membersof our denomination and of other denominationswhich have an interest in national reformwork, be awakened to see what each can do as hisshare of responsibility in the Christian crusade.2. That God's guidance be sought as this armof the (.IrdxA.x reaches out into society striking against evil in its visible forms, am aring themessage which strikes at evil in the beans of men.39

3. That every Covenanter home be encouragedto read the Christian Statesman-Temperance Committee —That pastors, S.S. Superintendents, .eacners,parents, and youth leaders keep this issue alivethroughout the coming year.Committee on Pastors' Refresher Course —1. That the 5th Pastors' Refresher course beplanned for 1967.2. That pastors be urged to pl^r *"heir schp^ulesahead in such a way as to make it possible to attendsuch meetings.Committee on the 150th Anniversary of the AmericanBible Society —1. That the members of the church continue toremember the work of the American Bible Societyin prayer.2. That in 1966 the various organizations of thecongregations consider participating in the Biblea-MonthClub.3. That each congregation find a place for theA.B.S. on its yearly budget or set aside one Sabbathof the year for taking of a special offering forthe Society.Witness Committee —1. That pastors preach on the subject of secretSocieties at least once in 1965.2. That either the Sabbath before Memorial Dayor the Sabbath before the Fourth of July be designatedChristian Amendment Day and that ourministers be urged to preach on the nation's dutyto Christ and to use the bulletin covers furnishedby the C.A.M.Time and Place Committee —That Synod in 1966 meet in connection withthe National Conference at Carleton College, Northfield,Minnesota, August 10-17.Psalmody Committee —That the tract "Psalmody" by Dr. R. C. Fullertonbe given wide distribution.Board of Home Missions and Church Extension —1. That the Board be granted permission to trainand make available to the church, elders, retired,from their vocation, to serve in vacant congregationsas "Special Stated Supplies." These men shallbe recommended by the Board to the Presbytery forappointment to congregations requesting suchleadership.2. That Synod approve the calling and training,by the Board of persons to serve as "Home Missionaries."These persons are to be employed by theBoard and permitted to serve in pastored congregationsunder a program of the local congregation butresponsible to the Board and in accordance withthe policies of the Board.Oath Committee1. That pastors and sessions keep remindingthose under their care of the necessity of using theExplanatory Declaration whenever the oath to theConstitution is required-2. That all be encouraged to report to the OathCommittee any helpful information or experiencein the use of the Explanatory Declaration, such asnames of individuals who have expressed willingnessto use i: if elected, reactions to inquiries concerningwillingness to use it, and other plans usedto alert afficials or candidates to their responsibilitiesunder Christ.Committee on Ministers' Hospitalization —1. That ordained pastors and ministerial employeesin church-related work, active and retired,be eligible for participation in the Ministers Lifeand Casualty Union group hospitalization plan.2. That those eligible to participate in the planbe given opportunity to enroll before April 1, 1966with the understanding that 50 per cent of all premiumswould be paid by the ministers and the remaining50 percent paid by the denomination,through participation in Synod's budget, subject tothe approval of this item by the 1966 Synod.Elders' Conference —That all sessions organize, with special attentionto prayer, for a well-planned campaign to increasethe outreach of their congregations.Finance Committee —1. That the Board of Church Erection be grantedthe permission to make a special appeal to thechurch for funds and legacies for enlarging theBoard's rotating fund.2- That congregations which feel that theyshould pay their ministers a larger salary, but areunable to do so, should be encouraged to appealfor aid through their Presbyteries, to the Board ofHome Missions and Church Extension.Committee on Ministers' Salary Structure —1. That the minimum minister's salary in theEast and the Far West be $4200 plus $100 additionalfor each dependent (not wife) plus $50 incrementfor each year of experience up to ten years, and thatthe Midwest minimum minister's salary be set at$4200 with the same increments as for the Eastand Far West, plus a parsonage or its equivalentin both cases, and that this be implemented overa five year period by the Board of Home Missionsand Church Extension beginning in 1967.2. That each Presbytery appoint a three-membercommittee consisting of at least two lay membersto evaluate the salaries paid the ministers intheir presbytery and report every three years toSee page 4840 COVENANTER WITNESS

OurYouthMORE ONIONSBy Rev. Hugh J. Blair, M.A., Ph.D.From the Israehtes wistful recollection of theonions in Egypt we have already been reminded ofthe prejudices of memory, the preciousness of scarcity,and the price of liberty. There are some otherlessons that we can still learn from them.IV THE PERVERSION OF TASTEThe most tragic feature of Israel's rebellion at;his time was the perversion of their taste. "Weremember the onions: but now our soul is dried.-.\N.IV: there is nothing at all, beside this manna,before our eyes." Having developed an appetite foronions, they had lost their relish for more delicatelyflavoured foods: the onions ultimately destroyedtheir appetite for angels' food. Is not that part ofthe tragedy of the modern quest for the sensational?In one of his books F. W. Boreham quotes H. G.Wells' description of the changes that overcameBromstead, and turned it from green fields intofilthy slums: "There seemed to be more boardsby the railway every time I passed, advertising pillsand pickles, tonics and condiments, and suchlikesolicitudes of a people with no natural health orappetite left in them." It is possible to get sucha craving for the sensational and spectacular thatcommon things no longer make any appeal to us.We see it illustrated in the reading habits of peoplewho are so accustomed to having their imaginationsstimulated by the sensational and the spectacularthat good literature no longer has the slightest attractionfor them. Absorbed in sensational fiction,hair-raising drama and spectacular films, peoplecan so easily lose their appreciation of the finerand gentler things in life. The onions of Egyptcan destroy the palate's appreciation of the mannaof God. The famous soprano, Jenny Lind, was askedwhy she had turned her back on her brilliantcareer on the concert platform. When the questionwas put to her, she was sitting by the seaside,with her Bible on her lap, watching the sun setacross the waters in a blaze of glory- "I found," shesaid, looking at the magnificence of the sunset,"that I was losing my taste for that"; and, holdingup her Bible, she went on, "And I found that I waslosing my taste for this; so I gave it up."The same perversion of taste can happen evenin spiritual things. Modern methods of evangelism,with their emphasis on the large and the spectacular,and their urge to entertain, have made somerrMitb EM$ftdissatisfied with the simple gospel and the simpleworship of God, and have forgotten that the Divinemethod is "not by might, nor by power, but by MySpirit, saith the Lord."V. THE PLENTY OF GOD'S PROVIDINGThe people were convinced that the manna wasnot adequate for their needs. They cried, "Whoshall give us flesh to eat?" "Yea, they spake againstGod; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?"But God could and did. Moses could notsee how God could supply meat for so great amultitude. "Shall the flocks and the herds be slainfor them," he asked, "to suffice them? Or shall allthe fish of the sea be gathered together for them,to suffice them?" God had a simpler method ofprovision. He sent a great wind which brought agreat number of migrating quails around the camp,so exhausted that, flying about two cubits abovethe ground, they were easily struck down by theIsraehtes and captured- God had provided a table inthe wilderness.But, quite apart from the quails, which weresuperfluous to Israel's need, God had made abundantprovision for them in the manna, which neverfailed during the years of their wandering. I supposemost people have longings for things whichthey have not got: and it is very easy to forget God'spromise, given through His servant Paul: "My Godshall supply all your need according to His richesin glory by Christ Jesus." We can always be sureof the plenty of God's providing.VI. THE PENALTY OF SELF-WILLThere was a tragic ending to the story ofIsrael's craving for the foods of Egypt. They had insistedthat they must have flesh to eat; and, in thewords of the 106th Psalm, "He gave them their request;but sent leanness into their soul." Theirgreedy and careless use of the meat which hadbeen so miraculously provided brought plague andmisery and death. As the writer of the 106th Psalmputs it, "They waited not for His counsel; but lustedexceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God inthe desert." They were determined to have theirown way, and God gave them their own way, butsent leanness to their souls-It is possible to say, in defiance of God, "I musthave my own way: I am going to live my own life,and no one is going to stop me." It is possible to saythat, and there are many young people today whoSee pega 34July 21, 1965 41

A PAGE FOR JUNIORSfor August 15, 1965THE INDIAN MISSION — RECENTAND PRESENT DAYSTheme Psalm: 72, page 175, verses9-12.Psalm 100, page 237, verses 1-4.Memory Verse: "Sing unto theLord, bless his name, shew forth hissalvation from day to day. Declarehis glory among the heathen, hiswonders among all people."The Mission farm was sold in 1940with 10 acres kept for Mission buildingsand grounds. Mr. D. C. Ward andhis wife Mary visited the Mission in1941 to initiate the work of badlyneeded repairs on the buildings. Whenthe Rev. R. C. Adams left in 1942, theWards were asked by the Home MissionBoard to return for three months tocarry out the repair work and alsoto carry on the regular mission work.The three months were extended andthey also served the Lord here for 16years. This was a homecoming forMary Ward. She was the daughter ofRev. and Mrs. W. W. Carithers andhad grown up at the Indian Mission.The Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Ward carriedon the teaching and preaching at theFort Sill School. When out of stateyoung people were brought to theschool, this gave opportunity for workamong the Navajo Tribes from Arizonaand New Mexico. By 1951 the weekdayBible classes were cancelled andonly the Sabbath services were permittedat Fort Sill.See page 4542Across1. A kind woman whom Peter raised from the dead. Acts 9:366.-shall ye be my disciples. John 15:88. You play baseball with a ball and .9. A Jewish girl who became a queen. Esther 2:8, 913.eye for an eye. Matt. 5:3815. The sister of Mary and Lazarus. John 11:117. The mother of Samuel. I Sam. 1:2019. Who do you want me to release, Barabbas Jesus? Matt. 27:1720. An old prophetess who saw the baby Jesus. Luke 2:3623. As as received him, to them gave he power. John 1:1225. Cast them into a furnace of . Matt. 13:4226. Joseph had a that all the stars bowed to him. Gen. 37:927. A word maketh it glad. Prov. 12:25Down:1. The first woman judge. Judges 4:4The Moabitess who went with her mother-in-law. Ruth 1:22Stand in , and sin not. Ps. 4:4not vain repetitions. Matt 6:7Thy will be done in earth, as is in heaven. Matt. 6:10A parentless child minus the last letter. Lam. 5:3The wife of Abraham. Gen. 18:9There is nothing hid from the thereof. Ps. 19:6Wait the Lord. Prov. 20:22The mother-in-law of Ruth. Ruth 1:22The mother of JesusEven as a gathereth her chickens under her wings. Matt. 23:37Not any.Your Father knoweth what things ye h^ve of. Matt. 6:8Take heed that you do not your before men. Matt. 6:1Noah built an . Gen. 6:13, 14unto others as ye would that others should do unlo you.Matt. 7:122.3.4.5.7.10.11.12.14.15.16.18.21.22.24.26.COVENANTER WITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of August 15, 1965Sabbath School Lessonfor August 15, 1965CHRISTIANS GROW THROUGHSERVICERom. 12; James 2:14-26.Comments by John K. GaultWith the beginning of Romans thetwelfth chapter, the Apostle Paul entersupon the practical side of hismessage. As we can notice, in thefirst eleven chapters he has dealt withsuch great doctrinal subjects as Justificationby Faith, Election by Grace,The Wages of Sin, The Inner Conflict,The Believers' Security and othersubjects. In 11:36 he closed his greatdoctrinal dissertation with a doxologyfollowed by "Amen." With 12:1 he proceedsto show how the Christian beliefsmanifest themselves in the livesof people. In simple terms this lessonis an exhibition of the relationshipbetween faith and works. The two arecomplementary. We cannot have onewithout the other.1: The Incentive to Christian Service.There is an "incentive" for everythingwe do in life. For example, theincentive to provide for our familiesleads us to get a job or engage in acertain occupation. The incentive tobring people to Christ leads some toenter the Christian ministry or to goas missionaries to distant lands. InRomans 12:1 Paul states the incentivewhich should lead people to enterChristian service and it is in the words,"by the mercies of God." He baseshis entreaty upon this great incentive.The mercy of God is not deservedand cannot be earned. Sin is the everpresentmalady that afflicts the membersof the human race. It is the underlyingcause which has brought theworld to its present state of moralchaos. But God in His aboundingmercy has provided for sinful man away of salvation, and that way isthrough Jesus Christ "who became sinfor us, even he who knew no sin."Apart from the mercy of God, mankindis utterly without hope. It, therefore,becomes the great incentive inall Christian activity.2: Christians Grow Through Self-Surrender.The word which Paul uses in verse1 is "present." When one presentssomething it is a gratuity. If one givessomething with a mercenary motive inmind, then it is not presented. If oneengages in service in order that hemay gain something in so doing, thenit is not a presentation; it is not asurrender of self. God said to Isaiahafter his lips had been purified withthe live coal from off the altar, "Whomshall I send, and who will go for us?"Then Isaiah said, "Here am I, sendme." Isaiah did not lay down any conditionsupon which he would go. Heheld to no reservations, but simplyand unhesitatingly said, "Here am I,send me."People are in no position to makeany bargain with God. Nothing thatman can do will begin to repay Godfor what He has done for him. Theonly service which promotes Christiangrowth is a wholehearted surrenderof self, that God may use a personin the building of His kingdom.3: Christian Service is a "LivingSacrifice."A "sacrifice" involved the sheddingof blood, for without the shedding ofblood there could be no remission ofsins. A "clean" animal "without blemish"was slain and burned upon thealtar. It was set apart and consecratedby being put to a sacred use. The objectiveof the sacrificial service wasto make atonement for sin and towin God's approval. The Christians ofRome were exhorted to present theirbodies as a "living sacrifice." Theywere to be dedicated and hence consecratedto the service of God. And,through the presentation of their bodiesthey showed a willingness to sufferand die for the cause of Christ.They thus became a "living sacrifice,"and as such were "holy and acceptableunto God." A sacrifice which is "holy,acceptable unto God "must be a livingsacrifice" for Christ has beenthe one to die as a sacrifice for sin.4: Christians Can Grow Through A"Reasonable Service."The service of Christ is the mostreasonable service in the world. Inthe light of man's sin and inability tosave himself; in the light of God'swonderful love and the perfect sacrificeof Christ on the cross, Christianservice is a most reasonable service.Isaiah said in 1:18, "Come now, andlet us reason together, saith the Lord;though your sins be as scarlet, theyshall be as white as snow; though theybe red like crimson, they shall be aswool."Being able to reason is one of thefaculties in which man is like Godhis Creator. God has endowed peoplewith logical minds; consequently, manhas accomplished some great inventionsand scientific discoveries. Morse,the inventor of the telegraph, wastruly logical when he sent as his firstmessage over the connecting wire,"What hath God wrought!" A logicalmind, in its reasoning, endeavors to goback to first causes. To fail to acceptof Christ and to "seek first"His kingdom is, therefore, an indicationof great folly. It is not strangethat the psalmist should exclaim, "Thefool hath said in his heart there is noGod." God is the first cause and theproblems of the universe cannot beexplained apart from Him; and to engagein His service is to be associatedwith the greatest and most remunerativebusiness in the world.5: Christian Service is Not Like theService of the World but is the Resultof an Inner Change.Paul says in verse 2 of this lesson,"And be not conformed to this world:but be ye transformed by the renewingof your mind." "Conformed" meansto be fashioned after. People usuallywear clothes which are fashioned afterthe prevailing customs of thetimes. Paul means by this that in moralswe are not to be in the fashionof the world. There are many spheresof conduct which are considered rightin fashion by the world but which arevery unbecoming to the child of God.On the other hand Paul tells usto be "transformed by the renewingof our minds." To be transformedmeans to experience an inward change.Transformation is a change which isunalterably connected with the essenceof an object. Out near Holbrook,Arizona is the "Petrified Forest NationalMonument." Evidently at onetime in the world's history that areawas covered by a forest of great treesbut something happened that causedthose great, trees to turn to stone. So,the area is littered with, not growingtrees, but with trunks of great treesturned to stone. They have beenchanged in essence.Now, people are to be transformedin reverse order from the petrifiedtrees. The hard and stony hearts ofJuly 21, 1965 43

people are to be transformed by thesoftening influence of God's Spirit.This was what Paul meant when hesaid in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Thereforeif any man be in Christ, he is a newcreature: old things are passed away;behold, all things are become new."When people are filled with the Spirit,they can engage in Christian servicefor they are filled with the Spirit.Transformation implies a change inthe heart wherein good takes the placeof evil.6: In Christian Service One is Notan Egotist."Egotist" means "self-exaltation" asthe dictionary says. Paul tells us inverse 3, "For I say, through the gracegiven unto me, to every man that isamong you, not to think of himselfmore highly than he ought to think."In other words Paul says, "Do not beegotistical, but think soberly." Let usremember that Christian activity isthe result of Christ's indwelling presence;therefore, it is the Spirit workingin us and not we ourselves.7: Christian Service Makes Use ofChristian Ethics.These ethics are presented to us in12:9-21. Moral values are expressed bythese ethics as pure love for God andother people. "Let love be withoutdissimulation Then, there is "patiencein tribulation." Liberality is expressedin "distributing to the necessityof saints." Adaptability is presentedin "Rejoice with them that do rejoice,and weep with them that weep."Being agreeable is implied in "Be ofthe same mind" and forgiving is impliedby, "Recompenseevil for evil."to no man"Lesson based on International SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessonsfor Christian Teaching, copyrighted 1958by the Division of Christian Education NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ iii theTT C A "JUNIORS ... from page 42Stone from the third floor of theold Mission building had been savedand a link with the past was formedwhen this stone was used to erect twopillars at the entrance of the churchand parsonage. A wall was completedin front of the Mission property andthe old Mission bell was mounted nextto one of the pillars.In 1952 it was reported that CorporalAustin Klinkole of the CacheCreek congregation was killed in actionin Korea, the first fatality of theCovenanter Church in the KoreanWar. His body was sent home and hewas buried with full military honors.At this time many serious problemswere faced by the Mission. The needfor recreation facilities was one ofthese. If recreation was not furnishedby the Mission, the Indian's onlymeans of entertainment was sittingon the corner, going to the movies orfrequenting the taverns. About thistime beer was legalized in Oklahomaand its sale to the Indians also wasmade legal. This of course increasedthe problem of alcohol which was alreadybad. Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Wardworked diligently to fight this evil.Another problem was created bythe shifting population. The Governmentat this time was making strongefforts to scatter the Indians with thewhites into other localities so thatthey would have more opportunitiesto find work. Also many Navajos joinedthe church while at the Fort SillSchool, but were sent home at theend of the school year. As you can seethis caused a fluctuation in the membershipand attendance at the church.As when Mr. Adams was at theMission, the Indians continued to belacking in a sense of their responsibility.This showed up in the area offinances. Mr. Ward endeavored tomake them aware of their responsibilityto the Lord in financial matters,but the long years of training by thegovernment to take anything theycould get was difficult to overcome. Areport of the Home Mission Board in1954 says this of conditions at theIndian Mission. "While improvementsare constantly being added to the physicalwelfare of the Mission, the workof the Mission in presenting JesusChrist to the Indians is harder thanever before. With the increase of thecomforts and conveniences of life,there is a decrease in the receptivityof the Indian to that which ministersto the spiritual welfare. Pray for ourworkers." How true this is even withourselves. We turn to the Lord intimes of trouble or when faced withgrave problems. But when all is goingwell and we are surrounded by goodthings we sometimes forget the Onewho is responsible for^our well being.A high point was reached at theMission when in 1955 they gatheredfor the signing of the Covenant whichwas signed by members of all of ourchurches at the Grinnell National Conferenceand later on in home congregationsby those who had not attendedGrinnell. Dr. Remo I. Robb assisted incommunion at this time and led in theCovenant signing. Mr. Ward used taperecordings of the services at Grinnellto help prepare the Indians for thisserious step.Mr. Ward resigned in 1956, butagreed to stay until a successor couldbe found. He and Mrs. Ward celebratedtheir Golden Wedding Anniversarywhere they had been married 50 yearsbefore, the Indian Mission. No onewas found who was willing to take upthis work and in February of 1958 theentire church was asked to unite inprayer for the Mission. Following theday of prayer, Mr. Jerry Hayenga, agraduate of Covenant Park Seminaryoffered himself for this work. He wasaccepted and then took a year of studyin our own Seminary. Dr. and Mrs.Jesse C. Mitchell served at the Missionfrom October 1958 until June of 1959when Rev. Mr. Hayenga and his wifebegan work.In May of 1964 Rev. Mr. Hayengawrote the following, "The young peopleare very active in all of ourchurch activities. We are well pleasedthat they come out for prayer services.... Please pray that God will use usin bringing the Good News of salvationto these young people and adults.It is our desire to see souls saved andlives rededicated to the Lord."In a Covenanter Witness datedApril of this year the following reportof some of the activities of the CacheCreek congregation was presented.Average attendance at Sabbath School—22; average attendance at church—24; attendance at Juniors — 18 (howmany are in your Junior group?); Wednesdayprayer meeting — 13. OnThursdays the women meet for a sewingand quilting circle and enjoy thistime of Christian fellowship. The firstMonday of each month is set asidefor a food and clothing sale. Servicesare held at the Fort Sill High Schoolevery six weeks with attendance at200.Progress seems slow and the futureat times seems uncertain, but who canmeasure the good that has been donesince 1887? At that time the CovenanterChurch felt a deep obligationfor the soul of the Indian. His spiritualneed is just as great now as then andour obligation is just as great now asthen.As you pray for those at the IndianMission remember these things:1. That Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Hayen-44 COVENANTER WITNESS

ga will have the wisdom to help theIndian people meet their spiritualneeds.2. That the members will desire togrow in the grace and knowledge ofChrist.3. That the young people will dedicatetheir lives to Jesus and Hisservice.4. That the financial needs may bemet.5. That God's will may be done concerningthe continuing of this work.For the notebook: Fill in additionalmaterial from tonight's lesson on thesame map page you started last week.For the handwork: Complete themacaroni pictures started last week.Other than being time consuming,the teaching end of our work has beenenjoyable and with little strain. Onthe other hand the mission work hasbeen agonizingly difficult. The Lord,I am sure, is willing to accomplish thegoals we stated above and I am alsosure that all our difficulties can betraced back to our unwillingness tobe completely consecrated to the task.That He is willing we have seen fromthe times this year when we havefaithfully proclaimed His word andhave seen its power in the conversionof young people in the school. But thatHe does not care to use wooden utensilshas been seen when we failed toexhibit the tender yearning for souls(of which Paul speaks in this chapter)and those who had keen interest in theGospel suddenly grew cold. We thereforeearnestly desire your prayersthat we may possess in full the qualitieslisted in the above Scripture.At the time of this prayer meetingwe should have just completed theTroodos Conference (Aug. 10-16). Atthis writing thirty-five young peoplefrom the Academies are registered forcamp and we are planning a programaround the theme, "The Great Searchfor God." The results of the earlierconference this year were consideredexcellent. Pray that this camp mayalso have lasting fruit.Your servants for Christ,Jim and Judie RelfPrayer Meeting TopicScribe With A Hard Pencilfor August 18, 1965"PRAY FOR MR. and MRS. JAMESRELF"Prayer Psalms to sing:Psalm 86, page 210, vrs. 1-4, 8Psalm 69, page 168, vrs. 25-30Psalm 40, page 102, vrs. 1-4Scripture:I Thess. 2 (William's Translation)Suggested Plan for Using This Scripture:I can't think of a better passage asa listing of the qualities a missionarymust have. After reading the chapter,It was our privilege to go, the other day, on a 4-H Tour.What does one see on a 4-H Tour? Some enchanted forest full of elves?A mid-western replica of the World's Fair, perhaps? Or possibly a water falltwice the size of Niagara?What one sees on a 4-H Tour is more important than any of these.For the benefit of the tenderfeet from the city let it be said that on a 4-HTour, boys and girls and young people are seen displaying their individual projects—possiblycattle, or sheep, or pigs—that they, themselves, are caring for.Each participant tells how much he is feeding and what he is doing in his particularproject. When he has finished with his talk, he is subjected to questioning,and to having judgment passed upon his work by the other members of hisgroup.Such was the 4-H Tour, scheduled for fourteen different farms. This washave the group pick out various qualitiesrural America's younger generation in training. The youngsters took theirand give examples of applicationto modern day mission work. Whatwas involved in the "terrific strain"training seriously. Their leaders demonstrated how to judge an animal formarketable features. This was training at the grass roots. This was developmentof America's greatest resource, her children. This was more important by farPaul experienced in mission work than World's Fairs, or enchanted forests, or water falls, or sight seeing tours.(vs.2)?These youngsters will not likely be among those who stand on streetSuggestions for prayer:It has been a year now since Judieand I left our work in the Seattlecorners and loaf, because they have nothing to do. These youngsters are busy,they are interested, they are learning.Other kinds of training, also, are taking place. Vacation Bible Schoolscongregation to volunteer for two have been, and will be, going on in cities and towns and in the country. Whatyears in the Cyprus Christian Corps.Our calling has been to do personaldo we find taught in Vacation Bible Schools? The interpretative religious dance?The techniques of Sanscrit translation? The principles of ecclesiastical art?evangelism work through contactsWhat is taught in Vacation Bible School is far more important than anymade while teaching at the AmericanAcademy in Larnaca. Ultimately weare seeking to establish a CovenanterChurch here in the Island. That Godmay give us the grace to accomplishthese goals is chiefly what we askof these.The pupils are kept busy memorizing Scripture, learning various phasesof the Truth of God which "endureth to all generations," learning to pray, doinghand work related to their Bible studies, practicing the singing of theLord's praises.This is fundamental training at the grass roots. Nothing is more important.for in your prayers.July 21, 1965 45

Church NewsThe Rev. and Mrs. Alvin W. Smith,Jr. have returned home from Cyprusafter two years of service there. Heis available for preaching. Requestscan be sent to Rev. Robert Henning,502 2nd Ave., Eastvale, Beaver Falls,Pa. 15010.Miss Eleanor Faris arrived homefrom Japan on July 3. She came homea year early for her furlough becauseof the illness of her father.LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIAA beautifully appointed tea in honorof Mrs. Elmer Russell was givenby her son and daughter-in-law, Mr.and Mrs. Arthur Russell of Whittier,California. A color scheme of yellowand green was carried out in the floraldecorations. This was occasionedprevious to the departure of Mrs. E.G. Russell to our Reformed PresbyterianHome in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Our congregation has been privilegedin having Mrs. Russell forquite a number of years, and we willmiss her for she was always helpfuland regularly attended the servicesif at all possible.Four of our Geneva College studentsare home for the summer; twoof these received their diplomas.Home from teaching in Minneapolis,Minnesota is Theodore Chao.The Rev. Charles H. Chao has justrecently returned after almost sixmonths in many points in the FarEast, in connection with the work ofthe Reformation Translation Fellowship.We also welcome Dr. Samuel Boylehome after many weeks of work withthe Christian Amendment Movement.PFC Dennis Huizing of Fort Jackson,South Carolina, and PVT HowardHuizing of Fort Ord, California, havehad short visits with their parents duringthe last few NOTICE weeks.For Sale — 160-acre farm by a retiringfarmer. Good land, buildings,and location. It is near the ReformedPresbyterian Church at Glenwood,Minnesota.Carl GehlharGlenwood, Minnesota46BELLE CENTER, OHIOOur Communion was held on April11 with Rev. Kenneth Smith as the assistant.He brought us helpful messages.Janet Marie Keys was received asa member at this time. Members presentfrom White Cottage, Ohio wereMiss Marjorie George, Elder J. C,James and Richard. Those from Cincinnatiwere Misses Clara and GraceWagner.April 25, Dr. and Mrs. M. K. Carsonwere at Rose Point, Pennsylvaniawhere Dr. Carson assisted Rev. JosephM. Caskey in Communion services.Some of our members have been inthe hospital: Mrs. S. W. Morrison, MissRoberta Rambo, and Mrs. J. M. Keys.We are glad that all are at home andseem to be improvedMrs. Ralph Mathews of Baldwin,Illinois came to see her mother, Mrs.J. M. Keys, while she was in the hospital.We are happy to have Mr. and Mrs.Max Lereck and family of Waynesfield,Ohio attend our services regularly.Mrs. Edith McClure returned homeafter visiting about four months in theWest with her son Arthur and familyand other relatives and friends. Hersister, Mrs. Florence Chaffee, of Gilmanton,New Hampshire, accompaniedher home for a short visit.Mr. and Mrs. H. Hughes of Lima,Ohio celebrated their fiftieth weddinganniversary on May 12. They attendour services regularly.Ann Keys, a student at MemorialHospital in Lima, Ohio, has enteredthe Herman-Keifer T. B. Hospital inDetroit, Michigan for a six-weeks periodas part of her training assignment.The Ohio Presbytery and Presbyterialmet at Southfield, Michigan,May 31 and June 1. Dr. and Mrs. M.K. Carson, Mrs. Edith McClure, andMrs. J. M. Rutherford attended fromour congregation. Each had a part onthe program.Mrs. J. M. Rutherford was calledto Baldwin, Illinois by the serious illnessof her father, Mr. E. B. Patterson,who had suffered a stroke on June 3.Mrs. J. Roy Templeton visited herdaughter and family in East Liverpool,Ohio for a few days in the first partof June.Covfamikoi Family Conference meton top of Lookout Mountain at CovenantCollege, Chattanooga, Tennessee,June 18-25. Those attending from ourcongregation were Dr. and Mrs. M.K. Carson, Melba and Rose Mary Rutherford,Janet and Robert Keys, Mr.and Mrs. Wilbur Keys and Jocele.They report a large attendance, a fineConference and a safe trip. They expectto meet at Covenant College,August 11-18, 1967. Next year the nationalConference meets at CarletonCollege, Northfield, Minnesota.Dr. and Mrs. M. K. Carson spentone night with Mrs. Carson's cousin,Mrs. D. R. Campbell, Townsend, Tennessee.While our pastor and wife wereaway two Sabbaths, June 13 and 20,attending Synod and Covfamikoi Conference,the Deacon Board had thechurch redecorated.Mrs. R. H. Reed received word,June 23, of the sudden death (coronaryattack) of her brother, John C. Alexander.The funeral and burial were atSan Mateo, California.Recent visitors with friends andrelatives were Dr. and Mrs. Paul D.McCracken enroute to Santa Ana,California where he accepted a call;Miss Mary Harsh and Mr. WillardHarsh of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania;Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Harsh, Nashville,Illinois; Mr. and Mrs. Robert Templeton,Indianapolis, Indiana; Mrs. MarjorieSpeer, Dennison, Ohio; Mrs. LoisAnderson, Bellefontaine, Ohio; Mr.and Mrs. Howard McConnell and Jeffrey,Rose Point, Pennsylvania; Mrs.Florence Chaffee, Gilmanton, NewHampshire; Mr. and Mrs. Otis Tannehill,Clifton, Ohio; Mr. John Keys,Indianapolis, Indiana; Mrs. ElizabethFreeman, Kansas; Mr. and Mrs. E. S.Dill, Orlando, Florida; Mr. and Mrs.Ralph Morrow, Ruthann and Nancy,Piqua, Ohio; Mr. and Mrs. MauriceReed, Sterling, Kansas; Mr. David Edgar,Berkley, California; Mr. and Mrs.Lloyd Edgar, Morning Sun, Iowa.The heavens declare the glory ofGod; and the firmament sheweth hishandiwork. Ps. 19:1.There is no speech nor language,where their voice is not heard.Ps. 19:3.COVENANTER WITNESS

W. M. S. DepartmentFor August, 1965GROWTH THROUGH THE PROVI­DENCES OF GODThis topic may be a little hard tounderstand simply because we can notunderstand all God's reasonings. Providenceis the watching or lookingover us by God, His care for mankind.Chapter 5 of "The Confession ofFaith" explains 'of Providence.' Withthe Holy Spirit's illumination we canbegin to understand God's providences.1. Yieldeth righteousness. Hebrews12:5-15Jesus tells us clearly that we areto lose our lives for His sake. Ourtotal lives must be placed in Hishands, under His control. God doesnot call His people out to the hardesttrials first, but trains us slowly. Hisgentleness is shown by fitting ourtrials to our strength. God's hand isshown in all things sent to us. Hischastening of us is really proof ofHis love and care. The best of us havefaults that need to be corrected. Ourearthly fathers corrected us as children,and we appreciated it — ourheavenly Father must do the same andwe should appreciate this also. Howmuch more should we love our heavenlyFather than our earthly fathersfor this. God's correction is not condemning,but rather the protection ofour souls, so that we might live andbe like God. If God does not punishus at times, then we really don't belongto God's family. Certainly wedon't like the punishment, but afterwardswe can look back and see theresult — a growth in grace and character.We must maintain our faith,patience, and courage at times likethis. We must earnestly try to live aclean and holy life, for without holiness,no man shall see the Lord. Donot think lightly of the Lord's discipline.God disciplines those He loves.2. Sufficient Grace. — II Corinthians12:9, 10.Matthew Henry's commentarystates that grace signifies two things—(a) the goodwill of God toward us,and (b) the good work of God in us.God's feeling toward us is love. Hegives kindness and love as a free giftto sinful people. "My grace is enoughfor you, for where there is weakness,come all of Satan's temptations. Weand VIII Personal Preparation.cannot be rocking-horse Christians, ** The last chapter, "Visitors atplenty of motion but no progress. Our Work," makes the book an excellentspiritual life is either increasing ordecreasing — there being no standstillin nature or grace.We receive the benefits of the Covenantmanual for a series of church workersconferences as it presents four visitsat length with questions for the purposeof evaluating the call. Finallyof Grace by the Holy Spirit's there are presented six so calledleading us to repent of our sins andbelieve on Jesus Christ as our Savior.Every one who truly repents and believeswill receive eternal life. "I can"make" or "break" situations whichmight be encountered on a call andwhich all would do well to consider.— D. P.do everything God asks me to withthe help of Christ who gave me thestrength and power." Philippians 4:13.Our growth through the providencesof God should be as in Ephesians4:13—"unto a fullgrown man, untothe measure of the stature of the fulnessof Christ." II Peter 3:18 — "Growin the grace and knowledge of ourLord and Savior Jesus Christ." Letthe beauty of Jesus be seen in you.BOOK REVIEWTHE PASTORAL MINISTRY OFCHURCH OFFICERSBy Charlie W. SheddPublished by John Knox Press,Box 1176, Richmond, Virginia. 71pages. Price $1.25 (paper).Granted that not everybody issuited to calling, and that this bookis written primarily for church officers,one quite often finds himselfeither by design or by accident, whethera church officer or not, in the roleof calling on behalf of the church.This book presents in a simple,straightforward approach both thebasic principles and practical essentialsof calling in this capacity.Not only does Mr. Shedd state theprinciples and essentials but interweavesappropriate practical illustrationsof a variety of calls. There arealso found numerous one-sentence suggestionssuch as: "Blessed is theBOUNDARIES UNLIMITEDBy Neil Wyrick, Jr.Published by John Knox Press,Box 1176, Richmond, Virginia. 96pages. Price $1.00 (paper)."Boundaries Unlimited" consists of89 brief (approximately 125 word)messages designed originally as telephonedevotionals but here presentedfor use primarily as daily devotionals.Some are quite convicting, inspirational,and thought provoking.However, others are misleading andinconsistent with the overall contextof the book and particularly withScripture. For instance: "Be as busyat building a solid foundation for daysunknown as you are at building afinancial foundation. Do not pass Godby too often. . . " This seems to implythat it is all right to pass God byonce in a while. This is just the kindof advice we all like to hear.Or: "Choose a church and keep itsmembership faithful by your faithfulaction. Give your God you." Supposethe church of my choice and my "God"are without Christ?Or: "There is no fault, no sin, nocrime, God will not forgive." CompareI John 5:16. God will not forgivethe sin of total impenitence.GOD'S VIEW OF SUCCESS — D. P.How empty and short-lived are theglory and the pride of this world. Ifwe are wise, we will live for Godand eternity; we will get outside ofourselves, and will care nothing forthe honor and glory of this world.In Proverbs we read, "He that winnethsouls is wise." If any man, woman,or child by a godly life and examplecan win one soul to God, hislife will not have been a failure. Hewill have outshone many mighty menof his day because he will have seta stream in motion that will flow onand on forever and ever.—D. L. Moodychurch officer who remembers hisamateur standing." And: "Blessed isthe church officer who does not speakglibly beyond his own experience andability." These are terse bits of advicewhich once read are not easily forgotten.Major chapters are: II Principles,IV The More Serious Calls, V SomeOther Visits, VII Seven "Do's" andSeven "Don'ts" for Church Callers,my July power 21, is 1965 shown the more completely"Jesus had sufficient grace to47over­

ON THE MOUNTAIN TOPOne of the high lights of my experience occurredwhen it was my privilege to be a visitor at a portionof the Covfamikoi Conference of the Ohio-IllinoisPresbytery at Covenant College in the northernedge of Georgia, June 18-21.My first impression was of the unparalleledbeauty of the setting for this event. Many passagesin the Bible utilize the aesthetic and spiritual appealinherent in high places. The familiar poeticdeclaration, "I to the hills will lift mine eyes," wasbrought readily to mind as one approached thecollege campus by a drive of some seven miles fromthe foot of Lookout Mountain to its very tiptop.Once there the traveler does not need to lift up hiseyes to the hills, for he is looking down on a magnificentpanorama of mountains and valleys inwhatever direction he gazes- But the upward lookthrills him too with the glories of clouds and skyand at night the canopy of sparkling stars. Also thenight view of the thousands of twinkling lights ofthe city of Chattanooga seems to be an earthlycopy of the heavens. The former luxury hotel,known as the "Castle in the Clouds," is now a luxurioushome for the college and for rehgious conferences,making the word "camp" seem inappropriate.The setting is eminently suited to the worshipof God and the study of His Word.An interesting feature of the conference was theinclusiveness of the personnel. Not only was therea wide geographical distribution, but all ages werein evidence from the tiniest infants to those who,like me, are living beyond the allotted time chronicledby the writer of the Ninetieth Psalm. Amongthose in attendance I was delighted to find somedear friends with whom I was years ago associatedwhen I was a student and later a member of thefaculty of Geneva College.Everywhere about the campus I was deeply impressedwith the spirit of earnest devotion to thepurpose of the "camp." The singing of Psalms withfrequency and enthusiastic spirit of praise was uplifting.In the competently planned and administeredprogram the various worship services, discussions,sermons, and addresses were challenging, vitalizing,and instructive. The atmosphere throughoutmy stay was one of profound spirituality. ThePresbytery concerned is to be congratulated uponthe success of this most profitable eclesiastical enterprise.Earl A. MooreBowling Green, KentuckyEd. — Mr. Earl A. Moore, Ph.D., is a graduate ofGeneva College, 1916, a professor in Bowling Green for33 years and in other schools since his retirement fromthat institution.RECOMMENDATIONS . .. from page 40Synod's Salary Committee.Special Resolution —So that it may be reported how solidly Synod isbehind the implementation of the law and order ofthe Church, Synod reaffirmed its position on PoliticalDissent under the conditions stipulated in therevised Chapter 30 of the Declaration and Testimony.YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO SERVEThe Lord, and the Church. Home Missionariesare needed to work in established congregations, tohelp build the Kingdom of God.Special training to be provided. $3,000 per yearplus housing.Write for further information and applicationblank to:The Home Mission Board,To Rev. M. W. Martin308 Duplap StreetPittsburgh, Pa. 15214GLIMPSES . . . from 36luxuries But he has not rooted out of his nature theinstincts of greed, pugnacity and cruelty. He has conquerednature, but he has still to conquer himself... Thebiggest obstacles to the building of the Great Societyare not in men's brains but in their hearts ... Changemen at the core of their being, and their actions andrelations to their fellows will be changed. Without thatinward change there can be no lasting reform. Greatnessin man is a prior requisite of a Great Society."48 COVENANTER WITNESS

CovenanterKKFORMEB PiiESBYTEllU*THEOLOGICAL SE.MLVAIiYPlTTSr-L'RGH^TO JESUS CHRIST"THE SAVIOUR AMD LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONS'VOLUME LXXV NO. 4 JULY 28, 1965 STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 22, 1965More SureThan The Stars

THE COVENANTER WITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Editorial Address125 N. Fourth, Sterling, Kansas 67579Telephone Area Code 316 - BR 8-3472Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 toMrs. M. W. Dougherty, 125 N. FourthStreet Sterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under thesupervision of the Publication Board byThe Patterson Press, Wapello, IowaTHE BOARD OF PUBLICATIONRev. Paul Faris, Pres.Dr. Wyley Caskey, Vice Pres.Dr. G. M. Robb, Sec.Mr. Donald Fee, Treas.Mr. Ross LatimerRev. M. L. McFarlandContributing Editors:Rev. Kenneth SmithDr. G. M. RobbRev. T. R. HutchesonDr. S. E. BoyleMr. A. D. RobbMr. Wilbur CopelandRev. T. R. HutchesonDr. R. Paul WrightDr. D. Howard ElliottDepartment Editors:Rev. Bruce C. StewartMrs. Robert B. MaineMrs. Willis M. EdgarRev. John K. GaultEditor— Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D. D.Opinion expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Church or of the Editor.Subscription rates: $4.00 per year, domestic and overseas,2 years $7.00. Group rates. $3.00. Single copies 10cents.Agent for Subscription in U.S., Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Agent for British Isles: Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A., 12Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, North Ireland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness.All material that is to appear in the Witness shouldbe typewritten, double spaced, and should be in Sterling,Kansas two weeks before it is to be printed.Obituary notices are limited to one hundred fiftywords; all words in excess of that amount are one centeach. Money should accompany the notice.News for the news section should be brief and up todate. One dollar is charged for death notices that aremore than six weeks old when they reach our office. Thisdoes not apply to minutes that have been adopted by anorganization.Give us one month's notice when you are changingyour address. This notice should be sent to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, IowaCHANGE OF ADDRESSWhen giving notice of a change of address, pleasesend the old address as well as the new address to thecirculation manager.WE HOLD THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only infalliblerule of faith and conduct.The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experience.The Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Holy Spirit.The fact of death and hell as the deitlny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believein Him together with their children.The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church Government.The Lord Jesus Christ as the only King and Head of His Churchwelfare That of term's the Church. of membership or communion are essential to theOBEY IF YOU WOULD KNOWSearch the Scriptures, and remember that onlyas you obey that Word will you get further light.This is one of the great principles of the spirituallife.You can continue your studies in philosophy,mathematics, etc., and not be obedient to whatyou learn; but you cannot do that in the school ofGod. The moment your obedience stops, your learningstops. Obedience is the organ of spiritual revelation.God does not give a second revelation untilyou have obeyed the first. God does not carry youon in His school until you have obeyed the lessonsHe has already taught you.And one of the ways to keep yourself in the loveof God is to keep searching His holy Word to knowwhat is in it. You keep yourself in the love of Godby learning more and more what the Word of Godteaches, and then transmuting what you receive intoholy humble obedience. "If any man will do hiswiU, he shall know ..." (John 7:17).—A. T. PiersonGLIMPSES . . . from page 52for Baptist churches. But John Knox got there first! TheReformer, whose huge statue may be seen in the quadrangleof Edinburgh's chief theological school, New College,still casts a long shadow across the land. So onefinds in Scotland only about 120 Baptist churches with atotal membership of approximately 20,000."This Week's WitnessJesus' Disturbing PresenceGlimpsesInfant BaptismHistory of North Hills ChurchS.T.P. ..Page for JuniorsLesson Helps .ScribeChurch News515253555658596162The duty which rests upon officers to maintain discipline andpreserve the purity cf the Church.Spiritual worship as a divine requirement mediated through theLord Jesus Christ.The exclusive use of the Psalms ln the worship of the Church.The Protestant interpretation of the Sacraments.The divine right of the Institution of Marriage and that lt Isnot to be dissolved except by adultery or "Irremediable" desertion.The Sabbath as a day sacred to rest and worship.The duty of nations and their civil rulers to honor Christ anKing of Kings and Lord of Lords.That Christian cit zens are under obligation to obey lawful authority.The right and du y of the Christian citizen to dissent from allgovernmental and nat onal disobedience to the Law of God.That the Covenan 3 of the past are still binding.From "The Communicant's Class" by J. B. Tweed50 COVENANTER WITNESS

Editorial CommentJESUS' DISTURBING PRESENCEby E. Eugene StewartThe prisoner stood bound in the royal judgmenthall, His features drawn with suffering andstained with bloody sweat. The judge emerged fromhis chambers and wearily addressed the officerswho held the man. "What accusation bring yeagainst this man?" The answer (John 18:30) wasevasive, for they had no charge worthy of the punishmentthey sought. A modern court, uncertain as toa specific charge, might solve the dilemma bycharging such an one with "disturbing the peace"—a neat category covering a multitude of transgressions.Yes, you recognize the case. It was Jesus ofNazareth, a Galilean, who had a long record as adisturber of the peace.Jesus' conception by the Holy Spirit was disturbingknowledge to Joseph. This humble, devout carpenterhad not yet taken Mary as his wife, yet shewas found to be with child. His emotions in turmoil,Joseph was "minded" to put her away, until divinereassurance came.Jesus' birth was most disturbing to that half-Jew potentate, King Herod, who was "troubled," andassembled his council in emergency session to dealwith this threat to his throne by another King ofthe Jews. His agitation became violence as, "exceedingwroth,' he ordered the slaughter of the innocentsin a vain effort to protect himself.Jesus' twelve-year-old curiosity disturbed Josephand Mary as they discovered Him missing from thecamp the first night away from Jerusalem. Theysought Him "sorrowing," and were amazed and relievedas they found Him in the Temple.Jesus as a man came to John for baptism andsaw the natural elements disturbed as "the heavensopened" and a Voice was heard-Jesus disturbed the headquarters of evil; andSatan himself, trembling with awful concern, stalkedJesus in the wilderness, tempting Him, seekingto thwart the purpose of the Son of God.Jesus' interpretation of Isaiah's prophecy disturbedHis fellow-townsmen as He, at home in thesynagogue, read the Scriptures according to Hiscustom. They were "filled with wrath," and soughtvainly by violence to silence Him.Jesus disturbed the routine ebb and flow of hfein tranquil Galilee as multitudes left their villages tohear and see the wonders and signs which He did.Jesus' power, authority, and presence so disturbedthe unclean spirits from the kingdom of darknessthat they screamed recognition in fear of Him."Hold thy peace, and come out of him," were Hiswords of deliverance.Jesus' presence in Jerusalem so disturbed theself-righteous Nicodemus that, while darkness prevailed,he came to hear from Him words of Life.Jesus disturbed the daily work of the fishermanZebedee by calling his heirs from the family netsso that the hiring of untrained servant was necessary.Jesus was not afraid to disturb the domain ofdeath as He manifested the living power of the Wordin miraculous resuscitations of those He loved inCapernaum, Nain, and Bethany.Jesus "sore displeased" the keepers of the Temple,priests and scribes, so that a design for deathwas plotted- Their tool, the twisted Judas. His kissbrought sorrow and blight to the apostolic band sothat he could not forgive himself.Jesus stood in judgment hall and caused disturbancein the house of Pilate as the mob howled forHis blood. Pilate's wife "suffered many things" ina dream because of Him. The procurator was constrainedthrough fear to "wash his hands" and thusproclaim, in pantomine, his innocence.Jesus on the cross was a most disturbing Presenceto the centurion, who was drawn by the spectacleto breathe in awe, "Truly this was the Son ofGod," his pagan philosophy shattered.Jesus Christ in resurrection power so disturbedthe world that tremors radiate still, reinforcing thetriumphant cry of the apostle, "O death, where isthy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"He was a disturbing Person — this Jesus of Galilee—butthe story is not ended. He sent the HolySpirit at Pentecost, disturbing the festival with supernaturalmanifestation and message, turningthousands to the New Way. His Spirit was presentin Paul and Silas at Thessalonica, disturbing a greatmultitude, and setting the city "on an uproar," sothatit was said they had "turned the world upsidedown."He has not changed. He is disturbing men today.Sinful men, self-righteous men, apathetic men, demon-possessedmen. He knocks, and knocks again,awakening, inviting, demanding, leading, lovingmen. Men who want God. Men who don't want God.Jesus disturbs them. He disturbs me.—The Free MethodistJuly 28, 1965 51

Glimpses of the Religious WorldT. R. Hutcheson820 New YorkHolton, KansasBIBLES IN DEMAND IN NIGERIAThe Bible Society Record points out the tremendousdemand which has been found in Nigeria for Bibles.Nigeria has a population of fifty million, one fifth of thepeople of Africa. In the city of Lagos and vicinity, 15 colporteurssold 130,000 Scriptures in eight months, 4,000being complete Bibles. The August issue of the Recordfeatures the program of services to the blind.PASTOR OPPOSES CHURCH DISCOUNTSEmerson R. Rugh, pastor of the Village Chapel E.U.B. Church, Brandon, Florida, wrote in Christian Heraldan article called "I Protest: Church Begging." The piecewas reprinted in Gospel Herald. Author Rugh, in protest,has had the title "Rev." removed from all his credit cardsand charge plates; never tells the salesperson that thepurchase is for the church unless asked point-blank; refusesa discount if he can do so without causing embarrassmentto the clerk; often says, "Thank you kindly,but we're not asking for that. I am sure you have yourown church to give to. We don't expect you to supportours"; urges the organizations of his congregation toavoid any request or hint for a church discount.He contends, "If the church is the church of theKing of Kings, it ought not to stoop to market-streetbegging. Let the members refrain from asking the merchantfor 10 per cent and let the members give thetenth from their own incomes."HORSE CULTIVATORS TO PARAGUAYHorse-drawn equipment is out-of-date in U.S. andCanada; but in many parts of the world it is the markof progress over human power. The Mennonite CentralCommittee of Canada recently solicited horse cultivatorsfor use by the Indians of Paraguay, who are beinglocated on small farms of their own. Often several familieshave to share one cultivator, as Iowa farmers usedto share a threshing machine. The equipment sought wasthe one-horse type, reported to be no longer made inAnglo-America. Three hundred thirty-four were collectedin the Western Provinces and shipped to Paraguay.PAKISTAN GOVERNMENT STUDIES CONVERSIONSThe Parliment of Pakistan was questioned aboutthe conversion of Pakistanis to Christianity. A parliamentarysecretary reported to the government that 2,700 Hindusin the country had been converted to the Christianreligion in the past five years; no Muslim had changedhis faith. Most of the converts were from among the"untouchables," members of the depressed class of Hindus.The number of Christians in the country now is 733,-000, compared to 540,000 in 1951. Some consider that theincrease is due to improved statistics rather than to improvedevangelism.Incidentally, the headline in the news service reportof the above observation said, "Pakistan Orders Inquiryon Finances of Missionaries."NARRAMORE CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION MOVESDr. Clyde Narramore, Christian psychiatrist andfounder and director of Narramore Christian Foundation,has announced that building is starting on the newheadquarters of the organization. Ten acres of land sixmiles east of Los Angeles city hall was donated to thegroup, and this will be the new center for the program.The work of the Foundation includes: daily radio broadcasts;psychological services to missionaries; correspondenceand literature departments; seminars in counselingfor Christian leaders; a large psychological clinic, andinternships for graduate students in psychology.CHRISTIAN SCIENTISTS PLAN CONSTRUCTIONAt the same time, directors of The Mother Church,First Church of Christ, Scientist, have announced plansfor an ambitious project in Boston. Their constructionwill involve ten years, 31 acres, and 71 million dollars.Among the features will be a 22-story headquarters buildingand publishing house, 16 acres for a housing andcommercial development; a seven-acre park, and a 600-car underground garage. Pretty nifty for a group whichdenies the existence of matter.SOUTHERN BAPTISTS ORGANIZE FOR BOSTONAlso active in Boston area are the Southern Baptists.The Baptist Press calls the Hub of New England the lastof the million-plus population centers in which SouthernBaptists have established a church. The new congregationis the Metropolitan Baptist Church, Cambridge, near Harvardand near Massachusetts Institute of Technology.Perhaps also near the Covenanters. The Southern BaptistHome Mission Board has asked its president, John W.Hughston, to become pastor of the Cambridge congregationand to direct the Baptist program for the metropolitanarea.SCOTTISH BAPTISTS A MINORITYThe last issue of The Baptist Record features therecent meeting in Miami Beach, Florida, of the BaptistWorld Alliance. Descriptions are given of Baptist work inseveral countries, among them Scotland. Writes Dr.Noland Howington, "One might imagine that this fondnessfor independence and the reverence for the Biblefor which the Scots are noted would furnish good soilSee page 5052 COVENANTER WITNESS

INFANT BAPTISMIn The Light Of ScriptureObjections To Infant Baptism:(1). Circumcision, it is urged, was merely acarnal ordinance, destined to pass away and havingno connection with baptism. Circumcision was aspiritual ordinance (Rom. 2:28, 29) and it is a mistaketo place circumcision on the same level as theMosaic ceremonial laws; circumcision was quite independentof those' laws and in its Biblical usagegoes back to Abraham. The Scriptures do connectcircumcision and baptism.(2). There is neither command nor example forinfant baptism in the New Testament. This is true,but in no way affects the validity of infant baptism.It should be noted that the whole Bible is our ruleof faith and conduct, and that those who make thisobjection are not consistent with their own methodof interpretation. They allow women to partake ofthe Lord's Supper. Where is the command or examplein the New Testament for admitting womento the Lord's Table? We believe that there aresound Biblical grounds for the admission of womento the Supper, but if we followed the type of reasoningillustrated by this particular objection, the argumentfrom silence, then we should have to debarthem. We have seen that for many centuries childrenwere recognised as members of the visibleChurch, and the New Testament nowhere says thatthis must now cease. The argument from silencecuts both ways! Where, for example, does theBible command that all those who are born and,reared in Christian homes must profess faith beforethey are baptised? Where in the New Testament isthere a single example of this? Dr. A. A. Hodge inhis commentary on the Westminster Confession ofFaith writes: "There are only eleven cases of baptismrecorded in the Acts and the Epistles. In thecase of two of these, Paul and the Ethiopian eunuch,there were no children to be baptised- Five of thecases were large crowds. After Stephanas was baptisedwith the crowd among "the many Corinthians,"Paul baptised his household. Also were the householdsof Lydia, of the jailer, of Crispus, and probablyof Cornelius, baptised. Thus in every casein which the household existed it was baptised. Thefaith of the head of the household is mentioned, butnot that of the household itself, except in one case,and that as a general fact. The apostles also addresschildren as members of the Church. CompareEph. 1:1 with Eph. 6:1-3, and Col. 1:1, 2 with Col-3:20."(3). The most important objection to infantbaptism is that Scripture requires faith and repentancefrom the candidate for baptism. Infants cannotbelieve or repent, therefore, it is argued, theyshould not be baptised. Scriptures quoted to supportthis include Mark 16:16— "He that beheveth andis baptised shall be saved"; Acts 2:38— "Repent andbe baptised every one of you in the name of JesusChrist for the remission of sins, and ye shall receivethe gift of the Holy Ghost"; and Acts 8:37, whichgives Phihp's reply to the Eunuch, "If thou believestwith all thine heart, thou mayest." To many thisargument is unanswerable. But of whom is faithand repentance required? Clearly of adults. Onthis we are all agreed. We believe these verses asstrongly as anyone. Our contention is that theseverses do not relate to infants. One might as wellargue that the Scriptures clearly teach that withoutfaith there is no salvation, infants cannot exercisefaith, therefore they cannot be saved. Here againthose who urge this objection are not consistentwith their method of interpretation, as almost allChristians believe that those who die in infancy goto Heaven. Besides we have already noted expressBibhcal authority for believing that in some casesinfants are regenerate. This objection, if it weretrue, could be used with equal force against thedivine ordinance of circumcision. By God's commandinfants of eight days old were to be circumcised(Gen. 17:12). Yet much is said of circumcisionthat could not possibly apply to infants- TheApostle Paul declared that every man that was circumcisedwas a debtor to keep the whole law? (Gal.5:5). In Rom. 2:25, he says, "Circumcision verilyprofiteth, if thou keep the law; but if thou be abreaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision."An infant cannot keep the law orbecome a debtor. Yet infants were to be circumcised.In view of this we see that one of the mainobjections to infant baptism breaks down completely.In certain respects infants are quite plainlyin a different category from adults.Other objections have already been dealt within our study of this subject; suffice it to state thatthese and similar objections prove too much. Theyprove that circumcision of infants was wrong, whenin fact it was right; that women should be debarredfrom the Lord's Supper when in fact they should beadmitted; that no infant can go to Heaven ("HeJuly 28, 1965 53

that believeth not shall be damned") when in factthe Scriptures warrant no such doctrine. An argumentthat proves too much destroys itself.Our Lord's Baptism:Although the baptism of our Lord is not directlyrelated to the subject of infant baptism, it is oftendiscussed within the context of baptism in general.Much confusion prevails concerning Christ's baptismat the hands of John the Baptist. We may observe:(1) Christ did not need to exercise saving faith;(2). Christ did not need to repent;(3). John's baptism was a "baptism of repentance"(Mark 1:4).(4). He Who was to bear the sin of many, to benumbered with the transgressors and to effect ourcleansing from sin identified Himself with sinnerswhen He was baptised by John;(5). The baptism of Christ is unique; there is nocomparison between His baptism and ours-Conclusion;We believe that the Reformed doctrine of InfantBaptism has sound Biblical foundations. Wehave yet to meet with another doctrine of Baptismwhich will stand the test of Scripture. The main objectionsto infant baptism we find to be weak bothfrom the standpoint of Scripture and reason. Itmust be emphasised, however, that there is no Scripturaldefense for careless, indiscriminate baptism;and baptism does not save a child. Baptism, hkethe Lord's Supper, is not essential to salvation. Thepenitent thief received neither baptism nor theSupper; but he received their content, CHRIST. Itis to Christ that baptism and the Supper point us,and our trust should be in Him alone. Only thenwill these holy ordinances be meaningful to us; onlythen will they strengthen us in our Christian experience.— The Covenanter, 2-65Michael Baker Jr., left, General Chairman ofthe Geneva College Development Fund, M. J. Demeter,Manager, Steel Division, Ambridge Worksof the Armco Steel Corporation, and J. Merrill Robb,President of the Geneva Board of Trustees reviewGeneva's campus plan of buildings and properties.At a recent meeting Mr. Demeter presented Armco's$25,000 grant to the Geneva College DevelopmentFund.Mr. Baker stated, "We are all extremely pleasedthat the management of Armco Steel has furthersought to continue support of Geneva's DevelopmentProgram. We extend our sincerest appreciationfor their vote of confidence in us."EXODUS 12:1-13If you are sheltered behind the blood of Jesus,you are as safe as if you were in heaven today.Someone has said that a little fly in Noah's arkwas as safe as the elephant. It was not the strengthof the elephant that made him safe, but it was theark that saved the elephant as well as the fly. Soit is the blood of Christ that saves us.— D. L. MoodyW. Scott Bliss, left, Vice-President-Developmentat Geneva College, Guy McCracken, Works Managerof the Midland Works of the Crucible Steel Companyof America, and Michael Baker, Jr., GeneralChairman of the Geneva College Development Fundgo over the Ten-Year Development Plan for Geneva.Crucible to date has committed $60,000 toward thisprogram.54 COVENANTER WITNESS

HISTORY OF CENTRAL PITT!From the first of January, 1952, to the end ofMay, 1952, Rev. Clark Copeland on leave of absencefrom the Cyprus mission field, served as the pastorof the congregation.Rev. Kenneth Smith, a 1952 graduate of theSeminary, became pastor in July, 1952. In answerto a call from Synod to serve the denomination asYoung's People's Secretary, Rev- Mr. Smith offeredhis resignation to the congregation in May of 1957.Rev. James D. Carson who had previously servedthe Portland, Oregon congregation was installed aspastor in February, 1958, and is the present pastor.For some time members of the congregation hadbeen hearing that plans were being made for thecomplete renewal of the North Side which would includethe site of the Central Pittsburgh Churchbuilding. In March of 1961 the plans for the newAllegheny Center were unveiled and it was confirmedthat this building would be among those razed.As it became increasingly apparent that the presentlocation would be closed as a field of service,the Lord's guidance was prayerfully sought bymembers and leaders in the congregation.The following months were busy ones, especiallyfor the Relocation Committee consisting of themembers of the Session and the Board of Trusteesas they tried to keep abreast of all developmentsmade by the Urban Redevelopment Authority andto consider procedures to follow for the future.When it was learned that the target date for thedemolition of the building would be January, 1964,even busier times followed for the committee.They spent much prayer, time, and energy as theylooked at and considered many sites for a new buildingand endeavored to check thoroughly into allsuggestions proposed by members of the congregation.At several special congregational meetings decisionswere made by the members to:1. Accept the price for the old building offeredby the Urban Redevelopment Authority.2. Relocate outside the city, since no propertywas available on the North Side.3. Give the Relocation Committee the authorityto negotiate for property on Thompson Road in theNorth Hills area of Pittsburgh.Finally the search for a suitable location wasconcluded, when in June, 1962, the congregationvoted to purchase the Thompson Run Road property.An architect was chosen, building plans presentedand approved, and in March, 1963, members andfriends weie privileged to attend the groundbreakingceremonies for the new building. The Lord wasmerciful in sending good building weather andrapid progress was made.During this time two other major decisions wereLGH R. P. CHURCH (continued)made: to purchase a parsonage located only a fewblocks from the new building and to change thename of the congregation to the Reformed PresbyterianChurch of North Hills-By September, 1963, the building was nearenough completion that the cornerstone was laid.In connection with this event a series of specialservices were held. On September 20, a HomecomingService was held in the Central Pittsburghbuilding. At this time charter members, former pastors,former city missionaries and sons of the congregationin the gospel ministry were honored. Alsothe contents of the cornerstone laid in 1929 weredisplayed. On the following Sabbath former pastorsparticipated in the morning worship service and inthe afternoon a ceremony was held for the layingof the cornerstone of the new building.Again we were favored by the Lord with goodweather and such rapid progress was made on thebuilding that the congregation was able to moveinto the completed building a month ahead of thedeadline. The first service was held on Sabbath,December 15, 1963.In January, 1964, an open house was held towhich members of other Covenanter congregationsand community people were invited to see the buildingand have a time of social fellowship. Thebuilding was dedicated on January 26, 1964-In January, 1964, Mr. David A. Armstrong wasappointed by the Session to the position of AssistantMinister. He began his work in February, 1964. Hisduties have been primarily in the field of ChristianEducation and visitation.While it was with some sorrow and regret thatthe move was made away from the area where thecongregation had labored for some thirty years, itwas realized that God sometimes steps in andthrough circumstances turns His people in a newdirection. It seems that this is what happened tothis congregation. The Lord Himself closed thedoors in one area of service and guided every stepof the way into a new area. The harvest here is indeedplenteous and at times it seems that the laborersare few, but they are faithful. God has alreadyseen fit to bless, as several persons have acceptedChrist as their personal Saviour as a result of attendingservices at the North Hills Church by comingin contact with His followers.It is the desire of the members of the congregationthat this church will be known throughout thecommunity as a place where the Lord is loved andcheerfully served and that as it continues to standthose who come to know Christ as their Lord andMaster will be innumerable.July 28, 1965 55

What They DidBelow are glimpses of the June 16-23 phase of S.T.P.conducted at the Seminary in Pittsburgh, Pa. Threegoals characterize this summer's training program. First,applying the principles of living in covenant relationwith God for myself. This implies content of Biblicalknowledge. Instead of classroom instruction as suggestedin the "posed" shot below, however, trainees spent hourswith their counselors studying the book of James. Thisway they received the content in a "counselor" context,suggesting indirectly how they might lead another inBible study.1965 SummerPRELIMirGoal number two focused on becoming more awareof other people, their needs and desires. Certainly anyChristian, but especially a counselor, must be consciousof other people. Below is a recap session following amorning spent in Morals Court where the group observedfirsthand some of the needs of other people. Two of thegroup sat in on personal conferences conducted by aChristian social worker, when cases were referred tohim by the judge.(L. to R., front row:Bill Sterrett, Terry BJean Caskey, Joycebeth Hutcheson, Bobrow: Carlene HutchtWright, Eileen FarCopeland, David ArnNot in picture: Dan('•'Counselor)Who56See Right Column for Goal ThreeActually they are some of the Reformed Presbyterianyouth who desire to see their lives count in servicefor Jesus Christ. Coupled with the years of hometraining and formal academic schooling, along withthe learning that has come from the preached andtaught Word of God, S.T.P. seeks to supplement the maturingprocess by providing practical, guided experiencein handling the Scriptures while ministering to others.This summer, the emphasis lay in the direction ofCounseling (in the non-technical sense) with an eyeon our conference programs where counselors are moreand more in demand. Perhaps more than any other conference,however, our "Nationals" have encouraged theuse of this key person in camping. At the great Conventionat Carleton in 1962, hundreds of youth were housedand guided through the service of a corps of counselorswholistened, lived, and played with their counselees.Lessons are being gained in how to make the most use ofthe out-of-doors situation with a team of counselors toCOVENANTER WITNESS

aining Programr REPORTte, Carolyn Copeland,y Huston; second row:arol McBurney, ElizarlCunningham*; back:ryl Patterson, NancyMcConaughy, Waynemd Janet Armstrong*.and Rev. Ken Smith.)y AreWhere They AreThe following schedule indicates where S.T.P.trainees are spending their summer. Included below arealso those who felt God would have them serve at home.Their pastors have received all the material prepared forthe Program, and they are considered a part of the entireS.T.P. just as the others.WORK PROGRAM (entire summer)Paul McConaughy, Indianapolis; With Rev. Roy Blackwood.Dan Copeland, Beaver Falls; With Rev. John WhiteWayne Copeland, Beaver Falls; With Rev. John White.Dean Smith*, Coldenham; With Rev. John McMillanSERVICE TEAM NUMBER 1Bob Clarke, Bill Sterrett, Nancy Wright and Carol Mc­Burney.June 24-30, North Hills; For VisitationJuly 1-19, Quinter; For Vacation Bible SchoolJuly 19-25, Covenant Heights; For CounselingJuly 27-August 7, Denver - Greeley; For General Service.August 7-14, Topeka; For General ServiceAugust 15-21, Forest Park; For Counseling(Nancy Wright terminates service to return to Belfast.)August 23-28, Pacific Coast Conference For CounselingSERVICE TEAM NUMBER 2Eileen Faris, Elizabeth Hutcheson and Mary HustonJune 27-July 10, Park City; For Vacation Bible Schooland Youth Week.July 21-28, North Hills; For Vacation Bible School.July 29-August 13, Syracuse; For Vacation Bible SchoolHOME SERVICETerry Brown, Wilkinsburg; Playground SupervisionJean Caskey, Wilkinsburg; Seminary LibraryCarolyn Copeland, Wilkinsburg; Seminary LibraryBob Harsh, Sharon; FarmingSheryl Patterson, New York City; Blood Bank Office(* In training without the June 16-23 experience.)Develop more skill in helping others, with the ultimatepurpose of their coming into or growing in covenantrelation with God. This is goal number three. This callsfor clear concepts of Biblical evangelism. Hence, as seenbelow, the chairman of Synod's Board of Evangelism, El­Woods, discusses principles and methods of person­depend upon. In some places, our conferences have add­wooedthe counselors, but have not changed their program. al witness. Later the trainees would be doing actualAt the June 16-23 phase of S.T.P., however, several visiting.new ideas were attempted. Instead of focusing attentionupon "guest speakers," (although there were speakers),the week emphasized spending time with the counselorsin guided study and activity. While giving the appearanceof being "non-structured," encouraging a relaxed atmosphere,greater effort went into the planning. While tooearly to assess the value of the entire S.T.P., thus farthose responsibile have nothing but praise for God'sblessing. As James says, "The effectual fervent prayerof a righteous man availeth much." A fuller pictorial reportwill appear in a later "GOAL POST" magazine.Note: Those interested in serving on the counselorstaff at the 1966 Convention at Carleton College, August10-17, should inform their pastor. He will be contactedby the Director of Counseling, Karl Cunningham.July 28, 196557

A PAGE FORfor August 22, 1965KENTUCKY MISSIONIts Founding and PurposeMrs. Charles McKissockTheme Psalm: 72, page 175, verses9-12; Psalm: 23, page 52 (Crimmond)verses 1-5.Memory Verse: "How beautiful uponthe mountains are the feet of himthat bringeth good tidings, that publishethpeace; that bringeth good tidingsof good, that publisheth salvation;that saith unto Zion, Thy Godreigneth!"For a long time our Church had agrowing concern for a mission workamong the mountain people of theSouth. When our foreign missionarieswere forced to return home becauseof the war and their talents were notbeing used, a new incentive was given.Miss Mary Adams, home from China,had gone to work in Kentucky withthe Reformed Church. Dr. Elliott, withthe help of Miss Adams, was sent tosurvey the situation; to see what workwas being done by other churches andto determine if there would be a possibilityfor the Covenanter Church tobegin a work in the area. ElliottCounty with a population of 8,700,8,000 of whom did not belong to anychurch, seemed to show the greatestneed for missionary endeavor. Dr.Elliott reported that the laws of Kentuckyallowed the reading and teachingof the Bible in the schools andthat the school officials promised theircooperation. Thus in 1944 Miss LillianMcCracken, Miss Rose Houston, andMiss Mary Adams were sent to SandyHook, Elliott County, to begin thetask of preaching Christ to the mountainfolk.See page 60/6IO13/9Zli-i*77202.n7^12..S-iyJUNIORS///-*~\l'SACROSS:1. The beloved disciple.The disciple who denied Jesus three times. Matthew 26:75Lovest thou me than these. John 21:15There is a here, which hath five barley loaves. John 21:15Of his kingdom there shall be no • . Luke 1:33An unto my mother's children. Psalm 69:8But ye first the Kingdom of God. Matthew 6:333.6.8.10.11.13.15.17.21.22.24.26.27.28.2-3Straight the gate, and narrow is the way. Matthew 7:14man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6There was no room for them in the . Luke 2:7Thou hast cast all thy sins behind thy . Isaiah 38:17Abbreviation for New Testament.ye kind one to another. Ephesians 4:32ye into all the world. Mark 16:15The tax collector disciple. Matthew 9:9Down:1. The brother of John. Matthew 4:212. I would myself in sorrow. Job 6:103. The disciple who told an Ethiopian about God. Acts 8:26-274. As a that is told. Psalm 90:95. Look not thou upon the wine when it is7.9.thing is needful. Luke 10:42eye for an eye. Matthew 5:3812. The son of Abraham. Genesis 21:314. The children of Habaiah, the children of -Ezra 2:6116. The brother of Peter. Matthew 4:1819. WePsalms at church.20. Can you climba pony to ride?23. You may paint in — class at school.25. I the way, the truth, and the life. John 14:626. Same as 26 across.Zfc1/6Proverbs 23:3158 COVENANTER WITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of August 22, 1965Sabbath School Lessonfor August 22, 1965THE PASSIONS OF THE FLESH:Galatians 5:13-26Comments by John K. GaultIn this lesson Paul compares thedifference between the old and newdispensations to the difference betweenthe two sons of Abraham,Ishmael, the son of the "bondwoman,"and Isaac, the son of the "freewoman."In Galatians 4:23-26, 28, 31 Paul says,"But he who was of the bondwomanwas born after the flesh; but he ofthe free woman was by promise.Which things are an allegory: forthese are the two covenants; the onefrom the mount Sinai, which genderethto bondage, which is Agar. Forthis Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia,and answereth to Jerusalem whichnow is, and is in bondage with herchildren. But Jerusalem which is a-bove is free, which is the mother of usthing, nor uncircumcision; but faithwhich worketh by love." Whether theypracticed circumcision or not themain thing was to have "faith whichworketh by love." He says, further, inverse 14, "For all the law is fulfilledin one word, even in this; Thou shaltlove thy neighbor as thyself." Thepeople, therefore, were urged not touse their new-found freedom as an occasionto "bite and devour" some ofthe others with whom they might notagree in all points. Hatred of othershas always been a manifestation ofthe "lusts of the flesh." This beganin the second generation of mankindin the earth and has spread with increasingintensity over all the earth.2. The Antidote for the "Lusts ofthe Flesh."This is presented in verse 16 wherethe Apostle says, "Walk in the Spirit,and ye shall not fulfill the lust of theflesh. For the flesh lusteth againstthe Spirit, and the Spirit against theflesh: and these are contrary the oneto the other: so that ye cannot do thethings that ye would." The "lust of theflesh" is a very malignant poisonwhich humanity has contracted. TheSpirit is the only antidote which cancounteract the baneful effects of thispoison. When people fail to "walkin the Spirit" spiritual death is certain.And, when people are dominatedby the "lust of the flesh" their wholepersonality is affected: mind, body andsoul; consequently, when people "biteand devour" one another, as the Galatiansseemed to be doing, they arecontrolled by the "lust of the flesh"and are not being "led by the Spirit."3: Classes of "Works of the Flesh."From verse 19 through 21 Paulmentions four classes of "works ofthe flesh." The first of these, as foundin vs. 19 includes all forms of sexualaberrations. In the old pagan worldsexual vice was provided for by publiclaw and was even incorporated intothe worship of the gods. Paul, therefore,delivers a warning against allforms of unchaste conduct.The second class of "works of theflesh" are found in the words "idolatry,witchcraft." Idolatry was the worshipof material objects or animals inthe place of the one and only trueGod. The practice of idolatry wasstrictly forbidden in Israel. Witchcraft,or sorcery, was also strictlyforbidden among the Israelites. Inwere commanded thus, "Thou shaltnot suffer a witch to live." A "witch"or sorceress, claimed to be in leaguewith the spirit world and thus hadpower over people and nature. Thesetwo activities, "idolatry" and "witchcraft,"were, therefore, direct violationsof the first and second commandments.The third class of "works of theflesh" is found in the terms, "hatreds,variance, emulations, wrath, strife,seditions, heresies, envyings, murders."We might call these social sinsbecause each one of them seeks togain something at the expense ofothers. The spirit of divisiveness takeseffect in these "works of the flesh."Intemperate excesses is a termwhich might be applied to the fourthclass of "works of the flesh." "Drunkenness,revellings" are the terms appliedto these sins. Paul warns hisreaders against such personal insobriety.In I Corinthians 9:25 he says,"And every man that striveth for themastery is temperate in all things."One must maintain his self-control sothat such "works of the flesh" cannever become active.4: The Penalty for Living for"Works of the Flesh."This is stated in verse 21b, "I havealso told you in times past that theywhich do such things shall not inheritthe kingdom of God." One cannot besaved as long as he practices the"works of the flesh." Repentance andcessation from such abominationsmust take place if one is to become achild of God and be numbered amongthe redeemed. Sensuality means thepractice of the "works of the fleshbut spirituality means the practice ofthe "fruit of the Spirit."5: The Great Contrast.Particular emphasis is to be placedon the word "but", vs. 22 onward. Itis an indication that what he is aboutto say is the direct opposite of whathe has said. In verse 22-24 he writesabout the "fruit of the Spirit." Fruitis a sign of health and life. The Spiritin a person's life brings forth fruitbecause the person is alive. Sensualityin a person's life indicates death intrespasses and sins.The "fruit of the Spirit" can likewisebe divided into several classes,the first of which might be called"habits of mind." "Love, joy andpeace" indicate stability of mindwhich is accomplished through medi-all. — Now we, brethren, as Isaacwas, are the children of the promise—So then, brethren, we are not childrenof the bondwoman but of the free."Paul urges his Galatian brethrento "Stand fast in the liberty wherewithChrist hath made us free, andbe not entangled again with the yokeof bondage." The rite of circumcisionwhich some of the Jews insisted upon,was a type of the ceremonial law.So, Paul continues to say, "If ye becircumcised, Christ shall profit younothing. For I testify again to everyman that is circumcised, that he isdebtor to do the whole law." (5:3,4)The new Christians of Galatia werebeing greatly troubled by those whoinsisted on the practice of circumcision.But Paul tells them in verses 11,12, "If I yet preach circumcision, whydo I yet suffer persecution? then isthe offense of the cross ceased. Iwould they were even cut off whichtrouble you."1: Christians Should Not Abusetheir Privilege of Freedom.In verse 13 the Apostle says, "—usenot freedom for an occasion to theflesh, but by love serve one another."It is evident that there were divisionsin the congregation, caused, no doubt,by the question of circumcision. Inverse 6 Paul says, "For in Jesus Christneither circumcision availeth any Exodus 22:18 the children of IsraelJuly 28, 1965 59

tation upon the Word of God.The next class of "fruit of theSpirit" can be termed "social virtues,"because they indicate that one is sociallywell-adjusted. Such a person iscooperative and is easy to live andwork with. These virtues are mentionedin the words, "longsuffering, gentleness,goodness." We must always reactto the presence of others eitherfor good or evil. The "fruit of theSpirit" enables us to have an upliftingeffect upon those around us.The third class of "fruit of theSpirit" is found in the words, "faith,meekness, temperance." These aregeneral principles of conduct. Faithis the firm belief that God exercisesperfect control over all things. Meeknessis a feeling of unworthiness; andtemperance is exercising self-controlso that one will never stray from theright path.6: The Bane of Egotism.This is called in verse 26, "vainglory." Christians should not dothings merely to receive praise."Lesson based on International SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessonsfor Christian Teaching, copyrighted 1958by the Division of Christian Education. NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ in theU. S. A."JUNIOR TOPIC ... from page 58Let us look at this area and itspeople as described by Mrs. A. D.McCrory in a 1964 Witness article."Even fifty years ago northeasternKentucky (where our mission is located)was one of the richest regionsin the world in resources; fertile soil;valuable timber, the richest bituminouscoal deposits in the world, iron,oil and a potential water supply. Addedto all this was a courageous, independentpeople ... Yet • >ry recentlythe nineteen counties of northeasternKentucky were designated as the mostseriously depressed area in the nation.Today the Cumberland is a strippedand maimed land. The people are illiterateand dependent, physically destitute.They have lost the heritageof pride, thrift, and a willingness towork. No one can be blamed for whathappened to the people of the Cumberlandsbut their exploitation byoutside business interests seems mostobvious. About two decades before theturn of the century unscrupulous investorsfrom the north bought fromthe unsuspecting people the mineralrights and the timber rights to theirland. When the mines ceased to beprofitable and the fine timber wascut and floated down the river, thesemen happily pocketed their wealthand left."It was to this area that our missionarieswere sent. They were welcomedwith open arms and soon foundthat there was more work than theycould handle, but it was rewarding.They worked in homes and schools,reached out into isolated areas, walkedlong distances, conducted SabbathSchools and Vacation Bible Schoolsand distributed Christian literature.In 1945 Miss Lola Weir went to Kentuckyfor six weeks to assist in thework for the summer.A four-room house was rented inSandy Hook. It was neither modernnor adequate, but was the best available.Transportation was always thegreat difficulty. The only public transportationavailable was a buslinethrough the town, morning and evening.There were few roads and oftenthe best means of foot travel was adry creek bed. The words of the memoryverse rang true literally, "Howbeautiful upon the mountains are thefeet of him that bringeth good tidings"as the women made their wayover the rough mountain paths. Whenschool buses were introduced, ourmissionaries were permitted to ridethem. Later a Ford named "Susie,"and still later a succession of jeepseased the transportation problem.As the Board of Home Missionshad made plans for the establishmentof the mission two goals were set forthe work. The first of these, that ofBible teaching in the schools was alreadyin progress. The other, that ofestablishing a self-supporting congregationhad not yet been realized. In1946 the Rev. and Mrs. E. RaymondHemohill, who were at the Cambridge,Massachusetts Church, accepted thistask. They began work in Wrigley,Morgan County, about nine milesfrom Sandy Hook where a churchbuilding and parsonage w>?)e rentedand later purchased.In 1945 Miss Adams left in orderto return to China. Miss Orlena Lynnworked for almost a year when shetoo answered the call to tne foreignfield. Miss Geneva Patterson thentaught for two winters.The work prospered and was expanded.Mr. Hemphill preached oneSabbath evening a month at fourplaces, Blaze Church, Oak Hill School,Wrigley Church and Concord School.Mrs. Hemphill and the women taughtin as many as 62 schools which theyvisited every two weeks. Memorywork played a large part in the teachingprogram. Gospels, New Testaments,Bibles, story books, Psalm Selectionsand trips to Victory BibleCamp held each summer were offeredas rewards. Many children earnedeverything offered. In addition to thiswork the missionaries were also activein community affairs. Mrs. Hemphillworked in the 4-H clubs while MissMcCracken and Miss Houston taughtsinging in the schools at Sandy Hook.A library was set up for the childrenin Sandy Hook.In 1948 Miss Houston left to returnto the foreign field and Mrs.R. C Adams took her place. MissMarjory McElroy served for two yearsand would have remained longer butwas forced to leave because of illhealth. In 1953, after nine years offaithful work, Miss McCracken retired.Miss Ruth Calderwood wasthere for two years and Miss EdithMore taught one year as a replacementuntil Miss Elda Patton answeredthe call in 1956. Mrs. Adams and MissPatton will be retiring this year.As is true with any work, alongwith the encouragements there are disappointments.Three problems wereoutstanding. One was a shifting populationcaused by the offer of higherwages in Ohio. This took the mostable and dependable out of the county.A migration that had moved fast inthe forties moved even faster in thefifties and more than 30 per cent ofthe population left Elliott County.Another problem was the fact that theprincipal farm income among the peoplewas that derived from growingtobacco. But the most distressing werethe inroads made by one-night evangelistsand irresponsible holinessgroups. Though there were conversionsand Sabbath audiences for theworship services, the vision of a selfsupportingcongregation did not materalize.In 1955 Rev. Howard Elliottand Rev. Kermit Edgar visited theMission and reported that they couldsee no evidence that a congregationwould be self-supporting in the forseeablefuture. Rev. Mr. Hemphillanswered a call to the Hetherton congregation.He had served for nineyears as Bible teacher and pastor. Inaddition he also took upon himselfthe role of mechanic, plumber, carpenter,roofer or whatever else wasnecessary to keep the jeep in runningcondition and the buildings in good repair.In the early sixties the Court de-60 COVENANTER WITNESS

cisions regarding teaching the Biblein the schools caused uncertainty asto the work in the area. A Committeeof the Home Mission Board visitedthe Mission and recommended thatthe Bible be taught as long as it waspermitted and that effort be renewedtoward the organization of a congregation.Many others have had a part inthe growth of this mission. Dr. RemoI. Robb, Dr. M. K. Carson and Rev.D. Howard Elliott each conducted aweek of evangelistic services. Fromthe summer of 1945 when Miss LolaWeir came to help for six weeks, therehave been a succession of summerworkers. The good tidings of salvationhas indeed been published. Theseed of God's Word has been plantedin inummerable hearts and whatfruit will come forth as a result ofit cannot be measured.For the notebook: On the thirdmap page, mark your own congregationand locate the mission at SandyHook and Wrigley, Ky. Include onthe map names of workers or importantdates and events covered in thislesson.For the handwork: Materials need­Sen. Maurine B. Neuberger (D-Ore.) asked that the survey resultsbe included with her remarks on possiblehealth hazards in smoking andsteps contemplated by Congress."There seems no doubt whatsoever,"she said in the course of thoseremarks, "that cigaret smoking is atthe very least suspected stronglyenough of being a health hazard thatcountermeasures ought to be takenagainst it."The 1963 study of the Rhode IslandDept. of Health in cooperation withthe Rhode Island Medical Society produceda 70 per cent return on 1,074mailed questionnaires with 33 per centof the physicians indicating theysmoked cigarets. Of the other 67 percent, 31.2 per cent never smoked and35.8 per cent had smoked and stopped.The study said a review of reports ofphysicians' smoking habits over thepast 12 years "indicates that cigaretsmoking is on the decrease."The Florida State Board of Health's5,864 mailed questionnaires (at therequest of the Florida Medical Assn.and others) a year ago produced a60 per cent initial return. Overall, 45.1per cent said they quit smoking (17.2per cent of these in the * past year),29.9 per cent were smoking at thetime of the survey and 25 per centnever smoked. Some 97 per cent expressedopinions that cigaret smokingis a health hazard.The AMA News, June 7, 1965Sent by Dr. Paul WrightScribe With A Hard Penciled, for each child — 1 dinner sizepaper plate, 3 strips cardboard 1 1-2" We were enticed, not so much by the bright red handles, as by thex8", 4 or 7 paper fasteners, 1 picture price. Here was a pair of tin snips for thirty eight cents. We philosophized,of a church, a Bible or a woman teachingor reading and 3 pictures of chil­get a pair for thirty-eight cents?" Vini, vidi, we bought. We, in fact, lugged"A pair of tin snips is a pair of tin snips. Why pay three bucks when you candren. Fasten the 3 strips of cardboard them home feeling rather triumphant and somewhat satisfied with ourselves.together in the center back of the At long last we now belonged to that superior class of people who know howpaper plate with a paper fastener. to spot a bargin!Spread the strips out fan-wise. At the And it must be said in favor of the thirty eight cent tin snips, thatend of each strip attach a small paper during the several days when they were hanging on the nail above the workplate with paper fastener so that the bench, they looked very fine. They looked as good as any other tin snips.3 smaller plates form a semi-circleHowever, when we needed to use them on a rugged piece of work, webeneath the large plate. To keep them made one disappointing discovery. They wouldn't cut tin. They merely bent thefrom sliding toward the center put tin in a rather weak and uncertain fashion. Then they spread apart. Thenanother fastener or a piece of scotch they fell apart.tape on each strip at the rim of the After that educational experience we have made it our habit to passlarge plate. Then paste the pictures up the bargain priced tin snips. Our need, it seems, has been for tin snipsof the children on the small plates that would cut tin. Hence it came to pass that we plunked down our threeand the other picture on the large bucks and came away with a pair that will cut tin very efficiently, and thatone. This represents the Word being smile back at us whenever we use them.taught by the missionaries and spreadSome folks are taken in by what they hopefully suppose to be "bargainout in many areas.Christianity." They can be spotted at the drug store on their way to churchgetting their nickel changed—"so we can have something to put in the collection";or they are conspicuous by their complete absence when there isMDs' CIGARET SMOKING RESULTS work of any kind to be done around their church. They are getting aboutas much out of their Christian life as they are putting into it.PUBLISHED IN CONGRESSIONALOthers there are whose aim is to see, not how little they can give to theRECORDcause of Christ, but how much. When you get to know them, you discoverthat they are giving of their time and talent, pouring in their financial resources,and using all the influence they can muster, on behalf of their churchResults of cigaret smoking studiesamong Rhode Island and Florida physicianshave been published in theThese are the ones, above all others, who find that their Christianand of their Christian faith.Congressional Record.faith has about it that quality that will enable it to cut tin when tin needscutting.July 28, 1965 61

ChurchDR. ADAMS TO ATTENDCHEMISTRY CONFERENCEDr. Roy M. Adams, chairman ofthe department of chemistry at GenevaCollege, plans to leave tomorrowfor Medford, Mass., where he willattend a two-week conference for collegechemistry teachers at Tufts University.The conference, which is beingsponsored by the National ScienceFoundation, is titled "Some Aspects ofValence Theory," covering the studyof current viewpoints of chemicalbonding.Some fifty participants from collegesand universities throughout theUnited States will attend.During Dr. Adam's absence workwill continue at Geneva on the boronhydrides research program sponsoredby a recent Air Force grant to thecollege chemistry department.Working with Dr. Adams on theproject are Dr. Richard J. Wyma, assistantprofessor of chemistry, andchemistry majors, Charles Kopay,McKees Rocks, a June graduate; EdwardA. Dietz, Beaver Falls, a 1965-66junior, and Alfred Morabito, EllwoodCity, a 1965-66 senior.MRS. IONA D. CARSONThe Women's Missionary Societyof Greeley was saddened recently bythe death of Mrs. Iona D. Carson,wife of Arthur A. Carson. She passedaway May 24, 1965, at Weld CountyGeneral Hospital after a short illness.Mrs. Carson was a faithful and efficientmember of the MissionarySociety and through the years hadtaken an active part in the work, servingin various offices and on numerouscommittees. During the past severalyears when she was not permittedto attend the meetings, she still kepta keen interest in every part of thework, contributing to the differentprojects and helping in whatever waysshe could.Mrs. Carson was one whose Christianfaith was shown in her many actsof kindness and helpfulness to thosewho were elderly, ill, or shut in, andshe will be greatly missed. But weknow that her influence will live on inthe lives of each one of us as we continueto carry on the Lord's workwhich she loved so well.The GreeleyW.M.S.NewsWILLSON — MARTINOn the evening of June twenty-two,the Santa Ana Church was the sceneof a very beautiful and impressivewedding ceremony uniting Miss SarahLee Martin and Mr. Donald Willson.On the rostrum, three standardsheld two large floral pieces on eitherside of an open Bible.Officiating ministers were the pastor,Dr. Paul McCracken; the fatherof the groom, Dr. Bruce Willson; andthe father of the bride, the Rev.Philip Martin, who performed theceremony.Robert Willson was his brother'sbest man. The ushers were Paul Martin,Alan Hemphill and Elbert Owens.The matron of honor was the bride'ssister, Mrs. Eugene Stevenson. Theother attendants were Mary Matteson,Mrs. David Patterson and MarianCopeland. Little Shirley Stevensonwas flower girl. All wore matchingheaddresses and gowns of pale green,and carried pink bouquets. The bride,in a lovely wedding gown of Peau-De-Soie, with chapel train, which sheherself had made, was given in marriageby her father.During the service, parts of Psalms48, 128 and 127 were sung, beautifully,by a trio consisting of Rev. and Mrs.Wayne Spear and Mrs. Robert Gross.A reception followed the wedding.The organist was Mr. Ed Voortman,of the Bellflower Christian HighSchool.BLOOMINGTON, INDIANAThe members of the Bloomingtoncongregation are happy that Rev. andMrs. Donald Felker and their familyare to continue to reside in Bloomingtonfor another year. Dr. Felkerhas been appointed as a member ofthe faculty of the School of Educationof Indiana University for the comingyear. The session of the Bloomingtoncongregation has appointed Rev. Mr.Felker as Minister of Christian Education.Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Felker willbe serving on a voluntary basis—withtheir first objective to build up theSabbath School of the church.We were glad to have in our midstduring the month of May—Mrs. HattieCotton, a guest of Mr. and Mrs. ArthurMoore. She is a sister of Mr.Moore. We also had Miss Etta Moore'sbrother, Mr. Earl Moore, a retired Professorof Western College in BowlingGreen, Kentucky; Mr. and Mrs. RexMcClintock, guests of Mr. and Mrs.Foster McClintock; and Mr. and Mrs.Robert Carr and family of Valparaiso,Indiana, guests of Rev. and Mrs. DonaldFelker and family. Mrs. Carr isthe sister of Rev. Mr. Felker.Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs.Wendell McBurney on the birth ofWilson Stewart McBurney. He wasborn on Friday, June 4, at 6:00 P.M.SANTA ANATwo bridal showers were happy' occasionsin Santa Ana, in May andJune. Even though we are sorry tolose our beloved young women, JessieMcFarland and Sarah Lee Martin, weare happy in their happiness.Mrs. Lou Kellogg has undertakenthe teaching of Miss McFarland'sSabbath School class.We are also sorry to lose MissMarie Wright, who has been transferredto an Indian school in New Mexico,where she is to teach. The Governmentcrossed us up by advancing thetime of her departure two weeks, justas a farewell party was being planned,and Government orders brook no delay,not even one day. The party willhave to be a long distance affair.On June 20, Mr. and Mrs. Al Johnsonplaced before the pulpit, a vaseof beautiful flowers in honor of theirparents, the McClures and the SeniorJohnsons.Three members of our congregationhave been seriously ill duringthe past month. We are thankful thatMrs. Frank Stewart and Mr. GeorgeMilligan are now better, but Mrs.Gordon Betts, who has been superintendentof the primary department ofthe Sabbath School for many years,passed to her heavenly home, on Sabbathmorning, July 4.Welcome visitors lately have beenDr. Bruce Willson and family, MissHelen Willson, Mrs. David Pattersonand son, Rev. Raymond Hemphill andfamily, Mr. Willard Hemphill andfamily, Rev. and Mrs. Paul Wilson,Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Stevenson andchildren, Misses Mary Matteson, MarianCopeland and Mr. Jerry O'Neill.The congregation was shocked bythe news, on Saturday, July 3, thatMiss Jessie McFarland and herfriends, Miss Mary Matteson, and MissKathy Mars, had had a car accidenton their way east. All three were hurt.Mary and Kathy were able to fly onhome after examination and treatment,but Jessie is still in the Wil-62 COVENANTER WITNESS

liams, Arizona hospital with a back injury.She hopes to be able to leavefor home, in a cast, by Saturday, July10.LOCHIEL, CANADAWe recently enjoyed a visit withRalph McKelvy who was home for ashort leave from the Air Force. Hispresent address is Lt. P. McKelvy,738 Radron, Olathe N.A.S., Olathe!Kansas.We welcome Elaine Brodie intofull membership in our congregation.Elaine joined at our last Communionservice.Jennie Jamieson recently spent aweek's holidays at home. We enjoyedhaving her in our midst at this time.Eells, Renwick Russell, Ruth Loker,and Thomas Elwood. Congratulationsto all.Those on the hospital sick list includeMrs. Fred Henderson of BovinaCenter, Miss Janie Henderson andMrs. Richard Jones of Walton. All areimproved at this writing.to July 2, at Kansas State University,Manhattan, Kan., and, July 6 to July29, at the University of Wisconsin,Madison, Wis. At a three-day BellTelephone of Pennsylvania Conferencein Hershey, June 7 to 9, he presenteda paper entitled, "New Dimensionsof Competition for the RegulatedFirm."Dr. David M. Carson, chairman ofA two-weeks Community VacationBible School is in progress with severalof our church people taking part the department of political science andas teachers or helpers.sociology, who is teaching summerSynod reports were given by our school will in September attend thesenior elder, Mr. Millard Russell, and American Political Science Associationour pastor, Rev. Waldo Mitchel, onconvention to be held in Washing­Sabbath morning, June 20.ton, D.C.It was the privilege of Dr. and Mrs. John M. Mitchell, assistant professorMitchel, Miss Margaret Thomson andof business administration, isMr. and Mrs. Thomas Henderson, to continuing graduate work at PennsylvaniaState University, State College.WALTON, NEW YORKattend the installation of Rev. YoungThe Walton Church had a busy Son as pastor at White Lake on the Charles R. McBurney, assistantweek \in early May planning and entertaininga number of F.F.A. boys best wishes to Rev. Young Son as he tend the opening of Covfamkioi, Theevening of June 24. We extend our professor of political science, will at­who were attending a state conventionhere in the High School. Three A group of Walton young people, PU) conference, July 18-21, at Look­serves as pastor at White Lake. Christian Young Peoples Union (CYmealsfor approximately forty-five chaperoned by Wendell Spear, enjoyeda picnic on the evening of June 26 Tenn., where he will speak in behalfout - Mountain near Chattanooga,boys at each sitting were served bythe church, and several homes were with the young people of White Lake. of the Christian Amendment Movement.August, 23-30 he plans to attendopened for overnight guests.Miss Loretta Patton is spendingOn May 12 and 13 the Walton her vacation at the home of her sister the Reformed Presbyterian ChurchChurch was host to the New York and brother-in-law and family, Mr. Pacific Coast Presbytery's Family Conferenceto be held in Prescott, Ariz.,Presbyterial Missionary Society. Delegatesfrom the various congregations assist in teaching the Sabbath School where he will be song leader andand Mrs. Wendell Spear. Loretta willnumbered forty-eight. Mr. Thomas Edgar,Covenanter missionary to Cyp­Blanche attends a practical workshop On July 4 he conducted morning andclass of Miss Blanche Gilchrist while will assist in song leadership training.rus and Rev. Mr. Olenhouse, a former in English at Vasser College.evening Psalm singing services andmissionary to Burma, from C.M.A. Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Patton of delivered the sermon in Broomall,brought interesting messages from Florida are visitors at the home of Pa., Reformed Presbyterian Church.mission fields.their daughter, Mrs. Wendell Spear.The Walton Junior Blue Banner They are getting acquainted with their SELF RENUNCIATIONSociety received the Presbyterial bannerfor six months and the Cam­The annual Sabbath School picnicnew granddaughter, Linda Lee Spear.We must learn to give up not onlyour wrongs but even our rights. It isbridge Society for the last six months is scheduled for July 31.little that we should turn from sin.of the year.NO SLACKENING IN PACE FOR If we are to follow Christ ahd His consecration,we must turn also fromAt the May 30 Communion servicewe were privileged to have Rev. GENEVA COLLEGE FACULTYthings that are not sinful, and learnWayne Spear as assisting minister.the greatest lesson of self-renunciation,His helpful messages were a challenge Geneva College faculty members even in rightful things ...to all. At this communion service we have shown no decline in activities There are many things which arewere happy to receive into church during the summer.not wrong for you to keep and holdmembership: Harvey Bishop, Jr., John Thirty full-time and twelve part as your own, but which, if kept, bringand Joan Henderson, by profession of time faculty personnel are teaching loss to Christ and even greater lossfaith and Mrs. Robert Tiffany by classes in the college summer school, to you.letter. Also the baptismal service was some are pursuing academic and researchprojects, working on publicaceivedhim back with a new touch ofAbraham gave up his Isaac and re­a special occasion for our pastor andfamily when Mr. and Mrs. John tions and toward higher academic degrees,and others are traveling or tak­find that most of the lives that countlove —as God's Isaac now. We shallRussell (Marjorie Mitchel) presentedfor baptism their daughter, Ruth EllenRussell, and Rev. and Mrs. Glen Activities of some of the Covenant­a great renunciation, where the dearingpart in study tours.much for God had somewhere in themMcFarland their son, John Mitchel er faculty members we note. Dt. est idol was laid upon Moriah's altar,McFarland. We wish to welcome them Stewart M. Lee, chairman of the departmentof economics and business fruit and new power.and from that hour there was newall into Christian fellowship.Graduates from Walton Central administration, is a visiting professor—A. B. SimpsonSchool this year who are members of teaching graduate courses, June 21our church are Rosie Bishop, KennethJuly 28, 1965 63

The Board Of Church Erectiongives assistance, through interest-freeloans, to congregations wanting tobuild new churches, or repair or remodeltheir present buildings.Loans for parsonages are made atone per cent interest.This help is of special value to newcongregations that have been organizedrecently as a result of the CovenanterChurch's accelerated programof outreach.However, the Board of ChurchErection does not have funds enoughto meet the demands made upon us atthe present time. A number of newcongregations have come into being inthe space of a very few years. Thesecongregations would like to have theirown church buildings in which to worshipand carry on their work for theLord.Therefore, the Synod of 1965 hasgranted permission to the Board ofChurch Erection to appeal for fundsand for bequests.To what better cause can you givemoney or leave bequests, than that ofbuilding churches?Geneva Congregation purchased this home fora manse.64Garage Built onto Montclair's church building.Basement of Park City Church when it wasunder construction.COVENANTER WITNESS

Covenanter WitnessTO JESUS CHRIST"THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONS*VOLUME LXXV NO. 5 AUGUST 4,1965 STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 29, 1965THEOLOGICAL SUU>>ny&zitixmtbpmbgferrcnGOVE AND EIGHT STREETSQUINTER, KANSAS

THE COVENANTERWITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Editorial Address125 N. Fourth, Sterling, Kansas 67579Telephone Area Code 316 - BR 8-3472Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 toMrs. M. W. Dougherty, 125 N. FourthStreet Sterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under thesupervision of the Publication Board byThe Patterson Press, Wapello, IowaTHE BOARD OF PUBLICATIONRev. Paul Faris, Pres.Dr. Wyley Caskey, Vice Pres.Dr. G. M. Robb, Sec.Mr. Donald Fee, Treas.Mr. Ross LatimerRev. M. L. McFarlanaContributing Editors:Rev. Kenneth SmithDr. G. M. RobbRev. T. R. HutchesonDr. S. E. BoyleMr. A. D. RobbMr. Wilbur CopelandRev. T. R. HutchesonDr. R. Paul WrightDr. D. Howard ElliottDepartment Editors:Rev. Bruce C. StewartMrs. Robert B. MaineMrs. Willis M. EdgarRev. John K. GaultEditor— Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D. D.Opinion expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Church or of the Editor.Subscription rates: $4.00 per year, domestic and overseas,2 years $7.00. Group rates, $3.00. Single copies 10cents.Agent for Subscription in U.S., Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Agent for British Isles: Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A., 12Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, North Ireland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness.All material that is to appear in the Witness shouldbe typewritten, double spaced, and should be in Sterling,Kansas two weeks before it is to be printed.Obituary notices are limited to one hundred fiftywords; all words in excess ol that amount are one centeach. Money should accompany the notice.News for the news section should be brief and up todate. One dollar is charged for death notices that aremore than six weeks old when they reach our office. Thisdoes not apply to minutes that have been adopted by anorganization.Give us one month's notice when you are changingyour address. This notice should be sent to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, IowaCHANGE OF ADDRESSWhen giving notice of a change of address, pleasesend the old address as well as the new address to thecirculation manager.WE HOLD THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only Infalliblerule of faith and conduct.The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Faith ln Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experience.The Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Holy Spirit.The fact of death and hell as the destiny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believein Him together with their children.The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church Government.66The Lord Jesus Christ as the only King and Head of His Church.welfare That of ternls the Church. of membership or communion are essential to theVerse for the WeekPsalm 84:5 — "Blessed is the man whosestrength is in thee; in whose heart are theways of them."We seek happiness. We seem to be willing to tryeverything in order to find it, yet we keep on pursuingbecause we find it not.The Psalmist gives us the key to it here in thisfifth verse of the eighty-fourth Psalm. If we wereto sum it up in one word it would be FAITH.Here the word FAITH means not only beliefbut trust, implicit trust. It is the abihty to look beyond,and grasp the substantial unseen.Faith has an anchor. That anchor is JesusChrist through whom all the treasures of God areavailable. Faith is not something at loose ends,but is anchored on an eternal God.Faith also has an activity. It is not some idle orpassive thing. The Psalmist says that this faithgoes down in the dry, barren fields of one's disappointmentand digs wells from which flow sweet,refreshing water that brings us joy.Faith also has a desire. It is concerned. It is notneutral. The ultimate desire of faith is to see, tocome into the presence of God. It moves ever onwardto higher levels.You have found this secret of happiness, whenin the midst of life's unhappiness and disappointments,you can say, "How lovely are thy tabernacles,O Lord of hosts!"This Week's WitnessWitnessing . . . 67Glimpses .68Missionary Letters . . 69More Geneva Graduates . . . .73Junior Page 74Lesson Helps -75Church News 78The duty which rests upon officers to maintain discipline andpreserve the purity cf the Church.Spiritual worship as a divine requirement mediated through theLord Jesus Christ.The exclusive use of the Psalms ln the worship of the Church.The Protestant interpretation of the Sacraments.The divine right of the institution of Marriage and that It linot to be dissolved except by adultery or "Irremediable" desertion.The Sabbath as a day sacred to rest and worship.The duty of nations and their civil rulers to honor Christ aiKing of Kings and Lord of Lords.That Christian cit zens are under obligation to obey lawful authority.The right and du y of the Christian citizen to dissent from allgovernmental and nat onal disobedience to the Law of God.That the Covenan 3 of the past are still binding.From "The Communicant'sCOVENANTERClass" byWITNESSJ. B. Tweed

Editorial CommentWITNESSINGDr. E. Stanley Jones said that Christ does notneed lawyers; He needs witnesses. Christ whilehere in the flesh said that whoever confessed Himbefore men, He would confess that person beforethe Heavenly Father. Making a confession, witnessing,and professing are very similar. Christ didnot ask His followers to do what He did not do. InI Timothy 6:13 Paul charges him to carry on asa faithful minister. He says he does this before"Jesus Christ, who before Pontius Pilate witnesseda good confession." Christ's witnessing was a patternto be followed by Timothy, and also by all whoprofess to follow Him today. As we read the hfe ofChrist we find various groups before whom He didthis witnessing.HIS OWN ASSOCIATESQuite often this is a most difficult place to bearwitness. But we find Him telling His parents, at anearly age, that He must about His Father's business.Home has been called the true attitude factory;our attitudes are formed there. They are declaredthere as well as formed. Christ's attitude toward God,the Father, He declared in no uncertain terms asHe stood before His home congregation, on theSabbath Day. He had the church-going habit andthose about Him knew this. People cannot helpbut notice, when Sabbath after Sabbath they seeyou go past their house on your way to church.Long miles, driven through snow and heat, regularly,stand as a monument of witnessing to many afamily's faithfulness.Before His disciples with whom He lived mostintimately, He witnessed not only that He wasGod's Son, but also that the Kingdom of God mustbe sought first.SOCIAL CLASSESWe find Him witnessing before those who were•n the highest social class. Certainly Nicodemus,who was a ruler in the synagogue and a teacherwould be classed among the "intellectuals." Jesus'old him he must be born again if he was to bein the Kingdom. In contrast to this man of the"elite," we find Him talking to the woman of Samaria,who was an outcast of broken character. Sheneeded the Kingdom message and He gave it to her.A "gust 4, 1965MATERIALECCLESIASTICISMThis is a hard hearted, hard headed group. Theywere leaders of the religious order of the Jews, butAnnas and Caiaphas were also under the state andthe people. They were a crafty set. When Christ wassummoned to appear before them, they daringlyasked Him, "Art thou the Son of God?" With nohesitancy Christ rephed, "Hereafter shall the Sonof man sit on the right hand of the power of God."Then to further substantiate His claims He said,"Ask them which heard me." Their hard heartednessdid not quiet His testimony.CORRUPT PUPPET POLITICAL POWERPilate was under Caesar. He was not his ownman and later was driven from office. He askedthe question," Art thou a king?" Jesus replied, "Thousayest that I am a king." We see the shaking groundupon which Pilate stood. But to him the state was allthat mattered, that and of course Pilate.Paul would remind Timothy that he had anobligation which held priority over all else. He wasto witness a bold and good confession even asChrist did. All through history we have had menand women who have followed Christ's example.In every case it required courage, and often costimprisonment and even life. Examples are Knoxwho stood before Queen Mary of Scots, RichardCameron, who was martyered in his youth, MaggieB. Edgar who gave her hfe at the hand of the Mohammedans,thousands of martyrs who countedtheir lives not dear unto death, servants of Godwho counted the chief thing in their hves Christand His Kingdom. For them to live was Christ, andto die was gain.This is Christianity! It is a business of witnessing.In no occupation can the cost be higher and inno occupation are the rewards greater. The challengeis faithfulness no matter what the cost.ARE YOU WILLING TO WITNESS AND TOPAY?GO — GROW — GLOW"GO ye into all the world and preach the Gospel.""GROW in grace and in the knowledge of our Lordand Saviour Jesus Christ."GLOW "Arise, shine for thy hght is come.""Let your light so shine before men that theymay see your GOOD WORKS and glorify yourFather which is in heaven."67

Glimpses of the Religious WorldT. R. Hutcheson820 New YorkHolton, KansasCHOCO INDIANS RESPOND TO GOSPELChristian Living reports the work of Glenn Prunty,in literacy program and evangelism, among the ChocoIndians of the jungles of southern Panama. This is inconnection with a mission field of the Mennonite Church.One of the converts told about is Hombria."Hombria, the pastor of the Choco Indians, estimateshis age at 40. He was one of the first Indians alongEl Rio Jaque to accept Christianity and to learn basicreading under the literacy project introduced into thearea. That was some six years ago. Since then Hombriahas traveled up and down jungle rivers converting some300 to Christianity and teaching 100 to read. The chainreaction he started is tremendous, for those people alsotravel the rivers, spreading the Gospel as they go.Of Glenn Prunty, himself, the article says, "Pruntywas born in Keokuk, Iowa, in 1918 of poor parents "fromthe wrong side of the tracks. 'I was a leader of thestreet gangs,' he said. His wife, Lorraine, came from asimilar background."At 27 Prunty was a confirmed alcoholic workingin the Shipyards of Oregon. There he met a man namedByers, a fellow worker in the shipyards, who kept urgingPrunty to attend the Baptist Brotherhood meetings. Finallyafter five months ('Byers' patient perseverance hasencouraged me to be patient with the Indians," Glennsays) Glenn accepted the invitation. This was the beginningof a realization for both Glenn and Lorrainethat Christianity was what they needed. Soon after theirconversion they both felt a clear call to the mission field.DUAL FUNERALS FOR UN LEADERIt is noted that Adlai Stevenson, late national andworld political leader, was memorialized by Presbyterianworship in the Episcopal cathredal in Washington, D.C,and by Unitarian rites before his burial in Illinois. Werecall that when he was candidate for the office of presidentthere was some concern about his dual membershipin both the Unitarian Church and the PresbyterianChurch. No Presbyterian explanation is remembered, buta Unitarian minister felt called upon to explain that itwas not unusual for a Unitarian to belong simultaneouslyto another denomination. In fact, some of them weremembers of three or four denominations at the same time.CHINESE MISSIONARIES CALLED TO AFRICARev. Calvin Chao, executive director of Chinese forChrist, Inc., has made a tour of Africa, and has been impressedby the immigration of personnel from CommunistChina, and to a lesser, but a significant extent, fromNationalist China. He was aware that European andAmerican missionaries are suspect, even though the colonialera is over. Chinese are more acceptable than citizensof the West. And when Rev. Chao advertised inTaiwan for Christian missionaries to go to Africa, morethan 200 letters were received in reply.BRAZILIAN SCHOOLS PERMIT BIBLEChild Evangelism Fellowship has reported thatProtestants are now permitted to teach religious classesin the public schools for one hour each week. CEF hasbeen invited to take responsibility for organizing theclasses in the large city of Sao Paula which has 1,000public schools and 100,000 potential enrollees in the Protestanthour.JOURNALISM COURSES FOR QUECHUASeveral missions which have work among the QuechuaIndians of South America have collaberated in providinga course in journalism, to prepare writers for theproduction of Christian literature in the Quechua language.So far, thirteen Indians have completed the course,including a university professor.LOOK DISCUSSES CURRENT PROTESTANTISMOnce in a while a secular magazine prints an articlewith a religious theme. It is probably true that moreprospective readers belong to a church than to any otherorganization, unless it might be a political party; soreligion should have an appeal. And, then, we like toread about religion as long as we don't have to do anythingabout it.This particular article was in Look, and has a sensationalapproach. Senior Editor T. George Harris startsoff with a real attention-getter: "Radical young theologianswant to abandon the word 'God' because church-goingmillions use it as a nickname for superstition. Conservatives,shocked, fear that the 'new theology' degradesChrist to a 'myth'. Result — a full-scale battle of theBible over the purpose of the church and the living testof truth."The Life editor quoted from diverse sources. ReinholdNiebuhr, " . . the race crisis saved the church fromirrelevancy." Billy Graham, "... there is a growing rebellionagainst the institutional life of the church." Healso wrote, "That (biblical) witness has always led mento do unexpected things. As it grows stronger, as thechurch surges back into the world, the turmoil thatshakes Protestantism will grow more, not less, intense.We may yet find out why the prudent Romans fed theirlions on Christian meat."68 COVENANTER WITNESS

NEWS FROM THENicosia, CyprusJuly 5, 1965Dear "Witness" Readers,It is with mixed feelings that I write this letterto you, my last from Cyprus for a year at least, forwe start home July 26 on furlough. We are sorryto leave our friends and work here for a time, buthappy at the thought of again seeing our lovedones and friends. One student said to me lately,"Do you have to go?" And another asked last week,"Do you really want to go?" We hope to do somesightseeing in Europe on the way, so will not reachNew York until September 1.Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Edgar reached Cypruslast week on Thursday, and the Smiths have leftfor the States. We were very sorry to have theSmiths leave, but glad to have Edgars back withus again.The last few weeks have been very busy oneswith regular school and extra activities connectedwith its closing. On May 22, we had our schoolopen house and May Day program with over 400guests. The program consists mainly of differenttypes of exercises, but this year a group of twentygirls or so demonstrated how to give first aid to theinjured which they have been studying all yearin a special weekly class These girls were awardedcertificates for having completed their second yearin this program, about three weeks ago by Mrs.Belcher, the wife of the American Ambassador here.Baccalaureate services for the graduating classwere held on June 13 with Rev. Smith preachingfor the graduates and friends. Graduation here wason June 17. This year we had ten graduates. Themajority of them plan to continue their education.Now enrollment is going on for next year.V B.S. starts today for children 4-12. Miss Wilsonis heading up the school and has been busymaking plans, meeting with the teachers, etc. Itis really an answer to prayer the way enoughteachers have volunteered (for all the classes areto be taught in Greek) and especially girls havecome forward as helpers. One of the graduates iscoming back from Larnaca to teach; one girl whowas a 9th grade boarder is coming down from herhome in Kyrenia each day to help. Another girlwho accepted Christ at Easter time and whosefather has been very sarcastic and critical of her(as well as other members of the family) has gottenpermission from her father to be a helper much toher surprise and ours. She was also graduatedthis year. She said, "I told my father I wanted tobe a teacher, and how was I going to know if IFIELDliked teaching if I didn't try it, and this was a goodchance. So he said O.K." Pray for this girl as sheendeavors to hve a truly Christian life in an irreligioushome amidst many temptations and provocations.I have mentioned several times a graduate oflast year who is now studying nursing in London.She was a very shy girl who is gradually growingin confidence and making slow but sure growthin her Christian life. Recently she wrote that thenurses' Christian Fellowship in their hospital isquite small and interest seemed to be falling off.The girl who was the program chairman was leavingand so she asked Georgia to take over the job.Georgia said, "I know I am not capable, but someonehas to do it and God can give me the courageand the ability if I trust Him." She has been attendingElim Chapel and found real Christian fellowshipthere. One remark she made was, "It is wonderfulhow these people can speak so naturally and freelyof their Christian experiences." We are glad to seeher finding fundamental Protestant associates thereand pray that when she returns to Cyprus (whichshe will probably do after three years) that she maydesire to enter the fellowship of our CovenanterChurch.Rev. Thomas Hutcheson is helping to start settingup tents and opening up camp on Troodos aboutthe middle of this month. The Free Methodist andU.P missionaries from Egypt have been up therefor about three weeks. We are looking forward to afine Youth Conference there from August 10-16.Please pray for the conference, its leaders and thosewho will attend that it may truly be a mountaintop experience with the Lord. About thirty-five ofthe students of the two academies have all registeredand hope to attend, which is an unprecedentednumber of students. It could have a real impact onthe rest of the student body next year if these becomea small nucleus of really born again Christianswho are on fire for their Lord and Master.The parents of one of the girls from Larnaca haverefused permission all year for her to attend anypublic religious meetings, but they have given permissionfor her to go to the conference. Anotheranswer to prayer.We reahze how futile our efforts for Him wouldbe here in Cyprus without the prayer support of youat home and we covet their continuance. We thankyou too for your letters and interest in the Lord'swork here.Sincerely yours,(Mrs. Kenneth) Marjorie A. SandersonAugust 4, 1965 69

American Academy for GirlsNicosia, CyprusJuly 1, 1965Dear Covenanter Readers,Permit me to introduce myself to you beforeI write this letter. I come of an American Christianfamily who belonged to the Reformed PresbyterianChurch in Larnaca, that is the church where mythree younger brothers and I were born and broughtup. My parents and my three older brothers hademigrated from Turkey several years ago. Withinthe last few years my parents and my two doctorbrothers have been called Home to join their SaviourWhom they loved so much — Now, three ofmy brothers are settled in the British Isles and onein New York.As a child and later as a young girl my greatestambition was to become a teacher. God heard myprayers and my dreams turned into reahty. AfterI had my teacher's training in Beirut, the Lordplaced me in this school where I really enjoy teaching.This institution means so much to me that Iwould like to say a few words about it. What ablessing it is indeed to have these two missionschools in Larnaca and in Nicosia where we canteach the Word of God so freely! How thankful weshould be for both academies for their giving usthe wonderful opportunity to sow the seed in thehearts of hundreds of young souls who come underour instruction. In fact we sow the Seed with God'shelp believing that sooner or later it will take deeproot in the hearts of our young learners.It was my wish and prayer for a special youngboy to attend the Academy in Larnaca after completinghis elementary education in his mothertongue. Yes, when the time came, the Lord led himthere, and this has been his first year in the Academy.Last weekend when I was in Larnaca I wasthrilled to hear this boy talking to me about Christianityand saying how much he enjoyed his Biblelessons! He was really happy to tell me how muchhe was enjoying attending the small prayer groupthat he and his friends had organized. "Yes," hesaid with enthusiasm, "when we come together weall pray and we try to learn more about Jesus." Howwonderful it is to hear a junior high boy expressinghimself so decidedly — a boy who did not showany interest in rehgious conversation before.A short while ago — here in Nicosia — I meta married Greek lady in the street whom I had notseen for some time after she left the Academy forGirls, which was about twelve years ago. When shesaw me, her first words to me were the following:"How is the school? . .. How effective those Biblelessons were to me when I was in school! I am verythankful to the Academy for teaching me to live aChristian life." Yes, her life proves that she followsthe steps of her Saviour, I believe the academiesare bringing real spiritual blessings not only to afew but to many souls. How much we need to praythat those who receive the Lord in their hearts mayconfess Him bravely without being afraid that otherswill make fun of them.And now a few words about our Boarding Department.This year we have been a family oftwenty-one girls and three boarding teachers thatis, Miss Blanche McCrea, Miss Winnie Wilson, andmyself. This year our nine youngest boarders wereso happy to have a prayer group in the boardinghouse. It was so nice to meet with them every eveningright after our evening family prayers. Thegirls took turns in reading the Bible in their mothertongue and then, just before praying, each girlsaid a Bible verse in English and then prayed inGreek. One would certainly love to hear the prayersof these young girls!As you know, Miss Reade has not been with usthis year. She is in the States and we understandthat she is spending most of her time studying. Wewish her much success. We miss her very muchand we hope she will join the Academy family soon.Many welcomes await her.Our graduation day was on June 17. With God'shelp another school year has rolled away. This alsohas been a very happy school year due to the wise,sincere and tactful leadership of our acting principal,Mr. W. K. Sanderson. Mr. and Mrs. Sanderson'svaluable help in various ways is highly appreciatedby all. We are sorry they will not be with us nextyear, but we are very glad to know that after ayear they are coming back to the Academy. We wishthem a very happy furlough.With best wishes,Sincerely yours,(Miss) Jessie H. DavidianTeacher in the American Academy for Girls, Nicosia,Cyprus.Mayetta, Kansas, 66509July, 1965Dear Friends,The above return address may be a surprise toyou but it is a lot easier to remember than the oneabout a "scramble up" hillside I've been giving youfrom out in Japan, isn't it? I arrived home on the3rd of July, about three days after my father's releasefrom the hospital where he had been for aboutten days. I'm happy to report he is much morecomfortable than he had been during the past twoor three months, and is gaining strength daily.I want to express my appreciation publicly to70 COVENANTER WITNESS

my fellow-workers who encouraged and aided mycoming at this time, and to the Foreign MissionBoard for their consideration and permission for mytaking my regular six-month furlough at this time.I expect to be in the States until early January of1966, and am looking forward to seeing many ofyou during the coming months.With so many changes taking place so rapidly,it is hard to remember clearly all the news of thefield for the past month. By way of general observation,it would seem the Mission has been playingthe well-known game of "fruit-basket upset,"for by the end of August there will not be any ofour missionaries in the place they were at the beginningof March. The Spears moved the middle ofMarch to their new home — a house bought and remodelledby the Mission to serve as a new centerof work to be developed in the east end of KobeCity. About the middle of April, Orlena Lynn returnedfrom her furlough to settle into her apartmentover the Covenanter Book Room. In late June, Ibegan to put my house in order for my return home,and time-wise found myself in Los Angeles visitingwith Mrs. Grace Boyle, Miss Huston, Miss AliceRobb, and Mrs. Li at the same time as I left theTokyo International Airport — 10:00 p.m., July 2.Next on the list will be the send-off for theRobb family as they leave Kobe on July 27 for theirfurlough, with their anticipation equalling that ofloved ones here awaiting their return. Within acouple of days after that, the Penningtons will bemoving into the house by the Tarumi Church, inpreparation for taking over the work there duringthe Robbs' year of furlough. Oreta Everett will bemoving early in August from Nigawa to an areacloser to the new work in Okamoto, where she willassist the Spears in the work when she completesher language study. She will be just a few minutes'walk from the next station west of Okamoto on thesame train line, and that much closer to the centerof Kobe than the Spears are. This series of changeswill bring all of our newest missionaries within thelimits of Kobe City too, but never you fear that therewill be too many in the area. With roof touchingroof on houses, shops, factories, apartment houses,lean-to or what have you most of the twenty-miledistance between the Tarumi Church and the newcenter of work in Okamoto, there are literally tensof thousands within our sphere of influence. Wouldthat our faith and faithfulness were equal to thatof Gideon and his small band of men.On June 16 and 18 preparatory services wereheld, and on Sabbath, June 20, we enjoyed theprivileges of the communion table. One covenantchild, the small daughter of Mr. and Mrs. JoshuaTamada, was received in baptism, and another,Carol Spear, the oldest daughter of Rev. and Mrs.Gene Spear, was received into the full fellowshipof the church by profession of her faith in Christ.It was our joy and privilege to witness the beginningof another Christian home on Saturday,June 26, when two members of the Higashi Sumacongregation were united in marriage in the HigashiSuma Church by Rev. Mr. Masunaga. The bridegroom,Mr. Sakai, has been known to all of us asMr. Iida for many years, but just before the weddinghe took back his original family name after havingused the name of a family by whom he was adoptedwhile quite young. The bride, Miss Nishimura, hasfaithfully served the Lord in the Covenanter BookRoom for nearly eight years, and her name has becomefamihar to many of you. The Lord has ledeach of them through many trials and testings toChristian maturity, and now has united them toserve Him as a Christian doctor and wife. Theyearnestly desire to be used of Him. Dr. Sakai iscontinuing further studies, having passed his examinationsand completed his internship. Mrs. Sakaiwill continue her work in the Covenanter BookRoom. Do pray for our Christian families, and forthe young people who in the coming years will beestablishing homes, too.In August the Daily Vacation Bible Schools willbe held in the different centers, and on August 16and 17 will be the Young People's Conference. Theirschool summer vacation is just during the monthof August, but their teachers don't have a vacationeven during that time. This is probably in keepingwith other workers in Japan, who, even if they have30 or 40 days available for leave in a year, can nottake more, than two consecutive days off at onetime. The school, the office, the factory so dominatethe life of the individual that all other things takesecond place. This is one of the reasons it is difficultfor ones of all ages to establish regular habitsof attendance at classes or services. Even duringsummer vacation it is necessary to check schoolschedules before setting the dates for the VBS forif the school has set that time for their activities, itwould mean no students would show up for BibleSchool.Continue in prayer for the work, the workers,the pastors, the teachers, the individual Christians.Satan continues his deadly attacks in all subtlety ifby any means he might cause divisions, misunderstandings,or a spiritual coldness that would nulhfythe witness of the Gospel in truth and faithfulness.We are thankful for the areas of victory, the evidenceof the Spirit's work, and the fellowship enjoyed,but desire to see greater things accomplished forGod.Eleanor R. FarisAugust 4, 1965 71

REVIEWAFTER DEATH, WHAT?by William B. WardPublished by John Knox Press,Box 1176, Richmond, Virginia. 95 pages.Price $1.00 (paper).Considering the size of the book,the observation that "the nicest thingscome in small packages" is most appropriate.Dr. Ward has succeededhere in conveying to the reader ineveryday language the earnest importanceof the title question and the relevanceof its answer upon one's life.Apparently written from a ReformedBiblical viewpoint, he answers withclarity and simplicity a multitude ofthe questions that arise when the subjectof life after death is broached.For example: How do we know withcertainty that there is a future life?What kind of life awaits us immediately- after death? Is there a purgatory?How are the dead raised? Whathappens to the lost? If God is all-powerfuland all-loving are there any thatare finally lost? And many others.He avoids the subtlety and confusionwhich can arise from these questionsby his steadfast acceptance ofthe teaching of the Bible as authoritativeand a strict refusal to go beyondwhat is written there. This book is,therefore, highly recommended forboth church library and home.— D. P."SPACE AGE" TO BE DEPICTEDAT GENEVA HOMECOMINGThe "Space Age" will be the themefor Geneva's Homecoming Day activitiesset for October 9.In making the announcement GenevaAlumni Association PresidentFranklin Leidigh said, "With all thecurrent happenings in space we feltit would be an excellent idea to patternour day's activities after some ofthe tremendous events that have tak­72en place in space developments."Geneva's annual Homecoming Dayincludes an Open House, luncheon,parade, the crowning of the HomecomingQueen, football game (thisyear with Westminster), Annual AlumniDinner, and Big Name entertainment.NOTICEFor Sale — 160-acre farm by a retiringfarmer. Good land, buildings,and location. It is near the ReformedPresbyterian Church at Glenwood,Minnesota.Carl GehlharGlenwood, MinnesotaGENEVA COLLEGE NEWSSTUDYING CURRICULUM — Dr.Theodore M. McMillion, left, Chairmanof Geneva College Biology Department,and Dr. Robert B. Tweed,Assistant Professor of Bible, are makingbackground studies which theywill later present to a committee whowill consider changes in Geneva'scurriculum.Dr. Tweed, in an effort to establisha foundation for curriculumchange, is making a study of the generalcharacteristics and goals of Geneva'sstudent body. He also is reviewingthe College's aims and objectives,and the degree to which they are nowbeing fulfilled.Dr. McMillion is presently makinga survey of recent innovations in theprograms of other colleges and compilingsummaries and bibliographiesof their curricula.WHITE LAKEPrep-Senior CampAug. 27 to Sept. 6A committee will be appointed tostudy the findings of Dr. McMillionand Dr. Tweed and formulate revisionsin the curriculum which will betterfulfill Geneva's aims as a Christianliberal arts college.GENEVA .. . from page 73Montclair congregation and hopes toteach in New Jersey.Carol Emrick, who joined the CollegeHill Reformed PresbyterianChurch during her attendance atGeneva College, was awarded theBachelor of Arts degree in English.An outstanding student, Carol graduatedSumma Cum Laude and receivedDepartmental Honors in English. Shewas editor of the Chimes literary magazinethis year and was elected toWho's Who among American collegesand universities. Carol has received a$2400 fellowship to the University ofIowa, Iowa City, Iowa where she willstudy in the Department of SpeechPathology and Audiology. Miss Emrickis planning to worship frequentlywith the Marion congregation. Sheis the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. LouisEmrick of R. D. No 1, New Middletown,Ohio.Rev. and Mrs. E. Ray Hemphill of2507 S. Salina St., Syracuse, NewYork had a second son graduate fromGeneva College when Bruce Hemphillreceived a Bachelor of Arts degreewith a major in History. Bruce is amember of the Syracuse congregationand was Vice President of the ChristianStudent Fellowship at Geneva.This past June, he married MargaretMcMillan, daughter of Rev. and Mrs.Robert McMillan of Seattle, Washington.They are presently residing inNew Brighton where Margaret is attendingnursing school at the BeaverValley General Hospital. Bruce hopesto teach in the fall. His ministerialstudies will be pursued after Margaret'sgraduation.Dean Richard Smith, son of Mr.and Mrs. Ralph Smith of 526 LibertyStreet, Newburgh, New York, receivedhis Bachelor of Arts degree with aSocial Science major. Dean has joinedthe College Hill congregation duringhis studies at Geneva College, andwas vice-president of Christian StudentFellowship this past year. Becauseof his activities at Geneva, Deanwas elected to Who's Who amongstudents in American colleges anduniversities. Dean's plans include entranceinto the Reformed PresbyterianSeminary in Pittsburgh wherehe will study to become a minister.COVENANTER WITNESS

Youth fauanlMt __ mirfrunb luansGENEVA COLLEGE GRADUATES Beaver Falls congregation and plans While attending Geneva, Robert becameJohn R. Mandeville, having completedto teach first grade in the Northeast­a member of the College Hill Re­his work in January, received ern Beaver County School district. formed Presbyterian Church. His fu­his Bachelor of Science degree in BusinessAdministration on June 8. Johnis a member of the First Beaver Fallscongregation and is the son of Mr.and Mrs. Walter Mandeville. He hasaccepted a position with Seidman andSeidman certified Public Accountants,Jamestown, New York.Sarah Lee Martin, daughter of Rev.and Mrs. Philip W. Martin of Norwalk,California, was also graduated with aBachelor of Science degree in BusinessAdministration. Sarah becamethe wife of Donald B. Willson, son ofAlong with receiving her Bachelor ofScience in Education degree, she waselected to Who's Who among studentsin American colleges and universities.Miss Moore plans to attend WestminsterCollege the second semester ofnext year to work toward her Mastersdegree.Mrs. James T. Kerr of 419 W. LexingtonDrive, Glendale 3, California,represented the family in attendingthe graduation of her daughter Geraldinefrom Geneva College on June 8.Gerry is a member of the Los Angelesture plans are indefinite.Russell Allan Beighly, having completedhis work in January of thisyear, received his Bachelor of Sciencedegree with a major in Chemistry.Allan is a member of the First BeaverFalls congregation and is now employedas a chemist with the Jones andLaughlin Steel Corporation. He ismarried to Janet Greene, a 1964 graduateof Geneva College. Allan is theson of Mr. and Mrs. Russell H. Beighleyof 1135 Washington Avenue, Monaca,Pennsylvania.Dr. and Mrs. S. Bruce Willson, on congregation and has received a At the Geneva College graduationJune 22. The Willsons are spending Bachelor of Science in Education degreeexercises on June 8, 1965, David Earlthe summer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvaniafrom Geneva. She was married Reagin received his Bachelor ofand are moving to Boston in thefall where Don has been attendinggraduate school at Tufts University.Patricia Aikin of the Los Angelescongregation was graduated with aBachelor of Science in Education degree.Pat's activities at Geneva earnedfor her election to Who's Who amongthis June to Alan Hemphill, a 1964graduate of Geneva. Mrs. GeraldineHemphill will now reside in Syracuse,New York where she plans to teachthe fifth grade while Alan attendsmedical school at the University ofSyracuse.Miss Kathryn M. Copeland of theScience degree with a major in Biology.David's home is located at 521First Avenue, Selma, Alabama wherehe is a member of the Selma congregation.His future plans may includeentrance into medical school.Phillip Allen Shafer of Box 52,R.F.D. Gardiner, New York, graduatedstudents in America colleges and universities.Wilkinsburg congregation graduated from Geneva College on June 8, 1965,She is planning a summerwedding to Gary Watters, also a 1965June 8 from Geneva with a Bachelorof Science in Education Degree. Sheat which time he received his Bachelorof Science degree with a major ingraduate of Geneva College of Pittsburgh,is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Clark Mathematics. He is planning now toPennsylvania. They are plan­ning to make their home in the NorthHills area of Pittsburgh where Patwill be teaching in the school systemand Gary will be working for Firestone.Copeland of 501 Holmes Street, Pittsburgh21. As a result of her scholasticrecord and activities at GenevaCollege, Miss Copeland was electedto Who's Who among American col­attend Syracuse University for graduatework in mathematics. Phil is amember of the Coldenham congregation.David Dean Willson, son of Dr. andPat is the oldest child of Mr. leges and universities. She has recently Mrs. J. Burt Willson of 2727 Fifthand Mrs. W. J. Aikin of Burbank, accepted a position in the Beaver Avenue, Beaver Falls, received aCalifornia.Mary A. Matteson, daughter of Dr.and Mrs. R. C. Matteson of 2406 S.Falls public school system.John B. Allison, son of Mrs. ElizabethAllison and the late John B.Bachelor of Science degree with amajor in Biology. He is a member ofthe Geneva congregation. David isSalina St., Syracuse, New York, graduatedAllison of 44 Crystal Drive, Oakmont, planning to teach.with a Bachelor of Science inEducation Degree. She has accepteda teaching position with the MarionPennsylvania, graduated with a Bachelorof Science degree and major inPhysics. John has become a memberJean Von Dietrich Elder receiveda Bachelor of Arts degree with a majorin History. She is a member of theIndependent School System, Marion, of the College Hill congregation while New Alexandria congregation andIowa, and is planning to play an activeattending Geneva College. John's plans Jean would like to teach. She is therole in the new congregation ofher former pastor, Rev. Robert Mc­Cracken. While teaching in Marion,Mary will be taking graduate work innight school as she works toward aMasters degree in education.include entering grad school at theUniversity of Washington in Seattle towork towards his Masters degree inelectrical engineering.At the commencement exercises ofGeneva College on June 8 of thisdaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert G.Elder of R.D. No. 1, New Alexandria,Pennsylvania.Virginia Lynn Donaldson of 137Lake Dr. West, Wayne, New Jerseyand daughter of Mr. and Mrs. JohnGraduating from Geneva College year, Robert W. Anderson graduated Edward Donaldson graduated fromon June 8, 1965, was Bonita K. Moore,daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. DonaldMoore of 305 Wissner Avenue, Beaverwith a Bachelor of Science degree andmajor in physics. He is the son ofMr. and Mrs. H. B. Anderson of 7934Geneva this spring receiving a Bachelorof Arts degree with a major inSpeech. Virginia is a member of theFalls. Bonnie is a member of the First Orlan Plaza, Verona, Pennsylvania.August 4, 1965See page 7273

for August 29, 1965KENTUCKY MISSIONWork in the SchoolsTheme Psalm: 67, page 161, verses1-3. Psalm 98, page 235, verses 1, 2, 6,7.Memory Verse: "So shall my wordbe that goeth forth out of my mouth:it shall not return unto me void, butit shall accomplish that which I please,and it shall prosper in the thingwhereto I sent it." Isaiah 55:11.The April 21, 1965 issue of theCovenanter Witness carries an excellentarticle by Miss Elda Patton relatingmuch about the work in theschools which she and Mrs. Adamswere doing. For tonight's lesson Iwould refer you to that article as somuch of what I would write for thisstudy would be taken from her article.If you do not have a copy of thisWitness, check with some of the membersof your congregation and youwill surely be able to secure it.It is with regret that in this studymust be included the fact that theHome Mission Board has founditnecessary to close the Kentucky Mission.Both Mrs. Adams and Miss Pattonhave labored past retirement ageandit is impossible for them to carryon this work any longer. There hasbeen no response to the many requestsissued by the Board for workersfor this area. How precious thewords of our memory verse become aswe remember the thousands of memoryverses taught and learned. Wemust increase our prayers that theWord of Life sown in the hearts ofso many boys and girls in Kentuckyby the Covenanter missionaries overthe years will be used of God, andthen rest in the knowledge of the promisein Isaiah 55:11 "...it (the Word)shall prosper in the thing whereto Isent it."For the notebook: Fill in additionalmaterial from tonight's lesson on thesame map page you started last week.For the handwork: Complete thegroup of paper plate pictures startedlast week.s2.11 wA; T*7G Olo 1A PAGEFOR JUNIORSACROSS:1. Fear, lest a -2. Jesus said, "I3. God is— being left us... . Hebrews 4:1the way, the truth and the life.*4. The number of them shall be redeemed. Numbers 3:485. When thou vowest a . Ecclesiastees 5:46. Suffer httle children to unto me. Mark 10:147. the last it biteth like a serpent. Proverbs 23:328. Do not therefore , not knowing the scriptures. Matthew22:299. Laugh.10. Baby's first word.11. I will meet you the corner.12. David's best friend. I Samuel 20:1713. Andrew was Peter's . Matthew 4:1814. How God sometimes answers prayer.Down:1. Home of a king.7. Exclamation.10. This ye, . . .in remembrance of me. I Corinthians 11:2515. What ye by this service? Exodus 12:2612. Man who God allowed Satan to test in the Old Testament.16. But the Lord shall endure for . Psalm 9:717. Justification is an .18. Rodent larger than a mouse.19. Leftovers make good .20. I say unto , arise. Mark 2:1121. The world itself could not the book. John 21:2522. Believe the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.Acts 16:3123. The doctor gives it to make you well.COVENANTERWITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of August 29, 1965Sabbath School Lessonfor August 29, 1965THE PRESSURES FROM WITHOUT:Ephesians 6:10-20; James 4:1-8; I John2Comments by John K. GaultThe Epistle to the Ephesians waswritten by Paul while he was a prisonerin Rome. There is some doubtabout the authenticity of the wordEphesians inasmuch as it is not foundin the earliest manuscripts, but insteadthe letter was dedicated to "thefaithful in Christ Jesus" as they werescattered abroad in many countries.In chapters five and six Christianityis made applicable to every memberof a household. The mutual loveof husband and wife is presented in5:22-33 of which verse 33 is the conclusionand it reads, "Neverthelesslet every one of you in particular solove his wife even as himself; and thewife see that she reverence her husband."In chapter 6:1-9 the Christian dutyof other members of a family is presented.Children are exhorted to"obey your parents in the Lord: forthis is right. Honor thy father andmother; which is the first commandmentwith promise." Fathers are told,"Provoke not your children to wrath:but bring them up in the nurture andadmonition of the Lord." Even theservants, or slaves, are not passedover. Paul wishes them to realize thatChristian conduct is expected of themas well as of the others. He says inverse 5, "Servants, be obedient tothem that are your masters accordingto the flesh, with fear and trembling,in singleness of your heart as untoChrist." And the masters in turn arecommanded to treat their slaves in aChristian manner, as he says in verse9, "And, ye masters, do the samethings unto them, forbearing threatening:knowing that your Master alsois in heaven; neither is there respectof persons with him."Verse 10 begins with the word,"Finally" which indicates that a conclusionhas been reached and a summingup is to be made. So, our lessontoday is about the "summing up" ofChristian duties in the light of "pressuresfrom without."1: The Source of a Christian'sStrength.Paul says in verse 10, "Be strongin the Lord, and in the power of hismight." In any kind of physical activitystrength is required accordingto the degree of pressure. In ourworld today great emphasis is placedupon physical strength, but a Christian'sgreatest need is spiritualstrength which is "in the Lord" andGod is a Spirit.There are two phases of being"strong in the Lord." One is thata Christian draws his strength fromGod. There are no limits to the powerof God and this attribute can becommunicated to His people. TheBible is replete with accounts of themighty power of God operating in thelives of people. See Hebrews 11, especiallyverses 33, 34, which presentto us a compendium of such exploits.The other phase of being 'strong inthe Lord" is to do the Lord's work.There are many sinful activities inwhich one can engage in the world.A Christian, however, engages in conductwhich is right, and that meansthat he is doing the will of God. Jesussaid, "But seek ye first the kingdom ofGod and his righteousness, and allthese things shall be added unto you."2: The Devil Uses Stratagems.In verse 11 statagems are called"wiles." A stratagem or "wile" is amethod of deceiving the opposition orenemy. There were many times whenthe children of Israel made effectualuse of statagems in conquering a city.In every modern athletic contest theopposing teams plan their strategy beforehandand throughout the contest.Now, the Devil is a master hand inthe use of strategy. In the Garden ofEden he convinced Eve that it wouldbe a good thing to eat of the forbiddenfruit, when he said, "Ye shall be asHim, especially since the Psalmistsaid, "He shall give his angels chargeover thee, lest thou dash thy footagainst a stone"? Evidently the Devil,and his representatives, are well versedin Scripture. The spread of falsereligions is to be accounted for bythe representatives of Satan makingsuch universal use of stratagems.Their poison is always sold under afalse label.3: The Panoply of God."Panoply" means a complete suitof armor. A soldier for Christ is wellprotected, with no part of the armorbeing left out. And God's panoply alwaysfits. It is not like Saul's armorwith which he equipped David andDavid said, "I cannot go with thesefor I have not proved them." God hasprovided us with every part of thearmor. We have no armor of our own;consequently, if we are to resist theattacks of evil, we must "Put on thewhole armor of God." It has been providedand it is effective, but it will beof no benefit unless we put it on.4: With God's Armor a ChristianCan Stand.Notice the repetition of the word"stand" in this lesson. The implicationis that of an attitude of courage andconfidence. How different it is whena soldier stands in the heat of battleinstead of turning in retreat. To standis to take an attitude of resistance tothe assaults. "England expects everyman to do his duty," said Lord Nelsonas they entered the battle of Trafalgar.God expects every one of Hissoldiers to do his duty, which means"to stand." If we compromise or giveground, the Devil is always quick totake advantage of every retreat. Johnsays in Revelation 3:11, "Behold, Icome quickly: hold that fast whichthou hast, that no man take thygods knowing good and evil." Paul crown." It is wonderful to be able tohad to contend with, not merely undisguisedstand and Christians can do that ifevil, but with disguised evil,as he tells us in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15.they "Put on the wholeGod."armor ofEven Jesus was subjected to the stratagemsof the Devil. Since, after fasting,5: Christiansponents.Have Powerful Op­He was hungry, so, why not use In verse 12 Paul tells us of theHis divine power to turn a stone greatness of the opposition. "For weinto bread, as suggested by the Devil? wrestle not against flesh and blood,Or, why not draw a great following but against principalities, againstand become exceedingly popular, bycasting Himself down from the templepowers, against world-rulers of thisdarkness, against spiritual wickednessAugust 4, 1965height and having the angels care for in high places."75

6: The Parts of the Panoply ofGod.The first mentioned is the girdleof truth. This was a wide leather beltwhich gave support and rigidity, tothe body. To this girdle the otherparts of protective armor were attachedand also the sword in its scabbard.Truth or sincerity binds up theother graces which protect one fromevil. Unless one is sincere his professionsof faith are without value. The"breastplate of righteousness" is thenext piece of armor. The "breastplate"protected the vital organs ofwhich the heart was chief. The righteousnessof Christ is vital and it isto be enthroned in the heart. It isindeed the "breastplate." Having feetshod "with the preparation of thegospel of peace" is very important.One must move with alacrity. Theshield of the Christian soldier iscalled "faith." It is more importantthan any of the others for the Apostlesays, "Above all." The shield can beturned in any direction so as to wardoff any poisonous arrows which wouldcause an inflamed wound. Jesus saidto the father of the demon-possessedson, "If thou canst believe, all thingsare possible to him that believeth."(Mark 9:23)The "helmet" is salvation, thecrown piece of the soldier's armor.Jesus said in John 8:32, "And yeshall know the truth and the truthshall make you free." Knowledge is anactivity of the mind and it is withthe mind that one accepts Christ.The "sword of the Spirit is theword of God." It is the only offensiveweapon mentioned. Paul says in Hebrews4:12, "For the word of God isquick and powerful, and sharper thanany twoedged sword."7: The Christian Soldier Must ContactHeadquarters.This the Apostle implies in thewords, "Praying always." In oldentimes this contact was maintained byhorses. Now the contact is maintainedby means of two-way radio. Thisis a very important phase of a militarymaneuver. The Christian soldier'sheadquarters is God. In order to"fight a good fight" one should alwaysmaintain communications withGod. There is a "ladder" reaching upto Heaven, for every true soldier ofthe cross, and the angels of God areascending and descending, taking requestsup to God and bringing Hisanswers back down."Lesson based on International SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessonsfor Christian Teaching, copyrighted 1958by the Division of Christian Education. NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ ln theU. S. A."Prayer Meeting Topicfor August 25, 1965"PRAY FOR YOUR YOUNG PEOPLE"Scripture Resources:II Timothy, Chapters 1 and 2Psalms: 25:1-6, page 5871:10-15, page 171144; 10-13, page 349Suggested Plan of Meeting:Prayer (Claim God's promises tobe with you as you study His wordand seek His face in prayer. Claim Hiscovenant promises as you bring youryoung people before the throne ofgrace.)PraiseRead Scriptures — While this passagefrom II Timothy is Paul's counselto Timothy as a young pastor, thereare many words of counsel here whichare valuable for all of our young people.Consider the passage with thisthought in mind. With the help ofthe group determine specific areasin the lives of young people todaywhere prayer support is especiallyneedful. What should your prayersfor them include? What should they bepraying for?PraisePrayer Take time now to pray earnestlyfor the young people of ourchurch. Pray specifically for things inthe Scripture passage which the meetinghas brought out. Remember localneeds among your young people suchas: the Youth Department in theChurch School, Summer Conferences,and youth participation in worship,teaching, evangelism, social activities,recreation (See Bk. ChurchChap. IX, Sect 7, p. 259), etc.Govt.,For September 1, 1965"PRAY FOR MISS RUTH READEAND MISS WINNIE WILSON"Scripture Resources: II Timothy,Chapters 3 and 4.The above Scriptures are suggestedbecause they continue the study of IITimothy begun last week, and becausemany of the instructions given byPaul to Timothy are currently applicableto the work of our missionaries inCyprus. Study the Scripture in thelight of its contevt and of its applicationto Cyprus today.There is not much about the actualwork in Cyprus this past year that Ican give you since I was not there.Perhaps Miss Wilson will do thatpart of it. It remains for me to say alittle about what I've been doing thispast year. As you know, I'm sure, I'vebeen taking work for my Master ofEducation degree at the University ofPittsburgh. It has been an exactingyear, but I've been grateful for thefellowship with others in the CovenanterChurch, especially the Wilkinsburgcongregation. And it has beengood to be near enough to visit "family"and friends of former years inYoungstown. I have fine memories totake back to Cyprus with me when Ireturn in August.The Academy reopens on Septem-*ber 20 and I hope that this year hasgiven me material that will be of helpto those who attend. I want to thankall of you for the prayers you haveoffered on my behalf and that of thework in Nicosia. But I have anotherrequest. Please remember that peopleare people no matter where they live.Beware of a superior attitude. Myyear here has convinced me there ismuch to be said against the "AmericanWay of Life" that we hear somuch about when abroad. Unfortunately,many things we stress in ourendeavor to have students live trulyChrist-centered lives, ate lacking alsoin American students, Convenanter included,I'm afraid. Pray for us asteachers and for our witness to ourstudents. Pray equally hard that youas teachers, parents, S.S. teachers,college students, and others may notgive the lie to what we attempt to giveour students. Let us all, whether inCyprus, Japan, Syria, Canada, or theU. S. be consistent followers of ourLord and Saviour.Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Sandersonwill be on furlough this year and weshall miss them in Nicosia; but weknow they have earned a good rest.Personally, I was very grateful thatMr. Sanderson was willing to managethe school while I was gone, and hopethat his experience of being Principalin a girls' school was not too hard anundertaking. As the Sandersons comeinto contact with you during the comingyear's furlough they will haveother things for which you can pray.Please continue to uphold us all at thethrone of grace. It is your work inCyprus as well as ours, and aboveall is the Lord's work. Pray that theHoly Spirit may have His way with usand through us.76 COVENANTER WITNESS

Yours in Christ's service,Ruth M. ReadeAs the "Michah" of the missiongroup, it is a humbing experience toask my church for prayer. ("Michah,"meaning "the young one," is the nicknamethe Nicosia Academy girls havegiven me.) When this appears in theWitness, my first year in Cyprus willhave been completed. What a pricelesslearning experience it has been!Let me introduce myself. I amfrom the Morning Sun congregationand was graduated from Geneva Collegein 1964. At the present, I live inthe Nicosia boarding department asone of the teachers to have responsibilitiesthere. My half-time teachingin the girls' school as a member ofthe Cyprus Corps includes Englishliterature, grammer, and Bible.Praise and thank the Lord for:Freedom to speak of a personal relationwith Christ in chapel, the classroom,and informally.Interest of some students in Christand the growth of others in theirChristian lives.VBS in Nicosia, July 5-14, which isin progress under my direction at thepresent. Fifty students came the firstday, 70 the second, and 79 the third!This all-Greek VBS is an excellenttraining ground for Academy girls interestedin Christian service.The conference at Troodos, August10-16. At this writing we are still lookingforward to it, but student interestand attendence is higher than before.Pray for:The Spirit to stir the hearts ofthese girls to have courage to receiveand live for Christ. Living Christianityis bitterly opposed by classmates,friends, and family.The S.S. class of the boarding studentswhich I will be teaching thiscoming school year.The YWCA which is an activegroup of the school in Christiangrowth, fun, and service.And please, for me personally:That I may maintain a closer walkwith and growth in Christ.That the Spirit will make me boldin speaking for Him.That I may have wisdom andpatience to know when to listen andhow to advise the many girls thatcome to talk.That new and varied ways of presentingthe Gospel message in chapeleach week will come to mind.That my witness to fellow teacherswill be improved.That I may overcome Satan in histwo main attacks: discouragementand laziness.Thank you so very much for yourprayers. We need them!In our Savior's Love,(Miss) Winnifred WilsonRest in the Lord, and wait patientlyfor Him: fret not thyself because ofhim who prospereth in his way, becauseof the man who bringeth wickeddevices to pass. Psalms 37:7.A little that a righteous man hathis better than the riches of many wicked.Psalm 37:16.NOMINATING ... from page 79Rex Downie.Committee to study paper nine regardingnon-liturgical elements inworship — Glenn McFarland,Joseph Hill, Charles Sterrett,Young Son, Edward Robson.Recommendation — that this NominatingCommittee be continued untilnext Synod to study furtherpaper three which was committedto this committee and to secureinformation from the Boards andPermanent Committees to serveas guide lines for future nominatingcommittees.Scribe With A Hard PencilAt the Refresher Course some of the veteran pastors took to reminiscingabout the doings of students, back in Seminary days that are well past.One such reminiscence had to do with a student of those earlier years,who planned to catch the street car. Looking out of the window, he beheld newfallensnow — several inches of it — that had come during the night whilethe city of Pittsburgh slept. As yet it was trackless, except for the ruts madeby the traffic in the street.The Seminary student — who, incidentlly, is now a pillar in the church—took in the situation at a glance, and decided that here was a wonderful opportunityto leave footprints in the snow. He opened a side door and walkedout — backwards, and walked backwards down to the street where he caughthis street car and disappeared from the scene.The tracks that he left behind him in the snow seemed to be leadingfrom the street into the Seminary building, — and into a seldom-used sidedoor, at that! Those not in on the prank were concerned! who had come inthrough that side door? Since there were no tracks leading away from thebuilding, was the intruder still inside? A search of the building by studentsarmed with wicked looking clubs, revealed nothing.And, thirty five years later, veteran pastors at the Refresher Coursecould look back upon that student's prank and laugh. At the time it hadseemed serious enough to those who didn't know what really was happening.It had, in fact, brought consternation to some.In the larger scheme of things, how often we are filled with consternationbecause of passing events! Yet, as the years go by, we often gain more insightas to what really was happening in these things that caused us concern;and in many of them we find reasons for being amused. For example, in theantics of some rebellious youth, we know now that we were merely looking atwhat was a part of the growing-up process.And even in those experiences that contained no humor, but only grimtragedy and sorrow, we reach the point where we know that God, in Hismercy, has taken away much of the sting; and we can look back upon them,not with pain and dread, but with maturing understanding and with gratitudeto God for His nearness to us in our hour of need.August 4, 1965 77

Church NewsCALLOn July 19, I moderated a call bythe Quinter congregation which resultedin the unanimous choice ofRev. Robert McFarland to be theirpastor.M. W. DoughertyLELA M. BETTSLela McClurkin Betts was born atMorning Sun, Iowa, January 4, 1890,and passed to her heavenly home onJuly 4, 1965, at her home in SantaAna, California.She is survived by her husband, J.Gordon Betts; her son and daughterin-law,Mr. and Mrs. Robert G. Betts,and their two children; two sisters,Miss Viola McClurkin of Santa Anaand Mrs. Mildred Aiken of Lenexa,Kansas; and a brother, Calvin McClurkin,of Morning Sun, Iowa.She taught in Iowa high schoolsfor several years, after her graduationfrom Geneva College.On June 14, 1922, she was marriedto J. Gordon Betts. One son, Robert,came to bless their home, in SantaAna.Mrs. Betts later returned to teaching,rounding out a lifetime educationalservice of twenty-five years.For the last ten years of her lifeshe was Primary Superintendent ofthe Sabbath School and, with her husband,did a great amount of evangelisticcalling in the homes of SabbathSchool children. She was, also, afaithful and generous member of theWomen's Missionary Society. She willbe greatly missed in all the work ofthe congregation."Blessed are the dead which die inthe Lord from henceforth: yea, saiththe Spirit, that they may rest fromtheir labors; and their works do followthem."BARNETThe pastor's assistant for the Maycommunion was Dr. F. F. Reade ofAlmonte, Canada. Dr. Reade's highlyintellectual and strongly Biblical sermonswere much appreciated. Wewere glad that four of our out-ofboundsmembers were present to participatein the Lord's Supper. Theyinclude Mrs. Priscilla Berry Elanchardfrom New Jersey; Mr. and Mrs.Wayne Berry from Fishkill, New York;and Miss Lauren Wilson from theMassachusetts General < Hospital. Alsowith us were Mr. and Mrs. RussellFaris of the Cambridge congregation.Mr. Roger W. Berry was ordainedand installed an elder in the churchon Sabbath evening, May 16.The Rev. and Mrs. J. Paul Wilsonand son, John, are on a trip to Riverside,California, called there by theillness of her brother, Mr. WilliamPark. While en route they learned ofhis death, but continued on their wayto visit Mrs. Park and family. Theyplan to be gone about a month.During Mr. Wilson's absence wewere very fortunate to have as ourpreacher, Dr. Norman Carson, Professorof English in Geneva College.His splendid messages were an inspirationto all of us. We also enjoyedthe fellowship of Mrs. Carson andthe children, Mark, Rebecca, Bonnie,and David. The family occupied theparsonage.Several young people of the churchconducted the service on the firstSabbath that Mr. Wilson was absent.Those participating were Patsy Faris,Carol Shields, Dean Hutcheson, DavidShields, Cadet Albee Richardson, andMiss Phyllis Wilson.Congratulations to Tony Faris, ason of Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Faris, whowas a June graduate from PeachemAcademy and received an award forscholarship and citizenship. Tonyplans to enter Vermont TechnicalCollege at Randolph Center in September.Mr. James Wilson is spending thesummer in England. For two weekshe participated in the archeological"dig," sponsored by the University ofNorth Carolina, and now is touringEngland. He received his master'sdegree in June.Dean Hutcheson of Holton, Kansas,a son of the Rev. and Mrs. T. R.Hutcheson, is spending the summer atthe McLam home.Miss Phyllis Wilson is taking anautomobile trip to Colorado.The Sabbath School contributedfunds to give each family in the congregationa subscription to the ChristianPatriot; also to provide subscriptionsfor several influential officialsin the region.Cadet 1st class Albee M. Richardsonof the U.S. Air Force Academy,Colorado, recently spent a ten-dayleave with the McLams. Cadet Richardsonstill wears on tbe left sleeve ofhis uniform a silver star enclosed ina silver wreath which indicates thathe is still carried on the dean's list,the commandant's list, and the superintendent'slist.After vacationing at home, MissCarol Shields has returned to hertraining for Practical Nursing at Hanover,New Hampshire, and Miss VirginiaShields is working at Brandon,Vermont for the summer in a schoolfor retarded children.Mr. and Mrs. Andy Price and theirthree sons, Tom, Steven, and Rickyfrom the Newburgh, New York congregationwere recent visitors at theSabbath services. Mr. and Mrs. RussellFaris were also recent guests.REPORT OF THE NOMINATINGCOMMITTEESYNOD 19651. Moderator's alternate to preach thesermon at next Synod—Robert W.McMillan2. Committee on Arrangements andDevotions for next Synod—RobertMcCracken, Willard McMillan,David Armstrong3. Committee on Time and Place forthe 1967 Synod—Wayne Spear,Thomas J. Wilson, Wayne Mann4. Committee to canvass the overturesof last Synod—J. E. McElroy, MarshallSmith, Lewis Keys, LloydEdgar (alt)5. Congregations not having representationat Synod to be writtentoto—Chicago by—Donald Mullinnixto—Eskridge by—Clyde Redpathto—Bear Run-Mahoningby—John Kennedyto—Connellsville by—Roy Carsonto—Rehoboth by—W. W. Weir6. Those to whom and by whom lettersof remembrance should be writtento — by —Philip L. CoonK. G. SmithM. S. McMillan J. B. WillsonR S. McElhinney Roy BlackwoodJ. C. Pennington Robert McFarlandP. D. White J. O. EdgarT. M. Hutcheson George PriceT. R. Hutcheson M. W. MartinG. W. Spear J. P .WilsonF. L. Stewart C. E. CaskeyJ. A. Kempf F. F. ReadeW. C. McClurkin R. H. McKelvyD. I. Robb J. P. McCracken78 COVENANTER WITNESS

H. F. ThompsonA. J. McFarlandC. H. ChaoJ. D. EdgarSamuel EdgarJ. K. GaultPhilip MartinB. C. StewartR. R. FullertonYoung SonM. K. CarsonM. W. DoughertyGeorge ColemanL. E KilpatrickJ. G. McElhinney P. D. McCrackenR. P. Robb K. E. CopelandR. J. G. McKnight Boyd WhiteT. C. McKnight R. W. CaskeyToshio Masunaga S. E. BoyleC. C. Christou A. W. Smith7. Vacancies on BoardsTrustees of Synod — John M. Allen,Stewart M. Lee, H. E. McKelvy,and James S. Pierce to replace J.A. Martin in class of 67.Foreign Mission Board — E. C.Copeland, C. R. Fox, J. M. McMillan,W. K. Metcalfe, J. R. Patterson,S. E. Boyle to succeed C. W.Price in class of 68, Mrs. NormanSpear to succeed Miss Jane Mc-Cleary in class of 68, Mrs. JohnWhite, Sr., to fulfill unexpired termof Miss Margaret Crozier in classof 66.Home Mission and Church ExtensionBoard — K. S. Edgar, T. J. Wilson,Mrs. E. D. Balph, J. O. Edgarto replace T. C. McKnight, DonaldWeilersbacher to replace Clark Pollock,David Armstrong to replaceRobert S. Kepple.Pension Board — Robert Baird, T.E. Cummings, R. B. McCracken inclass of 69, G. M. Robb added inclass of 68.Committee on Interchurch Correspondenceand Study — B.C. Stewart,R. M. Carson, S. B. Willsonto succeed T. R. Hutcheson.Oath Committee — Roy M. Adams,R. W. Caskey, Rex Downie to replaceC. T. Carson.Stewardship Committee to servefrom Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 1966 — JohnH. Tweed, Chairman, Wayne Spear,Philip Gross, Donald Gouge.Temperance Committee — J. L.Coon, J. O. Edgar.Assistant on Traveling Fund andAbsences Committee — RobertMore, Jr.Coordinating Committee officers—H. A. Hays, chairman; Jerrold Milroy,Clerk; Donald Weilersbacher,Asst. Clerk.Witness Committee — C. E. Caskey,C. R. McBurney, H. E. McKelvy,R. B. Tweed, Norman Carsonto replace R. H. McFarland, JosephM. Caskey to replace D. H. Elliottin class of 66.9. DelegatesDelegate to the NAE Convention,our Common Covenanting Witness— R. B. Tweed, N. M. Carson, S.B. Willson, Paul Mathews, J. G. Vos.Committee to meet with the Representativesfrom the Scottish andIrish Churches at the NationalConference — R. B. Tweed, GlennMcFarland, J. O. Edgar, D. H. Elliott,Roy Blackwood, William Ramsey,Joseph Lamont, J. D. Russell,R. P. Wright, George W. Jackson.Committee on Psalmody "to conferwith similar committees appointedby the Scottish and Irish Synodson the desirability of producing acommon Psalter from availablematerial, "and also the committeeto "study the advisability of revisingthe structure, format, wordingand music of the Psalter" calledfor by the Board of Evangelism —Charles R. McBurney, chairman,Roy Blackwood, K. G. Smith, C. E.Caskey, Robert Copeland, Mary E.Coleman, Mrs. M. W. Martin.Committee on a Pastors' RefresherCourse in 1967 —K. S. Edgar,chairman, J. E. McElroy, D. R. Wilcox,April 1966 in Denver — J. E. Mc­M. W. Martin.Elroy with Raymond P. Joseph alternatemenicalDelegates to the Reformed Ecu­Synod Conference to enterSynod's member on the Board of into conversation with representativesAdministration of the NAE — D.of the Associate Presbyte­H. Elliottrian, Associate Reformed Presbyterian,Fraternal Delegate to O. P. ChurchChristian Reformed, Ortho­General Assembly July 8, 1965, dox Presbyterian, Reformed Presbyterian,Portland, Kenneth McBurney, R.Evangelical SynodW. McMillan alternate.churches — J. G. Vos, S. B. Willson.10. Special Committees —Committee on Ordination Status ofSeminary Board — D. R. Wilcox Judicial Commission — A. W. Ministers Leaving the Ministry —class of 71, W. W. Weir to replace Smith, Waldo Mitchel, Bruce Willson,J. L. Coon, William Ramsey. Charles M. Cunningham continu­A. W. Smith, D. R. Wilcox andF. W. Huston in class of 71, NormanM. Carson to replace P. D. Mc­ Committee to Study the Two Reportsfrom the Women's Associasonand Charles M. Lee added.ing, with J. G. Vos, Ronald Nicker­Cracken in class of 69.Board of Corporators of Geneva— tion — L. E. Kilpatrick, B. C. Stewart,R. W. McMillan, Joseph La­11, 12, and 13 of the 1965 Synod.Committee also to study papersJ. B. Willson — 68Church Erection Board — Harold mont, Lewis Keys.Committee to compare past Covenantsand former writings of Cov­Faris, Clyde Redpath, Merlin Wing Committee to Consider Papers 7to replace T. J. Humphreys, T. R. and 14 regarding Rotation of Eldersand Deacons — C. S. Sterrett, of a Christian state and a Chrisenanterthinkers on the questionHutcheson to replace F. L. Stewart.Board of Christian Education — Ralph Joseph, E. C. Copeland, John tian's Doctrine of the state —Donald Birdsall, Karl Cunningham, Kennedy, Willard L. Finley.David Carson, chairman, WaldoD. W. Felker, David Patterson, Committee to Consider Papers 11, Mitchel, G. M. Robb, George Price,Katharine Willson to succeed Mary 12, 13 regarding Representation at J. D. Russell.E. Coleman.Synod — J. D. Carson, R. A. Henning,Robert B. Tweed, A. M. We-in the Bible that will support aCommittee to correlate the textsBoard of Evangelism — JosephCopeland, Paul Faris, Raymond P. dell, G. D. Hill.Christian state ideal — C. E. Caskey,chairman, Ronald Nickerson,Joseph, Roy Blackwood to succeed Committee to study the Merging ofPaul Robb, Waldo Mitchel to replaceDonald McClurkin in class Roy Blackwood, C. C. Brown, K. E. R. C. Fullerton, M. K. Carson.Ohio and Illinois Presbyteries — Robert More, Jr., John M. McMillan,of 67.Copeland, E. S. Dill, W. M. McDonald.Scriptural grounds for PoliticalCommittee to study in depth thePublication Board — Wilbur Copeland,T. R. Hutcheson, A. D. Robb, Committee to Study the Testimoniesof the American, Scottish and man, Willard McMillan, WayneDissent — L. E. Kilpatrick, chair­R. Paul Wright.8. Vacancies on Permanent Committees.Coordinating the Presentation ofSee page 77Irish Churches with a view to Spear, E. C. Copeland, S. E. Boyle,August 4, 1965 79

From Stjn&time m&yanne.Art em beliusheciHobo Language1. Two hoboes, traveling together, have gone thedirection of the arrows.# 2 . Hoboes not welcome. Will be'put to work on rockpile, s"awing wood, or hard labor.3. This sign means exactly what it depicts - thebars of a jail.4. Means "out" - or "get out" - poor pickings.5. The town itself is no good, but the churches andmissions are kindly disposed.6. This is a good place for hoboes to meet otherhoboes. •All the ministers, mission heads, and Christianleaders are disposed to welcome transient wanderers.8. The pendulum indicates that the people hereswing back and forth in their attitude towardhoboes - sometimes friendly, and other timesunkind.9. Represents two rails and a crosstie. Means"railway terminal" - or "division point" - agood place to board trains in different directiohs.~10. This sign represents teeth; means the police orI » * J the people are hostile to tramps.11. This means "the jail is alive with cooties."2. Keep on moving - the police, the churches, andf\t*\Q the people are no good.13. This is a swell place to stop - these people arefjjj ] big heartec* 14. Pood may be had for the asking.w-15. "O.K." - very good people, kindly disposed.^16. Best results are secured if two hoboes travel to-Cfr} gether - not so good for a lone hobo.«7vv*viA SL.Go to the ANTthou. SlutearAjThe Mobp cfoes'V/rhthe wind".Chri&iLMSLT> Christ.-bretetthe s+orm.s. njiije

Covenanter WitnessTO JESUS CHRIST' "THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONS"VOLUME LXXV NO. 6 AUGUST 11, 1965 STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 5, 1965LIBRARY OFREFORMED PRESBYTERIANOSiEQLOGlCAL SEMINARY"*" s *%einSBUHGHL-KOBE CHINESE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

THE COVENANTER WITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Editorial Address125 N. Fourth, Sterling, Kansas 67579Telephone Area Code 316 - BR 8-3472Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 toMrs. M. W. Dougherty, 125 N. FourthStreet Sterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under thesupervision of the Publication Board byThe Patterson Press, Wapello, IowaTHE BOARD OF PUBLICATIONRev Paul Faris, Pres.Dr. Wyley Caskey. Vice Pres.Dr. G. M. Robb, See.Mr. Donald Fee, Treas.Mr. Ross LatimerRev. M. L. McFarlandMr. A. D. RobbMr. Wilbur CopelandRev. T. R. HutchesonDr. R. Paul WrightDr. D. Howard ElliottContributing Editors:Rev. Kenneth SmithDepartment Editors:Rev. Bruce C. StewartDr. G. M. RobbMrs. Robert B. MaineRev. T. R. HutchesonMrs. Willis M. EdgarRev. John K. GaultDr. S. E. BoyleEditor— Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D. D.Opinion expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Church or of the Editor.Subscription rates: $4.00 per year, domestic and overseas,2 years $7.00. Group rates. $3.00. Single copies 10cents.Arrent for Subscription in U.S., Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th. Sterling, Kansas.Agent for British Isles: Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A., 12Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, North Ireland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness.All material that is to appear in the Witness shouldbe typewritten, double spaced, and should be in Sterling,Kansas two weeks before it is to be printed.Obituary notices are limited to one hundred fiftywords, all words in excess oi that amount are one centeach. Money should accompany the notice.News for the news section should be brief and up todate. One dollar is charged for death notices that aremore than six weeks old when they reach our office. Thisdoes not apply to minutes that have been adopted by anorganization.Give us one month's notice when you are changingvour address. This notice should be sent to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 X. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, IowaCHANGE OF ADDRESSWhen giving notice of a change of address, pleasesend the old address as well as the new address to thecirculation manager.WE HOLD THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only Infalliblerule of faith and conduct.The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experience.The Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Hol> Spirit.The fact of death and hell as the destiny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believein Him together with their children.The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church Government.welfare The That of Lord terms the Jesus Church. of membership Christ as the or only communion King and are Head essential of His Church. to 82theVerse for the WeekPsalm 85:6 — "Wilt thou not revive usagain; that thy people may rejoice inthee?"The title often given to Psalm 85 is "Jehovah,the Restorer of the Wanderer." Today we find peoplewandering through the forest of things to do,seeking for happiness. Sometimes it is found in anavocation which is profitable for the seeker, andfor humanity in general. Too often we think thathappiness may be found in good health, and surelythat contributes to one's enjoyment. Others thinkit is to be found in wealth, in positions of powerand popularity, but the Psalmist recognizes anotherfield.He has experienced national and personal reverseslike many of us today. As he thinks of hismany material blessings, he is aware that fullhappiness is not in these. One thing is lacking. Thehigher degree of happiness is found in the realizationthat all these blessings come from God.When one turns his pursuit of happiness tomaterial things and leaves God out ofit all, he cannotfully rejoice for there is a sourness to the honeythe world has to give. It takes the presence of Godto giveit the best flavor. So the Psalmist prays thatGod will bring his senses and longings to life thathe may have the true joy which is found only inGod.When we as individuals and as a nation findour true joy in God, the source of true happiness,then we can sincerely pray: "Show us thy mercy, 0Lord, and grant us thy salvation."This Week's WitnessQ. CGlimpses ...Report on Trip to The OrientSin If It's Meaningful . .SilenceThe Contest (Story)Lesson HelpsThe ScribeNews ....Deacon's Bench83848587888990939496The duty which rests upon officers to maintain discipline andpreserve the purity cf the Church.Spiritual worship as a divine requirement mediated through theLord Jesus Christ.The exclusive use of the Psalms In the worship of the Churcn.The Protestant interpretation of the Sacraments.The divine right of the Institution of Marriage and thatIt Unot to be dissolved except by adultery or "Irremediable" desertion.The Sabbath as a day sacred to rest and worship.The duty of nations and their civil rulers to honor Christ a»King of Kings and Lord of Lords.That Christian cit zens are under obligation to obey lawful authority.The right and du y of the Christian citizen to dissent from allgovernmental and nat onal disobedience COVENANTER to the Law of WITNESS God.That the Covenan From s "The of the Communicant's past are still Class" binding. by J. B. Tweed

Editorial CommentFor some time we have had the desire to begina new feature in The Covenanter Witness. We recognizethat we are living in an age of inquiry andperplexity. This prevails among those of all ages.While the spirit of inquiry exists in every sphereof man's life, our particular interest here will be inthe spiritual realm. Today there are many reasonsfor questioning in this field. There is unrest in theminds of many church members. High school andcollege youth, their parents, and others have theirproblems.That we might serve the church in a fuller way,we are introducing a column devoted to questionssent in by our readers. In seeking an "answer man,"we have asked Dr. M. K. Carson, pastor of our BelleCenter, Ohio congregation, and he has graciouslyconsented to serve in this way.It is not the intent of the editor of this columnor of the Witness that this will be a "cure-all", orthe source of all answers. It is not a "stump theexperts" program.In sending your questions be clear and concise.Questions may pertain to the Christian life, churchdoctrines, the Bible, anything that you want toknow in the religious field. Remember that one andone-half sheets of typewriting paper, doublespacedwill fill one column of the Witness. Your "answerman" will be limited therefore as to space. It maybe that he will feel your question could better beanswered privately than through the Witness. Weare leaving that to him.As you send in your questions, pray that Godmay guide Dr. Carson in answering them wisely,and that the answers may help others who havelike problems.Send your correspondence to Rev. M. K. Carson,D.D., Belle Center, Ohio.WE NEED A VICE PRESIDENT — ALWAYSWASHINGTON — Although the United Stateshas never lacked a President since George Washingtonwas inaugurated, 20 per cent of the time ithas lacked a Vice President, the Chamber of Commerceof the United States reports.Since John Adams became the first Vice Presidentin 1789, the office has been vacant on 16 occasions.Eight Vice Presidents succeeded to thepresidency. Seven Vice Presidents died in office.One Vice President resigned (John C. Calhoun ofSouth Carolina in 1832 to enter the Senate).As Vice Presidents are chosen onl> in the quadrennialnational elections, the office has been vacant38 out of 175 years.Many persons are convinced that under recentPresidents the work of the Vice President has becomeextremely important, whereas before it wasnot. Several methods have been suggested to fillthe office when it becomes vacant between nationalelections. It has been suggested that a new VicePresident be picked by the President, be picked byCongress, or by the Electoral College.A compromise method that seems to have thebest chance of acceptance would let the Presidentnominate a Vice President subject to confirmationby majority votes of the House and Senate.The Senate Judiciary Committee this summerapproved a proposed Constitutional amendmentwhich among other things would set this compromisemethod as the one to be used in filling theVice Presidency between national elections. Theproposal probably will be brought up again in thenext Congress. If both the House and Senate approveit by two thirds votes and three fourths ofthe states ratify it, it will become part of theConstitution.GLIMPSES . . . from page 84FRENCH BAPTISTS ADOPT PROGRAMAccording to The Baptist Record, The French BaptistAssociation has adopted a five-year program for advancement.They will try for three new churches eachyear, one in Paris and two in the provinces. The president,Rev. Andre Thobois, declared, "France is missionterritory. More than nine-tenths of French people arenot participating in any church. There are a thousandtowns and villages without evangelical witness. Manycommunities have no church at all."CHARLES CHAO REPORTS ON CHINESE CHURCHOne of the featured items in the Reformed EcumenicalNews releases is a report from Rev. CharlesChao on the situation as he finds it in the Chinesechurches in the Far East."As I keep a close watch on the church movementsby reading the various church papers from Taiwan andHong Kong, I am becoming more and more disturbed aswell as concerned about the church situation there. Thereseems to be a lack of any definite theological persuasion.Diverse church denominations found in the U.S. areflourishing here also in the Far East, creating much confusion,especially on the newly converted, as to what isthe real Scriptural truth. A certain influential and famousChinese evangelist embraces and propounds theScofield dispensationalism to a great extent — teachingfor example, such things as the two creation theory inGenesis 1:1-2. The Genesis account, he writes in his commentary,is the account of a second creation, after thedestruction of the first."August 11, 1965 83

Glimpses of the Religious WorldT. R. Hutcheson820 New YorkHolton, KansasCATHOLIC DIALOGUE IN UP SYNODDialogue was pronounced in the recent meeting ofthe Synod of New York of the United PresbyterianChurch. Delegates were present from New York Stateand Puerto Rico. The new moderator is Rev. Merle S.Irwin, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Poughkeepsie,N.Y. He is also a lecturer at Marist College, an institutionof the Roman Catholic Church.The assembly was addressed by Rev. John S. Sheerin,editor of Catholic World, who described the increased opportunitiesfor dialogue between Protestants and Catholicssince the Second Vatican Council.ARMY HEAD FORBIDS ROUGH LANGUAGEGeneral Harold K. Johnson, Army Chief of Staff,has directed that instructors cease using obscene and offensivelanguage. According to a release by the ReligiousNews Service he brought out that the "use of offcoloror suggestive stories had been justified to him asessential for establishing audience rapport or for kindlinginterest in a presentation." His reply was, "I wouldonly comment that any individual who must resort tosuch practices should review his ability as a publicspeaker or instructor."The release likened General Johnson's directive tothe orders sent by General George Washington on July6, 1776, "The General is sorry to be informed that thefoolish and wicked practice of profane cursing andswearing, a vice heretofore little known in an Americanarmy, is growing into fashion. He hopes the officerswill, by example as well as influence, endeavor to checkit, and that both they and the men will reflect that wecan have little hope of the blessing of Heaven on ourarms, if we insult it by our impiety and folly. Added tothis, it is a vice so mean and low, without any temptation,that every man of sense and character detests anddespises it."NEW YORK STATE BRANDS CIGARETTESWhile the delay of Congress was in session, NewYork State went ahead with a law to require cigarettepackages to have a printed warning. New York's version,stronger than the federal law which has now been adopted,reads, "WARNING excessive use is dangerous tohealth."Said state senator Edward J. Speno, one of thesponsors of the bill, "If personal belief and feeling basedupon the facts were to be my guide, I would advocateas a label the word 'murder.' " Mr. Speno has recoveredfrom cancer.MIXED MARRIAGES BRING NOMINAL CONVERSIONThere is an accelerating rate of mixed marriagesbetween Jewish adherents and those of other religious.Sometimes the Jew becomes a Protestant or a Catholic,to accommodate the marriage; sometimes the switch is thereverse. According to an article in a recent issue ofJewish Life such changes of affiliation are usually nominal.As reviewed by John Cogly in The New York Timesthe writer of the article advocated that the first measurefor a rabbi to take when he is approached about a mixedmarriage is to discourage it, even if the non-Jew plansto become a Jew. He should point out the difficulty ofabiding by the Jewish law.It is also maintained, "It is the duty of rabbis topoint out to potential converts that embracing Judaismmust mean a total commitment without any reservationto the observance of Jewish laws and customs. 'As violentlyas we disapprove of mixed marriages,' he writes, 'it isstill a lesser evil than a spurious conversion, which hasno significance in Jewish law and only spells deceptionand selfdelusion ... The overwhelming majority of supposedconverts today are still non-Jews in the eyes ofJewish law.' "CORNELIUS VAN TIL HONOREDOn his seventieth birthday Cornelius Van Til, professorof Apologetics at Westminster Theological Seminary,was honored by colleagues and former students.Reformed Ecumenical Synod News Exchange summarizeshis career, "Born in the Netherlands in 1895, Van Tilemigrated to the United States at the age of ten aftercompleting his studies at Calvin College in Grand Rapidsand Princeton Theological Seminary, he became pastorof a congregation for a year and then gave instructionin apologetics at Princeton. When Princeton was reorganizedin 1929, Dr. Van Til refused to continue teachingthere and joined the original faculty of Westminster Seminary."EVANGELISM BY ARAB BAPTISTSBeirut, Lebanon, was the location of the recent conferencefor Baptist ministers and laymen from the Arabcountries of the Near East. According to a Baptist Pressrelease, the conference dealt with the specific problemsof organizing a visitation program, engaging people inpersonal witnessing, giving an invitation to accept Christ,and helping new believers grow as Christians.See page 8384 COVENANTER WITNESS

m^^^.WU. *0|f(P*4REPORT ON TRIP TO THE ORIENTBy Charles M.My trip to the Far Eastended on the 10th of June. Ileft Los 5 5 on the 6th^s^W^ l| of January. I praise the Lordbecause He kept me safelySKK' during my going out andcoming in. I travelled over20,000 miles by air. I spoke106 times at 17 differentchurches, 9 seminaries andBible institutions, 2 Christiancolleges and other Christianorganizations. My trip covered six localities: Japan,Hongkong, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines,and Taiwan. Because our main interest was in Taiwan,I arranged my itinerary accordingly.Japan: January 7-28: I preached to the Chinesechurches in three major cities: Tokyo, Osaka, andKobe. Series of meetings were held and many contactswere made regarding the literature work of theRTF. The Kwansai Overseas Church made a specialcontribution to Faith and Life magazine. I had awonderful time with the new and old friends inKobe. The missionary and Japanese friends of theR.P. Church arranged a special meeting for me atthe Covenanter Book Room—one of the largest inthe Far East — to address the largest attendance ofthe year. Praise to the Lord for the spiritual growthof our Japanese Covenanter friends.Hongkong: January 28-February 24: Hongkongwas the worst place I visited during my whole trip.I got sick twice in the Chinese New Year Seasondue to the rich food friends served me. I preachedat Cannan Church in Kowloon on two Sabbathmornings and once in a theatre which the ChineseChristians rent to use before the regular performancebegan. Special talks on the inroads ofLiberalism were given to the following seminaryand Bible institutes: The Alliance Bible Seminary,Hongkong Bible Institute, and Canton Bible Institute.I carefully investigated the work of our Hongkongagent, Mr. Yuan, while I was there. Mr. Yuanbought a new flat in Kowloon, Hongkong. He movedhis Bellman House there. He carries most of thepublication of deceased Chinese famous ministers,such as Chia Yu-Ming, John Sung, and the sermonsof present day pastors as well. He told me personallythat a missionary lady had criticized him, sayinghe ran his bookroom business only for profit. Iagree with this missionary's criticism. Of course,I do not know her personally.ChaoYuan has no interest in our work. What he hasinterest in is profits. He put only a few copies ofour pubhcations on his shelves. Almost all of thebooks he carries in his bookroom are devotionalmaterials which most Christians buy. He complainsthat the RTF's publications are too doctrinal andlack the materials which help people's spirituality.It is a great encouragement to us that Rev.Watson Soong is eager to help us in the translationwork of the RTF. He is going to resign from hispost as editor of the Morning Light magazine andplans to return to the U.S.Bangkok: February 24-March 1: In Bangkokalone there are 3,000 Buddhist temples — that isabout the total number of Chinese Christians inThailand. The largest Chinese congregation in Bangkok is called Yellow Bridge Church. It is under theleadership of a liberal American missionary of theUnited Presbyterian Church in the United Statesof America. Rev. Lim Poe Ngi, Chinese pastor ofBethel Church, which has connection with AndrewGih's organization, entertained me while I was inBangkok. Mr. Lim told me that the missionary pastorof the Yellow Bridge Church would not let meoccupy its pulpit for the reason that they thoughtI was one of Carl Mclntire's men. The Americanmissionary pastor was wrongly informed by hisChinese colleagues that I am the editor of TheTrumpet which is the Chinese organ of the ICCCin Taiwan. However, the name of our small monthlyis The Trumpet Voice of Truth.In the morning, the day I left Bangkok, themissionary pastor of the Yellow Bridge Churchcame to the Guest House of Overseas MissionaryFellowship (CIM) to visit me for two hours andthen took me to see his church. His reason forcoming was that he received a letter from his predecessor,Rev. Lee Hui in New York City, askinghim to contact me while I was in Bangkok.I preached twice on February 28. In the morning,I preached at a Cantonese speaking church;and in the evening at Mr. Lim's congregation. Wehave quite a number of subscribers in Bangkok, butit is sad to mention that Mr. Yuan of Hongkong didnot send publications regularly to Bangkok. Mr.Lin Ta Tao, the manager of the Mei Chieh (Prasert)Christian Bookstore in Bangkok, showed me thename hst of the subscribers of Faith and L fe quarterlyand told me that for the year 1964, only thefirst issues were received. I wrote to Mr. Yuan immediatelyabout this.August 11, 1965 85

Faith and Life has been listed as one of the fourmajor Chinese Christian periodicals in the Bulletinof Prasert Bookstore which has been supported byan American Baptist missionary.Singapore: March 1 March 12: My days inSingapore were the busiest ones in my trip. I didn'teven have time to read my family letters, not mentioningto write. I had many opportunities to preachand to lecture at seminaries and churches in Singapore.It was my great privilege to stay in the dormitoryof Far Eastern Bible College of which Dr.Timothy Tow is the principal. I had a series of lecturesfor four mornings and three evenings on thesubject of The Reformed Faith in China Yesterdayand Today. Three lectures were given to the studentsof Singapore Bible College and one was deliveredto the students of Chin Lien Seminary. Rev.Yip Un Han, the principal of Singapore Bible College,wrote me when I was still in Hongkong andasked me to give a special lecture on Our FundamentalFaith to the Chinese ministers, elders, deacons,and theological students at Kan Yan Church,one of the largest congregations in Singapore. Onehundred eight people were present in a welcomefeast and the lecture followed immediately. I spokeabout one hour. A question and answer period occupiedanother hour. The Lord blessed and strengthenedme to set forth the major points of Calvinismto the Chinese leaders in Singapore. Sixteen questionswere asked and answered. One third of thequestions involved the doctrine of the LimitedAtonement. Some of the answers were given withCantonese interpretation, some with Mandarin only.Eleven subscribers to the Faith and Life paidtheir fees right after the lecture. Rev. Yip asked meto send fifty copies of the Faith and Life magazineeach issue to the Singapore Bible College.Evangelistic and devotional meetings were heldat Yung Yao Church for five evenings. Three timesI spoke to the Christian high schools. Many contactswere made for the literature work of the RTF.Manila: March 12 March 22: God marvellouslyopened the way for me to bear witness of the ReformedFaith in Manila among the Chinese Christians.Special lectures were given to the studentbody of the Bible Institute of the Philippines on thesubject, The Danger of Modernism in the ChurchToday.The united Evangelical Chinese Church is thelargest congregation in the Far East. I had four daysof meetings here at the church. The Sabbath morningservice on March 21 had an attendance of fourteenhundred.It was my personal privilege to oversee repairof the late Dr. W. M. Robb's grave while I was stayingin Manila. Dr. Robb, a missionary to Chinafrom the R.P. Church, died of menengitis during ashort vacation trip to the Philippines on July 25,1929. Dr. Robb was Mrs. Samuel E. Boyle's father.RTF TAIWAN OFFICETaiwan: March 12-June 7: Taiwan was thefinal stop of my Far Eastern trip. There were a lotof things to be done. However, my time was hmitedand my physical strength had come to its extremitydue to the heavy speaking schedule of the pastmonths. The opportunities of bearing witness to thetruth of Jesus Christ are tremendous. However, thedanger of the Liberalism among the churches isgreat. The two big seminaries in Taiwan are penetratedby new Liberalism, especially the TainanSeminary. I was asked by the chairman of the Seminarystudent body to give a talk after my series ofmeetings in Tainan Presbyterian Church. But dueto my physical condition I had to cancel the speakingengagement. The library of Tainan Seminaryis filled with books of liberal and social gospel persuasion.This young man who invited me to speakwas one who read our literature in his high schoolage and who later came to this seminary which isthe only one in Tainan area. He is in a dilemma offaith. We had a long talk with regard to the newtheology. He was astonished with my criticism ofBultmannism and New Liberalism which have been86 COVENANTER WITNESS

so rapidly spreading in the seminaries throughoutthe world. He has been writing his graduation thesison Bonhoeffer. I asked him whether he had everread a little book entitled The Abolition of Religionby Leon Morris. His answer was a negative one.It is a sad thing to mention that these two majortheological seminaries in Formosa have been sodeeply involved with the liberal theology. The chaplainof Chiang Kai-Shek is a Liberal Baptist preacherwho does not believe in original sin, and yet he is avery popular leader among Protestant churches inTaipei.From May 22-24, I was asked to lead a specialmeeting at Friendship Corner Presbyterian Churchunder the auspices of the Christian Reformed Mission,the Orthodox Presbyterian Mission and theFriendship Corner Church. My subject was TheThought of Modern Theology and the FundamentalChristian Faith.Mr. John C. Wang, a young Christian teacherat Christ's College, has come to be interested in ourtranslation work. He translated an article for ourlatest issue of Faith and Life quarterly which isbeing printed in Formosa. If sufficient funds aresecured we are sure that such a capable translatorlike Mr. Wang can be employed.On April 1, an office location was obtained. Thisis our RTF Taiwan office, located on 3-1 RooseveltThe Apostle Paul, writing by the Holy Spirit,foretold to Timothy that "in the last days periloustimes shall come" (II Tim. 3:1). While none of usknows where we stand in the calendar of eternityit is a fact that right now we are confronted by periloustimes." The foundations of spiritual truth andmorality are being shaken by men whose decisionsand actions are no longer determined by the Bible asGod's authentic and authoritative revelation.There has now developed a new theology whichclaims for each succeeding generation the right todetermine its own standards of moral behavior. Thisnew philosophy (as old as Eden itself), teaches thatthere are no moral absolutes — that the divine revelationitself is relative, subject to human revisionat will.Out of this new theology there now has come a"'new morality" (actually as old as Sodom) in whichwe find churchmen actually defending fornicationand sex perversion provided it is "meaningful" forthe individual involved. How much further can mengo downward?Road, Section II in Taipei. The rent and operatingexpenses are being shared with the Orthodox PresbyterianMission which will use the rear part ofthe office as a reading room and classroom. Thetotal monthly expense of office up-keeping willrun to about $50. Right now we have a theologicalstudent, Mr. Lin, to help us for the summer. Dr.Van Til's Why I Believe in God was reprinted inChinese in Taipei.It was a happy occasion for me to officiate atthe wedding of our second son, Jonathan, and hisbride, Rebecca Cheng, at the Friendship CornerChurch in Taipei on June 5, 1965. They are busywith the red tape at the American Embassy andChinese government offices to get Rebecca's visa tocome to America. Jon has one more year at WestminsterSeminary. We expect them to arrive in LosAngeles at the end of August.Praise should be given to our Sovereign God forall of His mercy and loving kindness in making thistrip a very profitable one. Many contacts were made,and numerous opportunities of bearing witness forthe Reformed Faith were found. Many hearts of ourChristian people were challenged and the enemy'stactics were revealed to them. May the Spirit ofTruth be working in people's minds and cause themto submit their hearts unto the Almighty God andHis Truth.SIN, IF IT IS "MEANINGFUL"Dr. L. Nelson BellIn terms we laymen can understand: this newtheology has man writing his own ticket withoutreference to God's holy laws.Some years ago we wrote an article, "Anchoredor Adrift," (Available from the business office, 50cents per doz.— Ed.) in which we pointed out thatonce a person has cast loose the anchor of faith inthe full integrity and authority of the Holy Scriptureshe inevitably drifts dangerously on the shoalsof human speculation. But, at that time we neverimagined the lengths to which denial of God's Wordcan lead.Paul, writing to Timothy, spoke of men whowould be "ever learning, and never able to cometo the knowledge of the truth" (II Tim. 3:7). He saidthese would be people "having a form of godliness,but denying the power thereof" (v. 5). Brethren,these are days in which we must take care lest wetoo succumb to the pressures to compromise anddeny the Christian faith.We should be particularly concerned about ourchildren. Due to the shift in moral and spiritualAugust 11, 1965 87

values they go out into the world with two strikesagainst them. Conversation with almost any highschool boy or girl today will reveal that many ofthem, or their class mates, are sex-obsessed andlack the moral restraints formerly taught in thehome and church. They are to be pitied becauseour generation has let them down. We all are to bepitied because only too often the Church is failingto maintain the standards of moral conduct soclearly taught in the Bible.Our troubles go straight back to where God'smoral law was abandoned as applicable to ourtimes. They go back to that new interpretation ofthe Bible which no longer holds it to be the onlyinfallible rule of faith and practice.The peril is intensified because so few Churchleaders across America are taking a stand withintheir own denominations in the Name of Godagainst current trends.We have before us a copy of Challenge 65, studentpublication of the San Francisco PresbyterianTheological Seminary of San Anselmo, of whichDr. Theodore Gill is president. In this book we finda combination of blasphemy and sex-obsessionwhich is appalling. It gives grave warning of thesituation which now exists in some Church circles.Nor is this an isolated case. The evidence indicatesthat this spiritual and moral cancer within theChurch is no longer localized. It is spreading withfrightening rapidity.We are fully aware of the bluntness and vehemencewith which we have written. Only forcefullanguage can describe the situation by which trueChristianity is today confronted. No longer is thequestion, "anchored or adrift?" — we already areadrift on the sea of admitted and approved sin withno greater deterrent offered than whether it is"'meaningful."The solution is to be found in the Church againbecoming the Church, teaching moral and spiritualvalues as set forth in the Word of God. As far asPresbyterians are concerned, these are set forth inthe Confession of Faith and the Catechisms. Thereinlies the ultimate answer.We also feel that radical surgery is needed, notby the arm of flesh but under the revealing, cleansing,and healing power of the Holy Spirit.The alternative is God's certain and deservedjudgment.The Presbyterian JournalUsed by permissionIndia and LiquorExcerpt from a paper on CURRENT WORLDATTITUDES, read by Francis A. Soper, editor ofLISTEN and ALERT, at the annual meeting of theNational Temperance and Prohibition Council,Washington D.C, January 29, 1964Somewhat over a year ago I spent a month inIndia specifically for observing trends and conditionsthere. In the course of this trip I visited suchcities as Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi Madras, Bangalore,Patna and Agra. I talked with Dr. Radakrishnan,who since has become India's president, ZakarHussain, now vice-president, editors both nativeand European, educators, law-enforcement men,government leaders, and missionaries, includingnative religious leaders.Since 1937 various states of India have had prohibitionin different forms. Some have partial prohibition,four states have total prohibition, one ofthese (Bombay) having voted to liberalize this beginningApril 1, others have no prohibition as yet.One state, Uttar Pradesh, voted to discontinue itin order to increase state revenues after China's88attack on India's northern frontier.The problem of drink was of sufficient importancethat the framers of the Indian constitutionenjoined on the state the responsibihty of raisingthe health level of the people, and of preventingconsumption of intoxicating drinks and drugsinjurious to health.It is thirteen years since the constitution gaveto every state the responsibility of enforcing prohibition.The picture today is very spotty. One bigargument, as always, is economic. Some time agoPrime Minister Nehru sent a message recognizingBombay Prohibition Week, saying, "Financial considerationcannot always be ignored, but in a matterof this kind surely these considerations shouldnot play an important part." It has been impressedon the states that the excise revenue lost because ofprohibi ion could be regained by revision of taxes,limited central subsidy, or other methods. Some>a e governments have no*; seriously accepted thesepremises.COVENANTER WITNESS

OurYouth*^&MEkrlsitTHE CONTESTjoy surge through her veins. She would paint aMrs. George (Jean L.) McFarland picture more beautiful than all the others. SheIt was an odd contest. But then, the town's would become a great artist. She would live surroundedby beauty, and all people would admire herrichest citizen, Miss Luella Mayfield, was an oddperson. She loved art and had a large collection of and speak with reverence of her wonderful talent.paintings. She wanted the art students of Harrisburgto make a copy of one of her oil paintings. It but the dream went with her, hovered about her,Finally realizingit was getting late, she got up,was a picture of an old mill with a large water wheel as she hurried home. If only her mother was livingon the bank of a stream. The sky was all aglow she could share her secret with her, because inwith the setting sun. She had loaned the picture to spite of her poverty Mollie Bates had loved beautybe hung on the wall of the art room until the pictureswere painted.eyes had loved everything that was good and gay.too. Mollie with her Irish brogue and twinkling"I'll pay expenses to the best art school in the But the new Mrs. Bates thought only of work andcountry," declared the old woman, "to the student her aches and pains. So now Myra slipped in themaking the best reproduction."house quietly hoping no one would notice that sheMyra Bates sat as one in a trance when Miss was late.Otis, the art teacher, announced the contest and In the weeks that followed the whole art classexplained the rules. She had a chance, a big chance worked on their pictures. Myra found it hard toof winning the prize. Only one other student, Lucile concentrate on her other lessons. The picture hadGrey, could really paint. But I can win if I try, become her passion. Lucile's easel stood next tothought Myra. Lucile doesn't need the money; hers and Lucile too was working with all the skillfolks will send her to college. I will make the she possessed. best When the pictures were finished,picture.the two looked almost identical. Everyone wonderedAfter class there was a hub-bub among the art how the judges wouldtell them apart.students. Most of them shrugged their shoulders The evening before they were to be judged,carelessly. There are just two girls who have any Myra slipped into the art room to take one lastchance of winning the prize," one girl remarked. look at her picture. Surely the coloring of her picturewas just a httle better than Lucile's. / must"Oh, well," said another, "who wants to go to artschool?"win, she thought, desperately. Perhaps if I toucBut Myra hurried out of the door and down the sun a tiny bit more it will improve it.the street. She wanted to be alone to think over, her brush in the reddish-pink paint, she stepped towardthe canvas. Her eyes intent on the picture,and dream about, this great hope that was bornwithin her. All her life she had loved pretty things, she forgot the step to the platform, and stumbled.beautiful surroundings, nature in all her loveliness. She threw out herhand to catch a chair, then wentAs a child she had treasured bright stones and down in a heap. Picking herself up she found thatbits of colored glass. Yet she had always been surroundedby ugliness. The street she lived on was had been overturned. Then she looked at the pic­she wasn't hurt. Nothing was hurt; only the chairnarrow and rough. It had houses that needed paint ture and gasped in dismay. Across the picture wasand repairs, and that were hugging the sidewalks. a large splatter of reddish-pink paint.Her own home had high steps leading to a small Myra reeled and sank again to the floor. Whatplatform before the front door. Inside, the rooms had she done? All her hopes and dreams were ruined,all in one minute of time. How long she sat onwere small, the large-flowered wall paper madethem look even smaller. The dull, saggy furniture the floor she didn't know. She thought she couldand worn rug gave everything a dilapidated dreariness.in her ear. 'Change the pictures. No one will know,never get up again. Then an imp seemed to whisperThis afternoon Myra didn't go directly home but They haven't been numbered and marked for theturned off Lincoln Avenue and walked toward the judges yet. Lucile doesn't need the money. She'llpark. She wanted tosit on a bench and let this new never know hew her picture was spoiled."(To be continued)August 11, 1965 89

for September 5, 1965 MmSELMA MISSIONSCHOOL AND HOSPITAL WORKEARLY DAYSMrs. Charles McKissockTheme Psalm: 67, page 161, verses1-3. Psalm 22, page 48, verses 18, 22,23, 24.Memory Verse: "Look unto me,and be ye saved, all the ends of theearth: for I am God, and there is noneelse." Isaiah 45:22.The work of our Church amongthe Negroes in the South was begunduring the Civil War. During theyears of 1862-1869 missions were openedin Beaufort, South Carolina; Fernandina,Florida; Washington, D.C;and Natchez, Mississippi; but noneproved to be a suitable location for apermanent mission work. Nothingwas done in this area from 1870-1873.In the spring of 1874 Selma, Alabamawas selected as the place for a permanentwork. A mission and a schoolof 14 pupils was opened. For a timethere were four centered in the area,but the work was later placed underone institution called Knox Academy,with the church along side. Theschool accommodated nearly 600 pupilsand carried them through highschool. In addition to the literary departmentsthere was also an industrialdepartment for the boys and a domesticscience department for the girls.The Bible held the central place inevery room and in every department.When the school was first openedin 1874, Mr. Lewis Johnston, a coloredlicentiate, was principal and Mr.George M. Elliott, the assistant. Rev.Mr. Elliott then became the first regularsuperintendent of the school andRev. Mr. Johnson the first regularpastor of the congregation. Until 1928these were two seperate positions andwere filled by several men who performedtheir duties faithfully. Then in1928 a new step in the administrationof the work was taken by combiningthe leadership of the church and theAcademy. This responsibility fell uponthe shoulders of Rev. J. M. Johnston.It was indeed a heavy load, but onewhich he carried well. Mornings werespent at the Academy conductingchapel exercises, teaching the seniorBible classes and seeing to administrativeduties. More time was delegatedto a heavy schedule of communityspeaking engagements. In addition tothis, there was the regular preachingto be done, and also the duties ofPAGEFOR JUNIORSbeing a pastor to his people. Throughhis leadership the white communitycame to have more knowledge andappreciation of the work being accomplishedby the Southern Mission.As the depression of the thirtieshit the country, it did not miss Selma,and its impact was felt at the Missionand school. All of the teachersand workers at the Mission took a 10percent reduction in their salary. Conditionsbecame worse and soon theyvoluntarily took another salary reduction.The question of continuingthe school arose.Perhaps we should say the questionof continuing the school arose again.As early as 1924 a committee of theBoard of Home Missions had gone toSelma when the Selma School Boardhad inquired about purchasing theAcademy. At that time the Committeethought the question was not whetherto discontinue the school but when.Now the financial problem caused bythe depression brought the matter upfor a definite decision. To make thisimportant decision several things mustbe considered.1. The state had the duty of providingeducation equally for allcitizens and by 1932 it had providededucational opportunity forNegroes through grade ten.2. Educational standards were risingand new requirements made itnecessary to expend large sumsof money for science courses andlaboratories in order for the schoolto continue.3. The buildings were old and financeslimited.These problems were not insurmountableand the Board would haveappealed to the Church for financesto meet these needs, but it was feltthat the Academy had fulfilled itspurpose. That purpose was to bridgethe gap between the chaos followingthe Civil War and modern efforts onbehalf of the Negroes. In Smith's"Covenanter Ministers" we find thisquotation from Dr. R. J. Mclsaac:"After one has been in this work altogetherfor well on to a score ofyears, it is with a good deal of sadnessthat he thinks of its abandonment;yet as said above, if missionarywork is in its very nature temporary,we ought rather to be glad that thepeople whom we have been trying tohelp, are now not in such dire needof that help ..."In 1932 grades 1-6 were discontinuedon the authorization of Synod.Then each year two additional gradeswere discontinued. In 1935 the schoolwhich had operated for 61 years wasgiven to the use of the colored peopleand is now in the city's school system.Mrs. Skinner was the principal of theschool and Dr. Johnston who continuedas Bible teacher also served in thecapacity of advisor. A study was madeof the possibility of changing theschool to a Bible school but this wasnot feasible. In 1936 the property wasleased to the School Board and in1937 was sold to them along with twohouses that had been used for schoolpurposes.In this field as in the other missionfields the list of those who were willingto give of their time and effort tothe Lord's work is indeed a long one.The names of these persons can befound both in "Sketches of the Ministers"by Thompson and "CovenanterMinisters" by Smith.In 1935 Lawrence W. Bottoms, ason of the congregation, was appointedstated supply and was ordainedto the ministry and installed pastorof the Selma congregation. He resignedin 1938 and Dr. E. A. Crooks assumedthe responsibility of leadershipoi the Mission, serving until1942.When thinking of the work done inSelma, we automatically think of theBurwell Infirmary, although it wasand is privately owned and operatedand has never been directly under thecontrol of the church or the mission.However the Board of Home Missionsand the members of our denominationhave had a keen interest in its operationand have helped financially tofurther the work being done there.The hospital was owned and ably managedby W. J. Anderson and his wife,members of the Covenanter congregationin Selma. In 1952 Mr. Andersonasked that the Covenanter Church exercisecontrol over the hospital, butit was felt at the time that we werejust unable to do so.See page 9290 COVENANTER WITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of September 5, 1965Sabbath School Lessonfor September 5, 1965GROWING IN FAITHLuke 17:5-6; Philip. 3:12-16; Col. 1:9-23;Hebrews 11:1, 6.Comments by John K. GaultFaith is fundamental to all Christianexperience. In Hebrews 11 it isthe one exclusive subject. All of thepersons mentioned were noted becauseof that one virtue. As we aretold in I John 4:12, "No man hathseen God at any time." The evidencesof His reality are abundant, but it isthrough faith that we "believe that heis, and that he is a rewarder of themthat diligently seek him." (Heb. 11:6)People display faith in all their livingobjectives. A farmer has faiththat he will reap a harvest, so he sowsthe seed at the proper time. A buyerhas faith that the products he buysare as represented. A student hasfaith that historical characters such asWashington or Lincoln were real personsand that they fulfilled the missionof life which is allotted to themby the books. People exercise faithall the time, in their fellowmen, andalso in things and circumstances, ltseems strange that so many have difficultyin having faith in God and inthe varacity of His Word. A so-called"mental block" prevents a few peoplefrom reacting normally to impressionsand information, but it is a moralblock which prevents many from reactingto the plain facts in the case ofGod's over-ruling providence and therevelation of Himself in His Word. InPsalm 14:1 and 53:1 it is said, "Thefool hath said in his heart, there is noGod." By far the most authenticatedfact in the world is the existence ofGod. To be without faith, then, is tobe in a state of consummate stupidity.1: What Is Faith?Hebrews 11:1 answers this questionin the words, "Now faith is the substance(or assurance) of things hopedfor, the evidence (or conviction) ofthings not seen." Faith imparts realityto our thinking about God. In a courttrial any object is taken as evidencewhen it tends to corroborate the testimonywhich has been submitted. Faithis that corroboration of the testimonyabout God and of the kingdom ofheaven. Jesus said of the centurionwho besought Him to heal his servantwho was sick, "I have not found sogreat faith, no, not in Israel" (Matt.8:5-10). When people have faith, theyare convinced of the will of God, andtheir belief becomes real to them. Inanswer to question 86, the ShorterCatechism says, "Faith in Jesus Christis a saving grace, whereby we receiveand rest upon him alone for salvation,as he is offered to us in the Gospel."2: Faith is Indispensable in Doingthe Will of God.This is stated in Hebrews 11:6a,"But without faith it is impossible toplease him." In Matthew 8:24-27 wehave the account of the storm on thesea of Galilee. The disciples of Jesuswere filled with terror for it seemedthat they would be lost. Jesus, however,was asleep in the ship until theyawoke him and said, "Lord, save us;we perish." "And he said to them, whyye might walk worthy of the Lord untoall pleasing, being fruitful in everygood work, and increasing in theknowledge of God." "Walk" means"manner of life." If one is growing infaith, he will endeavor to live in sucha manner as to be "worthy of theLord," and will seek to exert an influencefor good in everything thathe does.Being "strengthened with a 11might, according to his glorious powerunto all patience and longsufferingwith joyfulness," is an indication ofgrowing in faith. One can never bestrong in the glorious power of Godunless he has faith."Giving thanks" to God is anotherunmistakable evidence of faith. AChristian's principal reason for givingthanks is that God "hath made usmeet to be partakers of the inheritanceof the saints in light." Truefaith will always show itself in grati­are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?Then he arose and rebuked the windsand the sea; and there was a great tude. God has selected some to becalm." The disciples were experiencedsailors but that would not save them.They lacked the one indispensable requirement"partakers of the inheritance" of eternallife. When people have faith, theywill always feel grateful that Godfor their salvation in the has saved them from the power ofstorm and that was faith in Him whowas asleep, unperturbed by the forceof the wind and the greatness of thewaves. It can truthfully be said thatthe whole earthly career of Jesus wasdesigned to impress people with thedarkness and has brought them intothe circle of His glorious light.4: The Foundation of Faith.Reconciliation with God is the basicteaching of this epistle and that isthe foundation of all faith. Christ isindispensability of faith in Him in the "fulness" between the holy Godorder to be saved.3: Evidences of Faithand sinful man. Paul says in verse20, "And, having made peace throughThe presentation of this thought isfound in Colossians 1:9-12. In theseverses of our lesson Paul says, "Forthis cause we also, since the day wethe blood of his cross, by him to reconcileall things unto himself; byhim, I say, whether they be things inearth, or things in heaven. And you,heard it, do not cease to pray for you, that were sometime alienated andand to desire that ye might be filled enemies in your mind by wickedwith the knowledge of his will in allwisdom and spiritual understanding."works, yet now hath he reconciled."This is a declaration of the wholeHe wanted them to show the evidencesfoundation of faith.of faith and one way for them A prevalent heresy of Paul's dayto do this was to be "filled with theknowledge of his will in all wisdomwas that the universe was peopled bycertain emanations or off-shoots, fromand spiritual understanding." The the Divine Being. The holy God couldstudy of the Word of God is the methodof gaining this wisdom and spiritualunderstanding. When people areenergetic in doing this the evidence isstrong that they are growing in thisfaith.Other evidences are found in versenot come into contact with sinful matterwhich was earth. The farther theemanations went away from God themore sinful they became until they becameearth, or matter. Paul is combattingthis heresy in this lesson. He saysthat Christ is the fulness and He has10 wherein the Apostle says, "That made peace between God and manAugust 11, 196591

is the only foundation of the Christianfaith.5: People Grow in Faith WhenThey Continue in It.This is presented in verses 22 and23, "to present you holy and unblameableand unreprovable in his sight; ifye continue in the faith grounded andsettled, and be not moved away fromthe hope of the gospel, which ye haveheard,—" In I Corinthians 15:58 Paulsays, "Be ye stedfast, unmoveable, alwaysabounding in the work of theLord."A Christian is beset by temptations,influences, and pressures to forsakethe faith of his fathers. The raceis long and the pitfalls are many, butas Jesus said, "He that endureth tothe end shall be saved." The apostlessaid to Jesus, "Increase our faith.And the Lord said, if ye had faithas a grain of mustard seed, ye mightsay unto this sycamine tree, Be thouplucked up by the roots and be thouplanted in the sea; and it should obeyyou." Now, Jesus meant by that statementthat if their faith was sharp andhad the ability to grow so as to healall of the other faltering graces, itcould accomplish the impossible forthe glory of God.With the great advance of science,evil is getting more and more powerful.It is becoming more and moredifficult to continue in the faith.Christians should be much in prayerthat Christ would increase theirfaith so that they would be able tostand against the ever-increasing powerof evil.JUNIOR TOPIC . from page 90It was reported in 1954 that theInfirmary was doing the work ofthree institutions: that of a hospital,that of a children's clinic, and thatof an aged people's home. Many requirementsfor improvements imposedby the state were a threat to the existenceof the Infirmary, but whenthe state inspector noted the effortbeing made to cooperate, he gave approvalfor it to continue to operateand in 1955 a general Hospital Licensewas secured. This was the only hospitalin Selma whose doors were open tothose without money to pay for hospitalizationin advance.In 1958 the Board of Home Hissionssent a committee consisting ofDelber H. Elliott, John M. Allen, andChester R. Fox to visit the hospitaland to make recommendations. Therewas no question concerning our needto help the Andersons in this ministrythey had taken on for the Lord totheir people. The question was howwe could best be of assistance. Since1958 the Board has continued to studythe hospital situation but as yet noanswer has been found to this problem.Mr. Anderson died in 1964 andthe work of the Infirmary has beencarried on by his widow; however,plans were made to convert the hospitalto a nursing home. A permanenthospital committee has been appointedand all possibilities to establish avery badly needed hospital for Negroesare being explored. We shouldthank God for the work which hasbeen done by the Andersons, and prayearnestly for wisdom and guidancefor our Home Mission Board and themen interested in carrying on theirwork.For the notebook: On the nextmap page mark your own congregationand locate Selma, Alabama. Includeon the map names of workers,the name of the school, or importantdates and events covered in this lesson.For the handwork: Tonight andnext week we will try making up anewspaper front page.1. Help the children choose a namefor a newspaper, a date, headlines,stories they wish to write and evenpictures or ads that would be appropriate.Using material that will helpthem to remember the Selma Missionencourage them to use their imaginationsin their writing. You willprobably want to use material fromnext week's lesson in the news items,so some of the stories may be writtenthen.2. Take a sheet of paper approximately12 by 15 inches. With a pencildivide the paper as the front page ofa newspaper is divided with spacefor the name, headlines, differentcolumns, pictures, etc. This will beyour master newspaper sheet.3. Mark a second sheet of paperexactly as the first. Cut out the differentspaces and give to the Juniors fortheir stories. Then paste these itemsin the corresponding spaces on themaster sheet.4. The items written by the boysand girls can be as detailed or asbrief as the ages of the group allow.Following are suggestions for articles:The Selma Gospel Times, One HundredYears Ago Marked the Birthof the Selma Covenanter Congregation:Kindergarten Children PresentSpecial Program; Bazaar to be Heldby Covenanter Women; Dr. BrownActive in Boy Scout Work; Dr. Johnston,First Superintendent of KnoxAcademy; Knox Academy Sold toCity Public Schools; City MissionaryVisits Homes with Bible Tracts;Clothing Sale on Saturday; etc.MY DAILY PRAYERIn my daily calling make me diligentin business, fervent in spirit,serving the Lord. May I do my work,not for the wages I may get, not tosecure an advance, but so as to pleaseThee!May the one object of my dailystriving be to do all to the glory ofGod—not with eye-service, as pleasingmen, but in singleness of heart,fearing the Lord, doing the will ofGod as it is indicated in the circumstancesof my life, and looking for myreward from Thy hand, O divine Master!In my use of money I would not beanxious about the future, nor hoardup and keep for myself of that whichThou hast given me. I want to be Thyvery slave, counting myself and all Ihave as Thy purchased property, andusing all things as Thy representativeand steward.In my use of time and health andall the opportunities of life, I desireto act with reverent care, redeemingthe time, buying up each opportunity,conserving my body as the pure templeof the Holy Ghost, so partaking ofrecreation, food, natural scenery, travel,and all lawful pastimes, that Imay the better serve Thy purpose inmy creation and redemption. Show mewhat Thy talents are which Thou hastentrusted to me, and help me to makethe two four, and the five ten.—F. B. MeyerPROOF OF HIS LOVEThere was once a Roman girl ofhigh culture and birth. "No one," shesaid, "shall ever win my hand, unlesshe gives me proof that he woulddie for me."Years passed, and one day in oneof the streets of rome she heard anoutcast Christian speaking of his Lord.When she heard what he said, withamazement breaking in on her soulshe exclaimed: "Here is One who hasdied for me; to Him alone shall myheart's love be devoted forever."—D.M. PantonAnd he led them on safely, so thatthey feared not: but the sea overwhelmedtheir enemies. Ps. 7%'"-92 COVENANTER WITNESS

W. M. S. DepartmentWord has been received from Mrs.James A. Carson that money designatedfor the Kentucky Mission is stillcoming to her.Mrs. John Edgar, Synodical President,requests that since the workof the Kentucky Mission has beenclosed that further monies be sentfor other uses.to give than to receive." As John D.Rockefeller stated: "Train the childrento tithe, and they will grow up tobe faithful stewards of the Lord. Itmakes us more like to God, who givesto all, and receives from none; and tothe Lord Jesus, who went about doinggood. It is more pleasant to do goodto the grateful, but it is more honorableto do good to the ungrateful, forthen we have God to be our paymaster."We should make a fresh surrenderof ourselves and all we have untothe Lord Jesus Christ. We should becharitable to the poor out of whatwe have, because we ourselves liveupon the charity of the Lord Jesus.3. Misuse of the gift of God —Matt. 25:14-29. Here is the parable ofthe talents given to three servants,the master is Christ and the servantsare we Christians. There are threethings, in general, in the parable.1. The trust committed to theseservants. God appointed them to work(for Christ keeps no servants to beidle); He left them something to workupon.2. The different management andimprovement of this trust, vs. 16-18.Two of the servants did well. Theywere diligent and faithful; they im-See page 952. Grace of liberality — II Cor.8:1-12. We are asked of God to giveabove and beyond the call of duty,for Septemberand we will be greatly blessed by doingso. The people in MacedoniaGROWTH THROUGH GIVING(Stewardship)abounded in their liberality; theyMrs. Karl Cunninghamgave out of a little, trusting in God toOnly can a Christian truly believe provide for them. They gave verythat there is growth through giving. largely, with the riches of liberality.It is hard for a non-believer to conceiveof the idea that after giving atleast a tenth of one's income that heis blessed richly and a great rewardis in store for him. It is also hardto believe that all Christians are nottithers and have not experienced theScribe With A Hard Pencilwonderful blessing that is receivedthrough giving.We as Christians are accountableto God for the way in which we useour money and particularly for the That Monday was being observed as a holiday.support we give to the work of His The dictionary informs us that a holiday is "any day of exemption fromKingdom. We must not be guided by labor or work: a time of recreation." Normally, in our American households,what others do, but by the teachings Monday is wash day. But, that particular Monday was being observed as aof the Word of God. The Scriptures holiday. It is at least within the realm of possibility that housewives wereare the only rule, not only for doctrine,and worship, but also for giving. bulging schedules lined up for the remaining days of the week — wonderingcasting rueful glances at the piles of dirty clothes, and — in view of theWhen we accept Christ as our Lord, when they would ever get around to attending to a much-needed washing.we must also accept what the Scripturesteach about giving.of clothes; and began to hang out her wash. Holiday or no holiday, she knewThen, suddenly, out back, a neighbor lady appeared with a basket full1. Blessed in giving--Mal. 3:10. that her family needed clean clothes.God commands us to bring all the That did it!tithes into the storehouse. He will Within an hour clothes lines all over that end of town were full of cleansurely bless those who give above washing, fluttering in the breeze, gathering in the sunshine. The other housewives,it would appear, needed only some one who had the courage to leadthat which is expected of them.There is to be meat in God's house; the way.'then God will open the windows of In many areas of life, the group gets off of dead center when some oneheaven, to such a degree that there appears who has the courage to lead the way.should not be room enough to receiveIt has been known to happen that supposedly Christian young peopleHis blessings. Acts 20:35 tells us that have stood around at social gatherings, drinking cocktails they didn't want.we are blessed by helping to support Then along came one with the courage to say, "No thank you," and they putthe sick, and the poor, and those that down their glasses with relief. The thing that was needed, was some one tocan not labor. We must labor in an lead out.honest employment, not only that we Many earnest Christians are lamenting our present day trend ofmay be able to live, but that we may "politics without God." In such a movement as the Christian Amendmentbe able to give. It is more blessed to Movement, leadership is being offered away from the thought of the allsufficiencyof the state, and back to the thought of Divine authority and lawgive to others than to receive fromothers. The sentiment of the children in our national life. True, there are many who prefer to go on a holiday, religiouslyspeaking, and do as little for God as possible in the matter of givingof today is contrary to this; they areafraid of giving. They are in hope of Him His rightful acknowledgment. Others there are, however, who are willinggetting. Clear gain is with them the to follow those who are leading out in this respect, and get some linen washedthat sorely needs washing.most blessed thing that can be; butChrist tells us, "It is more blessedAugust 11, 1965 93

Church NewsCALLED TO FIRST BEAVER FALLSOn Wednesday, June 30, I moderateda call for the First Beaver Fallscongregation, which resulted in thechoice of the Rev. J Paul McCrackento be their pastor.David M. Carson, ModeratorOLATHE TO CELEBRATECENTENNIALWe of the Olathe congregation areplanning an evening program in commemorationof the centennial of ourcongregation. According to the recordsof Session, the group was organizedon September 15, 1865. However,it was decided that in the interestof all concerned,it would be betterto have the affair on a Fridayevening, September 17, 1965 at 7:30p.m. We would be most happy to haveas many come as can for the evening.Maybe some who find it impossibleto come, would like to send greetingsor reminiscences of days gone by inconnection with the Olathe congregation.We would appreciate hearingfrom them.Address:Mr. Clyde Redpath6901 W. 78th StreetOverland Park, KansasMRS. ROBERT E. ALEXANDERMrs. Elizabeth Mehaffey Alexanderwas born in Scotland in the year1870, and departed this life, June 12,1965, in Greeley, Colorado. She cameto America with her family when asmall child.The Women's Missionary Societyof Greeley wishes to express their appreciationof the life Mrs. Alexanderlived among us. She never did anythingin the usual way. It was alwaysthe unusual. She had a keenScottish humor that carried her overmany rough places in life.Mrs. Alexander was a faithful wife,an affectionate mother, and a truefriend. Her husband and three sonspreceded her in death. Left to revereher memory are Russell of FortWorth, Texas, Gilford of Cheyenne,Wyoming, and an adopted daughter,Mrs. Roberta McCallister, of Denver,Colorado.NOTICESubscriptions are due from thesecongregations, September 1: Chicago,Denison, Oakdale and Syracuse.GOING TO COLLEGE?Have your own 9-months subscriptiontoTHE COVENANTER WITNESSFOR $1.50Send order to:Mrs. M. W. Dougherty125 N. Fourth StreetSterling, Kansas 67579IN MEMORY OF ELLA HUNTERJuly 12, 1880 — May 16, 1965The Bloomington, Indiana Women'sMissionary Society pays a tribute oflove and respect to the memory ofMrs. Ella Hunter, a member of ourBloomington congregation and theWomen's Missionary Society.Her husband, Elfrey Hunter, passedaway, August 27, 1962. He was anelder in our congregation and hasbeen greatly missed. They have twosons: Ralph of Indiana, Pennsylvania,and Hugh of China Lake, California,and three grandchildren. Twosisters survive: Mrs. Alice Faris ofGreeley, Colorado, and Mrs. AnnaKennedy of our Bloomington congregation.Rev. Bruce Willson had charge ofthe funeral and she was laid to restin the Covenanter Cemetery.Ella never missed church or missionarymeetings as long as she wasable to attend for many years.Through all her suffering she nevercomplained, and always had a smilefor everyone.May we, her fellow-workers, strivemore earnestly to carry on the Lord'swork in the same spirit and devotion.She would want it said, as Tennysondid in his poem, Crossing The Bar:"Sunset and evening star,And one clear call for me!And may there be no moaning atthe bar,When I put GENEVA out to sea."The Geneva congregation was privilegedto have many friends andvisitors at Commencement and Synodtime. Our sanctuary has been newlycarpeted, and with a new loweredacoustical ceiling we are enjoying amore worshipful atmosphere.On June 5, Miss Marilyn Hemphillbecame the bride of Mr. Allen Curry.They are spending the summer workingin the Orthodox PresbyterianChurch in Portland, Maine. In thefall Mr. Curry will attend WestminsterSeminary and Mrs. Curry will beteaching in the Philadelphia area.Two new babies have arrived inour midst. Willson Stuart to the homeof Mr. and Mrs. Wendel McBurneyand Dale Edwin to the home of Mr.and Mrs. Fred Karmie.A fine Vacation Bible School washeld in conjunction with the CollegeHill Church. The average attendancewas around 60.The Lillian McCracken MissionarySociety enjoyed a covered dish supperon the lawn of Miss Mary Harsh. Thewomen of the Salem PresbyterianGuild met with us and they led usin a very profitable Bible study onGalatians.Many from our church attendedthe Presbyterial Booster picnic forCamp Stambaugh. David Willson isthe President and Elaine Bell, theprecentor.Our annual Sabbath School picnicwas held, June 21, in Brady's RunPark. Miss Kathy Willson is our superintendentfor the year. Mr. StewartMcCready has recently accepted a positionin Allegheny Hospital as Directorof Non-Professional Personneland Services.The Cameron Pattersons have soldtheir home near the church but willcontinue to live in Beaver Falls duringthe summer months.Mrs. Ethel Young has been in thehospital for some weeks, but is greatlyimproved at this writing.Fred Lathom has recently beencalled to the service of his country.George Vos has just returned from atwo-year stay in Jordan and is leavingin August for a tour of duty in theRepublic of Somali.Many are away on vacation now.The Willard Hemphills and Mrs. J.G. Vos were in California. The MerrillRobbs were in Iowa. Eric Park,Jeff Metheny, and Sandra Hemphillwent to Mexico.The College Hill and Geneva congregationsare again enjoying jointevening services, our respective pastorstaking the services on alternateevenings.94 COVENANTER WITNESS

OAKDALE, ILLINOISOur spring communion was heldon April 4. At this time Rev. RobertHenning of Beaver Falls was the guestminister, assisting Rev. Charles Sterrettin a Preaching Mission precedingand during these services. We wereglad to have six names added to ourroll at that time: Mrs. Oscar McClay,the wife of one of our elders, WayneAuld, Philip Carson, Emily Patton,Gary Richards, and Mary Beth Sterrett.In July, Mr. John W. Miller, a formermember, transferred his membershipfrom the First United PresbyterianChurch of Oklahoma City toour congregation.Rev. Kenneth Smith presented thecause of the Board of Christian Educationto our prayer meeting on April14.Visitors to our congregation duringthe spring and early summerincluded:Mr. and Mrs. Otto Mueller of UniversityCity, Missouri, a brother ofMrs. Robert Piper.Mr. and Mrs. Meyer of Springfield,Illinois, a sister of Mrs. Oscar McClay.Miss Olive Boyle, a member nowresiding in Young, Arizona.Mr. and Mrs. Roy Carson of Greeley,Colorado, home to attend the 50thanniversary of his graduation fromNashville High School.Mr. and Mrs. Wilmer Piper andfamily from Topeka, Kansas, a son ofMrs. J. Ren Piper.Mr. and Mrs. Dwight Piper ofAmbridge, Pennsylvania, a son of Mrs.J. Pen Piper.Miss Anna McDonald of Southfield,Michigan, sister of Mrs. CharlesSterrett.Mrs. Edward Harback and son,Rodney, of Tennessee, a daughter ofOscar McClay.Mr. Stuart C. Miller of SilverSprings, Maryland, son of Mr. JohnW. Miller.Graduates in our congregationthis year were Earla Jean and RoseleeAuld from the Nashville HighSchool, Emily Patton from the NashvilleGrade School, Wayne Auld andPhilip Carson from the Oakdale GradeSchool, Mrs. Dale Musselman fromMcKendree College located at Lebanon,Illinois.Misses Claudine and Lucile Coulterretired from their teaching positionsin Granite City, Illinois.On May 19, at the congregationalfamily night program, Rev. and Mrs.Frances Kohler were honored on theirAugust 11, 196525th wedding anniversary. Rev. Mr.Kohler is a member of the OkawvilleHigh School faculty. Both have beenvery faithful and exceptionally capableteachers in our adult Bible classesduring these past two years. Weare very glad to have them with usregularly.The Community Bible School washeld in the Oakdale Grade School forseven days in early June. This is acooperative project of the UnitedPresbyterian Sabbath School and ours.Attendance averaged 52 children. Theclosing exercises, conducted on June7, gave visible and audible evidenceof much effort on the part of pupilsand leaders.The 20th wedding anniversary ofMr. and Mrs. William R. Auld wascelebrated by their family, relatives,and friends at the Nashville Park, theevening of July 10. This was a surprisearranged by their children.Miss Irene Piper accompanied theWilmer Piper family to Beaver Falls.She attended the College graduationand visited her brothers and other relativesand friends. While Irene wasaway, her mother, Mrs. Emma Piper,was cared for in the home of herdaughter, Mrs. Clarence Stevenson,of Centralia, Illinois.THIRD PHILADELPHIAOn Friday evening, June 4, thedeacons sponsored a farewell tea forJack and Janet Pinkerton. Jack, oneof our deacons, is going to teach atGeneva College, beginning in the fall.Jack, best wishes from Third Philadelphiago with you in your new endeavor.Rev. G. W. Price and Elder WilliamGregory attended Synod this year atBeaver Falls. As our representatives,they gave us a very interesting reporton the Sabbath after Synod.On Synod Sabbath we had our annualChildren's Day service. Therewere about fifty-two persons present.Our own Barbara Westerman gave avery interesting message on "Feedingthe 5000."On Saturday afternoon, June 19,we had our annual Sabbath Schoolpicnic on the church grounds. Therewere games for all ages followed bya picnic supper furnished by the SabbathSchool.On Sabbath, June 20, in the closingexercises of the Sabbath School,we recognized "Father's Day." Thecommittee planned a very interestingBible Quiz on the Fathers of the OldTestament.This year at our V.B.S., we hadthirty-eight students registered withan average attendance of 30. The majorityof these students were fromthe immediate area. Our staff consistedof the following:Director, Mrs. Walter McClay;Teachers: Beginner's Department,Mrs. Howard Dietrich; Primary Department,Mrs. George W. Price; JuniorDepartment, Mrs. W. McClay; IntermediateDepartment, Rev. GeorgeW. Price; Nursery in charge of Mrs.Arthur P. Danenhour; Arts andCrafts, Mrs. Buckwalter and her daughter,Betsy.Arthur Danenhour helped by settingup chairs and tables, keepingtime for the various class periods, andassisting wherever needed.About sixty persons were presentfor the closing exercises held Fridayevening, July 9.WMS Department... from page 93mediately applied themselves to theirbusiness. Those that have so muchwork to do, as every Christian has,need to set about it quickly, and loseno time. They were successful; theydoubled their stock. The third did ill.The talents given to him were of novalue to himself or anyone else ashe buried them. God has no use for aservant such as this.3. The account of this improvement.The account is deferred; it isnot until after a long time that theyare reckoned with. Yet the day ofaccount comes at last. We all must bereckoned with—what good we havedone to our own souls and what goodwe have done to others. God commendedthe first two servants: "Welldone, good and faithful servant."He also tells them, "Thou hast beenfaithful over a few things, I will makethee ruler over many things." Thethird servant does not have the Lord'sblessing. God called him a wicked andslothful servant, and he is to becast into outer darkness. Are wefaithful servants of the Lord or arewe slothful?Let us all be faithful stewards ofGod's unfailing gifts.He chose David also his servant,and took him from the sheepfolds.Ps. 78:70.Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,thou that leadest Joseph like a flock;thou that dwellest between thecherubin, shine forth. Ps. 80:1.95

The Deacon's BenchThe Scriptural command that in giving we arenot to let the left hand know what the right hand isdoing is not to be interpreted to mean that weshould give blindly. Nelson Kauffman, a Mennonite,wrote an article in the Gospel Herald entitled, "TheHigh Cost of Unwise Giving." He presents some veryinteresting facts. For example, he obtained a financialstatement from a world organization whichshowed that in a recent year it had received contributionstotaling $3,989,000, and spent $1,298,-000 for publicity and administration, or approximately30 per cent of the amount that had beencontributed for the work of missions! It may seemmore spiritual' to give to organizations such as this,which show heart-rending pictures of orphans, etc.,than to give to Synod's Budget. But while 30 centsout of every dollar given to this organization nevergets to the field, 95 cents out of the same dollar,given through Synod's Budget to the ForeignMission Board, will go for actual mission work.Faithful stewardship involves the use of the headas well as the heart!From time to time we wonder if giving to a"Budget" is the best way of supporting the Lord'swork. A Budget seems somehow rather impersonaland indirect. And yet there are a number of reasonsfor the use of this method.For one thing, the Budget is a practical applicationof the Scriptural teaching that the Church isa body, in which each part has its proper place andimportance. Those members of the Body of Christwho have special interests and responsibility in thework of missions cannot say to those who administerfunds for the erection of church buildings, "Wehave no need of you." Some phases of the Church'swork have a greater emotional appeal than others,but this does not necessarily mean that they aremore important.And then, most individual members do nothave the information necessary to see the total picture,and to decide how best to apportion the moneyhe contributes to the Lord's work. The Budget isset by the elected representatives of the congregations,by men who hear the reports of the boardsand committees of the church, and are in a positionto make an intelligent decision about the distributionof support.If there are those who do feel that they wanttheir gifts to go to some special phase of theChurch's work, it is possible to do this through theBudget. Gifts which are designated for some specificuse will be used for that purpose. But, for thereasons given above, we believe that it is best notto designate one's gifts, as a general practice.A young businessman in Boston, at the age of23, drew up and subscribed to the following covenant:"By the grace of God, I will never be worth morethan $50,000."By the grace of God, I will give one-fourth of thejiet profits of my business to charitable and religioususes."If I am ever worth $20,000, I will give one-halfof my profits; and if I am ever worth $30,000, Iwill give three-fourths; and the whole, after $50,000.So help me God, or give to a more faithful steward,and set me aside."ALWAYS ANENEMY"Don't try to make friends with the lion or hercubs!"Protested the man at the Zoo."That family of killers has done harm enoughLook out, or they'll injure you too!"It's equally silly to try to make friendsWith unfriendly drinks, such as beer;The enemy, alcohol, does so much harmIt ought to be caged, it is clear.Why listen to brewers, why heed the distillerWho's urging the people to drinkIt's just making friends with a recognized killer—Which people won't do, if they think.Florence Marshall StellwagenUsed by permission96 COVENANTER WITNESS

MFOBMED PEESBYTEBIj^ T H E ^ ^LOGICAL SEMLNAR1> ^ ***-• ^ 4 M d * 4 PITTSBURGHCovenanter Witness:| TO JESUS CHRIST"THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONS"VOLUME LXXV NO. 7 AUGUST 18, 1965 STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 12, 1965OPPORTUNITYOPPORTUNITY is one of those well known words which is difficultto define, but we all know what it means. Its roots meanfacing a port. Some think of it as a chance that comes once in alifetime, and if not seized, is lost forever. Others feel that nomatter how one may have failed in the past, the door of opportunityis always open to him. One may miss an opportunity, but that doesnot mean that he is a failure in life. One may make opportunitiesthrough his own alertness and hard work and at last become successful.I suppose that there is some truth in all of these views.Some people look for another to open the door of opportunity tothem. Such will expect a relative to make a job for them, one whichpays an excellent salary and will soon give a promotion to a place ofresponsibility. Such a person may or may not be successful. Othersonly want the opportunity by hard work and faithfulness to workup the ladder. If these have capability, they are almost sure to besuccessful.The important thing for most people is what they do with theopportunity when it comes, or when they make it. Some dreamabout an opportunity, wishing that they could do some great thing,but they do little else than dream. They feel that only with money,or influence, or social prestige, can they become successful. Otherswill use the things which some would put aside as useless, and withthem attain success. One of these is hard work. Really, withoutthis no one can ever really be successful.One should never give way to regrets. He may have had opportunitiesin the past which he failed to grasp. But the presentand future are in themselves open doors through which he may enterto accomplish much thatir- ,.,.. h while. God gives the opportunityto serve and live for Christ. Whether life is yet long or short weshould make the best of it.Associate Reformed Presbyterian

THE COVENANTER WITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Editorial Address125 N. Fourth, Sterling, Kansas 67579Telephone Area Code 316 - BR 8-3472Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 toMrs. M. W. Dougherty, 125 N. FourthStreet Sterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under thesupervision of the Publication Board byThe Patterson Press, Wapello, IowaTHE BOARD OF PUBLICATIONRev. Paul Faris, Pres.Dr. Wyley Caskey, Vice Pres.Dr. G. M. Robb, Sec.Mr. Donald Fee, Treas.Mr. Ross LatimerRev. M. L. McFarlandMr. A. D. RobbMr. Wilbur CopelandRev. T. R. HutchesonDr. R. Paul WrightDr. D. Howard ElliottContributing Editors:Department Editors:Rev. Kenneth SmithRev. Bruce C. StewartDr. G. M. RobbMrs. Robert B. MaineRev. T. R. HutchesonMrs. Willis M. EdgarDr. S. E. BoyleRev. John K. GaultEditor— Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D. D.Opinion expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Church or of the Editor.Subscription rates: $4.00 per year, domestic and overseas,2 years $7.00. Group rates. $3.00. Single copies 10cents.Agent for Subscription in U.S., Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Agent for British Isles: Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A., 12Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, North Ireland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness.All material that is to appear in the Witness shouldbe typewritten, double spaced, and should be in Sterling,Kansas two weeks before it is to be printed.Obituary notices are limited to one hundred fiftywords; all words in excess ol that amount are one centeach. Money should accompany the notice.News for the news section should be brief and up todate. One dollar is charged for death notices that aremore than six weeks old when they reach our office. Thisdoes not apply to minutes that have been adopted by anorganization.Give us one month's notice when you are changingyour address. This notice should be sent to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, IowaCHANGE OF ADDRESSWhen giving notice of a change of address, pleasesend the old address as well as the new address to thecirculation manager.WE HOLD THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only Infalliblerule of faith and conduct.The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experience.The Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Holy Spirit.The fact of death and hell as the destiny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believein Him together with their children.The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church Government.welfare 98 That The of Lord terms the Jesus Church. of membership Christ as the or only communion King and are Head essential of His Church. to theYOUROPPORTUNITY TO SERVEThe Lord, and the Church. Home Missionariesare needed to work in established congregations, tohelp build the Kingdom of God.Special training to be provided. $3,000 per yearplus housing.Write for further information and applicationblank to:The Home Mission Board,To Rev. M. W. Martin308 Duplap StreetPittsburgh, Pa. 15214This Week's WitnessLightGlimpses•The Challenge of Having HeardThe Lost DimensionAlertA Page for JuniorsLesson HelpsScribe with a Hard PencilChurch News . .67100101103104106107109110The duty which rests upon officers to maintain discipline andpreserve the purity cf the Church.Spiritual worship as a divine requirement mediated through theLord Jesus Christ.The exclusive use of the Psalms in the worship of the Church.The Protestant interpretation of the Sacraments.The divine right of the institution of Marriage and that it Isnot to be dissolved except by adultery or "Irremediable" desertion.The Sabbath as a day sacred to rest and worship.The duty of nations and their civil rulers to honor Christ a*King of Kings and Lord of Lords.That Christian cit zens are under oDllgatlon to obey lawful authority..The right and du y of the Christian citizen to dissent from a"governmental and nat onal disobedience COVENANTER to the Law of WITNESS God.That the Covenan From 3 "The of the Communicant'spast are still Class" binding. by J. B. Tweed

Editorial CommentLIGHTWhat is light? The answer to this depends onthe context in which it is used. In the realm of intelligence,light is used for information. In therealm of religion we use light as a synonym forTruth, or God's Word.The Bible also tells us that "God is light, andin Him is no darkness at all." We also read that"God is Spirit" and "God is love." The word lightthen becomes a parable and by thinking upon someof its characteristics, we may learn something aboutthe Word of God.LIGHT IS PURE. The source of the light wesee may seem to be impure, but not the light. Oldboards and dirty rags may appear useless, butwhen set on fire, they give off light. Many passagesin the Scriptures appear obscure and of littlevalue to the reader. But when the fire of the HolySpirit takes hold of these passages, the reader seessomething informing in them. They give off light.In fact the Holy Spirit must work upon every passageof Scripture if it is to have meaning to thereader.LIGHT IS BEAUTIFUL. All the beauty thatwe see about us is due to light. You have heard thewitticism, "All cats are black in the dark." That is,where there is no light, there is no color. When lightstrikes the petal of a red rose, all the colors in lightare absorbed except the red, which is reflected.The color is really in the light. So it is with all thebeauty we see about us. Never is the Word morebeautiful than when it is reflected by the lives ofthe readers. Light affects that upon which it falls.So does God's Word. Plants grown in the dark, lackcolor. So without God's Word, lives lack the realbeauty that could be theirs if there was Light.LIGHT DRIVES OUT DARKNESS. These twojust cannot exist together. One may enter a roomand find it all dark, but when he raises the blindsand allows the light to come in, darkness disappears.As you admit the light, another truth is impressedon us. When the room is dark, we cannot seethat chair over which we stumble. But light is revealing.The Word of God reveals to the reader,the dangerous and unsightly things. We read, "Theentrance of thy Word giveth light" and "Thy Wordis a light unto my path."LIGHT TELLS THE STORY OF ITS SOURCE.A bullet was shot through a copper window screenbefore it struck the man on the other side. Intracing down the criminal, particles of the bulletwere heated until they gave off hght. As the lightpassed through a spectroscope it showed lines ofcolor which are given off by copper, and thus theycould tell that it had gone through the screen. Becausethe Scripture is true, its light is pure. All effortsto substitute other writings for it show thepresence of impurities in them.LIGHT TRAVELS AT GREAT SPEED. We aretold that light will travel around the earth aboutseven times in a second. There is a story in Danielthat makes this speed seem slow. An angel appearedto Daniel and said that as soon as Daniel began topray, he began to fly to him, at the order of God.God is much faster than hght. The Word of God canproduce speedy changes.This speed and movement means that there ispower there. You have seen the little instrumentsin a jeweler's window, a glass bulb holding a sort offan arrangement. The fins are bright on one sideand dark on the other. As the light strikes it itwill spin at great speed, and as a cloud shuts outthe light of the sun, the fan slows down. This showsthe power in light as it strkes the fan. God's Wordis powerful, breaking up the stony heart that itstrikes.LIGHT CAN BE SHUT OUT BUT NOT SHUTIN. You cannot pull down the blinds and shut lightin a room. It travels. God cannot be shut up in theheart. The Word of God must move out of the heartto another. As it goes out, more comes in.God is light, and as He lives in the heart, thatheart glows and gives off light. Christ said, "Ye arethe light of the world." This is not a reflected lightas is sometimes thought. That would be a coldlight. It is the light of the indwelling Christ. It is ourbusiness to let Christ dwelling in us shine out, thusdispelling the darkness in the world around us.GLIMPSES . . . from page 100REGIONAL REFORMED SYNOD IN AFRICAAn ecumenical (and regional) Synod was held onJune 28 in Potchefstrom, South Africa. The Synod consistedof delegates of the Synod of the Reformed Church inSouth Africa, the Synod of the Reformed Church amongthe Colored, the Synod of the Reformed Church amongthe Zulus and Basutus and the Synod of the ReformedChurch of the Venda and Thonga. Each of these synodswas represented by three ministers and three elders, withtheological professors functioning as advisors.August 18. 1965 99

Glimpses of the Religious WorldT. R. Hutcheson820 New YorkHolton, KansasWHITE HOUSE BEER BRINGS PROTESTIn the Washington Letter of The Union Signal Mrs.Mildred B. Harman describes some of the unfavorablereaction to the party at the White House at which beerwas served to teenagers. Most significant appears to bethe effort of White House personnel to brush off theevent as of no importance."The subject of teen-age beer dringlng at the WhiteHouse has been the occasion of numerous letters andcalls at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. So much so, thatsome of the calls were terminated with as much dispatchas possible, leaving the caller to believe that it was ratheran unpleasant subject."It was learned that on June 18 when Luci entertainedabout 250 sons and daughters of the WashingtonDiplomatic Corps in the East Room of the White Housethat beer was served. Guests were present from 60 differentcountries in an age range from 16 to 21. Dancing wasthe diversion of the evening."One letter in particular, which received considerablepublicity, was from the Rev. Malcolm B. Knight,pastor of the Southside Baptist Church of Jacksonville,Florida. He charged that making beer available to teenagersat the White House was a bad example to thecountry. He pointed out that the rise in crime with anincreasing traffic accident rate and moral deteriorationhas been unquestionably associated with the vree of alcoholicbeverages in the hands of the young people."Undoubtedly many of the other letters were of thesame tenor."Elizabeth S. Carpenter, press secretary to Mrs.Johnson, declared Dr. Knight's letter was an attempt toget publicity. To those who called on the phone she patientlyexplained the diplomatic angle, stating that theWhite House always tries to serve a variety of food anddrinks to the guests. Beer was available but soft drinkswere much in demand, she said. Her parting observationjust prior to hanging up the receiver was: 'There wasn'tmuch beer drunk anyway.' "OTHER CAUSES TO MARCH FORSanford G. Shetler writes in Gospel Herald abouthis doubts that Mennonite clergymen should becomeactive participants in civil rights marches. He has a differentapproach than is usually presented, pointing outthat a mass movement can draw a popular following notlor the sake of the cause but for personal reasons. Hesays that to follow a popular program might be emotionallyeasy, "But it is not easy to stage a march on themovie colony in Hollywood to protest the immorality,lewdness, filth, and vice generated there, and throughwhich multiplied millions are victimized weekly andmany eventually spiritually damned. It is not easy tomarch to the office of the post-master general and protestthe flood of pornographic literature that is overwhelmingAmerica's newsstands and mails."It is not easy to march on Washington and demandthat the surgeon general go through with hisdecision to have cigarettes labeled as a vicious poisoncapable of spelling death to thousands through lung cancer.It is not easy to bring pressure to bear on ourAmerican seminaries of the various religious groupswhich are openly sowing the seeds of unbelief in thesubtle theologies which take a very low view of theScriptures as revelation. It is not easy to march to thecapitol in protest to having the Bible taken out of ourschools. Many clergymen did this, but paradoxically crusadingMennonites were not in this group. It is not easyto do any of these things because they are not popularlychampioned by religious crusaders."REASONS FOR CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS SUMMARIZEDThe June issue of Christian Living featured Christianeducation. In one article on elementary schools J.Lester Brubaker summarizes reasons that Christian elementaryschools are important."1. The emphasis in the Scriptures upon trainingchildren in godliness both by precept and example. Deuteronomy6, a passage that stresses the obligation of acontinuously God-centered environment for the child, isthe Old Testament base for this. In the New Testamentthe great commission charges the church to teach,even as Peter was told to "feed my lambs.""2. The public school orientation toward honoringthe state. In actuality patriotism then becomes the publicschool's religion. By its very nature a public schoolcannot truly be a Christian school even if the teacheris a Christian."3. The need for children to be taught that Godis the author of all truth. This then makes all truth sacred.In the Christian school every subject throws somelight on the reality of God. God is recognized as relevantto all of life and culture."Later in the article the writerconcludes, "TheChristian school just like the Christian home is no guaranteethat all the children will go on to victory in Christ.When parents realize this, then the Christian school canbe accepted along with other church agencies in the roleit is meant to fill. The Christian school cannot guaranteeresults, for the child's free will may mean that he willreject Christ. But the value of the Christian school isthat it provides an environment in which a conscious andprayerful effort can be made to allow the Holy Spirit toglorify Christ and to make God relevant to daily living.If this is done at home, at church, and at school duringthe childhood years, who can say what will be the resultsin this life and in the one to come?"See page 99100 COVENANTER WITNESS

THE CHALLENGEof Having HeardRev. Roy C. Fullerton, D.D.The first challenge for every hearer is to testwhat he has heard, as to its truth or falsehood. P.T Barnum is reported to have said that people noware tempted to believe too much rather than to believetoo httle. This warning is found throughout theBible. Adam and Eve believed too much that Satantold them, and fell. They should have known thathe was not telling them the truth, because what hetold them contradicted what God had told them.Simon Peter wrote, "But even in those days therewere false prophets, just as there will be falseteachers today. There will be men who will subtly introducedangerous heresies." (II Peter 2:1, 2 Phillips).Paul warned those who read his letter to theGalatians, that they must be very careful to distinguishbetween what was true and what was false.He wrote, "I am amazed that you have so quicklytransferred your allegiance from him that called youin the grace of Christ to another 'gospel'. Not, ofcourse, that it is or ever could be another gospel,but there are, obviously, men who are upsettingyour faith with a travesty of the Gospel of Christ"(Gal. 1:6, 7 Phillips). The converts in Galatia hadheard the truth from the lips of Paul. They hadprofessed to believe it. Then teachers of falsehoodhad followed Paul and spoken untruths instead ofthe truth Paul taught. Instead of studying this newteaching before they believed it, they had acceptedit as truth. This new teaching denied salvation byfaith alone, as that is taught in the Bible. So Paulwrote this letter to call them back to the truth. Onlytruth saves; error kills and by its very nature, it cannever do anything but kill.John gave a warning against false teachers,and a test to know truth from error concerningChrist. "For the world is full of false prophets. Youcan test them in this simple way. every spirit thatacknowledges the fact that Jesus Christ actually becameman comes from God, but the spirit that deniesthis fact does not come from God." (I John4:1, 2 Phillips.) There are still those false teacherstoday who deny the fact that "Jesus Christ, the Sonof God, became man by taking to Himself a truebody and a reasonable soul."These warnings against error are needed todayas much as ever. A good friend, belonging to anotherdenomination, asked me, "Why does our Seminaryserid us young men to preach that the Bibleis not inspired and that Jesus Christ is not Virginborn?" Truth is at a discount today. Unbehef is common.In iiis effort to persuade the Jews to surrender,Rabshekah did not always tell the truth. Buthe was right in his warning for them not to trustEgypt to save them. He said, "Lo, thou trustest inthe staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon ifa man lean, it will go into his hand and pierce it:so is Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to all that trust inhim." (Isaiah 36:6)- Many today, trusting in a falsehope of salvation, will find a similar disappointment.4The first term of our communion is, "Anacknowledgment that the Scriptures of the Old andNew Testaments are the Word of God and the onlyinfallible rule of faith and life." That binds us tosearch the Scriptures, to beheve the truth foundthere, instead of the teachings of men. Many todayseem to feel as Hitler is reported to have said,"People will believe a lie, if it is repeated oftenenough and loudly enough." It may be believed, butfalsehood is always falsehood. Hitler's lies broughtwar to the world and defeat to Germany. Lies, evenwhen spoken in the name of the Lord, are still lies.Micaiah,'God's prophet of truth to Ahab, was notbelieved. But God's word through him was still trueand Ahab died-The sects are all printing and spreading muchliterature in the hope of deceiving the readers andleading them astray. Some books, claiming to bewritten by good Christians, are today spreadingerror concerning the use of liquor. They may denythe sin of even small amounts of alcoholic beverages,bu,t they cannot deny the fatal results ofdrinking. The use of small amounts often leads toexcessivg. use.God's demands are demanding upon us. Theyare given for our hope and comfort and peace. GamalielBradford wrote in his Journal, "I do not dareto read the New Testament for fear of its awaken-August 18, 1965 101

ing a storm of anxiety and self-reproach and doubtand fear of having taken the wrong path, of havingbeen a traitor to the plain and simple God." But if hehad read aright, he would have found promises ofpardon to the repentant sinner and promises of forgivenessand hope to all who truly seek the Lord.The challenge of hearing is a challenge to sortout the truth from the falsehood and to believe thetruth.The challenge of hearing is, again, a challengeto believe and to practice the truth heard- Hearingwithout doing is useless. I heard a doctor tell apatient that he must do what he was told or elsebe dropped. The busy doctor would not waste histime treating a patient who would not do what hewas told. Jesus had a great deal to say about hearing,but He also demanded the doing. He ended theSermon on the Mount by saying, "Therefore whosoeverheareth these sayings of mine and doeth them,I will liken him unto a wise man, which built hishouse upon a rock; and the rain descended, andthe floods came, and the winds blew, and beat uponthat house; and it fell not: for it was founded upona rock. And whosoever heareth these sayings ofmine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto afoolish man, which built his house upon the sand;and the rain descended, and the floods came, andthe winds blew, and beat upon that house; and itfell; and great was the fall of it." The hearing isimportant, but the doing is essential if the truthknown is to be of any value.In the parable of the Four Kinds of Soil, the seedwas the same in each case. It was good seed. Thefaithful sower planted all the seed- Yet the harvestwas not the same, because and only because, thesoil was different. The difference in the soil madethe difference in the harvest. The difference in thehearts of the hearers makes the difference in theharvest. All heard, but not all believed and broughtforth a harvest of righteousness.Hearing the word of God is a privilege that notall people enjoy. In reply to a question by SimonPeter, Jesus said, "And that servant, which knewhis Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neitherdid according to his will, will be beaten with manystripes. But he that knew not, and did committhings worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with fewstripes." (Luke 12:47, 48).All can hear and have some ability to understand-Jesus said, "He that hath ears to hear, lethim hear." We have ears. Therefore we have anobligation to hear carefully and to do. Hearing anddoing cannot be separated. Some would separatethe two. God has joined them together. No one hasany right to try to separate what God has joined to-102gether.Words are important. They do have power. Thedeclaration of war, made by the United Statesagainst Japan on December 8, 1941, was only words-Yet those words led to a tremendous war effort bythis nation against Japan and Germany. This ledto the death of 405,399 young men and women inthe armed forces and at a cost of billions of dollars.The declaration that led to that effort was onlywords. If the words had been all, then it is notlikely that Japan and Germany would have been defeated.It was the effort that followed the wordswhich led to the defeat of those powers. In theChristian life, the words are never enough, eventhough they may be words of faith. "The tree isknown by its fruits." The person is known by hischaracter.The Bible is only words. A sermon is only words.In the words of Hugh Elmer Brown, the words ofthe Bible have "tamed the ferocity of the Goths andVandals; softened the hatred of the Vikings; rebukedthe soft vices of the Latins; shamed the languorousindolence of the Orient; roused the Germans toseek liberty and taught the English to resisttyranny."As Jesus said, "The words that I speak unto you;they are spirit and they are life." His words havebeen the means of bringing life and hope to manydistressed and burdened souls. But they must be believedand acted upon, if they are to bring help,Otherwise these words bring no help, none whatsoever.As God, speaking through the prophet Zechariah,said, "Therefore it is come to pass, that as he(the prophet) cried, and they would not hear; sothey cried, and I would not hear, saith the Lord ofhosts." (Zech. 7:13).Jesus warned against hearing without believingand obeying the truth. He also demanded the rightuse of words, "A man's words depend on whatfillshis heart. A good man gives out goodness — fromthe goodness stored in his heart, a bad man givesout evil — from his store of evil. I tell you thatmen will have to answer at the day of judgment forevery careless word they utter — for it is your wordsthat will acquit you, and your words that will condemnyou! (Matt. 12: 34b-37 Phillips).Again, the challenge of hearing is a challenge totell others this good news of life and salvationthrough Jesus Christ. Those who have heard musttell others. This commandment has not alwaysbeen obeyed. The church needs to take seriously hermissionary obi gation. So must individuals-Adoniram Judson closed an appeal for missionariesto help him in his work in Burma, "If any sinwill clothe the face of the final Judge with an angryCOVENANTER WITNESS

frown, withering up the last hope of the condemned.. . it is the sin of turning a deaf ear to the cry often millions of immortal beings, who, by their darknessand misery, cry night and day, 'Come to ourrescue, ye bright sons and daughters of America,COME AND SAVE US, FOR WE ARE SINKINGINTO HELL'."In his autobiography, David Livingstone tells ofhis conversation with an African chief. Livingstonetold him about God and sin and salvation. Thechief replied, "My forefathers were living at thesame time yours were, and how is it that your forefathersdid not send my forefathers word aboutthese terrible things sooner? They all passed awayinto the darkness without knowing whither theywere going." Livingstone had no satisfactory answerto the question-Dwight L. Moody was not highly educated. Buthe resolved that God should have all of DwightL. Moody that there was. He did a work for theLord that is still remembered. One night, followingan evangelistic service, the Prime Minister of Englandsaid to him, "Mr. Moody, I wish I had yourvoice and your physical strength." Moody replied,"Sir, if I had my voice and my physical strength andYOUR brain, WE could convert England." But thePrime Minister did not offer his brain-If the church would use her voice, her strength,and her brain and spread the Gospel, more mightcome to know the Lord.In Sartor Resartus, Carlyle wrote, "As the Swissinscription says, Speech is silvern; silence is golden,or as I might rather express it; Speech is oftime; silence is of eternity." If that historian hadknown his Bible as he should, he would never havesaid that. There are times silence is an act ofcowardice or disloyalty to the Lord and to truth.The command of God to His prophets was "speak"—that is still true.It may seem a small thing to hear or to read theWord of God, but is not our response to the challengeof having once heard defines future duty anddetermines future fate.SURE FOOT . . . from page 105four o'clock for worship and when asked how hewas, "Very well," said Guthrie. "This is the day thatthe Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."This was the day and the Lord had made it, and hisconfessed desire, called by him a lust, was to begranted, that he should die for his Saviour.His two little children came to see him andAueust 18. 1965taking five year old Willie upon his knee, he saidto him, "Willie, the day will come when they willcast up to you that your father was hanged. But benot thou ashamed, lad. It is in a good cause." Hiswife wept sorely when for the last time she partedfrom him. On the fatal afternoon of the day ofhis father's death, while children more knowingwere running at the sound of the drum's frighteningtattoo, it was with difficulty that little WillieGuthrie was restrained by a friend of his fathersfrom playing in the streets.As he stood upon the scaffold the great crowdstood hushed to hear him say, "I take God to recordupon my soul, I would not exchange this scaffold,with the palace and mitre of the greatest prelate inBritain. Blessed be God Who has shown mercy tome such a wretch, and has revealed His Son in me,and made me a minister of the Everlasting Gospel,and that He hath deigned, in the midst of much contradictionfrom Satan, and the world, to seal myministry upon the hearts of not a few of His people,and especially in the station where I was last. JesusChrist is my Life and my Light, my Righteousness,my Strength, and my Salvation and all my desire.Him! O Him, I do with all the strength of my soulcommend to you. Bless Him, O my soul from hencefortheven forever. Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servantdepart in peace for mine eyes have seen Thysalvation." A copy of his last testimony was handedby him to a friend, for his son William when heshould come to years. Then farther up the ladder ofdeath he went, exclaiming, "Art not Thou from everlasting,O Lord my God. I shall not die but live."And in his last second before he was with Christ,as sure of foot and as full of faith as Joshua, liftedthe napkin from his face, crying, "The Covenants!The Covenants! They shall yet be Scotland's reviving."Day by day, week by week, little feet patted overthe cobbles to the Netherbow, and young, pained,wondering eyes looked up at the head high abovehim, and returning to what home he had, littleWillie Guthrie would hide himself away for hours,saying when found, "I've seen my father's heid".I've seen my father's heid'. " In childhood, boyhood,and youth, in summer suns and winter storms, hesaw the head that was given for Christ. He, too,was for Christ Jesus and the Covenants, spendingmuch time alone in prayer, "a serious seeker afterGod." He became a scholar of excellent promise,and bent his steps after his father to a sufferingministry. But he sickened and died, and his younghead was laid in the earth while the bleached skullof his father still witnessed high above the NetherbowPort of Edinburgh.103

OurYouthDear C.Y.P.U. Treasurer ...If you are like the average personwho receives mail asking formoney, you are probably deluged!There are various reactions to theseappeals, most common perhaps beinga sigh — meaning "another oneof those things" — and a quietswish as the missile falls into file13. A more charitable response atleast reads what the appeal states,evaluates in the light of the needand the resources, and acts accordingly.Now I am writing to you abouta financial need, and I hope youwill evaluate it in the light of theresources in your society. The needcan be spelled out in the words "InternationalConvention Fun d."With the 1966 Convention at CarletonCollege beckoning Covenantersfrom overseas as well as fromNorth America, the National CY.P.U. Staff voted to seek to helpsome of these youth make the trip.They checked the costs of transportationfrom certain countries interestedin sending delegates, andset a goal of $2500. And rememberingthat it costs everyone to attendCarleton, they decided to wind uptheir campaign by the end of March1966, thus giving time to raise fundsfor our own societies.Where does the Fund stand today?Well, due to one particularlylarge gift, it is over the $1,000 mark.Some reasons why the Staff feelyou will want to contribute includethe fact that because of internationalexchange rates, it costs more tocome to America than for Americansto go abroad. For anotherthing, it demonstrates our love forthese other Christians. And furthermore,our Christian lives alwaysthrive more when we are involvedin giving to meet the needsof God's people. Read II Cor. 9:6ff.Will you bring this to the attentionof your society? Gifts shouldbe sent to Mr. Paul Finley, Treas.,Nat'l C.Y.P.U. Staff, 7437 PenfieldCourt, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15208."SURE•OF - FOOT"They have set his head on theNetherbow,To scorch in the summer air:And months go by, and the winter'ssnowFalls white on its thin grey hair.And still that same look that indeath he woreIs sealed on the solemn brow—A lock as of one who had travailedsore,But whose pangs were endedREV. JAMES GUTHRIEnow."As Compiled by Mrs. James D. CarsonWhat of this man whose head hung high on Netherbow Portfor 27 years until lover of the free Gospel, Sandie Hamilton, a studentfor the Covenanting ministry, climbed the sombre Port at the riskof his life, and taking down the skull, buried it reverently away?Come back with me in time to the year 1638, the memorableyear of the signing of the National Covenant, an oath to maintain theReformed Faith. Here we see James Guthr.e, nicknamed Sure-of-Foot,trudging to Greyfriars Kirk to sign his name to this magna carta "theholiest thing in all Scotland, a vow registered in heaven."Two months before he died, he boldly confessed to the Parliament,"I am not ashamed to give God the glory that until 1638 I wastreading other steps." He had been given a hberal education not withthe object of making him a Covenanting minister. But, upon meetingwith Samuel Rutherford, all he had learned against the non-formingPresbyterians vanished forever.The last twelve years of his life were spent in Stirling, herehe lived and devotedly wrought for Christ and His Kirk. Steady in :temper, fervent in spirit, not slothful in business, he was careful, loving ,and true. An undaunted fighter in a worthwhile cause, and a haterof everything lower than true godliness, such as he was soon, and ,always in conflict with loose living King Charles Stuart and his like "Committees. Utterly he refused such a profane ruler any authority inthe affairs of the Church. Although dismissed after one big trial, hisrefusal to allow the king any power over the conscience of a Christian ,was made much of against him in his last trial, ten years later.He was tried in February 1661 and in April of that year hemade a defence before the well-named Drunken Parliament. It concludeswith these words, "My Lord, my conscience COVENANTER I cannot WITNESS submit-104But this old body and mortal flesh I do submit, to do with it whatsoever

ye will, whether by death, or banishment, or imprisonment,or anything else; only I beseech you toponder well what profit there is in my blood. It isnot the extinguishing of me or of many others thatwill extinguish the Covenant or work of the Reformationsince 1638. My blood, bondage, or banishmentwill contribute more for the propagation ofthese things than my life in liberty would do, thoughI should live many years."At the close of this speech, some members withdrew,saying that they would have no part in hisdeath, and one made a strong appeal urging banishment.But his judges were baying for his blood,and he, with Captain William Govan, a fit companion,was sentenced to be hanged at Edinburgh Crosson June 1, 1661. The head of Guthrie was to bestuck on a pike high above Netherbow Port, hisestate confiscated, and his family arms torn. Onreceiving this sentence, Guthrie said to the membersTHE FOOL'S PRAYERThe royal feast was done; the kingSought some new sport to banish care,And to his jester cried, "Sir Fool,Kneel now, and make for us a prayer!"The jester doffed his cap and bells,And stood the mocking court before;They could not see the bitter smileBehind the painted grin he wore.He bowed his head, and bent his kneeUpon the monarch's silken stool;His pleading voice arose: "O Lord,Be merciful to me, a fool!"No pity, Lord, could change the heartFrom red with wrong to white as wool;The rod must heal the sin; but, Lord,Be merciful to me, a fool!" Tis not by guilt the onward sweepOf truth and right, O Lord, we stay:Tis by our follies that so longWe hold the earth from heaven away."These clumsy feet, still in the mire;Go crushing blossoms without end;These hard, well-meaning hands we thrustAmong the heart-strings of a friend."The ill-timed truth we might have kept—Who knows how sharp it pierced and stung?The word we had not sense to say —Who knows how grandly it had rung?THE NETHER-BOW PORT, EDINBURGof the Drunken Parliment, "My Lords, let never thissentence affect you more than it does me, and letnever my blood be required from the King's family."Butit was required, with the blood of many others,in the fullness of time.While imprisoned he ever kept his own personalfellowship with Christ, in the fresh joyousbloom of his new birth, as if he had been but ayoung convert; and thus it wondrously was till hisiast earth day dawned. Sure-of-Foot arose at aboutSec page 103"Our faults no tenderness should ask,The chastening stripes must cleanse them all;But for our blunders — oh, in shameBefore the eyes of heaven we fall."Earth bears no balsam for mistakes;Men crown the knave, and scourge the toolThat did his will; but thou, O Lord,Be merciful to me, a fool.''The room was hushed; in silence roseThe k ng. and sought his gardens cool,And walked apart, and murmured low,"Ee merciful to me. a fool."—Edward Rowland Sill.Auo U st 18. 1965 105

APAGEFor September 12, 1965SELMA MISSION — RECENT DAYSTheme Psalm: 67, page 161, verses 1-3.Psalm 32, page 74, verses 7, 8, 9, 13.Memory Verse: "For the Lord Godis a sun and shield: the Lord will givegrace and glory: no good thing willhe withhold from them that walk uprightly."Psalm 84:11After the Academy was discontinuedthe missionary efforts werealong the lines of social and spiritualrecreation and fellowship: such as areligious kindergarten, VacationBible School, Christian recreation, aMother's Club, Bible Reader's Cluband taking the gospel into the homes.To lead in this task Miss RebeccaColeman was appointed the city missionary.In 1940 a kindergarten wasorganized with Miss jColeman andMiss Marguerite Evans in charge.Mrs. E. O. Senegal was in charge ofthe Mother's Club. A new recreationroom named Knox Hall was built adjacentto the church. Dr. Crooks supervisedthe entire program.Claude C. Brown, another son ofthe congregation, was graduatedfrom our Seminary and was ordainedto the ministry in 1942. He was appointedstated supply of the missionthe same year. The following yearhe was installed as pastor of the congregationand has been a very capableleader for his people since thattime.The kindergarten started in 1940has continued to flourish to the presentday. Upon the death of MissEvans, Miss Dazarene Miller wasplaced in charge of the kindergarten.At that time, 1952, there were 116children on the roll. Mrs. CatherineFORLockette and Mrs. Mary E. Luttrellhave served as teachers. The Selmacongregation is composed largely ofyoung families and the kindergartenJUNIORShas proved to be a big help in reachingparents. Perhaps at some timeyour Junior Group has sent moneySee Page 1081. The is plenteous.2. is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:353. They shall be white as snow. Isaiah 1:18.4. Let us run with the race. Hebrews 12:1.5. What your ears do.6. What you say when you ask for something.7. The firmament sheweth handiwork. Psalm 19:18. The tenth of your money that belongs to God.9. , tac, toe.10. Kind of a church Jesus attended.Down:1. Instrument David played.6. Shew me the of hfe. Psalm 16:1111. Baby's toy.12. And , the Son of Carmi. Joshua 7:18.13. Men who serve communion.14. So us to number our days. Psalm 90:1215. What you do with your eyes.16. A deer.17. Tent church built in the wilderness.106 COVENANTER WITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of September 12,1965and receive the prize, but in the Christianrace all of the contestants wouldsaid, "But I keep under my body, andbring it into subjection: lest that byreceive a prize. In both contests, however,all of the participants must others, I myself should be a casta­any means, when I have preached toSabbath School LessonFor September 12, 1965.exert themselves; otherwise they willfail.way." The captain of the team is notsupposed to receive any special favors.GROWING IN SELF DISCIPLINE: 2: A Christian Must be Self-controlled.He must be on the playing field1 Cor. 9:24-27; 10:12-33; 1 Pet. 4:1-5.Comments by John K. GaultIn I Corinthians 9:25 Paul says,with all the others. If the other membersof the team must be in bed beforeDiscipline is the process of learningmidnight, he must be also. The'And every man that striveth for theor training. The word frequently mastery is temperate in all things." discipline which applies to the mem­carries with it the connotation of He continues to use the figure of the bers of the church must likewise bepunishment, especially in the case athlete preparing himself for the applied to the minister. He, therefore,of children or students, but it neednot, necessarily, have that meaning.physical contests of the games. Sucha one would refrain from over-eating,must deny himself, in the same mannerwhich he has preached to theDiscipline is something wllich all personsand would absolutely abstain from members of his flock. The life ofmust experience if they are certain food and drink. A Christian Jesus is, of course, the great exampleworking toward a certain objective.Christians are supposed to have certainmust be temperate, or self-controlled,in all things. He must do as Jesus ad­for all to follow. His was a life ofse'lf-denial. He "kept under his body";great objectives, and they are, in vised, in Luke 9:23, "If any man will consequently he could truthfully say,general, to do the will of God and to come after me, let him deny himself, "He who would come after me letwork for the advancement of His and take up his cross daily, and followhim deny himself and take his crosskingdom. A real Christian, then, isme." There are many sinful pleas­daily and follow me."not only zealous to live right at home, ures, sinful habits, and sinful drinking5: Overconfidence Has Causedor in his local community, which isimportant, but he cherishes a visionof a better world, wherein the idealsand even eating from which onemust abstain if he is to be a sincerefollower of Christ. Peter says in hisMany to Lose Their Reward.In I Corinthians 10:12 the Apostlesays, "Wherefore let him that thinkethof the Gospel shall have permeated first epistle, 2:11, "Dearly beloved, Ihe standeth take heed lest heinto every segment of human society. beseech you as strangers and pilgrims,fall." This is a picture of an over­Paul lived that kind of a life. He regulatedabstain from fleshly lusts, confident person. In the words ofhis life by certain acts of selfimposeddiscipline so that he mightcontinually improve himself as an ambassadorwhich war against the soul." As theathelete who aspires to winning therace regulates his eating, drinking,Luke 22:33 Peter said to Jesus, "Lord,I am ready to go with thee, both intoprison and to death." But Jesusfor Christ.and habits of life, so a Christian, who reminded him in verse 34, "I tell1: The Christian Life is Both Likeand Unlike a Race.Feats of skill or strength were byaspires to winning the crown of righteousness,must regulate his life accordingto th" standards of Christ.thee, Peter, the cock shall not crowthis day, before that thou shalt thricedeny that thou knowest me."no means unknown to the Apostle 3: The Christian's Reward is Far There have been many times whenPaul. As a young man while a student Superior to inat Wmcli the Athleteathletic teams have entered into aat the university of Tarsus he mostReceives.contest under the delusion that theycertainly witnessed many sorts of In I Corinthians 9: 25b Paul says, would have an easy victory. In suchathletic contests. Then, while on hissecond missionary journey, he came"Now they do it to obtain a corruptiblecrown; but we an incorruptible."a mental state they failed to exerttheir utmost effort and so becameto Corinth, a great maritime city, The winners in the Isthmian games an easy prey for a smaller team orlocated on the Isthmus of Peloponnesus.In addition to its great maritimewould be crowned with a wreathencrown made of olive or laurel leavesone of lesser reputation. So, a Christianshould never underestimate thetrade, the city was famed for its which would wither in a short time. strength of the oposition nor over­vice, also because the great temple of The winners in our modern games estimate his own strength to overcome.Aphrodite was located there and thegreat Isthmian games were held everyhave great honor bestowed upon themand also large salaries. But all such Jesus said, "Blessed are themeek for they shall inherit the earth."two years in that city. It is not, at all, rewards are corruptible and eventually6: The Christian's Source ofunlikely, that Paul witnessed thesepass away. The crown which Strength for Every Contest is ingames for he lived in the city a yearand a half, in the home of his friends,Aquilla and Priscilla, who were tentmakers.Paul here compares the Christianthe Christian will receive is incorruptibleand will not pass away. Johntells us in Revelation 2:10,"- -be thoufaithful unto death, and I will givethee a crown of life."God.This is presented to us in I Corinthians10:13b "--but God is faithful,who will not suffer you to be temptedabove that ye are able; but willlife to a race which he saw in the 4: A Minister Should be an Examplewith the temptation also make a wayIsthmian games, but with one essentialto Others.to escape, that ye may be able todifference. In the games only one This was what Paul endeavored bear it." Temptations come to oneof the many contestants would winAugust 18, 1965to make of his life. In verse 27 he from every quarter. The temptation107

to worship idols was before the CorinthianChristians all the time. So,Paul tells them, "Wherefore, dearlybeloved, flee idolatry." But this admonitionis needed by people of alltimes for idolatry is, undoubtedly,one of the commonest of sins. AChristian should pray for strength toresist evil and should also seek toescape from circumstances which promotetemptation. This was Paul's advice.7: Christians Should DisciplineThemselves for the Sake of Others.The situation in Corinth was perplexingto the Christians. Idol worshipwas very prevalent and the greattemple of the goddess, Aphrodite,was located in that great city. Therewas meat on sale in the open marketwhich had been offered in sacrificeto the idols. To eat this meat whichhad been offered to the idols causedgreat offense to many Jews. Paul didnot consider it any sin to eat suchmeat. For him meat was meat, asource of nourishment for his body.He advised in I Corinthians 10:25. -28"Whatsoever is sold in the shambles,that eat, asking no questions for consciencesake: For the earth is theLord's and the fulness thereof. If anyof them that believe not bid you toa feast, and ye be disposed to go;whatsoever is set before you, eat, askingno question for conscience sake.Butif any man say unto you, this is offeredin sacrifice unto idols, eat notfor his sake that showed it, and forconscience sake-"Christians, therefore, should considerthe feelings of others withwhom they are having fellowship.One may feel thatit is proper for himto do certain things but others, nearby, are offended by it and think suchactions to be sinful. Paul says inverse 32, "Give none offense neitherto the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, norto the church of God.""Lesson based on International SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessonsfor Christian Teaching, copyrighted 1958by the Division of Christian Education. NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ ln theU. S. A."JUNIOR TOPIC. from page 106for the use of the kindergarten. Lastyear some gym equipment for theplayground was purchased by moneysent from Junior societies. This isone way the Juniors can actively helpthe missions of the church.An important part of the work inSelma has been the used clothing department.Items of good used clothingare sent from all of our congregations.Once a week these itemsare offered for sale. The largestgroup of purchasers consists of peoplefrom the rural area. Money from thesale of the clothing is used to buynecessary equipment for the mission.In 1955 there was a complete cropfailure and a winter so severe thatmany fires resulted. Many folks didn'teven have funds enough to buy usedclothing. We were able to help bygiving clothing to those in need.Many times the money raised therebyhas not been great, but a serviceto the Lord has been rendered whenthose at the mission used this way toassist others. Mrs. Miller and Mrs.Cora B. Thomas are two who havebeen willing workers in this department.Unpacking boxes of clothing,sorting it, pricing it, and sellingitwould indeed be both time and energyconsuming tasks, but one more wayof working for Christ. The job ofhandling the clothing was madeeasier when in 1962 a combinationgarage and used clothing storageroom was erected in the rear of thechurch property.The annual bazaar held at Selma isanother area where the congregationshave had an opportunity to aid themission. Many items suitable forsale at a bazaar are sent to Selmaeach year. Money raised by thismethod is also used to buy equipmentneeded for the mission work. Thiscongregation has grown from 91 to160 communicant members. A newcongregational loyalty has developed.We find the following report in the1957 Minutes of Synod. "We are growingout of the one big problem whichwe have faced through the years—'That this is a mission and not necessarilymy responsibility.' It is now'Our Church.' This new attitude expressesitself in many ways: churchattendance, a willingness to assumetesponsibilities, a willingness to winothers for Christ, an appreciation forthe Church and what it is wrong todo. It . .This developing loyaltyis affecting the attendance in allparts of the church life and activity."It is truly a blessing from the Lordwhen this can be said of any congregation.It is impossible to separate thework of the congregation and of thismission. Activities and services areheld in the church every day andevening. It has been said that thischurch is probably used more oftenthan any of our churches.In addition to his pastoral andmission duties, Rev. Mr. Brown hasbeen very active in community affairs.In 1957 he was listed as Chairman ofat least six important community organizations.In 1954 a Boy ScoutTroop under his direction receivedfirst charter for Negroes in that areaof Alabama. A youth club started byRev. Mr. Brown in 1955 was takenover as a community chest projectand was to later be organized into aYMCA.Even though there have been veryable leaders at the mission in the personsof the Rev. J. M. Johnston, Dr.Crooks, and Rev. Claude Brown, asearly as 1956 we find strained relationsamong the Negroes and thewhite people. In a report of the HomeMission Board we read: "Possibly thegreat burden of Selma at presentisthe strained relationship from thesegregation issue in the South ofwhich Alabama is a focal point. Insome instances it appears that thefriendships and good will built upover the past 50 years are lost, andsome of the respected white leadershave now become the leaders in diabolicalacts of meaness against theNegro under the White Citizen'sCouncil. Recently Selma was in theheadlines of our newspapers everyday as the Negroes were striving forequal rights. The reports were somany and so varied that a personnot involved in these issues hardlyknew what to believe." Rev. SamuelBoyle after visiting Selma wrote ofhis impressions: "They (Rev. Brownand other ministers) look with asmuch distrust on movements to exaltthe black race as they do on thereigning tyranny of white supremacy.Christ deals with us as people, andin Christ all believers should bereceived as one. 'There is neitherJew nor Greek, there is neither bondnor free, there is neither male norfemale; for ye are all one in ChristJesus.' This I understood to be theirgoal." Rev. Mr. Brown has a key placein the community. He works in apeaceful manner, yet is firm in hisdefense of Negro rights. These timesof racial upheaval have been tryingand dangerous ones for Rev. Mr.Brown, his family, and the membersof our sister congregation in Selma.Rev. Mr. Brown has worked long andhard feeding hundreds of extrapeople, seeing to the needs of men108 COVENANTER WITNESS

jailed unjustly, and counselling hispeople. He has been criticized by bothNegroes and white men for his stand.But he continues to try to lead hiscongregation through these difficulttimes to a more worthy place asequal citizens in their home state.So in addition to all of the regularwork of mission and church has comethis problem to confront those faithfulto the Lord in this field of labor.We must pray for them and especiallyhold before the Lord the promise wefind in the memory verse.For the notebook: Fill in any additionalmaterial from tonight's lessonon the same map page you startedlast week.For the handwork: Complete thenewspaper started last week.Prayer Meeting TopicSamaria that God is a Spirit, andthe true worshippers worship theFather in spirit and in truth'; for, soHe adds, 'the Father seeketh such toworship Him.' In almost similar senseSt. Paul writes to the Ephesians (Eph.6:18)."They already possessed the ancientpromise to Zechariah (Zech.12:10). And this promise was fulfilledwhen the Apostle could testify concerningChrist: 'For through Him weboth have access by one spirit unto theFather' (Eph. 2:18). In the 'Abba, Father'of our prayers the Holy Spiritbeareth witness with our spirits thatwe are the children of God (Rom. 8:15).And in her longing for the coming ofthe Bridegroom, not only the Bride,but the SPIRIT and the Bride pray,'Come, Lord Jesus, Come quickly.'Upon closer examination, it appearsthat prayer cannot be separated fromthe spiritual rule that we must pray,'Not as though we had received thespirit of the world, but the SPIRITOF GOD, that we might know thethings which are freely given to usof God'; a prayer which we then offer,'Not with the words which man's wisdomteacheth, but which the HOLYGHOST TEACHETH, comparingspiritual things with spiritual." (I Cor.2:12, 13)"Hence there can be no doubt thateven in our prayers we must acknowledgeand honour a work of the HolySpirit; and the special treatment ofthis tender subject may bear fruit inthe exercise of our own prayers."(pp. 618, 619)In addition to your study aboutthe Holy Spirit and prayer, take timeto seek the Spirit's leading and quickeningin definite prayer time.September 15 Topic on page 112.for September 8, 1965"THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRITIN PRAYER — QUICKENING OURHEARTS"Scripture Resources:Romans 8:1-39 (especially vs. 26,27); Psalm 10:17; Ephesians 6:18; Zechariah12:10.Bibliography:Kuyper, A. The Work of the HolySpirit, Eerdmans, pp. 618-649.Vos. J. G., Blue Banner Faith andLife, 1949, Vol. 4, pp. 60, 61.Pache, Rene, The Person and Workof the Holy Spirit, Moody, pp. 205-207Larger Catechism Question 182 isas follows: How doth the Spirit helpus to pray?The answer is, We not knowingwhat to pray for as we ought, theSpirit helpeth our infirmities, by enablingus to understand both forwhom, and what, and how prayer is tobe made; and by working and quickeningin our hearts (although not inall persons, nor at all times, in thesame measure) those apprehensions,affections, and graces, which are prerequisitefor the right performance ofthat duty.A. Kuyper (in the above reference)has written, "It appears from Scripture,more than has been emphasized,that in the holy act of prayer thereis a manifestation of the Holy Spiritworking both IN us and WITH us.And yet this appears clearly from theApostolic word (Romans 8:26, 27)Christ expresses this with equal clearnesswhen He teaches the woman ofScribe With A Hard PencilHe had been around the world twice, and in each state of the Unionat least once. Now he was in a town in Indiana, waiting for a bus that wouldtake him to s speaking engagement in Indianapolis. An elderly gentleman,evidently a local inhabitant, came in to the bus station, sat down, and startedto converse."Hot weather we been havin' " "Chinch bugs kinda bad out west." "Dry,we're needin' rain." To these observations the world traveler nodded his assent.Finally the elderly conversationalist asked, "Ever been to Nappanee?"The world traveler confessed that he had never been to Nappanee."Guess you ain't been around much," quoth the elderly local inhabitant;and proceeded to launch into a detailed account of the attractions of Nappanee—which, be it said in truth, has its own brand of attractions.The world traveler could have commented on the marvels of thepyramids, or the beauty of the Taj Mahal in the moonlight, or the ruggednessof the winter in Moscow, or the splendors of Paris in the spring; but hilistened with courtesy while the old gentleman who had observed "You ain'tbeen around much" expatiated on the activity and progressiveness of Nappanee."Guess you ain't been around much!" Often that is our reaction to theperson whose experiences have not been identical with ours. The city boyconcludes that the boy from the country "hasn't been around" because hearrives on the wrong level at Times Square. The country boy concludes thatthe boy from the city "hasn't been around" when he cannot distinguish aJersey from a Guernsey.Even in our Christian experience, we tend to adjudge some saint'spersonal witness as invalid because it is not being declared in our particularscale of holy tones. Evangelism must be along the exact lines laid down atthe latest interdenominational get-together we have attended, or it isn'tevangelism.Surely it is narrow spiritual vision when, to all who are not sharing ourexact Christian experiences, we tend to pontificate: "Guess you ain't beenaround much!"August 18, 1965 109

Church NewsCONTRIBUTIONS TO THE BUDGETOF THE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OFNORTH AMERICAMay 1, 1965 — July 31, 1965Amount of Budget 160,000.00Raised to August 1, 1965 65,952.48or approximately 41 per centDepartments GrantedReceived to August 1, 1965Foreign Mission37,500.0015,239.93Home Mission15,0005,625.00Southern MissionIndian Mission . .Kentucky Mission . ..... 2,410.003,500.003,975.002,761.601,312.504,222.23Women's Association ...7,000.002,625.00Theological Seminary ...21,800.008,175.00Students Aid ...100.0037.50Ministerial ReliefWidows and Orphans ...Geneva College ...Covenanter Witness1,000.005,000.00. . . 19,000.00. . 13,200.00375.001,875.007,155.004,950.00Witness Committee ..... . 6,250.00 . . . . 2,343.75Board of Christian Education .... . . 17,770.006,663.75Miscellaneous Fund . ....3,000.001,125.00Nat. Assoc, of Evang.Board of Church ErectionBoard of Evangelism250.001,500.00995.0093.75562.50373.12Pastors Refresher Course750.00281.25NOTICE FROM QUINTERCovenanter ministers, traveling orin the Quinter area, who would liketo preach for us, please write to:Mr. R. W. McBurneyQuinter, Kansas 67752.AUGUST SUBSCRIPTIONHONOR ROLLThese congregations or groupsmailed their subscription money beforeAugust 1:Almonte, Hebron, Hopkinton, La-Junta, Olathe, Sterling.QUINTERMrs. John Chestnut, Mr. and Mrs.R. W. McBurney, Tom Forman, CalvinChestnut, Mr. and Mrs. Don McWilliams,Louis Bailey, Mrs. Evadne Graham,Mr. and Mrs. Harry Graham,Mrs. Earl Graham and Sharon attendedthe 50th wedding anniversaryof Mr. and Mrs. Fred Bailey, May 8,at Greeley, Colorado.Rev. Paul White, who has servedas our pastor for seven years, presentedhis resignation to be effective,160,000.00 65,796.88Respectfully submitted,CHESTER R. FOX, Treasuersylvania were the efficient teachersJuly 1. We are glad that the Whites sent out from the Summer Traininghave bought a house in Quinter andplan to retire here. A reception wasgiven in their honor, June 22.Program. We enjoyed the fellowshipof these fine Christian young peoplefor two weeks.Tom Forman, Barbara Sterrett, Rev. M. W. Dougherty preachedMickey Albin, and Dennis McWilliamswere graduated from high school inMay. Our 8th grade graduates arehere, July 18, and moderated a callfor us on July 19. The call was madeunanimous for the Rev. Robert Mc­Ronald McWilliams, Leland Mann, and Farland. It is our prayer that he willMarvin Nuss.be led to accept.Carolyn Chestnut was graduatedOLD BETHELfrom Geneva College, June 8. Her The officers of the Old Bethelmother, Mrs. Calvin Chestnut, and congregation for 1965 are James Mathews,Chairman; Mrs. L.S. Finley,brother and wife, Mr. and Mrs. SamChestnut, attended commencement Secretary; and Mrs. Olive Mathews,exercises. Carolyn's mother and brother,Royce and wife, were present at Mr. Leonard Finley is SabbathTreasurer.the May Day festivities at Geneva School Superintendent, with Jameswhen Carolyn was a member of the Mathews assistant; Mrs. Forrest Finleyis Secretary, with Beth Mathewscourt.Darryl Lynn was born to Mr. and assistant, and Mrs. Olive MathewsisMrs. Chester Chestnut, May 21. Treasurer.Mrs. Ethel Francy is visiting in During February, Bible Masterythe home of her daughter and husband,Mr and Mrs. Warnock Bailey, Bible reading and study of the fourMonth was observed with privateKersey, Colorado while she is convalescingfrom a broken hip.for this year. Our pastor, Rev. Ralphchapters of John's Gospel selectedWe are happy to welcome the Ro­Joseph, added much interest and helpbert Denny family who have movedhere from Park City. We wish themsuccess in their plumbing business.Mrs. White had the misfortune tofall and break her arm, May 24.Rev. and Mrs. Kenneth McBurneyand family visited his father and familyon their way to Synod.John Chestnut, 76, who had beenin failing health for some time, passedaway, June 8, at the local hospital.He is survived by his wife, Ethel; oneson, Calvin; 2 daughters, Mrs. R. W.McBurney (Vernice) and Mrs. DonMcWilliams (Oneita); fifteen grandchildren;18 great grandchildren andone brother, Matt Chestnut, of Fresno,California.Mrs. Maud Blackwell is recuperatingfrom a broken hip in the localRest Home.We are thankful that Floyd Mann,13 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. MatMann, who was injured when ridinga horse, has been dismissed from thehospital.Mr. Bert McElroy, who visitedfriends and relatives here for twomonths, is now visiting his daughterEdith (Mr. and Mrs. Scott Milroy)Winchester, Kansas.Our Vacation Bible School washeld, July 6-16. The total enrollmentwas 63. Nancy Wright, Belfast, Ireland;Carol McBurney, Bill Sterrett,and Bob Clarke, Beaver Falls, Penn­110 COVENANTER WITNESS

to this study with timely and helpfulmessages from the reading each Sabbathduring the month.The Rev. D. Raymond McCrackenof Bloomington, Indiana assisted ourpastor with our spring communionservices, March 26-28. He brought usvery searching and inspiring messages,and we very much enjoyed hisfellowship in our homes.Our congregation enjoyed an eveningspent in the study of Evangelism.Two very good films on the subjectwere shown with a pleasant socialhour following. We were glad to haveour friends from the neighboring congregationsand from the communityjoin us for this program.Congratulations are extended tothree graduates from the Old Bethelyouth group. Beth Mathews and TomPeck graduated from the eighth grade,and Norris Lessley from the SpartaHigh School. Each one has a veryfine record, and we are proud of them.Beth Mathews is also active in theyouth work of our church and in 4-Hwork. Her recent temperance posterwas one of the local winners and itwas sent on to the state contest.Tom Peck was selected by hisschoolmates and teachers to receivethe American Citizenship Award foroutstanding character, leadership, patriotismand scholarship.Norris Lessley, president of ouryouth group, was a star basketballplayer and athlete during his highschool career, is a member of theNational Honor Society, and is activein 4-H work. We wish for each ofthem continued success.The Joseph family left early inJune on a trip to Pennsylvania wherethey visited Mrs. Joseph's parents,Mr. and Mrs. Edward German. Rev.Mr. Joseph attended the Pastor's RefresherCourse and the 1965 meetingof Synod. They reported a very pleasanttrip and a fine visit.Several members of the Old Bethelcongregation attended the CovfamikoiConference on Lookout Mountain.Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph andPaul went directly from Beaver Falls,following the meeting of Synod, tothe Conference. Mrs. Olive Mathews,Miss Eleanor Wilson, Beth Mathews,and Bill Wilson represented our congregation.Miss Eleanor Wilson hadcharge of the Juniors.We congratulate Bill Wilson on hiselection as president of the nextCovfamikoi Conference and feel assuredof its success.leader, entertained the Juniors andthe members of her Sabbath Schoolclass with an afternoon party at herhome recently. The children reportedgood games, refreshments and a generalgood time.Our senior elder, Mr. E. B. Patterson,has been very ill and^ was hospitalizedfor some time, but is nowsomewhat improved. We miss him inour worship service each Sabbath,for his place was seldom vacant.Mr and Mrs. Dwight Robb and son,David, of Paducah, Kentucky worshippedwith us Sabbath, June 27. Mr.Robb grew up in our congregationwhen his father, the Rev. W.G. Robb,was our pastor, so we were very gladto see him again and to have even ashort visit with the Robb family. Wehope they will come again beforetoo long.Miss Kathryn Ann Peck becamethe bride of Ronald Beach, July 3,1965. Kathy has been a faithful attendantof Old Bethel for severalyears, and especially active in ourC.Y.P.U. She entered nurses' trainingat St. Luke's Hospital in Septemberof last year and is continuing hertraining. Ronnie is employed in St.Louis.Rev. Clark Copeland was a welcomevisitor at Old Bethel on Sabbath,July 18. We enjoyed his fellowship,the pictures of his family, andhearing of their activities.TOPEKA, KANSASIt will be home again in good oldU.S.A. for Mrs. Robert Sage, and HelmarHeckel (both native Germans),after their summer visit in WesternGermany with their respective relatives.Presented for baptism, May 30,were Mr. Monte Stiles and his children,Linda and Larry, and RobertBruce, infant son of Mr. and Mrs.Darrell Parnell.We congratulate our spring graduates!Junior Hi — Cheryl Elliott, JohnMartin, and Ricky Veltman; HighSchool — Joyce Chestnut, Neva Johnston,Beverly Nusbaum, Rosalie Piper,Ralph Davidson, and Paul Rocereto;College — Donald Piper. Don's familywork and the Christian's walk. Incharge of the morning service, June13, was Mr. Darrell Parnell, PhysicsProfessor at Washburn University.HOW DID THEY KNOW? was MrParnell's fascinating presentation ofscience's age-old quandries about manand nature, and the humbling discoverythat science's labored answerswere, after all, in agreement with theancient writers — Moses, Job andothers— who were taught by theHoly Spirit. LESSONS FROMWEATHER ILLUSTRATIONS INTHE BIBLE was the very interestingtalk given us that evening by Mr. A.D. Robb, retired State Climatologist.The evening of June 20 we hadthe pleasure of hearing Dr. E. C.Clarke in a message concerning GenevaCollege. On their way to Topekathat afternoon, Dr. and Mrs. Clarkewere, regrettably, in a collision thatdamaged both cars. We're so thankfulno one was hurt, and that Dr. andMrs. Clarke drove away from Topekain a brand new car.Three cheers for Scott Lynn, bornJuly 4 to Mr. and Mrs. Harold Mc­Kinney. Kathy, 5, now has a playmate;Karen and Rodney are just too grownup! Mr. and Mrs. Lester Oelke are thehappy grandparents of Karen Kay,born June 25 to Mr. and Mrs. JamesOelke.Our 2-week Vacation Bible Schoolclosed June 9 with an enrollment of93 and an average of 72. Perfect attendance,53. Special thanks to Mrs.Margaret McElroy who drove dailyfrom Lawrence to teach the pre-schooltots (her little Joe included), leavingher baby at Mrs. Parnell's during theschool hours. Dr. Elliott, our Director,did an excellent job. (It couldhave been his exciting missionaryflannelgraph, continued from day today, that brought us teachers andhelpers back each morning.) Thecrowning event of the school—theconfession of faith in Jesus, theirSavior by a number of these preciouschildren.GOING TO COLLEGE?Have your own 9-months subscriptionto .THE COVENANTER WITNESSFOR $1.50Send order to:Mrs. M. W. Dougherty125 N. Fourth StreetSterling, Kansas 67579was able to attend his graduationfrom Geneva, as his father, Mr. WilmerPiper, was our delegate to Synod.While our pastor was attending thePastor's Refresher Course and Synod,our pulpit was ably filled. June 6, Dr.M. W. Dougherty, Editor of our WIT­NESS, brought to us clear-cut messagesconcerning the Holy Spirit'sMrs. Ralph Mathews, our JuniorAugust 18. 1965 111

Prayer Meeting Topicfor September 15, 1965"PRAY FOR MISS ORETA EVERETT"For study, consider the Book ofJonah. What comparisons can youmake between Nineveh and Japan?What comparisons can you make concerningpreparation for mission work,reception of the message, attitude ofthe missionary? What concept of"missions" hindered Jonah's work? Isour concern here at home any greaterthan his?Read or report on the followingcomments which were written by MissEverett. Think of them not only asfacts of interest, but as burdens forprayer.Those of us serving our Lord inone of the church's mission fields havethe privilege of much prayer beingoffered in our behalf. Throughout thisyear at various times the wholechurch, during the mid-week prayerservice, will spend time consideringthe needs for our work and selves.This is good, for the church shouldback her mission endeavors with muchprayer. We are only as strong as theprayer behind us. Thank you for thissupport. For some of you, this maybe the Lord's destination of service forHim. You may be called upon to "go"by sacrificing time to spend in prayerfor those who "go" by speaking. Thisservice is just as important and rewardingas the other "goes"...speakingand giving.As an individual my service for theLord is no different than any childof God. When He gave us the call tocome unto Him for salvation, He atthe same time gave each one the samecommission to "Go ye..." While thecommission is the same, the placeof service is different. Yet whether inAmerica or Japan that service is justas important to the Lord, and He desiresthat each serve obediently andwhole heartedly.In order that one may give effectiveservice we must let self becrucified and Christ reign in our lives.First, then, I would request you topray not only for me, but for yourselfthat daily we will take up the crossand follow Christ, not holding backanything. "If any man serve Me, lethim follow Me." John 12:26. Praythat we will avail ourselves of thegreat power which He has promisedand not let self hinder its intensityand purpose. We must keep close tothe Lord, listening to His voice, thatit be not mistaken, and ever quickto respond.Since the destination of service isdifferent, then, apart from the basicneeds, the prayer needs will differ.While I have been commissioned to"go" since becoming a Christian, mytransfer of service, by Him, came in1963. Following further training ofHim in our seminary I was transferredto Japan where I have now been forthe past year and one-half. Most ofthis time, apart from settling andvacation, has been spent in the formalstudy of the national language. As afull time language student, I will attendthrough March '66. Continueyour prayers that my mind will be?ble to retain more and more of thisJapanese language which is renownedfor being the most difficult in theworld. "With God nothing shall beimpossible." He has promised to supplyevery need, including this. Praythat daily there will be more andmore freedom in its usage. Pray forpatience and strength to overcome thenatural pressures brought on withsuch studies. Pray for a clear testimonyto the language teacher. Prayfor physical stability through thesemonths, praising Him for the healthgranted.During the past year I have beenteaching several English Bible classesin addition to the full time languagestudy. Pray that the Holy Spirit willwork in and through me that His wordwill be taught effectively. At this time(July) there is a young lady in theclass held in my home who has inquiredhow to become a Christian.Though time has been spent readingHis Word, talking, and praying, yether faith isn't strong enough to say,"yes," to the Lord's invitation. Althoughsome time will have passedwhen you read this, yet I would askyou to join me in prayer for MissChiba. May the Holy Spirit have Hisway in her life. If she has not yieldedto the invitation to come, that she will.If she has taken Christ's gift of atonement,may she walk daily with Himand grow into a mature Christian.May her life be used to reach othermembers of her family and friends.Although her home is Nigawa, shehas said that she will attend servicesin Okamoto when they begin there.Also by the time these requestsare being considered, I will havemoved to Mikage, an area of Kobe.There I will share my new home witha Japanese Christian girl. Pray thatour adjustment to one another willbe good. May both Miss Kesho andmyself benefit from one another inour spiritual fellowship with the Lord.May we be used of the Lord in theneighborhood. Pray with Miss Keshofor her family that her faithful, patientwitness may be effective, seeingthem turn to Christ.In April '66 I will be working withthe Spears in Okamoto which is justtwo kilometers (1 1-4 miles) from mynew home in Mikage. The work thereis just getting started. Pray for thecontacts made by both the Spearsand myself that as Christ is kept inthe center of our lives, we will beable to see His power working. Maythose attending classes be interestedto the point of "hungering and thirsting"for more spiritual food when they"taste and see the Lord is good."Pray that a church may soon be establishedin this new area of outreach.Wherever the work of the Lord isprogressing we find Satan and all hisforces very active. He leaves nothingunturned in order to defeat the advancementof Christ, even if it meansworking through the life of the missionary.There are daily battles andstruggles against him. Pray that allof us may be alert to his tactics, andnot caught in his web. May we be inunity of purpose. May we not becomeso busy serving that we neglect beingfed daily by Him whom we serve.Some things, as Christian soldiers,seem strange for us to undergo, butmay we be willing for His sake. Thesehardships and trials may only be theLord's tool in making us more useful,more shapely, and more precious."Strange and difficult indeedWe may find it,But the blessing that we needIs behind it."112 COVENANTER WITNESS

TJ!E01.(I(HCAL SEMINABCovenanter WitnessTO JESUS CHRIST"THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHORCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONS"VOLUME LXXV NO. 8 AUGUST 25, 1965 STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 19, 1965HOW TO HELP BUILD YOUR CHURCH1. Be in your place unless prevented by some reason which youcan conscientiously give to your Lord.2. Pray for your pastor and the congregation before you come tochurch. Don't fail in this.3. Pray as you are seated in the Church.4. Never engage in any conversation or act after entering thechurch which will divert your thoughts or the thoughts ofothers from worship.5. During the period of meditation, thank God for our Bibleschool and pray God's blessing upon our officers, the teachersand pupils.6. Never carry what you think to be the faults of any of ourmembers away from church. If tempted to do so, look aboutyou and see some beautiful soul whose life is a benedictionupon you.7. During this week call upon at least one person with an invitationto attend our services.8. Pray for the pastor every day. He has a heavy responsibilityand wishes to be of service to all. He wants Jesus to come intothe hearts of the people.9. Tithe. Bring your envelope every (Sabbath).There are many christians who do nothing, but there are nochristians who have nothing to do.Nothing is good that is Godless.Episcopal Recorder

THE COVENANTER WITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Editorial Address125 N. Fourth, Sterling, Kansas 67579Telephone Area Code 316 BR 8-3472Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 toMrs. M. W. Dougherty, 125 N. FourthStreet Sterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under thesupervision of the Publication Board byThe Patterson Press, Wapello, IowaTHE BOARD OF PUBLICATIONRev. Paul Faris, Pres.Dr. Wyley Caskey, Vice Pres.Dr. G. M. Robb, Sec.Mr. Donald Fee, Treas.Mr. Ross LatimerRev. M. L. McFarlandContributing Editors:Rev. Kenneth SmithDr. G. M. RobbRev. T. R. HutchesonDr. S. E. BoyleMr. A. D. RobbMr. Wilbur CopelandRev. T. R. HutchesonDr. R. Paul WrightDr. D. Howard ElliottDepartment Editors:Rev. Bruce C. StewartMrs. Robert B. MaineMrs. Willis M. EdgarRev. John K. GaultEditor— Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D. D.Opinion expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Church or of the Editor.Subscription rates: $4.00 per year, domestic and overseas,2 years $7.00. Group rates. $3.00. Single copies 10cents.Agent for Subscription in U.S., Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Agent for British Isles: Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A., 12Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, North Ireland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness.All material that is to appear in the Witness shouldbe typewritten, double spaced, and should be in Sterling,Kansas two weeks before it is to be printed.Obituary notices are limited to one hundred fiftywords; all words in excess of that amount are one centeach. Money should accompany the notice.News for the news section should be brief and up todate. One dollar is charged for death notices that aremore than six weeks old when they reach our office. Thisdoes not apply to minutes that have been adopted by anorganization.Give us one month's notice when you are changingyour address. This notice should be sent to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, IowaCHANGE OF ADDRESSWhen giving notice of a charge of address, pleasesend the old address as well as the new address to thecirculation manager.WE HOLD THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only Infalliblerule of faith and conduct.The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experience.The Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Holy Spirit.The fact of death and hell as the destiny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believein Him together with their children.The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church Government.114welfare The That of Lord terms the Jesus Church. of membership Christ as the or only communion King and are Head essential of His Church. to the1 B OSRev. M. K. CARSON, D. D.What did Christ mean when He said, "Ye are cleanbut not all"? (John 13:10)It seems that the meaning of these words isthat even after spiritual regeneration, there is thedaily need of cleansing—"Ye are clean, but not all."After bathing (the new birth), there was need onlyfor Peter to have his feet washed from the dust bythe way.The next verse refers to Judas, who betrayedJesus. He had not experienced the first cleansing,the new birth, and was not clean. But even Peterand the other disciples who had been bathed andhad no further need of bathing (regeneration), didneed the constant washing of the feet. Paul urgesus to "cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of theflesh and spirit" (II Cor. 7:1) and the Beloved Discipleassures us of the constant cleansing (presenttense) of the blood of Jesus. I John 1:7.It is this daily cleansing which we should beseeking when in the spirit of adoption we pray, "OurFather which art in heaven Forgive us ourdebts. ."Heights and Valleys ... 115Glimpses 116Devotional Address .117What Is A Fair Salary For Ministers . 119The Contest (story)120Page for Juniors122Lesson Helps123Church News 126The duty which rests upon officers to maintain discipline andpreserve the purity cf the Church.Spiritual worship as a divine requirement mediated through theLord Jesus Christ.The exclusive use of the Psalms ln the worship of the Churcn.The Protestant interpretation of the Sacraments.The divine right of the institution of Marriage and that it Unot to be dissolved except by adultery or "irremediable" desertion.The Sabbath as a day sacred to rest and worship.The duty of nations and their civil rulers to honor Christ a*King of Kings and Lord of Lords.That Christian cit zens are under oDligatlon to obey lawful authority..The right and du y of the Christian citizen to dissent from allgovernmental and nat onal disobedience COVENANTER to the Law of WITNESS God.That the Covenan 3 of the past are still binding.From "The Communicant's Class" by J. B. Tweed

Editorial CommentHEIGHTS AND VALLEYSRecently it was our privilege to attend one ofour young people's camps. Covenant Heights, awell known name, especially to the Midwesterners,is situated in and on the Rocky Mountains. It issouth about eight miles and up about two thousandfeet above Estes Park village.I was but four years old when I took my firsttrip into these mountains. Even at that age I wasimpressed by the Big Thompson Canyon with itshigh, rocky walls and roaring river. Every time onehas occasion to go to them, the mountains seem tohold him in deepest awe. What can he say? Theyare so gigantic that one finds himself readjustinghis judgment of things by comparison. Distanceand objects shrink before them.Situated between Longs Peak and the TwinSisters, this camp site was purchased by a groupof congregations of the Evangelical CovenantChurch. The investment of labor and materials inconverting this wilds into a comfortable and commodiouscamp is beyond comprehension. But thesefolks did, and they are still working at it.The program carried out by our young peoplewas much the same as that of other camps. Rev.J. Paul McCracken found much of interest and profitin choice selections from the book of Numbers,for the daily Bible study. Frequent mentionwas made of the theme, "Committed to Commit."God in His power was there. There were meetingsin which His working was evident. But betweensessions there was the constant reminder of a Creatorto whom we owe all things.On the summit of the Twin Sisters formationone could see the ranger's cabin from which searchingeyes roved to and fro to watch for fires or otheremergencies. It is a great comfort to know thatthere are those of our flesh and bone who are concernedabout us and watchful over us, those whofrom their mountains of experience and rock-solidfaith, are able to observe and detect danger signsof which we are unaware. We all have within ourhuman acquaintances occupants of such lookoutstations.When one turned his back on the Twin Sisters,he faced Longs Peak, one of our highest mountains.Facing us was a sheer cliff which I believe hasnever been scaled until last year. There is no roadto the top of this mountain and it is not for ordinaryhiking. Its summit is reserved for expertscalers.But there it stood, majestic, apparently immovable,with its yawning notch, seeming to standguard over the whole camp, towering high abovethe ranger's lockout cabin. It seemed to tell us of theheight, permanence, and majesty of Him who isthe builder of men and mountains.On several occasions clouds hid from view thesemountain tops. On one particular day the cloudsdescended into the camp floor itself. So far as theeye could tell, one might have been a thousandmiles away from the mountains. But no one washeard to say, "We might as well go home, for themountains are gone." We knew they were there,just as huge and solid as ever. We did not needtangible evidence. Communication with the lookcutranger was still intact, and the notch in therock still spoke of His presence, behind and abovethe clouds.But this camp with its nine-thousand-foot altitudewas our abiding place for only a time. The conferencecame to an end, and carloads took theirleave, down to the valleys and plains. There theywould perform their regular services, and seek toconvey to those who labored on at home the joys,the faith-strengthening experience of those daysof fellowship with nature, other Christians, andGod.Such experiences remind us of another smallgroup of men who had a wonderful experience onthe mountain. One of them wished that they mightjust stay there. The Scriptures tell us that he didnot know what he was talking about.At the foot of the mountain there was illnessand anxiety. Truly the small group of disciples hadin all sincerity tried to give help and relief. But itseemed to be of no avail.Up on the mountain top there was vision; therewere associations beyond the imagination of Petereven, a few days before. Oh, it was a glowing experience.But there was not SERVICE there on this occasion.The Master and the three disciples must godown to the valley. Their particular ministry wasmost needed by the anxious father, the sufferingson, and the perplexed disciples.Service is not on the mountain top among theclouds. Such places as our young people's conferencesare as "filling stations." Truly the atmosphereSee page 119August 25, 1965 115

Glimpses of the Religious WorldT. R. Hutcheson820 New YorkHolton, KansasCOMING TO YOUR HOUSEHollywood is producing fewer family films andmore indecent movies, according to a report by theNational Legion of Decency, which classifies flims forRoman Catholics.During the 12-month period ending in August, 1964,Hollywood produced 209 films. Only 42 of these — onein five — could be considered suitable for family viewing.Sixteen were condemned by the Legion, the greatestnumber in its 30-year history. Films for "adults only"rose sharply during the year — a total of 53, or 25 percent of all films produced.One unanswered question: how many of these objectionablefilms will be shown on TV a few years fromnow?—Gospel HeraldCOMPLETE BIBLE FOR 90 PER CENTThe American Bible Society reports that a completeBible has been translated into 236 languages,which are spoken in areas of the world in which 90per cent of the population lives. The complete NewTestament has been translated into an additional 289languages, spoken by five per cent of the world's people.CAUSE OF CRIME DEBATEDA feature in The National Observer begins by quotingfrom the story of the Good Samaritan, about theman who fell among theives who stripped him of hisraiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving himhalf dead. It then comments, "As the robbery in theGood Samaritan story illustrates, crime, like war anddisease, is not new to this world. But a Federal Bureauof Investigation report last week that the crime ratesince 1958 has risen six times as fast as the population,plus the President's appointment of a commission toconduct an 18-month study of crime, announced the sameday, once again stimulated talk about the causes ofcrime and how to prevent it."One participant in the discussion was Chief WilliamA. Parker of the Los Angeles Police Department. Spokenbefore the occurance of the notorious Los Angeles riots,the chief said, "Our form of government depends on thewillingness of people to submit themselves to a rule oflaw. We can keep adding police until there is one officerfor every citizen. But will this leave us with the freedomwe desire?"He was also quoted as indicating, "We pay wellout here, and we've got a good climate, but we can'tfill our force. We can't get enough of the high-qualitymen we want. The public image of a policeman is notwhat it should be. And police don't get the support fromthe public that they should and must have."Later, in analysts' diagnosis of the Los Angelesanarchy, a variety of explanations were offered. Somesuggested the 90-degree heat. The Bible also indicatesman's sinfulness by nature. This applies to us all, andJesus told us to pray, "Lead us not into temptation."FBI figures used in the Observer article showed2,000,000 serious crimes were reported in 1964, "up 13per cent from 1963. Crime increased by 17 per cent inthe suburbs, 9 per cent in the cities, and eight per centin rural areas. Youngsters under 18 committed morethan One-third of all crimes solved by police."THE LOST NATIONOverlooked in reports of the United PresbyterianGeneral Assembly was a statement from the address byR. Sargent Shriver, Jr., director of the Office of EconomicOpportunity: "We need the conscience of the churchin our war on poverty," because that war is "fundamentallya nation fighting to preserve its soul."Here is a problem in the government's program:the idea that we can do something to deserve God's favor;or that we can be good enough to attain unto a selfsatisfaction.Ninevah is an example of a governmentwhich was spared, and that was after repentance. Sofar, in this land, our courts have taken the position thatGod does not officially exist. At least that he is not tobe favorably talked about.INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL CITES GAINSThe sixth congress of the International Council ofChurches opened recently in Geneva, Switzerland. Thisgroup is popularly associated with Dr. Carl Mclntire, ofthe Twentieth-Century Reformation radio program andthe Christian Beacon, and several other busy enterprises.Whatever one may think about Dr. Mclntire's personality,or about his theology, none has called him lazy.Rather than merely criticize the W T orld Council ofChurches, he led in founding an alternative, the InternationalCouncil, which has been functioning since 1948.It now has as members 103 denominations in 60 countries.Some of these are refugee churches, similar instatus to governments in exile.UNLESS IN OKLAHOMA PRISONIn the midst of clamor for separation of church andstate comes this item by the Evangelical Press, from Mc-Alister, Oklahoma: "To win separation from the stateprison here, inmates now must meet a churchly requirement."Candidates for pardon and parole must convincethe board that they are familiar with the Ten Commandments.The wording of the regulation is, "a sincereeffort to know and recite the Ten Commandments."This is one advantage the penitentiary has over the publicschool.SABBATH SALES RAISE PRICESThe Lord's Day Leader points out that for storesto keep open on Sabbath they must necessarily raiseprices, because the overhead is for seven days whilethe total amount of business is the same as for six days.One store remains open on Sabbath with the intention ofgetting business from its competitors, and soon all thestores are open, and no one has gained, while all havelost.] IR COVENANTER WITNESS

Expressing GOD'S GRACE"For the grace of God that bringeth salvationhath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denyingungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,righteously and godly, in this present world;Looking for that Blessed hope, and the appearingof the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Whogave Himself for us, that He might redeem us fromall iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people,zealous of good works." Titus 2:11-14.Some have called this the most remarkable passagein the New Testament in its treatment of thegrace of God.In the first part of this chapter the Apostle Paulgave some very practical, Christian instruction tothe aged men, aged women, young women, youngmen, and servants. They were to adorn the doctrineof God our Saviour in all things. This is followed bythis matchless treatment of the grace of God, showinga very close relation between the eternal veritiesof the Christian faith and practical Christian living.As Dr. Alfred Plummer pointed out, "There is akind of life in the present which must be lived,"and it can be lived only by the grace of God. God'sgrace is "His active unmerited favor bestowing thegreatest Gift upon those who deserve the greatestpunishment."The grace of God hath appeared — shines forthlike the sun at sunrise. What a blessing the sunriseis! But infinitely more blessed is the grace ofGod that hath appeared to them that sit in darknessand in the shadow of death." Luke 1:79. And thisincludes us all.The Grace of God is expressed in our Salvation.All God's dealings with men are on the basis ofgrace. Salvation is man's greatest need. "For thegrace of God that bringeth" — what? Only one wordcould be used — SALVATION. This is the purposeof Christ's coming into the world. "They shall callHis Name Jesus for He shall save His people fromtheir sins." "This is a faithful saying and worthy ofall expectation that Jesus Christ came into theworld to save sinners," not merely to help us saveourselves, but to save us. It is His work and "Heis able to save to the uttermost all that come untoGod through Him." The very name "Saviour" impliesboth our need and His power to save. And all needthis salvation. "For as by one man sin entered intoDEVOTIONAL ADDRESS AT THE 1965 SYNODRev. M. K. Carson, D.D.In Lifethe world, and death by sin; and so death passedupon all men, for that all have sinned." Romans5:12.It is said that every heresy originates in the effortof man to earn his salvation rather than receiveit. All false religions are agreed on this pointthat salvation is the result of man's striving. Atthe time of Jesus, Judaism taught that salvationwas in the keeping of the 613 commandments. Thisfalse theory seems to be a belief dear to the heart ofthe natural man. How we like to feel that we aresufficient in ourselves, at least to some extent. "Forthe grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation."This is our only hope. "For by grace are ye savedthrough faith and that not of yourselves; it is thegift ot God." Ephesians 2:8. It is not by law, ormorality, or education, or humanism or any otherdevice of man that we are saved but by the graceof God. By grace are we saved and by grace are wekept. "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. Bywhat law? of works? Nay; but by the law offaith." Romans 3:27.Thomas Manton said, "Works are not the conditionof justification, yet they are the evidence of it.By the righteousness of faith we are acquitted fromsin, and by the righteousness of works we are acquittedfrom guile and hypocrisy. Though workshave nothing to do in the court of heaven in thematter of justification, yet they have a voice andtestimony in the court of conscience.""And from my smitten heart with tearsTwo wonders I confessThe wonders of His glorious graceAnd my own worthlessness."The Grace of God is Expressed in our Sanctification.Instead of using the word, sancification wemight have used the word, training, discipline, ochastening, but sanctification seems to be all inclusive.It is "the work of God's free grace, wherebywe are renewed in the whole man after the imageof God, and are enabled more and more to dieunto sin and live unto righteousness." This is bothnegative and positive and corresponds to the text,"teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldlylusts — impiety, idolatry, immorality, and all kindredevils. "Love not the world, neither the thingsAugust 25, 1965 117

that are in the world." I John 2:15.But there is the positive side, the living untorighteousness. We are to live soberly, righteously,and godly. This three-fold description includes thewhole life. And it begins with the heart — soberly,within. And what struggles there are! Were it notfor the grace of God we would be hopeless. Jesussaid, "If any man will come after Me let him denyhimself ..." Jesus wants to be our Lord and Master."Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servantsto obey; his servants ye are to whom ye obey. . ." Romans 6:16."Righteously" suggests our social relations. Weare to deal with one another in love, in honesty, andin justice. Jesus summed it up in the "Golden Rule,"Matthew 7:12. And toward God, we are to havelove, the first and great commandment, worshippingHim "in spirit and in truth." As Dr. Plummersaid, "The Apostle Paul insists upon the inseparableconnection between creed and character; doctrineand life."One historian said that the "reasons why Christianityconquered the ancient world were first, themessage itself, the story of how God had visitedand redeemed his people; and second, the new morallife which sprang from that message and authenticatedit." "These things I will that thou affirmconstantly that they which have believed in Godmight be careful to maintain good works." Titus 3:8.The Grace of God is Expressed in our Expectation.This is a look into the future. It is the blessedhope, "the hope of the Lord's return in glory tocomplete the kingdom which his first Advent began."At the Ascension the disciples "looked steadfastlytoward heaven as He went up." As they looked,"two men stood by them in white apparel, whichalso said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazingup into heaven? This same Jesus, which is takenup from you into heaven, shall so come in like manneras ye have seen Him go into heaven." Acts 1:10-11. Here the coming of Jesus is clearly set forth aspersonal, glorious, and visible. We express our faithin His coming at every communion season. "For asoften as ye eat this bread and drink this cup yedo shew the Lord's death until He come." I Corinthians11:26. This sacrament points to the future aswell as to the past. The second coming of JesusChrist is that "one far-off Divine event to whichthe whole creation moves." He is coming to judgethe living and the dead. "So Christ was once offeredto bear the sins of many and unto them that lookfor Him shall He appear the second time withoutsin unto salvation." It is the "Blessed Hope" becauseit brings great joy and delight.We do not know the time of His coming. It isdifficult to explain the 24th chapter of Matthew,but if "this generation" in the 34th verse is the divisionbetween the account of the destruction of Jerusalemand the second coming of Jesus Christ, assome believe, then we have few signs given to us,but we are to "watch and pray." In the great crisesof history there is always a temptation to makepredictions, so there has been much idle speculation.On the other hand we are warned against scoffingand unbelief. Peter reminds us "that there shallcome in the last days scoffers, walking after theirown lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of Hiscoming?" Our Sovereign Lord is swiftly moving towardthat great event, has always been movingswiftly toward it, but whether it is near or far in thefuture, we do not know. "But of that day and hourknoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, butmy Father only." But we must not be ignorant ofthis fact, "that one day is with the Lord as a thousandyears, and a thousand years as one day." IIPeter 3:8.And the Apostle Paul assures us that God "hathappointed a day in the which he will judge the worldin righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained;whereof He hath given assurance unto allmen in that He hath raised Him from the dead."Acts 17:31.The Grace of God is Expressed in our Gratitude.The Greek words for joy and grace have somethingof the same meaning. "Grace is that whichaffords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm,loveliness." (Thayer) The Apostle Paul said, "I thankChrist Jesus our Lord" . .. and the great reasonis that "the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant."I Timothy 1:12-14. Truly the grace of Godis the source of all true gratitude.The grace of God is expressed in the "unspeakableGift," "Who gave Himself for us." How canwe ever be grateful enough for this precious GiftlSome deny the importance of the historical. "Theymaintain that the value of the New Testament remainsvery much the same whether Jesus was born,lived, died and rose again as the Scriptures teach orwhether He did not." (S. G. Craig.) But we believethat these truths are the very essence of the Gospelof the grace of God. I Corinthians 15:3-4.Christ also redeems us. We are slaves to sin.But Christ paid the price of our redemption for Heredeemed us from the curse of the law. Galatians3:13. But He not only does something for us, butHe does something in us for He purifies unto Himselfa peculiar people, or "a people for His ownpossession." "Thanks be unto God for His unspeak-See page 119118 COVENANTER WITNESS

WHATMost people want to be fair. Christians, especially,strive to be fair. Congregations are often perplexedwhen they try to establish a fair salary fortheii minister. What criteria can they use? Wheredo they start?They should not start by making a comparisonwith other ministers' salaries, for ministers arepoorly paid. . . But how should the congregationproceed?The Bureau of Census in a June 1964 reportstated that family income rose 5 per cent in 1963over 1962. Did your minister's salary rise 5 percent in 1963? Or in 1964? How much will it raisein 1965 over 1964?From 1953 to 1963 the average (median) familyincome rose 47 per cent, the Bureau of Censusreports. Did your congregation raise your minister'ssalary 47 per cent in that period? If it did, you "keptpace."But, did you start at a fair point? . .. Theaverage (median) family income in 1963 was$6,200.00. (Half the families received more; halfreceived less.) With the responsibility that a ministerhas, fairness would demand that he get morethan the median. As a bare minimum it wouldseem he should get the $6,200.00 plus the rent freeuse of the manse or parsonage.Families with the "head a year-around, fulltime,worker," have a median income of $7,483.00.Those with a "professional, technical or kindredworker" as the head have a median income of$9,837.00. Most of the latter do not require theamount of education or experience of a minister;many do not require a college degree.When you make comparisons, consider the freeparsonage and the cash salary of the minister asincome. To be fair about it, other expenses paid bythe church cannot be treated as the minister's income:the car allowance, convention expense, thechurch's share of pension payments, book allowances,etc.Comparisons with national averages will oftenDEVOTIONAL ADDRESS . . . from page 118able Gift." II Corinthians 9:15.The Grace of God is Expressed in Service.A people purchased, purified, and possessedshould be a grateful peope and this gratitude shouldbe shown in a hfe of service, "zealous of goodworks." How zealous are we? Is this the word thatmakes us feel "uneasy"? Yet it is the word that wasspoken to the church of the Laodiceans. "I wouldthou wert cold or hot. So then because thou artlukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue theeout of my mouth." Revelation 3:15-16.IS A FAIR SALARY FOR THE MINISTERS?By Harold Sedrel*lead to improper conclusions. The minister in alarge city where cost of living is higher and whereaverage income is higher should, out of fairness,receive a higher salary than the minister in a smalltown where costs are less and income is substantiallylower.Income varies by part of the country, too. TheNortheast is $431.00 above the national average;North Central is $169.00 above; the South is $1,140below; and the West $988.88 above.Income in your city or community is more important.The Census Bureau pubhshed income datafor every county in the United States after the 1960census. There is a good starting point. The medianincome has raised 16 per cent since then.Maybe the minister doesn't need a fair salary.Maybe he should be so dedicated that he shouldn'tbe concerned. Maybe money should not be importantto him.He should be dedicated; and so should everyother Christian. Mayoe money shouldn't be soimportant to any of us Christians. But excusing poorstewardship of the church members by saying theminister should be dedicated is poor for the church.The dollar the church member keeps in his pocketbecause the minister is dedicated and uncomplainingis not helping the work of the kingdom.Christian fairness demands that we pay theminister a fair salary. If the membership will be asdedicated (or even half as dedicated) as the ministerwith its money, its time, its talents, there will besufficient to pay the minister a fair salary. And,more important, the money available to the benevolentprograms would be twice, three-times, or tentimes as much as we send now as an investment inspreading the word of God through the world, whichis the mission of the church.* Harold Sedrel is a prominent layman inthe South Park Presbyterian Church in RockIsland, III., and a frequent speaker on compensationfor the ministry and other aspects ofChristian stewardship. He is employed as personneldirector for the United States ArmyWeapons Command. Mission-GramsHEIGHTS and VALLEYS . from page 115is wonderful and the environment conducive toright living. But down below lies the field of service.There the anxious, the sick, and the perplexedof our day live.You, who have breathed the thinner air of highaltitudes, who have caught greater glimpses of Hispower, you are not to tent in the heights, but youare to lent on the lower levels and serve with whatyour Lord and Master has revealed to you.August 25, 1965 119

COVENANI HEIiThe ContestMrs. George (Jean L.) McFarlandcontinuedMechanically Myra got up and reached for thepicture. Then something her mother once said,came to her as clear as if she could hear her voicein the still schoolroom. "Us Bates are poor but weain't cheats."Myra's hand dropped to her side. Then the impwas back again. "This is different. It really isn'tcheating; you've worked long and hard on the picture.Lucile won't care; she doesn't want the prizeas badly as you do."Again Myra reached, and this time, changed thepictures. Then she carefully opened the door. Noone was in the hall. She hurried to the side door.A few students loitered on the steps but they weretalking and paid no attention as Myra almost randown the steps and onto the street.Her thoughts were in a turmoil as she hurriedon and on. "You're bound to get the prize now,"she said to herself. "The other picture is spoiled.You can go to college and become the great artist120you have always wanied Lo be." But there was nojoy, no feeling of elation that she had always feltbefore when she thought of winning the contest.She felt mechanical, numb, dead. She opened thedoor of her home and the smell of cooking cabbagegreeted her. She sank down on the sagging couch,feeling sick. / won't liave to live alivays with thugliness, she thought. But it didn't seem to matter.Nothing in all the world seemed to matter. Aftera while she went to bed but sleep wouldn't come.Whenever she dozed she saw her mother, far awayin great distress, trying to reach her. But wheneverMyra tried to call, she was unable to make a sound.It was near morning when she finally slept andagain she saw her mother, but gradually, beforeher eyes, her mother turned into an imp with a grininghideous face. "I made you cheat," it laughedcruelly. "The next time it will be easier. The firsttime is always hardest. You're my slave now; you'lldo what I say.' Then the room seemed to be full ofimps, all shouting. "You'll do what we say. You'll dowhat we say."Myra made a supreme effort and broke thespell. She awoke to find herself sitting up in bed,screaming.COVENANTER WITNESS

S CONFERENCE"What's wrong with you?" her stepmothergrumbled, poking her frowzy head in the door.Myra hurried into her clothes and through hermorning chores. Her teeth chattered. She knewnow what she had to do; she had to correct thewrong she had done.Only the janitor was in the school hall whenMyra entered. She went directly to the art roomand changed the pictures. She had just adjustedher picture on its easel when Miss Otis entered theroom."Myra!" exclaimed the teacher in surprise. Thenshe saw the canvas. "Your picture," she gasped indismay, "what happened?"Myra calmly related how she had spoiled thepicture."What a shame," said Miss Otis, looking at thepicture. "Perhaps you'll have another chance beforeyou finish high school; I wanted you to win theprize so that you could go to art school.""Oh, I'll go to college," said Myra, "even if Ihave to scrub floors to pay my way."Miss Otis looked at Myra, puzzled. She wasacting as if spoiling the picture was of no importance,yet she had worked so long and earnestlyon it. Why, she thought, the g rl looks even radiant.She didn't know that Myra was again hearing hermother's voice as clearly as if it was in the room.'Sure and you have a spoiled picture, Myra, butthere's no stain on your soul."HOW IS YOUR PRISON RECORD?We cannot say no one knows what happensafter death. Some things are painfully clear. Theyare going to ask for our prison record. No, not the"time" we did forcibly, but the time we freely spentfor our brothers, His brothers, His sake.How many hungry mouths have we fed howmany times? Whose fault is it if we don't even knowany? The trouble is net in our set. How many suffering,naked people have we clothed with dignityand happiness as well as shoes? Will heaven bemobbed with men eager to sing our praises tomorrowand testify to all the sacrifices we made forthem today?Hew are we doing with strangers? Is our homea haven for them or is the stranger excluded? Feared?Have we taken more precautions, spent morein locks, fences, insurance, to protect ourselvesagainst the stranger than we have taken measuresto make him welcome?—David A. Redding, from The Parables He ToldAugust 25, 1965 121

for September 19, 1965 MJkMISSION CHURCHES * *Mrs. Charles McKissockTheme Psalm: 67, page 161, verses1-3. Psalm 47, page 120, verses 1, 2, 5, 6.Memory Verse: "Go ye therefore,and teach all nations, baptizing themin the name of the Father, and of theSon, and of the Holy Ghost: teachingthem to observe all things whatsoeverI have commanded you: and, lo, Iam with you alway, even unto the endof the world."In seeking to obey this commandfrom our Lord, the Home MissionBoard members are ever alert tofind how it can be done. In the 1956Minutes of Synod we find outlinedthree major concerns in the HomeMission department. "These are (1),providing financial assistance to congregationswhere the congregationitselfcannot pay its pastor a minimumliving wage; (2), helping congregationswithout pastors to have the ministryof the Word, as well as meeting theirproblems; and (3), seeking to encouragepresbyteries or congregationsto open new fields with a view to theorganization of new congregations."It is with the third concern that weshall be dealing tonight as we considerthe work of three of our recentmissionary endeavors.Phoenix, ArizonaIn 1958 Dr. and Mrs. J. G. McElhinneystarted a preaching missionat 20th Ave and Monroe Streets inPhoenix. The mission was known asthe West Monroe Reformed PresbyterianMission and was located approximatelyseven miles across town fromour Phoenix Church. The PacificPAGEFOR JUNIORSIn what Book of the Bible do we find "Rejoice in the Lord always; andagain I say, Rejoice"? Place the first letter of the name of this book inthe upper left corner space. Put the other letters in a diagonal line tothe lower right hand space. Then fill the other spaces with the namesof New Testament Books.•suetsaqdg—suBuioy—suopepso—uopBpAay—iaiaj Z—JS^d I—suniqjuuoo—suBissopo—Aqjouiix—SMajqaH—uounaiiqj :s>[Oog luaurejsax M9M(fr:fr) suEtddiTiqj ui punoj jxaj, :si9Msu\/Coast Presbytery was to decide uponthe exact status of this work, but theBoard of Home Missions payed forthe rent of the building and helpedto meet other expenses.The area where the church is locatedis one that is not reached byany other evangelical church. Thework consists primarily of reachinginto homes where there is indifferenceto the Gospel. Because of the mobilepopulation each Sabbath Day's preachingis important.The McElhinneys continued faithfullyin this work until 1961 whenRev. D. Raymond McCracken and hiswife answered the call to this area.They served ably for two years andthe work progressed. Then in 1964Rev. Paul Mathews was appointedstated supply by the Pacific CoastPresbytery.The activities of the Mission include:(1) Sabbath Day, Bible schoolat 9:45; Worship Service at 11:00; JuniorChurch at 11:00; (2) mid-weekprayer meeting; (3) Women's MissionarySociety meetings; pJ) monthlymeetings of Bible School staff; and(4) monthly family nights. These activitiesare much the same as those ofour own congregation and as "•'? consider-the prayer requests we find thatthey too are probably the same Trayerrequests include:1. That the parents of childrenwho attend Sabbath School would bereached.2. Gaining more teen agers.3: That the unchurched people inthe area would be reached with theGospel.4. More Bible school teachers.Rev. Paul Mathews resigned inJune of this year and we need to addSee page 124122 COVENANTER WITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of September 19,1965Sabbath School LessonFor September 19, 1965.GROWING IN UNDERSTANDINGAND PATIENCE:Gal. 6:1-10; Phil. 4; Col. 3:12-15.Comments by John K. Gault.In a recent television broadcastdiamond jewelry was exhibited uponthe person of the speaker. Some ofthe pieces were said to be valued atover one hundred thousand dollars.In describing the valuable gems thespeaker said that, in their roughstate as they come from the mine,the diamonds are not beautiful. Theirbeauty is accomplished by the cuttingand polishing, a process requiringmany months of careful labor.We might compare Christians todiamonds. Like diamonds in theirrough state, some are not very beautifulcharacters and all of us are notas beautiful as we should be. In orderto be beautiful, Christians needpolishing but, unlike diamonds, theprocess is never completely finishedin this life. The Bible is the meansby which God, through His Spirit,polishes our lives and makes us moreand more beautiful. "All scripture isgiven by inspiration of God, and isprofitable for doctrine, for reproof,for correction, for instruction inrighteousness: That the man of Godmay be perfect, throughly furnishedunto all good works." (2 Tim. 3:16, 17)In these lessons about "ChristianGrowth" we have been studying a-bout the polishing of the different facetsof the character diamond. Thelesson for today concerns itself withtwo of these facets, "Understandingand patience." All facets of thecharacter diamond need polishing.1: Restoring Those Who Have Sined.This message as found in Galatians6:1 is addressed to the officers ofthe church. They were supposed toexercise discipline in restoring offendersto the privileges of the organization.This restoration was to beaccomplished in a gentle manner asis stated, "Brethren, if a man be overtakenin a fault, ye which are spiritual,restore such an one in the spiritof meekness; considering thy self,lest thou also be tempted." Thechurch should be very gentle in restoringone who has committed a scandaloussin. Temptation is commonto all persons, and members of the governingbody of the church should bevery meek when they sit in judgmentof one who has done wrong.2: Bearing One Another's Burdens.To do this is "the law of Christ."In Romans 14:7 Paul says, "For noneof us liveth to himself, and no mandieth to himself." The same writersays also in Romans 12:15, "Rejoicewith them that do rejoice, and weepwith them that weep." The organizationof the church can be comparedto the human body; when one membersuffers the other members sufferwith it. In the days before selfpropelledmachines, the farmers madeuse of what was called an "evener.' 7Three horses would be hitched to animplement by means of an "evener"and in that way each horse wouldpull the same load. The "law ofChrist" is a great "evener" and in theoperation of this law all the membersof the church help one another.It can be sympathy in a time of sorrow,"restoring one in the spirit ofmeekness," or in numerous otherways of lightening the burden ofothers.3: Every Christian Should beHumble.In Galatians 6:3 Paul says, "For ifa man think himself to be somthingwhen he is nothing, he deceivethhimself." There have been some inthe church who felt superior toothers. Jesus tells of the two menwho went into the temple to pray;one was a Pharisee and the other wasa publican. The Pharisee "prayedwith himself" and thanked God thatthat he was better than "this publican."The publican, standing apart,prayed, "Lord be merciful to me asinner." One who takes such a superiorattitude to another, perhaps toone of another race, deceives himself.He thinks he knows something whenhe doesn't.4: Every Christian Should "ProveHis Own Work."This is what Paul tells in Galatians6:4. The effort to understand and toget along with others would be madeeasier if each would try to provehis own work. God has given to thechurch the standard by which a membercan "prove his own work." It isHis Word. In the economy of thecountry there are the standards ofweights and measures. Every mercantileactivity must conform tothose standards. The Bible is themoral and spiritual standard in theworld. People must conform theirlives to this standard or suffer theconsequences.5: People Can Grow in Understandingand Patience by "StandingFast in the Lord."Christians should not compromisewith evil nor enter into any entanglingalliances with sinful institutions.In James 1:6 we read, "But let himask in faith nothing wavering. For hethat wavereth is like a wave of thesea driven with the wind and tossed."The martyrs of the Reformation yearsstood fast in the Lord even thoughconfronted by persecution and death.Those who stand fast in the Lordwill endeavor to follow the exampleof Jesus who patiently and understanding^worked with His erringdisciples. In the organization of thechurch there will always be somewho do not respond to the teachingof the Gospel as they should. Ministersand teachers should be patientwith all such persons. Jesus, in quotingIsaiah, said in Matthew 12:20, "Abruised reed shall he not break, andsmoking flax shall he not quench, tillhe send forth judgment unto victory."But in his efforts to cooperate withothers one should never allow hismoral conviction to weaken. Beingpatient and understanding in workingwith people is one way to standfast in the Lord.6: Christians Should Agree withOne Another.Paul made a personal appeal toparticular persons. These personswere Euodia and Syntyche. Theywere in some sort of disagreement.It could have been that they wereengaged in a law-suit, but more probably,a church disagreement. Theywere evidently prominent women andeach would have a following. Theinevitable consequence of such aS'tuation would be a schism in theorganization. Christians should followthe advice of the patriot JohnDickinson who wrote in the "LibertySong,"August 25, 1965 123

"Then join hand in hand, braveAmericans All!By uniting we stand, by dividingwe fall."7: Christian Leaders Should beAppreciative.In Philippians 4:3 Paul says, "AndI entreat thee also, true yokefellow,help those women who labored withme in the Gospel, with Clement also,and with other my fellow laborerswhose names are in the book of life."The "yokefellow" probably was Epaphrodituswho is mentioned in verse18. Paul had been assisted by a groupof dedicated women when he waslocated in the city of Philippi. Lydia,the seller of purple-dyed cloth, inwhose home Paul sojourned fora while, was one of these dedicatedwomen. When leaders show their appreciationof the help of others thefeeling of understanding is madestronger.8: "Rejoicing in the Lord" is AnotherWay of Growing in "Understandingand Patience."The greatest cause of rejoicing is"in the Lord." People are made into"new creations" by being in the Lord.We can see the misery which prevailsin the lives of non-Christians. Thisgreat difference is apparent everywhere.All Christians can say, as theylook upon the derelicts in their misery,"There go I but for the grace ofGod." What abundant reason Christianshave to rejoice in the Lord!9: Christian "Moderation."Paul counsels all Christians toshow this attitude to all others. Hemeant by this that Christians are tobe even-tempered all the time andnot given to outbursts of anger or impatience."Lesson based on Internationa] SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessonsfor Christian Teaching, copyrighted 1958by the Division of Christian Education. NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ In theU. S. A."JUNIOR TOPIC . .. from page 122to our prayers that someone would beraised up by the Lord to take hisplace. The eloquent request recordedin a Covenanter Witness in June of1963 bears repeating. "Our greatestneed is for men ... real men ... menGod can use and will use .. Pray thatwe might be sent men after God's ownheart. We need eldership material,teacher material, deacon material, dedicatedlaymen material — MEN! Webeseech you, dear friends, every singleone of you who pray, pray that Godwill grant us men — for in order tohave a church, we must have men!"Marion, IowaIn 1962 the Iowa Presbytery requestedaid for the opening of a newfield in the general area of CedarRapids, Iowa. A committee consistingof R. C. Fullerton and Chester R. Foxvisited the field along with the committeeof Iowa Presbytery.Marion, a suburb of Cedar Rapids,seemed to be the best area in whichto locate. It is an area that is growingrapidly and many opportunities forwork are available. There is one otherchurch in the vicinity but a surveyrevealed that many folks didn't belongto any church. Another determiningfactor in choosing this area wasproposed help from the Hopkintoncongregation.The Home Mission Board gave itsapproval to this work if a ministercould be secured. Rev. Robert Mc­Cracken accepted the call and alongwith his family began work in November,1962.Property was purchased and theconstruction of a chapel begun. Meanwhileworship services where held ina nearby elementary school buildingwhich was rented. The chapel wascompleted and the first services heldin it on April 21, 1963. It is so designedthat it can later be used as a parsonageand another church building andparking lot can be erected on thesame property. Much help in the buildingof the chapel came from friendsin Iowa who gave of their labor, offerings,and encouragement. The SabbathSchool attendance rose from anaverage of 15 to 23 in the first threemonths of 1963 and the morning worshipservices from an average of 16to 26.As with all of our congregationsthe aim of the leaders at Marion isto win a hearing for the Gospel. Thisis done in many ways. "For the youngpeople it may take the form of a pizzaparty. For the mothers a 'coffee' inthe afternoon at the parsonage. ABible Study with a young couple, anevening of bowling with another, apublic meeting, provide other opportunities."A congregation of eleven memberswas organized in March of 1965. Agroup from Hopkinton and a numberof adherents also attend regularly.This does not seem like a large congregation,but remember there wereonly eleven apostles to carry the messageof Christ to the entire world afterthe Saviour had ascended into Heaven.The church at large has been prayingfor the progress of the work at Marionand Rev. Robert McCracken reportsthat there have been remarkableevidences of answered prayer."Such as: unsolicted, one man calledon the phone to ask if he and his familycould come to the church. TheLord has since brought him to a clearprofession of Christ, and also his wifehas professed her faith. They havefour fine children."The weapon Satan seems to usemost effectively to hinder the workis indifference on the part of many.Let us pray that this may be overcomeas those at Marion seek to presentChrist to those indifferent toHis name.Indianapolis, IndianaThe work in this area is under thedirection of the Illinois Presbyteryand is the first mission program ofour church which deals specificallywith college students. Mr. and Mrs.Don Mullinnix, Mr. and Mrs. BobTempleton, Mr. Karl Meeker, movedto Indianapolis for the purpose ofworking together as a mission team inthe area. Rev. Roy Blackwood and hiswife provide pastoral leadership forthis group.The average attendance at themorning worship service is aboutthirty. Bible studies are held on alternateSabbath evenings, Sabbathafternoons, Wednesdays at noon andFriday evening with an average attendanceof five to fifteen. Throughthese studies and personal witnessitis estimated that about one hundredpeople are hearing the Words of Life.The program established by theIllinois Presbytery to be carried outin Indianapolis has been summarizedin the Witness as being "to REACHsouls, to TRAIN them in basic habitsof the Christian life, and to BUILDthem into a congregation... All threephases are to run concurrently andcontinually, but the emphases at theoutset has been on the reaching andtraining of souls." Pray for guidancefor these folks at Indianapolis as theyseek to enlarge the kingdom of God.For the notebook: On the nextmap page mark your own congregationand locate Phoenix, Arizona;Marion, Iowa; and Indianapolis,Indiana. Include on the map any informationthat will help the Juniorsto remember these three new missionchurches.For the Handwork: From a brightor navy blue piece of felt have eachJunior cut a pennant. It can be124 COVENANTER WITNESS

of whatever size is most suitable foryour group. Then from gold felt cutletters for the names of one of theabove mission churches. Each childcan choose which church name hewishes to have on his pennant. Thenglue the church name onto the pennantwhich can be taken home to behung up and used as a prayer reminder.Prayer Meeting Topicfor September 22, 1965"GOD'S ATTRIBUTES AS A BASISFOR PRAYER — POWER"Scripture Resources: Job 26:1-14;38:1-41; 39:1-24; 41:1-34; Jeremiah32:17; Matthew 19:26; Luke 1:37; Revelation19:6; I Chronicles 29:12; IIChronicles 25:8; Romans 16:25-27;Matthew 28:18-20.Psalms: 62:4-6, 9, 10, page 152;65:4-6, page 156; 115:1, 2, 10, 11, page281; 135:1-5, page 332.Bibliography:Look up omnipotence in Bible dictionariesand books of SystematicTheology or in "Manual of ChristianDoctrine" by Berkhof, or in books on"The Attributes of God" such as theone by A. W. Pink.Suggested Plan of Meeting:Ask as many of the children asare present to lead in prayer askingGod's blessing upon the meeting.Sing several of the above Psalmspointing out their relation to thetopic.Read some of the above Scripture;have people who have been previouslyassigned to sum up and apply otherportions.Discuss God's omipotence. Be sureto bring out the relationship betweenHis omnipotence and our prayers. Isour adoration in prayer extolling Hispower merely an introduction to petition,or are we really acknowledgingand praising His power as a basis101confidence and supplication inprayer?In your prayer time, claim thepromise and truth of God's omnipotence.Encourage the young peoplepresent to take part in the prayerPeriod.August 25, 1965KERR — HEMPHILLMiss Geraldine Kerr became thebride of Mr. Alan Hemphill in a beautifulwedding ceremony, in the ReformedPresbyterian Church of LosAngeles, with the Rev. Bruce Stewart,the Rev. R. Paul Robb, and thebridegroom's father officiating.The bride is the daughter of Mr.and Mrs. James T. Kerr of Glendale,California, and the parents of thebridegroom are the Rev. and Mrs.E. Raymond Hemphill of Syracuse,New York.The bride's attendants were MissIngrid Birdsall, Miss Joan Chambers,Miss Barbara Pettit, and Miss BethHemphill, the bridegroom's sister.Dcnna and Nancy Chambers wereflower girls, and David Chambers,another cousin, was ring bearer. PaulMartin was best man and James Kerr,William Hemphill, and Robert Chambers,ushers.A lovely garden reception at thechurch followed the ceremony. Thenewly-weds spent their honeymoon atSanta Barbara, Yosemite, Sequoia, andSan Francisco.The bride is an alumna of HooverHigh School, Glendale, and GenevaCollege, at Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania,and the groom an alumnus of Johannesburg,Michigan, High Schooland Geneva College. Both were membersof the Christian Student Fellowshipat Geneva and the college choir.They will reside in Syracuse whereAlan will attend Upstate Medical Centerand Gerry will teach.MONTCLAIRThe congregation had the privilegeof hearing Mr. Thomas Edgar in May,who spoke of his work in Cyprus. Hismessage was most interesting andvery challenging.Mrs. Thomas H. Park, Mrs. LutherB. McFarland, and Mrs. Orrin R.Ferry reported fine meetings andgracious hospitality from the Presbyterialmeetings in Walton.The congregation and friends weresaddened by the death of Thomas M.Slater on April 30. Services were fromBrown's Funeral Home, Montclair, andwere conducted by Dr. James G. Emerson,Jr. of the Westminster PresbyterianChurch of Bloomfield, and byour pastor, the Rev. Luther McFarland.Interment was at Fulton, NewYork. Our prayers and sympathy arewith Mrs. T. M. Slater, in the passingof her son.Mrs. T. M. Slater has recentlymade an excellent recovery from abroken hip. After a short time in thePrinceton Hospital, she is now backat iicr residence in Meadow Lake Village,Hightstown, New Jersey.In the absence of our Pastor forthe Refresher Course and Synod, theservices were conducted one Sabbathby Elder James A. Beatty, and onSynod Sabbath, we were happy tohave Licentiate Edward Robson bringthe message. It was nice to meet Mrs.Robson, too.Congratulations to our graduates:Miss Elizabeth Hunter from Northfield,Massachusetts; Jonathan Donaldsonfrom Wayne High School; MissVirginia Donaldson from Geneva College;and Gene McFarland from FaithSeminary.The annual S.S. picnic was held inthe Bergen County Park in Ridgewood,New Jersey, on Saturday, June26. The day was perfect, attendanceexcellent, and food satisfying. Mrs.Kenneth Arents was chairman of thecommittee.Visitors to our worship servicesin recent months have been: Mr. andMrs. John M. Allen, of the Alleghenycongregation and visiting in the Parkhomes; Mrs. William Stemmler ofOrchard Park, New York, visiting hersister Mrs. Kenneth V. Arents; Mr.and Mrs. Russell Faris o* Cambridge,Massachusetts, visiting in the McBurneyhome; Mrs. Emerson Boyd, visitingthe John Parks and Miss EleanorBoyd; Mr. John Park of Beaver Falls,Mr. and Mrs. Howard Mann anddaughter Pamela of Hutchinson, Kansas,visiting in the McFarland home.We are also happy to have Rev.and Mrs. Marion McFarland, ShirleyMarie and David, spend some of theirvacation in this area. Marion preachedfor us one Sabbath while here.GOING TO COLLEGE?Have your own 9-months subscriptionto .THE COVENANTER WITNESSFOR $1.50Send order to:Mrs. M. W. Dougherty125 N. Fourth StreetSterling, Kansas 67579125

Church NewsMRS. MARY AGNES MORTONMrs. Mary Morton, the wife of elderJames Morton of the Almonte R.PChurch, passed to glory on August 7.1965, while approaching the age ofninety-three.Surviving her are her husband;older brother, Robert; younger sister,Jane; daughter, Mrs. C. W. Argue; anda son, deacon John Morton, alongwith five grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren.For years she was precentor, S.S.teacher, and agent for the CanadianBible Society.Mrs. Morton read her whole Bibleinnumerable times and so surely,"Precious in the sight of the Lord isthe death of his saints." Psalm 116:15.WANTED: All issues of the CHRIS­TIAN NATION for the year 1919. Ifyou have copies, please write, givingthe dates, to: Librarian, ReformedPresbyterian Seminary, 7418 PennAvenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15208.BLOOMINGTONElder John Kennedy was chosenas delegate to Synod. Mary Emma,his wife, accompanied him, and alsoRev. Raymond McCracken.Mrs. James Dixson and childrenvisited with her mother, Mrs. EthelYoung, of New Brighton, Pennsylvania,for a week.Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Latimer, Mrs.John Robertson and Miss Judie Robertsonspent the first two weeks ofJune in Los Angeles, California, visitingMr. and Mrs. Richard Hinton andDr. and Mrs. Dean Hinton. They reporta delightful time with friendsand relatives. They enjoyed the scenicattractions in California.Mr. and Mrs. Robert Shook andfamily visited relatives in Kentucky.Mr. and Mrs. Paul Wampler have asguests, Mr. and Mrs. Ellsworth Mooreof Orlando, Florida. Mr. and Mrs.Hill and family are guests of Mr. andMrs. Robert Curry. Mr. and Mrs. RobertCarr are the guests of Mr. andMrs. Donald Felker. Mr and Mrs. DaleShaw are the guests of Rev. and Mrs.R. McElhinney. We were glad to havethese guests in our midst.Those attending camp from Bloomingtonwere Rev. Raymond Mc­Cracken and family, Pam and JerryArthur, Jim Curry, Dr. Etna Moore,Ruth, Karen, Lena and Leonard Dixson,Phyllis Moore, Steve Phillips,Jeri and Joyce Wampler and LanaMcElhinney. Miss Sue Hill, Mike Halland Earl Moore were guests of theBloomington congregation.SYRACUSE, NEW YORKOn May 2, we welcomed the Rev.Tuisen Shishak, missionary to Americanstudents, from India, who gave astirring message at 6 p.m. to our Seminaron Personal Witnessing, and at7 p.m. brought the evening messageon "What think ye of Christ?"Our communion was held on May9, with the Rev. J. Paul McCracken ofCambridge, Massachusetts as ourable assistant. Our flowers, that day,were in memory of two former members,Mrs. R. J. Kelso and Charles D.Murphy.Mr. Thomas Edgar of Cyprus, whowas on his way back to Cyprus, aftera few months in U.S.A., broughtus a challenging message about thework there, on May 16.Guests from Geneva College thatday were all Seniors — the MissesMary Matteson, Sarah Martin, MarianCopeland, and Gerry Kerr.Miss Alice Pack, a faithful memberof our congregation, has joined thegroup at our Home in Pittsburgh. Wewill miss her, but we hope she willbe very happy and contented there.Visitors on May 30, were Mrs.Thompson Kerr of Los Angeles, Mr.and Mrs. Jack Pinkerton of Philadelphia.They will be moving soon toBeaver Falls, where Jack will be employedas teacher in Geneva College.Other guests were Gerry Kerr, MargaretMcMillan, Mary Matteson, Bruceand Beth Hemphill, all from GenevaCollege, and David and Bill Hemphillof Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.During June and July, in the absenceof our pastor, we heard thefollowing preachers: Rev. Alan Perkins,Rev. Robert Fullerton, Rev. RobertTweed and Lie. Edward Robson.On June 20, the sacrament of baptismwas administered to Darlene MichelleJensen, whose parents recentlyunited with dur church.We salute our graduates this year—Mary Matteson and Bruce Hemphillfrom Geneva College, and JamesPinkerton from Syracuse UniversitySchool of Forestry.Mr. William Pinkerton, who hasspent some time in a hospital is ableto be home again, for which we givethanks. We sorrow with Mrs. Pinkerton,because of the recent death ofher mother, whose home was in Homer,New York.On July 25 we welcomed our pastorand family back from their tripto the West Coast. They had attendedthe wedding of their two sons, Alanto Miss Gerry Kerr in Los Angeles,Bruce to Miss Margaret McMillan atBeaver Falls, Pennsylvania. They alsoenjoyed visiting families and friendsand viewing the beautiful scenery ofthe great West.Mrs. Frank Lathom, of BeaverFalls, was a visitor at our church,June 27 and July 4, while she was inSyracuse, attending a conference forHouse Mothers at Syracuse University.Our Vacation Church School willbe held, with our pastor as Superintendent,August 2 to 13. Pray for theteachers and pupils that this may bea. worth while effort to reach theboys and girls of our neighborhood.BETHELEven though we have not beenheard from recently we are continuingin our work for the Master.Our spring Communion was observedthe last Sabbath of March withRev. D. Raymond McCracken assisting.We were very thankful for hisinspiring messages.Mr. and Mrs. T. Lyle Joseph visitedat the parsonage in April.Two of our young men were amongthe graduates this spring. Robert H.Finley graduated from high school.He will be attending Geneva Collegethis fall. Robert Presswood graduatedfrom grade school.On May 30 the sacrament of baptismwas administered by the pastor toWinona, Kevin, and Stanley Pennywho are the children of Mrs. MyrtlePenny. We would welcome them toour fellowship.Our pastor attended the Pastors'Refresher Course at the Seminary inJune; then remained in the area forSynod. Our elder delegate to Synodwas Mr. Willard Finley. While thepastor was attending the meetings inPennsylvania, Mrs. Joseph and Paulvisited with her family in Hopwood,Pennsylvania.126 COVENANTER WITNESS

A number of folks from our congregationattended Covfamikoi Conferenceat Covenant College. In additionto the pastor and family thoseattending full time were Mr. and Mrs.Floyd Finley, Paul, Bob, and Ann;Bill, Jim, and Tom Presswood. Mrs.Willard Finley attended part time.Our Family Bible School was heldJuly 26-30 with classes from 7-9 eachevening. Classes were held for beginnersand up through adults. .The totalenrollment was 30 with a daily averageattendance of 23. It is our sincereprayer that each one who attendedmay have received a special blessingfrom his studies.KANSAS CITYOur graduates: Miss Nancy Wright,Trinity Lutheran Hospital School ofNursing; Brent Van Vleck, ShawneeMission Senior High; Margie Weimer,Old Mission Junior High; John Ward,Eastgate Junior High, North KansasCity, Missiouri; David Bruce, RosedaleJunior High; Elizabeth Bruce,Barbara Faris, and Mildred Ulrichfrom grade school. A dinner at thechurch was prepared in their honorand they with their parents sat at aspecially decorated table. Little diplomas,tied with bright yellow ribbon,were at every plate; these gavethe names of the graduates and themenu. Mr. Karl Cunningham and MissNancy Ray gave short talks. Pen andpencil sets were given Nancy Wrightand Brent Van Vleck. A Moodyscience film, "The Stones Cry Out,"was shown.Miss Nancy Wright was selectedby the Senior Class of Trinity LutheranHospital to represent them atthe Student Nurses National Conventionheld in San Francisco, which lastedabout a week.Some time ago, a new tract rackwas placed in the front entrance ofthe church, a project of the youngadult group. They are sincerely gratefulto Mr. Herbert Hunter for makingit. It is well made and contains choicetracts.The CYPU invited the congregationto the church on a hot, humidevening in June. An attractive posterhad already informed of a "PolynesianHoliday", (an informal fund raisingdinner). We were told to wear brightcolors. There were colorful dresses,bright colored shirts, scarves, big hatsand little ones and Margie Weimerput a lei on the guests as they arrived.The dining room was so fittingly decoratedand the unusual "eats" madeAugust 25, 1965us feel we were away in some tropicalclime. The dinner consisted of Hawaiianpunch, coconut pieces, cantaloupe,pineapple, bananas, ham andbeef tersyaki, seasoned rice and sweetpotatoes, and coconut pudding.After dinner we were 'invited outon the lawn—Kansas City church—alawn! At the west end of the churchwere chairs for nearly all of us. Outthere in the open, pink rambler rosesin full bloom on the neighbor's fenceto the south gave a pretty setting forthe program. After a few skits, WilburMore and William Ward led us insinging tropical songs. William playedthe ukulele. The young people havejust about reached their goal, moneyfor a new projector. William and CarolineMore are their sponsors, and doinga good job. It took a lot of hardteam work to make this the fine eveningthat it was.Mrs. Harold Ward is our efficientlibrarian. The congregation allottedseventy-five dollars for new books thisyear, and there are new books in thelibrary.The Junior Highs are sponsored byDr. and Mrs. Wright. They have beenlearning portions of Scripture forthe Forest Park Conference. July 26,they were invited to the home of MildredUlrich for a wiener roast; thenthey played miniature golf the restof the evening.Mr. Ralph McKelvy, son of Rev.and Mrs. Hays McKelvy of Lochiel, isa regular attendant at all our services;he is one of us. On recent Sabbathmornings, the following haveworshipped with us: Dr. and Mrs. EdwinClark of Beaver Falls; the Blackwoodfamily of Topeka; Mrs. L. C. Mc­Cracken and her two daughters, Cathrineand Brenda of Leesville, Louisiana.Mrs. McCracken is the daughterof Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Woolery.Mrs. Emma Doig attended the"Polynesian Holiday" and enjoyed thesinging, but at this time, we are sorryto report she is not so well.Mr. and Mrs. Ben Duffett, havejust returned to Kansas City aftertraveling BROOMALL, three months PENNSYLVANIA in Europe.In the past three months membersof our congregation have been to farplaces: over Easter vacation Mrs. MillardHowell visited her daughter Carolin Venezuela; later, Mr. and Mrs.James A. Carson and Mr. and Mrs.John Oswald took a Caribbean tour;in June Mrs. Thomas Nimick, MissSarah Archer and John Archer flew toNorthern Ireland for a three weekvisit with family and friends. We arehappy to have them all safely returned,and Carol Howell home for thesummer.The church nursery is now brighterbecause of the new curtains whichMrs. William Jackson made, and morecomfortable with the addition of arocker purchased by the W.M.S. withtrading stamps.We have had two workdays, April3 and Memorial Day, on which wepruned shrubbery, scrubbed woodwork,painted ironwork. Three of ourmembers have also gone to both ofthe White Lake Camp workdays.A carload of young people fromBroomall greatly enjoyed the hospitalityof the New York City congregationfor an overnight stay and a dayat Jones Beach. The day at the beachwas memorable for the breakers ofa size to rival those on the WestCoast, a rare pleasure for AtlanticOcean swimmers.Our June graduates were JohnWasilchick from Marple-Newtown Jr.High, Allen Edgar from Drexel HillJr. High, and John Edgar from UpperDarby High School. In his senior yearJohn was elected president of theNational Honor Society and captainof the track team.John Ramsey has done a fine job,with the cooperation of many ministers,in keeping our pulpit suppliedsince we have been without a pastor.We appreciate his work in this.CASH AND CARRY PORNOGRAPH-ER MOVES FROM PARIS TO NEWYORKMaurice Girodias, who purveyedhis merchandise in plain brown wrappersto aficionados who slithered intohis Paris shop, has announced thathe is moving his firm, the OlympicPress, to New York. Girodias, whohas been called the "Prince of Pornography"and the "Sultan of Smut" explains:"There isn't any censorshipin America. The Courts have clearedthings for you. You can publish anythingin the United States."He blames President DeGaulle forthe censorship in France. Here inAmerica you can print the unprint-:ble. —San Bernardino Sun— April22, 1965 .. . C.C.C. Association Newsletter.127

The Board of PublicationISSYNOD'SJOINT CHIEFS OF STAFFoverTHEEDITOR WHO IS THE CAPTAINandTHEPRINTER WHO IS THE SERGEANTOF THE 26 "LEAD SOLDIERS'(abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz)WHO MARCH TO EVERY CONTINENT-to defend the TRUTH—to free the prisoners of sin—to maintain communication linesIT COSTS EACH COMMUNICANT (over his subscription)LESS THAN 6c PER WEEK (through the budget)TO MAINTAIN THIS FORCE in constant service.128 COVENANTER WITNESS

WfffiMED PBESKYTERlAflCovenanter WitnessTO JESUS CHRIST•THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONS"VOLUME LXXV NO. 9 SEPTEMBER 1, 1965 STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 26, 1965FOREST PARK CONFERENCEMISSIONARYNUMBER

THE COVENANTER WITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Editorial Address125 N. Fourth, Sterling, Kansas 67579Telephone Area Code 316 - BR 8-3472Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 toMrs. M. W. Dougherty, 125 N. FourthStreet Sterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under thesupervision of the Publication Board byThe Patterson Press, Wapello, IowaTHE BOARD OF PUBLICATIONRev. Paul Faris, Pres.Dr. Wyley Caskey, Vice Pres.Dr. G. M. Robb, Sec.Mr. Donald Fee, Treas.Mr. Ross LatimerRev. AI. L. McFarlandContributing Editors:Rev. Kenneth SmithDr. G. M. RobbRev. T. R. HutchesonDr. S. E. BovleMr. A. D. RobbMr. Wilbur CopelandRev. T. R. HutchesonDr. R. Paul WrightDr. D. Howard ElliottDepartment Editors:Rev. Bruce C. StewartMrs. Robert B. MaineMrs. Willis M. EdgarRev. John K. GaultEditor— Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D. D.Opinion expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Church or of the Editor.Subscription rates: $4.00 per year, domestic and overseas,2 years $7.00 Group rates. $3.00. Single copies 10cents.Agent for Subscription in U.S., Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Agent for British Isles: Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A., 12Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, North Ireland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness.All material that is to appear in the Witness shouldbe typewritten, double spaced, and should be in Sterling,Kansas two weeks before it is to be printed.Obituary notices are limited to one hundred fiftywords; all words in excess ol that amount are one centeach. Money should accompany the notice.Xews for the news section should be brief and up todate. One dollar is charged for death notices that aremore than six weeks old when they reach our office. Thisdoes not apply to minutes that have been adopted by anorganization.Give us one month s notice when you are changingyour address. This notice should be sent to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 \. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, IowaCHANGE OF ADDRESSWhen giving notice of a change of address, pleasesend the old address as well as the new address to thecirculation manager.WE HOLD THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only infalliblerule of faith and conduct.The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Faith in Josus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experience.The Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Hol> Spirit.The fact of death and hell as the destiny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believein Him together with their children.The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church GovernmentThe Lord Jesus Christ as the only King and Head of His Church.welfare That of terms the Church. of membership or communion are essential to theQuote -BREAD OF LIFEby Edna Janes KayserEach day I feast on Christ my SaviourHe is my nourishment and joy,The wholesome bread of life from heaven,The perfect food without alloy.His strength pours in to give me courage;I rise from suffering and pain,Above the cruel blows of livingAnd face the stress of life again.I feast upon this perfect mannaThat comes from heaven's richest store,Upon the loveliness of JesusUntil my soul can want no more.He will supply my needs and longingsWith fragrant goodness for each day,Abundant bread to make me strongerAnd keep me on the upward way.He is a pure supply of powerA source I never can exhaust,A fresh delight for every moment—A rich repast without one cost!»_ 1A7»is Week'sGlued Up Gabriel 131The Lost Dimension 131News From The Field 133God Looks on The Heart (Story) 136A Page for Juniors 138Lesson Helps 139Scribe With A Hard Pencil 141Church News 143The duty which rests upon officers to maintain discipline andpreserve the purity cf the Church.Spiritual worship as a divine requirement mediated through theLord Jesus Christ.The exclusive use of the Psalms in the worship of the Church.The Protestant interpretation of the Sacraments.The divine right of the institution of Marriage and that lt Isnot to be dissolved except by adultery or "Irremediable" desertion.The Sabbath as a day sacred to rest and worship.The duty of nations and their civil rulers to honor Christ a*King of Kings and Lord of Lords.That Christian cit zens are under obligation to obey lawful authority.The right and du y of the Christian citizen to dissent from allgovernmental and nat onal disobedience to the Law of God.That the Covenan s of the past are still binding.From "The Communicant's Class" by J. B. Tweed130 COVENANTER WITNESS

Editorial CommentGLUED UP GABRIELA by-product of the things we read and hearis some phrase or sentence that was neither writtennor spoken, which crowds into our minds. Withinlimits I think this is a profitable thing, and sometimesitmay be refreshing. I do not mean that inany case this accidental thought is to displace ordetract from the intended message of the writer.Such an experience came as I was reading recently.In many of the periodicals there is muchconcern (and rightly so) over the present trend inthe various denominations of Christ's Church. Toread such things depresses one. Then suddenly theheadline, "Angel on a Stamp," gave a sudden turnto the paths of thought.When the last Christmas stamp was issued byour Post Office Department, the Department wasoverwhelmed by letters opposing the design of thestamp. It had by-passed a religious theme entirely,in its effort to be neutral. This year PostmasterGeneral John A. Grounoiski has chosen a religioustheme. The origin of the idea was a New Englandweather vane. It became the subject of a painting,and then the General adopted it. The golden figureof the flying, trumpet-blowing Gabriel is to be atoned down green to make the image look weatherbeaten.Memorial stamps are issued for many reasons.But when so many are striving to shut heaven outof our Federal Government departments, one of thedepartments brings in a resident of heaven and putshim in a position so to speak, as to be on everyone'stongue. It is an effort to appease those who criticizedlast year's stamp because it omitted anything relatedto Christ's birth. Now the Postmaster Generaltries to satisfy them by putting on the stamp animage of Gabriel, the messenger of God who announcedthe impending birth of Christ.What do angels look like? Do they go flyingthrough the air on gigantic wings? Are thereweather-beaten angels? Who has ever seen anangel?It would seem, after all the fuss our SupremeCourt has stirred up about prayer and Scripturereading in our schools, almost a travesty to placean angel, any angel, let alone such an one asGabriel, in such a sticky position. It makes thatwhich is so near to God to be "lickable."There needs to be a trumpet sounded, warningin no uncertain terms, of the danger of nationalcatastrophe, unless we do repent and honor Godthrough Jesus Christ in a more official way. Butthe trumpet on the stamp sounds no warning. Itneed not remind one of anything about God, butonly of a New England weathervane from whichthe image was first copied.Gabriel did his work centuries ago in announcingthe birth of Christ. Most people who will use thestamp know at least that He has been born. Butthey will let Gabriel toot his way from shore toshore. They themselves will be glad only to be aliveand to share the benefits of the birth of Him whomwe as a nation refuse to honor as Lord of lords andKing of kings. It is not a "stuck-up" Gabriel thatwe need, but a "lifted up" Christ.THE LOST DIMENSIONBy Dr. Gilbert L. GuffinIf a confessed atheist denied the adequacy ofsalvation asit is in Christ, it would not seemstrange. Though his denial would be regrettable, itwould be understandable. But when one who iswidely acclaimed as among the leading Christiantheologians of our times makes virtually the samedeclaration, it is shocking in the extreme. Onlydeepest dismay and sorrow can be the reaction ofall who have found in Christ "the way and thetruth and the life."The Saturday Evening Post carried an articleby Professor Paul Tillich giving an able analysis ofthe problem of modern man, but his seeming ignoranceof any solution of man's problem is startling.Even more startling is the apparent rejection bythis professed Christian theologian of the Christianfaith as the answer to mans need. He asks, "Is itpossible for our time to receive answers which areborn out of our time?" In his conclusion he asks,"Is there an answer?" He replies to his own questionby saying, "There is always an answer, but theanswer may not be available to us"!Not once is Christ mentioned in Professor Tillich'sarticle. Such an omission from one supposedto be a leading Christian theologian seems incredible.The harm of this article, enhanced by the prestigeof a great name and a great university, asit iscirculated around the world can be incalculable.See page 144September. 1, 1965 131

What may I, a minister, reasonably expect ofthe laity whom I serve? When I consider how farshort I fall of measuring up to my own conceptionof what a minister ought to be, I am very hesitantto offer anything that would be critical of our goodlay members. But this brings me to the first thingthat I would ask of them, and that is—to use charityand consideration in their judgment of me. I wantthem to remember I am human. They ought not toset an impossible standard for me.But I want a place of respect and reverence,which is due the office that I hold. I want to be tothem the "man of God," sent to be their leader. Ido not want to be called by my first name. I donot want them to accept unquestioningly every pronouncementthat I make — I do want them to givemore than passing attention to what I have to sayto them, especially from the pulpit. They should feelthat God speaks through His minister.I want their trust and confidence so that theywill open their hearts for help. And, I must beworthy of that confidence. I should be as faithfulin keeping confidences as is the Roman Catholicpriest.The lay members should be loyal to me, theirminister, to the church, and to its members. Criticismshould be kept at a minimum, and as constructiveas possible. No adverse criticism should go outto tear down the image of the church in the community.~Thisapplies also to the family circles.Children will not love and trust me—they will notrespond to my ministry to them and be converted—if they have lost confidence in me because of uncharitabletalk at the family fireside.I expect them to co-operate in the work of thechurch. While the minister is not to be ministeredunto, he is more than their chore boy sent to runtheir errands. I expect that they will roll up theirsleeves spiritually, mentally, physically—and takehold of the work in whatever way they can.Most important of all, I want them to be livingexamples of the religion I preach. I want their livesto take up that message of salvation and grace, andpreach it more effectively than I ever could withBy Lawrence W. Gibbswords. I walked into a grocery store one time, andthe owner said to me, "Does Old Man 'So and So'belong to your church?" I admitted that he did. Thegrocer told me all the things he had against that oldbrother, concluding with the statement, "If thatis what your church stands for, I don't have muchuse for it." I tried to defend the brother, but therewas too much truth in what the grocer had said.In reply I said to him, "Do you know that certainlittle, old lady who lives way up on top of Oak Hill?""Oh, yes!" he rephed. "I have known her for manyyears." "And what do you think of her religion?""Well," replied the grocer, "if anybody has the realthing, she certainly does." I told him that she alsowas one of our members. "What about the youngman with the large family who lives across fromthe church?" I continued. "I knew him when as aboy he would go with his father and get roaringdrunk. Religion has certainly done a lot for him,"he replied. And so, one by one, I called the roll ofour wonderful people. I paraded them out beforehim, and invited his criticism. He admitted thattheir lives tallied up. Then I told him that we didnot approve of everything that he had said concerningthe first brother, but that we still loved his soul,and were being patient and kind in order to savehim. The others gave me the ammunition to "spikehis guns" and plant the banner of our gloriousKing high up on the ramparts. We need more suchwitnesses.Finally, I greatly need the prayers and the loveof my people. While shaking hands with the peopleat the door one (Sabbath) morning, I stooped to greeta little five-year-old girl. Her mother said to me,"Cheryl never forgets to pray for you. She alwaysasks God to bless and help Brother Gibbs." Tearsgushed from my eyes, and I said to thatlittle darling,"Please don't ever stop praying for me, dear. Ineedit so very much." And I do! I may need and willhave to accept a lot of criticism and advice, butabove everything else in the world I need to knowthat my own people love me and pray faithfully forme.The Free Methodist132 COVENANTER WITNESS

FROM SYRIA and CYPRUSLatakia, SyriaJuly 18, 1965Dear Fellow Covenanters,"Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is withinme bless His Holy Name. Psalm 103:1." Anotherschool year has gone and our almighty Father hasbeen so good to us. At the beginning of a schoolyear my heart is always full of fears as to whatmight happen during the school year. I look forwardto nine months ahead of me and I get butterfliesin my stomach. But our Heavenly Father is afortress to us. He will not let anything obstruct Hisplan. We had less students in both schools thanwe had the year before because new schools havebeen opened near us, but God has helped us throughall the difficulties.We had very good young people's meetings thisyear. The attendance went up to seventy. They haveworked among the students in both schools. Wehave seen changes in some lives. We want you to"pray for them. Isam was a boy who could be calleda real gangster. If you see him now you will notbelieve he is the same person. He is a new person.He told me that he used to spend most of his nightsdrinking in the bar. He used to smoke two packs ofcigarettes a day. He was taken to children's prisonseveral times because of mischief. I had to crywhen I saw him and heard him give his testimonyat our young people's meeting. He told everybodywhat Christ has done to his life. He comes from aCovenanter home, but he was a bad boy. Hismother told me that she cannot believe this is thesame son she had before. I said, "Yes, you areright; he is a new person." Now he is workingduring the summer vacation. He gives his motherevery penny he earns. After he gets off his workhe comes to our house and says: "What do youwant me to do? What do you have for me to read?"Please pray for him that God will give him thepower to grow in Christ. He led the young people'smeeting twice since he came to know Christ. Wewant you also to pray for Asadour, Bahjat, Hikmat,who are working with the young people. Please praythat God will lead them to show Christ to others.Please pray also for Labeebeh, Grace, Micheline, IIham,who are working among the girls. Last weekand this week they were having leadership training.The last two weeks of May we had baptismwhen we had eight babies baptized. The Sabbathfollowing we sat at the Lord's table. The churchwas full to the door. We thank the Lord for Hismany blessings on us.Now we are living among the destruction, forthe whole block where we are living has been takenby the government to make a very wide highway.A good part of the Girls' School has been taken also.The front part of our Girls' school was taken, sopart of the classrooms will be very near the street.A gcod part of the Boys' School was taken, also.Our house is included in this plan, so we had tomove out, and now we are living on the secondfloor of the Girls' School where the Hays familylived. Now we are tearing down the part that willbe part of the highway, and we are building newclassrooms instead. Miss Edgars house has beentorn down and the old school gate. It is very sadto see all this tearing down of places that wecherished so much. Our house which is across thestreet from where we are living now, is being torndown, also. The Fattal house, too. It is really verysad to see all that. I am trying to take some picturesof what is going on now and I hope to showthem to you next summer when I hope to see youat our International Convention. Please pray thatGod will make it possible for me to attend. It seemsthat Covenanter gatherings magnetize me.Today is Sabbath day. The sermon was takenfrom Colossians 2:6. The pastor stressed the ideaof going forward for Christ. "We cannot sit stillbut we have to keep going, and we cannot keepgoing unless we get our strength from above. It isnot sufficient to attend the church meetings, butwe have to live Christ each day." It is very trueto life.I will tell you of an incident that happened inour midst during the month of March. One of ouryoung girls got down with measles, a very severecase. When it was time for the measles to leaveSeptember, 1, 1965 133

her, it stayed on and on, and her temperature wentup to 110 degrees. She was extremely serious. Sheis the only daughter of a father, a widower, whohas three sons besides her. Every Covenanter familyin Latakia felt that Hayat, the sick girl, was oneof them. On Monday morning, the eighth of March,was the deadline. The night and the day beforemany friends stayed with them from fear she wasdying. But the time was spent in prayer. The nextmorning all the doctors in town came to the houseto examine the girl and to decide what was to bedone. All the doctors left her room with a frown,and they called the pastor to another room to tellhim that the girl was a hopeless case and thateverybody should be prepared for the sad news. Nohope. But while the girl was on her death bed,there were groups of Covenanters in all the roomsof the house and the school praying. When thedoctors gave their last decision one non-Christiandoctor, looked at my father and said: "You Protestantsare known to be prayerful people, the onlything that can save this girl is prayer." So everybodyknelt and prayed. The last I saw the girl, shewas, or she looked to be dead. The doctor put theflashlight in her eye, but no movement. But suddenlywhile everybody was kneeling to pray, the girlmade a long sigh and moved a little bit. The doctorran to her bedside and said, "A miracle has happened."Later in the afternoon the girl was carried tothe hospital, and in one week she was well. Noweverybody in Latakia knows what prayer has doneto this young girl, and we call her Tabitha of the20th Century. The measles had stayed in her brain,and the doctor had said that her brain was nearlyboiling from the high temperature. Now Hayat iscompletely wholesome and enjoys extremely goodhealth. This severe sickness has not left any badeffect on her. That was prayer. Everyone in Latakiawitnessed that. Hayat went to school in the beginningof May, took her exams, and did very well.She tells everyone about what Christ has done toher. I wanted you to share this true story with us.We still speak of the "Miracle" which happenedamong us through prayer.My regards to all the Covenanters, and mayGod bless us all for His service. Please pray for ourpastor, the church, the young people, the schools,and the Christian conferences that will be heldthis summer.Yours in Christ,AdeebahThe steps of a good man are ordered by theLord: and he delighteth in his way. Psalm 37:23American Academy,Larnaca, CyprusJuly 19, 1965Dear Covenanter Readers:It is my duty and privilege to inform you brieflyof some of the activities of our mission group here.First I might mention some of the changes of personnelthis summer. Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Smith, Jr.,have gone to U.S.A. after having served their shortterm. Mr. and Mrs. Sanderson are going home thissummer for a year's furlough. We, the C. T. Hutchesons,are retiring, having reached the three scoreand ten mark. I am known here as Mr. Chester,and my wife as Mrs. Chester, by many, to distinguishus from my brother's family. No replacementsare coming this year. However, we are gratifiedthat two are likely to take training for coming outa year later. The Relfs at present are away for amonth's vacation in Europe. We are glad to haveMr. and Mrs. Edgar back, after a years' furlough.This all means that we will have a hard timefilling up our staff with qualified teachers to takethe place of those leaving. One might think thatmany college-trained Cypriots would be comingback to the Island, and would be available forteaching positions. But, any such are extremelyleary of coming back, lest they have to do armyservice.We had 19 graduates this year: three girls andthe rest boys. One girl will go on to college in Beirut.She would have gone to U.S.A. on a scholarship,which she could have had, but she is too young.She hopes to have it next year. One girl is to workin the school offices. The boys who are not Cypriotcitizens, will go for further studies, either here orabroad, abroad if possible, but this is not likelywith military service looming big in their future.First, they expected to be called up on June 30,just five days after graduation, but it has beendelayed, indefinitely. But they are still held in reserve,so to speak.I was talking with one of our former students,just this morning, who had hoped to go abroad forfurther studies, but his military service has beenextended six months, so that postpones educationabroad at least a year.The word abroad was heard about as manytimes, when the diplomas were given out, as therewere graduates. It all goes to show that there are noadequate schools in the Island, beyond secondaryschools. There is one teachers' training college, offeringthree years training, but it accepts a verylimited enrollment. They do not want to have agreat surplus of graduates from this school on the134 COVENANTER WITNESS

labor market, unemployed, so to speak. Thus manyof our students go abroad, and we lose much if notall contact with them.We have one student who is to study in U.S.A.next year in the Junior class of some Americanhigh school. This is on a scholarship sponsoredby a society called, "American Field Service." Itis only for one year, then he must come back andtell his friends about life in U.S.A. When I knowhis address there, I will try to tell you, if it is at allnear one of our churches.Pray for our youth conference, which is beingplanned for August 10-16. My brother is to beproperty manager and Mr. Relf, spiritual director.So far about twenty-five have indicated their intentionof attending by making an initial deposit fee.It has not been suitable to open this camp for twoyears, but now it seems that it will be all right.The Cyprus problem is not settled, by any means,but gets little headline news, so is rather a routineaffair. We are very grateful to have the U.N. troopsin the Island.The Alumni Banquet was well attended thisyear, the night after graduation, in one of the localhotels, and was enjoyed by all present.Pray for more workers in our field, and especiallysome who will learn the local language,and work with the people more closely. Our U.S.ambassador here knows Greek, but none of our missionariesdo. Many of our soldiers in Viet Nam do,too. Why not missionaries?Sincerely,C. T. HutchesonDear Friends,Now is a perfect time to write you as we spendour first day at the Academy Camp at Troodosanticipating the youth conference which beginsin one week. Comfortably situated in our little hut,there is time to reflect on our past year's work withnothing to disturb us, but the chirping of birdsand the dinner gong. No one is bothered by thesesounds.Outside are the paths lined with white rocksleading to empty tents waiting for the fifty or moreyoung people who will soon be frolicking about.There is something else waiting for them, too: themessage of salvation through Jesus Christ. Some,we rejoice with hope, have already received theSavior this past year through the preaching stations,mid-year conference, and personal work. For themthe conference will afford a valuable time of fellowshipand renewal in the Lord.The C. T. Hutchesons left for home this week,butit seemed to me to be with reluctance for theywere very fond of Cyprus. Now I must try to carryon with Mr. Hutcheson's able handling of themission's finances. With no one replacing eitherthem or the Smiths, Mr. Edgar has been faced witha teacher shortage upon returning to the directorshipof the Larnaca school. It is the same problemwe have faced over the years of maintaining Covenantersin the teaching of Bible, so it seems the onlvsolution is what has been done in the past; thatis, to reduce the number of Bible classes from fiveto four each week.I don't think that we would have a shortage ofCovenanter teachers if our young people at homeknew what a splendid opportunity the ChristianCorps for Cyprus affords. For Judie and I it wasa decision not to become missionaries for life, butto set aside two years for full time service for theLord before we got tied down with a family andpermanent job. After a year on the mission field wehave not been sorry for that decision. Unliketeaching in secular schools at home, we have gota school here which will bend over backwards toprovide opportunities for presenting the Gospelinside and outside of the classroom. What's more,it is an institution which is providing a real serviceto the community, is well thought of, and is aninvaluable contact with the people. In a year's timewe have witnessed no real persecution here for ourtestimony. We have seen many Greek Orthodox whoare seeking for something more than the forms ofreligion. Yes, I am omitting several problems weface, but over all the Lord is blessing this workand, speaking for the Christian Corps, any youngdedicated teacher who is not afraid to travel willfind that a rich experience awaits him in thisfield.We were all pleased to hear a report from Mr.Edgar of the Church's continued interest in theCyprus field. After living a year in the big Academyhouse, Judie and I were sorry to return the Edgar'shouse to them, since it afforded so much room foryoung people's gatherings. However, the largeapartment we have now is also close to the schooland it handled easily the twenty-five students whocame for the last party before school let out.We certainly miss the Smiths with whom wewere able to work closely in reaching students personally.We have been impressed with the Lord'sworking in two boys who are nearing the end of(heir schooling and who have expressed a desirefor the Gospel ministry. Both finances and militaryobligations pose problems for Cyprus boys who areseeking higher education.We are thankful for your continued supportSee page 144September, 1. 1965 135

A Short StoryGOD Looks on the Hear{Mrs.George (Jean L.) McFarlandThe Sabbath quietness lay over the countryside.The leaves on the maple trees in front of the littlechurch rustled gently in the breeze. Even the birdsin the caves gave subdued little chirps. The warmJune sun bathed the fields and churchyard. Insidethe church the members of the congregation bowedtheir heads in prayer as the minister offered theirpetitions to God.Dan and Nellie Reed sitting in the fourth seat,the middle row, bowed their heads with the rest ofthe congregation. Nellie stirred uneasily as the ministercame over the words: "Dear Lord, keep usfrom fraud, deceit, and all that maketh a lie. Helpus to remember that man looketh on the outwardappearance but God looketh on the heart."For five years, Nellie thought wearily, we'vecovered up our sin, Dan and 1. But God looks on theheart.The prayer was ended. Nellie looked at MotherReed sitting at the end of the seat, spry as a womanof seventy, but ninety on her last birthday. Wedidn't mean to do her harm, Nellie thought, whenwe had her sign the deed underhanded, as we did,so that the land would be ours. We thought shewas going to die. The doctor said she could liveonly a few months. It seemed a waste of money tohave a new deed made in hers and Dan's namesas she wanted; and then have to make another onein only a short time in Dan's and my names. Itdidn't seem wicked then to have her sign her farmaway and not know it. She was weak, and signedwhere Dan said. She trusted us. She thought wewere honest. Then she got well and strong again.How could we tell her? She would have hated usuntil her death.Nellie turned the torturing thoughts over andover in her mind. Five years was a long time to havethe same thoughts burning on your mind. Fraudand deceit were ugly words. "Oh, Dear God," Nellieprayed, silently, "we didn't mean any harm; pleaseforgive our deceit and lies."After services friends and neighbors visited inthe churchyard. There was always news to be passedaround. Old Mr. Wyman had fallen and brokenhis leg. Tom Barns had lost his best cow; she hadeaten too much wet clover. But the news that hadeveryone whispering, was the government floodcontrol project. How much land would the governmenttake?Soon the Reeds were on their way home. MotherReed was sitting, small and bent, but always alert,beside her son in the front seat of the car; Nelliewas sitting lonely in the back seat. Nellie had alwaysmissed that intimate, friendly visit most wiveshad with their husbands on short drives to churchor town. Mother Reed was old and it made her sickto ride in the back seat, so Nellie had always takenthe back seat. She hadn't minded so much whenshe had the children, but now that Myrtle was marriedand James in the army, Nellie felt more lonelyriding by herself. She began to think back over heryears with Dan. He had been a good husband, kindand considerate. Mother Reed had always helpedwith the children and the housework. It had alwaysbeen a comfort to have her when the children weresick; her sure confident voice and decisions alwaysbrought comfort and peace to Nellie's troubledmind. Dan had needed his mother on the farm, too.She had a shrewd judgment that they could alwaysdepend upon. But Nellie had felt a little left outof the struggles. She was the outsider in a familycouncil. However she admitted to herself that shedidn't have the business head that Dan's motherhad, and she couldn't have helped Dan as much.Now she pushed the thoughts of being lonely out ofher mind. Nellie Reed, she thought, you are justfeeling sorry for yourself. You have had a good lifNow all luill be luell, if Mother can go down to hegrave never knowing what we did.But something Mother Reed was saying broughtNellie out of her reverie, 'Lil McClure says the surveyorsare around surveying the land for the government.She says they will take our lower twenty.We'll be careful about signing any land away unlessthey offer us a good price."Signing the deed is what she means, thoughtNellie with a start. If the government buys the land,Mother Reed will find out that she doesn't have tosign the paper. Then she will know ivhat we did.After they were home and dinner was over,Nellie got Dan by himself. "What are we going todo, Dan?" she asked. "If the government takes someof the land, Mother will find out about the deed."But Dan's answer didn't give Nellie much comfort."We'll not cross our bridges until we come tothem." he said, picking up his paper, dismissing thesubject.In the days that followed Nellie felt always un-136 COVENANTER WITNESS

easy. Every stranger that came to the door gaveher a start. What was Mother going to say and dowhen she found out? Would she be angry, or wouldshe be just stunned and hurt? Nellie went out ofher way to be kind to the old lady."Land sakes," declared Mother Reed, "you']/wear yourself out waitin' on me. I don't deservesuch a good daughter."Nellie flushed at the words. If only the governmentman wouldn't come, there would be no needfor Mother to know. She would think well of themto the last. Of course they could use the money.Dan had promised that if the land was taken theywould have a bathroom put in the house. Theyhad had only a shower in the basement all theseyears. But the bathroom could wait; nothing matteredas much as having the trust and confidence ofMother Reed.Everyone in the neighborhood was talking aboutthe flood control and what the government waspaying for the land because almost everyone washaving some land taken. Nellie listened as Mothertalked to the different neighbors. As always, shewas full of interest as to how much land each neighborwas selling and what the price was going to be.She relayed all the news to Dan at the dinner table.Nellie never enjoyed the meals any more. She wantedto tell Mother all that they had done and explainthat they had meant no harm. They hadn't triedto beat her out of anything, and that nothing hadreally changed. But fear kept her tongue-tied. Whatif the shock would bring on a stroke or a heart attack;then they would have murder on their hearts.Then one day Nellie saw the car stop at thedriveway. A man with a brief case full of papersgot out and came up the walk. Dan saw the mantoo, and came over from the barn. But Mother hadalready opened the door and was plying him withquestions. He spread out his papers on the kitchentable and showed them just how much of theirland the government would need. Mother noddedher approval when the man mentioned the price.She knew that it was a good offer."I've looked up your land record," the man said,"and I see there is no debt against the place."Nellie felt herself growing weak and faint. Shepulled her chair up to the kitchen table and leanedon the table for support."If you people are willing to settle for this price,the man was saying, "we can get the papers signedtoday."Mother Reed spoke up briskly. "There's no useputtin' it off as I can see. The government is boundto get it in the end and I see no reason for a courtsettlement. After all they're offerin' us a fair price."The man nodded in a pleased way and laid thepapers out to be signed. Dan rather shakily signedhis name."Hand it over for Nellie to sign," said MotherReed, managing the whole affair.Nellie sick and amazed, could scarcely scratchher name on the paper.Mother went to the dcor with the visitor. Afterthe door was shut she turned and faced Dan andNellie."You knew all the time?" asked Dan, staringincredulously at his mother."Of course I knew," said the old lady, "I don'tsign papers without knowing what I sign even ifI am at death's door. I knew Nellie's name had beenput on in place of mine. But I should have told youto put her name on in the first place. I knew Nelliewould never turn me out in my old age. I have somemoney saved. I wasn't afraid. I was just a selfishold woman wanting to hold onto the strings untilthe last. But you two blessed lambs treated me thesame as if I held the deed to every acre of land. Allthese five years I've watched you and you two nevermeant me any harm."Nellie felt strength flow back into her veins."You're not selfish, Mother Reed," she said. "You'vebeen like a great rock, giving strength to us all. Wewouldn't want you ever to change." She was alsothinking, happily, "All the deceit and lies havebeen washed away. It will be all right now if Godlooks on the heart."HOW IS YOUR PRAYER TRACK?In a certain West African village the nativeChristians had no privacy for prayer in their huts.So each Christian would go off to the bush, behindhis hut, for seasons of prayer.After a while there was a worn track from thehut to the place of prayer. Then it it ever happenedthat the track became overgrown from want of use,another Christian villager would admonish hisneighbor, "Brother, there is grass covering yourprayer track."September, 1, 1965 137

JUNIORSfor September 26, 1965REVIEW OF HOME MISSIONSMrs. Charles McKissockTheme Psalm 72, page 175, verses9-12.Theme Psalm 67, page 161, verses1-3.Review all of the memory verseslearned throughout this unit.Write on the board a list of themissions studied. Discuss pertinentfacts about each one. If you have madethe map notebook, tonightfill in thecover. As you do thisit will give opportunityto review the missions andthe facts concerning them. If you didnot finish the pennants last week, doso now. Have the Juniors decidewhere to send the offering which hasbeen collected while studying thisunit on missions.As you go on to different topicsof study in your Junior group, try tokeep alive the interest in missionsthat has been aroused. Include prayerfor them in your prayer time eachweek. Share with the Juniors itemsyou read under missionary news inthe Witness. Set aside bulletin boardspace to be used for mission news.Encourage the boys and girls to lookfor and share thoughts relevant to themissions. Encourage them to be missionariesthemselves — now — byspreading the Gospel, telling theirfriends about Christ and His lovefor us._IR138« iH £T /oc oLBPALftE 1 v 1 E 1 A Le P HEa. B0 ra sM, 0GRFV)'Hs1 A) T.X P Bjr TTA0SA/5yiHTE1LM1A1ET~r0AAAA] : 3ARFA/~TAJ•'f-1N SiJ -515.17.18.20.21.22.23.24.25.26.DOWN1. The prophet who wrote the 34th bock of the Old Testament.7. The beautiful Garden in the Bible. Genesis 2:88. Esau's son. Genesis 36:149. A short laugh.10. "You are through the Word." John 15:312. "(for the tree is man's life) to them in the siege." Deuteronomy20:19What you study for Sabbath morning."Pray thy Father which is in secret." Matthew 6:6Third king of Judah. I Kings 15:9"Then David arose and cut off the of Saul's robe.' ISamuel 24:4"The Lord knoweth them that are ." 2 Timothy 2:19aThe opposite of "no"."Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount "Deuteronomy 32:49Found in Matthew 24:6 and also Psalm 27:3.Son of Shem. Genesis 10:22.He died when 98 years old. I Samuel 4:152.1. He restored Jerusalem as a fortified city and also wrote the 16th3.book of the Old Testament.4.The first man.5.Any man or boy.6.Your father's brother is your .11. A river.Deuteronomy 2:2413. What Pharoah was riding in when he got caught in the Red Sea.Exodus 14:6The Shepherd seeks the sheep.16.That which gives pleasure.17. Jesus said "I will give unto thee the of the Kingdom of22. Heaven." Matthew 16:19"For they shall be ashamed of the which ye have desired."19. Isaiah 1:29"And others had of cruel mockings." Hebrews 11:36"And He hath quickened who were dead in trespasses andsins." Ephesians 2:1"If we confess our He is faithful COVENANTER and just to forgive WITNESS usour ." I John 1:924. " are His witnesses." Acts 5:32

Lesson Helps for the Week of September 26,1965There is a geometric theorem This thought is presented in verseswhich states that "things equal to thesame thing are equal to each other."9, 10, and 14. "In this was manifestedthe love of God toward us, becauseWhen people become Christian,it is that God sent his only begotten SonSabbath School Lesson implied that they enter into union into the world, that we might livewith Christ through love. But if they through him. Herein is love, not thatfor September 26, 1965do not love their brethren it is revealedthat their profession of faith and sent his Son to be the propitiationwe loved God, but that he loved us,GROWING IN CHRISTIAN LOVEI John 4:7-21in Christ has been insincere. Verse 20 for our sins. — And we have seenComments by John K. Gault of this lesson would verify such a and do testify that the Father sentThis lesson comes to us as a most statement for John says there, "If a the Son to be the Saviour of thefitting climax to the studies of the man say, I love God, and hateth his world." John 3:16 also presents thispast quarter, which have been on the brother, he is a liar: for he that thought in a wonderful way, "Forgeneral subject of "Christian Growth." loveth not his brother whom he hath God so loved the world that he gaveThroughout the New Testament love seen, how can he love God whom he his only begotten Son, that whosoeveris represented as that superlative hath not seen?"believeth in him should not perishgrace which includes all others. Jesus It is true that some Christians are but have everlasting life." The personalityof God was revealed to ussaid in Matthew 22:3740 that love for not very lovable. The disciples wereGod and love for man forms the basis not very lovable when they quarreled through the plan of redemption in theof "all the law and the prophets." among themselves concerning who fulfillment of which Christ gave upPaul, also, in that matchless ode of would be the greatest in the Kingdomof Heaven. Yet Jesus, as John fore, who accepts of Christ and pro­His life on the cross. Everyone, there­I Corinthians 13 describes love as beingsuperior and more enduring than tells us, "Having loved his own which fesses His name before men, manifestsall other Christian graces. He said, were in the world, he loved them unto the love of God which He has sent"Though I speak with the tongues of the end." He loved them with that into the world.men and of angels, and have not love, higher form of love which was based 4: How to See God!(RV) I am become as sounding brass, upon judgment. He loved them becauseHe saw what they could besicaleyes as is stated in verse 12, "NoWe cannot see Him with our phy­or a tinkling cymbal," and also, "Andnow abideth faith, hope, love, but the come when they were filled with the man hath seen God at any time. If wegreatest of these is love." Love is the Spirit. That is the way Christians love one another God dwelleth in us,highest expression of God's relation should love their brethren in the and his love is perfected in us. Herebyknow we that we dwell in him,to mankind; and love must, also, be church. They may not have a naturalthe highest expression of man's relationto God and to his fellow man. them with a love which is based upon of his Spirit." If people loved God asaffection for them, but they can love and he in us, because he hath given usThere are two words in the Greek judgment. When Jesus' mother and they should, great changes would beNew Testament which mean love. His brothers stood, desiring to speak brought about. Race riots would end.They are agapao which means love to Him, He said, "Who is my mother? There would be no more war. Laborbased on judgment, and phileo which and who are my brethren? And he and management would agree quickly.These deplorable conditions indi­means love based on natural affection stretched forth his hand toward hisor sentiment. The distinction between disciples, and said, Behold my mother cate that people do not love God, forthe two words is clearly presented in and my brethren! For whosoever shall God is love. "He that loveth not hisChrist's interview with Peter (John do the will of my Father which is in brother whom he hath seen, how can21:15-18) wherein Jesus asked Peter heaven, the same is my brother, and he love God whom he hath not seen?"the question, "Simon, son of Jonas, sister, and mother."5: God Loved Us First.lovest thou me more than these?" In 2: The Source of Love.Verse 19 makes this statement,this question Jesus used the word, Verses 7 and 8 tell us of this. John "We love him because he first lovedagapas. In his reply Peter said, "Yea, says, "Love is of God" and "God is us." Immediately after sin enteredLord; thou knowest that I love thee," love." The personality of God is love; the world God indicated His intentionusing the word phileo. God always consequently, "every one that loveth of showing His love as He said to theloves man with the higher form of is born of God, and knoweth God." serpent, "It (the seed of the woman)love, such as Jesus used, because He As we all know, children inherit certainelements of individuality from great gift of love, came in fulfillmentshall bruise thy head." Jesus, God'ssees in man what he can becomethrough Christ. God expects of us their parents: they may look like them of that great promise. He loved usthat we love our fellowmen because or they may be strong or weak, mentallyor physically. When people are us first in point of degree. "While wefirst in point of time, and He lovedof what we see they can becomethrough Christ. Phileo is a natural born spiritually into the family of were yet sinners Christ died for us."or human kind of love. Agapao is alwaysa divine love. Unregenerate sin­nature." Love is of God; and every love for us and His mercies are newGod they are partakers of His God has never failed to show Hisners cannot love in this way.one that loveth is born of God." every morning.1: Christians Should Love One 3: The Manifestation of God's 6: Christians Should Grow in Love.Another.Love.During this past quarter our stud-September, 1, 1965 139

ies have emphasized Christian growth.Paul describes us in Ephesians 2:21as a temple of which "Jesus Christhimself is the chief corner stone; Inwhom all the building fitly framedtogether groweth unto an holy templein the Lord: In whom ye also arebuilded together for an habitation ofGod through the Spirit."In the spectrum, which ean easilybe observed in a rainbow, the whitelight of the sun is broken up intoits seven primary colors. For theChristian, love is the spiritual spectrumin the world. As it operatesthrough God's Spirit,it is broken upinto its primary graces, which takentogether enlighten our lives in theknowledge of Christ.The world needs the love of Godmore than it needs anything else. Itis the right kind of therapy whichwill bring about recovery. The sicknessof the world is shown by war, byracial hatred, by adultery, by labortrouble, to mention some of the seeminglyincurable traumas. It is only aspeople grow in Christian love that allof these malignant ailments of oursociety can be cured. When Jesus wason the earth, there were occasionswhen the people crowded about Himthat they might be healed. At onetime it is said that "As many astouched him were made perfectlywhole." When people "touch" Jesusand have His love in their hearts,the open sores of the world will heal.This is a matter of vital importancebecause the Kingdom of God cannotbe built up in any other way."Lesson based on International SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessonsfor Christian Teaching, copyrighted 1958by the Division of Christian Education. NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ in theU. S. A."Prayer Meeting Topicfor September 29, 1965By H. G. Patterson, D.D.THE GRACE OF PATIENCELuke 21:19Psalms33:7-10, page 78; 37:1-6, page 91; 40:1-4, page 102; 27:13-16, page 63; 62:1-6page 152: 130:1-5, page 325Scripture Passages:Heb. 12:1; Isa. 30:15: Lam. 3:26;James 5:7-11; James 1:3-4; Heb. 10: 36:Heb. 6:12: Rom. 5:3-4; Gal. 5:22, 23.Patience is a fruit of the Spirit anda most valuable Christian possession.Wise men have said many fine thingsabout patience. Here are a few ofthem."Patient waiting is often the highestway of doing God's will."—Collier"Patience lies at the root of allpleasures as well as of all powers."—Ruskin"Patience does not mean indifference.We may work and trust and wait,but we ought not to be idle or carelesswhile waiting."—Gail Harnilton."Patience is not passive; on thecontraryit is active;it is concentratedstrength."—Bulwer."Patience and resignation are thepillars of human peace on earth."—Young"There is no great achievementthat is not the result of patient workingand waiting." — J. G. Holland"Never think that God's delays areCod's denials. Hold on; hold fast; holdout. Patience is genius." — Buffon."Patience strengthens the spirit,sweetens the temper, stifles anger, extinguishesenvy, subdues pride, bridlesthe tongue, restrains the hand, andtramples upon temptation." — Bp.Home."Be patient in little things. Learnto bear every-day trials and annoyancesof life quietly and calmly, andthen, when unforeseen trouble or calamitycomes, your strength will not forsakeyou."— W S. Plumer.But the Divine One and men guidedby the Holy Spirit have said fargreater things about patience.Let us think of a few of them.1. Patience is one of the means bywhich souls are saved.Christ said: "In your patience possessye your souls." In the revised versionit reads; "In your patience yeshall win your souls." The word translated"patience" may also be translatedendurance. A contest is constantlybeing waged between the Spirit ofChrist and the spirit of Satan foryour souls. It is Christ's work whichsaves our souls, but not without ourpatient work. The Philippian jailerasked, "What must I do to be saved."Paul replied, "Believe on the LordJesus Christ." Much is implied in thatword "Believe." Belief or faith "withoutworks is dead." Paul and Silastook the jailer and his household thatsame night and prepared them forbaptism by speaking unto them theWord of the Lord. It takes much patientendurance to do all that is impliedin that word "believe" that oursouls may be saved.First of all obedience is implied.For in John 3:36 we read in the RevisedVersion, "He that believeth onthe Son hath everlasting life; and hethat obeyeth not the Son shall notsee life, but the wrath of God abidethon him." His soul is not saved.Again baptism is implied in thewords, "Believe on the Lord JesusChrist." For in Mark 16:16 we read;"He that believeth and is baptisedshall be saved."Again, union with the church isimplied in the words; "Believe on theLord Jesus Christ." for we are toldthat "the church is His body, and inActs 4:12 we find the statement;"Neither is there salvation in anyother."Again, prayer is included in thewords: "Believe on the Lord JesusChrist." For in Acts 2:21 we are told,"Whosoever shall call on the name ofthe Lord shall be saved."Again, searching the scriptures isimplied in the words; "Believe on theLord Jesus Christ." For in John 5:39we are admonished of our duty to"Search the scriptures, for in themye think (and think rightly) ye haveeternal life." Now all this certainlymeans patient endurance, hard workon our part, without which our faithis vain and we lose in the contest withSatan for our souls.II. While we wait patiently we concentrateour strength.Isaiah, guided by the Holy Spirit,said, "In quietness and confidenceshall be your strength." The thoughtcf these words is that strength, safety,success and happiness are the fruit ofpatient self-control and of relianceupon God. The greatest success usuallyattends those who go patiently andsteadily, without grasping at thatwhich is beyond their reach, or wastingtheir energies in unnecessary exertion.We must keep our spirits calmby a continual dependence upon Godand his power and goodness. We mustretire into ourselves with a holy quietness,suppressing all tumultuous passions,keeping peace in our own minds.We must rely upon God with confidencethat He can do what He will, andthat He will do what is best for Hispeople. This will be our strength; itwill inspire in us such confidence aswill carry us with ease and couragethrough all the trials of life. We mustnot fret ourselves because of evildoers. God will soon take care ofthem. Let us patiently wait His owntime and way. Let God do His ownwork. He is abundantly able. Let usnot venture a step beyond ours. It isnot our work to keep the world incrder. With the eye of faith fixedupon Him who with unerring wisdom140 COVENANTER WITNESS

and omnipotent strength controls allthe changes and developments of humanaffairs, let us patiently pursuethe duties which He has assigned tous, and we shall be safe and strongand blessed.III. Patience ConquersJeremiah speaking by the Spirit ofinspiration said: "The Lord is goodunto them that wait for him. . It isgood that a man should both .hope andquietly wait for the salvation of theLord." The salvation here spoken ofis that which a man needs in any crisisof life, when he suffers under anytrial. All your resources have beenbrought into exercise. The man whohas faith only in worldly resourcesis powerless here. He must give upin despair. But for the believing manthere is still a duty. When he cannottake a step farther in human effort,there is still a pathway to victory andhis heart can travel it. Between hisuse ol means and the result which hedesires there is still a gulf of separation,on the brink of which Patiencemust sit and look across, waiting God'stime and way to pass it.Lloyd Garrison was nearly murderedby an infuriated mob for championingthe emancipation of the slaves,and years afterward, in the same cityhe was made the recipient of highesthonors. Time fights against everytyranny and in favour of the tyrannized.To be patient is to conquer. Davidcould say; "I waited patiently for theLord; and he inclined unto me andheard my cry. He brought me up alsoout of an horrible pit, out of the miryclay, and set my feet upon a rock andestablished my goings."Let us pray for ourselves and forall Christians that every day of ourlives we may have the grace of patience.GENEVA GRAD NAMED ONTEACHING STAFFThe appointment of John E. Pinkertonas Assistant Professor of Physicsat Geneva College has been announcedby Dr. William H. Russell,Dean of the College.Mr. Pinkerton, who is a 1960 graduateof Geneva, received his mastersdegree from the University of Wisconsin,Milwaukee. He is a recipient offour National Science Foundation(\SF) summer grants, and for oneyear participated in an In-ServiceXSF Foundation Program at TempleUniversity.He taught physics and mathematicsin Pine Richland Joint Schools, Gibsonia,from 1960-61, and from 1961 toJune 1965 was teacher of physics andelectronics in Audubon, New JerseyHigh School.He holds memberships in severalprofessional organizations includingthe American Association of PhysicsTeachers, and the Benjamin FranklinInstitute. He is a deacon in the ThirdPhiladelphia Reformed Pi*esbyterianChurch, and a member of the Board ofDirectors of White Lake Camp Corporation.Mrs. Pinkerton, the former JanetC. Sharpe, is a 1961 graduate ofGeneva. The couple will reside onFifth Avenue, College Hill, BeaverFalls.THE RELATIONSHIP OF CIGA­RETTE SMOKING TO CORONARYHEART DISEASEJoseph T. Doyle, MD, Thomas R. Dawbar,MD, William B. Kannel, MD,Sandra H. Kinch, MS, and Harold A.Kahn, MAThe relationship of smoking to totalmortality and to the incidence of newmanifestatior.s of coronary heart disease(CHD) has been examined in 2,282middle-aged men under medical surveillancefor ten years in Framingham,Mass, and 1,838 middle-aged men followedfor eight years in Albany, NY.It was found that in men who reporthabitual consumption of 20 or morecigarettes per day the risk of myocardialinfraction was about three timesgreater than in nonsmokers, formercigarette smokers, or pipe and cigarsmokers. No relationship was shownbetween smoking habit and anginapectoris when this symptom was thesole manifestation of CHD. The associationbetween heavy cigarette smokingand increased morbidity and mortalityfrom CHD was unexplained, althoughit appeared to be relatively immediate.It is inferred that stoppingcigarette smoking lessens the risk ofCHD.Journal of American Medical Assn.Scribe With A Hard PencilFor weeks we had looked forward to the Conference. Now it is pasthistory. On Monday morning the last of the campers said their "goodbyes"and went their various ways.They left behind them, a few items by which they could be remembered:? pair of socks, a belt buckle, half a dozen emnty pop bottles, a couple ofsticks of gum, a note book partly filled, feathers from a pillow that hadprobably been the chief casualty in a pillow fight, a cup cake wrapper with asquashed out ant in it.When they left for home on Monday morning, the campers left someother things behind them. Memories. A couple of days ago these grounds,now so quiet and empty, were full of young folks who were full of activityand energy. They were getting acquainted, piling into cars to go swimming,eating, taking notes at the lectures, borrowing pencils, doctoring up mosquitobiles, eating, asking questions in the discussion periods, carrying chairs,carrying tables, eating, planning skits, dividing off into prayer groups,thinking seriously during camp fire talks, praying during the consecration service,talking to fellow campers about Christ, memorizing Bible verses to takewith them into the year ahead.Memories. Cup cake wrappers with squashed ants in them. These aresome of the things they left behind.What did they take with them from the Conference? Where are theynow? During Conference time it was wonderful Christian fellowship. Whatwill it be away from Conference? How much will the instruction and resolutionand inspiration and vision of Christ received at the Conference,stay with them when it's "back to school"? Will they always rememberthat Christ is always with them?What a responsibility rests upon those who plan and carry out theprogram of a Young People's Conference! How much do we need to prayfor the Officers and Staff of the coming National Conference of 1966!September. 1, 1965 141

REV. J. D. EDGAR, D. D.Word has been received of thedeath of Rev. J. D. Edgar, D. D. whichtook place on August 22, 1965, at hishome in San Diego, California.NOTICE OF CALLOn August 11, I moderated a callby the New Castle congregation whichresulted in the election of the Rev.Young Son on the first ballot.Thomas J. WilsonMRS. LILLIAN RENFREWMrs. Lillian Renfrew passed fromus oi Union congregation, Mars, Pennsylvania,on June 7, 1965. Her husband,Mr. Ira Renfrew, predeceasedher on March 28, 1927.Born June 11, 1881, at Clintonville,Pennsylvania, Mrs. Renfrew becamethe mother of three children: Bruceand May (May Irwin Kaltenbach), whosurvive her, and Robert, who diedJuly 2, 1954.During the last seven years ofher life Mrs. Renfrew was a memberof the Reformed Presbyterian Homein Pittsburgh.Mrs. Renfrew's friends rememberher as a refined and loving companion,while the church misses her presenceand loyal support. Our dear friendhad "the adornment of a meek andquiet spirit, which is in the sight ofGod of great price." (I Peter 3:4).1865 — 1965Olathe Congregation CentennialFriday. September 17, 1965,7:30 P.M.All are cordially invited.NEW ADDRESSMiss Oreta Everett1724-2 KawamukaiSumiyoshi ChoHigashi Nada KuKobe Shi, JapanGENEVA COMMENCEMENT SPEAK­ER WARNS GRADUATES OF PROBLEMS IN RAPIDLY CHANGINGWORLD"Because the battle of the futurewill be a battle of minds and ideologies,we must respond to the confusionin the 'House of Intellect'with high intellectual expectation,daring in involvement in issues, andmaintain a sharpened perspective forthe Christian philosophy of life," Dr,David L. McKenna, President ofSpring Arbor College, Michigan, toldGeneva College graduates at commencementexercises Friday evening,August 13, in the Chapel in Old Main."Revolutionary graduates of revolutionaryChristian institutions shouldnot be waiting for the future," he continued,"they should be creating it.""Against the backdrop of 'massism,'the individual man is the alienatedman, the non-committed man, thespectator man," he said,: "and in thisworld, where 'revolution' is not entirelyan adequate word to describewhat is really taking place, thesegraduates must test their faith."Dr. William H. Russell, Dean ofthe College, announced the honors andconferred degrees upon sixty studentswho completed requirements for degreesduring the 40th summer sessionwhich terminated Thursday, and presentedone secretarial certificate.GENEVA AWARDS FORTY-ONEHONOR SCHOLARSHIPSDr. David M. Carson, Chairmanof the Scholarship Committee, hasannounced that Geneva College hasawarded honor scholarships to fortyoneleaders in 1965 high school graduatingclasses.Twenty-three are from the BeaverValley Area,, eleven from other areasof Pennsylvania, six from otherstates, and one recipient, Gene JoanneEvans, is a graduate of Dalst HighSchool, Bankok, Thialand.Seven are attending summerschool. The others are registered forOrientation Days, September 14 to18.High school seniors ranking in thetop tenth of their class are recommendedfor the scholarship by theirprincipal.The total four-year scholarship of$800 is applied toward tuition in a-mounts of $100 each semester duringthe college course.GIFT FOR GENEVA LIBRARYA Bell Telephone Company aid toeducation gift for Geneva CollegeLibrary was accepted by, left to right,Mrs. John D. Leighty, Librarian, andDr. William H. Russell, Dean of theCollege. Making the presentation wereJacob 1 ?rg and Mrs. Elizabeth B.Connelly from Bell System's Pittsburgoffice and Mrs. Leah Kazenskifrom the company's New Castle office.Geneva College is among some 20Western Pennsylvania colleges anduniversities who have received a packagegift of college level referencematerial and recorded educationalaids from The Bell Telephone Companyof Pennsylvania.The material has been compiled byBell Telephone Company personnel incollaboration with leading Pennsylvaniaeducators and members of theHarrisburg Office of Education. It isan endeavor of Bell System to recognizeits responsibility to Americaneducation, to do its part as a corporatecitizen to help insure an adequatefuture supply of better educated manpowerfor business and the nation,and to design and provide material,(within its area of competency), thathelps meet this educational need.The reference material, which willbe available through the library foruse of individual students or as classroomteaching aids includes publicationsrelevant to physics, chemistry,mathematics, engineering, studentteaching, and speech. Among the recordingsare examples of synthesizedspeech illustrating certain fundamentalsof both artificial and humanspeech, musical mathematics, andthe science of sound.142 COVENANTER WITNESS

Tuesday, June 151965 SYNOD -The last, and usually the longest, day of Synodbegan with a devotional address by S. Bruce Willsonfrom Titus 3 on 'The Affirmation and Discipline ofthe Church." The character of the Church is to bea righteous one, and this must be maintainedthrough a patient, persevering, and sometimes painfuloversight by the ordained elders of the Church.The Witness Committee report indicated manyvaried efforts being made to promote the distinctivewitness of our denomination. The outstanding featureof the report was its call for a new in-depthstudy of the Covenanter and Reformed writing andcurrent ideas concerning the Christian State and aChristian's doctrine of the State, plus a separatestudy of the Scriptures supporting a Christian Stateideal. Also Synod was informed that an excellenttract on Psalmody may be obtained by writing toChapel Library, Inc., P.O. Box 1335, Venice, Florida.S. E. Boyle spoke to the court following the report.As recommended by the Time and Place Committee,Synod will meet in 1966 at Carleton Collegein conjunction with the National Conference. Thiswill be a "skeleton" Synod, as earlier reported.In the area of Home Missions, Synod felt mixedemotions. The organizing of two new congregationsin Indianapolis, Indiana and Marion, Iowa duringthe year, and the serious contemplation of newwork in a number of new areas, caused joy. Theclosing of the Kentucky work after 21 years wasnot so happy. The call for new workers for Kentuckydid not result in adequate staffing to continue thework, and a special call was not thought to be wise.The activity of Claude Brown in Selma during thepast year was specially noted. The desire to encourageflexibility in service to Christ on the part ofthe membership was evident in Synod's permittingthe Board to train and make available to the Churchretired elders as "special stated supplies" to helpin congregations where there is special opportunity.The Judicial Committee, as usual, had a difficulttask, considering papers dealing with a varietyof doctrinal and practical matters vitally affectingthe Church s life and welfare. Due to the fact thatthese matters were in some cases rather complexdisciplinary matters, mere precise than can bereadily surveyed in a report of this nature, it willbe valuable for the reader to study the adopted itemsfrom this report in the Minutes of Synod when theybecome available. One item considered by this committee,on the question of ncn-liturgical elementsthat have found their way into Covenanter worshipTUESDAY EVENTSRev. J. Pai / McCrackenservices. Synod found of sufficient magnitude toappoint a special study committee for the year.The Oath Committee's report centered aroundthe usage and encouragement to use the ExplanatoryDeclarations. This Committee is anxious toknow of cases from all parts of the church wherepolitical officials were willing to use such a declaration,that they m'ght develop a file on its use.J. Merrill Robb read a report of a special committeeasked to investigate a uniform hospitalizationprogram for ministers. 85 per cent participationof those eligible would be required to set up such aprogram, and so the committee was continued tomake the further preliminary investigations necessary.A recommendation regarding the Church's relationshipto the Reformed Ecumenical Synod wa^made by a study committee, chaired by E. R. Hemphill.Synod considered carefully the involvementsand privileges of official membership in the R.E.S.,and voted to make application for such membership.In the area of finance. Synod up-graded thesalaries and - or housing allowances of the employeesof Synod generally by $500. The Board ofChurch Erection received permission to circulateappeals for funds and legacies to enlarge its rotatingfund. Any oversubscription of the 1965 Budgetof Synod was designated to be used under the Boardof Home Missions and Church Extension for churchextension.A. W. Smith read a helpful study report on thedifficult problem of the status of ordained men leavingthe ministry for secular work. A detailed proposalby which the Presbyteries would deal withsuch cases was submitted, but Synod considered thecomplications such that the matter was recommittedto the committee for another year of study. Laterthere was included in this committee's task, the considerationof three papers presented to the 1965Synod on the subject of Synod Representation. Obviouslythe two matters are closely related.The recent trip of Charles Chao to the Orientwas the chief topic of the Reformation TranslationFellowship's report to Synod. Among other importantministries that Mr. Chao found, a Taiwanheadquarters for R.T.F. was established. RTF'sBoard is considering whether he ought to move toTaiwan for more effective work.As the Tuesday evening hour grew late, a specialcoffee break was arranged by the Geneva congregationladies, as had been customary in the morningand afternoon before, and this helped much toSeptember, 1, 1965 143

elax Synod, and encourage it to finish the Lord'sbusiness promptly, and yet carefully.A late resolution that Synod reaffirm PoliticalDissent under the conditions stipulated under Revisedchapter 30 carried by a majority vote. Otherregular matters crowded into the final hours, includingthe acceptance of a list of Unfinished Businessitems to be included in next year's "skeletonSynod" agenda.At approximately 11:45 Synod was adjournedwith prayer and the singing of Psalm 133, and thedelegates quickly made their way out to their beds,exhausted, and yet confident that the God of Zionhad again graciously led and blessed His Church.DIMENSION .from page 131To Professor Tillich, who seems to have rejectedall that is historic in the earthly ministry of ourLord, the believer in Christ can but say with grief,"Oh that you too might have met Christ in savingencounter. Then, you would be sure of the answer tothe basic needs of all men."To all others the warning should be given, "Letnot intellectual pride nor naturalistic philosophyblind you to simple truth. For to all men Christ continuesto present the challenge! "If any man's willis to do His (God's) will, he shall know whether theteaching is from God ..." (John 7:17).But those who wish to make this supreme discoverymust heed the further condition Christ specified,"Who-ever does not receive the kingdom ofGod like a child shall not enter it." (Luke 18-17).True perhaps, as Tillich asserts, is the observationthat the lost dimension in religion all too widelyis that of "depth." But it is depth in Christ, notoutside and apart from Him, that is needed. Maymodern man find this out before it is too late.—The Watchman-Examiner.RELF . . . from page 135of our work here and, by the grace of God, weshall together build a church which truly honorsJesus Christ as its head. If we are faithful witnesses,He has promised to do it: "For ye shall go outwith joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountainsand the hills shall break forth before youinto singing, and all the trees of the field shallclap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall comeup the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall comeup the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord fora name, for an everlasting sign that shall notbe cut off."144James A. RelfWHEN CHRIST BREATHED ON HIS DISCIPLESI was reading this interesting bit of expositionoa John 20:22, taken from the Cambridge GreekTestament for Schools and Colleges."We are probably to regard the breath here notmerely as the emblem of the Spirit (John 3:8), butas the means by which the Spirit was imparted tothem. 'Receive ye,' combined with the action ofbreathing, implies this. This is all the more clearin the Greek, because pneuma means both breathand spirit, a point which cannot be preserved inEnglish; but at least Spirit is better than Ghost.We have here, therefore, an anticipation and earnestof Pentecost; just as Christ's bodily returnfrom the grave and temporary manifestation tothem was an anticipation of His spiritual returnand abiding presence with them 'even unto theend of the world.'"—George E. Failing, in Tlie Wesleyan MethodistYOUR OPPORTUNITY TO SERVEThe Lord, and the Church. Home Missionariesare needed to work in established congregations, tohelp build the Kingdom of God.Special training to be provided. $3,000 per yearplus housing.Write for further information and applicationblank to:The Home Mission Board,To Rev. M. W. Martin308 Duplap StreetPittsburgh, Pa. 15214COVENANTER WITNESS

PITT '?l:'Rr;HCovenanter WitnessTO JESUS CHRIST['THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONS"VOLUME LXXV NO. 10 SEPTEMBER 8, 1965 STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 3, 1965KING'S PALACE IN CARLSBAD CAVERNSCourtesy of Santa Fc RailwayNATIONAL PARK

THE COVENANTER WITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Editorial Address125 N. Fourth, Sterling, Kansas 67579Telephone Area Code 316 - BR 8-3472Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 toMrs. M. W. Dougherty, 125 N. FourthStreet Sterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under thesupervision of the Publication Board byThe Patterson Press, Wapello, IowaTHE BOARD OF PUBLICATIONRev. Paul Faris, Pres.Dr. Wyley Caskey, Vice Pres.Dr. G. i\I. Robb, Sec.Mr. Donald Fee, Treas.Mr. Ross LatimerRev. M. L. McFarlandContributing Editors:Rev. Kenneth SmithDr. G. M. RobbRev. T. R. HutchesonDr. S. E. BoyleCHRIST*,wMr. A. D. RobbMr. Wilbur CopelandRev. T. R. HutchesonDr. R. Paul WrightDr. D. Howard ElliottDepartment Editors:Rev. Bruce C. StewartMrs. Robert B. MaineMrs. Willis M. EdgarRev. John K. GaultEditor— Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D. D.Opinion expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Church or of the Editor.Subscription rates: $4.00 per year, domestic and overseas,2 years $7.00. Group rates. $3.00. Single copies 10cents.Agent for Subscription in U.S., Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Agent for British Isles: Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A., 12Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, North Ireland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness.All material that is to appear in the Witness shouldbe typewritten, double spaced, and should be in Sterling,Kansas two weeks before it is to be printed.Obituary notices are limited to one hundred fiftywords; all words in excess or that amount are one centeach. Money should accompany the notice.News for the news section should be brief and up todate. One dollar is charged for death notices that aremore than six weeks old when they reach our office. Thisdoes not apply to minutes that have been adopted by anorganization.Give us one month's notice when you are changingyour address. This notice should be sent to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, IowaCHANGE OF ADDRESSWhen giving notice of a change of address, pleasesend the old address as well as the new address to thecirculation manager.WE HOLD THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only Infalliblerule of faith and conduct.The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experience.The Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Holy Spirit.The fact of death and hell as the destiny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believein Him together with their children.The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church Government.146 The Lord Jesus Christ as the only King and Head of His Church.welfare That of terms the Church. of membership or communion are essential to theIS THERE A RECKONING?No one can read the New Testament withoutrealizing that the day is coming when "there isnothing covered that shall not be revealed; and hidthat shall not be known" (Matt. 10:26).Listen!"It is appointed unto men once to die, but afterthis the judgment" (Heb. 9:27)."He hath appointed a day, in the which he willjudge the world in righteousness by that man whomhe hath ordained" (Acts 17:31)."We must all be made manifest before thejudgment seat of Christ; that every one may receivethe things done in his body, according to that hehath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Cor. 5:10)."Every one of us shall give an account of himselfto God" (Rom. 14:12)."I saw the dead, small and great, stand beforeGod; and the books were opened . . . and the deadwere judged .. . according to their works. And thesea gave up the dead which were in it; and deathand hades delivered up the dead which were inthem; and they were judged every man accordingto their works" (Rev. 20:12, 13).With these words before us, there can be nodoubt that we are all moving forward to a last,great tribunal, when every life shall pass under thefinal judgment of God.On that day the judge will be Jesus Christ Himself.It is the Son of Man who shall sit upon thethrone of glory. "For the Father judgeth no man, buthath committed all judgment unto the Son" (John5:22). We are apt to lose sight of that. We thinkabout Jesus as the Teacher who revealed truth, andthe Saviour who bore our sins. He is also to be thejudge of all the world. Before Him we shall standor fall.Thus the terrible doom of the wicked will notbe the judgment-stroke of one who does not knowSee page 151This Week's WitnessIs There a Reckoning?Five GiftsGlimpses ... ... . .New Confession or New FoundationDo You Know About This?The Potentiality of YouthThe Lightning BugsLesson HelpsChurch News146147148149152153154155158COVENANTER WITNESS

Editorial CommentFIVE GIFTSOne of the most familiar stories in the Bible isthat of the Prodigal Son. While it is the elder brotherin the story that fills the first purpose of the story,we also learn from the other son and the father. Weourselves, sons of God by creation, live lavishly onwhat He provides, but brought to the consciousnessof the worthlessness of material things alone, bythe working of the Holy Spirit in us, we return tothe Father who welcomes us and bestows uponus certain gifts which are represented in the storyof the gifts given the returning son.The first gift bestowed by the father was a KISS.This we recognize as forgiveness. It would seemthat the father would have reason to be angry withthe son, but we read nothing of that. When we turnto God and accept Christ and His sacrifice in ourstead, we receive forgiveness from the Father. Thenas we live day by day we commit that which is sinfulor omit that which is commanded, and this sinseparates us from God. We return to Him to askforgiveness and He grants it to us.Another gift we read about in the story is theBEST ROBE. How tattered and torn are the robesof our righteousness. They are so unfit for standingin the presence of the Father. But He gives to usthe robe of Christ's righteousness which is perfectand acceptable to the Father. When it is given tous, we can stand before Him unashamed.Then the father brings a RING and putsit onthe son's finger. This would be a signet ring. Whena letter was finished, it was folded and a bit of waxwas melted and dropped on the folds of the paper.Then the signet of the ring was pressed into the softwax. This meant that the letter carried the authorityof the wearer of the ring. When we return to theFather, we are made sons and have the authorityof sons of the Heavenly Father. We have the rightto come and ask the Father what we will and Hewill listen to us. We are told that we are made tobe kings; therefore we carry the authority that thisrelationship carries with it.Then there is a FEAST given the son. When wecome back to God there is a feast of good thingswaiting for us. Many things could be named whichenter into this feast.The fifth gift mentioned here is SHOES. Theson had no doubt left home with a fine pair ofshoes, but they had become worn in the kind of alife that he hved. These shoes given by the fatherare not for travel but for service. The returned son'was not to spend his time just resting around thehouse, but he was to take his regular place of work.When one returns to God, he is expected to be busyin His service. When God says, "Come" to a person,He also says "Go." He has planned a place for eachone somewhere.It is not a disgrace to admit that we have beenprodigal sons, if we have returned to the Father.We should remember that He waits for us. Weneed to remember that to remain prodigal, to stayaway from the Father is fatal.DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS?(It is being kept very quiet.)On February 19, 1965, Everett M. Dirksen, MinorityLeader in the U.S. Senate, introduced Bill S.1211 "to provide for the conduct of National Electionson the First Sunday of November, and forother purposes."PLEASE NOTE: The Congress has the authorityto set the time for National Elections withoutreferendum to the people.WHERE IS THE BILL NOW?It was referred to the Committee on Rules andAdministration, Senator B. Everett Jordan (NorthCarolina) Chairman, and was later referred to theSub-Committee on Privileges and Elections, whosemembers are: Howard W. Cannon (Nevada) Chairman;Claiborne Pell (Rhode Island); Carl T. Curtis(Nebraska). This is where it is now.WHY OBJECT TO THIS BILL? The Lord's DayAlliance has stated the case so clearly, we quote inpart: "Already there are too many encroachmentsupon Sunday and the purpose for whichit has longbeen established ... It takes a great army of peopleto run the machinery of a national electionLet's not permit government interference with religiousworship.IF YOU DISAPPROVE THIS BILL, WRITEBRIEFLY BUT FRANKLY TO MR. DIRKSEN ANDTO THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS MENTIONEDABOVE. WRITE THEM NOW, using this form:The Honorable (name of Senator)United States SenateWashington, D.C. 20002Dear Senator,See page 148September 8, 1965 147

Glimpses of the Religious WorldGHANA BUYS BIBLESThe government of Ghana, in Western Africa, hasordered 500,000 Bibles from the British and Foreign BibleSociety. The supply is to be placed in public schools,about half of them in English and the rest in variouslanguages.PITTSBURGH ADOPTS OPENING EXERCISESThe Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Board of Public Educationhas approved a book to guide teachers in openingexercises, for the year beginning this September. Itwas felt that the material in the guide is consistent withthe decisions of the Supreme Court in regard to prayerand Bible reading in public schools. The basic recommendationin the booklet is, "whatever is done shouldbe entirely worthy of being associated with the Pledgeof Allegiance to the Flag."This is a departure from the Proverb that the fearof the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Has nationalismreplaced religion as the norm for education?YEAR OF THE BIBLE PROPOSED IN CONGRESSBoth the Senate and House of Representatives havehad bills introduced which designate 1966 as the "Yearof the Bible." The sponsors were Senator Claiborne Pelland Rep. Peter H. B. Frelinghuysen, who are bothvice-presidents of the American Bible Society, whichis to celebrate its 150th anniversary. Hopefully, if thismeasure should pass, the Bible could be read in ourschools for one year.MASONIC CATHOLIC CLANNISHNESSIt was bound to come. At the New York City Pavilionat the World's Fair there was a joint meeting ofMasons and Roman Catholic Knights of Columbus, sponsoredby the state leaders of the respective groups. Theywent as a delegation to the Vatican Pavilion and theMasonic Brotherhood Center, 3,000 people wearingstickers which read, "For closer brotherhood, Masons-Knights of Columbus at the World's Fair." This wasundeniably the strangest exhibition of them all.RADIO STILL OUTDOING TELEVISIONRussell Killman, director of "The Heaven and HomeHour," originating in Glendale, California, writes thatradio still has a wider outreach than television, in spiteof the suppositions that when TV was established no onethereafter would listen to the mere air waves. The comparedaudiences were 77.9 million adults for TV and80.3 million listeners for radio. Of course these figures,which do not consider the children, are more significantfor advertisers than for churches.GABRIEL APPEARS ON POSTAGE STAMPThis year the Christmas stamp, a project of the PostOffice Department for the fourth year, will feature aT. R. Hutcheson820 New YorkHolton, Kansasrepresentation of Gabriel blowing his horn. Protestantsand others united for separation of Church and Statehave not become overly excited about this infringementof private liberties. Said Dr. Stanley Lowell, theexecutive director, "It is kind of ridiculous. It only pointsup the problems you have when you try to mix religionand government."PLIGHT OF ILLITERATES STRESSEDDr. Frank C. Laubach, specialist in teaching readingto backward peoples, writes in Gospel Herald about thetragic situation of those who cannot read, especiallythose who live in communities where no one can read:"It is my illiterate brothers and sisters who call to usfor compassion and understanding and some help. Youthink it is a pity that they cannot read, but the realtragedy is that they cannot speak; they are the silentvictims, the forgotten men, driven like animals, mutelysubmitting in every age before and since the pyramidswere built."Our Gospel declares: 'The Spirit of the Lord isupon me .... to set at liberty them that are bruised.' Themost bruised people on this planet the naked, the fallenamong thieves, the sick in fear, the imprisoned in mind,are these illiterates."Illiterates never get surplus flesh; the moneylenderssee to that. In one form or another this is the blacksorrow of nearly every illiterate in the world. They donot know enough to live without some leader to whomthey are enslaved for life—more than half the humanrace are slaves; hungry, driven, diseased, afraid of thisworld, and of the demons in the next. This is the exacttruth."In all ages, the illiterates were supine, helpless,hopeless. But something has happened. Suddenly everythingis different. For they have seen us flying by inautomobiles; they have seen our businessmen and soldiersand tourists, and they have heard the exciting goodnews of missionaries — and there is now sweepingthrough them a mighty revolution of rising expectations.They were on their backs. Now they are on their feet.They had the look of eternal despair. Now they have thelook of terrible resolve to find some way, any way, up.DO YOU KNOW ... from page 147Let's Tell them we join millions of otherChristian citizens who respect the Lord's Day, andwho will resent this proposed action which wouldviolate our nation-wide respect for the day set asidefor the worship of almighty God. Help kill this billin committee so that it may never be introducedagain on the floor of the Senate.For further information write: National ReformAssociation, 109 Monitor Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa.15202148 COVENANTER WITNESS

NEW CONFESSION Or NEW FOUNDATIONThe PROPOSED CONFESSION Of 1967 ForTHE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, U.S.A.For the first time in three centuries, Presbyteriansare adopting a new Confession of Faith.Concerned Christians, especially those who arecommitted to the Westminster Standards mustweigh the meaning of this Proposed Confession of1967. The Proposed Confession of 1967 was adoptedby the General Assembly of the United PresbyterianChurch a few months ago by a six to onemajority. The Proposed Confession will be studiedthis year by a committee that will make certainsuggestions to be voted on at the General Assemblynext year. It will then be sent down in overture andmust be passed by two-thirds of the Presbyteriesbefore it becomes the law and order of the Church.The present crisis in the United PresbyterianChurch in U.S.A. involves not just a Proposed Confession,but a total program entitled, "A Charterfor Church Renewal," so we must look not only atthe proposed revision but the whole program. Theprogram involves three aspects. First, there is to beadoption of a book of confessions including the fiveconfessions prior to the Westminster and onemodern confession, the Barmen Declaration of1934. (This was drawn up by the Confessing Churchin Germany. One theologian tells us that all butone line was written by Karl Barth.) Also, the ContemporaryConfession of 1967 is to be added. Thelast phase of the program is a revision of the formof subscription for ministers.One will recognize that this program is in itselfa wonderful idea. If these confessions would serveto supplement and amend each other and then beconfessed as truth, it would be a triumphant stepin the history of the church. However, these documentsare to be kept unchanged because they arehistoric, not because they are true. In the words ofthe Committee, they demonstrate "the process ofconfessional utterance." The Book of Confessions ineffect becomes a creedal museum. At the very outset,the committee clearly asserts a religious relativism."Truth does not hover over history but truthis inescapably conditioned by history." (p. 19). Thereis no allowance for a timeless, God-given truth.Professor Edmund Clowney of WestminsterSeminary, points out that "the proposed program isnot just the addition of another creed to a longrepository, but a revision of all previous creeds."Printed by request.Preached by the Rev. John H. White, August1, 1965, at the Geneva R.P. Church.It would seem at initial glance that the ProposedConfession is simply to be added to the Book ofConfessions. But it must be pointed out that theBarmen Declaration and the Confession of 1967flatly contradict the Westminster Confession. Thecommittee themselves have emphasized this point.In the introductory comment and analysis accompanyingthe Confession of 1967, we are told concerningthe section on the Bible, "This section isan intended revision of the Westminster Doctrine,which rested primarily on a view of inspiration andequated the Biblical canon directly with the Wordof God." (p. 27) Also on page 18, we read, "The AuburnAffirmation and the long controversy over it,were the consequences of this mistaken notion ofprofessing to be a confessional church while evadingthe difficulties of making a genuinely relevantconfession." The Auburn Affirmation was a documentsigned by 1300 ministers in 1924. The GeneralAssembly of the Presbyterian Church in 1923had declared that the infallibility of Scripture, theVirgin Birth, the Supernatural Ministry of Christ,the Substitutionary Atonement, the bodily resurrectionwere "essential doctrines of the Word of Godand our standards." However, the following year theAuburn Affirmation declared these doctrines meretheories and not essential to the Word of God. CertainlyBible-believing Christians hold that thesedoctrines are the very heart of the Christian faith.On page 27, the Committee claims to cull from thepast "what needs most be said and most to be reformulatedfor the sake of the Church's Confessionin our day." We might therefore expect from a trulyrelevant confession a reaffirmation of these "essentialdoctrines." Rather, the Confession assertsthe fallibility of Scripture, and the Virgin Birth andbodily resurrection are not mentioned; the atonementis called, in obviously Barthian language, "animage of the truth." As Professor Clowney pointsout, the Confession "in effect gives creedal statusto the unbehef of the Auburn Affirmation.Let us look at the Proposed Confession's viewof two doctrines: Reconciliation and Revelation. Thetheme of the Proposed Confession of 1967 is reconciliationbased on II Corinthians 5:18-20. TheProposed Confession nowhere defines what is meantby reconciliation. Rather it says that the ScripturalSeptember 8, 1965 149

statements are images of the truth and are beyondthe reach of human theory. It is true that there is amysterious element involved in reconcihation, butthis never releases men from an obligation to acceptthe explicit statements of Scripture. The ProposedConfession fails to assert three essential Biblical aspectsof the doctrine of reconciliation. A study ofII Corinthians 5 demonstrates that the presuppositionof reconciliation is that man is alienated fromGod because of his sin. The estrangement of God'sholy wrath is asserted by the apostle. Also the essenceof reconciliation is that God doesn't reckonunto us our sin. The Proposed Confession calls thisphrase a figurative concept. Also this Biblical passageteaches us that the ground of reconciliation isthe death of Jesus Christ as a substitute... vs. 21,"For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knewno sin; that we might be the righteousness of God inHim." The Proposed Confession fails to assert theseessential aspects of reconciliation. It is strange thatwhile the whole motif of the proposed Confession isthe doctrine of reconciliation, these essential aspectsare not mentioned. At the same time the ProposedConfession makes the distinction betweenthe act and meaning of reconcihation. The act istrue and real but the meaning is figurative. On thebasis of a mere cursory reading of II Cor. 5 wecan conclude that the Bible knows no such distinction.If the meaning is merely figurative thenthe act is figurative and we have no reconciliation.The Proposed Confession also emphasizes that thisreconciliation already exists in the world. Thereis fellowship among men apart from the saving differenceof the gospel. The mission of the churchisn't to preach a gospel that saves lost and dyingmen, but to seek to implement a reconciliation thatalready exists "in cooperation with authorities inpolitics, culture, and economics." Whereas Paul inverses 10-11 of II Corinthians 5 tells us we mustbeseech men to be reconciled to God because of thewrath of God. Men are not reconciled to God outsideof Jesus Christ. The urgency of the church'sministry of reconciliation according to the ProposedConfession is to promote a reconciliation that alreadyexists.We now turn to the Proposed Confession's viewof Revelation. Here we have a recasting of the wholefoundation of the Christian faith. The framersthemselves recognize the importance of this sectionwhen they recognized that the Westminster Confessionhad as its foundation the inspiration andinerrancy of Scripture. However, they say "this section(on the Bible) is an intended revision" .. (p. 27)(of the Westminster view). This phrase is the mostsignificant phrase of the whole confession. Thehistoric and Biblical doctrine of the inspiration ofScripture has been changed by the Proposed Confession.The New Confession divides between actand word. God's acts are the revelation of God andare true, but words are but a human response to Hisacts and are therefore a fallible witness. ProfessorDowey, the Chairman of the Committee, defendingthe section on the Bible before the General Assemblysaid: "Scriptural criticism has made it clear thatthe Bible is not inerrant in all its details. It must becalled a normative witness rather than the infalliblerule." (TIME magazine, June 1, 1965). Time andagain the Bible is called the word of man containingunending diversity theologically and historically.Truth is relativized when it is expressed in history.The obvious implication is that God did notspeak finally and infallibly in the Bible. Now Itrust the difference between the view of the ProposedConfession and the Westminster Confessionis obvious. To say that the Bible contains some inherenttruth but is not truth itself is to destroy itsfinality and uniqueness. The Proposed Confessionresults in a mere subjectivism whereby the individualdetermines what is true. Or as it actually implies(lines 199-201), an Eccelsiaticism whereby theChurch determines what is God's Word.Over against this the Bible doesn't describe atension between act and word. Rather the Bible presentsthe covenantal structure of Revelation as thatof God speaking in human language. The acts ofGod are but the confirmation of the word promise.Also we have the self-testimony of Scripture: ICorinthians 2:12-13, Psalm 119:105, II Peter 1:21,and II Timothy 3:16 describe the attitude of theNew Testament toward the Scripture. Jesus' attitudewas that if people wouldn't receive the writings ofMoses then they would not receive His words. Jesusmakes a parallel authority between Himself andScripture. His life was characterized by the statement"that the Scripture might be fulfilled." TheReformed doctrine of special revelation is that theHoly Spirit so superintends the writers of Scriptureand guides their minds and memories that theconsequence is a totally trustworthy and true Bible.A lot more can be said about other parts of theProposed Confessions of 1967, but we have sketchedthe heart of the issue. Professor Clowney remindsus that the disaster of this program isn't the fact ofchange. We as Reformed Presbyterians believe inchange. We must continually re-examine the doctrineand teaching of our church in the light ofScripture. As John Calvin reminds us, "The churchonce reformed must always be reforming." Thetruth of Scripture needs also to be expressed in today'slanguage and over against the errors of the150 COVENANTER WITNESS

day. Also the disaster of this program isn't in thatit is politically liberal and that it emphasizes theidea of service to men. We have often been guiltyof focusing on the spiritual need to the exclusion ofthe physical and social needs of men. But the realdisaster of this program is that in one stroke, thereis a new foundation for the faith. The Bible is nolonger authority. There is no word from God. TheChurch is open to all forms of heresy.How shall we as Reformed Presbyterians react?Isit time to label this denomination apostate? Willwe thank God in glib self-righteousness that wearen't in this denomination? This movement shouldserve to bring us back corporately and individuallyto an absolute loyalty to Scripture. We need to recognizethat we have often made God's Word adead letter. Though the Bible is true in and of itself,itmust become the Word of God to us. It isone thing to know about Christ, but still another toknow Him and trust Him personally.As we view this Proposed Confession, let us liveour lives and run our church on the sole basis ofwhat God has said in His inerrant word!Reference:"Proposed Confession of 1967""Another Foundation: The Presbyterian ConfessionalCrisis" by E. P. Clowney (Mimeographed)TIME magazine of June 1, 1965."The Proposed Confession of 1967" (A preliminaryexamination by R. N. Merritt, A tract availablefrom Presbyterian and Reformed Pub. Co.,Box 185, Nutley, N. J.)RECKONING . . . from page 146THE CHRISTIAN DEFENSEA Valuable BookDr. David C. Calderwood: President EmeritusCalifornia Christian Citizens' AssociatiThe defeat of the bills to outlaw pornographicpoison should prod good citizens to work all theharder to bring back the banned Book into everystrata of society and to a place of greater emphasison the need of a purifying Book in all our schools.This was the Book, that m^o than any otherfactor, made Abraham Lincoln the power he becameas President of the United States. And it isworthy of note that it was a book written in defenseof the Bible that led Abraham Lincoln to anunqualified acceptance of the Bible as the inspiredWord of God. This book was written by Rev. JamesSmith, and bears the title, The Christian Defensecontaining a fair statement and impartial examinationof the leading objections urged by infidelsagainst the genuineness, credibility, and inspirationof the Scriptures, enriched with copious extractsfrom learned authors.This book was the result of a debate betweenRev. James Smith and a man named Olmstead, whodefended the infidel position. This debate lastedeighteen nights.Rev. Mr. Smith reported that Abraham Lincolnpurchased a copy of the book and gave a searchinginvestigation to both sides of the argument. Andhis reaction was given to the author in the followingwords: "The argument in favor of Divine Authorityand inspiration of the Holy Scriptures is unanswerable."The book was published in the year 1843 in responseto a multitude of requests. Eighteen representativesof the Methodist Church made an earnestrequest in the following words, "Having heard thetemptation. Justice will not be strained. It is Christ'sarguments advanced by you, and believing theirlove that qualifies Him to be our judge. But do notpublication would do much to arrest the poisonousmistake that sentiment. It will be no easy judgment.and destructive influence of infidelity and calculatedto promote Christianity and true patriotism, weThere is no tribunal so terrible as the tribunal oflove. John speaks of "the wrath of the Lamb." "Godrequest you to give them to the public."is love," but "Our God is a consuming fire."But unfortunately the 120-year-old book is outThe verdict passed on every life is not so mucha verdict reached by weighing evidence as it is aof print. The Oceanside Library scoured the librariesof the country for this writer and, finally, cameverdict that results from the touchstone of Christ'spresence. This great principle was evident whenup with a copy from the Chicago Library, which wasJesus was here upon earth. His very presence, withouta spoken word, classified men on the rightheavily insured, and loaned for one week. Thatweek I spent in the Oceanside Library copying extractsand making notes. If a paper cover book ofhand and on the left. Around" His cradle the heartsof men were revealed and sentence was passed— the highlights of Rev. Mr. Smith's book could beHerod on the one side, the shepherds on the other. produced,it would be a great boon to this generation.We would be interested in hearing from peopleWhen He began to teach, there was a division becauseof Him. On His cross He silently passed judgmentupon men. It is our relation to Christ which this kind.who might have suggestions regarding a project ofseals our eternal destiny. "If any man have not the —Cal fornia Chr stian Citizens' AssociationSpirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Rom. 8:9). letter.September 8, 1965 151

MARRED PETITIONSBob Richards, the pole-vaulting champion, is anoutspoken Christian. When asked if he prayed beforeeach contest, he said: "I have always prayed incompetitions — not to win, but that God wouldhelp me to do my best.'This is true prayer. How often have our petitionsbeen marred by selfish interests, by self-made plans,or preconceived ideas! The purpose of prayer is notto bend God to our will but to discover His will.Not to achieve our ambition, but to bow to Hispurpose and plan for us. Not to tell God what to do,but to say, "What wilt Thou have me to do?"Aaron Linford, in Redemption TidingsA COSTLY EXPERIMENT"I want you to spend fifteen minutes every daypraying for foreign missions," said a pastor to ayouth group. "But beware how you pray, for I warnyou that it is a very costly experiment.""Costly?" they asked in surprise."Yes, costly," he said. "When Carey began topray for the conversion of the world, it cost himhimself, and it cost those who prayed with himvery much. Brainerd prayed for the dark-skinnedsavages, and after two years of blessed work itcost him his life."To be sure, it is a dangerous thing to pray inearnest for this work. You will find that you cannotpray and withhold labor; you cannot pray andwithhold money. Your life will no longer be yourown when your prayers begin to be answered."—Redemption TidingsDON'T BE AFRAID TO BARK!A watchdog that will not bark is not worth having.And a preacher who will not warn of sin is atraitor within the camp! The need of the hour isa prophet's call to repentance and a return to God.Certainly the churches need to remember that ourLord's last recorded message to the saints is not theGreat Commission but His call to repentance to fivechurches out of seven in the Book of Revelation.—Vance HavnerTHE ROSE BOWL BLUNDERby A. W. VotearyOne of the most startling plays in football historyoccurred during the Rose Bowl Game of 1929-Roy Riegals, an excellent player and captain of theCalifornia team, grabbed a Georgia Tech fumble,was spun about in the line of scrimmage, brokeinto the clear, but headed for his own goal lineseventy-five yards away.The roar of the crowd rendered the shouts of histeammates futile, but one of them caught up to himand stopped him less than a yard from his own goal.California had to kick, but the kick was blocked. Itgave Tech two points, and that was all they neededto win the game.Each of us is in a game called hfe. How manythere are who have become spun around and areracing toward the wrong goal. And there are plentyof opponents to spin around and confuse. Evil seducersand wrong doctrines are everywhere. The Biblespeaks of those who "wrest the Scriptures to theirown destruction." Christian Science, Mormonism,Jehovah's Witnesses are but some of these- In everycase their doctrines are built upon isolated versesand portions of Scripture, torn from their contexts.Then they are so cleverly rearranged that they becomequite plausible and proper.There is but one course to follow. That courseis the adherence to the pure, unadulterated Word ofGod. Charles Russell, founder of the Jehovah's Witnessesmovement, said, "If a man lays aside mybooks and helps and reads nothing but the Biblefor one year, he will enter into total darkness again."William J. Schnell, once high in their ranks, is nowa born-again Christian. He says that the reading ofGod's Word alone, like water flowing along in astream, has washed his mind until not one singleerror remains.Like Riegels, the football player, it is easyenough to be spun around and confused. This is thereason Paul admonishes those who minister to"Preach the Word" There is no confusion there."Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a hghtunto my pathway."—The Free MethodistPOTENTIALITY. . . from page 153leased to cleanse and invigorate the Church. "Whoshall order the battle?" he cried as he looked for helpon every side. And in the silence of his cell he heardthe only answer: Thou!' "Revival has begun when we ask the question,"Who shall order the battle?" and hear God'sanswer, "Thou", and then come with our ready responseto God's challenge to youth, and say, "Heream I; send me ..."R. P. Witness152 COVENANTER WITNESS

Our YouthThe Potentiality Of YouthA Study of I Kings 20 (continued)By Rev. Hugh J. Blair, M.A., Ph.D.IV. THE DEVIL'S DEFEATThe story of how the news of the Duke of Wellington'svictory at Waterloo was brought back toEngland had one moment of outstanding tension.The news had been brought to the south coast ofEngland by sailing ship, and then was sent the restof the way to London by semaphore. Using thismethod of spelling out the message by flags, menstood on high places to receive the news and pass iton across the whole country. One semaphore wason the high tower of Winchester Cathedral, andat last the message reached the watcher there, andhe began to spell out the news, letter by letter, to thenext in the chain of messengers. WELLING­TON DEFEATED...But just at that momentthe fog came down, and the watcher on thenext tower could see nothing more. And the newsspread across the land that the English army underWellington had been defeated.But as the day wore on towards evening, it wasseen that the fog was lifting. Again the peoplegathered to watch the waving of the semaphoreflags, and letter followed letter until the completestory of the battle was told: WELLINGTONDEFEATED THE ENEMY. Those whowatched could hardly believe their eyes, but the newswas gloriously true, and despair was turned tothanksgiving.Often in the conflict between good and evil,between God and His enemies, it has seemed for atime that evil has triumphed; but the truth hasalways been that the ultimate victory was with God.The supreme illustration — which is the guaranteeof all the others — was in Christ's crucifixion,which must have seemed to the sorrowing disciplesto be stark and tragic defeat. But the Resurrectionmorning dispelled the fog of their doubt and despair,and the victory was seen to be God's, andChrist was manifested as Conqueror. A foretasteof that ultimate victory is given in this chapterof I Kings 20 which has been our study during thepresent series of articles.We are reminded that the devil's defeat wasGod's doing. Verse 13 gives the message broughtto the king of Israel by God's prophet: "Thus saiththe Lord, Hast thou seen all this great multitude?Behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day;and thou shalt know that I am the Lord". The devil'sdefeat is sure because it is God's doing, not ours.More than that, evil carries the seeds of its owndefeat within it. We are told more than once inthe chapter that Benhadad was drinking himselfdrunk in the pavilions: for all the power which evilseems to have, it is self-destroying, and its finaldoom is sure.But the question still remains: What instrumentswill God use to accomplish His purposes ofvictory? Ahab, half-doubting that the victory wouldcome, asked that very question: "And Ahab said,By whom?". And the answer is God's answer toour situation today no less than to Ahab long ago:"By the young men ..." The instruments of God'svictory now, as then, may be young people.Let us never forget that Christianity began asa young people's movement. Pictures of Christ andthe disciples have perhaps misled us into thinkingof them as older men, but the original band of discipleswas a young people's group. Christ calledthem by a Greek name which means "lads". Mostof them were probably still in their twenties. Paulwriting at least 30 years later could report thatof the 500 disciples to whom the Risen Christ appeared"the greater part remain unto this present"."By whom?" the question was asked, and the answercame, "By the young men ..."A further question remains: "Who shall leadthem?" "Who shall order the battle?" asked Ahab.And the one-word answer has a twofold message forus: "Thou". It means for one thing that the army ofthe young men will be led by their king. In our warfarewe are led by none other than our King, theLord Jesus Christ, and His victory is ours.But the prophet's answer to Ahab can be takenfurther as underlining personal responsibility. "Whoshall order the battle?" We cannot evade the answerThou ..." Rev. D. H. C. Read of New York haswritten, "There were evils abroad like roaring lionsin the sixteenth century and the monk MartinLuther was horrified at their strength. When heread the New Testament he heard afresh how Christhad fought and conquered, and laboured long tofind how that grace and power could again be re-See page 152September 8. 1965 153

APAGETHE LIGHTNING BUGSby Grace AbbottOf course you've caught lightningbugs. You've done just what littleBrucie Morgan did the other night.You've come in the house, all out ofbreath from running, and said, "Mom,mom, I need somethin' to put mylightning bugs in ... quick!" And youcouldn't undouble your fist to takethe lid off the jar Mom gave you, becauseit was full of lightning bugs. SoMom unscrewed the lid, and helpedyou hurry the bugs into the jar. Thenshe poked holes in the top so thebugs wouldn't die (not right away, atleast).Brucie had a whole fist full whenhe came into the house. He even hadtwo or three crawling up his sleevethat had managed to wriggle out of histight little fist.Bruce wanted to know somethingso he asked Mom, "Why do lightningbugs have little lights in their tails?"Then, after he thought a second, hesaid, "We don't." Mom thought probablylightning bugs had lights in theirtails because that's the way God madethem, and probably boys and girlsdon't have lights because God didn'tmake them any.Bruce thought it would have beennice if God had made a little light inhim somewhere so he could see hisway around in the yard at night. Butthen, Mom figured out something.Moms always do this, Bruce thought.She figured that if Brucie had a builtinlight, like the lightning bugs, he'dnever want to come in the house atnight, and it would be all the harderto find bedtime.So, after Bruce couldn't see anylonger to catch the lightning bugs, hecame in. He was tired and dirty andhot. While Mom helped him get intothe bathtub, they talked about thelightning bugs some more. Brucewanted to know, "How do they knowwhen to turn on their lights?" Momsaid, "God made them so they knowhow to light up, and when." ThenBruce wondered, "Where do they gowhen it's day?" Mom thought maybethey hid in the tall grass, or in theraspberry bushes, but she wasn't sure.She said, "I know wherever they go,though, they are probably asleep inthe day so they fly around at night."This brought a whole new bunch ofquestions from Brucie, "Why don'twe sleep in the day?" "Jonie's daddyFOR JUNIORSsleeps in the day. He goes to work atnight." "Why doesn't our daddy sleepin the day and then go to work atnight?"Mom tried to answer all the questions.Then, she decided to ask a fewherself. "Do you know about owls,Brucie?""Sure.""They sleep in the daytime, andstay awake at night, too.""I know. What else does?""I'm not sure," Mom said; "let'sget you dried now. Then you can getyour pajamas on, and go ask Daddy.Maybe he knows some more."When she tucked him into bed,Mom asked, "Are you pretty tired?"He wasn't. But his eyes were almostshut already! Mom thought he hadfallen asleep, so she tiptoed out of thebedroom. She was closing the doorwhen she heard a sleepy little voicecalling her back."Mommy, I wish I was a lightningbug," the sleepy voice said."But honey, if you were a lightningbug, I wouldn't have a little boy!""You could be the mother lightningbug. They have mothers, don't they?""Oh, I'm sure they do," Mother declared;"but I'd much rather be themother of boys and girls than lightningbugs. I do think it's nice the wayGod made them with little lights,though. It would be fun to fly aroundand have a little light to turn off andon, like they do, wouldn't it?"Brucie could hardly hold his eyesopen or get his voice to talk, he wasso sleepy, but he said, "Yeah. They'reneat."Mother patted a freshly-scrubbedcheek. "I think it's 'neat' the wayGod made all of the things He made.Lightning bugs that light up, owlsthat screech, lions and tigers strongand fierce, puppy dogs small and gentle,birds that sing and fly, but bestof all, I'm glad He made little boysand girls to live with Daddies andMothers. Because I love you. Now,go to sleep."Mother went out into the livingroom. Eight-year-old Ellen had justcome in from outside. "Mama, where'ssomething I can put my lightning bugsin?"Mother went to the kitchen to helpEllen. From the stairway she heardDavy's radio upstairs, and Susan's record-playerin the den. Baby Carolwas asleep in the nursery."Ellen," mother mused, "I wonderif mother lightning bugs have as muchfun with their children as I have withyou."Ellen thought probably the lightning-bugmothers would be looking fortheir children when morning came,and since she might have capturedsome of them, she took her lightningbugs outdoors and let them fly away."Mom," Ellen said, thoughtfully, returningto the kitchen where Motherwas, "I'm glad God made lightningbugs. They're such fun to watch. Andfun to catch. But I think the nicestthing God did was make families."—The Free MethodistJunior Topicfor October 3, 1965GOD'S BOOKby Mrs. R. H. McKelvyOpening Verse:Psalm 122:1.PrayerMemory Work:Psalm 119, Part 13, page 299.What nice story books and picturebooks do you Juniors have at home?Which book of all your books do youthink is best? Why do you think so?Let us find out a few things aboutthis best Book. Who was its Author?2 Peter 1:21. Can you name some ofthese "holy men of God" who wrotewhat God told them? How do you supposeGod "spoke" to these men sothat they would know what to write?Here are some ways: (1) Dreams andvisions (Ezekiel, Daniel, John in theRevelation, etc.), (2) A public voicefrom Heaven (at Jesus' baptism, etc.).(3) Inspired men told the writers(Baruch wrote for Jeremiah, Jer. 36).(4) Miraculous writings sent fromHeaven (Ten Commandments). (5) Godin person talked to the writers (Jesus'words on earth). (6) The Spirit of GodSee page 156154 COVENANTER WITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of October 3, 1965Sabhath School Lessonfor October 3, 1965JOSEPH: ACHIEVING CHARACTER:Gen. 30:24; 37:1-28; 39:50.Comments by John K. GaultBeginning with this lesson thestudies for the next three months areconcerned with "Old Testament Biographies."We are to study about people'scharacters. This does not meanthat these characters were perfect northat we are to emulate them in everycharacteristic of their lives. These personswere all sinners and one of them,at least, committed acts which weremorally reprehensible. But we can followthe example of these characters inso far as they did right. We shouldlearn from these studies how Godraises up human characters for aspecial purpose and makes use ofthem in the building of His Kingdom.The first person about whom weare to study is Joseph.1: Joseph Was his Father's FavoriteSon.He was the older son of Rachael,Jacob's favorite wife. Very likely Jacobshowed the difference of his feelingtoward his two wives, Leah andRachael, in his treatment of them, andthis feeling reacted in the lives of hissons. But it was natural that Jacobshould think more highly of Josephthan of his older sons. He was goodand they were bad. In Genesis 37:2 weare told that Joseph "brought untohis father their evil report."Some might criticize Joseph for beinga so-called "tattle-tale." But suchis an unjust appraisement of Joseph.He was morally good and he consideredit his duty to report all evil tohis father who was the head of thetribe. But it is not considered wise fora parent to have a "favorite" child,or if he does have, he should not showit by doing as Jacob did when he madefor Joseph a "coat of many colors"and did not make such coats for theother sons.2: Joseph was Hated by HisBrothers.They hated him because of thispartiality which their father showedtoward their half-brother. This indi­September 8, 1965cated that they were murderers atheart. When people are murderers atheart they become actual murdererswhen the opportunity presents itself.This hatred was greatly intensifiedwhen Joseph, unwisely, told them ofhis dreams wherein he saw theirsheaves bowing down to his sheaf asthey were binding sheaves in the fieldof grain; also his dream wherein he sawthe sun, moon and eleven stars bowingdown before him. These dreamswere evidently from the Lord andthey had in them the portent of thetime when his brothers and his fatherwould actually bow down before him.The culmination of this murderousfeeling toward Joseph came when he,having been sent by his father to findout concerning their welfare, cameto them at Dothan. Ten of them wouldhave killed him, but Reuben persuadedthem to lower him into a deep pit,probably an unused well, intending"to rid him out of their hands, todeliver him to his father again." Then,at the suggestion of Judah they drewhim up and sold him to a band ofIshmaelites, who were on their way toEgypt, for "twenty pieces of silver."The Ishmaelites took him to Egyptand sold him as a slave to Potiphar,who was Pharaoh's "captain of theguard." In Potiphar's house Josephbecame an "overseer" until Potiphar'swife lied and accused him of attemptedassault, and he was cast into prison.3: In Prison Joseph Won the Favorof the Keeper.He was honorable and trustworthyin whatever he did. Genesis 39:21-23tells us of the way he came to be infavor, "But the Lord was with Joseph,and showed him mercy, and gave himfavor in the sight of the keeper of theprison. And the keeper of the prisoncommitted to Joseph's hand all theprisoners that were in the prison; andwhatsoever they did there, he was thedoer of it. —the Lord was with him,and that which he did, the Lord madeit to prosper." Joseph's experience inprison bears out the truth of Proverbs16:7, "When a man's ways please theLord, he maketh even his enemies tobe at peace with him."4: The Lord Accomplished Joseph'sExaltation in Egypt.In prison "that which Joseph didthe Lord made it to prosper." It sohappened that the chief butler and thechief baker of the king of Egypt offendedtheir monarch in some wayand he had them cast into prisonwhere Joseph was. One night theyeach dreamed a dream and, not knowingwhat the dreams meant, they werevery downcast. Seeing their dejectionJoseph inquired concerning theirtrouble, and they told him. "Do notinterpretations belong to God? Tellme them, I pray you," said Joseph.Being given the interpretations byGod, Joseph revealed to the butlerand the baker what their dreamsmeant. He told them that in threedays the butler would be restored tohis former position as chief butlerfor the king; but in three days thebaker would be hanged. Events turnedout just as Joseph had said. Josephhad implicit faith in God; consequently,he did not fret under persecutionnor take a rebellious attitude towardadverse circumstances.Two years elapsed and Joseph wasstill in prison. At that time Pharaohdreamed a dream. We are told aboutthis in Genesis 41. In his dream hesaw seven fat cattle feeding in ameadow. Following that he saw sevenvery scrawny cattle and they devouredthe seven fat cattle. In his seconddream Pharaoh saw "seven ears ofcorn came up upon one stalk rankand good. And behold, seven thin earsand blasted with the east wind sprungup after them. And the seven thin earsdevoured the seven rank and fullears." (Gen. 41:5-7) None of Pharaoh'swise men could interpret the dreamsfor him. At that point the chief butlerremembered about Joseph in prisonand he was summoned. He toldPharaoh, "It is not in me: God shallgive Pharaoh an answer of peace";(Gen. 41:16) then he gave to Pharaohthe interpretation of his dreams. Thenumber seven represented seven years.There would be seven years of plentyin the land of Egypt and this wouldbe followed by seven years of famine.(Gen. 41:26-32) The fact that thedream was doubled indicated that itwas established by God who wouldsoon bring those conditions to pass.In view of what was sure to happen,Joseph further advised Pharaoh, thathe should select a wise man and appointhim to be chief food administra-155

tor, who would conserve the food duringthe years of plenty so that theywould have food during the years offamine. Pharaoh promptly appointedJoseph to this high position, and headministered his duties very wiselyfor he was being directed by God.Joseph became second only to Pharaohin honor and authority. (Gen.41:37-57)5: Joseph Treated His BrothersRoughly at First.Because of the famine which wasover all the land, Jacob sent his oldersons to Egypt to buy "corn." Josephknew them, but they did not know him.He tested them by accusing them ofbeing spies, by keeping Simeon inprison, by returning every man'smoney in his sack, and by putting hiscup in Benjamin's sack. (Read Gen.43 and 44) Following Judah's impassionedplea for Benjamin, Joseph couldnot hold back his identity from them,and they all wept. Joseph said, "I amJoseph your brother, whom ye soldinto Egypt. Now therefore be notgrieved, nor angry with yourselvesthat ye sold me hither: for God didsend me before you to preserve life."(Gen. 45:4, 5)6: Joseph Forgave His Brothersand Returned Good for Evil.As recorded in Genesis 45:8, 9, hesaid, "And God sent me before you topreserve you a posterity in the earth,and to save your lives by a great deliverance.So now it was not you thatsent me hither, but God: and he hathmade me a father to Pharaoh, andlord of all his house, and rulerthroughout all the land of Egypt.Haste ye, and go up to my father, andsay unto him, Thus saith thy sonJoseph, God hath made me lord of allEgypt; Come down unto me, tarrynot." Joseph was a type of Christianwho said, "Love your enemies, blessthem that curse you, and do good tothem that hate you," (Matt. 5:44)7: One Should be more Willingto Risk His Life than to Sin.Potiphar's evil wife sought to induceJoseph to become immoral, buthe refused and ran from her presence.For that he was imprisoned and mighthave been slain. The martyrs of Scotlandcould have saved their lives byaccepting the policy of the governmentbut they chose to die instead."Lesson based on International Sunday-School Lessons: the International Bible Lessonsfor Christian Teaching, copyrighted 1958by the Division of Christian Education NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ in theU. S. A."JUNIOR TOPIC .. . from page 154guided the thoughts of all writers.Horn many "holy men" wrote theBible? 36. Over what length of timedid they write? 1600 years. How manybooks did they write? 66. The Biblecover is like a little leather bookcasein which are 66 little books. Intowhat two parts is the Bible divided?The Old Testament tells about thetime before Jesus came. The NewTestament tells about Jesus and Hishelpers.We have been speaking about God'sBook which is the best Book. Did youknow it is a story book? This is oneof the stories that little Timothy mayhave hidden in his heart. (Tell a storywhich they may not know such as"Caleb, who was not afraid of giants,""Ruth, a Bible bride," "Jonah, the manwho ran away from God.")God's Book is also a picture book.The pictures are made with words.Close your eyes and I shall show youa word-picture and then you maytell me what you saw. (Tell a Biblestory that makes a vivid word-picture,such as that of the shepherds gatheredwith their sheep around a fire outon the grassy hills. Suddenly, thestars are dimmed by a glorious lightwhich brightens the sky. As the angelspeaks, soft music is heard. Swiftlyitswells into a mighty chant. "Gloryto God in the highest!" Even afterthe Heavenly host has gone away, thestarry sky still rings with "Glory toGod," and the echoing hills answer,"Peace," and "Good-will to men."Other Bible pictures might be "Peter'sDeliverance from Prison," "Daniel andthe Lions," etc.)The Bible is the best Book;it isa story book;it is a picture book. Doyou know what other kind of bookitis? Close your Bibles. Now openthem in the middle. Did you open toPsalms? Yes, our Bible is a song book.You may choose some of our beautifulPsalms, and we shall have a littlesong service.The Bible is a wonderful book. Doyou know why God gave us this bestBook? 2 Timothy 3:15. Let us repeatJohn 3:16. God sent us this wonderfulbook to tell us about Jesus. Hereis a story that I read some years ago:A little girl once asked her fatherfor two Testaments. When he askedher why she wanted two she said thatshe wanted one for herself, and theother to send to some poor littleheathen girl. When her father gavethe books to her, she wrote on thefly-leaf of one: "A little girl who lovesthe Lord Jesus wishes with all herheart that whoever reads this shouldalso love and believe on Him."This Testament went to India andwas given to a Hindu lady who waslearning to write English. As shetried to copy the childish writing inthe front, the meaning of the wordsgradually impressed her. "These wordswere written to me," she said. Thisled her to study the Testament and,as a result, she became a Christian.Years afterward, the little girl whohad now become a missionary in India,was visiting in the home of a nativeChristian lady. During the conversationthis lady told how she had beenconverted and she brought out theTestament.Imagine the missionary's joy whenshe saw that it was the very bookin which she had written years before.Those words had brought thepoor Hindu lady to Christ.Together, they knelt and thankedGod who had drawn them both toHimself.SWORD DRILL about God's Book:Psa. 119:160; 119-11; Deut. 6:6; Psa.119:97; 119:105; 2 Tim. 3:16; Jn. 5:39;Deut. 4:6; Prov. 5:7.Close by singing Psalm 119, Part13.Since manuscripts have not beenreceived in time for printing, somesubstitutions of topics have been made.Mrs. R. B. Maine, Junior Superintendent.Prayer Meeting Topicfor October 6, 1965"PRAY FOR ELEANOR FARIS"Scripture Resources:Isaiah 52 (Here is a tremendousmissionary challenge in the Old Testament.Notice the missionary thrust ofIsaiah to other nations in chapters13-24. Consider the Scripture challengeto missions in your study ofIsaiah 52. How does this apply to ourchurch? To our congregation? To me?Consider these things as you pray forMiss Faris and the Mission in Japan.)Growing up on an eastern Kansasfarm, in the Denison congregation, Ilittle expected to venture far beyondthe bounds of my home state. Thefact that our small high school didn'teven teach foreign languages was nocause for concern to me, for I didn'tanticipate going on to college, letalone being in a place where I wouldbe needing to speak another language.156 COVENANTER WITNESS

The Lord led in unexpected waysthat I might attend college, and Ichose our own church school, GenevaCollege. To help freshmen girls learntheir way around and to become familiarwith college life, upperclass girlswere assigned as "big sisters." It wasin the life of my "big sister" that Isaw a type of faith that caused me torealize my undoubting acceptance ofhistorical truths was not enough. Aftertwo or three months of deep inwardconcern over an apparent lackwithin myself, and realizing my owninability to remedy it, the Lord metme in my dormitory room on NewYear's night as I was trying to studymy lessons for the next day. Throughthe 55th Psalm, stored in my memorythrough the years, an invitation cameto"Cast thou thy burden on the Lord,And He shall thee sustain;"but I was unable to respond. A littlelater another verse of the samePsalm came into my mind, and as itreally comes first in the Psalm so ithad to first be fully realized in myheart before I could cast my burdenon the Lord."He hath redeemed my soul in loveThat I in peace might be."The opening of my heart in responseto His love made all the difference inthe world that night, and continuedto do so. It brought the Bible-filledtraining and memory work into properfocus, and laid a foundation onwhich to build. A desire for morethorough knowledge and understandingof the Scriptures led to my takingall Bible or Bible-related courses availableduring the next three years ofcollege.In the first week or so of my senioryear, a missionary on furlough fromSyria talked with me concerning servicein that field. I had not beenthinking in terms of foreign missionwork and gave it no serious considerationat the time. However, the Lordhas a way of dealing within the heartover a period of time that is inescapable,and by the end of the year, thatis by December, I was led to bothan interest and a willingness to submitmy application for a short termto the Board of Foreign Missions. Laterthe Board asked if I would be willingto go to Cyprus in place of Syria,as they felt the need in Cyprus wasgreater at the time. My personal reactionwas no, but the Lord led me torest the decision on the vote of theMission Board and I had completepeace on the matter, knowing that Hewho knows the whole picture as noman can, was able to direct and burdenthe individual members to vote inthe way that would reveal His will inthe matter. The decision for Cypruswas the Lord's answer for His guidance.I spent four years in the Girls'Academy in Nicosia, Cyprus, learningfar more in experiences than Iever imparted to my students I'msure. On my return to America in1953, I didn't plan to continue on inmission work. Some people seem moresuccessful in leaving an active life inthe Lord's work for some other occupationthan either Jonah or I were. Notmany weeks after my return fromCyprus I was involved in an accidentwhile helping tear down the old garageat Denison. For me it was a longwhite cast on my left leg and not agreat fish, but it lasted for ninemonths. The Lord dealt with me afterI left the hospital, but before I waspermitted to be up on crutches, andmy answer was, "If I have full use ofmy leg again, I'll go wherever youwant me to go."Being physically handicapped foralmost a full year made it quite easyto pass off lightly the suggestions ofmany from the Japan field and others,that I might go out to Japan. I stillwanted to enjoy the privileges of"normal" living in my own country—that which nearly everyone else evenwithin the church seemed consciencefreein doing.About a year and three monthsafter the accident and my promise togo wherever He led, and having gainedfull use of my leg again, I heard amessage on Japan in the Sabbathmorning service in Portland, Oregon,where I was then living. During theservice the Lord spoke within myheart, and I could only answer —"Yes, Lord, I do have the full use ofmy leg "I sailed for Japan in August of1955, in the company of the Boyleand Spear families, and many of theactivities of the past ten years havebeen recorded in letters to the Witnessfrom the field. I have been mostthankful to the Lord for the continuedworking within my heart, that Hehas not left me in those times whenmy reaction was no. but He has ledme by His Spirit to a new outlook.I feel that to be one of my greatestneeds for prayer, that I might bekept sensitive to His working, andpliable in His hands, for it is notenough that He give a clear call tothe field. Even there we must beconstantly led in decisions, attitudes,and contacts. We need to be "exercisedthereby' as He works in us to humbleus and correct us, for we are noless human just because a great bodyof water lies between us and thehomeland. Pray for a deep workingof the Spirit of God that in practicalreality I might decrease that He mightincrease, both in me and in the work.How well we know the Scripture passages,"yet not I, but Christ that livethin me." Still we must concede there ismuch of the "I" which hinders in somany areas of the work. What atemptation to see that my name and.place is respected, and that I get creditfor my share of the work.I feel that if you pray earnestlyfor my spiritual life, and the Lordgrants the answers to your prayers,that with it will come a great blessingin the other areas too. Surelythe individual contacts, the Bibleclasses, the united efforts of reachingpeople need continual prayer, butremember, too, that we are peopleof like passions as you are, and thereforeneed much continued prayer.W. M. S. DepartmentGROWTH THROUGH SERVICEA servant is one who serves, includingvoluntary and involuntary service.It may refer to a slave capturedin war or purchased for a price; anenvied official to the king, or the willingworshipper of God. God has preservedin His Word many examplesof His servants. A few of them mightbe brought to mind such as Noah,Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Isaiah,and many more in the New Testament.Each one God used in a specialway to bring about His promises. Paulsays, "For though I be free from allmen yet have I made myself servantunto all that I might gain the more."(I Cor. 9:19.) We see here Paul wasnot only a servant of Christ, but ofhis fellowmen as well.The Christian must grow in hisspiritual life on earth if he is to receivehis eternal reward. Let us striveto understand better how we maygrow spiritually through service toJesus Christ.1. Christ's Example — Acts 10:38God anointed Christ with the powerof the Holy Spirit, then Christwent about doing good and healingSee page 160September 8, 1965 157

OFFICIAL NOTICEOn the evening of August 18, Imoderated a call for the Newburghcongregation which resulted in theunanimous choice on the first ballot,of Rev. Alvin W. Smith, Jr.John M. McMillan, ModeratorMEETING OF MIDWESTPRESBYTARYMidwest Presbytery will convenefor its regular fall meeting at theQuinter, Kansas Reformed PresbyterianChurch on Tuesday, October 12, at7:30 p.m.R. W. Caskey, ClerkNOTICE OF CALLI moderated a call for the KansasCity congregation on July 28 whichresulted in the election of Rev. JohnTweed to be their pastor.R. W. Caskey, ModeratorMINUTES OF SYNODThe printer has promised deliveryof the 1965 Minutes by September15. Mail orders to ChesterR. Fox, Treas. 306 Empire Building,Pittsburgh, Pa., 15222. Price$1.50 per copy.Chester R. FoxTreasurerBUFORD L. ABBOTTOn July 13, 1965, God in His allwiseprovidence saw fit to call BufordL. Abbott to his heavenly home.He was born March 12, 1896, inRose City, Michigan. Four years ofhis early life were spent in the serviceof his country. In 1919 he movedwithin bounds of Hetherton R. P.congregation. Shortly thereafter hebecame a member and was elected tooffice of deacon.On March 12, 1920, he was unitedin marriage to Miss Flora Mathews.These five children; Robert of Caro,Michigan; Allyne Baumgartner, Kenneth,Leslie, and Margaret Bessette ofDetroit, his wife, four sisters, onebrother, and fifteen grandchildren survivehim.In 1948 he moved to Detroit andattended the Southfield R.P Church,where he was elected elder. He wasa willing worker in whatever he wascalled on to do. He was a teacher ofChurch Newsour young people's class until hishealth would no longer permit.In his last weeks of suffering heshowed great patience and full assurancethat God's ways are alwaysright. A man of few words he showedgreat love and understanding to allhe came in contact with. His sufferingat the last was such that we could notwish him to linger longer with us."And I heard a voice from Heavensaying unto me, write, Blessed are thedead which die in the Lord fromhenceforth: yea, saith the spirit, thatthey may rest from their labors; andtheir works do follow them."ALMONTEThe arrival of four CovenanterWitnesses in two days reminded yourcorrespondent that the postal strike isover. It certainly was an inconvenienceto say the least.On May 10 the congregation andfriends of Mr. and Mrs. John Mortongathered at the Manse in honour oftheir twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.Mr. John Waddell expressed thegood wishes of the group, and Mr.Jack McGill presented the gift. Refreshmentswere served, including athree-layer cake trimmed for the occasion.The Lisbon and Lochiel congregationsjoined us for a Psalm Festival,May 28. It was based on The Life ofDavid, Psalm Eighteen. Dr. F. F.Reade read the script and our pastor,Rev. Robert More, Jr., directed thepraise. A social hour was spent at thehome of Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Whitefollowing the Festival.The annual Dominion Day (1st. ofJuly) picnic was held on Mr. AlanBowes' farm, with baseball and horseshoesfor the energetic. In the eveningthere was a social at the home ofMr. and Mrs. W. J. Burns, Jr.The Rev. R. Paul Mathews preachedfor us the Sabbath before Synod,as Mr. More went to Beaver Falls forthe Pastors' Refresher Course. It wasmost interesting to hear of the workat the West Monroe Street Mission inPhoenix.Mrs. Mathews spent two weekswith her parents, Mr. and Mrs. AlanBurns, while Paul was at Synod.Elder Isaac McKee was the representativefrom Session at Synod.Shortly after his return from Synod,he left to visit his family in Ireland.As he sold his farm to Jim MortonJr., he has not made any definite plansfor the length of his visit.Mrs. Arthur Cutter spent most ofthe first week of July in the hospital,but we are happy to report she is wellagain.Once again we were able to holdV. B. S. in the rural school on theEighth Line of Ramsey, July 19-30. Humanlyspeaking,it was very successful,and we trust that the Lord willadd His blessing to the work. I believethere was an average attendanceof eighty-five.It was a pleasure to have Mr. andMrs. Jack George, their two children,and his mother, Mrs. Mary ColemanGeorge, worship with us on August 1.Also we were very happy to haveJessie McFarland back again.On the third of August we met atthe home of Jim Morton, Jr., and enjoyedan evening of fellowship withJessie, and also Mr. and Mrs. TomJamieson, and their family from Southfield.The congregation was saddened bythe death of one of its oldest members,Mrs. James Morton, who wouldhave been ninety-three in a fewmonths. She went to be with her Lordon August 7 after a short illness.On August 10 our pastor startedhis vacation, planning to visit theMaritime Provinces and the EasternStates. The Lord willing Dr. Readewill have the services while Mr. Moreis away.GENEVA PROFESSOR TAKES PARTIN NATIONAL CONFERENCERev. Joseph A. Hill, assistant professorof Bible at Geneva College,is one of a select group of evangelicalscholars invited to attend a conferenceof the National Association of EvangelicalCommittee, August 26-27, inTrinity Christian College, PalosHeights, Illinois.The purpose of the conference isto inquire into the possibility of producinga new translation of the Bibleby those who have a high view ofScripture and which could be expectedto have a very wide acceptance anduse.Outstanding Christian leaders takingpart in the August meeting includesuch personalities as the evangelistBilly Graham, who is a memberof the general committee; V. RaymondEciman, chancellor of Wheaton Col-158 COVENANTER WITNESS

lege; Gordon H. Clarke, professor ofphilosophy, Butler University; PeterH. Eldersveld, radio minister on the"Back to God Hour," and Carl F. H.Henry, editor of Christianity Today.Charles Hummell, President ofBarrington College, who was thespeaker during Geneva's recent SpiritualEmphasis Week, and AddisonLeitch, professor of philosophy andassistant to the president of TarkioCollege, speaker at Geneva's August1963 commencement, are listed amongsome 100 persons from the UnitedStates and Canada who are invited totake part in the conference.BOOK REVIEWCHANGING PATTERNS INCHRISTIAN EDUCATIONBy Marshall C. DendyPublished by John Knox Press,Box 1176, Richmond, Virginia. 96pages. Price $1.50 (paper).The author (presently ExecutiveSecretary of the Board of ChristianEducation, Presbyterian Church, U.S.)accomplishes several worthwhile aimsin this book.First, he recognizes the importanceof Christian education and proceedsto present one of the most puzzlingproblems of this age as being directlyrelated to it. "Why, with the enrollmentof so many young people in theorganized program of the church, isthere the prevalence of delinquencyand the great increase in crime a-mong American youth?" Along withthis is necessarily raised the mostpertinent question concerning contemporaryprograms of Christian education,namely, "Are the principlesthat underlie the educational programsof this century Biblical?"Second, he further recognizes therich heritage of the founding fathersof the Reformation and chooses twoof the most brilliant of the reformersfor the purpose of analyzing theirideals and practices in the realm ofChristian education. The two chosenare John Calvin and John Knox.What follows is an extremely well organizedand pointed analysis of theirconcepts. For this section alone thebook would be well worth the reading.He continues, however, with asecond historical analysis, that ofparalleling the development ofChristian education with historicaldevelopment within the PresbyterianChurch in the United States.Finally the historical analyses arebrought up to the present and arerepresented together with "the insightsof modern Bible scholars, theologians,educators, and students ofsocial science" as being brought tobear on the development of the newcurriculum of Christian educationwhich is currently being offered inthe Presbyterian Church i nthe U.S. and several other denominations.This curriculum, called theCovenant Life Curriculum, is describedin some detail as to its bases, objectives,approaches to study, and processesof teaching and learning.The good bibliography is also ofvalue.— D. P.NOTES FROM AMERICANSTUDIES INSTITUTE,July 5-9, 1965AZUSA PACIFIC COLLEGE,AZUSA, CALIFORNIAPrepared by Dr. R. Esmond SmithPurpose:"To bring to the San Gabriel Valleya program to foster a deepeningappreciation of the values of Americandemocracy; to promote an orientationand awareness of the complexproblems facing American society;and to encourage a clearer understandingof the forces which havefashioned and formed American life.Azusa Pacific College is presentingthis Institute which is designed tobring into focus today's challenge toour system and a positive answer toth.at challenge."Executive Director, CarletonCampbell, M.D., F.A.C.S. "His concernover the evident drift of America to-Raccoons have been raiding our sweet corn patches lately. In-so-far aswe can tell, they come somewhere around three o'clock in the morning whenwe are sound asleep. In a night of activity they may leave half a dozenstalks broken down, and a dozen ears of "just right" sweet corn eaten clean.When we tell our city friends of our troubles with raccoons, they alwaysask, "Why don't you put a stop to it?"Why don't we?Traps have been set. Raccoons are smart enough to let them strictlyalone. Lighted lanterns have been set in the corn rows. The raccoons seem toappreciate the light. It helps them find the corn. Radios have been left blaringall night out in the sweet corn patch. The raccoons listen to the musicand "dance by the light of the moon", and the neighbors complain about thenoise from the radio. It appears they don't appreciate Rachmaninoff's CMinor music when they are trying to sleep.Is there, then, no way of keeping those raccoons out of our sweet cornpatches?Possibly we could offer to allow the lady of the house to hide out inthe corn rows, and fire off a shot gun every fifteen minutes during the night,to scare the raccoons away. Possibly she would decline the offer. How aboutasking the governor of our state to call out the National Guard?These suggestions might be effective. They would not be efficient. Probablyless than fifty cents worth of sweet corn is chewed up in any singlenight. We simply resigned ourselves to letting the raccoons have a few earsnow and then. Any effective retaliation would probably prove more costlythan the corn was worth.In the realm of daily living our Lord told us, "Whosoever shall smitethee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." This was not a commandto allow every Tom, Dick, and Harry to beat us into insensibility. Rather,it had to do with little insults that admittedly nettle us but do us no radicaldamage. The Christian can afford to accept such things as being slighted orjoked about. Often fighting back would cost more than it is worth.September 8, 1965 159

ward Socialism and of the world towardthe abyss of Communism, ledto the formation of the National FreedomEducation Center at King's College,Briarcliff Manor, New York.""Except the Lord build the house,they labor in vain that build it: exceptthe Lord keep the city, the watchmanwaketh but in vain." Quotedby Franklin at the Constitutional Convention.Psalm 127:1.A reformed Communist said: "GetAmerica back to God."Our basic values are God, the Constitution,and private enterprise. "IfMy people which are called by MyName, shall humble themselves, andpray, and seek My Face and turnfrom their wicked ways; then will Ihear from Heaven and will forgivetheir sin and will heal their land!" IIChronicles 7:14.REV. C. P. HAGGARD, D.D., whowas in charge of the program is Presidentof Azusa Pacific College, a wellknown educator, evangelist, youthspeaker, pastor and world traveler. Hegave an address on "THE SOVER­EIGNTY OF GOD AND NATIONALSTRENGTH"Daniel stood before Nebuchadnezzar,about 603 B.C., ". .. there is aGod in Heaven that revealeth secrets..." Daniel 2:28. J. Edgar Hoover hassaid: "We are at the crossroads. Moraldecay is leading to communism. Thereis little dedication, today. We havelost our spiritual background. Forgottenis the faith of our fathers."Righteousness exalteth a nation butsin is a reproach to any people." Proverbs14:34. John Quincy Adams, Gen.MacArthur, Gen. Omar Bradley, andex-Senator Judd have all spoken outtor the truth. In the Philippine Islands,life is greatly influenced bywhat they hear and see from theU.S.A. What is bad is copied. God andthings spiritual are subjected to ridicule,all too often!DR. CLARENCE MANION, lawyerin South Bend, Indiana. "THE PRIN­CIPLES OF AMERICAN FREEDOM,CONTRASTED WITH TOTALITAR­IANISM" Patriotic teachers are notpopular today. Atheistic teaching hasdeveloped in the last 25 years. TheHarris Poll has shown that 94 percentof the American people favor the restorationof the Bible and prayer tothe public schools. With the declineof respect for God, patriotism has decayed.Liberty is a God given right!We must have a sense of responsibilityin the individual. This has madeAmerica great. "Those who will notbe governed by God will be governedby God will be governed by tyrants!!"All men are created free andequal. Government is man's agentfor the protection of God's gifts toman. However, government must bechecked and balanced. The Almightyis the only Absolute Sovereign!!!Atheism wants liberty without responsibility—thefruit without theroots. The United Nations is a secularinstitution without God and prayer.Christ came to bring peace on earth,among men of good will!!!!WMS . . . From Page 157all who suffered from the devil'spower — because God was with Him.We then, like Christ, must be anointedwith the power of the Holy Spirit.Jesus promised that on His departurethe Spirit would come and dwellwith every believer, clothe with power,guide and teach the church, bear witnessof Christ and glorify Him, convictthe world of sin, righteousnessand judgment. Christ was set apartas the Messiah — "to give his life aransom for many" — and like Christwe are set apart for a particular callingfrom our Lord. We should earnestlyseek the will of God daily.2. Christ's Teaching — Matthew 5:13-20; 3848.In this passage Christ is teachingHis disciples as He delivered to themthe Sermon on the Mount. Salt rendersfood pleasant and palatable, andpreserves. So, Christians, by theirlives and instructions are to keep theworld from entire moral corruption.Christians are led by God's Spirit tothe building of Christ's church butthose who follow the evil one are assalt that has lost its savour. In easterncountries, the salt used was soimpure that it might lose the wholeof its saltness, and a considerablequantity of earthy matter be left. Thiswas good for nothing, except that itcould be used to place in paths as weuse gravel. This kind of salt is commonstill in those countries.The Christian's life should be as alight shining — reflecting Christ inour lives. Perhaps we should eachpause to think — What did I do withyesterday? — Did I read God's wordtoday? — Have I prayed for the boyacross the street? — Will I hear whatGod speaks to me today? — Does mynext door neighbor see Christ in mylife?Christ warns His disciples concerningthe law — "one jot or one tittleshall in no wise pass from the lawuntil all be fulfilled." The word jotis the smallest Hebrew letter in thealphabet and the word tittle means"little horn." Little points or littlehorns were also used in the Hebrewletters. One jot or one tittle becameproverbial and meant the smallestpart of the law should not be destroyed.The laws of the Jews were dividedinto moral, ceremonial, and judicial.The moral law deals with the natureof things which cannot be changed,such as loving God and His creatures.It would never be right to hate Godor our fellowman. The ten commandmentsbelong to the moral law andour Savior never abolished them. Theceremonial laws change as they regulatereligious rites and ceremonies ofthe people. God gave a new commandmentwhich was "Love your enemies,do good to those who hate you; prayfor those who despitefully use you."We are told to imitate Christ. Christexhibited His religion as a prince, afather, an individual, and as a helperof the poor. He was not only a piousman in one place; He was consistenteverywhere.3: Co-workers with Christ — James1:22-27, Matthew 25:40, Proverbs 3:27,Galatians 6:10.J. B. Phillips translates the versein James;"Don't I beg you, only hear themessage, but put it into practice,otherwise you are merely deludingyourselves —. If anyone appears tobe religious but cannot control histongue he deceives himself andwe may be sure that his religion isuseless."We can be co-workers with Christonly as we are anointed with theHoly Spirit and know we are inChrist. We leave off our old sinfulself to do God's will. We must praywithout ceasing. We must study HisWord to "show ourselves approvedunto God." Then we will have thatfaith that will lead us on to be atrue witness for Him, both in wordand in deed.160 COVENANTER WITNESS

Covenanter WitnessTO JESUS CHRIST?"THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONS"VOLUME LXXV NO. 11 SEPTEMBER 15, 1965 STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 10, 1965

THE COVENANTER WITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Editorial Address125 N. Fourth, Sterling, Kansas 67579Telephone Area Code 316 - BR 8-3472Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 toMrs. M. W. Dougherty, 125 N. FourthStreet Sterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under thesupervision of the Publication Board byThe Patterson Press, Wapello, IowaTHE BOARD OF PUBLICATIONRev. Paul Faris, Pres.Mr. A. D. RobbDr. Wyley Caskey, Vice Pres. Mr. Wilbur CopelandDr. G. M. Robb, Sec.Rev. T. R. HutchesonMr. Donald Fee, Treas.Dr. R. Paul WrightMr. Ross LatimerDr. D. Howard E'liottRev. M. L. McFarlandContributing Editors:Department Editors:Rev. Kenneth SmithRev. Bruce C. StewartDr. G. M. RobbMrs. Robert B. MaineRev. T. R. HutchesonMrs. Willis M. EdgarDr. S. E. BoyleRev. John K. GaultEditor— Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D. D.Opinion expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Church or.of the Editor.Subscription rates: $4.00 per year, domestic and overseas,2 years $7.00. Group rates, $3.00. Single copies 10cents.Agent for Subscription in U.S., Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Agent for British Isles: Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A., 12Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, North Ireland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness.All material that is to appear in the Witness shouldbe typewritten, double spaced, and should be in Sterling,Kansas two weeks before it is to be printed.Obituary notices are limited to one hundred fiftywords; all words in excess ol that amount are one centeach. Money should accompany the notice.News for the news section should be brief and up todate. One dollar is charged for death notices that aremore than six weeks old when they reach our office. Thisdoes not apply to minutes that have been adopted by anorganization.Give us one month's notice when you are changingyour address. This notice should be sent to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.This Week's WitnessSecond-class postage paid at Wapello, IowaCHANGE OF ADDRESSWhen giving notice of a change of address, pleasesend the old address as well as the new address to the Understanding Faith Believes163circulation manager.Glimpses164WE HOLD THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE.Proposed Presbyterian Confession165The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only Infalliblerule of faith and conduct.The First and Great Commandment167The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Are You Deeply Concerned About YourFaith in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Eternal Fate ...168Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experience. A Major League Tip169The Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.The Hidden Cave ...170Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Holy Spirit. Lesson Helps171The fact of death and hell as the destiny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.Scribe173That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believein Him together with their children.Church News174The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church Government.COVENANTER 162 WITNESSwelfare The That of Lord terms the Jesus Church. of membership Christ as the or only communion King and are Head essential of His Church. to theVerse for the WeekPsalm 95:3,4. "For the Lord is a great God,and a great King above all gods. In his handare the deep places of the earth: the strengthof the hills is his also."The dominion of God is founded upon his preservationof things. What a comfort it is to us toknow how great He is and that all things areunder His control. Our appreciation of His greatnessgrows when we think of the way He controlsthe world.We are told that if the mean temperature ofthe earth were to rise only three degrees, therewould be enough ice melt at the poles that thegreater part of New York City would be in theocean. If the temperature of your body would suddenlyrise two degrees, you would see a doctor.But God controls these things to a very smallmargin. If He can do these things, and if a sparrowcannot fall to the ground without His notice, surelywe can depend upon Him to take care of us. Heis far greater than any doctor or nurse whom wemight get to care for us.When we are in need of any kind, when wehave sorrow, when we are inclined to worry aboutthe future, when we are anxious about loved ones,when we are concerned about our country in dayslike these, how wonderfulit is to know that we havea GREAT GOD, who watches over all and controlsall. In His hand are the deep places of the earth;to Him the strength of the hills belongs.

Editorial CommentUNDERSTANDING FAITH BELIEVESIt was an impressive thing to learn that oneof the great problems with which our young peopleare struggling today is that of predestination andman's free will. It is not merely a passing fad.It grows out of the problem of finding God's willfOF one's life and well it should.I have known adults who, when confronted withthe problem, have (as they thought) quickly dismissedthe problem with a curt, "I don't believe it."Our youth are not treating it as a light question,or one to which they need pay no attention, but onewhich disturbs and must be thought through forcomfort's sake.In dealing with the problem one must at thevery outset realize that there are things in theScripture which mortal mind cannot fully comprehend.They cannot be obliterated by simply sayingwe do not believe them. While it is true that Godgave us reason and common sense and He expectsus to use them, He also gave us faith with which toaccept and believe that which is beyond our reach.One of the things which makes it difficult tolay hold of the doctrine of predestination and itsrelated doctrines, is our own self esteem. That is,I want to be the determining one in all situations.This will be corrected when we really believe thatwhich is foundational to Presbyterianism, namely,the universal sovereignty of God. Put God in Hisrightful place, and you will see things fall intotheir right places.I speak from experience, for this was my problem.When we come to the place that we are readyto accept the universal sovereignty of God, we realizeour utter dependence upon Him and can humblysubmit to His knowledge and all wise plan.One of the problems in this area arises fromthe misuse of the term, "free will." In reality thereis no such a thing. Even the will of God is limitedby His very nature. He is not free to lie, for thatis a sin, and if He committed sin He would ceaseto be God. The term should be, "free moral agency.'That is, one is free to choose within the boundarylines of his nature. The unbeliever is free to choose,but only within the bounds of his sinful nature inwhich he was born. Only when he becomes convertedand accepts Jesus Christ as his Saviour, does hehave a new nature. Then and then only is he able tochoose to do what is right and good in God's sight.Another problem connected with this doctrineis that God has fixed the end of one's destiny, andthere is nothing man can do about it. This is fatalism.This problem is due to one's seeing only onehalfof the truth. It is true that the end is predestined,but it is also true that the means by whichthat end is reached is also predestined. Sam Jonesmay be an unbeliever who is to be converted. Butit may also be that his conversion is to be broughtabout because you are predestined to speak tohim of Christ. Of course, you do not speak to himfirst of all, in order that he may be converted. Youspeak to him because it is one of God's commandsto speak. "Let him that heareth say come." His acceptanceor rejection of the offer does not enterinto your speaking as a first reason. Though youmay have compassion on him, your first reasonis that you are commanded to sow, or to speak,out of obedience as a child of God.If one only stops to think, he will soon realizehow little he has had to do with determining manythings in his life. He had nothing to do with determiningwho his parents would be, where he wouldbe born, or what his sex would be. He has nothingto do with determining the sex of his own children.While he may think he has made a free choice inmany cases, he will find as he looks back, that manycircumstances entered into the making of thosechoices.How grateful we should be that it does not alldepend upon us. We cannot save ourselves. Deadin sin, we cannot choose our Saviour until theHoly Spirit enters us and causes us to choose Him.It is a great comfort to behevers, to know thatour destiny lies with an omnipotent and infiniteGod. He is our God and as such He has chosen tosave us out of sin and to salvation. Nothing cantake us out of His hand. We are thankful that ourdestiny is in the hands of a UNIVERSALLY SOVER­EIGN GOD.To smooth over one's own conduct to one's conscienceis to smooth one's own path to hell.— SpurgeonSeptember 15, 1965 163

Glimpses of the Religious WorldT. R. Hutcheson820 New YorkHolton, KUUAIUNITARIANS BROAD MINDEDIn one of the series of articles which the TopekaDaily Capital has been publishing about various religions,one of the most intriguing is the one about the UnitarianChurch. Officially, it is the Unitarian UniversalistAssociation, since a union in 1961 of the AmericanUnitarian Association and the Universalist Church ofAmerica. It was appropriate that in determining thename of the united group it was decided to use "Association"rather than "Church." For in the article it isbrought out that a member of this group does not necessarilyhave to believe that there is a God.The writer states, "Freedom of belief among Unitariansis broad enough to include agnosticism, humanism,even atheism, on the one hand, and, on the other, abelief in God which can be manifested in a wide rangeof definitions — from that of a 'personal God' to an'Ultimate Reality.'"But the position of the Unitarian is not all broadmindedness.One is impressed by how many times thebelief of the member is stated in a negative form. Theyseem to be united on a host of things that they do notbelieve. They "do not believe that Jesus is either theMessiah of Jewish hope or the Saviour of Christian belief.They do not believe in heaven nor in hell, northe doctrine of revelation.What is left to believe, then? Unitarians believe insalvation by character. "They hold that enlightenedreligion can save us by inspiring and helping us to builda society in which moral values and spiritual insight arethe motivating forces, a society in which modern scientificknowledge will be shared among all people. Thuswe find salvation and the road that leads to peace,justice, and brotherhood."We recall the late Professor W. J. Coleman tellingof a conversation he had with a leader of the Unitariandenomination. He asked if the Unitarian Churchwas growing, to which the reply was something likethis: "No. We do not need to grow. Other denominationsare adopting our ideas."The Capital says of this matter, "Unitarians do notproselytize;COMPETITIONthey do notFORsendPARISHESout missionaries."IN IRELANDA Religious News Service release from Dublinstates that a priest of that diocese must normally waituntil he is 62 before a parish of his own is available.A proposed solution at the Catholic Social Study Conferencewas to make retirement at 65 compulsory forpriests and bishops.DEMAND FOR PRIESTS IN KOREAIn Korea, however, authorization has been given forconduct of religious services by laymen of the RomanCatholic Church. This innovation is due to the shortageof ordained priests.BAPTIST VOLUNTEER PROGRAMThe Southern Baptist Church has initiated a US-2program for volunteers, so called because they volunteerto serve for two years in the United States. They workas assistants in local congregations, youth directors, andother tasks for which new college graduates are qualified.The Roman Catholic Church has a similar program.Last year two young women were parish workers onthe Pottawatomie Reservation in Kansas. This yearthere are to be these two and two others. Glimpserasked one of them how the Indian people were respondingto their services, and learned that there is no wayto measure this. Part of the answer was, "We nevermention religion to them." They do a lot of driving,though, for Indians who have no cars.PASTOR CRITICAL OF PROPOSED CONFESSIONA sermon preached by Rev. Richard N. Merritt,pastor of First United Presbyterian Church of Lewisburg,Pennsylvania, has been published as a pamphletby the Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Companyof Nutley, New Jersey, under the title, "The ProposedPresbyterian Confession of 1967: A Preliminary Examination."Although delivered prior to the 1965 meeting ofthe General Assembly, the information is pertinent. Theselection from the preface will indicate the theme of thesermon:"The sermon which follows was preached on May9, 1965 at the First United Presbyterian Church of Lewisburg,Pennsylvania, before the General Assembly convenedat Columbus, Ohio. It represents the writer's personalobjections to certain premises of the confessionof 1967 which are anomalous to the Reformed faith ofour Church. Pilate's cryptic question continues to hauntPresbyterian Churches of our day. For if the Confessionof 1967 is truth, then the Confession of Westminster isnot truth, since at the deepest level these two documentsare profoundly at odds with each other. Our prayer isthat the Lord of the Scriptures and the Lord of theChurch will so be with Presbyterians that, 'the eyesof their understanding being enlightened,' they may'hold the form of sound words' against all unsound intrusions."164 COVENANTER WITNESS

THE PROPOSED PRESBYTERIAN CONFESSION Of 1967A Preliminary ExaminationBy Richard N. MerrittThe sermon which follows was preached on May9, 1965 at the First United Presbyterian Church ofLewisburg, Pennsylvania, before the General Assemblyconvened at Columbus, Ohio.The present crisis in the United PresbyterianChurch in the United States of America did notspring full-blown from the heads of the severalarchitects of the proposed Confession of 1967.The present crisis is, in fact, the continuation ofa crisis which developed within our denominationin the nineteenth century and which reacheda serious climax in the 1920's when the Church,and Princeton Theological Seminary in particular,were shaken to the foundations by theologicalcontroversy. Writing for The Presbyterian in1924 J. Gresham Machen said, "The PresbyterianChurch in the U.S.A. has apparently come to aparting of the ways. It may stand for Christ, orit may stand against him; but it can hardly haltbetween two opinions."Machen was right, for in a few years schismdid occur within the Presbyterian Church, hehimself leading out a remnant group which wouldbecome the seed of the subsequent OrthodoxPresbyterian and Bible Presbyterian Churches.Nor can we help wondering whether today theU.P. Church in the U.S.A. stands at a new "partingof the ways." Stated Clerk Eugene CarsonBlake evidently does not think so, for he saysconfidently, "We decided in the 1920's that wewould not be a fundamentalist church, but a conservative,Biblically oriented church that was notrigidly literalist." And yet, in that Dr. Blake hascarefully spelled out ground rules for debate on thenew document—with a warning against "theologicalcontroversy"—we may ask whether the theologicalopinion of Northern Presbyterianism is quiteas unilateral as he would have us believe.The Confession of 1967 is a document which byits very nature can only occasion lively debate. Ifit should fail to do so, then the Church either is a-sleep or dead, as some already suspect it to be. Itis my purpose this morning, as the sermon title indicates,to examine the Confession in a preliminaryway, not to subject its contents to an exhaustiveanalysis. This undertaking would require severalsermons, and such an effort perhaps will be madewhen many of the ambiguous phrases of the proposalare clarified at the Columbus General Assembly.My concern this morning is with the impliedpremises of the document, and with certain incidentalphenomena attending its publication. Perhapsa homiletical excursion with Hannah shouldhave been more pleasant on this Mother's Day, buta homiletical excursion with the new Confession isfar more crucial and important.There are first two incidental but importantquestions to be discussed concerning the new document,and we turn our attention briefly to themnow: (1) the inexcusable delay in its publication; (2)the argument that with a new statement of faithand revised ordination vows Presbyterian ministerswill be rescued from the equivocation involved in"receiving" and "adopting" the Westminster Standards.(1) The Delay: The Confession is a short documentof forty-two hundred words, about the lengthof a typical undergraduate term paper. However,so important is the document that it may not becomea part of Presbyterian polity until three GeneralAssemblies and two-thirds of all presbyterieshave found it acceptable. But in spite of its brevity,and its significance, this document was releasedonly one month before the General Assembly is toconvene at Columbus, Ohio, and after many, if notmost presbyteries had met for the last time beforethe convening of General Assembly. This meansthat neither presbyteries nor local congregationshave had reasonable opportunity for study and criticismof the Confession. Why this delay? Was it astrategic move calculated to gain a quick advantagein its first General Assembly test? If this is so,then let it be said that there is no excuse for suchtactics. They arouse suspicion and create a climateof immediate distrust. Moreover, they lend supportto the view that the term "power structure in theChurch" is more than a pejorative term used by malcontentswho hve the buried life in obscure parishes.(2) The argument of the alleged "schizophrenic"situation into which candidates for the Presbyterianministry are thrust: There are those who contendthat the majority of men seeking ordination tothe Presbyterian ministry, endorse the WestminsterStandards with fingers crossed and tongue-in-cheekand that a new latitudinarianism will resolve thisSeptember 15, 1965 165

dilemma. If it is true—and I should hope that it isnot true—that most Presbyterian ministers haveequivocated in this way, then they have perjuredthemselves before God and congregation. Nor willany degree of rationalization or absolution grantedby theologians, who may be guilty of a similarmoral crime right the wrong. No man is coerced intothe ministry of the Presbyterian Church, and toelect to he in the sacred hour of ordination is anact which is beyond justification. The liberation offuture candidates from an honest subscription tothe Westminster Standards will mean only onething, viz., the captivity of congregations to thewidest spectrum of pulpit unbehef.Beyond these incidential phenomena, however,lie the implied premises of the document itself. Ibelieve that there are at least four characteristicswhich mark the Confession of 1967 as a prospectivehazard for the theological integrity of the UnitedPresbyterian Church in the U.S.A. These characteristicsinclude:(1) The writers are willing to assign only a relativevalue to confessional statements, includingthe Holy Scriptures. Thus, the document endorsesrelativism as a valid principle for theological understanding.(2) In alleging a compatibility between the newConfession and both the Westminster and Heidelbergexpressions of faith the writers labor under acontradiction that is beyond resolution.(3) In that it obscures both the person and thework of Jesus Christ the document falls short of itspurported Christocentric ideal.(4) The proposal is an exercise in reductionism,particularly in its effort to reduce radically thestature of Holy Scripture.Relativism. I can best illustrate my use of thisword by quoting from the Confession of 1967: "Theearliest examples of confession are found withinthe Scriptures. ... No one type of confession is exclusivelyvalid, no one statement is irreformable."The publication of this document signals a greatoutpouring of the spirit of Heraclitus and the promulgationof the dogma that the essence of theologicalthought is change, flux. The WestminsterStandards, then, possess only a relative value andauthority, as will the Confession of 1967, should itbe adopted. In fact, in the climate of dynamic tensionwhich is the theological climate of our day thenew proposal must face the rick of obsolescenceeven before it reaches the final adoption stage. Forby then the essentially neo-orthodox thought of thisproposal may have been jettisoned by theologicalspokesmen of the denomination in favor of the evenmore radical idiom of some Bultmannian or "beyondBultmann" school of thought. Should this occur, theConfession of 1967 will be denounced as a "FundamentalistManifesto"!Moreover, the principle of relativism as it isused in the proposal repudiates any idea of theChristian faith as "the faith once dehvered to thesaints." Since no confession is "exclusively valid,"the Scriptures themselves, as primitive "confessions,"enjoy only a relative validity. If this is true,our faith can never be a settled faith, and we mustcategorically reject the Psalmists's naive assertion,"Forever, oh Lord, thy word is settled in heaven."Forty years ago Dr. Machen indicated the principleof theological relativism in his What is Faith?"Theology, it is said, is merely the necessarilychanging expression of a unitary experience; doctrinecan never be permanent, but is simply theclothing of religious experience in the forms ofthought suitable to any particular generation. . . .In accordance with this principle, various creedshave recently been produced to take the place of thegreat historic confessions of faith—various creedsintend to "interpret" Christianity in the "thoughtforms"of the twentieth century and to provide abasis for Christian unity. It is perfectly obvious thatthese modern formulations differ from those fi»atthey are intended to supplant in many importantways. But the most important difference of all hassometimes escaped notice. The most importantdifference is not that these modern creeds differfrom the historic creeds in this point or that; butit is that the historic creeds, unlike the moderncreeds were intended by their authors or compilersto be true. And I for my part believe that this is themost necessary qualification of a creed. I cannot,therefore, accept the protestations of those pragmatistswho maintain that they are not hostile to theology.For if theology is not even intended to be permanentlyand objectively true, if it is merely a convenientsymbol in which in this generation a mysticexperience is clothed, then theologizing, it seems to 0me, is the most useless form of trifling in which aman could possibly engage."The text of this quotation is its own commentary,and a contemporary searchlight upon the fugitivetheology of the Confession of 1967.The Internal Contradiction. The framers of thenew Confession point out that it will be incorporatedinto a "Book of Confessions," a kind ofreligious anthology, and that "it does not removethe Westminster Confession from the Constitutionof the church." However, the preliminary essay onthe proposed Confession states quite plainly thatshould initial acceptance of the document be a-See back page166 COVENANTER WITNESS

Hurrah! Hurrah! The people in the grand standare clapping and shouting as they rise to theirfeet. Their favorite player has made a home run.There are thousands in the grandstand and bleachers.Have they remembered that it is the Sabbathday? Look about you and you see many ^urchmembers there watching the professional ball game.If they know God's law, "Remember the Sabbathday to keep it holy," they have forgotten or ignoredit.The auto racers are circling the track with terrificspeed; round and round they go. As the greatcrowd watches in amazement and horror, they seea racing car jump from the track, turn over, andbegin to burn with the driver under it. How will heand the others answer to God, for it is the Sabbathday?Jesus included the first four commandments inwhat He called "the first and great commandment."Can we then look upon it as old fashioned, insignificant,and out-of-date?From the very beginning of mankind uponearth God established the Sabbath day. In six daysthe Lord made the heaven and earth and restedon the seventh day. Long before the Levitical lawwas given God gave the example and command tokeep the Sabbath as a holy day. He declared of theSabbath, "In it thou shalt not do any work, thou,nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man servant,nor thy maidservant, nor the cattle, nor thystranger that is within thy gates."I was once talking with an ex-Roman Catholicpriest who had but recently left the Catholic Church,and he said that as priests they had observed Massin the morning and played ball in the afternoon.I reminded him of the fourth commandment, andhe replied that it says men should not work but itdoes not say that they may not engage in games inthe afternoon. I then reminded him of the commandin Isaiah the fifty-eighth chapter in whichwe are told to refrain from our own words, ourown pleasures, and our own thoughts on the Sabbath.He asked eagerly, "Where is that found?"All Covenanters have subscribed to the Catechism,which says, "The Sabbath is to be sanctifiedby a holy resting all that day, even from suchworldly employments and recreations as are lawfulon other days; and spending the wh ?e time inthe public and private exercise of God's worship,except so much as to be taken up in the works ofnecessity and mercy." What place then is there forTHE FIRST AND GREAT COMMANDMENTBy Rev. F. E. Allen, D.D.boating, fishing, driving, picnicking, social partiesball games, golf, tennis, Sunday papers, going tofairs, working in the field, or in business, or secularstudies on the Sabbath?Profaning the Sabbath, along with idolatry, isgiven as sins for which Israel was taken into captivity.After the captivity, when some of the peoplehad returned to Jerusalem and were carrying onbusiness as usual on the Sabbath, Nehemiah toldthem that if they did so again they would be arrested.They may have replied, "We are buying fishand it is a perishable commodity; it will not keepover Sabbath." Notwithstanding Nehemiah said,"Your fathers broke the Sabbath and were led intocaptivity. The gates are to be closed and there is tobe no business on the Sabbath." Jesus did notchange or modify the law of the Sabbath. He didspeak out against the petty, silly rules that thePharisees had made and tried to enforce. He allowedworks of necessity and mercy but did not sayor do anything which would change or modify theBiblical law of the Sabbath. Jesus said that if webreak one of the least commandments and teachmen so, we shall be called the least in the kingdomof heaven. The fourth commandment is not one ofthe least, but a part of the first and great commandment.God promised, through Isaiah, that the nationwhich kept the Sabbath should ride on the highplaces of the earth, that is, they would be greatlyblessed.Recently President Johnson gave a commandto a committee, which was preparing the CivilRights Bill for his signature, that the memberswere to work steadily over the Sabbath to haveitready for his signature by Tuesday. We agree thatit was an important bill and should have been enactedinto law long ago, but that did not warrantthe order to work on ihe Sabbath day. When welose our Christian faith and life and ignore God'slaw, we soon lose our freedom. True Christianityis the foundation of freedom for men of everyrace. If we lose the first table of the law we willsoon lose the second table.In the Aug. 27, '65 issue of the Christian Reformedpaper, The Banner, there is an article entitled,"Is Sunday on the Way Out?" The writer saysthat requests have come to him from three statesto call attention to the growing ivil of Sabbath des-See page 16bSeptember 15, 1965167

ARE YOU DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUTYOUR ETERNAL FATE?You Should BeRev. Hubert H. Heath1817 Thomas RoadMedford, OregonUnrepented, unconfessed sin can land you inan eternal hell. You may not believe that and befully determined not to believe it, but what you or Ibelieve changes nothing that is. The enemies of Godand man make a mock of sin, calling it a figmentof the imagination.Sin is so very real; it has deeply marked thefaces of untold millions. Go into the street; studythe faces of those you meet. The story is writtenthere in uncounted millions. All the outer universeoperates according to LAW. Only on this earth dowe find outlawry encouraged — by the enemies ofGod and man.With the instrument used to measure radiowaves, scientists have found the brain wave of theChristian registers on the positive side, while thebrain wave of the wicked registers on the negativeside. No instrument has yet been devised that willmeasure the scope of the human brain wave. Onehas registered fifty-five times the range of a fiftywatt station.IS THAT SIGNIFICANT? Sin is a violation oflaw. At a time when every law of God and man isbeing openly flouted, only a fool or falsifier willsay there is no violation of law in the land. Everylaw violated exacts a penalty.Evidence of a Great Directing Intelligence is allabout us. All comprehending, unhurried, irresistibleplan and purpose is registered throughout God'sgreat universe. Would you measure time againsteternity? Take the tiniest speck of water possibleand set it alongside the vast oceans of earth andit does not compare at all with the immeasurabledifference in time and eternity.It is written: "Except ye repent ye shall alllikewise perish." To repent is to be sorry for yoursin. That is of first consideration and is just, butit is "With the MOUTH that confession is madeunto salvation." Confession to God, seeking forgivenessin Jesus' name. Isn't that fair and isn'tit logical? Isn't it JUST?Be not deceived. It isn't a question of "acceptingHim." It IS a question of HIS accepting us andthose are the requirements. It is written in Hisinerrant Word, "When ye seek Me with all yourhearts I will be found of you." There you have it.What are you going to do about it? Can there begreater folly than to neglect it?Millions of minds and bodies of men made inthe image and in the likeness of God are deeplymarked with sin that all may see. What about yourown? The deepest joy that mortal mind can receivecomes when in better repentence one confesses sinsto God and asks forgiveness in Jesus' name, andHis Spirit opens the minds of our spirits to thereality of being born of the Spirit, cleansed and bornanew.Christ, the Lord stressed secret prayer as mosteffective. These things can be tested in the privacyof your own home or out in the deserts, IF you areso deeply concerned, so anxious to know the TRUTHof the matter that you seek Him with all yourheart.If we reject Him He will reject us. IF we neglectHim have we any right to expect Him to care forus and reveal Himself to us, or to save us from ourown misdoings? His challenge lies before everysoul, "Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shallsearch for me with all your heart." Accept or prepareto take the consequences of your own sins."Show me the toes of your shoes, and I shallknow how much you pray," said an old saint of God.If you kneel for a few minutes, the toes of yourshoes will have faint creases and a slight upwardcurve. Spend hours on your knees and the markswill become more pronounced. But the surest signwill be in your daily life.Prayer habits leave unmistakable imprints onthe heart and mind. The more time is dedicated toprayer, the stronger will be the evidence.Therefore, do not neglect to pray. Your dailywalk— as well as your shoes — will tell the difference.Those who pray as Christ prayed will walkas He walked — showing all humility, compassion,and love. They will be ever swift and zealous to doHis will.COMMANDMENT . . . from page 167ecration. He says that God will surely call to accountthose who promote Sunday business, Sundaybaseball, and other secular pursuits by whichthey desecrate the Lord's day for the sake of filthylucre. He gives some examples of men who refusedto work on the Sabbath and temporarily losttheir jobs, but were soon rewarded by better oneswith advanced wages.Another article in the same issue of the TheBanner tells of five ministers in South Holland,Illinois, who requested the stores not to open onthe Sabbath. They asked both those who sell andthose who buy to respect the Sabbath and to keepit as a day of rest and worship.168 COVENANTER WITNESS

A Major League TipBy Felipe Alou, Milwaukee BravesI'll never forget my first Big League hit! Standingon first base in old Seals Stadium in San Franciscoback in 1958 after "hit number one," well . . .one can imagine the thoughts that crossed my mind.About a dozen fellows have come to the MajorLeagues from my native Dominican Republic butthis was the first Dominican ever to reach firstbase! The reason for this was because I was fortunateenough to be the first among my people tocome to the Big Leagues! Naturally, it was an experiencethat will live with me for many years tocome.I am one of six children, four of whom areboys. (The boys, incidentally, are all in baseball.One of my brothers, Matty, is with the Giants.) Afew years ago one of my close friends in the DominicanRepublic had been influenced by a Christianmissionary. He had learned much of the Bible fromthis faithful missionary, who told him so manywonderful things about Christ. He learned thatbeing "good" was not enough. He learned that asgood as all of us might be we are all sinful, andbecause we were born with a sinful nature, weare really not acceptable to God as we are. We needto have our sins forgiven, and the only way thiscan be done is through Jesus Christ and what Hedid for us through shedding His blood on the crossof Calvary. It was good to learn through my friendthe truth of John 3:16: "God so loved the world,that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoeverbelieveth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." He sent His only Son to die for me andI was told that the risen Christ could forgive meand make me as new ... IF I would let Him. Yet,I wasn't convinced that a "good boy' (which Ithought I was) needed to be born again!When I left my country to come to the Statesto play in organized ball my Christian friend gaveme a Bible. I packed it in my suitcase and carried itwith me but still did not take seriously the importanceand necessity of a definite decision to takethe Christ of that Bible as my personal Saviour.However, during spring training in 1958 I cameto know and respect a pitcher on our team whoknew the Lord, loved Him, and wasn't ashamed totalk about Him. I knew He had something that Ihad heard about but didn't have for myself. I startedto read my Bible and the light began to dawn. Andso early in the 1958 Season (my first day in themajors) in a hotel room in San Francisco I knewa decision HAD to be made. I opened the Bible andbegan to read. God did something for me that day.1 was born again, as I asked Jesus Christ to comeinto my heart. Romans 10:13 says: "whosoever shallcall upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."This is what I did, and Jesus saved me.My whole life has taken on a new and higherpurpose. Christ is now first in my life, although Istill love baseball and want to do my best.I've had some injuries but I know the Lord iswith me, both in victories and defeats. Philippians4:13 says: "I can do all things through Christ (whostrengtheneth me."I wish that everyone would experience the thrill,joy and hope that is mine; something that comesnot through seeing your name in the headlines of anewspaper or through temporary fame that baseballcan bring, but through a personal meetingwith Jesus Christ. I would like to give you the mostwonderful and most important tip you could everreceive. I involves not the game of baseball, butthe game of life and not only this life, but the lifeto come. The tip is this:"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thoushalt be saved" (Acts 16:31)."If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the LordJesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that Godhath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.For with the heart man believeth unto righteousnessand with the mouth confession is made unto salvation"(Romans 10:9, 10).I'm thankful I received this advice and did somethingabout it. I hope you will do the same.—American Tract SocietySeptember 15, 1965 169

THE HIDby Edna"Oh Mother, Mother," Rose Talmadge calledout as she raced into the house, "Madge Sullivanasked me to go with her and her parents to theirlake home.""Why how nice," her Mother responded."Hurry Mom, and please help me get ready, willyou," as Rose dashed about getting her things togetherfor the weekend trip.Soon on the way and miles from her home,Rose began to notice the golden tamarack and thegreat pines.When they arrived at the shimmering lake, shesaid reverently to Madge, "It looks like the gatewayto heaven. It's pure gold on the water.""Wait till you see the sunrise," Madge promisedher.Rose was thrilled with the chipmunks, the treesquirrels and ducks floating on the water. "Look,"she cried, "that little tree squirrel is peeking aroundthat fir limb and scolding me.""Oh, they're little acrobats. But just come andsee our glacial fed stream."They crossed a little wooden bridge with a lograiling on the left side of it. Rose was hstening tothe dreamy song of the lapping waters. "Look,"she exclaimed, "I can count every stone; the wateris so clear. And see all the colors too. Rich creamand tan and brown.""This is the water we drink," Madge informedher."No wonder. I've never seen such a crystal clearstream."The next morning when Rose awakened andheard the soft splashing of the waters against theshore, she snuggled down under the covers thinkinghow good it was to be in this exciting place.She raised up and gazed out the window. Shewas amazed to find herself looking into the tendereyes of a deer. She felt an indescribable wonderwell up within her, as she sat motionless lookingat this wild, free beauty. The head of the deer wasframed in the fir branches, like a wilderness painting.Delighted, she cried out softly, "Oh you beautifulthing!"Quietly she slipped out of bed and tiptoed to thewindow. But it was gone.And then she saw the sunrise. The sky was ablaze of radiant glory, resplendent in soft — burningand brilliant rose. "Wait till you see the sunrise,"she echoed. "No wonder Madge said it."She dressed quickly and ran out to tell Madge."You'll probably see the deer again," Madge assuredJENCAVEanes Kayser A SHORT STORYher. "But hurry and eat. We have a big day aheadof us. I have the lunch all packed and I'm going totake you for a long hike in an unexplored placetoday." With a gay air of mystery about her Madgerushed to finish her breakfast.The telephone was ringing and Mr. Sullivan answered."Yes John — I see. Good-by.""I have to go back to town," he informed thefamily. "An important business deal is coming up.That man from the east came and I've got to bethere."Mrs. Sullivan wished to go with him and it wasdecided that the girls could stay, because the neighborsclose by and snugly hidden under the hilllived here the year around.Soon the girls were on their way trampingthrough deep virgin timber up a high snow crestedmountain. Around noon they rested by a thick firgrove.Rose began exploring. She pushed her waythrough the low growing firs that were heavilymatted together. "Oh Madge, hurry!"Madge jumped up and shoved her way throughthe trees."Who would have ever guessed it was here,"Rose exclaimed in astonishment. "A cave! Imaginestumbling on to this!" And Rose led the way deepinto the cave."Isn't it just thrilling," and Madge was pushingforward as fast as she could go.Suddenly she said to Rose in alarm, "We're notalone! I hear voices.""So do I," Rose gasped."The sound is coming from the mouth of thecave. We are trapped!" Madge stifled a scream andwhispered hoarsely, " Lean up against the cavewall."The sounds were coming closer. A gruff voicecautioned, "Be careful. Don't trip. This is a goodhide out!""I'll say it is!"Rose knew that one of the men was only a stepaway from her. She felt smothered. Her tremblinglegs would hardly hold her up any longer. Withshaking hands she held to the wall."What's this?" a man's voice boomed out.Rose felt the crushing of knotty fingers aroundher quivering arm. She crumpled in a heap on thefloor."A girl," the man snarled."Here's another one," his partner blurted out.More next week170 COVENANTER WITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of October 10,1965Sabhath School Lessonfor October 10, 1965JETHRO: GIVING GOOD ADVICEExodus 2:16-22; 4:18-20; 18.Comments by John K. Gault"Full many a gem of. purest raysereneThe dark, unfathomed caves ofocean bear;Full many a flower is born to blushunseen,And waste its sweetness on the desertair."From Gray's "Elegy"Jethro is also called Reuel in thislesson. Then in Numbers 10:29 he iscalled "Hobab, the son of Raguel theMidianite, Moses' father-in-law." Thisuse of several names for Moses' father-in-lawhas been very disturbing tothe translators. It is thought that"Jethro" and "Hobab" were the sameperson but that "Reuel" was eitherthe father of Jethro or that it was thename of the clan to which Jethro belonged.The Midianites, of which Jethrowas a member, were related to Israel.Midian, the progenitor of those people,was the fourth son of Keturah, Abraham'swife after the death of Sarah.The Midianites were closely identifiedwith the Ishmaelites who were likewisedescendants of Abraham. As wetold in Genesis 25:5, 6, "Abraham gaveall that he had unto Isaac. But untothe sons of the concubines, whichAbraham had, Abraham gave gifts, andsent them away from Isaac his son,while he yet lived, eastward, unto theeast country."1: Jethro Was a Priest of Midian.This fact made him capable of givinggood advice. Even though he livedamong heathen pople yet he had notforgotten the God of his fathers. Whenhe came to Moses with his daughterand her two sons he "rejoiced for allthe goodness which the Lord had doneto Israel," as we are told in Exodus18:9; and then in verse 12 it is said,"And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law,took a burnt offering and sacrificesfor God: and Aaron came, and all theelders of Israel, to eat bread withMoses' father-in-law before God."Jethro, therefore was a worshiper ofthe true God. He said to Moses, "Blessedbe the Lord, who hath deliveredyou out of the hand of the Egyptians,and out of the hand of Pharaoh, whohath delivered the people from underthe hand of the Egyptians." This is aclear indication that Jethro was a believerand worshiper of the true Godand that he gave credit to God forthe deliverance of the children of Israel.No leader of people is capable ofgiving good advice who is not a worshiperof the true God.2: In Jethro God Recognized aPriest Who was Not of the House ofAaron.Jethro seems to take a position ofprecedence even over Aaron. As we aretold in verse 12 Jethro was the administratorof this act of worship. He"took a burnt offering and sacrificesfor God." This seems to be a presage ofthe coming of that time when Godwould draw his spiritual forces fromevery country of the earth. At thistime God was in process of developinga nation which was to be composedlargely of the progeny of Isaacbut in the person of Jethro God madean exception and brought in one whodid not belong to the "son of the promise."Jethro was a spiritual leaderwho did not belong to the family ofAaron.3: Jethro Was a Man of UnusualSagacity.Moses made the mistake whichmany leaders have made; he tried todo too much himself. There is an oldsaying, "It is better to put ten men towork than to try to do the work often men." The next day after Jethrocame to Moses was court day onwhich Moses held court and adjudicatedthe various matters which thepeople brought before him. This lastedall the day, "from the morning untothe evening." (Vs 13) The people stoodaround waiting for their turn to comeup. We have all had experiences ofwaiting in line for some service andwe know how wearisome such an experiencecan be. Waiting in line forMoses to settle their legal problemswas indeed a very tiresome experienceboth for the people and for Moses.Jethro looked on this procedure andhe asked Moses, "What is this thingthat thou doest to the people? Whysittest thou thyself alone and all thecism of Moses' Method.He revealed to Moses the weaknessof his method as is stated in verse 18,"Thou wilt surely wear away, boththou, and this people that is withthee: thou art not able to perform itthyself alone." If Moses continued inthis method of adjudicating mattershe would wear himself out and alsothe people, and they would becomevery discontented. Think what a statethe Church would be in if the Synodshould attempt to adjudicate all matterswhich come up between peopleof the denomination. Every leadershould welcome constructive criticism.No one is immune from making mistakes,and as Isaiah says of the bettertime, "Even a little child shall leadthem."Jethro agreed with Moses in thebasic objectives of the session whenhe said, "Be thou for the people toGod-ward, that thou mayest bring thecauses unto God; And thou shaltteach them ordinances and laws, ^/idshalt show them the way whereinthey must walk, and the work thatthey must do." (Vs. 19, 20) Moses'great mission in life was to do that,but he was going about it in a methodwhich was not wise. Pastors ofchurches and college presidents havemade the same mistake which Mosesmade.5: Jethro's Plan of Judicial Organization.As is stated in verse 21 he counseledMoses to "provide out of all thepeople able men, such as fear God,men of truth, hating covetousnes?;.and place such over them, to be rulersof thousands, and rulers of hundreds,rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.And let them judge the people at allseasons: and it shall be that everygreat matter they shall bring untothee, but every small matter theyshall judge: so it shall be easier forthyself, and they shall bear the burdenwith thee. If thou shalt do thisthing, and God command thee so,then thou shalt be able to endure,and all this people shall also go topeople stand by thee from morning their place in peace." This was Jethro'sunto even?" Moses explained to hisfather-in-law that he did this "becausethe people come unto me to enquireof God: When they have a matter theycome unto me; and I judge betweenplan of organization and it wasto be of inestimable value in the transformationof Israel from a hord ofwandering nomads into a nation oforganization and laws. Have no moreone another, and I do make them waiting in line.September 15, 1965know the statutes of God and hislaws." (Vs 15, 16) Moses' objective wasright and good but his method wasnot the best.4: Jethro Made Constructive Criti­6: Jethro's Counsel Reveals HowGood Criticism Can Come from UnexpectedSources.Jethro, as has been said, was aMidianite, a tribe of nomads who wor-171

shiped idols. In all probability he himself,before this, was not convincedthat there was but one true God.A Harvard professor was building asummer cabin in a backwoods country,with the help of an uneducatedresident of the community. The problemwas to lay out an exact rightangle but the only tool they had wasa measuring stick. The professor didnot know how to go about it. But theunlettered helper came forth with thesuggestion," Measure four feet fromthe point of the angle, in one directionand two feet in the other direction.Then adjust those two points so thatthe distance betwen them will beequal to the sum of the squares ofthe other two sides." Then he saidto the professor," Hain't that whatyou call geometry?" Even a Harvardprofessor can learn something from abackwoods country man. It is indeedunfortunate when a person's mind isclosed to constructive criticism whichmight come from lowly sources.7: Moses, the Lawgiver, Acceptedthe Counsel of Jethro, his Father-inlaw.In verse 24 it is said, "So Moseshearkened to the voice of his fatherin-law,and did all that he had said.""Lesson based on International SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessonsfor Christian Teaching, copyrighted 1958by the Division of Christian Education. NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ ln theU. S. A."Junior Topicfor October 10, 1965GOD'S JEWEL-CASEEphesians 1:3Mrs. R. H. McKelvy(Secure, if possible, Mr. McConkey'stract "God's Jewel-Case.") Inthis lesson, lead the children to realizethe value of our precious blessings inChrist. Attractive cards containing thetreasure verses are placed in a largeBible. The teacher speaks of eachbeautiful treasure as a Junior drawsout the card and reads it.Worship period — Repeat Habakkuk2:20 and sing our Prayer Psalm143:4, 5.Introductory thoughts — Supposea great king were to lead you to hisjewel room where upon their velvetcushions flash the costliest of gems.172Picking up a gold jewel-case of exquisitebeauty, he begins to fill it.He selects a lovely shining pearl, ablood red ruby, a flashing diamond,sapphires blue as the evening sky,emeralds dark as a wood-mirroredstream. One by one he lays them inthe golden box. When the final splendidgift has been placed there, heshuts the jewelcase and hands it toyou. His most precious treasures areyours when you receive that case.Jesus Christ is, as it were, God'sjewel-case. In Him, God has hidden allHis priceless spiritual treasures. Andthese rare gems are yours in Christ.God has given us a Treasure-bookwhich tells of their jewels. Let us discoverwhat they are that we may receivethem for ourselves.First we find the pearl of greatprice called the LOVE OF GOD. Itis a jewel which, once ours, cannot belost. Banks may close; investmentsmay fail; but "I am persuaded thatneither death nor life,... nor anyother creature, shall be able to separateus from the love of God which isin Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans8:38, 39.)And God so loved us that He gaveus another precious jewel in Christ.It is FORGIVENESS. Our Treasurerbooktells us that in Christ "we haveredemption through His blood, theforgiveness of sins, according to theriches of His grace." (Ephesians 1:7)What a wonderful gem it is.Beneath it shines forth the jewel,FREEDOM THROUGH TRUTH. Inthe bitter cold of our Canadian winter,pilgrims may be seen crawling up thesteps to a mountain shrine in Montreal.On each step they stop to say theirprayers and "count their beads." Bythis penance they attempt to free theirsouls from sin and death, not knowingthat this precious jewel of freedomis found only in Christ. (Romans 8:2)In Christ, we have the lovely gem,TRUST. "I will trust and not beafraid." (Isaiah 12:2.) Dr. McFeeterssaid that this tiny chapter in Isaiahwas "a gem in a field of diamonds."How rich a Christian is who takesthese blessings offered in Christ! Besidethis jewel lie two others, PEACEand JOY. Through Christ Jesus wehave "the peace of God which passethall understanding." (Philippians 4:7.)At the top of a recent letter I readthese words, "My heart trusteth inHim, and I am helped." Peace comesto our hearts when we trust in Jesus.Joy also comes to the trusting Christian."Who so trusteth in the Lord,happy is he." (Proverbs 16:20.)HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE is themagnificent gift of God through JesusChrist our Lord. (Romans 6:23.) Oneday I was talking to a twelve-year oldboy in a hospital ward, when I foundthat he had never heard the story ofthe resurrection of his Saviour. AsI told it, his eyes never left my faceand he sat up in bed, eagerly drinkingin every word of that wonderful story.For the first time, the beautiful jewelof HOPE through our risen Lord wasbeing presented to him.Boys and girls, if I told you of aking's treasure which was yours forthe taking, would you not receive it?Then accept these spiritual blessingswhich the sovereign God offers youin the Son, Jesus Christ.Jewel Psalms — Ps. 116:1, 4; Ps.32:1, 13; Ps. 37:3-6; Ps. 121; Ps. 25:7,8; Ps. 23.(another substitute topic)Prayer Meeting Topicfor October 13, 1965PRAYER FOR REV. MR. ANDMRS. JAMES PENNINGTONSuggested Psalms: 103:16-19, page 245;67:1-3, page 161; 27:9, 10, 12, 13, 16,page 63; 72:9-12, page 175.Scripture: Romans 10 (esp. vs. 11-15);Exodus 4:1-17 (esp. vs. 10-12)Reference Material: Covenanter Ministers,1930-1963 by Dr. Alvin Smith;Bibliography: pages 172, 173; BriefHistory of Japan Mission, pages 303-312.(Please read the above Scriptureverses immediately preceding thetopic.)"Anyone who calls upon the nameof the Lord will be saved. But howshall they ask Him to save them unlessthey believe in Him? And howcan they believe in Him if they havenever heard about Him? And how canthey hear about Him unless someonetells them? And how will anyone goand tell them unless someone sendshim? (Romans 10: 13-15a, Living Letters).We had known of the need for additionalworkers for Japan for sometime, but on May 8, 1963, the need wasbrought forcefully to our attention bya long distance telephone call informingus that the Foreign Mission Boardhad unanimously called us to serve inCOVENANTER WITNF^

Japan. And we were reminded of theabove Scripture, "How will anyonego and tell them unless someonesends them?" But as we began toconsider seriously all the implicationsof this call, we began to have someserious doubts concerning our qualifications.However, for every reasonor excuse which we could offer fordeclining the call, the Lord gave amost convincing answer from HisWord. Not the least of our concernswas the prospect of learning the formidableJapanese language. Our feelings,if not the exact words, were likethose of Moses, "Oh my Lord, I amnot eloquent. . but I am slow ofspeech, and of a slow tongue." Butthe Lord answered, "Who has mademan's mouth? or who maketh thedumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or theblind? Have not I the Lord? Nowtherefore, go, and I will be with thymouth, and teach thee what thoushalt say." (Exodus 4:10-12). Now thatwe have completed about one year oflanguage study, we are all the moreconvinced that we are indeed "slowof speech, and of a slow tongue," andextremely dull-witted when it comesto learning and speaking this formidablelanguage. But on the other handthe Lord has been faithful in fulfillingHis promise. He has been with usdaily, teaching us what to say, givingus much needed patience in learningand boldness in speaking Japanese.And we praise Him for the progressthat has been made, anticipating Hiscontinued presence and help as wecontinue to study and use the languagein serving Him. Please pauseto join us in a prayer of thanksgivingand praise for progress in languagestudy.By the time that you will be prayingfor us and our part in the Lord'swork here in Japan, the Robbs willbe home on furlough, speaking inmany churches across the country.And we will be living in Tarumi, attemptingto carry on the work whichwas established by the Boyle family,and effectively continued by the Robbsfor the past three years. We willgreatly miss the assistance of MissFaris and her years of experience inJapan while she is home for sixmonths due to the critical illness ofher father. We are already greatlyencouraged, however, by the willingnessof the Japanese members to assumeresponsibility. Our VBS will beheld immediately following the youngpeople's conference during the weekof August 15. Miss Lynn will alsoSeptember 15, 1965work with us, and has already proveda great help in making preparations.Since our VBS will be finished by thistime, please pray for effective followupcontacts with the children, andthat many will be attracted to attendSabbath School regularly. Also join usin praise and thanksgiving for thefaithfulness and cooperation of theJapanese members who served asteachers, and assisted in other ways.We will be coveting your dailyprayer support for strength and visionas we undertake a demandingschedule of English Bible classes andSabbath services beginning in September.As a result of a planning sessionwith the Robbs and Miss Faris,we will continue those classes whichappear most promising as a feed-into the church. Mr. Robb's class inKobe City Hall will be continued onMonday evenings because of the opportunityto reach government officialsand employees with the Gospel. Theclass which is held in the large KawasakiShip Yards will also be continuedon Wednesday evening since theprospects for fruit from seed whichhas been sown by various of our missionarieswho have taught the classfor several years are very good. TheFriday afternoon class for college andhigh school students will probablybe taught by Mrs. Pennington. Thisclass has brought many students intocontact with the Gospel and thechurch through the years since itsorganization. We will also teach theSabbath morning adult and youngpeople's classes, so that the scheduleSee page 175In our part of the country we have been getting rain. Last week in asingle night's storm we received upwards of six inches. Last night we receivednearly four inches more. School was to begin this morning. Because of highwater, the busses could not get through.While the parched East keeps hoping against hope that their dwindlingwater supply will not give out entirely, some parts of the Middle West keephoping against hope that the skies will clear and that they will have somemeasure of relief from moisture they do not want.The Weather Bureau is in the hands of the government. Fortunatelythe weather itself is controlled, not by the Democrats or the Republicans, butby the Lord God "Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rainfor the earth." We may have a hard time figuring out why the East withits millions of people is allowed to dry up, while the soaked Middle West continuesto receive more and more rain. Let us be assured that the One Whocontrols the weather, and sees the whole picture — future as well as present— knows why.Sometimes we get to wondering about the distribution of many of ourother blessings. Why do some folks get all the gravy, while some other folkswho work just as hard cannot come up with a dish that will hold gravy?Some blessings, we are able to provide for ourselves. Most of our blessingscome directly from the hand of God; and we do not always understand Hismethods of distribution.Let us rest assured that, for His Own children whom He loves, Hedistributes His gifts in the way that will bring the greatest blessing to eachone. We might be praying for lots of money; while He knows us well enoughto see that lots of money would be the ruination of us. So, He sees to itthat we have enough to live on — if we are willing to engage in a judiciousamount of struggle. Possibly we wish we could be well known and famous;whereas He knows that if we became famous we would start strutting and beimpossible to live with.What a blessing that the distribution of rain and all these other giftsis governed by the One Who loves us, and knows us better than we know ourselves,and sees the end from the beginning!173

OCTOBER SUBSCRIPTION LISTSubscriptions are due from thesecongregations, October 1, 1965:Belle Center, Bloomington, LakeReno, Lisbon, Orlando, Sharon, Southfield,Winchester and Wilkinsburg.REPORTDONALD A. BEATTY MEMORIALFUNDThose who have contributed to theDonald A. Beatty Memorial Fund willbe pleased to know of the progress ofthe Fund during the past year. Asof August 25, 1965, it stands as follows:From Church or C.Y.P.U. Groups$1149.08From Individual Gifts (Singly)208.00Savings Bank Interest 21.14August 25, 1965 Total $1378.22The White Lake Camp Board ofDirectors is going ahead with plansfor a suitable memorial to be builton the camp grounds. White Lakeyoung people wish to thank all whohave contributed thus far to this fund.J. Paul McCracken, TreasurerROSE POINTOn March 8, 1965, Mary Lou cameinto the home of Mr. and Mrs. HaroldWilson to join Margy, Billy, and David.Rev. Kenneth McBurney of Portland,Oregon and Rev. Paul Faris ofSterling, Kansas, preached for us theSabbaths of the Pastors' RefresherCourse and Synod.Dr. Norman Carson, Dr. DavidCarson, and Dr. Robert Tweed preachedfor us during our pastor's vacation,part of which was spent at Cook's Forest.Mr. Merle Wilson was our elderdelegate to Synod. He brought us aninteresting report.Mr. Ira Brown and daughter Berylworshipped with our Orlando congregationand visited the Selma Missionduring a trip through the South.Mr. and Mrs. Howard McConnelland Jeffrey visited Wrigley, KentuckyMission and an Associate ReformedPresbyterian Mission, also in Kentuckyin charge of Mr. and Mrs. TomMagee. Mrs. Magee was the formerLucy McElwain, Mrs. McConnell's sister.Mr. and Mrs. Carl McElwain alsovisited Mr. and Mrs. Tom Magee atthe Associate Reformed PresbyterianMission in Kentucky. Mrs. McElwain,a beautician, used her skill on aboutforty children's hair, which they didappreciate.Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Caskey, withvery able helpers, conducted a VacationBible School the week of June 21.Daily offerings received were sent tothe Indian Mission in Oklahoma.Miss Grace Stevenson and Mr. EdwardWright were married in ourchurch Friday evening, June 25. A receptionwas held in the social roomsof the church. They were rememberedwith many beautiful gifts.Daniel David Crocker came togladden the home of Raymond andVirginia Crocker and little Raymond.He is a grandson of Mr. and Mrs.Robert McKnight.Mrs. Walter McElwain, who underwentsurgery in Jameson MemorialHospital, New Castle, is able to be atchurch again.Rev. M. K. Carson was the Communionassistant at our Spring Communion.He brought us deep spiritualmessages. We were glad to have Mrs.Carson, also. At this Communion wewere happy to welcome into the membershipof our congregation: Mr. RoyBessell, Jr., Mrs. Edna Kennedy, Mr.and Mrs. Kenneth Kennedy, Beverlyand Elizabeth.Several of our members attendedsummer school. Miss Bertha McKnightwas at Wilson College, Chambersburg;Beverly Kennedy, Slippery Rock StateTeachers College; Robert Kennedy,Ohio State University; and WilhelminaStevenson, Youngstown College.Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth Bell andfamily, missionaries in Pakistan, visitedtheir aunt, Miss Margaret Wilson.Mr. and Mrs. James Kerr and familyof Midland, Texas, visited his sister,Mrs. Clarence Wilson, Mr. Wilson,and family.Miss Anna Blair took Miss PearlKennedy, Miss Margaret Wilson, Mrs.Steckel, and Miss Frances McDowellto visit our Reformed PresbyterianHome in Pittsburgh.Mr. and Mrs. Ray Campbell andfamily attended the World's Fair inNew York.Prof, and Mrs. Robert Helsel andchildren, Robin and Margy, of Columbus,Ohio, worship with us while livingin their summer home near here.We enjoy having them each summer.Miss Laura Boggs celebrated her87th birthday, April 15. The womenof the senior missionary society wentto her home with refreshments and agift, after their regular monthly meetingin Miss Anna Blair's home.Rev. and Mrs. J. M. Caskey wereCamp Father and Mother at CampStambaugh. Those attending from ourcongregation were Alice, Ann, andEdwin Caskey, Russell McKnight,Bruce Bessell, Steven Wilson, JamesWilson, Dennis and Tommy Stoner,and Roger Campbell. Quite a numberof others attended Sabbath servicesat the Camp.Mr. James Wilcox, father of Mrs.Margaret Young, died June 3, 1965.Through the help of the Red Cross,his son, Navy Chaplin Edward Wilcox,was able to get back from his stationin Australia for the funeral.REFORMATION TRANSLATIONFELLOWSHIPREPORT OF DIRECTORS'MEETING, 28 JULY 1965Messers Boyle, Chao and Martin,directors of the RTF from the LosAngeles area, drove over to Phoenixfor an all day meeting on July 28, atthe home of Mr. Kilpatrick. We werespecially mindful of Mr. Van Mouwerik,absent from our gathering, butpresent with the Lord. We had beenaccustomed to meeting with him atRedlands, but he was suddenly calledto be with his Lord just a few dayspreviously. By motion Mr. Boyle wasasked to write Mrs. Van Mouweraikand their family, expressing our sympathyand sense of loss as we think^•f his aid and counsel and generoussupport over the years.Dr. Boyle's resignation as ExecutiveDirector was accepted with regret.Only the urgency of the callwhich he is assured is of the Lordto serve in the Christian AmendmentMovement for the next three years,has led him to resign. He was namedPresident of the Board of Directorsand will serve the Fellowship in everyway he can as an extra service to theLord. Mr. Kilpatrick was named Secretary-Treasurer.Mr. Chao's report of his trip tothe Far East was a great encouragementto us, as we saw how cordiallyhe was received where ever he went.The Fellowship is firmly established174 COVENANTER WITNESS

as a voice of evangelical Christianityand of sound Biblical exposition,among Chinese Christian leaders. Approvalwas given to the opening ofa Taiwan office and to the employmentof Mr. Jonathan Y. Shih, ateacher in Christ's College, on a parttime basis, as our business managerin Taiwan. We hope that shortly plansmay mature, and financial support besufficient, that the office may becomeour permanent headquarters in theFar East. We are especially gratefulfor the project of the R.P. WMSSynodical in their gift for office, mailingand addressing equipment, whichwe plan to use in Taiwan. Also, we doappreciate the oversight and counselof our Far Eastern Representative,the Rev. Egbert Andrews, OrthodoxPresbyterian Church missionary andmember of our Board of Directors, aswell as the help of Jonathan Chao, ingetting the Taiwan office into operation.Our congratulations and bestwishes are extended to Jonathan andRebecca Chao in their marriage.We noted with appreciation thework and counsel of the British RTF,and tentatively approved the translationof three books which they haverecommended, with appointment oftwo directors to read each book andbring recommendation, also, two toread a fourth book which they recommended,with which we are unfamiliar.Mr. Watson Soong, to whom referenceis made in Mr. Chao's report,has been asked to complete work onCalvin's Commentary on Romans,which Mr. Chao found it necessaryto lay aside because of the press ofother duties. While we are sorry tolose the leadership of Dr. Boyle asExecutive Secretary, we believe wesee our Lord's opening new doors forenlargement and more productivelabor.THE FORMOSA TRIP FUNDThe cost of the trip was estimatedat $1600. We actually paid $1540, whilespecially designated gift/6 came to$1354.95. The remaining $185.05 wasauthorized from general funds.THE CAR FUNDThe cost of this car was about$2800. Special gifts came to $1851.95.The friends of Mr. Boyle, however,who proposed this Fund, assured usthat they did not wish to make thisan added burden to the RTF. Hence,this account will shortly be closedout. We want to thank all the friendswho have contributed to these twovery necessary projects, with specialthanks to those who are taking upthe slack in the Car Fund. Our urgentneed now is to catch up our financesafter the perennial summer slump.We have had to make a fund transferto pay July and August bills. L. K.PRAYER . . from page 173of classes alone should be very demandingand challenging, and we covetyour prayer support as we seek tomake the Gospel plain in a languagewhich is foreign to our students.Please pray also for a spirit of genuinelove for those among whom welabor, for all of our labor will beworth nothing at all without love.Please pray also for faithfulness inmaintaining friendly contacts whichhave been made in our community byour predecessors, and in courage andboldness in finding opportunities fornew contacts.Pray also for our Sabbath Dayservices. Mr. Pennington will preachin Japanese, as much as possible, forthe morning services. Join us inthanksgiving for the faithful and highqualitywork of a young universitygraduate, a member at Tarumi, whohas assisted Mr. Pennington in translatinga number of sermons into Japanesein preparation for preachingresponsibilities at Tarumi. Pray forthe members that they might be faithfulin attending Sabbath services inspite of their strenuous weekly workschedules and daily commuting. Theevening worship service will probablybe a prayermeeting and Bible studywith the members taking turns inleading. This will definitely be decidedafter consultation with the members.Please pray that this service,beginning in September, will be ameans of spiritual blessing to thechurch, as well as one means of developingleadership among the JapaneseChristians.We are also looking forward toserving as members of the committeewhich is responsible for planning themonthly meetings of our local MissionaryFellowship organization. Thesemeetings have been a source of mentaland spiritual stimulation since ourarrival in Japan, and we are happynow for the opportunity to share theplanning responsibilities so thatothers might be encouraged andstrengthened in their labors for Christthrough fellowship in Him. Pray alsofor increased opportunities to presentPsalms both in personal contacts andthrough the monthly programs. Weare considering the presentation ofthe "Life of Christ in the Psalms" inabbreviated form, and will suggestthis to the committee when we meetin the fall.These are just a few suggestionsfor specific prayers for our part inthe work here. Most of these are ofnecessity given from a prospectivepoint of view looking to the future,but perhaps, by means of the 1966Japan Prayer Calendar and futureletters to the Witness, we can keepyou informed of our needs in retrospect,and the prayers that God hasanswered in our behalf. And as youremember us in prayer this evening,and through the coming months, rememberthe exhortation of the ApostlePaul, "Don't be weary in prayer; keepat it; watch for God's answers andremember to be thankful when theycome. Don't forget to pray for us toothat God will give us many chancesto preach (and teach) the Good Newsof Christ lor which (we are here inJapan). Pray that we will be boldenough to tell it freely and fully, andmake it plain, as of course we should.And make the most of your chancesto tell others the Good News. Be wisein all your contacts with them." (Colossians4:2-5, Living Letters) (Phrases inparentheses are mine.)Ambassadors of Christ and yourrepresentatives in Japan,James and Gloria PenningtonREVIEW OF LITERATURE SHOWS10 STUDIES RELATING SMOKINGAND PREMATURE BIRTHS-ABSTRACT — A review of theliterature on cigarette smoking andprematurity summarizes results from3 prospective and 7 retrospective studies.All of the studies show a relationshipbetween smoking and prematurityand in most, the relationship wascorrelated with the amount of smoking.To test the hypothesis that thereis a cause and effect relationship betweencigarette smoking and prematurity,it is suggested that further researchwith carefully defined parametersin an extensive prospectivestudy be attempted.'Cigarette Smoking and Prematurity.Goldstein, H., Goldberg, I. D.,Frazier, T. M. and Davis, G. E„ U.S.Public Health Service, D.C. HealthDept., Baltimore City Health Dept.Public Health Reports 79:553-560, 1964Medical Bulletin on TobaccoSeptember 15, 1965 175

CONFESSION . . . from page 166chieved a study committee will be appointed "foramending the church's constitution so as to alterits confessional position." If the Westminster Standardsare to be retained, but at the same time theconfessional position of the church, Westminsterbased,is to be altered, then we are confronted bya very apparent contradiction. Indeed, here, is agenuinely "schizophrenic" situation, an entire denominationbeing asked to endorse the psychologicalfallacy of thinking in "logic-tight compartments,"i.e., to maintain two contradictory ideasat the same time.The intention of the writers is quite transparent.Realizing that any attempt to exscind the WestminsterStandards from Presbyterian polity would precipitatean unprecedented denominational furor,they have chosen to retain them, but for theirquaintness and antique value as an historicallyvaluableexpression of 17th Century Calvinism.The Westminster Standards represent simply anearlier theological mutation in the evolutionary developmentof Presbyterian belief. But any attemptto yoke the Westminster Confession and HeidelbergCatechism with the inimical theological premisesof the Confession of 1967 is a consummateexpression of "unequal yoking," the spectacle ofstrange bedfellows, and an outright contradiction.The failure of the purported Christocentricideal. The writers of the new Confession have said,"The one sufficient revelation of God is Jesus Christ,the Word of God incarnate . . ." And yet, the writersof the proposal seem to have taken great pains inemphasizing the humanity of Jesus Christ to thevirtual exclusion of his deity. Moreover, the documentobscures the meaning of his atoning work uponthe Cross. The following words may be an excellentcritique of Christ as Bonhoeffer's "man forothers," but the expression is one of religious humanismrather than Christianity:"His suffering makes the Church sensitive to allthe sufferings of mankind so that it sees the face ofChrist in the faces of the poor, sick and oppressed."A statement like this is misleading, since the sufferingsof Christ were qualitatively different fromany other human suffering. He suffered for thepoor, the sick and oppressed, to be sure; but we areon dangerous ground when we make Christ-figuresof the world's unfortunate masses, for then, whereis the need of their redemption? Are sickness, povertyand oppression in humanity the tragic yet paradoxicallyjoyous agents of reconciliation? Not atall. Are we to minister to men in their sickness, poverty,oppression? Yes, and as much as we are able,but in the name of Christ, not by identifying themas Christ. It is the suffering of Christ which alonehas redemptive value, and we must not obscurethis fact.More next weekObserve NAE weekOCTOBER 25-31With free church bulletins - full size 8^ x 11 • Insideblank for your order of service and announcements.Theme. THE EVANGELICAL IMPERATIVE-THECHVRCH INVOLVED IN A WORLD IN CRISIS$ Plan a special service for Reformation Sunday,October 31.$ Lay plans for vigorous and constructive involvementto reach your neighborhood with th* gospel.4< Emphasize: our dynamic evangelical ^a^a^^^^^_heritage.s^s^sBS^^s^s^sf* Use the free NAE bulletins. H K j S SNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OP IVANOILICAU tLWL^mW^LmP.O. tax 28, Whnton,llllnoli Mill ^^5^^"S^H—— — — —— -— — — — — —— — MPaWS^GwaTiC-Trrrrf^~fiw

UBflAfT 'BEFOBMED PRESP'THEOLOGICAL SEJILNA;;PITTSBURGHCovenanter WitnessTO JESUS CHRIST"THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONS'VOLUME LXXV NO. 12 SEPTEMBER 22, 1965 STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 17, 1965

THE COVENANTERWITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Editorial Address125 N. Fourth, Sterling, Kansas 67579Telephone Area Code 316 - BR 8-3472Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 toMrs. M. W. Dougherty, 125 N. FourthStreet Sterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under thesupervision of the Publication Board byThe Patterson Press, Wapello, IowaTHE BOARD OF PUBLICATIONRev. Paul Faris, Pres.Dr. Wyley Caskey, Vice Pres.Dr. G. M. Robb, Sec.Mr. Donald Fee, Treas.Mr. Ross LatimerRev. M. L. McFarlandContributing Editors:Rev. Kenneth SmithDr. G. M. RobbRev. T. R. HutchesonDr. S. E. BoyleMr. A. D. RoubMr. Wilbur CopelandRev. T. R. HutchesonDr. R. Paul WrightDr. D. Howard ElliottDepartment Editors:Rev. Bruce C. StewartMrs. Robert B. MaineMrs. Willis M. EdgarRev. John K. GaultEditor— Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D. D.Opinion expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Chureh or of the Editor.Subscription rates: $4.00 per year, domestic and overseas,2 years $7.00. Group rates. $3.00. Single copies 10cents.Agent for Subscription in U.S., Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th> Sterling, Kansas.Agent for British Isles: Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A., 12Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, North Ireland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness.All material that is to appear in the Witness shouldbe typewritten, double spaced, and should be in Sterling,Kansas two weeks before it is to be printed.Obituary notices are limited to one hundred fiftywords; all words in excess of that amount are one centeach. Money should accompany the notice.News for the news section should be brief and up todate. One dollar is charged for death notices that aremore than six weeks old when they reach our office. Thisdoes not apply to minutes that have been adopted by anorganization.Give us one month's notice when you are changingyour address. This notice should be sent to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, IowaCHANGE OF ADDRESSWhen giving notice of a change of address, pleasesend the old address as well as the new address to thecirculation manager.WE HOLD THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only Infalliblerule of faith and conduct.The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experienceThe Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Holy Spirit.The fact of death and hell as the destiny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believein Him together with their children.The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church Government.The Lord Jesus Christ as the only King and Head of His Church.welfare That of terms the Church. of membership or communion are essential to theVerse for the WeekPsalm 87:2 — "The Lord loveth the gates ofZion, more than all the dwellings of Jacob."The joy of family gatherings is well known. Ionce knew a man who fostered some thirty children.One time there were thirteen of them camehome at the same time. This man said, "My butwe had a good time."God loves, in a particular way, each of Hispeople. It delights Him when they worship in theirown homes. But it is especially a delight to Himwhen they leave their several homes and gather inHis house, and there worship as one family.There is a value in the united witness thatoutweighs that of the individual. The volume ofpraise is greater, the uniting of hearts' desires inprayer is greater, and the fixed attention as theylisten to the Word read and preached is greater.When the time comes for such a gathering, MYabsence will lessen the volume of praise, reducethe power of prayer, and cause God's delight to fallshort of what it should be.This Week's WitnessIs Christ The Answer? ... 179Glimpses . . 180The Proposed Presbyterian Confession ... . 181The Offense of the Cross 183Alert 184The Hidden Cave 186Lesson Helps ... ... 187Church News . . 190Scribe . . . 191Worldwide Bible Reading 192The duty which rests upon officers to maintain discipline andpreserve the purity cf the Church.Spiritual worship as a divine requirement mediated through theLord Jesus Christ.The exclusive use of the Psalms ln the worship of the Church.The Protestant interpretation of the Sacraments.The divine right of the institution of Marriage and that lt 1*not to be dissolved except by adultery or '•irremediable" desertion.The Sabbath as a day sacred to rest and worshipThe duty of nations and their civil rulers to honor Christ atKing of Kings and Lord of Lords.That Christian cit zens are under obligation to obey lawful authority.The right and du y of the Christian citizen to dissent from allgovernmental and nat onal disobedience to the Law of God.That the Covenan 3 of the past are still binding.From "The Communicant's Class" by J. B. Tweed178 COVENANTER WITNESS

EditorialFComment g&IS CHRIST THE ANSWERIt has been fashionable in religious circles asthe world crisis has deepened to proclaim "Christfor the Crisis" or "Christ is the Answer." Yet shouldsomeone press us for our blueprint for world order,or even some suggestions for helping to untanglethe snarled strands of human affairs, he wouldswiftly discover that we have no plan or solution;that our pious pronouncements are simply Christiancliches. No doubt the main reason that theworld is so utterly lost in the storm is the factthat those who should be supplying moral and intellectualguidance at this crucial time have nopositive program— indeed, are scarcely aware thatthey have the responsibility of furnishing constructiveleadership in this hour of chaos and confusion.We can hardly blame the Communists for movinginto the vacuum which we have conveniently leftfor them because we can't be bothered with thegreat issues of our time.Many Americans would insist that our problemsare too involved in this complex modern age to admitof any solution in terms of time-honored principles.Most of our fellow countrymen are pragmatistsin practice, including several million who neverheard of the term and may hardly know who JohnDewey was. To them "the right is simply the expedient"in thought and action, so they see no possibilityof steering a consistent course by chart andcompass — certainly not by old ones. All we cando is somehow "muddle through" as best we can,since to them everything is relative, and there areno fixed principles. Since this has been the rule ofthumb for many a year in American policy-making(the Supreme Court having even declared it as theofficial doctrine of U.S. jurisprudence), we havewandered far from the faith and ideals of theFounding Fathers. And, like the liar who insists onmaking up his "truth" as he goes along, every movewe make gets us in deeper and deeper until it seemsthere is no way back to solid ground again. But ithas been the experience of the ages that when nationsget their affairs so snarled and tangled that thesituation becomes intolerable, that people spontaneouslyclamor for a dictator—some demagoguewho assures them he will lead them out of theirwilderness of chaos and confusion into the promisedland of prosperity and security. Nor are we immuneto these trends. The drift toward big government inAmerica in the last generation has been frightening.The position of the church in America over thelast several decades has been anomalous and hardlysquares with the great Judeo-Christian tradition. AsW. M. MacMillan reminds us (Africa Emergent, p.61): "Most of the freedom we enjoy we owe to centuriesof conflict between Church and State." Butany resistance that the church might be able to putup against the fatal tendencies of our time has beeneffectively cancelled out by a bit of modern folklorewhich says that the separation of church and statemeans the muzzling of the clergy; that anythingthat partakes of politics (and what isn't political inthe present total state) is out of bounds for the manof the cloth, who is expected to keep to his prayersand let the forces of evil run the nation and theworld. We are supposed to "render unto Caesar'without asking too many questions, so the argumentgoes. Nothing could be more tragically in error: thechurch is to function as the moral balance wheelof the social and political order, as "Her Majesty'sJoyal opposition," as the British would say. Caesarhad his Brutus, but David had his Nathan, Ahabhis Elijah, and Mary, Queen of Scots, her JohnKnox. But, as the crowning calamity of an age ofcrisis, it appears that the Great Tradition has somehowlost its relevance in this hour.Perhaps the greatest problem of the church inseeking to reassert herself in her rightful and historicrole as the national conscience, the moralcheck and balance of the social, political and economicorder, is the apathy and confusion whichpervade the Christian community itself. We havebeen secularized until we accept our present positionwithout discomfort: we are content to be anecho and not a voice. Indeed, the world has socompletely "squeezed us into its mold" that we feelquite at home in our constricted quarters. We hardlyaspire to the position of an Elijah, and wouldn'tknow what to do with the responsibility if it wereours. As an example, the editor of a fine Christianmagazine wrote an editorial some while ago inwhich he decried the chaos and confusion of ourtime, citing such colossal blunders as the "farmproblem" and our multi-billion-dollar "give-away"program, only to conclude with the sad lament that,due to the defects of his education, he could suggestno remedy. Imagine Jeremiah, as the "watchman,'sounding such an uncertain warning.As a consequence of our failing our age, theworld is indeed lost in the storm. Whittaker Cham-See page 192September 22, 1965 179

Tkc Pticeiiucic**ne*>*j incWilliam Vander HovenSoulWff"For what shall a man be profited, if heshall gain the whole world, and forfeithis life? Or what shall a man give in exchangefor his life?" — Matthew 16:26There is no illusion more devilish than thedream of gaining the world. It cannot be done. Theworld is not to be had. It is always the unattainablepot at the end of the rainbow. And were a manever to lay hand upon it, he would find it to be nota pot of gold but of cinders.This our mammonistic age must see. Too longwe have worked for things. Who hves for the worldmust perish with the world. Yet this has not deterredman from coveting. When he has burned the fingersof one hand, he will reach for the same hot asheswith the other hand. A man's life consists not in thethings he possesses; yet men pursue those thingsas if their very souls depended upon them.It might be amusing —• men clawing for goldenapples as they run life's race — but for Jesus' arrestingquestion: Why lose life fumbling for merethings? "What shall a man be profited, if he shallgain the whole world, and forfeit his life?"That question ought to fly at us like a javelin.Our Savior had been telling his disciples of hisimpending death. Peter objected. "Lord," said he,"this shall never be to thee." And the Master, seeinghis error, said: "Peter, here is one of the greatrules of the kingdom. The only way for a man tokeep his life is to be willing to lose it. When a manbecomes a kingdom man, he does not clutch at lifeanymore, but is ready to lay it down for my sakeand the gospel's."And further, Peter, the kingdom man also seesthat the world is not as important either as he oncethought. Suppose a man were to gain the world.What could he possibly find in it that would compensatefor the loss of his salvation?"Oh, the wisdom of our Savior!Many a man has been ready to forfeit his soulfor an infinitesimal fraction of the world. If thewhole of it is a bad bargain, by what folly does aman take his soul to market for only a part of it?But — and here the viciousness of materialismis laid open — a man cannot "gain" even a part ofthe world. Jesus speaks in our verse of two things:world and life. Life is the given. Now a man wantsthe world besides. But he cannot have both. Insnatching for the one rope he must let go the other.But what he is snatching for is out of reach. Relinquishingthe one, he misses the other, and withboth swaying over his head he plummets, emptyhanded,to his fall.But suppose a man could gain the world and atthe same time keep his soul. Even so, what woulditprofit him? At last, saved or lost, he must leavethe world behind after all. Naked came he into it,and naked shall he leave it. Death is the greatleveler. Death is the stripper.Then why should a man make wealth his goal?There are men who have hoards of fortune theycannot possibly live long enough to exhaust, sometimesrefusing even a percentage of them to God'skingdom.Labor is good. Christian man, work faithfully.But work with eternity in mind and with the kingdomat heart. Lay not up for yourself treasures uponearth, for what doth it profit? What the fathergathered by the handful the sons scatter by thebushel basket. Vow, instead, that out of your workGod's kingdom shall prosper.And take heed to your immortal soul. Work withyour soul in mind. And should you be tempted towork for mere things, or prestige, or undue wealth,pause before Jesus' question: What is there, in allthe catalogue of things this world offers, that couldpossibly be worth jeopardizing your soul? Whatcan possibly be exchanged for your life?There is something, but it took God to find it,and He did not find it in this world. It is the preciousblood of Christ, the only exchange in all theworld that can redeem and save a priceless soul.The Banner 9-3-65180 COVENANTER WITNESS

THE PROPOSED PRESBYTERIAN CONFESSION OF 1967(Continued from last week)As for the death of Christ, "his crucifixion disclosesto the Church God's judgment on man's inhumanityto man and. the awful consequences ofits own complicity in injustice." Is this all that aconfessional statement is to say? What of Christas "the lamb slain from the foundation of theworld"? What of God's foreordained and redemptivepurpose in the Cross as Peter interpreted itsmeaning on the day of Pentecost? These truths arelost in a maze of existentialist thought.The chief offense of the document against theatoning work of Christ, however, is its attempt toargue from a variety of imagery to "a truth whichremains beyond the reach of all theory in the depthsof God's love for man." The writers rightly point outthat the death of Christ sometimes is called "thesacrifice of a lamb," a shepherd's hfe given for hissheep, . . payment of a debt," etc. However, the NewTestament writers inform us that beneath the varietyof imagery concerning the death of Christ liesthe plain truth of substitution, Christ in our place.Paul says quite straightforwardly that "Christ diedfor our sins according to the scriptures." Peter alsoreminds us that "he himself bore our sins in hisbody on the tree." The dissolution of this fundamentaltruth of substitution into "a truth beyondreach of all theory" is a disservice to the Gospel ofJesus Christ.Moreover, in the proposal's assertion that "thenew life takes place in a community in which menknow that God loves and accepts them in spite ofwhat they are" we have the psychological argot ofPaul Tillich, not the Biblical idiom of Paul theApostle. Tillich has heard a mystical voice whichsays, "You are accepted. Simply accept the fact thatyou are accepted." The Scriptures insist, howeverthat the human predicament is precisely this, thatas sinners in the presence of a holy God we are completelyunacceptable to Him. It is true that we livein the "acceptable" day of salvation, and that wemay become "accepted in the beloved," but only onthe condition that we first accept Jesus Christ asthe Saviour and Lord of our lives. One great burdenof clarification for the writers of the new Confessionis to assure readers that theirs is a documentemphasizing "reconciliation," and not "universalreconciliation."APreliminary ExaminationBy Richard N. MerrittReductionism with respect to the Holy Scriptures.In every theological controversy Armageddonmust ultimately be resolved on the prophetic plainsof Holy Scripture. It is interesting that both theBlake-Pike proposal for church union and theDowey-edited proposal for confessional revisionplead for adoption not merely on the grounds thatthey reflect the corporate wisdom of devout men,but also because the Holy Spirit allegedly has beeninstrumental in their break-through to fresh truth.But in speaking of the Holy Scriptures the writersof the Confession will say only, "The words of theScriptures are the words of men." The section ofthe proposal which deals with the Bible is withoutquestion the worst section in the entire documentand betrays the underlying conviction of the writersthat there is no finality in this revelatory wordfrom God.The Scriptures, they continue, "reflect views oflife, history, and the cosmos which were then current,and the understanding of them requires literaryand historical scholarship." In spite of thisjudgment, however, and in a monument to intellectualinconsistency, the writers conclude that theScriptures are "the normative witness to God andJesus Christ," i.e., the witness by which all otherwitnesses are to be judged. However, this is nothingmore than semantical legerdemain, giving with onehand and taking back with another. If the Biblicalview of life simply reflects the naivete of its day,what then can Scripture really say to us about lifein the twentieth century? If the Biblical view ofhistory is simply a gratuitous assumption, then howmay we discern that the Bible's "Lord of History" issomething more than a gratuitous assumption? Ifthe Biblical view of the cosmos is primitive and unrefined,how do we know that the Bibhcal Creator ofthe cosmos is anything more than the creation of apious but primitive imagination? How, indeed, canthe Scriptures be normative of anything if the patronizingattitude of the new Confession towardthem be accepted as reasonable?In denuding the Bible of Divine inspiration theConfession of 1967 contradicts the internal evidenceof the Scriptures and the testimony of Christhimself that "scripture cannot be broken." Theargument that understanding the Scriptures requires"literary and historical scholarship" is tanta-September 22, 1965 181

mount to Rome's assertion that only Holy MotherChurch may interpret the meaning of the Bible toHer children. It means also that before the rise ofhistorical and literary scholarship, a comparativelyrecent phenomenon, no one really understood theScriptures. But the proclamation of the Gospel, ina demonstration of power and the Spirit long beforeand since the advent of Graf and Wellhausen, destroysthis argument.In an earlier generation G. Campbell Morganhad anticipated the argument that scholarship isthe final arbiter of Biblical understanding when heissued this warning, "So surely as the people arerobbed of the Scriptures—whether by a new priestismof scholarship which declares the plain mancannot read his Bible, or by denying their truth—they will be robbed of the moral force which hasmade and uplifted them." And centuries beforeMorgan our own Westminster Confession of Faith,while admitting the difficulties in certain areas ofBiblical studies, had nevertheless asserted that "thosethings necessary to be known and believed . . . areso clearly opened in some place of Scripture. thatnot only the learned but the unlearned, in a dueuse of ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficientunderstanding of them." While we would notdeny the value and legitimacy of historical and literaryapparatus for better understanding the Scriptureswe realize also that the presuppositions of agreat deal of Biblical criticism is informed by askeptical rationalism which is antithetical to Christianbelief.But by this time many of you are thinking,"What difference does all this make?" It is only atempest in a theological teapot, and in the kitchentomorrow, or the office, or the classroom, the polemicalenthusiasm of today will be forgotten. Perhaps,but the truth or error ot what was said today willremain with us for many years to come and shapenot only the destiny of this denomination and thiscongregation, but the destiny of your individualChristian life as well. And to those of you visitinghere for the first time, let me assure you that youhave not stumbled woefully and inadvertently uponan apostle of discord, nor an inconoclast whosevocation it is to shatter new idols. Nor was thissermon conceived as an argument for the Divineand organic inspiration of the Westminster Standards.But at the risk of being labeled "archconservative,""obscurantist," and "bibliolator," I must saythat in my personal judgment the Confession of1967 is a failure, and that its failure is not that itis not truly Presbyterian, although it is not; nor thatit is not truly Reformed, although it is not; butthat it is not a Bibhcal document, and thereforemust be repudiated.The incorporation of this proposal into the officialpolity of the United Presbyterian Church inthe U.S.A. would constitute a theological "Munich"and hasten the partitioning of the church into ahouse tragically divided against itself. The questionremains whether the system of doctrine containedwithin the Westminster Standards is a Biblical systemthat is worthy of subscription and capable ofdefense? We would make an affirmative reply tothis question and dedicate the church anew to thistask, not to the eclectic formulations of the Confessionof 1967, which might well be entitled TheConfusion of 1965.The Rev. Richard N. Merritt is pastor of theFirst United Presbyterian Church of Lewisburg,Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Bloomfield College,Princeton Theological Seminary, and has donegraduate work at the Pennsylvania State University.Single copies, 10c; 60c per dozen; $3.00 per hundred;and $20.00 per thousand.THE PRESBYTERIAN AND REFORMEDPUBLISHING CO.Order Department Box 185 Nutley, New JerseyTEACHME, O GODTeach me, O God, to think straight. Whenissues are confused, help me to see things asthey are, not attempting to bend circumstances tomy purpose. Let not my own desires so muddy thewaters that I cannot see clearly what course I shouldpursue.Let me understand how unsatisfactory is subterfuge,how short-sighted is all defeat of truth. Inclear, quiet moments I know that whatever is thusgained cannot be enjoyed. But when there is turmoilabout me and I must think quickly, let me notfail.Teach me to be the kind of person whom otherpeople will trust instinctively. Let me never fallshort of the confidence that has been given me.Known to me as it is, how easily one slips intounfairness and dishonesty, let me not judge harshlythe persons who fail in their trust. Let me not thinkthem different from myself, nor beneath me instandards, for in their circumstances I might havebeen weaker than they. Let me forgive as I am forgiven.Let me so do my work this day that I can faceeach person squarely and without fear. Let us notlook back upon this day through the long vista ofyears with regret.Let me keep myself free to think and to live-—Anon.182 COVENANTER WITNESS

the Offense of the CrossBy J. G. Vos,"If I yet preach circumcision, why doI yet suffer persecution? Then is the offenseof the cross ceased." Gal. 5:11The word here translated -offense" is the Greek"skandalon", which first meant the trigger of atrap or snare, then an occasion of stumbling. Ourword "scandal" is derived from it. The offense ofthe cross is the stumblingblock that keeps peoplefrom becoming Christians. It is the offense of thecross that makes Christianity different from allother religions. Only Christianity presents a crucifiedSaviour as the center of its system- It is the presenceor. absence of the offense of the cross that determineswhether a movement or organization istruly Christian or not. If the offense of the crossis by-passed or toned down, it is not Christianitybut a counterfeit.It is the cross of Christ, not our cross, that isspoken of. The "cross" means the substitutionaryatonement of Jesus Christ for sinners. This implieshuman guilt, depravity, inability to save self. Itimplies that salvation is not an attainment but agift of free grace. It reduces us all to paupers beforethe holy God.The cross of Christ is not a sentimental idea,but a horribly realistic one. There is nothing beautifulor lovely about the cross of Christ in itself; it isunspeakably dreadful. It stands for the righteousjudgment and awful wrath of God against humansin. It stands for the curse of God upon the sinner.Christ was made a curse for us: for it is written,"Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree" (Gal.3:13). But the cross also stands for the love andmercy of God. At Calvary, divine love and divinewrath meet. God so loved this wicked world that Hegave His Son to suffer and die for sinners on theaccursed cross.The cross is an offense not merely because ofits crudity, its cruelty, and its shame. It is an offenseto unsaved sinners even more because ofwhat it implies concerning them. It cuts the rootof human pride, pretension, and selfrighteousness.It eliminates all ground of human boasting. Itleaves us nothing to claim, nothing to congratulateourselves about. The cross will not let a man standon his own feet before God. It will not let a manclaim salvation by "doing his best" or "keeping thegolden rule." All this is cut off at the root.Th.M., D.D.The cross is an offense to all non-Christian religion,to all apostate religion, to all pseudo-Christianity,to all legalism or moralism, to all formalism,to all Christless schemes of "character building,"and to all the rest of the dismal array of humansubstitutes for salvation by the shed blood of JesusChrist, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sinof the world. Today, more than ever, the cross is anoffense. Men seek to evade it by theories that takethe blood cut of salvation and leave us a Jesus whowas only an example, a martyr, a teacher. Hundredsof theological books have been written in these attemptsto get rid of the offense of the cross — thebare, bald truth that the Son of God suffered anddied, His blood was shed, in bearing the wrathand curse of God as the Substitute of guilty andhelpless sinners. Our age retains the name of thecross, but explains away its reality and power.Modern religion is really a bloodless faith. Becauseit is bloodless,it is also hopeless, and cannot saveguilty men from sin and hell.What the world hates, the saved Christian gloriesin. "God forbid that I should glory, save in thecross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal. 6:14). The offenseof the cross, the hated sign of the substitutionaryatonement, is the sign of genuine Christianity.We should never toneit down, minimize it,soft-pedal it, apologize for it. It must always bedominant in our religion. Christ is not preachedaright unless His shed blood is emphasized as theonly way guilty human beings can find peace withthe righteous God. We can never advance beyondthe cross; we can never outgrow it and go on toother things. It will always be central.Additional Copies Available from Blue BannerFaith and Life, 3408 7th Ave., BeaverFalls, Pa. 15010SEPARATION IS NOT ISOLATIONThere is a vast difference between separationand isolation. Some elements must be kept isolatedor they will mix, but oil remains separate fromwater even when put into the same container withit. We are to be like oil. Jesus said, "I pray not thatthou shouldest take them out of the world, but thatthou shouldest keep them from the evil" (John17:15)- We all must contact the sinful world, butwe are to remain distinct and different from it.September 22, 1965 183

Dear Tapeworm,Please send instructions post hasteon how to stop these enthusiasticyoung people who have become allfired up for Him at their conferencesand summer training program. I overheardone fellow say that he had abouta hundred ideas for really making animpact on his campus this fall, andI'm afraid this zealot has really beenhooked by the Enemy. He means business.Unless I can do something....and quick .. . they are going to makeit very uncomfortable for me and ourfriends.Have reviewed all your previous instructionson getting them too busyfor quiet time, encouraging supercolossalplans for reaching the wholecampus in one week, intriguing themwith the opposite sex until they're"out of it," and suggesting "no onewill know whether they go to churchor not" idea. Am boned up on these,but am afraid they won't work on someof the kids I've seen this summer. AsI said, "They mean business!"Please address me at the studentunion. I've already earmarked a tablethat will be known as "the dark corner,"where I'll pick up my mail. Butbe sure I'll be making the roundswhile the "goody-goodies" think I'mstrictly a dark-corner man.Faithfully yours,Woodscrew(With apologies to C. S. Lewis.)Not Good-bye . . .Just So-Long!Miss Nancy Wright of Belfast, Ireland, has returned to her homeafter having spent a year in the United States getting acquaintedwith Covenanters in this country. She hopes to be among those planningto attend the great Convention next summer at Carleton College,August 10-17.Her visit to this country takes on particular significance bothbecause of the growing interest among the Irish, Scottish, and Americanchurches through the recent International Conventions, and because ofher being the first Irish Covenanter to participate in our SummerTraining Program (formerly Leadership Training School). Brian Bradley,also from Belfast, nears completion of work on his doctorate atthe University of Wisconsin. He had hoped to take in S.T.P., butitdid not work out.Nancy had originally planned to spend the year in the Torontoarea with some of her friends who also are nurses. However, she wasinvited to come to Beaver Falls and reside with the family of Rev.Herbert Hays, pastoi of our Geneva congregation. After months ofentering into the activities of that church, while nursing at BeaverValley General Hospital, she terminated her work and planned for asummer getting training and giving service in the denominationalprogram.In a sense this loomed as her great desire while in this country.for the past year saw quite a number of her Irish Covenanter friendsengaged in a new program back home. Following Portrush a numberoi youth in the "young professional" age bracket were enlisted tolearn by experience, but this was brief and not centered in their ownenvironment. The new program involved two groups under the leadershipof Rev. William Young and Rev. Renwick Wright to meet regularlyduring the year for training and then actual experience in visitationMiss Nancy Wright of Belfast, Ireland, on herway to Greater Pittsburgh Airport.184 COVENANTER WITNESS

evangelism in the area of Belfast. The programwas successfully initiated and proved extremelyvaluable. Residents heard the Gospel in a personalway, and God granted to some contacts true faithand repentance.Now Nancy missed all this. Hence, she waseager to enter into its equivalent while over here.S.T.P. proved, according to her own word, to be alland more than she had hoped for. Following theinitial week at the Seminary, she was assigned tothe team comprised of other trainees Bob Clarke,Carol McBurney, and Bill Sterrett. Their itinerarywas as full and varied as any ever set up. Aftereight days of visitation and evening church schoolat North Hills, they journeyed to Quinter for twoweeks of vacation Bible school. Here Nancy wasalso introduced to the "West," wagon trains, rattlesnakes, and vast prairies, besides the first-time experiencewith the strictly Stateside V.B.S. Then offto Covenant Heights in the breath-taking Rockies,where she worked with the junior program whileher team members directed the junior highs.Another enjoyable week of visitation at Greeley precededthe five-evening V.B.S. at Denver- From therethe team came to Topeka for a variety of assignmentsin that congregation, and then into thecounseling program at Forest Park. Here Nancybade her teammates a weary farewell as she headedEast to prepare for her flight back to Belfast. (Theteam continued to Prescott, Arizona, to counsel inPacific's Conference before they terminated theirservice.)Stopping in Pittsburgh long enough for a briefcheck-in, Nancy enthusiastically reported her experiences.Not everything had been "perfect," — atraining program does not seek to put trainees intoeasy situations — but her goals had wonderfullybeen reached. Anxious to return home to share atthe fall conference at Stricklands, she asked forparticular prayer as she journeyed to Toronto to seeher friends. One girl was especially on her heart,and she was burdened to talk with her about Christ.A few days later a letter came. "I believe all thathappened this summer was leading up to this opportunity."She then related how God marvelouslygave her the open doer to talk personally with thisgirl, of her warm response, and of their plans forBible study and sharing. While Nancy had originallyhoped to work in Toronto to try to reach thisgirl, God had other plans filled full of other blessings.Then in His time the witness was made, theheart was prepared, and the response was eager!Nancy has returned home, but with a visionto see God's good hand continue on her life in makingher an effective witness for Christ. Perhaps ouronly regret is that someone has not returned hometo America from Ireland to share the blessing ofthe experience in their visitation program at Belfast.But we do anticipate welcoming a sizeable delegationfrom Ireland next summer, and hopefullyNancy will be among them. While she was onlyone of many at S.T.P., and similar recounts couldbe written about each trainee and his summer'sexperiences, Nancy is Nancy. While her Irish accentwas of course unique, God had a purpose in bringingher to this country at this time for something designedby Him for Nancy. While we never workindependently, God has particular blessings for particularpeople, and through their life and personalityHe makes known the Saviour.So we are glad God brought Nancy into ourfellowship for a year, and as we meet next summer'seli ition from Ireland, we will look for her."INTERNATIONAL" CONVENTION FUNDOnly six months remain to complete the raisingof $2500 to assist youth from overseas toattend the Carleton Conference, August 10-17.Societies getting underway in their fall programmay want to make this a part of their goals. Remember:this is not a churchwide drive. It isstrictly a youth project, initiated by the NationalConference Business Meeting in 1962.If societies have not contributed yet, but areworking to raise a particular amount, it wouldhelp if you would inform your Staff representativeso we can assess progress. Nearly half ofthe goal has been given, but will we reach theother half?Send contributions to Mr. Paul Finley, Treasurer,Geneva College, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.SPECIAL NOTENot all conferences had conducted their businessmeetings when this went to press. Hence wecould not announce the tabulation of results ofthe National Conference Officers election. Watchcoming issues and the "Goal Post."September 22, 1965 185

THE HIDDENCAVEby Edna Janes Kayser(Continued from last week)"Why, we've got a job to do."With hot, burning cheeks like a fever, Rose feltthe tightening of ropes around her wrists and thenher legs. She listened in terror as they tied Madge,between their low muttered oaths."Now what," one of the men demanded."Take them on down in the cave," the other retorted."When they're found if they ever are, it'llbe too late," he finished with a sneer.When the men had thrown the girls carelesslyinto one of the side chambers of the cave, theyhurried back to the entrance.Rose was thinking. "Who would ever find thiscave? It is absolutely hidden." Her mind was beingtormented with a new peril. "Wild animals." Shestifled the awful fear. She moistened her parchedlips. She was thinking of God — with all powergiven unto Him in heaven and in earth. "You willnever leave us or forsake us ... "A great peace came over her. She pressed hertired face against the cave wall. She felt jaggedstones piercing her cheek. Suddenly, her mindbrightened. "Razor like rocks. If — if I can just getmyself turned around I can saw the ropes onthose sharp rocks. I know I can."Painfully, she lifted her aching arms and beganto saw back and forth across the ropes. Butrocks cut into her flesh too. She winced and turnedher arms at another angle. Now the rocks were cuttinginto her tender wrists. She gritted her teethand kept on. She felt the blood coming down herarms. "Oh Father in heaven, help me to bear it."Back and forth. Back and forth, with the scaldingtears running down her hot cheeks. "Dear Jesus. . dear Jesus ..."She sighed brokenly, "I think it's almostthrough."There was the sound of footsteps coming.One of the men said gruffly, "Check em andthen let's get out o 1 ' %

Lesson Helps for the Week of October 17, 1965Sabhath School Lessonfor October 17, 1965BEZALEEL,DEDICATED CRAFTSMANEx. 31:1-5; 35:30 to 36:7; 37-38.Comments by John K. GaultAs the children of Israel werejourneying through the wilderness,they came to Mount Sinai where Godcame down and talked to Moses, tellinghim to warn the people not tocome near the mountain nor touchthe border of it, "lest they die." Godwas present on the mountain; consequently,they must not regard it inany common light. God also gave toMoses the ten commandments andvarious other laws and regulationswhich are implied in the ten commandments.The children of Israel could notremain in the vicinity of the mountainwhere God had met with Moses. Theymust travel on and eventually cometo the promised land. God's presence,therefore, must be symbolized by amethod which could be transportedfromplace to place. God, therefore,gave to Moses minute directions concerningthe making of the ark of thecovenant and the building of the tabernaclewith all of its furnishings. Thiscomplicated symbolism could be carriedfrom place to place as the childrenof Israel traveled.They had the raw materials forthe construction of the tabernacle,the ark and other furnishings. Thegold and the jewels had probably beenkept in families since the days ofAbraham, and much of it had alsobeen given to them by the Egyptianswhen they came out of Egypt. Nowthe question naturally arose, "Whowould do the actual building?" Moseshad been learned in "all the wisdomof the Egyptians," but that did not fithim to be a craftsman in gold, silver,wood, and other materials. The othermen had been slaves and had beencompelled to work with mortar andthe making of brick, which was largelyunskilled labor. In order to build,one must have more than logs of woodand a quantity of iron ore. He musthave the skill and ability to make theneeded articles out of the raw material.This was the man who was neededamong the children of Israel: a skilledworkman. Bezaleel was such a man.1: Bezaleel and his Associate Aholiab.Were Called of God_.Bezaleel was of the tribe of Judahand was a grandson of Hur, a prominentofficial of Israel, who, along withAaron, held up the hands of Moses asJoshua and Israel battled with theAmalekites. Josephus says that Hurwas the husband of Miriam, sister ofMoses and Aaron. In Exodus 31:2 Godsaid to Moses. "See, I have called byname Bezaleel, the son of Uri, theson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah."Skilled workmen were very scarceamong the Israelites at this time, butGod knew where one was to be foundand what his name was. Bezaleel wascalled of God. There is a place in God'swork for every consecrated workmanand such a one should feel that hehas been called of God.Likewise, "Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach.of the tribe of Dan," wascalled oi God. Evidently there wereethers, also, who had subordinateparts in the work of making the tabernacleand its furnishings, for it issaid in 31:6, "And in the hearts ofall that are wise-hearted I have putwisdom, that they may make all thatI have commanded thee."When God calls people to do Hiswork there is no room for adversecriticism. Had Moses, himself, appointedBezaleel and Aholiab, theremight have been a feeling of dissatisfactionwith the appointments.They might have accused Moses ofbeing partial to some in giving thempreferment over others. But when Godappoints people for certain tasks therecan be no complaints, or there shouldbe none, for God Snakes no mistakesin His selections. He always choosesthe right person. When the peoplewere told that it was God who hadchosen Bezaleel and Aholiab, theywould have no cause for dissatisfaction.They were the right ones.2: Bezaleel was Qualified for theService.In verse 3 God said, "And I havefilled him with the Spirit of God, inwisdom, and in understanding, and inknowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,to devise cunning works, towork in gold, and in silver, and inbrass. And in cutting of stones, to setthem, and in carving of timber, towork all manner of workmanship."When God calls a person for a certaintask he arranges the circumstancesof his birth, endows him with thenecessary skills and subjects him tothe required training. Moses, in theplan of God, was brought up in theloyal court of Egypt and "learned inall the wisdom of the Egyptians" buthe was not endowed with the skill tomake articles of gold, silver, or ofwood. Bezaleel was not endowed withthe ability to administer laws and tolead people, but he was endowed withthe ability to make intricate articlesfor the tabernacle, and above all, hewas filled with the Spirit. That is themost essential qualification.3: God Endows People Differently.There is a great difference in thekinds of the work which is to be donein the Kingdom of God; so, naturally,there is a great difference in the abilitiesof people who are called to dothose tasks. Among the Israelites,Moses had his talents, Joshua hadhis, and Bezaleel had his. In Ephesians4:7-11, Paul tells us of the gifts whichthe ascended Lord has distributed toHis people: "And he gave some, apostles;and some, prophets; and some,evangelists; and some, pastors andteachers; For the perfecting of thesaints, for the work of the ministry,for the edifying of the body of Christ:Till we all come in the unity of thefaith and of the knowledge of the Sonof God, unto a perfect man, unto themeasure of the stature of the fulnessof Christ:"Therefore, even though people differin their talents, they should allbe one in Christ. This is the pictureof the Church which Paul also, givesto us in I Corinthians 12:14-27, "Forthe body is not one member butmany. If the foot shall say, because Iam not the hand, I am not of the body;is it therefore not of the body? —Butnow hath God set the members everyone of them in the body, as it hathpleased him. — Now ye are the bodyof Christ, and members in particular.'The Israelites needed a Moses, anAaron and a Bezaleel, men of differentcapabilities; so the Kingdom ofGod needs people of different capabilitiesin order to be built up in theSeptember 22. 1965 187

world.4: The People Contributed Materials.It is said in 36:3 that they (Bezaleel,Aholiab and others) received ofMoses all the offerings, which thechildren of Israel had brought for thework of the service of the sanctuary,to make it withal. And they broughtyet unto him free offerings everymorning. Also verse 5 says, "Andthey spake unto Moses saying, the peoplebring much more than enough forthe service of the work, which theLord commanded to make." The people,therefore, contributed more thanenough of the materials which Bezaleeland the others were to use. Skilledworkers of the church can do nothingof themselves. They must receivesupport from the people who resideat home. In our modern church thepeople at home should be liberal infurnishing the materials needed bythose who do the actual work. Moneyis the great material that is needed today.Does the church today have morethan enough money with which tobuild, or do the workers have to bewithheld from building too manythings? Bezaleel was not withheld inany way.In conclusion we can say that Bezaleel'slife teaches us that skills, ortalents, are gifts of God, which manifestthe presence of the Spirit in a person'slife. As Bezaleel dedicated hisskill to the building of the tabernacleand its furnishings, so every personshould dedicate his skill to the serviceof God. And, God calls and qualifiespeople for the work which theyare to do in His service. The churchneeds consecrated, talented workmenwhom the people should support withliberal offerings."Lesson based on Internationa] SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessons(or Christian Teaching, copyrighted 1958by the Division of Christian Education. NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ in theU. S. A."Junior Topicfor October 17, 1965THE WORLD'S GREATEST LIBRARYMrs. M. W. DoughertyMemory Verse: Psalm 119:105.Psalms: 138:1-4, p. 338; 19:5-9, p. 42;119: 1-3, p. 287; 119:1-4, p. 28C n^ 1-6,p. 300.Lesson:Did you know that you have theworld's greatest library in your home?A library is a collection of books. Inthis library of yours there are sixtysixbooks. What is it? The Bible. Howmany different men were used to writethese books in your library? Howmany years were they in writing allcf these books? Who helped all themen who wrote? How many main divisionsare in your library? Howmany books are in each part? Whatkind of books are there in each part?What kind of books are there in eachpart? What is the best known book ofpoetry? In what books are storieschiefly found? What books give thestories of Jesus' life? Where do wefind the Ten Commandments? TheSermon on the Mount? The LoveChapter? The Faith Chapter? TheShepherd Psalm? The MissionaryPsalm?If you went into a public library,where would you go to choose a book?To the section where there are booksfor boys and girls. Very interestingstories for boys and girls can be foundin the Bible library. Which one isyour favorite? Many of these are selectedfor you in the Daily Bible Reader.Not only will we read these butwe will put in memory's book choicethings like Psalms 23 and 103; Matthew5-7; I Corinthians 13; Exodus20:3-17.One thing the Bible does for usis to show us where to go. "Thy wordis a lamp unto my feet and a lightunto my path." Did you ever gostumbling along in the dark? We likea flashlight to show us the way. SoGod's Word shows the path to chooseand the dangerous things to avoid.Some light gleams for us: Proverbs3:5, 6, 27; 4:7, 18, 23; 6:20-22; 15:1; 16:7;18:24; 22:1; 23:17, 28; Eccl. 12:1; 9:10a;Matt. 5:16, 48; 6:19-21; 7:1, 2, 13, 14; IJohn 1:9; 3:18; James 1:5; Heb. 13:5;II Tim. 2:15; Col. 3:20; Phil. 4:6-8;Eph. 4:32; I Cor. 10:12, 13; 15:33; 16:13.Again Paul said to Timothy, "Froma child thou hast known the HolyScriptures that are able to make theewise unto salvation." The Bible showshow to receive Christ as our Saviourand how to be like Him.The Bible really changes lives. Dr.Moffat, the great African missionary,tells of a shepherd boy who had beenvery bad. But through the reading ofthe Bible he be..an ^e, kind, andthoughtful of others. One day he cameto Dr. Moffat so worried because abig dog had found a part of the NewTestament and had eaten it. Dr. Moffatsaid, "Don't worry. I will give youanother one."But the boy still looked distressedand said. "It is the dog that I careabout.""Oh, a little paper will not hurtthe dog," answered Dr. Moffat."That isn't it," said the boy. "I wasonce a bad boy. If I had an enemy,I wanted to kill him. Then you gaveme a Bible and I read about Jesus,and I began to love my enemies, andnow my big dog has got the Bible inhim and he will be loving the lionsand letting them help themselves tothe sheep."(Take a Mason jar or other bottlev ith a screw top half full of water.Have a pitcher half full of water towhich a few drops of tincture of ironand a pinch of powered nut galls havebeen added. This makes a black liquid.Hidden inside of screw top of thebottle, fasten a piece of cotton, wellsoaked with oxalic acid; have also aniece of printed page, a nickel, aflower.)Once there was a boy, trained bya good mother. As he grew older,though, bad boys became his friendsand he began to lie and steal. His lifelike the water in the bottle was onceso white but now it is blackened bysin. (Pour a little of the black waterin.) Later he was swearing, smoking,drinking. (Pour in more black water.)His father and motrier thought educationmight help him. (Put piece ofprinted page into bottle.) Darkenedlife is not cleared up. Would moneyhelp? (Put in a nickel.) His parentsbought him many things and let himtravel. (No change in color.) Maybebeautiful things will help. Put in aflower.) No help there. Finally someonegave him a Bible. He read thereof the po^. bint'ul boy who was receivedback by his father. He kneltdown and laid his head on the openBible.(Place the top on the bottle, screwit down tight, shake it, then placeiton its side in an open Bible; closethe Bible and leave it there for a fewseconds) He cried to God to forgivehim and let him live a clean lifeagain. God answered, for when hearose he felt like a big burden hadbeen rolled away. He was a new manior he had found in the Bible Godslove and forgiveness, Jesus as Saviourand Master. (Take the bottle out. Thev/ater will be white.) (Condensed from188 COVENANTER WITNESS

Otis Barnes' Children's Object StorySermons.A big sixteen-year-old Kentuckyboy said, when given a Bible forstudy in school, "I'd rather have aBible on my desk than any otherbook." Read it daily. Memorize someevery week; use what you memorize.Suppose you are learning, "A softanswer turneth away wrath." Answerthe next angry person kindly and seehow quickly he will forget his anger.Many years ago a band of Indianssat listening to the wonderful storiesthat two hunters told. Most wonderfulwas the story of the white man's Godand the book that told of Him."Give us that wonderful book ofheaven," the chief said. The huntersdid not have one to give, so fourIndians started the next day to findone. For months they traveled untilthey came to St. Louis. Here werewhite men; surely they would findthe book. But still there was no book.After waiting for a long time there,two of the Indians being dead, theother two started back on the longjourney home. "I go back to my peoplevery sad," the old chief said. "Mypeople sent me to get the white man'sbook of heaven. You have given memany gifts, but not the book I came tofind. When I tell my people that I donot have the book, they can not speakfor sorrow. They will have no whiteman or white man's book to tell themthe way to heaven." A little later amissionary went to them with theBible.Prayer Meeting Topicfor October 20, 1965"GOD'S ATTRIBUTES AS A BASISFOR PRAYER — HOLINESS"Scripture Resources:Isaiah 6; I Peter 1:15, 16; Revelation4; Exodus 15:1-19; Leviticus 11:43-45; Psalms: 99; 2, 4, 8; page 236;145:9-13; page 351; 22:1, 2, 4; page 49.Bibliography:Constitution of the R. P. Church,pp.7, 62, 129, 151 Vos, J. G., Blue BannerFaith and Life; Pink, A. W., TheAttributes of God.Suggested Plan of Meeting:Praise Period — (In singing someof the above Psalms point out thereference to God's holiness; look forother Psalms which do this also, orask those present to find Psalms showingGod's holiness.)Period of Silent Prayer — (Suggestthat we think of the consequences offacing God's holiness; ask for thosepresent to pray for a willingness tosee their own unworthiness in thelight of God's holiness. Isaiah 6might be considered before this periodof prayer to help emphasize thispreparation for prayer.)Study Period — (In the above andother Scriptures analyze just what"holiness" means; you may find thatit refers to the transcendent majestyof God as well as to His moral purityand perfection. A. A. Hodge has written,"The holiness of God is not to beconceived as one attribute amongothers; it is rather a general termrepresenting the conception of Hisconsummate perfection and total glory.It is His infinite moral perfectioncrowning His infinite intelligence andpower. There is a glory of each attribute,viewed abstractly, and a gloryof the whole together. The intellectualnature is the essential basis of themoral. Infinite moral perfection is thecrown of the Godhead. Holiness isthe total glory thus crowned." (Outlinesof Theology, p. 163)How does the holiness of God affectour prayer life? This is the realthrust of the topic. Are our surrenderto the Spirit, our attitude of confessionand supplication, our expressionsof adoration, affected by ourunderstanding of God's holiness?)Prayer Period — (Prayers shouldinclude adoration and confession aswell as petition and thanksgiving.)REBUKE AND ENCOURAGEBy R. Barclay WarrenThe Christian has a great responsibilityto the people of his day. Likehis Lord, he is in the world but not of'he world. There are two attitudes,the extremes of which he must avoid,yet a portion of each he must possess.His position is expressed in the wordsof Paul to Timothy: "Preach the word;be instant in season, out of season, reprove,rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and doctrine."Some people specialize in reprovingand rebuking. They are pessimistswho see only evil about them. Theyare destructive, breaking the brusiedreed and quenching the smoking flax.They earn resentment and cause confusionand misunderstanding evenamong Christians.On the other hand, many today areoptimists, seeking no evil. They speakonly soft and gentle words whichsoothe the sinner in his downwardway. Like the false prophet and priestof Jeremiah's day, they heal the hurtof the people slightly, saying, "Peace,peace, when there is no peace."Every Christian must proclaim theWord as it is in the Bible. He mustpattern his life after Jesus Christ, theWord made flesh. By attitudes, words,and actions he must reprove, rebuke,and encourage. He must keep a goodbalance.Our Lord rebuked sin directly (ashypocrisy—Matt. 23), and by contrastingwith the good (the prodigalson). Likewise, He gave the most encouragingwords ever spoken, as theoffer of rest to the weary (Matt. 11:28-30), and of assurance to His disciples(John 10). There are hundreds ofexamples.The trend today is to shy awayfrom rebuking sin, whether it be thechurch, politics, or business. Hugedoses of soothing syrup are administered.The "no hell" teaching is popular,and so there is little emphasis onChrist shedding His blood to save us.What was once called sin is representedas only an irregular working of theelands; unfortunate, but we must notworry about it. The sinner can sleepunder this modern teaching, and thechurch is liable to smother under it.Encouragement is needed. EvenPaul was refreshed by it (Acts 28:15).But sin must be reproved and exposed.Only then will the sinner be disposedto repent and entrust himselfto Jesus Christ. Man must be shownthat he is sick unto death, but JesusChrist is able to save him.whom I have believed, and ampersuaded that he is able to keepthat which I have committed untohim against that day.September 22, 1965 189

NOTICEMrs. D. B. Martin, wife of the lateRev. D. B. Martin passed away at herhome in Phoenix, Arizona September14, 1965. The burial was in Sterling,Kansas September 18, 1965.MINUTES OF SYNODThe printer has promised delivery of the 1965 Minutes by September 15. Mail orders to ChesterR. Fox, Treas. 306 Empire Building,Pittsburgh, Pa., 15222. Price$1.50 per copy.Chester R. FoxTreasurerMEETING OF MIDWESTPRESBYTARYMidwest Presbytery will convenefor its regular fall meeting at theQuinter, Kansas Reformed PresbyterianChurch on Tuesday, October 12, at7:30 p.m.R. W. Caskey, ClerkMRS. MARTHA PATTON HAYESMrs. Martha Hayes, a member ofthe Greeley congregation went to herHeavenly Home, July 22, 1965.Martha Patton, daughter of Nathanieland Amanda Dougherty Patton,was born at Quinter, Kansas, October29, 1880. In her youth she movedto Sterling, Kansas, where she resideduntil her marriage to James R. Hayeson May 16, 1906. She then moved tothe Greeley community where shelived until her recent death.Her husband died, March 2, 1962.Survivors include two daughters: Mrs.Floyd (Zada) Barnes of Dodge City,Kansas and Mrs. Neal (Helen) Stearlyof Tracy, California; five grandchildrenand four great grandchildren; twobrothers: Hugh and Warnock Patton,both of Sterling, Kansas; and a sister,Mrs. Cecil (Willa) Hays of Hosington,Kansas.Mrs. Hayes was a faithful memberof the Reformed Presbyterian Churchfrom her youth. In Sterling, Kansasshe taught a Sabbath School class ofyoung people for many years.Mattie, as she was known to all,made friends easily and enjoyed visitingall her neighbors. Any one whocame to her home felt the warmth ofher personality.She raised hundreds of peoniesevery year and gave them to herfriends, and supplied the church withflowers every Sabbath day.She was also busy with her hands;in her later years she did embroideryand crochet work. When any visited inher home, they always left with atoken of her affection.She is greatly missed in the missionarysociety, in the Sabbath Schoolclass, and in the church services.The burial service was conductedby her pastor, Rev. R. P. Joseph.The Greeley Missionary SocietyMrs. Gertrude SnairSEPTEMBER SUBSCRIPTIONHONOR ROLLDenison, Oakdale.NOTE OF THANKSThrough the columns of THE COV­ENANTER WITNESS may I expressmy deep and sincere appreciation tothe members of my own, and formercongregations, and many friendsacross the whole church, for the cards,letters, varied services, and especiallythe prayers offered during mytimes of surgery and hospitalization.I am eternally grateful.Paul D. McCrackenNEW ADDRESSRev. S. E. Boyle428 South AvenuePittsburgh,Pennsylvania 15221NOTE OF APPRECIATIONThe Los Angeles Reformed PresbyterianChurch gave us another generousexpression of Christian love onWednesday, August 18, after prayermeeting. We have much to rememberand much to repay after three yearsof Christian friendship in the LosAngeles congregation. We give thanksto God for it all.When we arrived in Wilkinsburg,Friday afternoon, the third of September,the Christian friends of the congregationhere met us with manythoughtful arrangements. We wereallowed the use of Dr. Clark Copeland'shome until we could move intoour own, for Copelands were at WhiteLake Camp. Every evidence of God'smeiey and Christian friendship showsus how indebted we are to the brotherlylove of the ministers and membersof the Covenanter Church.Our new home is truly an answerto prayer and the earnest efforts ofChristian friends to help locate aplace to rent. We are close to theChristian Amendment Office, theSeminary, Wilkinsburg Church, and tothe schools. Romans 8:28.Sam Boyle and family428 South AvenuePittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15221CAROLYN CHESTNUTCarolyn Chestnut, who in June receivedher bachelor of science degreein speech from Geneva College, hasbeen awarded a Federal Grant to BallState University, Muncie, Indiana.Under the grant she will specializein education for the deaf.Miss Chestnut, who is the daughterof Mr. and Mrs. Calvin L. Chestnut,Quinter, Kansas, has completed herstudent teaching requirements inBeaver Falls High School.She will begin her advanced studiesat the university in September.NORTHERN IRELANDOn Friday, August 27, Rev. DavidJ. Magee, formerly pastor of the Fairviewand Tullyvallen congregationsin the Southern Presbytery, was installedby the Eastern Presbytery aspastor of the Larne congregation.Rev. R. B. Lyons, Moderator of Synod,led in the opening exercises. Rev. F.S. Leahy preached on the text, ITimothy 1:12, speaking of Paul's faith,Paul's experience, and Paul's persuasion.Rev. J. Renwick Wright gave anexposition and defense of ReformedPresbyterianism. Rev. J. H. McGladdry(Clerk) presented an interestingand informative narrative of the historyof the congregation and of thesteps leading up to the installation.After the prescribed questions hadbeen answered by the minister and thecongregation, Rev. J. W. Calderwoodled in the installation prayer. Thecharge to pastor and people wasgiven by Rev. J. A. Cresswell Blairand a solemn and inspiring servicewas brought to a close by Rev. HughWright.The large audience of about twohundred then went to the Orange Hallbeside the Church, where the ladiesof the congregation served a delight-190 COVENANTER WITNESS

ful "set-down" tea. After the Moderatorof Presbytery (Rev. W. Young),who was presiding, and also representativesof the session, committee, andthe ladies of the congregation hadwelcomed the new minister, Mr.Magee replied. The Moderator ofSynod, representatives of the otherPresbyteries and of other denominations,as well as those of Mr. Magee'sformer congregations, and Mr. JosephFleming from Seattle joined inexpressing their good wishes to thepastor and people. A time of happyfellowship was brought to a close withpraise and prayer.two classes, and eighteen received attendanceawards. Mrs. Frederick Millicanand Pastor McCracken conductedthe Club.C.Y.P.U. members attended a pre-White Lake Camp rally in New Yorkat Jones Beach on July 9 and 10.Dr. Roy Adams, of Geneva College,worshiped with us while here to attenda class for chemistry' orofessorsat Tufts University.Miss Pauline Faris has returnedto church after a long illness. Visitingher now is her sister, Mrs. Lundell ofNew York.During the pastor's absence onvacation the pulpit was filled on successiveSabbaths in July by Rev. Mr.Bauer, Orthodox Presbyterian, of Caraston.Rhode Island, Prof. GradySpires, of Gordon College, Rev. JamesBosgraf, assistant pastor, OrthodoxPresbyterian Church, Hamilton, andMr. Malcolm Caldwell, who was calledto enter the ministry after severalyears in business. He enters GordonTheological School in September, havingnow completed undergraduatework.CAMBRIDGEJUNE — During the pastor's absencefrom the pulpit due to the Pastors'Refresher Course and Synod, theservice on June 7 included Psalmtestimonies by some of the youngpeople, and a taped sermon by thepastor. The evening meeting was adiscussion led by Mr. Watson Stewart Scribe With A Hard Pencilon "Christian Ethics in Business."Morning and evening preaching onJune 14 was by Dr. Wyngaarden. Sincethe 14th, Dr. and Mrs. Wyngaardenhave returned to their home in GrandRapids, Michigan, the Dr. having completedhis work at Gordon College andDivinity School.A mother stood looking at her little boys, asleep in their bunks. TheyMr. John Weinacht and Miss Betty could be problems in the day time; but now, she thought, their little facesJo Dickson were married on Friday, had on them something akin to the expression of an angel. Then one ofJune 25, and were greeted by guests them sneezed. Even little boys with angel faces can have hay fever!at a reception in the Gibson home inThe clergyman stood before his congregation ready to announce theCambridge on Monday, the 28th. We text of his sermon. Tears streamed down his cheeks. They were not, however,rejoice with them on this occasion, the tears of deep gripping emotion. Preachers, like the rest of us, can beand also in the profession of faith in overtaken with hay fever.Jesus Christ of Mr. Weinacht.The sweet young thing came into the living room to meet herOur hearty interest and prayers date. He had had engine trouble, and had phoned that he might be late.are with Mr. Donald Willson and his He was. As he arose to greet her, he noticed her red nose and tear-filledbride of this month, Sarah Lee Martin.We await their presence with us as all that! The truth was, she was not upset to the point of bursting intoeyes. He hadn't realized that his late arrival would upset any girl as muchin the fall.tears. The sweet young thing was suffering from hay fever.The Sabbath School picnic was the Queens, mechanics, archaeologists, attorneys-at-law, Latin students, garbagecollectors, and all the rest of the human race, are liable to its scourge.19th, at Cochituate State Park. Swimming,ball playing, eating, and talking It recognizes no boundaries of class, economic status, politics, or previousfilled the hours.condition of servitude. As yet, the cures for hay fever are only "so-so." Sometimesthey aren't even "so-so." Sometimes they are only "so."JULY — The pastor and his familyvacationed in LaSalle, ColoradoThis time of year, before the frosts, we all become aware of hay fever.with Mrs. McCraeken's parents, Mr.But the human race has a far greater scourge than hay fever. Sinand Mr? Tl. C. Gilchrist. Rev. J. Paul not only lays its curse upon ever class of people. Those most afflicted with it,MeCrac;., I participated in the CovenantHeights Conference, which was at­before the frost, but also in the winter after the snow, and in the newmay be the least aware of its hold upon them. It comes, not only in the falltended by Ren Millican of Cambridge life of spring, and in the heat of summer. Sin is "seasonal." It attacks uscongregation.in every season of the year.Vacation Fun Club, replacing theThere is a cure! The Bible tells us in John's First Epistle, the firstusual Vacation Bible School, concludedJuly 2 v'th a program and social and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 'The blood of Jesus Christchapter: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,time to whrch parents were invited. (God's) Son cleanseth us from all sin."The purpose of the Club was to reachTo a sin-sick world Christ, the Son of God, comes as our Great Physician,children who do not attend the Church because He comes to save us from our sin and deliver us from the power ofschool. Enrollment reached 30 for the the evil one.September 22. 1965 191

WORD FOR A NEW AGEWorldwide Bible ReadingWORLDWIDE BIBLE READING PROGRAMMore than 20 million persons all over the worldwill participate this year in the Worldwide BibleReading program of the American Bible Society.Worldwide Bible Reading, now in its 22nd year,is observed annually between Thanksgiving andChristmas as a spiritual bond to unite the peoplesof the world. The theme for 1965 is "Faith for aNew Age."Each day, all persons participating read thesame verse from the Bible. Selections are printed inadvance on bookmarks and distributed by the Society,without charge, to churches, hotels, libraries,stores, banks and to people who request them.This year, the first selection will be Psalm I,to be read on Thanksgiving, and the last selection,to be read on Christmas, will be Luke 2:1-20. Differentselections are listed for each day of theprogram.Among the highlights of the observance areBible Week, December 5 to 12, and the reading ofthe Christmas Story on Christmas Eve. Special bookletscontaining the Christmas Story are providedby the Society.Those participating may use the Bible of theirchoice, in any translation or version. Because ofthe growth of the ecumenical movement in recentyears, many more persons are expected to participatethis year.The Society, which will observe its 150th anniversarythis spring, limits its activities to thetranslation, publication, and distribution of theBible, without note or comment, and the encouragementof its use.The program originated in 1943 from a requestby a lonely Marine stationed in the SouthPacific. He wrote his parents asking them to joinhim in daily reading of identical verses selectedfrom the Bible. Together they would be able tomaintain a true spiritual bond although thousandsof miles apart. His mother, recognizing the tremendousspiritual hunger which must be experiencedby many servicemen throughout the world,called the Society's office to share the idea. ThusWorldwide Bible Reading was born.The Society s officers enlisted the active cooperationof churches across the country to bringthis idea to the families in their congregations. Intime, shared Bible reading between home and foxholegrew to worldwide proportions, and in theyears following, people in other countries have joinedin this Bible reading program between Thanksgivingand Christmas.Bookmarks are available by writing the AmericanBible Society, 450 Park Avenue, New York,N.Y. 10022. Also a booklet containing the ChristmasStory may be obtained without charge fromthe same source. In quantity, the booklets cost $3per hundred.IS CHRIST THE ANSWER? . . from page 179bers tells us that the great problem of the man whois disillusioned with Communism is the realizationthat if he breaks with that diabolical "faith," heloses even the solution that Marxism affords. Hethen faces the crisis of history overwhelmed withremorse because of his evil associations, but withouteven the "answer' that Communism supplied (Witness,p. 193). And this, Christian brethren, is thesupreme tragedy of an age of catastrophes of cosmicproportion: the world has lost its way— spiritually,socially, politically, economically, yes, totally— and we who name the name of Christ cannotpoint them to the Christian answer. But the Godwho in the beginning spoke the Word which broughtorder out of chaos when the "earth was withoutform and void" is still able to restore reason andsanity to the affairs of men if we will but followHim. We must follow Him, first, in a personal relationship,and then out to the conduct of ourbusiness, social life and government, for soundeconomic, social and political theory is simply Christianethics, or applied Christianity. In a moral universethis must be so.The Free Methodist192 COVENANTER WITNESS

•ilCAl SEMItfABYCovenanter WitnessTO JESUS CHRIST"THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONS'VOLUME LXXV NO. 13 SEPTEMBER 29, 1965 STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 24, 1965LIFE—DARK OR BRIGHTTHE POET says that into each life some rain must fall, but thatimplies that most of life is bright. It depends largely upon theindividual whether he sees more of light or darkness. Moreover,what darkness one sees is largely the result of his own doing, whenhe has left God out of the picture. With the right attitude, even thedark spots, perhaps of sorrow or sickness or disappointment of somekind, lead to the light. God sometimes uses these for His purposes.We may need some of these things to purge away the dross out ofour lives and to cause us to depend more on God. Then they reallyturn to light.For a sermonette I have made a dot of ink on a sheet of whitepaper, and asked the children what they saw. Almost invariablythey see the black spot rather than the large sheet of white. Weolder people often see life in the same way. Our minds dwell on thedark spots of our experiences and life seems very cloudy. But whenwe think soberly of our experiences, there are so many good thingswhich we enjoy at the hand of our great and loving God, that thedark spots are almost incidental.God's providential care is enough to make our outlook bright,were there nothing else. But even far greater has been God'sspiritual provision for us as His children. The coming of JesusChrist into the world as our Saviour, the Sun of Righteousness withhealing in His wings, is enough to make light all of life, were therenothing else. But there are many other things, the good and perfectgifts from God. There are opportunities for service whichshould bring joy to our hearts. When by our testimony and efforta soul is brought to Jesus Christ, we should join in the rejoicing ofthe angels of heaven. We have the Word of God, giving light forliving comfort and strength for the dark times which do come to us.If we 'look for the good things, the light is far more than the darkspots. For the Christian the future is all glorious.—Associate Reformed Presbyterian

THE COVENANTER WITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Editorial Address125 N. Fourth, Sterling, Kansas 67579Telephone Area Code 316 - BR 8-3472Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 toMrs. M. W. Dougherty, 125 N. FourthStreet Sterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under thesupervision of the Publication Board byThe Patterson Press, Wapello, IowaTHE BOARD OF PUBLICATIONRev. Paul Faris, Pres.Dr. Wyley Caskey, Vice Pres.Dr. G. M. Robb, Sec.Mr. Donald Fee, Treas.Mr. Ross LatimerRev. M. L. McFarlandContributing Editors:Rev. Kenneth SmithDr. G. M. RobbRev. T. R. HutchesonDr. S. E. BoyleMr. A. D. RobbMr. Wilbur CopelandRev. T. R. HutchesonDr. R. Paul WrightDr. D. Howard ElliottDepartment Editors:Rev. Bruce C. StewartMrs."Robert B. MaineMrs. Willis M. EdgarRev. John K. GaultEditor— Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D. D.Opinion expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Church or of the Editor.Subscription rates: $4.00 per year, domestic and overseas,2 years $7.00. Group rates, $3.00. Single copies 10cents.Agent for Subscription in U.S., Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Agent for British Isles: Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A., 12Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, North Ireland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness.All material that is to appear in the Witness shouldbe typewritten, double spaced, and should be in Sterling,Kansas two weeks before it is to be printed.Obituary notices are limited to one hundred fiftywords; all words in excess of that amount are one centeach. Money should accompany the notice.News for the news section should be brief and up todate. One dollar is charged for death notices that aremore than six weeks old when they reach our office. Thisdoes not apply to minutes that have been adopted by an.organization.Give us one month's notice when you are changingyour address. This notice should be sent to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, IowaCHANGE OF ADDRESSWhen giving notice of a change of address, pleasesend the old address as well as the new address to thecirculation manager.WE HOLD THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only Infalliblerule of faith and conduct.The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experience.The Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Holy Spirit.The fact of death and hell as the destiny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believein Him together with their children.The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church Government.The Lord Jesus Christ as the only King and Head of His Church.welfare That of terms the Church. of membership or communion are essential to theVerse for the WeekPsalm 100:3 — Know ye that the Lord Heis God: It is He that hath made us, and notwe ourselves; we are His people, and thesheep of His pasture.The reason for God's owning all things, restsin His creating all things. For this reason in manyplaces in Scripture we find Him claiming priority.He has the right to lay claim to all things, evenus. This is the more evident when we consider that(1) He made all things for Himself. (2) He madeall things of nothing. (3) He made all without thehelp of another. (4) He upholds all things. He doesall this and for this we should reverence Him andtrust Him. He claims our loyalty. In the words, "HEHATH MADE US ... WE ARE HIS," there is greatcomfort. If He made us, then He knows all about us.He can rejoice with us; He can minister to ourevery need. We need not hesitate to go to Him atany time. Since we are His both by creation and byredemption it behooves us to act like we are His.It is no more than right that we tell others aboutHim and some of the wonderful things that Hehas done for us.His dealings with us are not as those of somegreat dictator or tyrant, but He would have usthink of Him as our shepherd and ourselves assheep. We are in all ways dependent upon Him,and even in His correction of us, He will be gentle.This Week's WitnessAnchors 195Glimpses 196Vows Taken at Infant Baptism 197Temperance Committee Report 198Crazy About Yourself 201Crossword Puzzle 202Lesson Helps ... 203Scribe 205Church News 206The duty which rests upon officers to maintain discipline andpreserve the purity cf the Church.Spiritual worship as a divine requirement mediated through theLord Jesus Christ.The exclusive use of the Psalms ln the worship of the Church.The Protestant interpretation of the Sacraments.The divine right of the institution of Marriage and that lt Unot to be dissolved except by adultery or "Irremediable" desertion.The Sabbath as a day sacred to rest and worship.The duty of nations and their civil rulers to honor Christ atKing of Kings and Lord of Lords.That Christian cit zens are under ooligation to obey lawful authority.The right and du y of the Christian citizen to dissent from allgovernmental and nat onal disobedience to the Law of God.That the Covenan s of the past are still binding.From "The Communicant's Class" by J. B. Tweed194 COVENANTER WITNESS

EditorialComment aANCHORSrActs 27:29 (last clause) — They cast fouranchors out of the stern and wished forthe day.Much attention is given today to our perplexities.It is not an effort to advertise or emphasize them,nor is it in most cases an effort to gain sympathy.We simply recognize that we have them. Turmoiland unrest surround us like the great waves of thesea, and from every sphere of life comes the cry,"What shall we do?"In Acts 27:20 there is an example, which appliedin a spiritual way, may calm and stabilize us.The scene was a floundering ship in danger of beingwrecked on the nearby rocks. Experienced sailorsdid not know what to do, but something mustbe done or the ship would be lost. Finally, anchorswere thrown out in all four directions that the shipmight be held safely in the storm.Through increased knowledge man has broughtmany changes in ships, but one part has changedlittle except for size. It still functions in the sameway and accomplishes the same task. That partof the ship is the anchor. Old-fashioned as it maybe, it is still very useful.This Biblical incident is freighted with a lesson,which if applied, would do much toward stabilizingthe life of our nation. Twenty-one civilizationshave arisen and gone down, due in most cases toevil within. Our great ship of State, with all itsluxury, is being tossed by stormy winds and waves.Rocks ahead there are. Will she be shattered againstthem? New morality in society, new orthodoxy inecclesiastical circles, desire for freedom from allrestraints are but a few of the tornadic winds thatlash our ship. Like the shipmates of Paul, manycry out, "What can we do?"The solution to their problem was in theanchors; true spiritual anchors wiU hold us. Wehave them, left by our pioneer fathers as a part ofour heritage. These anchors, too, will not fulfilltheir purpose unless they are used.What names shall we give to these four anchors?September 29, 1965The first anchor is the HOME. In a time whenbroken homes seem to be on the increase, it mightseem strange to choose the home for an anchor.Nevertheless, the home is the fundamental unitof society and of the nation. Here the charactersof its citizens are molded into habits that may belife-long. We are told that twenty-five per cent oflearning is done in the home, fifteen per cent inschool, and one per cent in church. If this anchoris to help in holding our nation steady, we musthave Christian homes with godly parents, well-disciplinedchildren, growing in the ways of the Lord.The second anchor is the CHURCH. The churchshelters, fosters, and encourages those who havefound new life in Christ. Its teaching guides themin safe paths; its fellowship strengthens them fordaily Christian living; its program directs them inuseful Christian service. It should be given theprime place in all of life's interests and activities.A third anchor comes to our attention, theBIBLE. While some in authority would let thisanchor be a mere decoration on the deck of ourship of State, no man, no home, no nation can besafe apart from the Word of God. It is living andpowerful, able to make one wise unto salvation.Andrew Jackson declared, "That Book is the rockupon which our republic rests." Robert E. Lee testified:"In all my perplexities and distresses, theBible has never failed to give me light and strength."The Bible must be used if its stabilizing qualitiesare to be effective.The fourth anchor is PRAYER. Prayer is notjust a psychological exercise; it is a power, a stronghold,a true anchor. This we seem to recognize intimes of emergency. Its holding power is essentialat all times whether the ship be the State, theChurch, the home, the individual.When the king puts his hand in the hand of GodAt the very gate of the year,Though the way be dark and the foe abroad,What need the empire fear?For the God of Hosts will guide us onThrough many a perilous hour,Though the way may lead by the way of the cross,We are led by a mighty power.We will come at last to the harbor safeWhen our hour of trial is o'er,If only the people will follow the kingAnd turn to their God once more.(These lines were written after hearing the Kingof England broadcast a very inspiring Christmasmessage. Author unknown.)195

Glimpses of the Religious WorldT. R. Hutcheson820 New YorkHolton, KansasCAUTION ABOUT MODERNIZATIONCatholic students attending colleges and universitieswhich are non-Catholic now outnumber those attendingCatholic schools. They are usually organized, on secularcampuses as the Newman Club. And they have theirnational organization, which met recently at the HiltonHotel in New York City.The meeting which made the headlines was addressedby a Jewish professor of Philosophy and Culture fromDrew University, a Methodist institution. A truly ecmenicalenvironment. But what the professor said was notin favor of the ecumenical movement. Dr. Will Herbergwarned the assembled students against modernizing theirchurch for the mere purpose of attracting modern man.The second ecumenical council of the Roman Churchhas been interpreted in such a light.Said Dr. Herberg, "The church is expected toslough off its old ways and bring itself up to date byadjusting itself to the spirit of the age; that is how thecouncil and its work are being understood in manyquarters... the church must stand firm in its witness tothe truth that is eternal and unchanging; it needs noupdating."I appeal to you who represent the coming generationof Catholics in this country: Do not sell your birthrightfor a mess of modernistic pottage, no matter howfashionable or attractive it may seem. The unedifyingscramble to be 'up to date', intelligible as it may seemin the marketing of some new car or revolutionary detergent,is utterly unworthy of the church."PEOPLE BANK PROPOSEDPaul Burkholder, pastor of Glad Tidings MennoniteChurch, in New York City's Bronx, was waiting in linein a bank. He got to thinking about people, and banks,and then about "People Banks." A people bank wouldbe a list of homes ready and willing to care for a needychild on an hour's notice, the way money is stored in abank ready to be used when needed, and the way bloodis stored in a blood bank to save lives.Mr. Burkholder rescued one boy from institutionalcommitment by suggesting that the boy be sent to aChristian home in the country. The juvenile judge wasagreeable, and the project worked out well. The judgelater asked how many more families the minister hadwhose homes were available for such service. Mr. Burkholderhad to confess that there was only that one home.And then, as reported in Gospel Herald, he began to thinkabout a People Bank and is soliciting the help of ruralfamilies to provide emergency or longer care for needychildren.RECONCILIATION OF GREEKS andCATHOLICS WELCOMEDThe move toward reconciliation between the GreekOrthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, anticipated injoint talks tentatively scheduled for November was welcomedby the Primate of the Greek Orthodox Orchdioceseof North and South America. While attending 14th Conferenceof the Greek Orthodox Youth of America in Hartford,Conn., Archbishop Iakovos said that the move towardreconciliation had received its impetus from themeeting of Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoruslast year in the Holy Land.Five hundred young people attended the conferencerepresenting chapters on GOYA in the U.S., Canada, andMexico. An estimated 5,000 attended the special serviceon August 29 in Bushnell Park in Hartford, celebratedby Archbishop Iakovos, who is one of the presidents ofthe World Council of Churches. A Greek Cultural Festivalthat evening features the traditional songs and dancesof Greece.—The Religious NewsweeklyGOOD SAMARITANS STILL ACTIVEA Tornado crushed 10 farm homes at Haven, Kansas,Friday, June 4. Five days later flash floods, causedby 5-to-8 inch rainfall, submerged parts of a number ofcommunities in the Newton area. The Kansas MennoniteDisaster Service unit was on the spot immediately atboth places to help with the cleanup."We've had a good workout these last nine days,"Albert Ediger, director of MDS operations in the 14 centralstates from North Dakota to Texas, reported onJune 14. "It's just wonderful the way people respond."Two hundred and seventy-five man-days of servicehad been provided by MDS at Haven by June 12, and1,200 man-days (an average of 400 men per day) in theflooded towns of Newton, Augusta, and Eldorado.—Gospel HeraldNEW ZEALAND CHURCHES APPROACH UNIONIn New Zealand, there was prospect for the unionby this year of the Presbyterian, Methodist, Congregational,and Associated Church of Christ denominations.Last year, however, the Anglican (Church of England)group joined the negotiations, so actual union was delayed.Now a joint committee of the five churches hasreported that they have found "adequate theologicalgrounds" upon which to proceed. They have concludedof these five denominations, there was "little differencein our basic beliefs or in our sacraments and ministry"See Page 200196 COVENANTER WITNESS

The VOWS TakenAt INFANT BAPTISMThe subject of baptism is far greater Rev. than Robert any McFarland their children grow up and embrace unbelief beane article. For this reason, I will not be attemptingto include every phase. Space will not permit thestudy of areas such as the mode of baptism, northe age of those entitled to the sacrament of baptism.I seek only to remind us of the commitmentinvolved in the Vows of Baptism as taken by parents.Thomas Manton in his introduction to the WestminsterConfession spoke of these vows in thismanner:"The author having bewailed the great distractions,corruptions, and divisions that are in theChurch, he thus represents the cause and thecure: Among others a principal cause of thesemischiefs is the great and common neglect ofthe governors of famihes, in the discharge ofthat duty which they owe to God for the soulsthat are under their charge, especially in teachingthem the doctrine of Christianity. Familiesare societies that must be sanctified to Godas well as churches; and the governors of themhave as truly a charge of souls that are therein,as pastors have of their churches . . . butwhile negligent ministers are (deservedly) castout of their places, the negligent masters offamilies take themselves to be almost blameless.THEY OFFER THEIR CHILDREN TOGOD IN BAPTISM, and there they promiseto teach them the doctrine of the gospel, andbring them up in the nurture of the Lord;BUT THEY EASILY PROMISE, AND EASILYBREAK IT: and educate their children for theworld and the flesh ... This covenant-breakingwith God, and betraying the souls of theirchildren to the devil, must lie heavy on themhere or hereafter."Do you agree with Mr. Manton? Could it bethat the divisions and problems of our Church goback to the vows of baptism? Do Reformed Presbyterianparents promise to teach the doctrines vofthe Word to their children and then "betray theirsouls to the Devil" . . . ? Have we as a church becomeactive in dealing with "negligent ministers",and yet honored elders, deacons, and trustees thathave disregarded the promises made for their childrenat baptism? Should parents who have seenreminded of the baptismal vows they made in theReformed Presbyterian Church?I would be the first to say that all of thesequestions cannot be answered in one brief article.It has been my conviction, however that the baptismalvows and the whole ceremony, tend to becomea mere spiritual status symbol. I suppose there arefew pastors in our congregations who have not hada car stop out in front of their house and a mothercome to the door and ask if "Johnnie" can be baptisedtomorrow in his church. A church which isactive in a calling program is going to find people,who will exchange baptism of their Johnnie, fortheir attendance at church for three or four weeks.If we lose the real significance of this ceremony, orsacrament, we have something as meaningless asa girl with a diamond ring, but no boy friend. Baptismof infants without applying the promises madebefore God is nothing more than a state basketballtrophy that some team might buy at a trophy shop,without even getting to the state tournament.Briefly we might review just what we promisedGod at baptism.1. DO YOU PROMISE TO REGARD THISCHILD AS A GIFT OF YOUR HEAVENLY FATHERENTRUSTED TO YOUR CARE?Can you remember that first baseball mitt youwere given as a gift? With it went some very realrequirements: Keep it out of the rain. Be sure yourname is on it. Don't lendit to strangers. Be sure youknow thatit is home every night. I can remembertreating my gift quite carefully because I had afather to whom I had to give an account when theday was over. Can we afford to do any less for thegift of children? Does our Father in heaven askwhere they are? Who is using them? Is the Nameof Christ clearly upon them?II. DO YOU PROMISE TO PRAY WITH ANDFOR YOUR CHILD, IN PRIVATE AND FAMILYWORSHIP: TO PROVIDE FOR HIS TEMPORALWELL BEING, AND FOR HIS EDUCATION ASGOD ENABLES YOU: TO ACQUAINT HIM WITHHIS LOST CONDITION AND NEED OF A SAV­IOUR: AND TO INSTRUCT HIM IN THE PLANOF SALVATION AND THE PRINCIPLES OF OURCOVENANTED PROFESSION?Most of the time I am able to pray with mySeptember 29, 1965 197

children, but my infant daughter, I can only reallypray for her. The time will come when I will jointhose of you who no longer have an opportunity topray with your sons and daughters, as they aregrown in their own families, — but do not forgetyour promise to pray FOR them, wherever theymay be."To provide for their temporal well being" ....Temporal care is a promise in the vows. This includesconcern for the diet, exercise, medical care,freedom from unnecessary frustration, decentclothes, sex information. ". . Education as God enablesyou ..." As parents, are you doing what youcan for the Scriptural education of your children?No, I don't mean are you saving for their four collegeyears at a Christian college? Are you readingevery one of your children's textbooks? Are youaware of the program of the P.T.A.? Are you awarethat many teachers would confuse, and seek to distortthe teaching of the Bible in the classroom?".. . To acquaint him with his lost conditionAre you willing to admit that education and prayerwith your child are not enough? Are you willing tosee the signs of the times in your children showingtheir need of a Saviour? The last two vowsseem to give two Scriptural ways to acquaint yourchild with his lost condition.III. DO YOU PROMISE TO BRING HIM TOTHE HOUSE OF GOD AND TO ATTEND THE AP­POINTED SERVICES OF WORSHIP WITH HIM;TO TEACH HIM TO REVERENCE THE INSTITU­TIONS OF RELIGION; AND WHEN HE SHALLHAVE ARRIVED AT YEARS OF DISCRETION,DO YOU PROMISE TO ENCOURAGE HIM TOSEEK FULL MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHURCH?As one looks at the last two promises,it almostlooks like they are out of order. The fourth vowdeals in principle with example, but is spelled outby method in number three. The specifics which arementioned include taking the child to church,teaching him at home, and encouraging him tobecome a part of the church.Perhaps you have been in a baptismal servicewhen the pastor asked the congregation to standwith the parents in their vows. In a very real sensethe whole congregation stands with the parents atbaptism. They stand, indicating that they will providea church to which the baptized child may bebrought. They will seek through faithful SabbathSchool teaching, Junior programs, Vacation BibleSchool programs, C.Y.P.U., and Scriptural SabbathSchool materials, to lead this infant to a time whenhe will seek full membership in the church. (Certainlyparents and members of the church neednot be reminded that if they do not encouragechildren to profess their faith in Christ, and unitewith the church, nobody will.)IV. DO YOU PROMISE TO SET BEFORE HIMA GODLY EXAMPLE: TO USE PARENTAL AU­THORITY WITH FIRMNESS YET WITH LOVEAND TENDERNESS: AND DO YOU PROMISE TODO ALL IN YOUR POWER TO SECURE HIS PRES­ENT AND ETERNAL SALVATION?A godly example — what will it be? Will itinvolve more than just getting them to church, morethan just telling them what not to do in their sparetime? Here is the influence that Satan himselfcannot erase from the mind of any of us. Thegodly mother and father, are unafraid to pay theprice of belief. They find time for family worshipin a hurried schedule, time to listen to children'sproblems, time to pray both at home and at churchon Wednesday evenings.That promise to "do all in your power ..." tosecure his eternal salvation has no age limit. Parentsof grown children, seeing them living in sin,still find the power of prayer. Those whose childrenhave not left the home have promised to use parentalauthority. Do your children know that you loveGod and hate sin? We teach them through ourreaction to their lives.We need to look back over the vows we cannotafford to forget, for one day we will answer toGod to whom we promised these things. "REMEM­BER THE VOWS OF GOD ARE UPON YOU."Dear Fathers and Brethren:Your committee respectfully reports activitythroughout the past year. Your chairman has writtenpastors and Sabbath School superintendents, requestingpastors to preach temperance sermonsfrom time to time and giving suggestions and remindersto superintendents in connection withquarterly temperance lessons. The idea is to sound198REPORT OF SYNOD'S TEMPERANCE COMMITTEEwarnings against the use of tobacco and alcoholicbeverages and to encourage habits of abstinencefrom these and other narcotics.We were represented in the annual "Temperanceand Prohibition Council" in Washington, D. C. inJanuary. Your chairman was also invited tosit inan advisory capacity at a two-day meeting heldlast December at Tuxedo Park, New York. ThisCOVENANTER WITNESS

was sponsored by the North Conway Institute andit was occupied with the study of problems of alcoholismand what the Church should do about it.The upshot of the conference was to request thecalling of a White House Conference on Alcoholism.One member of your committee, Dr. StewartM. Lee has rendered the cause of true temperancea valuable service this past year. As a member ofthe National Educational Advisory Committee ofConsumers Union, publisher of the product-testingand product-rating magazine, CONSUMER RE­PORTS, Dr. Lee wrote a detailed letter to all themembers of the Board of Directors of ConsumersUnion urging them to quit testing and rating alcoholicbeverages. Dr. Colston Warne, President ofConsumers Union sent this reply to Dr. Lee, "Youwill be pleased to learn that the CU Board has decidedhenceforth not to test hard liquors. Yourpersistent campaign has paid off."Letters have also been written to radio and televisionannouncers and the business manager ofstation KDKA in protest against beer advertisement.In addition, there has been cooperation with thework of the WCTU in both local and state andinter-state groups.This annual report to you centers this year onthe need to be informed as to the real situation prevailingin the United States as to the effects of thewidespread use of tobacco and liquor and to theneed for breaking the public apathy to a deterioratingsituation.The Surgeon General's report on Smoking andHealth produced a real but with many only a temporaryscare. It did persuade a small percentage ofthe smokers of cigarettes to break the habit andthe report produced a marked drop in sales. Laterthe sales went up again and with more youngpeople acquiring the smoking habit the total numberof smokers and the sales of cigarettes increased.This means that, inevitably, there will be a grimmerharvest of deaths from lung cancer and from cardiovasculardiseases caused by tobacco.Encouragingly enough, the Federal Trade Commissiontook steps to label each package of cigaretteswith a warning that the use of cigarettes mayendanger the health of the user. But the final legislationin Congress has not been signed and themove is stubbornly fought by the cigarette industry.It has pressured Congress into shielding the AD­VERTISING of cigarettes from any ban placed uponit. In other words while there may be placed a labelon each package of cigarettes, there is a possibilitythat a statement will be included prohibiting theFederal Trade Commission and any state or localgovernment from doing anything else in attemptingto warn people in this area. Congress still putsmoney-profit ahead of human values in this regard.Likewise with respect to alcoholic beverages.The dismal army of 6 million alcoholics is beingincreased by addicts from the ranks of problemdrinkers, who in turn come from the ranks of socialdrinkers. The bill for drink is getting larger as theyears pass. According to the latest Department ofCommerce Report, the national drink bill forAmerica rose to $13.5 billion dollars in 1964. Thismoney spent to buy alcoholism, death in traffic, andmoral decay amounts to:1. Four times the amount spent for education,2. Eleven times that spent for religion,3. Twenty times the federal security funds allocatedto unemployment, pensions, trainingof nurses, and vocation guidance.LIQUOR AND THE ARMED FORCESThe American Issue for March 1965 reported ashocking fact from the conflict in Vietnam. DrewPearson, on February 26, 1965, corrected a previouscolumn which stated that a sneak attack on Pleikuin S. Vietnam was the result of a Chinese or NorthVietnam plot, deliberately staged while Russian PremierKosygin was visiting Hanoi. Instead, Mr.Pearson says:"More complete information, now availablefrom the battle-front, shows this column was inerror. The Viet Cong attack was staged by a bedraggledhandful of 100 men, or half a company,which was able to achieve success only because ofsheer stupidity and the lack of alertness by the A-mericans and South Vietnamese. The attackers hadno idea that they would be able to penetrate to thevery center of the American installation as they did.That it was no Hanoi-conceived plot is obvious fromthe fact that Hanoi could not have planned to haveall South Vietnamese personnel and all Americansasleep.""The little band of Viet-Cong passed throughtwo villages before reaching Pleiku. The South Vietnamesein the villages are supposedly friendly to theU.S., but they sounded no alarm. The attackers cutthe barbed wire around Pleiku completely undisturbedand walked right into the center of the installationto place bombs alongside the barracks whereAmericans were sleeping. They retreated without anAmerican or a South Vietnamese wounding a singleone.''Mr. Pearson claims that his position has notbeen denied by the Pentagon, that Americans weretrapped because heavy drinking made them sleepyon the night of the attack. Mr. Pearson comments:"What the American public has a right to expect isa Congressional investigation or the courtmartial ofSeptember 29, 1965 199

American officers asleep at Pleiku. The Pentagonalibi is that they are highly trained and are not supposedto stand guard, which is correct. But the factremains that no one, not even a South Vietnamesewas on guard, and as a result, eight Americans werekilled and approximately 100 wounded and severalmillion dollars worth of planes destroyed; all becausepersonnel were sleepy after heavy drinkingSaturday night."Voicing the indignation of temperance leaders,Dr. Caradine Hooton, Executive Director of theAmerican Council on Alcohol Problems, in a releasedated March 10, 1965, says: "This is reminiscent ofDecember 7, 1941, when Pearl Harbor was attacked.The war with Japan and the unprecedented flowof American blood began after a Saturday night ofdrinking.""The Defense Department still allows alcoholicbeverages to be sold on military bases. The alliedliquor interests, including advertisers and socialdrinkers, persist with their pressures on people todrink. An apathetic public allows these tragedies tocontinue unchallanged. The moral welfare of ourmen in the service is at stake, as well as the peace ofthe world. Alcohol could well be the trigger whichunleashes a war of total oblivion."Fathers and brethren of the Covenanter Church,let us be informed and let us show active concern.Let us maintain our church's stand for abstinencefrom the use of alcoholic beverages and throw ourweight for the discouraging of the use of tobaccoin any form. Let us be concerned over the pitifulstate of those addicted to drink and to tobacco andhold out to them the hope of dehverance throughfaith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us also supportlocal, state, and national organizations which areworking for education against narcotics and forlegislation against their manufacture, advertising,sale, and use.We make the following recommendation: Thatpastors, S.S. Superintendents, teachers, parents,and youth leaders keep this issue alive throughoutthe coming year.The terms for which J. L. Coon, DDS. and Rev.J. O. Edgar, D.D. were elected have expired andtheir successors should be chosen at this synod.Respectfully submitted:Signed:J. L. Coon, DDS.Stewart M. Lee, Ph. D.John O. EdgarJ. E. McElroyAlvin W. Smith Sr., Ch.* GOD LOVETH THE POOR —AND JUDGING FROM OURRECENT COLLECTIONS, THIS CONGREGATION MUST BE AMONGHis MOST BELOVED/"From"Dateline," published by National Association of Manufacturers.The Church, if it would awaken anew, couldsend the whole gospel to the whole world readilyin ten years. Given all the men and women whoare needed, we could easily reach every unreachedarea of the world with the old, old story of Jesusand His love.— Rowland V. Bingham in A Flameof Fire.GLIMPSES . . . from page 196We recall a report by the late Dr. W. J. Colemanabout a conversation he had with a friendly minister ofanother denomination who advocated union of that denominationwith the Covenanters. The friend said, "Thereis no real difference between us," to which Dr. Colemanreplied, "Fine; then we will all sing Psalms together."But this proved to be a bigger barrier than the friendcould surmount, for he concluded, "Oh, you could notexpect us to do that."CRAZY ABOUT YOURSELF . . . from page 201there at the first, but he let a sore spot inflame tillit enveloped his life. A lady I know lost her husband,a pastor. Excessive grief has paralyzed her sothat she can't face a job.Christ is the best treatment for all of the manifestationsof self-love. Let Him break the "crazyabout yourself" cycle and replace it with the sanityof Christ first. Turn your "self" over to Christ. Hecame to bring life abundant with His dynamic presencein our lives.The Free Methodist200 COVENANTER WITNESS

OurYouthCRAZY ABOUT YOURSELFBy Roy C. KennyTo live outside of God's plan and rules of hfeis sheer madness. The rich fool did that. He livedfor self by self-made precepts, and put himself outsideof God's orientation. Jesus called him "fool" inour English translation. In Portuguese Jesus says,"Crazy person."This man had all of his values mixed up; andwith some reason we preach about the rich manwho was a fool because of this or that outward confusion.But he was not so much crazy because ofhis outlook on life as because of his inlook on life.In three verses he uses the words "I" or "my"eleven times. This is a man crazy about himself,and quite literally he was crazy. There was a shellof astuteness about his life, but Jesus saw throughit to a completely-disoriented soul — a soul orientedabout itself.Various writers have noted that mentally-illpeople are centered in self. They have come to acomplete "I", "my," position of facing life. I rememberDr. Barclay Warren mentioning the explanationwhich the head doctor in a large mental hospitalgave for the presence of many of the patients.He said they had made a mess morally of theirlives. And why did sex come to dominate them?They thought they would get some advantage forself. They were self-serving; they were crazy aboutthemselves.In an issue of Time magazine I noticed an increasingeffort being made among lawyers anddoctors to broaden the definition of crazy so as toinclude a wider group of criminals. I would agreewith their efforts, and go them one better. Everycriminal is crazy — bound up in a tight littleworld of self.Sin is insanity. Sin is the outward display of aninner lack of equilibrium — a self bound up in self.God, I think, might look down on the seething humanrace clawing itself to death, shake His head,and say, "Poor, crazy, crazy people."The only sanity is to forget ourselves and putGod first. The varying degrees of turning away fromGod are really varying degrees of madness. Returningto God with all of one's mental, spiritual andbody forces puts an end to life's rat race and opensup the Way. "For whoever desires to save his hfeshall lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sakeshall find it" (Matt. 16:25).Christ's teaching leads us away from self andinsanity to peace and composure. To the group whoheard about the "Rich Fool," Jesus moves them tothink of God's carefulness and care for them. Hesays in effect, "Forget about yourself; rememberGod takes care of you." That gives right thought.Then He says, "Rather seek ye the kingdom of God."That gives right actions. That was a perfect prescriptionfor the man sick about losing his inheritance.Peter was once about ready to tie some brotherup for sinning against him. Jesus tells Peter toforget about the injustice and forgive him seventytimes seven. That would be just enough time tountie Peter from himself and free him for a lifetimefrom the danger of having the "self" sickness.Jesus tells us to get the festering sores of ill-willcleared up at any cost. He knew that we are notmade to pore over our hurts and injuries. He tellsus that when it is needful we should leave the altarand straighten up the misunderstandings we have,even when we are not to blame. The right or wrongof the wrangle makes no difference. Get rid of it,or it will get rid of us. Imagined or real the enemy,forgive and forget them all. When we begin to findenemies all over the place — not friends — psychologistssay we are paranoic. That means crazy, andall because we didn't forgive and forget.God wants our lives free of sin; He wills us tobe mentally whole. The hates we have, there becauseof a supposed or actual wrong, work to destroyour self. Hate is a step towards self-destruction—craziness. Get rid of it in Christ. Jealousy is anotherself-centered, and thus selfdebilitating, emotion.Destroy it by letting Christ take over. Self-pityerodes us and leaves us less than our true selves.Release yourselves from it by coming to Christ. Resentmentscan make soreheads out of us — and asorehead is just a degree from the "crazy person"mentioned by Jesus. Let Him take your resentmentsand put you on an even keel. Excessive grief weakensand makes us half a person. It is a variety ofself-pity; it groups you around yourself. Leave it tomake Christ your aim.Whatever puts you to worrying about yourself,defending yourself, living the "I," "my," life, is adegree of self-annihilation. Just a few weeks ago avisitor after service began to pour me a tale of persecutionby colleagues in the bank where he hadworked. It had taken him to a mental hospital. Itall could have been avoided by forgiveness backMore page 200September 29, 1965 201

A PAGEFORJUNIORSfor October 24, 1965DOROTHY'S PEA PODMrs. M. K. CarsonPsalms: Those mentioned below inthe references may be sung as theyoccur in the lesson.Scripture: References given.Dear Juniors: How many timesthis summer have you sat out on theback porch with a pan of peas to shellfor dinner? Did you ever wish yourgarden was not like the one in Isaiah58:11, and did not have quite so manypeas to fix for dinner or for the locker?The story tonight is about a differentkind of peapod, andif you like thisstory, may be the next time you havea pan of peas you can name them asthey fall from the plump, well-filledpods, as Dorothy named the onesin her pod.Dorothy came into our services onenight, into the weather-beaten Churchthat used to stand on Seattle's OliveWay, for she said she felt a bit weather-beatenherself and thought shemight find companionship. She cameagain and again, for she learned tolove the Psalms, that she had oftenread, but had never sung, and sheliked the friendliness of the peopleand the messages of the pastor. Atthe close of the summer, she went toa Christian college and later waschosen as a missionary to Siam. Asshe sat with us the last time we sawher, on her way to the ocean linerand to Siam, she said, "I'd like youto see my pea-pod;it is full to overflowingwith wonderful P's that theLord has given to me." What a lot ofP's she had, a long list that filled themost of a page. We kept "Dorothy Wilson'spea-pod" for a long time, but Iam not sure now that I can tell youall she had found in her Bible. But Ican tell you plenty for an evening'sstudy and may be when you take yourBibles at home you can find somemore. We're always finding more andmore treasure in this Bible of ours.P-ardon. Nehemiah 9:17; Isa. 55:7.That is the first P that we need, forwithout God's forgiveness, no otherblessing would be of any avail to us.P-asture. Psa. 23:2; John 10:9. Acareful farmer always tries to providegood pasture for his cattle and hissheep. So God always provides for allour needs, and His supplies never run202BIBLE WOMENACROSS1. Timothy's mother. II Timothy 1:5.3. Timothy's grandmother. II Timothy 1:5.5. A Christian woman in Rome. Romans 16:15.7. Ruth's sister-in-law. Ruth 1:4.9. Mary's sister. Luke 10:38.11. Hezekiah's mother. II Kings 18:2.12. Joseph's wife. Genesis 41:45.14. Adam's wife. Genesis 3:20.17. A slain woman. Numbers 25:15.19. Rachel's maid. Genesis 29:29.18. Leah and Jacob's daughter. Genesis 30:21.DOWN1. Mother of John the Baptist. Luke 1:57, 60.2. Ruth's mother-in-law. Ruth 1:2-4.4. Abraham's wife. Genesis 20:14.6. Daughter of Haran. Genesis 11:29.8. Aquila's wife. II Timothy 4:19.10. Lamech's wife. Genesis 4:19.13. Zelophehad's youngest daughter. Joshua 17:3.15. A prophetess. Luke 2:36.the dangers and temptations thatSatan likes to put in our way.P-atience. Heb. 12:1; 2 Peter 1:6;Did you ever get cross and say thingsyou were sorry for? Did you wish youdidn't have a little brother or sisterto tag along after you? Did you everwish mother didn't find so manythings for you to do? God has promis­out.ed patience to us, if we follow Him.16.P-aths.WifePsa.of Hezron.25:10; Psa.I Chronicles16:11. We2:24.like a nice smooth path to walk on,one that takes us in the right directionand that has no dangerous places onit. God's paths are always the onesthat lead us to Him and away fromThat is one of the fruits that provesGod is working in our hearts.P-eace. John 14:27; Phil. 4:7. If wehave this P in our hearts, we will beable to live happily with our parents,and brothers, sisters, and playmates.P-leasure. Psalm 16:11. Some peoplesay that if we follow Jesus, wewill have no pleasures or good timesat all. But if they only knew, thosewho love the Lord the most, havethe very best times that can be, notonly in this world, but they will havethe joys of the Father's House.See page 206COVENANTER WITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of October 24, 1965Sabhath School Lessonfor October 24, 1965CALEB: FACING THE DIFFICULT:Num. 13:1 to 14:38; Josh. 14:6-15; 15:1319.Comments by John K. GaultCaleb, of the tribe of Judah, wasone of the twelve spies whom Mosessent from Kadesh-Barnea to spy outthe land which the Lord had promisedthat they were not yet convinced thatthey could take the land. So, God conformedHimself to the wishes of thethat eateth up the inhabitants thereof."Some think that this statementmeans that there was a plague in thepeople and gave commandment to land and many people were dying ofsend the spies.In Genesis 13:14-17 the promise ofthe land is given; "The Lord said toAbram, after that Lot was separatedfrom him, Lift up now thine eyes, andlook from the place where thou artthe plaque. The fact that the ten diedof a plague just after they had broughtback their "evil report" would seemto give credence to this supposition.They were afraid of the people also."There we saw the giants, the sonsnorthward, and southward, and eastward,and westward: For all the land they, the spies, seemed as small asof Anak," in comparison with whom,to give to the children of Israel.Several years had passed since which thou seest, to thee will I give grasshoppers. The wars of that dayMoses had led the children of Israel it and to thy seed forever. — Arise were largely fought by hand-to-handout of Egypt. They had come to Kadesh-Barneawhich was on the border length ofit and in the breadth of it; think they could gain a victory overand walk through the land in the combat- consequently, they didn'tof the promised land. It was here that for I will giveit unto thee." This promisewas repeated many times to Ab­entirely forgetful of the way Godmen of such great stature. They wereGod said to Moses, "Send thou men,that they may search the land of Canaan."God commanded that the spies also to Jacob. And, if that were not Red Sea just a few years before this.raham, and several times to Isaac and destroyed the Egyptian army in thebe sent because it was what the people enough, God brought this promise They were afraid, also, because ofwanted, and if the spies had done directly to the children of Israel while the "walled cities" which they sawtheir duty, it would have confirmed they were slaves in Egypt, when He in the land of Canaan. They had nowhat God had already promised them. said through Moses, "And I will bring way of scaling the walls, so they didn'tTen of the spies walked by sight and you unto the land, concerning the think they could take the land. Thenot by faith; Caleb and Joshua "walkedby faith and not by sight."ham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I the mighty works by which Godwhich I did swear to giveit to Abra­ten spies were entirely forgetful ofAt the command of God a prominentman of each tribe was selected. I am the Lord." (Ex. 6:8)Egypt and provided them with foodwill give it you for an inheritance: brought them out of the land ofTheir names are given in Numbers As we said before, if the spies had and water in that wilderness. There13:4-15. These twelve men Moses sent done their duty they would have are no limits to the mighty power ofthem into the land with these instructionsas given in Numbers 13:18- land and the word of the Lord would is not they who are gaining the landbrought back a good report of the God, and when people trust in Himit20, to "see the land, what it is; and have been confirmed. But, as so often butit is God.the people that dwelleth therein, happens even among Christians, peopleare guided in their journey to session of the Land of Canaan.3: Caleb Urged the Immediate Pos­whether they be strong or weak, fewor many; And what the land is that the "promised land" not by the promisesof God but by the size of the Caleb stilled the people before MosesIn Numbers 13:30it is said, "Andthey dwell in, whether it be good orbad; and what cities they be that they opposition which may lie in their and said, Let us go up at once, anddwell in, whether in tents, or in strong pathway. God has all power. He controlsevery circumstance of people's overcome it." Also, in Numbers 14:6,possess it; for we are well able toholds; And what the land is, whetherit be fat or lean, whether there be lives. He can remove every difficulty 7, 9 Caleb along with Joshua is mentionedas saying, "And Joshua thewood therein, or not. And be ye of and what He has promised that He willgood courage, and bring of the fruit do.son of Nun, and Caleb the son ofof the land. Now the time was the 2: The Difficulties of Entering the Jephunneh, which were of them thattime of the first ripe grapes. So they Land.searched the land, rent their clothes:went up; and searched the land from These difficulties were faced by And they spake unto all the companythe wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, Caleb and the other spies. With the of the children of Israel, saying, Theas men come to Hamath." They went exception of Caleb and Joshua, the land, which we passed through tothrough the land from one end ofit men were afraid of the inhabitants of searchit is an exceedingly good land.to the other. After forty days they the land of Canaan. They said, in If the Lord delight in us, then he willreturned bringing with them "one Numbers 13:32. 33, "The land through bring us into this land, and giveit tocluster of grapes, and they bear it which we have gone to search it, is us; a land which floweth with milkbetween two upon a staff; and they a land that eateth up the inhabitants and honey. Only rebel not ye againstbrought of the pomegranates and of thereof; and all the men that we saw the Lord, neither fear ye the peoplethe figs."in it are men of great statue. And of the land."1: The Absurdity of Sending: Men there we saw the giants, the sons of But Caleb and Joshua were outvoted.They were woefully in the min­to Spy Out the Land Which God Had Anak, which come of the giants: andAlready Promised Them.we were in our own sight as grasshoppers,and so we were in their the spies; and the people were inority.It was two against ten amongThe promises of God should havebeen enough of a guarantee to the sight."fluenced by the report of the ten. Inchildren of Israel, but it was evident The ten spies said, "It is a land verse 10it is said that, "All the con-September 29, 1965 203

gregation bade stone them withstones," and no doubt they would havedone so had not the "glory of theLord appeared in the tabernacle ofthe congregation before all the congregationof the children of Israel."God's faithful witnesses have oftenbeen outvoted and oppressed.4: Caleb's Reward for his Faithfulness.This reward was not long in coming.The ten who had brought up theevil report of the land "died by theplague before the Lord." "But Joshuathe son of Nun, and Caleb the son ofJephunneh, which were of the menthat went to search the land, livedstill." (Num. 14:37, 38) This was thefirst reward which came to Caleb.The second reward which came toCaleb was that he was spared to enterthe promised land about fortyyears later. Because of their unwillingnessto enter the land immediatelyfrom Kadesh-Barnea God caused allof that generation who were twentyyears old and older, to die in the wilderness.Joshua and Caleb only werespared. God had said to Moses concerningCaleb, "Him will I bring intothe land."The third reward which came toCaleb was that he was given Hebronfor a special inheritance. He remindedJoshua of the pledge made by Mosesforty-five years before that. He said,"If so be the Lord will be with me,then I will be able to drive" out theAnakims. Caleb, therefore was givenHebron as a special inheritance becausehe had "wholly followed theLord.""Lesson based on International SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessonsfor Christian Teaching, copyrighted 1958by the Division of Christian Education. NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ in theU. S. A."JUNIORS . .. from page 202P-raise. Psa. 147:1; Isa. 12:4. Surelywhen God gives us all these goodthings, He wants us to have thankfulhearts and to praise Him every day.We are much happier if we thinkoften of all the things we should thankGod for.P-rayer. I Thess. 5:17; Eph. 6:18.When we love our friends, we want tobe with them and talk with them. Godis our best friend; we should learneven while we are still young folksand children, to talk often with Him,for He has asked to do just that, andHe is ready to listen when we cometo Him.P-romise. I Kings 8:56; 2 Peter 1:4.We always expect mother to keep apromise she makes to us, and we nevertrust a playmate who makes promiseshe does not keep. But God alwayskeeps His promises, and they are suchgood and wonderful ones.Protection. Deut. 32:38. We arenever afraid, even in a strange place,if father and mother are with us. Godcan keep us much more safely thanthey, for He is a sure refuge. He neverfails us.P-urity. Matt. 5:8; Prov. 30:5. Unlesswe have pure hearts, we cannotsee God, but He will make our heartspure, if we want Him to do that. Welike to drink pure water, and eat purefood; much more important it is to putinto our minds only that which ispure. God will help us to keep outdirty, wicked things that would spoilour lives.These are a few of Dorothy's "P's".Perhaps you could write them in yournotebooks, and if you have crayons,write each in a different color or writethe "P's" in green, since peas reallyare that color. And then choose the"P" you like the best and read overagain the verses for it and try tomemorize them. Remember, the peasfrom the garden will not keep usfrom being hungry if we only lookat them and never eat them. So God's"P's" will not satisfy us or help us,unless we ask Him to put them in ourhearts, and make them a part of ourlives.Prayer Meeting Topicfor October 27, 1965PRAY FOR REV. AND MRS. GENESPEARScripture Resources:II Corinthians 4. Psalms: 119-1-3,page 287; 96:1, 2, 4, page 232; 135:10-15,page 333.Bibliography:Smith, A. W., Covenanter Ministers1930-1963, p. 197.Dear Friends,We are on vacation now in Hiwasa,a village in Shikoku. The rest, recreation,and change of scenery is notonly good for our health, but it alsogives us a chance to step back andconsider how we can do the Lord'swork better. Also in this little villagewe are staying right beside theschool, so have many opportunities towitness to students. We have alsopreached in the local church and havespoken informally at a few othermeetings. In some ways the localchurch is not a very clear light, butit is a light and the only one that tenthousand or more people have. Japanhas many such villages with no lightat all. We should pray that it will bepossible to reach some of these villages.Some may imagine such villagesare quiet, happy places, but even tous people come with sad stories offamily feuds and cruel injustice.One thing we are very concernedabout is the education of our children.The school they attend is very goodin most respects, but the Bible teacheris teaching very vile error. From classnotes I discovered that the first fivebooks of the Bible are a fraud, thatRuth is not historical, that Samsonkilled Philistines whenever he gotdrunk, and much similar trash. Twoparents went with me to talk thisover with the principal and the teacher,but we were told there would beno changes. The children of manygood missionaries go to the school, sowe intend to see if something cannotbe done to correct the situation.I am sure you are most interested,however, in the work of the church,for that is the main thing we are herefor. Though we have worked hard,we have not seen much growth in theKeiyaku Church. One young lady isstudying for baptism, one member ismore faithful this year, an additionalSabbath School class has been meetingregularly, and English Bible classeshave been more encouraging. Butthere are a number of people whohave studied the Bible a long time,who seem to understand, but theyhave not yet entered Christ's Kingdom.One young person told me, "I'm standinglooking in the door, but I can't goin." It is just that the power of theworld is too great a hindrance. Weneed to pray for more of the Spirit'spower to overcome the devil and givelife to these people. A young doctorstudies with me every week; a studentabout to graduate from collegecomes asking the most appropriatequestions; a young working man whohas made a careful study of the Biblecomes wanting to be sure that he issaved; a young sailor reads the Gospelof Matthew in a day in search of truth.These are some of the opportunities;there are more. We need to learn topray more effectually for these people,one by one. Will you not strivewith us in your prayers? Praying more204 COVENANTER WITNESS

earnestly and faithfully together surelyour prayers will be more effectual.We know that God is willing andready to hear us if we only prayaright.Along with prayer for inquirerswe request that you pray for eldersand pastors for our churches. Praythat more Japanese families will faithfullyhave family worship. Pray forthe new classes being started in Okamotowhere we live.Gene W. SpearLOOK UNTO METhis invitation is not a limited one.Given through the prophet Isaiah it isgiven to the ends of the earth. Thepromise for those who look in faith isthat they will be saved. The reasonfor the urgency of this look is thatit is to God the only God, the onlyone who can save.People look everywhere else forsalvation. They look first to their owngood works. The fact is that until theylook to God their works do not countas good. Besides this the works of allof us are very faulty, full of selfishnessand sin. Some look to educationto save thjem, but the most educatedis still a sinner in God's sight. Nicodemuswas educated, but he was notsatisfied and came to Jesus. Paul washighly educated but he knew salvationonly after Jesus met him on theDamascus road. As far as the recordgoes, no one of his learned teacherswas saved.Millions of people the world overtrust in idols of various kinds, wood,stone, iron, mud, rags, and otherthings which have no life, and canneither see, hear, nor answer thecries of those who worship them. Otherstrust in their wealth to get whateverthey need. None of these thingscan save. The prophet realized thatthe sacrifice of thousands of rams orthe offering of rivers of oil, or evenbite. The people cried out to Moses,and God told him to make a serpentof brass and put it on a pole. Thosewho were bitten were invited to lookupon the serpent and be saved. SoJesus has been lifted up on the cross.All who look with the eye of faith willbe saved. Some will not look. Thereare those who do not believe thatJesus can do anything for them. Thereare some who will delay. There aresome who are simply indifferent.These will not be saved.God has provided a gracious planof salvation. It is our part to acceptHis terms, to look with faith on theSaviour, Jesus Christ, trusting Himalone and completely to save us. Weshould not delay, for today is the dayof salvation; now is the accepted time.This is an individual matter, a personaldecision which each person mustmake. Look to Jesus and be saved.Have you?—Associate Reformed PresbyterianBe sober, be vigilant; because;our adversary the devil, as aroaring lion, walketh about, seelingwhom he may devour:Whom resist stedfast in thefaith, knowing that the same afflictionsare accomplished in yourbrethren that are in the world.Scribe With A Hard PencilYes, it's back to school! For many young folks it's back to the samebuilding and the same classmates, although the courses of study will bedifferent — and a little more advanced. But, for some young people "back toschool" means a complete change of environment.Last spring they were Seniors, wise old Seniors to whom the otherstudents looked up with admiration and something akin to awe. Now theywill be starting in as Freshmen, "green little, dumb little,, Freshmen" theywill often be called. They will have to wear Freshman caps that are not verybecoming, but are very very green as to color. In many instances they willbe expected to address the Sophomores as "Sir," though they may be madesubject to certain forms of hazing if they address the Sophomore women as"Sir." Every one of them will be thinking, "What a ghastly come-down! Fourmonths ago I was a Wise and mighty Senior! Now this!"In reality, it is no come-down! It is advancement in learning and development.When tomato plants are set out in the spring, it takes a little whilefor them to put down their roots and get established; but in the new environmentthey have far better opportunity for growth and maturity. They willproduce far better tomatoes because they have, been transplanted. Theirgiving of his first-born could neverchange of environment is of definite advantage.satisfy for his sins.Yes, it's back to school! The student who is learning, gracefully andGod calls on all to look to Him forgood-naturedly, to be a humble Freshman after being a mighty Senior lastsalvation. He is able to save. Becausespring, is receiving training as valuable as anything he will ever get out ofJesus gave His life for us the penaltyfor all our sins is paid. The guilthis text books. For, in the years of life ahead, there may be some few occasionswhen he will be regarded as wise and mighty; but there will beof every one who trusts in Him is removed.God alone can give full par­many more occasions of having to occupy the humble position. It is a goodidea to get used to this, and learn to live with it.don and cleanse from all sin. He aloneActually it is a sign of real growth and maturity when we are growncan give newness of life through newup enough to be able to take our place in society without having to occupybirth. God invites us to look and bethe center of the stage all the time. The real leader has the ability to be asaved. He will stand by His word offollower.invitation, and will never deceive us.Our Lord Himself had a word on this. He said, "Blessed are the meek."The people of Israel had murmuredagainst God. God permitted ser­He also said, "Even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but tominister."pents to come among them with a fatalSeptember 29, 1965 205

MINUTES OF SYNODThe printer has promised delivery of the 1965 Minutes by September 15. Mail orders to ChesterR. Fox, Treas. 306 Empire Building,Pittsburgh, Pa. , 15222. Price$1.50 per copy.Chester R. FoxTreasurerCALLMonday evening, September 20,1965, I moderated a call in the Quintercongregation, which resulted inthe unanimous choice of Alvin W.Smith, Jr. to be their pastor.M. W. DoughertyALLEGHENYDr. John O. Edgar preached for usApril 18 while our pastor, Rev. M. W.Martin, was assisting Rev. John Whitein communion services at College Hill,Beaver Falls.Our spring Thank Offering servicewas held the evening of May 7, precededby a congregational dinner atwhich 86 were present. The Juniorsand T'n T's (Intermediate group) tookcharge of very interesting devotions,after which Dr. John Edgar told thestory of the new congregation at Marion,Iowa, with very interesting picturesnot only of the church and parsonageat Marion, but pictures also ofour churches and parsonages a tSharon, Morning Sun, Glenwood, andothers.Mr. and Mrs. John M. Allen hada very enjoyable trip to Bermuda thisspring.Mrs. J. W. Anderson is absent fromthe city for several months in orderto spend the summer with an oldersister in her home at New Matamoras,Ohio.Blue Banner meeting on May 21at the home of Miss Margaret Allenwas made specially interesting by therelation by Dr. Grace Martin of herexperiences in her work as a doctorin a hospital for retarded children.The baccalaureate speaker at thePerry High School Commencementwas our pastor, Rev. M. W. Martin. Inthe graduating class were three of ourmembers: his own daughter, Janice,also Linda Bennett and Marilyn Stiver.Hugh Wissner also graduated fromBellevue High School. John Windischgraduated from Mt. Troy Junior HighSchool and Paul George from AlderdyceJunior High.The annual S. S. picnic was held atRiverview Park on June 4 with a fineturnout of 96. Our Sabbath School iscontinuing to prosper, with classesthreatening to burst out the walls.Rev. Lester Kilpatrick gave us finepreaching on Synod Sabbath, June 13.Our pastor made a very brief trip toPhoenix after Synod to visit his mother,Mrs. D. Bruce Martin.The Young Adults, with their families,are gathering together for apicnic one Monday evening eachmonth of the summer.THANKSDuring our brief time pastoring inPark City we have received manygifts and other expressions of thecongregation's affection. We take thisoccasion to thank them for these kindnessesand for the large gift so recentlygiven to us. "My God shall supplyall your need according to his richesin Glory by Christ Jesus" well describesour experience in this congregation.Jean, Glenn, Jeanette and JohnMcFarlandGREELEYThe Covenant Heights Conferencewas held, July 20-25. The Rev. J. E.McElroy, Young People's Secretaryfor the Western Division of MidwestPresbytery, was in charge. The Rev. J.Paul McCracken led the Bible studyin Numbers. Rev. Wylie Dougherty,D.D. presented lectures on The Word,Prayer, Faith, and Obedience. Rev. J.E. McElroy preached a sermon callingfor consecration. The Rev. Clark Copeland,D.D. brought the messages atthe Sabbath morning and evening worshipservices. The Rev. R. P. Josephpresided at the morning service andbrought the Psalm meditation.There were ninety-eight registeredfor full or part time, and approximatelyone hundred fifty attended on theSabbath Day.Mrs. Phyllis Evans, Greeley, wasin charge of the Junior program, withMiss Nancy Wright of the S.T.P. teamand Miss Sharon Alexander assisting.The other team members: MissCarol McBurney, Mr. Bill Sterrett,and Mr. Bob Clark of Beaver Falls,were leaders in the Junior High Conference.There were several first time decisionsfor Christ, and a number whorededicated themselves to Christ. Goddoes answer prayer.The Greeley Vacation Bible Schoolwas conducted in the evening from7:00 to 8:30. Attendance was around55. Those teaching were Mrs. ElnoraShupe, Mrs. June Ikenouye, Mrs. LeeMitchell, Miss Sharon Alexander,Miss Marcia Elliott, and Rev. R. P.Joseph, who taught the adult class.The women of the missionary societiesprovided refreshments on the closingevening.The Greeley pastor and his brother-in-law,the Rev. Alvin Smith, Jr.,recently returned from Cyprus, wereamong those who attended The NavigatorsPastors Conference at GlenEyrie, Colorado Springs. There wereone hundred five present, thirteen ofwhom were Covenanter ministers andtwo were Covenanter laymen. TheConference lasted five days. The CovenanterBoard of Evangelism held itsmeeting there.The Billy Graham Crusade held inDenver has come and gone, but weknow that the good that it did willlast forever. The total crowd for the10-day Crusade was 277,300, whichwould average 27,730 each night. Thelast Sabbath afternoon of the Crusade,6,000 who couldn't get seats saton the grass. It was the largest numberever assembled at Bear Stadium.Hundreds went forward after eachmeeting. Our pastor, the Rev. R. P.Joseph, was one of the counselors.THORACIC SURGEONSTAKE STANDRecognizing that there is "irrefutableevidence associating cigarettesmoking ... with cardiovascular disease,pulmonary emphysema and cancerof the lung", the American Associationfor Thoracic Surgery at its45th annual meeting March 30, 1965,passed a resolution urging action byits members and supporting legislationon labeling cigarettes as a healthhazard on packages and in advertising.The resolution stated in part: "Beit resolved that the American Associationfor Thoracic Surgery urge all itsmembers to intensify an educationalcampaign directed toward the publicin general, and youth in particular, relativeto the health hazards of smoking."206 COVENANTER WITNESS

HERBERT A. PHILBRICK, "NA­TIONAL INTEGRITY VIA PERSON­AL INTEGRITY."Today, we are to have intelligentfear and national concern.In 1917, by revolution, the Russianpeople established a free governmentfor the people. However, a counterrevolution destroyed this free government.Today, Communists threatenthe freedom of the whole world. TheGovernment of the United States ofAmerica is the most revolutionarygovernment of all the World! Yet, weare losing that freedom, which ourforefathers have given us, with God'srichest blessing! The factors involvedare the moral and spiritual decay ofstandards of living; and Communistthought and propaganda, which influenceall too much. We once had individualintegrity, trustworthiness, depthof character, which were all foundedupon belief in God and reconciliationthrough Jesus Christ our Lord. Healone has absolute integrity!!!!J. Edgar Hoover reports: Since1957, crime has increased 5 times asrapidly as has the population of U.S.A.;168 law-enforcement officers havebeen killed in the last four years.Criminals are released to continuein lives of crime.Communistic Ideology: 1. DiscountGod's part in the founding of U.S.A.We know that the leaders were intellectuals,mostly Christians, who soughtthe protection of Divine Providence.They searched the Scriptures. Theyrecognized the laws of nature as thelaws of God. 2. A publication, "GreatBooks" exalts rapists, killers, andcriminals. Man-worship is promoted.Communists Laws: 1. There is noGod. (The fool has said in his heart,there is no God ... Psalm 14:1) 2. Manis a machine. 3. Economic Determinism.LINE OF ACTION: — Wipe outall that is good; destroy; and demolishall thought of God! HARD CORECOMMUNISTS in U.S.A. are nativeborn.Today, there are many Communismcarriers — similar to Typhoidcarriers,(the disease does not affectthem but they can pass it on to others).The characteristics of Communistsand of criminals are the same orsimilar. THE WAY OUT: Place ourfaith in God, and worship Him sincerely!Truth will give you liberty!Psalm 121 shows us the way to freedom.Psalm 124 shows us the way ofescape. "He hath showed thee, O man,September 29, 1965what is good; and what doth Godrequire of thee, but to do justly, andto love mercy and to walk humblywith thy God." Micah 6:8.HOWARD E. KERSHNER, LL.D."ECONOMICS ON BOTH SIDES OFTHE IRON CURTAIN"The recovery of Germany, followingWorld War II is a miracle! Godwas remembered and He blessed thenation!! Free enterprise was promotedand everyone went to work. Competitionbuilt up foreign trade and credit.Inflation was prevented by a generalagreement that there would be nowage increase that would produceprice increase of the product manufactured.We have allowed inflationto come upon us with an increase ofthe public debt. The leaders in Germanywent contrary to advice ofothers and won!Dr. Kershner's party took a lowflyingplane over Germany and observedconditions on both sides ofthe Iron Curtain. It was quite evidentwhen they crossd the line. At the airportin East Germany the people wereheld bp.ck by barbed wire. Dilapidationwas evident everywhere. Themoral law, God's law, must be followed,if men are to be free and prosperous!In Austria prosperity was evidenteverywhere. In Hungary all wasas they found things in East Germany.The people of Hungary looked to usfor deliverance, in 1945. We betrayedthe Christians there. It is probablethat the Communists could have beenstopped — Communism might evenhave been destroyed! The guides aretaught propaganda. Often the touristcan see conditions, which give the lieto what the guide insists on tellinghim.The churches are allowed to operate.They are packed morning andevening, with three sermons and threecollections at each service — twelvemeetings are held each week. Thechurch must cooperate with the government.Only the older people arefound in the churches. The childrenand youth are indoctrinated with Communism.Things were found to bevery different in Finland, Norway andin Sweden. There people have securityChristianity makes the difference!"THE NATURE AND FUNCTION OFPROFITS" "Profit promotes expansion.It is taken out of cost — sharinga little with others." Socialists saythey believe that workers get only20 per cent, while the owners get 80per cent, under the profit system.Legitimately, "90 per cent goes to theworker and 10 per cent to the owner.""$20,000 is required for a going businessto operate." We distribute wealthbetter than the Socialists do.Jesus taught much about wealthand the use of it, as in His instructionto the Rich Young Ruler; the Parableof the Talents; The Rich Fool; TheWise Steward: and many others. "Theminimum wage increases unemployment."When Foster went to Moscowhe was told to come back and advocategovernment control of farming,education, banking, etc. — get everythingready for the Communist takeover.Everything under Federal control!—American Institute, Azusa PacificCollege, Azusa, California"Have you reached the place in yourlife todayWhere you cannot see His face?Have you tried to ask and tried toprayFor more of His strength and grace?Have you tried in vain to stand thetest,And seemed to fail in the part?Then cease to try, and learn to restClose to His loving heart."Dr. A. C. Gaebelein said, "A Psalma Day Keeps Worry Away." "The twobasic remedies against worry are theScriptures and prayer. In the one wefind all that God has done for usthrough Christ to make it possiblefor us to serve Him joyfully and withoutanxiety, and all that He has saidto encourage us along the way. Inthe other we have the great privilegeof speaking freely with our HeavenlyFather about all that troubles us androlling our burdens on Him (which,Dr. Gaebelein said is what the word"commit" really means.) "Commit thyway unto the Lord; trust also in Him;and He shall bringit to pass." Psalm37:4."That a man should deliberatelyrenounce all self-seeking, self-praise,renounce his gaining, grasping, dreaming,striving, toiling, and schemingfor self; and as deliberately give himselfto seek, strive, toil, suffer, sacrifice,plan, plead, pray, and live forothers — this is inconceivable to thenatural man." Andrew Murray. TheApostle Paul "counted all things butloss for the excellency of the knowledgeof Christ Jesus my Lord." Philippians3:8.207

THE STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE PRESENTS THE WORK OFThe work of the Seminary is complementaryto that of the home, congregation,and presbytery. In praying and laboringtogether we may expect that God willsupply His house with ministers.The Board of Superintendents, appointedby the Synod, each year carefullyanalyses the needs of the Seminary, plansfor the coming year, and makes recommendationsfor Synod's Budget appropriation.Synod's Contributed Budget for1965 is $160,000. 13.6 per cent ofthis amount, or $21,800 is neededto provide the school facilities,teaching staff, library, and livingquarters for the training of ministersand missionary candidates.# *•".,7418 Penn AvenuePittsburgh, Pa. 1520895\208 COVENANTER WITNESS

BEFOBMED PRESBYTISM v_ _ _ _ THEOLOGICAL SENARY^ ^ X -td_±Ll ^ ^ - PITTSRURfiHCovenanter WitnessTO JESUS CHRIST"THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OFVOLUME LXXV NO. 14 OCTOBER 6, 1965 STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 31, 1965THE TARUMI CHAPELMISSIONAii '

THE COVENANTER WITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Editorial Address125 N. Fourth, Sterling, Kansas 67579Telephone Area Code 316 - BR 8-3472Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 toMrs. M. W. Dougherty, 125 N. FourthStreet Sterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under thesupervision of the Publication Board byThe Patterson Press, Wapello, IowaTHE BOARD OF PUBLICATIONRev. Paul Faris, Pres.Dr. Wyley Caskey, Vice Pres.Dr. G. M. Robb, Sec.Mr. Donald Fee, Treas.Mr. Ross LatimerRev. M. L. McFarlandContributing Department Editors:Rev. Kenneth SmithDr. G. M. RobbRev. T. R. Hutchesonr foi...'CHRISTS tICROWJ,l FwMr. A. D. RobbMr. Wilbur CopelandRev. T. R. HutchesonDr. R. Paul WrightDr. D. Howard ElliottRev. Bruce C. StewartMrs."Robert B. MaineMrs. Willis M. EdgarRev. John K. GaultDr. S. E. BoyleEditor— Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D. D.Opinion expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Church or,of the Editor.Subscription rates: $4.00 per year, domestic and overseas,2 years $7.00. Group rates, $3.00. Single copies 10cents.Agent for Subscription in U.S., Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Agent for British Isles: Rev. Hugh Wright, B.A., 12Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, North Ireland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness.All material that is to appear in the Witness shouldbe typewritten, double spaced, and should be in Sterling,Kansas two weeks beforeit is to be printed.Obituary notices are limited to one hundred fiftywords; all words in excess of that amount are one centeach. Money should accompany the notice.News for the news section should be brief and up todate. One dollar is charged for death notices that aremore than six weeks old when they reach our office. Thisdoes not apply to minutes that have been adopted by an.organization.Give us one month's notice when you are changingyour address. This notice should be sent to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th, Sterling, Kansas.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, IowaCHANGE OF ADDRESSWhen giving notice of a change of address, pleasesend the old address as well as the new address to theWE circulation HOLD THE manager. FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only infalliblerule of faith and conduct.The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experience.The Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Holy Spirit.The fact of death and hell as the destiny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believein Him together with their children.The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church Government.The Lord Jesus Christ as the only King and Head of His Church.welfare That of terms the Church. of membership or communion are essential to theVerse for the WeekDead flies make the perfumer's ointment giveoff an evil odor; so a little folly outweighs wisdomand honor. Ecclesiastes 10:1 RSV.Within the Jewish world, fragrant oil mixedwith precious drugs was used for many differentpurposes. It was used to anoint kings and priests asthey entered office, the sick used it as a medicine,and the guests at the table of the rich used it as asign of luxury. Very great care was needed in itspreparation for it was easily spoiled and renderedworthless- A dead fly would easily spoil it and giveit a fetid odor.An attractive character may be destroyed by alittle folly. There are many types of dead flies thatvein the pure marble of one's character: the sin oflove of ease, (Lk. 16:19) procrastination, indecision,rudeness, vanity, gossip, irritability, etc.How about your life? Are the dead flies in yourlife like the flies that swarmed over the land ofEgypt, too many to be counted? (Ex. 8:21) Or areyou striving to rid yourself of these dead flies andlive in a right, harmonius relationship with the LordJesus Christ?ContributedThis Week's WitnessCreate 211Glimpses 212News from Japan 213Mistakes in the Mail .217The Beecher Farm Mystery 218Lesson Helps 219Scribe • 221Church News 222The duty which rests upon officers to maintain discipline andpreserve the purity cf the Church.Spiritual worship as a divine requirement mediated through theLord Jesus Christ.The exclusive use of the Psalms ln the worship of the Church.The Protestant interpretation of the Sacraments.The divine right of the institution of Marriage and that lt Unot to be dissolved except by adultery or "Irremediable" desertion.The Sabbath as a day sacred to rest and worship.The duty of nations and their civil rulers to honor Christ anKing of Kings and Lord of Lords.That Christian cit zens are under oollgatlon to obey lawful authority.The right and du y of the Christian citizen to dissent from allgovernmental and nat onal disobedience to the Law of God.That the Covenan ; of the past are still binding.From "The Communicant's Class" by J. B. Tweed210 COVENANTER WITNESS

EditorialCommentCREATEFrom the time that Eve attempted to revise theWord of God by simply adding the words, "neithershall ye touch it," man has continued to meddle withGod's Word in various ways.I was impressed by an article in a recent dailynewspaper. To me it is the boldest bit of boastingever presented to the public by scientists. One proposedthat the creation of life itself be made a"national goal." One could scarcely dream that themulti-billion dollar "Moon Project" would reallyhave such an effect upon the minds of men. Thisscientist says, "The job can be done."Let it be remembered that between TRUEscience and Christianity founded upon the Bible,there is no quarrel. It is with science FALSELY SO-CALLED that we find the difference. So far evolution,which so-called science accepts, is only atheory, even though some would presume to call it afact. So long as it is a theory, it is not even sciencefor the very word science means "to know."True, since God created man in His own image,man has been attempting to reverse the words manand God in this statement- To a great extent thishas taken place in our world today.It is an illustration of the wisdom of God andof His confidence in man that He allowsman to share in some of the great power that Hehas. When He created man, He also made man apro-creator. Together man and God continue tobring forth life. Man has betrayed the wisdom andconfidence of God by misusing this power delegatedto man, thus producing grave national problemsthrough the so-called new morality.Now Dr. Charles C. Price, the president of theAmerican Chemical Society suggests that some day,a matter of ten or twenty years, the first results ofan effort to create new life and even new humanlife might be to achieve "more efficient production^^of plants and animals, or even species doing thingsnever done before" Dr. Price adds, "I can't imaginethat the ability to synthesize (create) new life willnot happen within a century or so." This he said,"would allow time and opportunity to consider thecritical questions of who then might control" lifeand evolution and for what purposes. He said thatman by working at this project might early showresults in the improvement of human characteristics.This, of course, we could stand.Satan we know uses every art and device forhis own advancement. He questions the establishedfaith of man in God by his penetrating words, ifand since. He may be imagined as saying, "SinceGod has created man with such great power, resemblingHis own, it most certainly may follow thatif he only sets himself to it, man like God couldcreate life out of nothing."There are several things that are tragic First,that mere man, a creature, could allow himself tothink that he could become a creator. This woulddisplace God; it would give His glory to another.This God will not allow to be. Dr. J. G. Vos, writesin Christianity Today (September 24th issue) thatthe verb bara occurs only fifty-five times in theHebrew Old Testament. It designates an act of Godwhich originates that which is truly new — newas to form, new as to matter, or new as to bothform and matter- "Through faith we understandthat the worlds were framed by the word of God, sothat things which are seen were not made of thingswhich do appear" (Hebrews 11:3). God's work ofcreation is unique; it can not be duplicated.Then it is tragic that in our schools our sonsand daughters will be confronted with the problemof retaining their God-given faith in the face ofhumanistic professors. It is also tragic that the useof the basic textbook that reveals God as sole Creatoris restrained by our Supreme Court.It is also tragic that one should become so"buttonless" as to propose that the government ofthis country should set this work of creation as anational goal.With such presumptuous ideas and ambitionsabroad, do you think it is ever wise to absent yourselffrom the times, places, and ways God has givenus whereby our faith may be strengthened?October 6, 1965 211

Glimpses of the Religious WorldAMISH FINED FOR SUB-STANDARD SCHOOLSFourteen Amish men were fined in an Iowa courtfor maintaining schools taught by unaccredited teachers.3S children of these fathers attend two country schoolstaught by teachers with only eighth-grade educations.Each father was fined $24. They have appealed theircases.ANOTHER APPROACH TO BIBLEIN PUBLIC SCHOOLSAn organization has been formed in Ft. Wayne,Indiana, to promote "the proper use of the Bible andreligion in public schools," called Religious InstructionAssociation, Inc. The executive secretary is James VPanoch, who last year taught a course in Biblical Literaturein a Ft. Wayne high school. The group plans topublish and distribute and promote courses of study,workbooks, testbooks, study guides, and "a completelist of schools teaching a Bible course, or a Bible unitwithin a course."THE REV. T. R. HUTCHESON820 NEW YORK STREETHOLTON, KANSASMENNONITE SCHOOL ORGANIZATIONS REVIEWEDTilman R. Smith, president of Hesston College, Hesston,Kansas, writes an article in Gospel Herald on "KeepingStrong Ties Between Church and College." He offerssome practical improvements in this area. But the introductoryparagraphs are of interest because they presentthe organizational pattern of the Mennonite schools."The church as defined in this article is the officialbody known as the Mennonite Church. The term is usedwith full knowledge that no organization really representsthe Mennonite Church officially or unofficially. The Mennonitebody is very diverse with individual congregationsdiffering sharply in practice, and individuals within congregationsholding widely divergent views."Education in the Mennonite Church is structuredin many different ways. The Mennonite Board of Educationoperates Goshen College and Hesston Collegethrough separate Boards of Overseers for each institution.The Virginia Conference through a Board of Trusteesis responsible for the operation of Eastern MennoniteCollege. Some unofficial coordination of the programsof these three colleges is made possible throughthe Higher Educational Council, an organization composedof the deans and presidents of the three colleges.The enrollment at the three is approximately 1,800 students."The Mennonite Board of Education is semiautonomous,but operates on very much the same wavelengthsas does the General Conference. It is composedof representatives from 21 conference districts, includingthe Argentine, India, Puerto Rico, and the Conservativeconferences. The treasurer, secretary, and financial agentare members by virtue of their positions."Although this discussion will be concerned largelywith our colleges, it should be noted that other agencieswithin the church, such as conference districts, groups ofcongregations, single congregations, or even patrons'groups, sponsor more than a dozen high schools and250 elementary schools. The high schools enroll over2,000 pupils and the elementary schools nearly 11,000.The elementary schools extend themselves upward insome instances by offering one, two, or three years ofhighschool work, in most instances unaccredited."In addition, Amish churches in Ohio and Pennsylvaniasponsor vocational schools for ninth and tenthgrade pupils in their homes or in a few cases in otherfacilities. These schools serve approximately 650 students.Accordingly, through one structure or another the MennoniteChurch is providing some type of formal educationfor over 14,000 children and young people."HANDSHAKE BY PRIEST RECOMMENDEDThe Roman Catholic Bishop of Pueblo, Colorado,recommended to the Liturgical Conference, Chicago,that the priest stand at the door of the sanctuary followingmorning worship and shake hands with the parishionersas they leave the church. He said, "a shake ofthe hand, a cheery word, a sincere smile from bishop orpriest is a Christlike manifestation of love and intereston the part of the shepherd for his own."EVANGELISM SUCCESSES IN VENEZUELAIn spite of reports of the handicaps under whichevangelicals work in Latin American countries, there areencouraging reports, also. 18,000 Christians of Venezuelarecently have been participating in a year-long "evangelism-in-depth"campaign, calling in half a millionhomes. 17,791 registered decisions for Christ were reported.JERUSALEM HEADQUARTERS FOR CHURCHThe church of God, previously with headquarters inQueens Village, New York, is moving its world center toJerusalem, with the first annual meeting there in October,1966. This denomination, a pentacostal group, has thesame name as some other denominations which havedifferent headquarters.DEMAND FOR BIBLES GROWSThe American Bible Society reports that it expectsto distribute approximately 68 million Bibles or portionsof Scripture during 1965, a new record. The goal for 1966is 75 million copies.The first year of its organization, 1816, the societydistributed 6,410 copies. From 1816 through 1964, morethan 700 million Bibles or portions have been sent out.212 COVENANTER WITNESS

*NewsFROM JAPANmFrom Our Mission Field*BT&rMrs. Orlena Lynn — Taken inside the TarumiChapel at our V.B.S.Kobe, JapanAugust, 1965Dear Fellow Workers with us in Japan,Yes, you truly are fellow workers with us inthe task to which the Lord has called us here inJapan of making the Gospel known to the peopleof this land. The very fact that you are readingthis letter shows that you have an interest in theLord's work here in Japan, and I am sure that alongwith this interest is also much prayer. Praying, givingto support the work, and actually proclaimingthe Gospel to the people of Japan are all importantparts of the single task of bringing the message ofsalvation through Christ to the Japanese people-Satan works in many ways to try to hinder in thiswitness. Keep praying, praying, praying! Yes, agreat door and effectual is opened before us, andalso there are many adversaries. But thanks be toGod who truly does give us the victory through ourLord Jesus Christ. Recently, in my preparation forteaching from the book of Revelation for the adultBible class at Higashi Suma, I was impressed anewwith the wonderful victory which is ours in Christ.What an encouragement and comfort this is.By the time you read this, Eleanor Faris and theRobb family will already have been in the Statesfor a while and probably a number of you will haveseen them. Both Eleanor and the Robbs left Japanin July to go on furlough. The Spear family wereaway for the month of July on vacation- OretaEverett has recently moved to a house in Mikage,near where she will be working together with theSpears in the Okamoto area. The Sabbath Schooland worship services have not yet been startedthere, but continue to pray as they make contactsfor such. The Penningtons moved to Tarumi thelast Saturday of July and both were teaching Bibleclasses and Jim preaching there the following day.Incidentally, speaking of preaching, Jim Penningtonpreached in Japanese at Higashi Suma Churchlast Sabbath. One would have thought he had beenin Japan a number of years instead of a little overone year. You should have heard the exclamationsof the people of the congregation on how well hedid and how readily they could understand him.Don Robb also did extremely well on his sermon hislast Sabbath to preach there before going on furlough.Many of you have been praying that the Lordwould give ability and freedom in the use of thelanguage and the results are seen hereI continue to live above the Book Room, whereI am responsible for the literature evangelism ministrythrough the Covenanter Book Room, in additionto teaching Bible classes. This past week wehad an order for a complete Japanese Bible inBraille. This comes in 24 volumes for the Old Testamentand 8 volumes for the New Testament. A mancame in to buy a Bible in Russian for a Jew inRussia who had requested it. Also, a missionaryfrom Australia, who is interested in trying to getsome Bibles in to believers in Russia, asked me togo with her to the Russian ships when they comeinto port, as they do on occasion, and see if wecouldn't make contact for getting some Bibles toRussia, and I said I would. Of course, our main contactsthrough the Covenanter Book Room are withthe Japanese people and our main witness is tothem. A young man, Fukui San, saw some booksin the show window in which he was interested andOctober 6, 1965 213

ang the bell one evening after the Book Room hadclosed. I showed him the books, introduced him toour free lending library, and talked with him for awhile- He came to church the following Sabbathand to the Bible class the next Thursday. It washis first contact with Christianity. Another youngman, Murasaki San, also came to Bible class for thefirst time that week. Fukui San was in the BookRoom again yesterday borrowing books from thelibrary. Another young lady has been in severaltimes recently. She had been to an English classat a Mormon church and was asking about the differencebetween that group and our church.Our representative, Mrs. James Beatty of Montclaircongregation, was surprised recently to receivea single invoice of $1156 for books ordered fromone of the publishers. They had had a special saleof theological books and so we had informed ourcustomers, taken orders, and ordered accordingly.That is an unusually large single order, but ordersfor books, from publishers not only in Japan butalso in the United States and Great Britain, are sentregularly. For those from the United States or GreatBritain we send the orders to the publishers, whosend the bocks to us and the invoices to our representatives:Mrs. James A- Beatty in the UnitedStates and the Rev. Hugh J. Blair for Great Britain.They send payment to the publishers and submitthe invoices and requests for payment to the banksin New York or Belfast who forward these to ourbank here in Kobe where we make the payment inyen to be sent on through the New York or Belfastbank to reimburse our representatives in their owncurrency for payments made to the publishers.Sound complicated? The importing of books does requirethe periodic securing of import licenses andletters of credit and submitting of all the invoicesto customs for clearance, but we are thankful thatwe can freely import these theological books andmake them available here in Japan, and pray thatthey might be the means of helping to strengthenthe church of Japan in maintaining a faithfulChristian testimony.Our thanks to those of you who have had a partthrough your gifts and prayers in the ministrythrough literature here in Japan, through the CovenanterBook Room. We appreciate, too, those of youwho have given or are giving to the Synodical projectof a revolving fund for the purchase of books-Such is for our representatives to have a fund fromwhich they may make payments to the publisherswhile waiting for the collection for the invoicesthrough the bank. As the funds for payments madeare collected through the bank, the representativesput this amount back into the revolving fund to beready for use for the next payments. Actually, about i$1500 is needed for this purpose* for our Americanrepresentative, Mrs. Beatty, and about $700 for Iour representative for Great Britain, the Rev. Hugh |Blair, so the $1000 project of Synodical for thispurpose will provide nearly half of the amountneeded, and will be a great help. Thank you so very ,.much. Mrs. Beatty has been using $1000 which wasloaned for this purpose and will be repaid whenthe Synodical project is completed- Rev. Mr. Blairhas had no such fund so that there has often been 'rmuch delay on getting some books from England -because of this. „Mr. Fujimoto and Mrs. Sakai, formerly MissNishimura, are both young people with a real heart [r,burden for those outside of Christ and a real sense :of the need of the Christian witness both through tdirect witnessing to the individual and through theChristian literature. They are both ones who also :ipray much for those to whom they witness. Eitherof them could receive a higher salary elsewhere, butfor both their work here at the Covenanter Book j,Room is their place of service for the Lord. From ..this fall we plan to make special efforts in seekingto reach out to more of the non-Christians not onlyin Kobe but throughout Hyogo Prefecture. Continueto pray for this vital witness-When in the States I asked many of you to prayfor Ueda San and Abui San, two young men whoare in the hospital with tuberculosis. A couple ofweeks ago I went to Himeji to call on Ueda San. Hehas been reading his Bible much while in the hospitaland believes that God had a real purpose in [!fbringing this illness to him. He is to leave the hos- jpital the end of this month, and will soon be re- ,„turning to his work at the glass shop near the Book pjRoom. Do pray that as he becomes busy with the uwork he might not forget the lessons learned while j flin the hospital and that he might continue to read jGod's Word and might truly confess Christ before .others. Abui San is at a hospital some distance from .^Kobe about five hours or so one way by train. Fu- ,jimoto San went to visit him during his summer va- :~cation time, and I plan to go later in September. In ^a letter which I had from him recently, he spoke .of his own failures before the Lord and of the Lord'smercy and grace shown to him, and of his desireto be more faithful in his Christian life- He is amember of the Keiyaku Church. Abui San has beenin the hospital now for nearly a year, but must .,'still stay on another year.Mr. Ose, formerly a ship's officer and now retired,has been a Christian for just a few years. Ayear ago his wife also became a believer and amember of Higashi Suma Church. Recently they214 COVENANTER WITNESS

had to go to Shikoku Island to her home village fora while because of the illness of one of her relatives.In that place there is no church and no Christianwitness, and so they decided to move there andwitness for Christ before the ones in that village.They are now building a home there and will bemoving this fall- We have promised to send literaturefrom the Covenanter Book Room to help intheir ministry in that area.In Japan one is impressed with the great burdenwhich these people have for their own familiesand relatives who have no comprehension of the livingand true God and know nothing of the Gospel.This is the time of year for great celebration in Japanas all about us we see the preparations for thefestivities of welcoming back the spirits of the ancestors,and great arrays of food put out for the returningspirits and dances and lighted lanterns towelcome them. Later there will be many small boatswith candles burning inside floated down the riversto send the spirits on their way again. How ourhearts ache as we see all of this. How we long thatthey might know Christ, whom to know is life eternal.Orlena Lynnalso concerning the situation of world missions insuch key places as the Congo and Vietnam- It wasa very informative and encouraging evening in revealingto us what God is doing through the lives ofHis messengers throughout the world. After movingand getting settled here at Tarumi, we departed forKaruizawa (near Tokyo) for a missionary "DeeperLife Convention," held at the Karuizawa Bible Institute.The main speaker was Rev. David McKee,a missioner to missionaries in India. He came froma conservative Irish Presbyterian background soneed I say more?? We enjoyed the fellowship ofother evangelical missionaries, but most of all, justtime alone with God and the exposition of His Wordwere a real blessing to our souls.After getting back from our vacation, thingsseemed to move very fast, with the Young People'sConference and our Tarumi Bible School, both inthe same week. The young people met for a one-dayconference at a near-by Company House, with somethirty people in attendance. The main topic whichthe young people chose and prepared lectures onwas F- F. Bruce's book: "The New Testament Documents— Are They Reliable?", a very deep study,but one in which our young people were interested.Mr. Pennington, had the opening devotional messageand Mr. Spear led us in a Psalm-Sing, so themissionaries had some part in the program, too.MRS. PENNINGTONWRITESSeptember, 1965Greetings from Japan!So much has happened here since the beginningof the summer months that it is hard to know whereto begin in bringing the Home Church up to dateon the events from this side of the vast PacificOcean.Right now Miss Lynn and Miss Everett, are havingtheir vacation- They flew up to Hokkaido (thenorthern most island of Japan) last week and planto stop off at Lake Yamanaka (one of the five Mt.Fuji Lakes) on their way back down to Kobe. Whenthey arrive home, we all will have enjoyed sometime away from our work and daily routines fora time of relaxation.We enjoyed a lot of variety in our vacation thissummer. We spent two very refreshing weeks atLake Yamanaka, where we had several visits withMr. Watanabe, who is an out-of-bounds member ofour Tarumi Chapel. While in the Tokyo area, wewent to hear Dr. Clyde Taylor, Executive Directorof the Evangelical Foreign Missions Association,who spoke to us about his work as Director andMr. Tamada inside our Tarumi Chapel at V.B.S.The attendance at our Tarumi V.B.S. averagedout somewhere in the twenty bracket- Before theschool began, various ones of us passed out about1,000 invitations, so the response wasn't overwhelming,but we were thankful for the children who didOctober 6. 1965 215

come. Also we sent invitations home with the childrenasking their parents to come for the closingprogram which was on Sabbath morning, but notone parent put in an appearance. We appreciatedthe good help of Miss Lynn and three of our JapaneseChristians who taught and gave of their timeand energies, here at our Tarumi School. This pastweek, cards were sent to all the children who cameto our V.B.S., inviting them to our Sabbath School.Please pray that many of these children will respondand that Mr. Kato (our Tarumi S. S. teacherfor the little ones) will be enabled for his task ofteaching God's Word and for "following-up'' thesecontacts.I will begin my first English Bible class forhigh school and university students today. We willmeet every Friday afternoon at the church for anhour's study. Invitations are being placed in thelocal schools for publicity, so please pray that Godwould bring many to hear His Word taught in theEnglish language. We feel these classes are an importantmeans of attracting students into thechurch. This past week I had a good contact witha senior high school girl who lives in the neighborhood.We talked about Christianity and the Gospelmessage for nearly two hours. She was on the vergeof decision, but still could not comprehend that salvationwas a free gift from God, and that one cannotearn his salvation by good works She wantsto come back and talk some more, and also attendour Bible classes and the worship services. Pleaseremember Miss Sakurai, that she might come toknow Christ as her personal Saviour.Seven hours were spent yesterday with a younguniversity student who lives nearly thirty milesaway from Tarumi. Jim just met this fellow lastweek here at the local beach. Mr. Matsumoto wasapparently very lonely and asked Jim to be hisfriend. So Jim drew him a map that showed wherewe live and gave him the times of our church services.Later on in the week, he sent this young mana letter with some Christian literature- Mr. Matsumotocalled and thanked us many times for theletter and also asked us to be his guests for the day,driving all the way out here to Tarumi to take us tohis home. From what we could gather, the parentsdo not live together and the whole environment wasquite unnatural. We found the young man to beeager for the Gospel and wanting to come to ourservices (even though it means a 2-hour car ridefrom his house). Please remember this new contactin your prayers, that God would bring thislonely, frustrated young man into His Kingdom,and that God would enable us to make the Gospelmessage very clear to him.We have so many opportunities here, butstillfeel very much hampered by the language. Pleasecontinue your faithfulness in prayer, as we seek toserve Him in this place. The neighbors are all veryfriendly and helpful, and several have come intoour home to make themselves known to us as new"folks" in the community. Please pray also that wemight be a witness by our attitudes and our dailyliving before these people-We do miss the Robb family and Miss Faris,but know that God is using and blessing their ministryto the Home Church. Our Mission staff isquite small these days, so please remember eachindividual in his particular field of work.We are praying for God's richest blessing uponyou there as you serve Him and as He also usesyou in bringing others into His Kingdom. We havegiven you many things to pray for, but we feelthis is one of the purposes in cur writing from thefield, in order that you might pray even more effectivelyfor God's people in this land of Japan.Sincerely in Christ,Gloria Pennington, Tarumi ChapelSCRIPTURE TO VIETNAMThe Pocket Testament League, veteran of manyScripture distribution and evangelization campaignsin war ravaged areas of the world, today announcedthe beginning of a one million Scripture distributioncampaign in Vietnam. Glenn Wagner, who hasbeen PTL Foreign Secretary during all the PTLpost-war campaigns, has estabhshed an operatingbase headquarters in Saigon. 200,000 Vietnamesegospels have already been printed. Wagner reportsfrom Saigon as follows:"This is Glenn Wagner reporting from Saigon-Black clouds of smoke billowed skyward nearby asour plane ferried into the airstrip. One of Saigon'sworst bombings of a police area reportedly killed 4and wounded 17, just 100 yards from our headquarters.This is war — death, blood, sweat, tearsand misery surround us."Shipped 3,000 Scriptures for the beginning ofVietnamese Campaign. Christian workers reportneed for great quantities of Scriptures to be givento American and South Vietnamese soldiers andrefugees in hospitals, training centers, outposts andcamps. Government and military cooperation assured."This is another Korean war with the exceptionthat this war is all about you. There is no front lineand it is difficult to know who your real enemy is^"Pray for a mighty spiritual arsenal to meet thesoul needs of these ravished people."216 COVENANTER WITNESS

Our YouthMISTAKES IN THE MAILBy Rev. Hugh J. Blair, M.A., Ph.D.I don't suppose anyone ever gets completely overthe thrill of getting a letter. The Post Office itselfseems to realise that, for their plea, designed to getmore people to write more letters, reads, "Somebody,somewhere, wants a letter from YOU." Thefact is — as was shown clearly by the postal strikesome weeks ago — that millions of letters are deliveredevery day, and even a few days withoutdelivery means that tons and tons of letters accumulateat the Post Office. And the amazing thing isthat, in view of the fact that so many letters areposted, so few of them go astray. Occasionally, however,there are mistakes in the mail, and I want totell you about some that have happened to me.There was the day, for example, when I gota package from Edinburgh. I was expecting a bookfrom a bookseller's there, so I was very glad to seeit. The envelope was well-padded, the address wasclearly written on the outside, and I opened iteagerly — to find nothing inside! I never did discoverwhether the book had been taken out or hadslipped out itself, but if someone did steal it, hemust have been a bit disappointed, for most of itwas written in Hebrew! In any case, there was anenvelope with all the promise of something insideit, but there was nothing there. I could not helpthinking that there are people like that, too. Fromthe outside they look very well: there is the promiseof something really worthwhile inside, butthat promise is never fulfilled. Christ had somethingof the same kind in mind when He comparedthe Pharisees to 'whited sepulchres' — graves thatare beautifully whitewashed on the outside, butinside they were full of decay and corruption. Thewriter of the 51st Psalm knew thatit was the insidethat mattered most. He wrote, "Behold, Thoudesirest truth in the inward parts," and he prayed,"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew aright spirit within me." A morning inspection byyour mother before you go off to school can revealwhether your face and hands are clean, but there isonly One Who can make you clean inside. "CleanseThou me from secret faults."Occasionally, though not very often, I have gota letter meant for someone else. I remember oncegetting a very official-looking letter, instructing meto attend at a certain time and at a certain place todo my driving test. Now, my driving may not be asgood as it ought to be, but, having been driving fornearly thirty years, I was a little surprised to betold that I had to do a test, until I realized that theletter was meant for another Hugh Blair who hvesnot very far from me. Mrs. Jean Rees, wife of theevangelist, Mr. Tom Rees, has told an amusingstory of something that happened to her when shewas a httle girl about ten. A favorite aunt of hers,for whom she was named, was staying in theirhome. She had recently become engaged to be marriedand was very much in love. One morning littleJean came down and found a letter addressed, "MissJean Sinclair." Very excitedly she opened it. Itstarted a bit strangely, "My darling Jean," andit allseemed a bit silly, especially towards the end, whereit finished up, "Your loving Cecil." Little Jean Sinclairdidn't findit the least bit interesting, and whenher mother came in, she asked, "Who is my lovingCecil?" There was consternation then, for her motherrealised immediately that the letter was meantfor Aunt Jean. And the strange thing, to little Jean,was that her Auntie Jean was delighted to get thatletter, and readit again and again throughout theday. Years later, when little Jean was grown up,it was a very different story when she got letterslike that herself from the man who loved her. Sheno longer thought they were silly, and like her AuntJean she read them over and over again. You see,she knew and loved the writer, and that made allthe difference. Sometimes, perhaps, the Bible doesnot seem very interesting or important. It will alwaysbe that for someone who does not know or lovethe Author of it. But when we know and love Him,the Bible is a love-letter addressed to us from OneWho loves us, and its whole message is to tell usabout that love and to call for our love and devotionin return.Sometimes I have got a letter which had beenincompletely addressed. And the envelope showedvery clearly the efforts that the Post Office hadmade to find me. "Try Antrim ..." "Try Ballymena. . . " "Try Ballymoney ..." Instructions like thatpencilled on the envelope showed how determinedthe Pest Office authorities were that that lettershould go to the person for whom it was meant.And it was all necessary because the person whowrote the letter had not declared plainly enoughthe destination to which it was being sent. Sometimes,I'm afraid,it is not very easy for people toguess from our hves what our destination is. Arewe going to Heaven or not? Sometimesit would behard to tell. The writer to the Hebrews tells usabout people, in whose case there could be no doubt."They that say such things declare plainly that theyseek a country." People should be able to tell fromour lives that we are Christ's and that we are goingto Heaven to be with Him.Reformed Presbyterian WitnessOctober 6, 1965 217

The Beecher Farm MysteryPart IMrs. George (Jean L.) McFarlandA STORY FORJUNIOR - HIGHSBecky Beecher pulled the plug out of the kitchensink and let the dirty dishwater gurgle down thedrain. With a sigh of relief, she hung the towel onthe rack. That job's done, she thought, as she lookedaround the kitchen at other work still to bedone. The floor needed to be mopped, the meatshould be brought from the freezer for the eveningmeal, unironed clothes were piled high in thelaundry basket. To a fourteen-year-old girl it lookedlike a mountain of work that could never be conquered.No matter how much I do, she thought,there are always two jobs more to take its place.She looked out of the window at Janet, age ten,and Beth, seven, playing contentedly with theirdolls in the shade of the big maple tree. It's notfair, even Jerry, who is only two years younger thanI am, can go out in the field and help Daddy, withonly one job to do at a time.But Tm going to get out of this house for awhile even if the work isn't all done. So she hurriedto the basement for the meat, which she broughtback and laid on the kitchen sink. Then she ranout of the door, across the yard and climbed to herown favorite retreat in the apple tree. There, hiddenamong the leaves was her box. After she was nicelysettled on a sturdy limb, she opened the box lidand took out a little book. It was her diary, but shenever thought of it by any such ordinary name. Shecalled it her book of "Inmost Thoughts." Then shetook a ball-point pen from the box and turned to anice fresh page in the book and began to write:Dear Little Book of Inmost Thoughts:How can I go on without a mother? It's beena year now since the accident and Mother leftus to hve in heaven. I've tried very hard to takeher place, but it just gets worse and worse.I'll bean old woman before the children grow up, andhow can I go to college then? Besides there will beno money, and I can't earn any if I have all thisfamily to raise. (By this time Becky's tears weresplashing down on the nice clean page of the book,because she was feeling sorrier and sorrier for herself.)And I can't see how things are working togetherfor good for the Beecher family. But Daddysays we must have faith and all things will comeright.Becky now closed the book and deposited it andthe pen back in the box. She wiped the tears fromher eyes and was surprised to find that she feltmuch better now .that she had written down herthoughts. Or perhaps it was the tears that relievedthe tension. Anyway, being a very practical girl,she knew she must get back to cleaning the kitchen,ironing the clothes, and preparing the supper. Butit was so nice to lean back in the tree and imagineshe was a princess and could have her every wishcome true.Suddenly a scream rent the air. Becky came outof her daydream with a thud, scrambled down outof the tree and raced around the house. It wasBeth who was sobbing and crying. She had beenstung on the neck by a honey bee. Janet was lookingon in alarm, not knowing what to do. Becky,seeing the trouble was not too serious, led Beth intothe kitchen and plastered the sting with wet soda."Now," she said, in a very motherly fashion,"you two girls go to the garden and get some radishesfor supper. Be very careful to pull up the largestones and don't step on any of the vegetables.""You're so bossy," grumbled Janet, as the twogirls went out the door and toward the garden.Yes, thought Becky, grimly, I am bossy; I haveto be. And she went for the mop because she wasjust in the mood to clean the kitchen floor. Shemopped furiously until the floor was bright andclean. She was going to put away the mop whenJerry, followed by Shep, their big collie dog, cameup on the porch and started to open the screendoor."Jerry Beecher," cried Becky, "don't you darelet that dog in here on my clean kitchen floor.""Okay, Grouchy," answered Jerry, "but here arethe eggs.I'll set the bucket out here, but you betterput them away before it gets knocked over." Sosaying, he put down the bucket of eggs on the porchand went whistling down the walk, followed byShep.Becky soon put the eggs away in the refrigerator,and then started the ironing while the meatcooked for supper. Almost before she knew it theafternoon was gone and Daddy was in from thefield."How's my girl?" he asked, as he entered thekitchen where Becky was stirring the gravy on thestove. "Where are all your helpers?"Then he called Janet and Beth in the yard,"Get in here girls and set the table. And, Jerry," headded, "you don't need to sneak off. It won't hurtyou to fill the water glasses and put in the icecubes."How good it felt, Becky thought, ro have Daddytake command.218 COVENANTER WITNESS

Lesson Helps fctober 31,1965he went down to Ashkelon where hekilled thirty Philistines and broughttheir clothing to the "companions"at the wedding. He continued to be soangry with his wife that he refusedto live with her. He went home tohis father's house.After some time Samson wentdown to be reconciled with his wife,but he found that her fatherhad given her to his "best man." Hewas so enraged- that he went andcaught 150 pairs of jackals, tied theirtails together with fire-brands and letthem loose in the grain fields of thePhilistines. When the Philistinesheard that Samson had done this theyburned the woman, who had been hiswife, and her father with fire.To take vengeance on them forthis, we are told in Judges 15:8, "Hesmote them hip and thigh with agreat slaughter." Then he retired toa cleft in a high rock called Etam.The Philistines next move was to goafter him with an army. Samson permittedthe men of Judah to bind himwith new ropes and deliver him tothe Philistines, but when they shoutedexultantly against him, he broke theropes and seizing the jaw-bone of anass, he killed a thousand men ofthem.5: Samson's Moral Weakness.He was capable of great feats ofstrength but he was also capable ofgreat sin. Men of great strength maybe men of great passions. He went toGaza, and when he saw a harlot, heno longer had control of his evil passionsbut he "went in unto her." Whenthe Philistines heard that he wasthere they surrounded the city thinkingthey would kill him in the morning.But at midnight he arose and,realizing that he was not where heshould have been and sensing danger,he took the gates of the city with theposts and carried them away to thetop of a hill. But still the Lord didnot forsake him.6: Samson and Delilah.One would think that the treacheryof two women would have taught Samsonto beware of sinful women but itdid not. He loved another woman,probably of the Philistines, who bribedher to get from him the secret ofhis great strength. In Judges 16:6-14we are told that he gave her falseinformation three times, but finally,after repeated pestering, he "told herall his heart." He told her of his Nazaritevow from birth and that if hewere shaven and his hair cut off hewould become as weak as ordinarySamson hated the Philistines becausethey held dominion over Israelat this time. It would seem, therefore,that his real motive in marrying thiswoman was that it might afford himan opportunity to get even with hisenemies.He showed his loyalty to his parentsby taking them with him whenhe went down to Timnath to proposeto this woman. They tried to dissuadehim from marrying a woman of the"uncircumcised," as they called thePhilistines, but they showed their wisdomby giving in to him when theysaw that he was determined to marrythe woman. In Judges 14:4 it is said,"But his father and his mother knewnot that it was of the Lord, that hesought an occasion against the Philistines.As was the custom Samson made afeast, and at the feast he propoundeda riddle to the thirty Philistines whoattended. He promised them "thirtyTo be a Nazarite was a special sheets and thirty change of garments"state of consecration which one could if they would give him the answerenter either for a limited time or for within the seven days of the feast.life. This vow of consecration was evidentlytaken as a protest against the swer they threatened his new wifeWhen they could not give him an an­mingling of the Israelites with the with fire if she did not get the answerCanaanites who were wine-producers from Samson. This she did by pesteringhim and weeping until he gaveand drinkers. This state of consecrationinvolved four principal conditions.First, there must be the strict­gave to the Philistine young men.her the answer, which she promptlyest abstinence from wine and every Samson was very angry with her, butOctober 6, 1965 219

men. Judges 16:19 tells us that she inducedhim to sleep upon her lap, andthen calling to a man, had him cutSamson's seven locks of hair. His uncuthair had been the physical signof his Nazarite vow, and in its removal,he had violated the terms of thecovenant, and God's Spirit departedfrom him.7: God's Punishment upon Samsonfor the Violation of his Vow.God permitted the Philistines totake him, to put out his eyes, and tomake him grind grain in the prison.Humiliation is sure to come uponpeople who misuse their gifts fromGod.8: The Restoration of Samson'sGift.As time went on the hair of hishead continued to grow, and as itgrew longer his physical strength grewgreater, but his sight never came back.Judges 16:23-30 recounts the finalchapter of Samson's life when he pulleddown the pillars of the temple ofDagon, causing the deaths of threethousand Philistines along with himself."Lesson based on International SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessonsfor Christian Teaching, copyrighted 1958by the Division of Christian Education. NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ in theU. S. A."Junior Topicuntying the ribbons, opened her gift,and held up a lovely, curly-haired doll."Oh, Mama and Daddy, thank you,thank you!" she cried as she ranaround the table to give each of thema big hug and kiss. Eagerly she showedthe doll to John, then skipped outto the kitchen to show it to the cook.When breakfast and worship wereover, Mary and her new dolly wentto visit her friend Ruth, then on downto old Grandma x Smith's cottage, andfinally in the afternoon, Mary andRuth took the dolly to see anotherMary, a little lame girl, and they hadthe happiest kind of a playtime together.That night, Mary told her motherthat it had been the nicest day shehad ever had. "That is because youshared your gift with others," answeredmother. "Sharing always bringsjoy, little daughter."John overheard this and he beganto think of his own day. It had notbeen especially happy. True, he hadhis knife and he had hidden it awaywhere it would be safe. But he hadnot shown it to anyone, not even toBob when he had come over, andsome way, it had not made him ashappy as Mary's doll had made her.Now he began to see why.The next day was Sabbath andafter worship, Daddy read our memoryverse, and then he spoke of theBible, God's great gift to us. He saidthat when we hide God's Word in ourhearts, we are accepting that gift fromHim, but to get the most joy out ofit, we must not keep it hidden away;we must look at it to "behold wondrousthings," we must see it as "alight unto our path," and we mustshare it with others. He had John andMary look up verses about sharingthis great gift. He said it was becauseJeremiah had done all these thingsthat the Bible was the joy and rejoicingof his heart. Then Daddy toldthem stories of other men who aretoday sharing God's Word and makingthemselves and others happy. As hetalked, John saw that sharing doesbring joy and he determined not onlyto share his new knife, but also thegreater gift, the Bible, which God hasgiven.Would you like to look up thefor October 31, 1965SHARING GOD'S GREAT GIFT,THE BIBLEMrs. R. H. McKelvyOnce a pastor gave each child apenny Gospel, promising anotherwhen that was read. This is a fine wayto stimulate home reading.Worship Period: Ps. 136:1. SingPs. 92:1, 2. Give the Bible Salute. Thememory verse is "Thy Word was untome the joy and rejoicing of my heart."Jeremiah 15:16.Psalms: 119, Part 13, Part 14, Part6:1-4.Introductory Thought: John hadwanted a knife for years and his twin,Mary, longed for a doll. When theirbirthday came, each found a gift onthe breakfast table. Carefully Johnopened his and there in the box laya fine new Scout knife. He looked at verses about sharing as John andit a moment, and then, closing the box, Mary did? Here they are: Deuteronomy6:6, 7; Psalm 40:10; Matthew 28:19,he left the table and ran out of theroom. In a moment he was back withouteither box or knife. Without a 15:16.20; Acts 8:4; Isaiah 52:7; Jeremiahword he slipped into his place at the And here are two stories that Daddytold: Five years ago a Germantable and watched as Mary finishedGypsy wrote the Gospel of John inthe words of his own people, and whenit was printed, he took it to a placewhere thirty-four caravans, two hundredGypsies, were gathered. Afterdinner, he told them of some wonderfulbooks which he had brought andsaid that he would read them if theywished. At once, they began askingquestions but he would tell themnothing until they were all sittingcross-legged on the grass. Then heopened the book and read to themin their own language the third chapterof John with its beautiful sixteenthverse. When finished, he wasstormed with questions and his answerwas, "The Lord Jesus who loves usGypsies also, has prepared this bookthrough His Holy Spirit for us." Allwho could read, forty-eight Gypsies,bought Gospels and promised to readthem. — Condensed from Dust of Gold.One day a young Moslem in Syriaasked a colporteur (one who sellsBibles) to come into his shop. Whenhe found what the books were, hebegan throwing them into the street.Sadly, the colporteur picked them upand went away, but the next day hereturned and this time the Syriangreeted him with joy. When askedwhat had changed him, he said thatwhen the colporteur picked up hisGospels, he missed one and the Syrianhad read it during the night. Now hewanted to know more about the Saviourof whom it told. — Condensedfrom Tell the World.Repeat the Bible Salute, Matthew28:19, 20, the memory verse, and closewith prayer.JUNIOR UNITNovember and December 1965"PERSONAL GROWTH IN CHRIST"(Studies in the Psalms)Rev. and Mrs. Melville MartinIntroduction to SponsorsThe texts for these next eight lessonsare taken from the Psalms, andit is recommended that the Psalterversion be used. For variety, the textpsalm need not always be sung; itcould be read in chorus, or by an individualreader. Only be sure that themeaning is clear, and an applicationis made.In this theme, we begin with thepremise that salvation through Christhas already been accepted. For groups220 COVENANTER WITNESS

where the plan of salvation has notbeen made clear, this must of coursebe the introductory step. But we aredealing with GROWTH in Christ; andour AIM in these lessons is to applythe Scriptural truths from the Psalmstoward character building and developmentin the Christian life.For memory work, Ephesians 4:13-24 is suggested. This passage may beshortened for younger children, or theweekly memory verses may be substitutedinstead. (A bookmark or otherinexpensive award may be given uponcompletion of the assignment.) Also,there will be two memory psalms: thefirst, Psalm 26, page 61, will be usedfor a period of five weeks; and onlysuch verses as bring out the thoughtof the topic will be emphasized andsung, (i.e.: Lesson 1-verses 1, 3, and8 for "Trust and Obey"; Lesson 2 -verses 1, 8, and 9 for "Ways to Walk",etc.) The second memory psalm isPsalm 51, page 131, verses 7-12, forthe last three weeks.A study notebook may be made,using a medium size of any kind.There will be a variety of material;some lessons will be illustrated, othersmay consist of a simple Bible studyworked out, etc.If desired, Lesson 4 could be adaptedfor a Sabbath evening service, ora Thankoffering meeting, with the congregationtaking part. This lesson includesmuch singing. The Juniorscould conduct the meeting, giving comments,and introducing the psalms.An optional special project for Lesson8 might be group or individualgifts to share with a needy family; orthe sponsor could hand out Scriptureportions to be given to neighbors, etc.See also the projects in the JuniorHand book, and adapt them to suityour group. Prayer suggestions arealso listed.Bibliography:Westminster Shorter Catechism,"Teaching with Object Lessons", byquestions 33, 34, 35 (for Lesson 1)Dorothy Harrison Pentecost. MoodyPress (paper), price $1.00. for lessons2, 7.Flannelgraph — "The ChristianSoldier" (10 devotional talks). StandardPublishing Co., Cincinnati, Ohio,price $1.35. (helpful, but optional, forLesson 5)He that chastiseth the heathen,shall not he correct? he that teachethman knowledge, shall not he know?Psalm 94:9, 10THE CASE OF THEINTOXICATED CATby Jack BarronI noticed several week ago in thenewspaper a letter written by an unhappywoman who wrote that her husbandthought it funny to make theirpet cat drunk by continually pouringgin in its milk. The distressed womancomplained that she didn't think itwas doing the cat a bit of good forthe cat would dance like mad, staggeraround in circles, and finally fall in aheap in a corner and go to sleep.Besides, the woman reported, thecat was now losing all of her hair asa result of the gin diet, and what dida cat look like without any hair?Immediately letters poured into thenewspaper from aroused readers allover the country denouncing the husband,and suggesting various degreesof punishment for a man who wouldbe so cruel to animals.Perhaps I have a warped sense ofhumor, but the reactions of the readersstruck me as ironically funny.Give an animal liquor and you areconsidered cruel. Give a man liquorand you are considered sophisticated.Let an animal reel, act foolish, fall ina drunken stupor, and immediately itis an occasion for readers from coastto coast to howl protest. Let a mando the same thing and we simplyignore it.We wouldn't give liquor to a dog.It is inhumane. Yet we give it to oursons and daughters, and with all ofthe advertising media at our commandwe continually encourage them todrink.It's not fit for a dog or a cat, butit is fit for our children.—The National VoiceSOMETHING TO THINK ABOUTEarning — maketh an industriousman.Spending — maketh a well-furnishedman.Saving — maketh a prepared man.Giving — maketh a blessed man.When a man gets rich — God getsa partner, or the man loses his soul!The kingdom of God can never beestablished by raising money. But itcan never be extended without raisingmoney.—C. K. Gentry, in The Free MethodistScribe With A Hard PencilIt is possible to tell a lie, even while we are telling the truth.Communists are expert at this sort of thing. A Communist newspaper,reporting an international track and field meet, declined to go into details;but stated, "Our well-disciplined Communist athletes finished next to the top,while the decadent capitalists from the United States placed next to thebottom." The account of the international track and field meet neglected toexplain that there were but two teams in the competion, Russia and theUnited States, and that the United States team soundly defeated the Russians."We finished next to the top, they finished next to the bottom!"Christians need to guard against indulging in this sort of thing.A young man, wanting to make something of an impression on aChristian college group, asserted, "I am regional director of our organization.I am responsible for all of the territory west of the Mississippi River!" Hisannouncement was greeted with a chorus of Oh's and Ah's. Here, it seemed,was a big shot. It all sounded very impressive. Later they learned that theyoung man's organization had but two people in it —he, and his sister. Bothwere "regional directors." She had the territory east of the Mississippi, hehad the territory west of the Mississippi. Neither had much in the way ofaccomplishment whereof to boast.We are on safer ground when we let others toot the glory horn for us.We are on higher ground when we let our deeds do the talking. For it is aninexorable law that, given time, "the truth will out!" The inspired ApostlePaul, in Titus 2:8, urges upon young people, "Sound speech, that cannotbe condemned."October 6, 1965 221

MINUTES OF SYNODThe printer has promised derlivery of the 1965 Minutes by September 15. Mail orders to ChesterR. Fox, Treas. 306 Empire Building,Pittsburgh, Pa., 15222. Price$1.50 per copy.Chester R. FoxTreasurerMARY AGNES WADDELL MORTONThe Almonte W.M.S. wish to recordtheir appreciation of the life andgood works of one of their oldest members,Mary Agnes Waddell Morton,who has now gone to be with herLord. Like Dorcas of old, she was fullof good works, and aim's deeds whichshe did. "A woman that feareth theLord, she shall be praised."Mrs. W. J. BurnsMrs. Bill LowryREMINDERSynod recommends "that October24, 1965 be Evangelism Day, and thata period of special instruction andpreparation be carried out by congregationsprior to that date."If this recommendation has beenoverlooked, it is hoped that a suitablemessage will be brought on that day.NOTICESubscriptions are due from thesecongregations, November 1:Bear Run, Mahoning, Coldenham,College Hill, Newburgh, North Hills,Seattle.Church NewsMOOREMrs. Mary Tippin Moore was born,April 23, 1880, at Idana, Kansas. Shegrew up in the Tabor congregationwhere she made her profession offaith in Christ. On July 21, 1897, shewas united in marriage to SamuelSproull Moore at Clay Center, Kansas.Later they lived at Stafford andthen settled at Sterling, Kansas.Mrs. Moore had been in failinghealth for the past three years andpassed away September 16, 1965. Shewas preceded in death by her husbandin 1949, a daughter, Elizabeth,in 1917, a son, Glenn, in 1959. She issurvived by a son, Merrill, of. Denver,Colorado and a daughter, Martha Williamsof Ventura, California.Funeral services were held inSterling, with graveside services inthe Lincoln Cemetery near Idana,Kansas.ELLIOTT'S SILVER ANNIVERSARYOn Monday evening, August 30,the congregation of Reformed PresbyterianChurch of Topeka, Kansas surprisedtheir pastor, D. H. Elliott, andhis wife, Winifred Coleman Elliott, ontheir 25th wedding anniversary withan appropriate program and socialhour.The program was in charge of Mrs.Wilmer Piper. Mr. Piper and his wifeguested the Elliotts at an early dinnerand then drove them by thechurch where they were welcomedwith the strains of Wagner's WeddingMarch. As they entered the churchsocial rooms, the congregation greetedthem musically with "Happy AnniversaryTo You." Mrs. Piper presentedthe Elliotts with a bouquet of redroses from the congregation afterreading an appropriate poem.The young people of the churchthen presented the romance of theElliotts in three stages, in still life,framed in a large picture frame. Theframe and background music wereproduced by Leroy Gibeson. "Meg"Elliott and Tom Hill portrayed Winifredand Howard as bashful younglovers on their "First Date" as "WhenYou Were Sweet Sixteen" was playedin the background. "The Engagement"was portrayed by Esther Elliottand Paul Rocereto to the musical accompanimentof "I Love You Truly.""The Wedding" was silently enactedby "Cathy" Elliott .and Don Piper tothe background music of "Because."Orrin Hill then sang "ThroughThe Years" accompanied by NevaJohnston.A. D. Robb, chairman of the congregation,had charge of the nextportion of the program. Greetingsfrom the pastor's former chargeswere read. The greetings from Winchestercame in the form of an originalpoem written by Mrs. John O'Neill.A telegram from the Clerk of Sessionof the First Reformed PresbyterianChurch of Beaver Falls was read andgreetings from the J.O.Y. class of thesame church, of which Mrs. Elliott wasa member. Greetings were also sentfrom G. M. Robb, Moderator of Synod.The Elliotts were then presentedwith a monetary gift from the congregationin a small wooden chest.The social time that followed wasin charge of Mrs. Alden Hall. A weddingcake was cut by the bride andgroom of twenty-five years and cakeand punch were served.GENEVA'S LARGEST STUDENTBODY ATTENDS ALL-SCHOOLCONVOCATIONThe opening All-School Convocationfor the largest number of dayschool students ever to be enrolled inGeneva College was held Friday, September17, at 10 a.m., in MethenyField House.The largest teaching staff in thehistory of the college attended, marchingin academic procession.Dr. Edwin C. Clarke, President ofthe College welcomed the students,presented an up-to-date report of progressof the development program,and re-confirmed the College's commitmentto a Christian program ofhigher education.Dr. William H. Russell, Dean ofthe College, presided, introduced newlyappointed faculty members and announcedfaculty promotions.Dr. Johannes G. Vos, Chairman ofthe Bible Department, conducted thedevotional period.Dr. Harold A. Bruce, Dean of Students,stated that "Although dayschool registration cannot be completedfor a few days, the number ofstudents pre-registered for the College's118th academic year would indicatethat the enrollment will be about1200."The full-time faculty will consistof 83 persons, an increase of nine overlast year's total. The number includesall full-time teaching faculty and professionallibrarians.Among the faculty members thirtyfiveper cent hold doctorates, a percentagewell above the national averageof doctorates in small colleges inthe United States; fifty-nine per centhold a master's degree or its equivalent,and six per cent have a bachelor'sdegree.God setteth the solitary in families:he bringeth out those which are boundwith chains: but the rebellious dwellin a dry land. Psalms 68:6222 COVENANTER WITNESS

GENEVA COLLEGE SPONSORSFRESHMAN READING PROGRAMFull-time freshmen entering GenevaCollege will be required to readPilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan,in addition to one classic and one contemporarybook of their choice froma required reading list before OrientationWeek begins September 14.The program is sponsored by theCollege Committee on the Promotionof Academic Achievement.The purpose of the program, whichwas introduced in 1961, is to set anintellectual tone for the beginning ofcollege life, to provide a commonbackground for discussion and writing,and to emphasize college levelthinking.After the opening of the Collegeterm, faculty-led symposiums will beheld and smaller groups will holdinformal discussion periods on thevarious books. The books selected presentvarying points of view with whichindividual readers will not necessarilyagree.Dr. Frank Gaebelein, author, lecturer,and co-editor of Christianity Today,who was headmaster of Stony BrookSchool, Long Island, N.Y., from 1922to 1963 will review "Pilgrim's Progress"at a special all-school chapelat 10 a.m., October 22, in MethenyField House. The public is invited toattend.Classics and their authors on therequired reading list are "The Confessions,"Augustine; "Hard Times,"Dickens; "Crime and Punishment,"Dostoyevsky; "This Was Cicero," Haskell;"Les Miserablies," Hugo; "Originsand Growth of Physical Science,"edited by D. L. Hurd and J.J. Kipling;"The Republic," Plato; parts I andII of Shakespeare's "Henry IV," Tennyson's"Idylls of the King," and MarkTwain's "Huckleberry Finn."Contemporary books listed areDavenport's "Valley of Decision;"Drury's "A Shade of Difference;" Gamow's"One, Two, Three . .. Infinity;"Martin Luther King Jr's., "Why Can'tWe Wait;" Herberg's "Protestant,Catholic, Jew;" Lewis' "Mere Christianity;"MacLeish's "J.B.;" O' Connor's"The Last Hurrah;" Orwell's"1984," and Paton's "Cry the BelovedCountry."WORLD RELIEF COMMISSION AS­SISTS IN KOREAN FLOOD DISAS­TERThe N.A.E. WORLD RELIEF COM­MISSION, INC., relief arm of theNational Association of Evangelicals,is continuing to assist victims ofKorea's worst floods in 70 years.The late July disaster, caused bytorrential downpours after a sixmonths' drought, was centered alongthe Han River south of Seoul. Asthe Han River area is normally a centerof N.A.E. WORLD RELIEF COM­MISSION activity, WRC field representativesimmediately pressed intoservice all available personnel andequipment to aid the thousands ofvictims made suddenly homeless. Todate, over 100,000 pounds of food andthousands of pounds of clothing andepidemic-controlling medicines havebeen released to suffering flood refugees.The N.A.E. WORLD RELIEFCOMMISSION is appealing for additionalfunds to continue emergency assistanceas the number of refugeescontinues to soar.The rampaging waters left over300 dead and missing and nearly 300,-Q00 homeless. Over 25,000 homes wereinundated in one province as swirlingwaters broke through dikes anderoded river banks. Korea's five majorrailways were partially shut downand roads and highways were blocked.Despite severe personal loss and propertydamage, extensive precautionarymeasures and early evacuation warningsresulted in a comparatively lowdeath toll.Where possible, even during timesof emergency disaster relief, each expressionof N.A.E. WORLD RELIEFCOMMISSION material assistance isaccompanied by a personal witnessto the Saving Grace of Our LordJesus Christ.ORTHOAMINOPHENOL EXCRETIONINCREASED BY CIGARETTESMOKING*ABSTRACT — A series of 30 metabolicstudies on 6 subjects measuredincreased excretion of carcinogenicsubstances (3-hydroxy anthranilicacid) in the urine during periods ofcigarette smoking.Excretion levels were increased inall subjects during periods of smoking,ranging from 12 to 64 per centabove previous amounts — an averageof 37 per cent increase being notedfor the whole group. Also observedfor the same group was a reduction innicotinamide — the end product oftryptophan metabolism — rangingfrom 14 to 40 per cent.The authors said that smoking appearsto act by blocking the metabolismof the 3-hydroxy anthranilic acid,to nicotinamide, and that cessation ofsmoking results in the opposite effect,indicating that the enzyme blockis a reversible one. Previously it wasshown that 3-hydroxy anthranilic acidwas carcinogenic in animals and thatit occurs in increased amounts in theurine of bladder-cancer patients.The authors noted that smokinghas been associated statistically withbladder cancer and that their workprovides a biochemical explanationfor the link between smoking and cancerof the urinary bladder.*The Effect of smoking on BladderCarcinogens. Kerr, W. K., Barkin, M.,Levers, P. E., Wood, S. K. C. andMenczyk, Z., Dept. of Surgery, Univ.of Toronto. Presented at Meeting,Section of Urology, Academy of Medicine,Toronto, Ont., March 16, 1965.Medical Bulletin on TobaccoWHAT DID YOU SAY TODAY?by Mabel S. McMullen"A word fitly spoken is like applesof gold in pictures of silver" (Prov.25:11).Words, words, words! We live constantlyin a din of words. Today youhave spoken many and listened tomore. What did you say today?Were there angry, impatient wordswhich only fed the discord in another'sheart and left you ashamed? Werethere frivolous, empty words that leftyou lean in spirit? Were there doublemeaningwords which fostered hypocrisyand deceit? Or maybe icy wordsthat chilled a timid soul who neededlove and friendship?Or could it be there were kindly,hopeful words that cheered a discouragedheart? Did you utter courteous,sympathetic words that made thattimid person awaken and feel importantin your presence? Or, most importantof all, words of love and testimonythat drew a hungry inquirer toyour Christ?What did you say today?—The Free MethodistLast Week's PuzzleOctober 6, 1965 223

I Ht MbLt that will Surprise You!MostHelpfulBiblePublishedReveals Spiritual Meaning of VersesGives Desired Information More Quickly57 FEATURES ... 8 GREAT DEPARTMENTS MAKE—THE NEW CHAIN-REFERENCE BIBLEFOURTH IMPROVED EDITIONTruly a Bible PLUS a Biblical Library in ONE VolumeEDITED BY REV. F. C. THOMPSON, D.D., Ph.D.READ WHAT OTHERS SAY:Justice Glenn Terrell, Former Chief Justice of theSupreme Court of Florida: "The inscription over theentrance to the Graduate School Bldg. of the FloridaState University in Tallahassee, Florida, is:'The Half of Knowledge Is to Know Where toFind Knowledge.'The New Chain Reference Bible is the 'Where* tofind the fullest spiritual truths and to gain the mostcomplete knowledge of the Bible in the easiest way.For the past two years I have used the New ChainChain Reference Bible not only provides a wealth oluseful helps for Bible study but also provides themin a form which makes them accessible to the user.For the most usable and time-saving helps, I suggestthat one carefully examines this Bible before buyingany other." Dr. Paul S. Rees: "For sheer helpfulness,the New Chain Reference Bible is a jewel. Itis a pleasure to commend it to all lovers of theScriptures." Dr. Edward L. R. Elson: "For twentyfiveyears, I have used the New Chain ReferenceBible as my study and devotional Bible. As an aid toBiblical study and homiletical effort, it has alwaysbeen at my right hand. For the preacher, teacherand student of the Bible, it is unsurpassed." Dr. J.C. McPheeters: "I regard the New Chain ReferenceBible as the best Bible published with special helpsto guide the student in Bible study." Dr. Bob Jones,Sr.: "Tou will do any man a great favor by puttingthis Bible in his hands. I wish I could influenceRapidly Replacing Other Bibles —Has So Many More New Helps!1. Unique chart showing Origin and Growth of theEnglish Bible.2. The Outline Studies of Bible Periods, comparingBiblical History with Contemporary Secular History.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 Testament6.7.The Analysis of the Verses of the entire Bible.The Numerical Chain Reference System.8. Special Analysis of the Important Bible Characters.9. Contrast between the Old and New Testaments.10. The Topical Treasury. New Topics for PrayerMeetings, Men's, Women's, Young People's Meetings, etc.11. Special Bible Readings for private devotions andpublic services. New and different subjects.12. Bible Harmonies of the Lives of Moses and Paul.13. Snecial Portraits of Jesus.14. Chart of the Messianic Stars.15. Chart showing cause of the Babylonian Cantivity.16. Chart of the Temple of Truth, illustrating theSermon on the Mount.17. Chart of Jesus' Hours on the Cross.18. The Christian Workers' Outfit. Of Special value tosoul winners,10. All Prominent Bihle Characters Classified, listingthe Patriarchs, Leaders in Early Hebrew History, etc.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 ofthe Bible.23. Chart showing Seven Editions of Divine Law.24. Graph of the Prodigal 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.Other Features in Text Cyclopedia31. Topical Study of the Bible. Correlated Scripturesprinted out in full under 2467 topics and sub-topics.Three times as many as in any other Bible.32. Contrast Study of Great Truths of the Bible. Enablesyou to study the Constructive and DestructiveForces of Life with the Bible verses printed out in full.Reference Bible and I have found it the best of themall." Dr. V. R. Edman: "The New Chain ReferenceBible is a most valuable help to me in searching theScriptures as well as in devotional reading. Studytherein is most rewarding." Dr. Harold J. Ockengra:"The New Chain Reference Bible is splendid. For thenew Christian or for one who has studied the Biblefor forty years, the helps are time-saving and ofgreat assistance. It is truly a Bible that should bein every home." Dr. Duke K. McCall: "The New33. Life studies, such as Business Life, Home Life, etc.34. Bible Stories for Children. A list of 56 stories tobe read from the Bible itself.35. Miracles of both the Old and New Testaments.36. Parables of the Old Testament. Parables of theNew Testament, each Gospel.37. Titles and names of Christ; of the Holy Spirit; ofGod the Father; and of Satan.38. General Bible Prophecies.39. A list of the Prophets of the Bible.40. List of the Judges of Israel and Judah.41. List of the Notable Women of the Bible.42. Mountains and Hills referred to in Bible.43. Dictionary Material.44. Tables of Time, Money, Weights and Measures.More Unusual Features in the Helps45. The Historical Bridge, covering interval betweenthe Old 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-Resurrection Appearances of Jesus, illustratedwith well-known paintings.50. Chart of the Seven Churches of Asia, described byJohn.51. An Outline History of the Evangelistic and MissknaryWork of the Early Church.52. The Prophecies Concerning Jesus and their Fulfillment,arranged Chronologically, with principal versesprinted out in full.53. Map Showing Approximate Distances from Jerusalemto Various Historical Points.54. Chart Showing the Interior Arrangement of theTemple at Jerusalem.55. Nineteen Special Illustrated Maps Showing theJourneys of Abraham, Children of Israel, Joshua, Gideon,Samuel, Saul, David, Solomon, Jesus, Paul and Peter.These are separate maps, mind you—not several crowdedtogether on one page.56. Places of Religious Worship, Hebrew Times, Festivalsand Religious Officials.New in the Fourth Improved Edition57. Archaeological Supplement. Over 100 niustratedaccounts of discoveries ln Bible lands linked by numberwith the Bible text.B. B. Qfak/rride BIBLE CO..INCDEPT. w 7810 K. OF P. BLDG.INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, 46204every Christian to purchase one of these Bibles."The Revised Version is given inthe wide margin opposite the verses,wherever an important difference inmeaning occurs.Be Fair to Yourself!See this special Bible with its unequaledpractical helps before youbuy any Bible—or you may regretit as others have. Ask your pastorabout it. No other Bible is so highlypraised by so manySEND NOWfor thisbig FREEBible Students.descriptiveBOOKAgents WantedrenownedB. B. KIRKBRIDE BIBLE CO., INC.,Dept. K. of P. Bldg.Indianapolis, Indiana, -16204• Without cost or obligation to me,send a copy of the big illustrated book,"A New Bible for a New Day," and fullparticulars concerning the Fourth ImprovedEdition of your New Chain ReferenceBible.• Send your special terms to Representatives.Name.Address.224 COVENANTER WITNESSCity

* . - ; THEOLOGICAL bLJ:i\AlUCovenanter WitnessTO JESUS CHRIST"THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONS*VOLUME LXXV NO. 15 OCTOBER 13, 1965 STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 7, 1965REV. JOSIAH DODDS EDGAR, D. D.Pastor—Missionary—Evangelist1883- 1965

THE COVENANTER WITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.EVANGELICAL PRW» ASSOCIATIONEditor: Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D.D.125 N. 4th StreetSterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under the supervision of theBoard of Publication by The Patterson Press, Wapello,Iowa 52653.Contributing Editors:Rev. Kenneth SmithDr. G. M. RobbRev. T. R. HutchesonDepartment Editors:Rev. Bruce C. StewartMrs. Robert B. MaineMrs. Willis EdgarRev. John K. GaultOpinions expressed in our columns. are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Church or the editor.All material to appear in The Covenanter Witnessshould be typewritten, double-spaced, and should be inSterling, Kansas two weeks before it is to be printed.Obituaries — All words in excess of one hundred fifty,one cent per word. Money should accompany such notices.SUBSCRIPTION RATESIndividual (1 year): U.S. and Canada, $4.00, BritishIsles, 35/-, all other places, $5.00;Individual (2 year): U.S. and Canada, $7.00, BritishIsles 63/-, all other places, $9.00;Group: U.S. and Canada, $3.00, British Isles 28/-, allother places, $4.00.9-month student subscription — $1.50; 5-month introductoryoffer — $1.00; 2 gift subscriptions to persons outsideof the R.P. Church — $2.00 each.Subscription Agent for U.S. and Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.Subscription Agent for the British Isles: Rev. HughWright, B. A., 12, Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, NorthernIreland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness in U. S. currency.Give one month's notice of a change of address. Sendboth the new and the old address to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty.Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, Iowa.TRIBUTES FROM FRIENDSJ. D. Edgar was my pastor during the mostformative years of my life. I can remember himgiving the first pubhc invitation for Christian serviceI ever heard, one Sabbath morning in the LosAngeles Church. He always seemed equally skilledin the pulpit, during a home call, at the volleyballgames, a beach party, or as he did each yeargiving the call for Christian commitment for the lastSabbath night of Conference. He was always afriend and always a pastor. It was under his ministrythat I came to a full knowledge of Christ asSaviour and also under his ministry that I joinedthe church. With many another minister, I givegrateful thanks to God for Dr. J. D. Edgar, a brotherbeloved and father in the Gospel. What a disappointmentit was to me to learn by how small a marginof time I missed knowing about the memorial service.—Bergen Birdsall, Executive DirectorCouncil on Alcohol ProblemsJ. D. was always a special friend of mine. Heand I were a good deal together when I was in theCovenanter Church. I always remember with muchpleasure the hike we took up Mt. Wilson. On occasionsof this kind, two people get to know eachother so well. J. D. loved his Lord at all times, andgave Him his whole-hearted service.Even though I didn't see him so much in recentyears, that true friendship link was never broken.I, too, shall miss him very much, but our loss ishis gain.—David Calderwood, Th. D.While we have lost one whom we considered asa close friend, the inspiration of his life will be withus as long as we are alive and can be at all active.The Church has few that are anywhere near hisequal."We feel we have lost a good friend but arehappy to know he is with his Lord, which is farbetter."WE HOLD THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only Infalliblerule of faith and conduct.The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Faith ln Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experience.The Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Holy Spirit.The fact of death and hell as the destiny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believeln Him together with their children.The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church Government."I think of the Class of eight fine young menwho graduated from the Reformed PresbyterianSeminary in 1909. Only Walter McClurkin remains.Each served the Lord and labored for His honor andglory. We rejoice.""Dr. Edgar was so wonderful to us as a familWe were so much happier after we met him and heled Ernie to Christ. I can truly say the happiest dayof my life was when Ernie and Charlotte werebaptized."226 The Lord Jesus Christ as the only King and Head of His Church.COVENANTER WITNESSThat terms of membership or communion are essential to thewelfare of the Church.

EditorialComment g&TRANSITIONDeath has often been called "the great leveler."But this phrase must be used guardedly. From thephysiological and sociological viewpoints one mightthink the statement to be true. From the standpointof position, the high-ranking man looks just thesame to the undertaker as the man of low degree.All men must leave their wealth, their possessionsbehind. The final resting places are much the samesize for rich and poor.There is a difference, however. When we acceptthe atoning work of Jesus Christ, His paymentof the penalty for our sins, there is no more death.Christ tells us this. "Whosoever liveth and believethin me shall never die." True there must be the separationof the soul from the body for believers, butthe soul goes immediately to be with Christ. Someonehas observed that when the word death is usedin the New Testament it is always in connectionwith sin. For the believer the sting has been removed,and what we call death is but transition, atransition which the soul experiences at once, andfor which the body rests in hope.The sorrow which we experience and express isthe sorrow of separation from the departed ones.It is not grief for them but for us. Comfort comeswhen we consider that they are now experiencingthe glories of heaven, the pleasures at God's righthand.Between the cradle and the grave is hfe, themeasurement of which can be stated in two ways.How long did a person hve? How much did he live?The latter of these is the more important.The last memorial issue of the Witness wasJanuary 15, 1964. This fact is one for which thechurch can give thanks. The last Synod meeting,as I recall, was the first Synod meeting I have attendedwhen there were no memoirs read concerninga minister. God has been good to us as a churchin not shrinking our ministerial number by death.But now God has called Dr. J. D. Edgar home.I have known him from my youth and have sharedhis pulpit and his home. He was one of God'sfaithful servants, a great man of prayer, and aFpowerful spokesman for God. It is fitting that aportion of this issue should be devoted to tributesin his memory, as he is now among that great cloud,who have borne witness, which surrounds us.TRIBUTE FROM CHICAGO CONGREGATIONWords cannot express what Dr. Edgar meant toeach of us. He was truly a man of God. God and theChurch were ever uppermost in his hfe. He was aman of prayer, and his prayers were answered.He was not only a fine minister but was alsoa true pastor. He was a wonderful friend. Nevertoo busy to help when we needed him, he was alwayson hand whether in time of sickness, trouble,or personal problems.He fit in with any age group, having the tactfulnessand charm that few of us ever acquire.Older people loved and depended upon him. Youngpeople respected him and looked to him for directionand guidance. Little children adored him and appreciatedhis fine sense of humor.During his ministry among us, we were alwaysblessed by his sermons and by his presence in ourhomes. His many visits in our homes will long beremembered and cherished. It was a great joy justto know him. He will be greatly missed by all, butour loss is Heaven's gain — and his.DR. J. D. EDGAROne of the highest privileges of my hfe as aCovenanter elder has been to serve in the session ofthe Chicago congregation under the pastorate ofthe late Dr. J. D. Edgar. He demonstrated whatseems to me to be the ideal relationship betweenpastor and session. He made manifest the richmeaning that underlies the title, under-shepherd.Into the care of and concern for the flock, he putevery last ounce of his energy. He never gave upin his search for and labor with the sheep thatneeded to be brought into the fold and to learn toknow and to love the Savior. In meetings of sessionthe discussion often related to those whom he wastrying to lead to a decision for Christ; the depth ofhis concern for these souls was both touching andinspiring. I have never known another man whoseemed to get quite so close to God as Dr. Edgardid when he would plead in prayer for the life of asinner. His successes in winning souls, and theywere many, he counted not as his own achievement,but as the work of the Holy Spirit in which he hadbeen allowed to cooperate. There must be manyin heaven who will greet him there with gratitudefor the part he played in the redirection of theirearthly lives.John Dale RussellBloomington, IndianaOctober 13, 1965 227

The Deacon's BenchNotice in a Presbyterian Church in Scotland:"Will those of you who have been putting buttonsinto the collection basket, kindly use your own buttons,and not those from the church upholstery."In his book, My Money and God (Broadman),Robert Hastings discusses the reasons which peoplehave for giving. Since the Lord has indicated thatHe is far more interested in why we give, than inhow much, we do well to examine the motives forour own giving. Here are his suggestions:1. The motive of fear —giving to avoid somecalamity which the Lord might send as a punishmentfor failure to give.2. The motive of duty — giving to dischargeone's obligation to the Lord and to the Church.3. The motive of self-respect—"keeping up withthe Joneses."4. The motive of compensation — making one'sofferings a substitute for personal service for Christ.5. The motive of material gain — the hope thatGod will reward liberality with increased income.6. The motive of propitiation — giving to atonefor one's sin.7. The motive of pity — giving because of thefeelings aroused by the plight of the unfortunate.8. The motive of love — giving from the heart,as an expression of our love for God.Mr. Hastings evaluates each of these motivesin the light of Scripture — we leave you to makeyour own evaluation. But it is clear that the highestmotive is that of love.Why do you give?As this column appears, three months will remainbefore the closing of the books on the Budgetof 1965. The Stewardship Committee has made apartial survey of congregations, to determine theamount already contributed, and also the amountwhich it is estimated will be given. As of September1, 19 congregations reported that they had givenan average of 58.4 per cent of the expected totaltoward the 1965 Budget. If the giving of all thecongregations were to follow the same pattern, wemight expect total giving to the Budget to come to228about $110,000, far short of the $160,000 needed.Hopefully, there will be a number of congregationswho will be sending in the greater part of their contributionsduring the final months of the year, sothat the final figure will be much larger.But this survey indicates that it is a time forprayer, a time for Budget emphasis by pastors, atime for financial boards of congregations to considerspecial measures to increase Budget contributions,a time for God's people to invest more oftheir funds in the Lord's work. The Budget canbe raised!OUR BUSINESS IN LIFEWhat is our business in life? Not everyone givesthe same answer, and perhaps no one answer wouldsatisfy every free individual. Some may beheve weare here to enjoy the good things of this world, andsurely most of us have hopes of sharing them. Somesay that we are here to serve others, and most of usin some modest way do try to do that- Some say weare here to build a better world and surely that issomething everybody wants. Someone else mightsay that our business in hfe should be somethinglike this:To have a fitting destination or objective andto keep before us always the vision of one dayreaching it.To feel within us a deep sense of personal worthinessand to so live that we can maintain thatsense undiminished and untarnished.To live through the shattered dreams of youthand from them to shape new dreams based upon alarger vision of life and a better understanding ofourselves ,|To endure adversity and to be disciplined byitwithout losing our faith, our hope, or our courage.To be patient with delay without succumbingto despair or accepting the fallacy that delay spellsdefeat.To retain confidence that the human spirit istoo strong to yield to pain, te-malice, to envy, or tosorrow, and that it will survive any sin and everyfailure.To recognize the value of good will toward menand never to put obstacles in the path of our fellowmanwho is also seeking a share of the world's happiness.To hve every day with one's main objective inmind, facing disappointments without bitterness,taking defeats only as temporary setbacks, nevergiving up as long as there is enough life andstrength left to continue working toward our goal-—NuggetsCOVENANTER WITNESS

REV. JOSIAH DODDS EDGAR, D. D.Josiah Dodds Edgar was born in Sylvania, Missouri,November 3, 1883, and died at his home inLa Mesa, California, August 22, 1965. Betweenthose dates lies a lifetime of service to the physicaland spiritual needs of his fellow man — a servicethat was world-wide, a service that at many timeswas a sacrificial service but a service always givenwillingly and unstintingly.His early years were spent in Missiouri and inSterling, Kansas, where he graduated from college.He then entered the Reformed Presbyterian Seminaryin Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, although otherenticing and more remunerative positions were offeredto him. On July 8, 1909, he was ordained tothe gospel ministry.He left his homeland and went to the Island ofCyprus where he spent some years as a missionary.He became director of the American Academy there— the outstanding secondary school of the Island,conducted by the Reformed Presbyterian Church.There he began a building program of the physicalplant that was to follow him through hfe.In almost every one of the six congregations thathe later served as pastor in the United States, hewas engaged in building a new church or a parsonage— or both. Such duties were arduous, but hisefforts were indefatigable and his spirit neverlagged.But even more important to him than the physicalbuildings, which he literally helped to build withhis hands, hour on hour, were the bricks and stonesof character that he was building into the lives ofyoung people and those who had lost the Way orwho had not yet known the Way. He wanted to besure that their feet and hearts and minds got on theright Way.He always had a special interest in young people.He had an abiding interest in athletics and forseveral years added the position of high schoolcoach, at the request of the school board, to hismany other duties in order to assist in cleaning upwhat had become an unsavory moral situation inthe high school in the town where he was servingas pastor. He accepted no salary for his service. Histeams were successful and won statewide recognition— even winning the praise of un-Christiantownspeople who had been bitterly opposed to theboard appointing a Christian minister to serve asathletic director.His answer to the request of a football teammember that he have prayer with them before theirfootball games indicates his attitude toward life.When requested by the boy to pray for them, hisreply was, "I won't ask the Lord to let you win, butI will ask Him to make you play the game hke men."He had served his church in the active ministryfor more than fifty years when he retired a fewyears ago. During those years, more remunerativepositions were offered to him many times, but hechose to serve the Lord in what he regarded as thehighest calling a man could have.His last, and what he considered perhaps hiscrowning effort was the establishment of the CollegeAvenue Covenanter Church here in San Diego.At the age of 67, when he was already wellpast what most consider retirement age, he cameto San Diego at the appointment of the Home MissionBoard, to establish a new congregation. Hestarted from scratch and labored long and hard ingathering together a group of people in the areathat he and his wife had selected, after much research,as the location for the new work. When thegroup of worshippers overflowed the Edgar homeand garage where services where held, and shortlythereafter overflowed seven other garages freelyloaned by neighbors for the work of the church,he began the arduous task of locating a site for achurch building and of raising funds for the erectionof a church.Thus, at age 68 he began once again the taskof building. The construction labor was all volunteerand many days he was the only volunteer. Hewas disappointed that there were not others but refusedto be discouraged. He worked long, hardhours — often as many as 14 hours per day on thebuilding itself. Outside and beyond these hours, hefound time for the many hours of visitation in theneighborhood that were necessary to build up acongregation, for the preparation of his sermon forthe Lord's Day and for the preparation necessary toteach a Bible Class. To these duties, he soon addedthat of training a choral group to sing the Psalms,which were new and strange to most of the groupas a medium of praise. Singing was another of hisinterests in hfe and he felt strongly that only thebest should be offered to the Lord in praise, soOctober 13, 1965 229

wherever he served there was always training inthe singing portion of Divine worship.He was always a student of the Bible and readand studied it much. After his years of retirement,he found more time to read it, and in the year priorto the failing of his eyes, he read it through coverto-coverthree times. All told through the years, hehad read the Bible through consecutively more than70 times. Many books and chapters had been readhundreds of times more.He loved his children dearly and would talk toall who would listen of their accomplishments. Buthis love extended beyond his immediate family andhe counted many other youth and young people —yes, older adults, — as his "children in Christ."He was "at home" wherever he went. He madefriends easily, for he had that common bond ofbrotherhood with all men.He was beloved by most who knew him andeven idolized by a few. Wondrous to behold wasthe joy that came to his heart and face during hisyears of weakness when someone he had servedthrough the years remembered to tell him what hislife and service had meant to them; or by the occasionalcall of a neighbor or friend whom he hadnever actually served but who had come to knowhim only during his years of weakness. He appreciatedeven the little things that were done or said.His interests were world-wide and he "influencedhundreds of lives", as one who had been influencedfor good by him said after his death. Even onhis bed of suffering and pain, he continued to beinterested in others. From his bed, he prayed forand with others in their hour of need. Only withinthe past few months, his prayers and interest hadsustained and carried through her hour of crisisone whom he had known only a few months butone whom he had come to love as a daughter inChrist. The problems of others were ever his problems.Even on the last day of life he had expressedconcern over the problems of at least three otherpeople and had personally talked with one and discussedher problems with her.The world is richer for the lives of such men.And now he is at rest with the Lord, enjoying thateternal Sabbath of rest prepared for them that loveHim."I have fought a good fight; I have finished mycourse; I have kept the faith; henceforth there islaid up for me a crown of rejoicing which the Lord,the righteous judge will give me at that day, and notto me only but to all those who love Him."DEATH WITHOUT FEARMessage Delivered at the Memorial ServiceBy Rev. Wayne SpearPastor of the Reformed Presbyterian Church,San Diego, California"Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart inpeace, according to thy word; for mine eyes haveseen thy salvation." So said the aged Simeon, ashe came into the temple and saw the child Jesus,the long-awaited Messiah. He had been told that hewould not die before he had seen the promisedSaviour, and as he took the Babe into his tremblingarms, he blessed God, and turned to face the inevitableexperience of death with confidence. Forone who has seen the face of Jesus Christ can lookdeath in the face and not be afraid.Christ has conquered death. Paul, when heknew that he was soon to die, wrote of Christ, thathe "hath abolished death, and brought life and immortalityto light through the gospel." Though hispeople share with all men the experience of death,for those who have committed their lives to Christ!death has lost its power.It is a fearful thing for a man to face death, whenthere is the stain of unforgiven sin upon his soul,for the Bible says, "It is appointed unto men once230to die, but after this the judgment." An unforgivensinner cannot stand in the presence of a holy God.But Jesus Christ died on the Cross, and enduredthe wrath of the Father for sin, the sins of all whowould believe on Him. By faith in Him, then, forgivenessis possible, and the sting of death, whichis sin, is taken away.Death is mysterious, and we are apprehensiveas we face it because it seems to be the gateway intothe Unknown. But the light of the Resurrectionmorning has dispelled the shadows of the tomb.That which lies beyond the grave is no longer unknownterritory, for Christ has come back to tell usabout it. And He promises that if we yield our Hvesto Him, we will share in His Resurrection. He saysto us, "Because I live, ye shall live also."To the Christian, therefore, death is no longer adread enemy, but a messenger from God to usherhim into the blessed and eternal presence of Christ,where there is fullness of joy. One who has seenthe face of Christ can look death in the eye, and notCOVENANTER WITNESS

e afraid.It was seeing Jesus that made Simeon ready tomeet death with peace in his heart. Dr. Edgar, Ibelieve, shared that peace during these months andyears when the prospect of death was never veryfar away. He, too, had seen Christ, with the eyesof faith. He saw Christ dying on the Cross for hissins, and he accepted that Sacrifice as the onlymeans of his forgiveness. He saw Christ, too, asthe risen Lord, and endeavored to obey and serveHim. And because he trusted in Christ and committedhis hfe to Him, not because of any inherentgoodness, we believe that he is, at this moment,with Christ in glory.We do not grieve, therefore for him, though theparting is hard. But his death is a reminder to allof us that we, too, are mortal. Each of us is closerto the day of his own death than he has ever beenbefore. In this solemn hour, can we echo Simeon'swords of confidence. Can we face death with peacein our hearts because Christ is our Saviour?There is a story which Dr. Edgar used in hispreaching more than once; some of you may haveheard it from his own hps. There was a father whowas dying, and as hfe was fading, he called to hisbedside his children, one by one. The oldest came,and the father spoke of the joy that his birth hadbrought to the young parents, and how they hadrejoiced to see him grow and develop, and of hishopes for the future. And then he said, "Goodnight,son,I'll see you in the morning." The second soncame, and the father spoke to him in the same way,and then bade him goodnight, saying, "I'll see-youin the morning." And so with the other childrenuntil the youngest son came. Tears came to the oldman's eyes, and he spoke of what this son hadmeant to him. And then he took his hand, andwhispered, "And now, my son, goodby." The boyprotested, "But, father, why did you bid me goodby?To all the others you said, I'll see you in the morning."And the dying father rephed, "Because, son, allthe others have put their trust in my Saviour, andthey are hving for Him. I know that I will meet themone day in Heaven. But you are wayward and rebellious,you have rejected Christ, you will not giveyour life to Him. And therefore, for us, there is nohope of reunion. For us it is goodby."For all of us, this is goodnight. May it not begoodby. But may there be a willingness to forsakeour sin, and by a sincere faith in Christ, by a wholeheartedsurrender to Him, may we have the assurancethat there will be a reunion in the morning."We, too, must go home o'er the river of rest,As the strong and the lovely before us have gone;Our sun must go down in the beautiful west,To rise in the glory that circles the throne."Until then we are bound by our love and ourTo the dear ones now walking in paradise fair;They have passed beyond sight at the touching ofdeath,Yet they hve, hke ourselves in His infinite care."REV. JOSIAH DODDS EDGAR, D.D.by Rev. Frank E. Allen, D.D.My first acquaintance with the late JosiahDodds Edgar was at the Reformed PresbyterianSeminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was ajovial companion, a diligent and capable student, azealous preacher, and a personal worker. He wasphysically strong, a good athlete, and in those daysno one would have supposed that he would be aninvalid the last nine years of his life.Ordained to be a MissionaryJ. D. Edgar was ordained in 1909, the year hewas graduated from the Seminary, to be a missionaryin Cyprus. Miss Zada Patton who had alreadygone cut to become a missionary in Turkey,became his wife, when they were married at Guznein 1910. However, the strain and terror throughwhich Miss Patton had passed had broken herhealth and this was the cause of their return tothe United States in 1911. Zada was more or lessof an invahd until the time of her death in 1930.Notwithstanding, there were born to them fivechildren, Thomas, Elizabeth, Allen, Robert, andPaul.Mr. Edgar came from a missionary family onhis mother's side. His mother's maiden name wasEhzabeth Dodds, and it is well known that a numberof Dodds relatives were missionaries in theNear East, in Syria, and Turkey. As principal of theboy's school in Larnaca, Cyprus, Mr. Edgar aimedto develop the physical, mental, and spiritualphases of their hves. He asked the boys to pick upstones from the football field so that they mightlearn to work and not be ashamed of it, and to playtogether so that they might learn to work together.He wished to make the school a center of missionaryactivity.His PastoratesAs pastor, whether at Stafford, Los Angeles,Eskridge, Olathe, Chicago, Fresno or San Diego, heOctober 13, 1965 231

was an earnest, effective, and conscientious pastor.Second MarriageMiss Lucille Dill, who had been his secretary fora considerable time, became his wife in 1931. Sheis still living in their beautiful home about ten milesfrom San Diego. Their home, located on the top ofa hill, overlooks a beautiful area in all directions.It was here that Mr. Edgar spent his years of weaknessand retirement after he had suffered a paralyticstroke. His death came very suddenly andquietly after they had been out for a ride and hadreturned to their home.C.Y.P.U. SecretaryMr. Edgar became widely and favorably knownto the church at large after his pastorate at LosAngeles when he was chosen to be Secretary ofYoung People's and Home Mission Work. He soughtout new locations in which to begin mission workwith the purpose of organizing new congregations.Before work was opened at Toronto, he asked meto request leave of my congregation to go there for amonth to investigate, preach, and make recommendationsas to the desirability of opening missionwork with a view of organizing a congregation inthat important city of Canada. He was very anxiousto see the Covenanter Church grow at home as wellas abroad. His motto at one of the young people'sconventions was, "Go and Glow and Grow!"At the young people's convention which met inthe old tabernacle at Winona Lake, Indiana, whileMr. Edgar was preaching at the consecration service,there came up a storm with heavy rain which madeit difficult for him to be heard. He stopped in themidst of his sermon and asked the audience topray with him that the rain might cease in orderthat the sermon might be heard and the work ofthe Lord be not hindered but promoted. The Lordheard and answered very shortly and the rain ceased.This answer to prayer made a profound impressionupon the whole audience and possibly led to alarger number of young people coming forward andconsecrating their hves to Christ that night. Manyhave spoken of his prayer of faith since that timeas a remarkable answer to prayer in the providenceof God. This writer, through marriage, became acousin of Dr. Edgar, and I have counted it anhonor to be counted among the number of his relatives.The Apostle Paul said, "To me to live is Christ,and to die is gain." We believe that death has beenDr. Josiah Dodds Edgar's great gain.I have been young, and now am old; yet have Inot seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed beggingbread. Psalm 37:25CYPRUS — 1909-1911Married Zada Patton 1910-11Zada to U.S.A. — Spring 1911Between Syria and Guzne till spring of 1911.While Mr. Edgar was in Cyprus, I had a numberof occasions of meeting him and of knowing of hiswork in the school at Cyprus, all of which gaveevidence of faithful ability and service. On a numberof occasions, he and Miss Patton came up toour mountain place in the summer. Later, whenMiss Patton's health would not allow her to continueteaching in Latakia, they spent their summersin the region of Mersine, where I could look afterher health, and where she was later to marry Rev.J. D. Edgar.In 1909, the massacre took place throughoutour regions, and these conditions had a very deleteriouseffect on Miss Patton's health, with httleprospect of improvement as long as she stayed inthe region of these atrocities. As the physician incharge, I felt justified in recommending to ourmission in Mersine the matter of sending Mr. andMrs. Edgar permanently back to the U.S.A. Themission unanimously concurred, and arrangementswere made with the Board at home to "O.K." ourdecision and to meet the necessary expenses.Only one who has been through such experiencescan realize the weight of such experienceslasting. When in the course of some five years,the four long years of the World War I followed,the decision made seemed to be thoroughly justified.I repeat that the work of each of these twoworkers was very fine and they were good peopleto work with; but a nervous system can take somuch and then it will break.—John Peoples, M.D.MEMOIR OF THE REV. J. D. EDGAR, D.D.Rev. T. C. McKnight, D.D.The beginner's class in the Seminary in the fallof 1908 consisted of four young men: Frank Allen,M S. McMillan, John Rutherford, and myself. Wewere all six feet tall and were jokingly called "TheBig Four." All that summer I had been in the "valleyof decision," considering whether to go into theSeminary or not. During the month of August theyoung people of the Kansas Presbytery held theirconvention in Blanchard, Iowa. Joe Edgar was oneof the leaders in that group. It was during that fellowshipthat he and I first met, and we becamefast friends.Joe was a senior in the Seminary and he helpedme greatly to become a student of theology that fall.He cordially invited me to room with him. I feltMore on Page 240232 COVENANTER WITNESS

OurYouthHOW STRONG ARE YOUR PRINCIPLES?By Linda Rae VanattaBucklin High SchoolHave you any principles?This insulting title is meant to attract your attention,and to arouse in you such indignation ascertain situations have aroused in me. Lately wehave heard of many incidents of cheating, stealingand vandalism. Actually there are innumerable criminalacts committed in schools everywhere, everyday.The question is, "What are you doing about it?"Do you laugh and say, "Oh, well,it's just a littlething. It doesn't hurt anyone?" Do you see someonecheating, but keep it to yourself because you don'twish to be a tattler? If you answered either of thesequestions "yes," you are the downfall of America.If someone took bubblegum from your locker,what would you do? Would you say, "What's onepiece of bubblegum anyway?" If someone robs abank, the whole police force is out in search of thecriminal. These two cases are entirely different, butisn't the principle the same? They both were stealing,which is a trespass against the laws of God andof man. In regard to the first case you might considerit "making a mountain out of a molehill." Yetthe principle is the same. Besides, don't big crimesevolve from little crimes?There is more involved here than one piece ofbubblegum. The future of America is at stake. Howcan we fight communism or any other foe if wecan't even trust our neighbor? Great nations havecollapsed because of a decline of morals. Do youwant this to happen to America? If the answer is"no," then snuff out this fire of dishonesty. Wrongmust not be allowed to prevail over right. Don't beafraid to strike out against injustice even thoughit may mean sacrificing temporary popularity, ormaking a so-called spectacle of yourself. We mustfight for every principle of right regardless if it bebubblegum or banks.Have you any principles?Hutchison (Kansas) NewsTRIBUTES"He meant so much to me when I was a girlgrowing up. I have only wonderful memories ofhim."Dr. Edgar helped me more than he may haverealized, beginning in the days he was in Olathe,and he was active in our young people's conventionsof that time. How well I remember a rainyafternoon in Olathe during one of the conventionswhen he had us singing the 25th Psalm and reallythinking what it meant to pray, "My sins and faultsof youth do Thou, O Lord, forget." It was the veryprayer I felt that I needed to pray, and it made suchan impression on me that I seldom sing that versewithout thinking of the Olathe Church and Dr.Edgar.Then came the time of our Pre-Synodical Conferences.How he pled with us to go out after sinners,including the very worst ones, and win themfor Christ! His own experience made what he saidmost impressive.You will remember that we followed Dr. Edgarto Fresno, five years after you folks had left there.But the results of your work were evident, both inthe material things (parsonage and church building),and in souls saved through his ministry.—C. E. CaskeyDr. J. D. Edgar has gone to be with the Lordhe loved and served. My first association with himwas when he came to be the pastor of our Olathe,Kansas congregation in February of 1918. We establisheda very close friendship which has lastedthrough the years.He was an outstanding minister and pastor. Inthe early 1920's he took on added duties as coachof the athletic teams of the Olathe High School andhad championship teams in both football and basketball.He was greatly loved by the people of thetown as well as by his congregation. When in 1924he resigned as our pastor, on account ofill health,a large number of the high school students cameand sat in a body to hear his farewell message.Through the last several years, we have visitedwith him in his home and have always found himvery patient in his illness. He would tell how goodthe Lord was to him. Truly, he has received that"Crown of Glory."—George Milligan, Santa AnaOn several occasionsit was my pleasure to visitwith Mr. Edgar. I never spent time with him butthat he left me with a spiritual challenge that wastruly refreshing to me. I just wanted you to knowthat Mr. Edgar will live on in our memory.—Dr. Gene French, Executive DirectorYouth for Christ, San DiegoOctober 13, 1965 233

The Beecher Farm MysteryMrs. George (Jean L.) McFarland(Continued from last week)After supper Dad and Jerry went to the barnto do the evening chores while the girls washedthe dishes. When the last dish and pot were done,Becky sat down on the top step of the porch andbrushed her hair back from her damp foreheadwith her hands. Janet and Beth came and sat oneach side of her."Tell us a story," begged Beth."Which one?" asked Becky."A made-up one," said Janet, "they are alwaysthe best."So Becky began. "Once upon a time, long ago,there lived a httle girl named—," she paused tothink up just the right name for the heroine."Linda," put in Beth, "call her Linda.""All right," agreed Becky, "there hved a httlegirl named Linda—," but she got no farther, becauseshe saw Jerry running toward the houseshouting frantically, "Becky, Becky."Part 2Becky's heart stood still, something dreadful hadhappened, she was sure by the way Jerry wasshouting."It's Dad," exclaimed Jerry, as he neared thehouse, "he's hurt, bad hurt. Call the Browns on thephone."Becky, feeling like cold stone, managed to getto the phone. She knew Brown's number and dialedit. When Mrs. Brown answered, Becky get out thewords, "Come quick; Daddy's hurt."Janet and Beth were crying, excitedly, whenBecky put down the receiver. Becky tried to thinkbut her mind went blank. However feeling was comingback into her body and she and Jerry both racedback to the barn. Dad lay on the cement floor ofthe cow stable. It was very evident what had happened.A rotten board in the hay-loft had brokenand he had fallen through to the stable below. Hewas still unconcious, but he was moaning and tossing.The two children knelt beside him but theywere helpless; there was nothing they could do. Itseemed ages, but in reality, it was only a short timeuntil Mr. Brown and his twenty-year-old son, Barney,came into the stable. They had already called anambulance. There was nothing they could do butwait until it arrived. Automatically they began feedingthe cows and Barney went for the milkers. Thecows sensed something unusual and stirred aroundA STORY FORJUNIOR - HIGHSuneasily in the stanchions.Soon the ambulance arrived and Mr. Beecherwas carried out on a cot to the waiting car. Hewas beginning to regain consciousness and spokeJerry's name. Mr. Brown went along to the hospitalwhile Mrs. Brown stayed with the children. Jerryhelped Barney finish the milking, but Becky couldonly sit in the house and stare into space. Shecouldn't even cry like Janet and Beth. The two httlegirls crept up to her for comfort, but sobbed louderwhen she made no effort to comfort them.However about an hour later, Mr. Brown returnedfrom the hospital with the news that theirDad was not too badly hurt, a slight concussion anda broken leg. "He'll be able to talk to you tomorrow,"he told the children. But to himself he was thinking,its a bad blow for a farmer to be laid up witha broken leg with all the summer work to do.Mrs. Brown hustled the children off to bed andtold them she would stay for the night. Becky laya long time wondering what was going to happento the Beecher family now. She prayed earnestlyfor God to make Daddy better, but she wonderedwhy it had happened when the family needed theirDad so badly. But sleep finally came and Beckydrifted off to troubled dreams.The next morning Mr. Brown took her to thehospital and she was allowed to see her Dad fora few minutes. He looked strange in a hospital bedwith his head bandaged and a white bed spread coveringhim. Becky felt her heart beat fast with fearas she entered his room where he lay so still. Butshe was relieved when she found he could speakto her."I look worse than I am," he said in a quiet,shaky voice, trying to reassure her. "I'll be all rightbefore long," and he managed a smile."I've been thinking, I'm .going to ask BarneyBrown if he can help with the farm work and you'dbetter call Aunt Tabitha and see if she can comestay with the family for a while.""Oh, no," cried Becky, "not Aunt Tabitha; she'sso cross. I can manage in the house as I have beendoing.""No," Daddy said, firmly, "you need an olderperson around. Aunt Tabitha has a sharp tongue,but shell look after all of you."Becky knew there was no use to argue withDad when he set his foot down, so she agreed tocall Aunt Tabitha.(To be continued)234 COVENANTER WITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of November 7, 1965She desired a son more than she of him. And she said, i^et thine handmaidfind grace in thy sight. So thedesired anything else. As we have said,it was regarded as a calamity for a woman went her way, and did eat, andSabhath School Lesson woman not to have children, and a her countenance was no more sad."male child was most of all to be desired.If health and home conditions who spoke for God. His words, there­(I Samuel 1:17, 18) Eli was the onefor November 7, 1965are satisfactory every married woman fore, gave to Hannah the assuranceHANNAH: SELF-GIVING MOTHER should desire children and should that she wanted. After this encouragementshe could eat her food and she1 Sam. 1:1 to 2:26pray that she might have them. A womanwho does not pray is not a fit was "no more sad."Comments by John K. GaultHannah was probably the older mother of her children. Th3 very best 5: Hannah Took Good Care of Herof the two wives of Elkanah, a Zuphiteof Mount Ephraim. Polygamy, ac­for her children would be that the bles­In due time God answered Han­that a woman could desire and hope Son.cording to Deuteronomy 21:15-17, sing of God might rest upon them. nah's prayer and she gave birth to aseems to have been tolerated under Such a desirable objective can only be son; and she called his name "Samuel,the Mosaic law, but it was not in the realized through prayer. Children of because I have asked him of the Lord,"original divine appointment of marriage.As recorded in the Bible, such before they are born. There are many Samuel Elkanah was to take all ofnon-praying mothers are handicapped (Vs. 20) Shortly after the birth ofa domestic state usually induced dissensionand trouble, as in the case world. What is the solution to the was his custom. Hannah decided thatsuch handicapped children in the his family to the yearly sacrifice, asof Abraham, Jacob, David, and Solomon.ansv/er is that society might have on such a trip so she said, "I will notproblem of juvenile delinquency? The the child was too young to be takenElkanah, Hannah's husband, was a more praying mothers and fathers. go up until the child be weaned, andvery devout man and was particular 3: Hannah Vowed to Give Her Son then I will bring him, that he mayto take his family to Shiloh where to the Lord.appear before the Lord, and therethe tabernacle was located. This was This was the greatest test of her abide for ever." Elkanah replied, "Doa yearly event at the time of the Passoveroffering and feast. He also be­her prayer she would not keep him thou have weaned him; only the Lordconsecration. If God would answer what seemeth thee good; tarry untillonged to a prominent family of Israel,being a Levite and descendant of to complete separation for the Lord. child was too young to be taken fromfor herself but would give him over establish his word." (Vs. 22, 23) TheKohath. It was logical, therefore, that A case comparable to this is seen in his mother. Hannah intended to givehe should be devout.Abraham who, in obedience to God's him to the Lord in continual serviceUnfortunately Hannah's home life command took his only son of the promise,to offer him as a sacrifice on to delay taking him until he could eatwhen she did take him, and so wantedwas not happy. This was not becauseElkanah did not love her. She was his Mt. Moriah, and would have actually regular food and meet with strangers.favorite wife and he was not above done so had his hand not been withheldby the voice of God.the Lord.6: Hannah Fulfilled Her Vow toshowing his superior love for her bygiving her a "double portion" at the It might be concluded that this was In I Samuel 1:24-28it is said, "Andfeast of the offerings at Shiloh. The the vow of a Nazarite which Hannah when she had weaned him, she tooktrouble with Hannah was that she took for her son if God would give him up with her, with three bullocks,was childless and this was consideredto be a calamity. In addition to this only one of the Nazarite vows is men­of wine, and brought him unto theher one. But it is not so stated and and one ephah of flour, and a bottleHannah was being constantly subjectedto harassment by the other wife, come upon his head." The other pro­child was young. And they slew thetioned and that was, "no razor shall house of the Lord in Shiloh: and thePenninnah, who had children and who hibitions may have been implied. But bullock and brought the child to Eli.sensed that Elkanah loved Hannah all parents should dedicate their And she said, Oh my Lord, as thymore than herself.children to God, and they are very soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman1: Elkanah Tried to Comfort Hannah.neglected. Through the sacrament of the Lord. For this child I prayed; andmuch remiss when such dedication is that stood by thee here, praying untoWhen they went up to the yearly baptism of infants, children are formallydedicated to God and His ser­which I asked of him: Therefore alsothe Lord hath given me my petitionsacrifice, Hannah's "adversary alsoprovoked her sore, for to make her vice. It is the outward symbol of the I have lent him to the Lord; as longfret, — And as he did so year by year, washing of regeneration by the Holy as he liveth he shall be lent to thewhen she went up to the house of the Spirit. As stated in I Samuel 1:11 Hannahvowed a vow that if God would there." Samuel might have been fiveLord. And he worshipped the LordLord, so she provoked her; thereforeshe wept and did not eat. Then said grant her petition, "to give unto thine or even six years old when he wasElkanah her husband to her, Hannah, handmaid a man child, then I will give taken to the house of the Lord. Hebrewwomen nursed their childrenwhy weepest thou? and why eatest him unto the Lord all the days of histhou not? and why is thy heart grieved?am not I better to thee than ten upon his head."but we are not told exactly how oldlife, and there shall no razor come until they were five or six years old,sons." He was hardly in a position to 4: Eli, the Priest Assured Hannah Samuel was when he was "lent to thecomfort Hannah for he had married that Her Prayer Would be Answered. Lord."the second wife, Penninnah, who did He said to her when he was convincedthat she was not drunken, "Go This is found in I Samuel 2:1-10.7: Hannah's Song of Thanksgiving.have children and who continuallycast reproach upon Hannah.in peace: and the God of Israel grant In this song she expresses her firm2: Hannah Prayed for a Son- thee thy petition that thou hast asked belief in God. She said, "There isOctober 13, 1965 235

none holy as the Lord! for there isnone beside thee: neither is thereany rock like our God.""The Lord is a God of knowledge,and by him actions are weighed."The Lord is sovereign over all creationas Hannah said in verse 6, "TheLord killeth and maketh alive: hebringeth down to the grave and bringethup. The Lord maketh poor, andmaketh rich: he bringeth low, andlifteth up."The poor of the earth have reasonto trust in God for He is described inverse 8 in the words, "He raiseth upthe poor out of the dust, and liftethup the beggar from the dunghill, andset them among princes, and to makethem inherit the throne of glory: forthe pillars of the earth are the Lord'sand he hath set the world upon them."Lesson based on International SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessonsfor Christian Teaching, copyrighted 1958by the Division of Christian Education. NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ ln theU. S. A."Junior Topicfor November 7, 1965"TRUST AND OBEY"Psalm Text:Psalm 26, page 61, verses 1, 3, and8.Memory Verse:Proverbs 3:5. Assign Eph. 4:13-24for the unit, or this verse.Psalms:Ps. 40, page 102, 1-4; Ps. 71, page171, 10-13; Ps. 62, page 152, 1-5; Ps.143, page 347, 4-6; Ps. 25, page 58, 1-3.References:Ephesians 2:10; Phil. 2:12, 13; Phil.1:6; Prov. 3:6; Deut. 11:27; Jer. 7:23;Heb. 5:8, 9.Aim:To show Christian growth throughplacing our lives in God's care, andthrough willing obedience to His guidance."Trust and obey, for there's noother way to be happy with Jesus, butto trust and obey." Perhaps you haveheard these words of a hymn, which,although we do not sing in worshipto God, have a meaning for our topictoday. We are beginning a series oflessons on Growth in Christ, and webegin with the thought that each ofyou has accepted His salvation andhas already entered into the blessingsof eternal life which He offers. Yourpast sins have been forgiven, blottedout completely because Jesus died forjust those sins; and you have invitedHim into your heart and your life isre-created and made new. We sometimesrefer to it as "being born again."2 Cor. 5:17 tells us that we are newcreatures in Christ, and all the oldthings of our former life — the sinfulhabits and tendencies — are takenaway. We'll be learning something ofthe way this is done.Ask your sponsor to explain thethree questions of the Shorter Catechism,nos. 33, 34, and 35, about Justification,Adoption, and Sanctification.If you have accepted Christ, these firsttwo apply to you already, and we'll beconcerned with the third. To put itsimply: Sanctification is the processof becoming more like Christ, and duringthese next eight lessons, we willfind ways to help us do this. The memorypassage from Ephesians emphasizesthis growth; try to learn it andlay it up in your heart.Not only do we trust God in JesusChrist as a first step for our salvation,but we must go right on trusting Himfor day-by-day help and guidance. Wewant to live the Christian life, andwe need greater strength than whatwe have ourselves. God offers this tous, and we need to trust Him with ourneed. Each day we must tell Him thatwe know He is ready to guide us andto help us do the right things and actlike a Christian should, and so we willsimply trust Him to do just what Hepromises that He can do. This closerelationship cannot come with only abrief "hello" to God or just talkingto Him long enough to ask for Hishelp; it comes from getting to knowHim in His Word and talking withHim in prayer many times. Look atverse one of our text psalm (which isalso our first memory psalm for thisunit): "and ever with unwaveringheart have trusted, Lord, in Thee."Now look at verses 3 and 8. Thepsalmist says he will try to obeyGod and do what pleases Him. (Readand sing these verses during the meeting.)Obedience is doing what we aretold to do. You know this word, andno doubt are learning m?re of itsmeaning every day in yjur home,school, and every other ar^a of life.We obey laws all the time, sometimeswithout even thinking about them, becausewe've been trained to. do it. Youalways ride your bicycle according tocertain traffic rules, you regard stopand-golights whether waliring or riding,and your parents ahvays drivethe car on the right side oi the street.You walk on the sidewalks when thereare any, or on the opposr :r side facingtraffic where there are none.These rules are for your safety, andyou become so used to them that youhardly think of them as rules at all.Picking up toys or other items fromthe floor of your room is a rule youmay think about when told to do it,because you may be busy or just notwant to be bothered. But this, too,is a safety rule — for your safety orthat of your mother who might stumbleover those things on the floor andget hurt because of your carelessnessand disobedience. God's rules areclearly given in the Bible and Hehelps your parents to interpret themfor you until you can fully understandthem yourself. And they are foryour safety and well-being, so thatyou won't stumble over a bad habitthat should no longer be in your life.And did you know that when youstumble and do something wrong, youmay be leading someone else to do it,too? Our mistakes can hurt others,just as the toys you left on the floorcan trip your mother and cause her tofall. Obeying, then, benefits us andothers.And God expects obedience fromus. If we are to grow in Christ, wemust follow the rules He has givenus, and do it willingly. This is whatPsalm 26 expresses; the psalmistwants to please God, and he is trustingGod to show him the way to dothis. We will be using this psalm forseveral weeks, and as you readitand sing it, try to put yourself in thewriter's place. Talk to God throughthese words, and tell Him you are willingto seek His way and become agrowing Christian.For your notebooks:At the top of the left hand page,print the word "TRUST" in large letters.At the top on the other page,print "OBEY." Now list the versesgiven as references on the page whereyou think they belong, and add anyothers you may think of. How manydid you find for each? Across the bottomof both pages, write or print thememory verse, beginning on the leftside and continuing across the rightside. Be sure you have learned thisverse before you write it in yournotebook. And smote all the firstborn inEgypt; the chief of their strength inthe tabernacles of Ham:But made his own people to goforth like i,heep, and guided them inthe wilderness like a flock.Psalms 78:51, 52236 COVENANTER WITNESS

Prayer Meeting Topicfor November 3, 1965"GOD'S ATTRIBUTES AS A BASISFOR PRAYER — JUSTICE"Scripture Resources:Exodus 34; Deuteronomy 32:4;Isaiah 45:21; Zephaniah 3:5; John 5:30;Romans 2:2; Zechariah 9:89;Psalms: 119:1, 2, page 304; 103: 1-4,page 246; 51:14, page 132.This is one of the attributes of Godthat we had better stop and considerfor it is not considered in many circles.Many are willing to accept theconcept of God's love and goodness,but they fail to see the equally importantteaching of Scripture regardingGod's justice.In this meeting you might considerwhat the justice of God demands concerningsin. You might discuss whetheritwas necessary for Christ to die onthe cross if God were not just in Hisjudgment. You might consider whetherprayer is possible, worthwhile, or effectiveif we had no assurance ofGod's justice.There are those who say, "Surelya God of love could not condemn anyoneto hell." How do you answerthem?There are those who say that God'spunishment comes only for the good ofthe individual or of society. Is thistrue?Many of our judges today in theirsympathy for the criminal shy awayfrom true justice. Why has this attitudedeveloped?A. A. Hodge has written, "The obligationof a righteous ruler to punishsin, the intrinsic ill desert of sin,the fact that sin ought to be punished,are ultimate facts of moral consciousness."That this is true is evidentby:1. Our own feeling of guilt whenwe have sinned.2. Our feeling of satisfaction whenothers who sin are caught and punished,or our feeling of unrest if theyare not apprehended.3. Our concern not to punish an innocentperson.If there is a law, there must be apenalty for breakine it. or the law isneither effective nor enforceable.God's law is prescribed by His divinenature; therefore, it is right andunchangeable. The Scriptures tell usthat it cannot be changed or abrogated,and that Christ came to fulfill thelaw. The effect of Christ's coming wasnot to relax or evade the law, but actuallyto die in the place of God's elect,and take their guilt and punishmentthat they might be redeemed. It is thisconcept of God's justice that leads usto understand and appreciate the opportunityof prayer.NATIONAL REFORM ASSOCIATIONDINNERThe 102nd annual dinner of theNational Reform Association will beheld at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, November8, in the Eastminster United PresbyterianChurch, corner of HighlandAve. and Station St., East Liberty,Pittsburgh, Pa.The occasion will be highlightedby an address by the Rev. Melvin M.Forney, D.D. who has been GeneralSecretary of the Lord's Day Allianceof Pennsylvania since 1944; GeneralSecretary of the Lord's Day Allianceof the United States, 1954-1962; atpresent Chairman of the FederatedLegislative Committee of Pennsylvania(active in the field of Christiancitizenship); Director of the Crusadeto "Take Christ to the Nation's Capitols";pastor of the Roxborough BaptistChurch, Philadelphia.Visitors to the Pittsburgh area atthe time of the annual dinner shouldavail themselves of this rare opportunityto hear an outstanding speaker,and to enjoy Christian fellowship. Forreservations, contact the NRA officeat 10D Monitor Avenue, Pittsburgh,Pa. 15202; telephone 766-5259, beforeNovember 4. Price of ticket $2.25.Scribe With A Hard PencilA friend has loaned us several copies of the church paper — as it wasin 1872. There's a difference! These copies contain no pictures. The print isfine, the margins are narrow, the lay-out is much the same — whether for areport on missions or for the obituary of a patriarchal ruling elder. The subscriptioncost is indicated at $1.00 per year, $1.12 in Canada — which wasquite a price to pay, in 1872.Of particular interest are the titles of some of the articles: "WhatConstitutes the Righteousness of Christ Imputed to the Believer"; "TheLord's Supper to be Eaten Only Once a Year"; "Regeneration, Justificationand Adoption — Their Order and Mutual Relation"; "The Origin of the Prefsent Division of our Scriptures."The church paper was read, in 1872. One reason may have been, thatit was about the only reading matter many of our homes could afford. Butit was read. The copies that have been preserved for these ninety-three years,show every evidence of having been used.Today, ninety-three years later, we have all the benefits of moderntechnology. We lay out our church paper with different styles and sizes oftype, with color printing, with pictures. We have pages for the young people,pages for the children, pages for those who want to know what is going on inother congregations. With all of this modern know-how, the editors and themembers of the publication board and the writers are all left wondering asto how much our church paper of 1965 really gets read.Might it be that our modern machines and methods have just aboutspoiled us for serious intellectual digging in a church paper? Has our tastebecome so accustomed to spice, that we find strong meat rather flat? Manyof us watch television so much that our interest lags if the cowboys andIndians that hit the dust, are fewer than a thousand in number.For all of us — ministers and laymen alike — it might be a very worthwhile experience to take time to read a substantial article like one on "Regeneration,Justification and Adoption — Their Order and Mutual Relation." Wewould not find it entertaining. We would have to think. But we would emergefrom the encounter having been fed intellectually and nourished spiritually.Since few of us have access to the 1872 copies of our church paper,why not make the best possible use of the 1965 copies?October 13, 1965 237

Church Newshis devotion to his family.We should count our blessings thatGod created such men of great statureas Sam Peoples.Editorial from The Morning PressMINUTES OF SYNODThe printer has promised d&livery of the 1965 Minutes by September 15. Mail orders to ChesterR. Fox, Treas. 306 Empire Building,Pittsburgh, Pa. , 15222. Price$1.50 per copy.Chester R. FoxTreasurerWILLIAM RENWICK WHITEThe Almonte congregation recordswith deep grief the passing of our belovedelder, Professor William RenwickWhite on September 17, 1965,at the age of 87 years.The evening before his decease, heserved in his capacity as elder in constitutedsession. On the morning ofdeath, he worked in his productivegarden and seemed to be in the bestof health. But, while his wife wasaway, the Lord called, and our brotherwent peacefully and willingly.His youngest sister, Mrs. Reed Mc­Burney, of Los Angeles, and eightnephews plus two nieces remain, alongwith his wife, Mrs. Dr. Isabella Whitewhom he married on August 22, 1928.Mr. White served his and our generations,and when his task was finished,he was gathered to his fathers,in and by the grace of the Lord JesusChrist.By the order of the Almonte SessionDR. S. S. PEOPLES49, Dies In PhiladelphiaDr. Samuel S. Peoples, forty-nine,a member of the staff of the BloomsburgHospital since October, 1947,and widely known roentgenologist,died at 11:45 o'clock, Tuesday night,September 9, in the Temple UniversityHospital, Philadelphia.He had been a patient at that institutionsince August 26, and hiscondition became critical about a daybefore his death which resulted fromcomplications.Born in TurkeyThe son of medical missionaries,he was born in Mersine, Turkey. Hewas a graduate of Temple Universityand the Jefferson Medical School. Heinterned in Philadelphia General Hospitaland took his residency at TempleUniversity where he also did someteaching and was a clinical assistant.He went to Bloomsburg in the fallof 1947 from Philadelphia and hadbeen active in his profession and incivic affairs since that time.He was a past president of ColumbiaCounty Medical Society, past presidentof Columbia County Tuberculosisand Health Society, member ofboard of directors of Columbia CountyArthritis Foundation, an associatemember of Girl Scouts of U.S.A.,member of Torch Club and ColumbiaCounty Historical Society.He was a Diplomate of the AmericanBoard of Radiology and Fellow ofthe American College of Radiology.He was a member of RadiologicalSociety of North America, the AmericanMedical Association, the PennsylvaniaMedical Society of whichhe served a year as vice president, andof the Columbia Medical Society.Dr. Peoples was a member of theReformed Presbyterian Church.Surviving are his widow; threedaughters, Linda, Lois, and Leslie;h's father. Dr. John Peonies, Pittsburgh;and a sister, Mrs. Philip Martin,near Los Angeles, California.reunerai services were held fromthe First Presbyterian Church, withthe Rev. Douglas Davies, former pastor,officiating. Burial was at ElanMemorial Park.The Morning Press,Bloomsburg, PennsylvaniaOF GREAT STATUREThe late Dr. Samuel S. Peopleshas been on many minds since hisuntimely death Tuesday night in Philadelphia.One of the great mysteries of lifewas how an individual could continuehis daily practice and service to otherssubjected to such pain and still havethe courage to greet all with a warmsmile.Much of the answer is found inthe fact one's faith will not necessarilylift one's cross, any more than thecross was removed from Christ, butit will enable one to bear his crossno matter how heavy.Dr. People's life was truly an exemplaryone — his work in the church,his dedication to his profession andCAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTSRev. James D. Carson brought avery helpful message in our pulpit onSabbath evening, August 8. Mr. Carson,pastor of the North Hills ReformedPresbyterian Church, was visitingin our area.The Women's Missionary Societysponsored a special Missions EmphasisPrayer Night. Mrs. Charles Millicanled the study which made thework in our mission fields very realto each one.Seven of our church children attendedJunior Camp at White Lakethis summer. In addition, Jan Stewartand Jeff Smyth served as counselorsand Mrs. Weldon Henderson as campnurse.White Lake Prep and Senior Campwas also attended by our young people,six full time and three weekenders.All those who attended receiveda great deal for their spiritual andsocial growth in the classes, programs,and fellowship at the encampment.On June 10, 1965, Mr. David Farisand Miss Bonna Oyer were marriedin Arlington, Massachusetts. Theythen went to Beaver Falls, whereDavid attended summer school atGeneva College. On their return toCambridge, a wedding reception andopen house was held at the RussellFaris home. Many guests enjoyed anevening of fellowship and excellentrefreshments in the home. Our prayersand best wishes go with this newfamily as they return to make theirhome in Beaver Falls and Dave andBonna return to Geneva College.HEBRONHebron people enjoyed the fellowshipand helpful ministry of the Rev.Robert Morrow when he assisted theRev. David Patterson with Communionservices in May. He was again withus on July 22, and this time he hadhis family with him.Sharon Renee Dunn, small daughterof Mr. and Mrs. Jack Dunn, wasbaptized by the Rev. David Pattersonin June. Sharon has two brothers anda sister, Kevin, Mike and Kathy.We have enjoyed the ministry ofseveral ministers during the summer:Rev. Luther McFarland, Rev. WylieDougherty, Rev. Thos. Wilson, Rev.F. E. Allen, and Rev. Robert McFar-238 COVENANTER WITNESS

land. Mr. Darrell Parnell, a professorin Washburn University at Topeka,was in charge of the services one day.Hebron folk were glad to see MelvinVos on September 12. He explainedthe Psalm that day. He was onhis way home to Beaver Falls fromthe West Coast.On Saturday evening, July 21, MissLinda May Chase and Mr. DeraldCraig were united in marriage. Theyare making their home near Hope,Kansas on a farm.On June 18, Miss Vicki Ann Vincentand Mr. John Edwin James wereunited in marriage. They make theirhome in Clay Center where Eddie isemployed at the Kansas Highway Department.Family nights are held on the firstThursday night of the month. At theJuly meeting Tech. Sgt. Dewey Henrytold about his life in Greenland wherehe has been stationed for some time.Dewey is the son of Mrs. Mary Henryand the late Mr. Albert Henry.Airman Third Class Roland J.Milligan, son of Mr. and Mrs. RayMilligan, is stationed at Keesler AFBase in Biloxi, Miss, where he is trainingas a communications-electronicsspecialist.Word has been received of thebirth of a son, James Richard KellyIII, on August 22, to Mr. and Mrs.Richard Kelly Jr. of Columbus, Georgia.Mrs. Kelly will be remembered asRita Hatfield, daughter of Mr. andMrs. James Hatfield.Hebron folks are looking forwardto hearing Miss Eleanor Faris tell ofour Japan Mission on October 3. Thiswill be the thankoffering meeting.Steven McMahan, Marilyn James,and Norman Milligan represented theyoung people; Sonda Fowles and LindaJames, the junior high, and Mrs.Ray Milligan the adults, at the ForestPark Conference in August. Severalfamilies drove to Topeka for Sabbathservices.CHICAGOMiss Lillian McCullough passedaway on July 25 at the Baptist AgedPeoples Home in Maywood, Illinois.Miss McCullough came to Chicagofrom Cincinnati, Ohio. She taught incharity. Another interesting way tothe Sabbath School for many years read I Corinthians 13 from the AmplifiedVersion is to use the name ofand was active in all church organizations.Christ every time the word love isMr. and Mrs. Lester Lehr have used; also substitute the pronoun He,another little daughter, Kelly Jean, His or Him where love is referred toborn on August 2, 1965.as "it." For example, I CorinthiansMrs. Mary Kerr has returned home 13:6 "It (He) does not rejoice at injusticeand unrighteousness, but re­from a visit with her family in Scotjoiceswhen right and truth prevail."October 13, 1965 239land. Her daughter, Margaret, andMiss Catherine Munroe, who havetoured Switzerland, London, Edinburgh,and other places of interest inEurope, accompanied Mrs. Kerr home.Mrs. Philip Coon and children,David and Carol, have returned homeafter visiting homefolks in BeaverFalls, Pennsylvania during July andAugust.Mr. Paul Levy and Miss MarthaMcConney were married on August14 in Otsego, Michigan. They bothplan to finish college this comingyear.Mr. Russell Schraut and Miss ShirleyPlankies were married on August26 in Chicago. We wish both of thesecouples much success and happiness.The Chicago congregation weresaddened to hear of their former pastor'sdeath. Rev. J. D. Edgar was afaithful shepherd to the Chicago peoplefor many years.W. M. S. Departmentfor November, 1965GROWTH IN LOVEMrs. Max MannQuinter, KansasIt is interesting to hear the answersof a group when asked this question.What is the first word you think ofwhen you hear the name God? Youwill find a large number of theanswers to be LOVE. Perhaps the reasonfor this is that we see God's demonstrationof love so often and inour own lives we see such a lack.Try asking your group the abovequestion and see what the resultsmay be.1. A More Excellent Way— LOVEI Corinthinans 12:31, 13:1-13. Thethirteenth chapter points our attentiontoward numerous definitions ofthe word love. This chapter as readfrom the Amplified New Testamentgives us greater clarity as the wordlove is used in place of the wordChrist is love, and as we read the entirechapter in this light, our mindsare given a spirit of humility as wethink of how we desire to live. MayI suggest the group listen to one personread this chapter from the AmplifiedVersion using the methodmentioned above. Following this askfor discussion of the way love may bedescribed.2. Love Your Enemies — Matthew5:43-48. Who are our enemies? Arethey people, organizations, or the unknown?In Matthew 5:44 we are commandedto love our enemies and prayfor them as well. Not only are we topray for the enemy, but to pray forthose who continually bring tormentand discomfort into our lives. Lookat verse 46. Are we to love ourenemies in order to receive the reward?Luke 6:35 speaks of our rewardfor loving our enemies. It goeson to explain ways in which we expressthis love. Should the reward bea motive for our love? Read Daniel12:3. When we pray are we expectinga change in this enemy; are we trustingthe Lord to make us faithful vessels?3. Love Your Brother — I John4:20, 21. In loving your brother doesit not include the loveless as well asthe unlovable? Two loyal friends inthe Bible which come to mind wereDavid and Jonathan. (I Samuel 18:1-4)Discuss with the group others whoare our brothers. Does it just includebrothers in Christ? Does it includeour unbelieving neighbor? Does it includeall races?4. A New Person In Christ —Ephesians 4:24, 5:2 One who has Christin his life has the means within himselfto love. I am not speaking ofphysical love. This is present in individualseven before receiving Christ aspersonal Savior. The love which Christgives a life has a richer, fuller meaning.It is the motive demonstrated inGod's sending His Son to die for us.The motive that brings us to a worshipservice. The motive which calls us toserve Christ. The motive that causesus to give above the tithe. The lovespoken of in I Corinthians 13 is onlypossible through Jesus Christ. Thebeliever does not receive love in a fulldegree for we grow in LOVE. Oh,what pains it takes at times for oureyes to see that our soul needs faithfulgrowth in LOVE. For those whobelieve in Christ, the glorious experienceis promised that our LOVEwill be perfected in our heavenlyhome.

it quite an honor conferred upon me for a seniorto invite a beginner, whom he had just met, to becomehis roommate. His dominant Christian fellowshipand influence will always be gratefully remembered.Having a zealous missionary spirit, upon hisgraduation from the Seminary, his first work wasin Cyprus which began in the fall of 1909. He wasunited in marriage June 29, 1910, to Miss ZadaAnn Patton, a close friend of his youth in ourSterling congregation. Since Miss Patton had precededhim to the mission field, they were marriedat Guzne, Turkey. The terrible experience of theArmenian massacres through which they passedbrought on Mrs. Edgar a complete nervous breakdownfrom which she never recovered. On accountof her illness they were compelled, regretfully, toreturn home in 1911.Five children were born into their home. Mrs.Edgar passed away in 1930. Later he was marriedto Miss Lucille Dill of Eskridge, Kansas.His major work was in the pastorate and thepublic ministry of the denomination. Mr. Edgarlabored faithfully as a pastor in the following fields:Stafford and Olathe, Kansas; Los Angeles, California;Eskridge, Kansas; Fresno, California; andChicago, Illinois. He left the ministry of a successfulpastorate in our Los Angeles congregation onlybecause he was chosen by Synod to take up thespecial work of Secretary of Young People andHome Resources. The late Rev. O. F. Thompson observedthat "he had previously been for five yearsSecretary of Young People's Work, completing theorganization of the young people's presbyterial conventions."Mr. and Mrs. Edgar were greatly interested inestablishing a work in San Diego, California, andleft Chicago for that purpose. They began with anucleus of a Sabbath School meeting in their homeand garage. In a few years they were successful inorganizing a congregation in that city.Throughout his ministry, when in good healthhe was an active and tireless worker. He ever soughtto be obedient to Paul's exhortation to Timothy: "Dothe work of an evangelist." He strongly advocatedthe wisdom of the pastor and his associates seekingto win a whole family to Christ and membershipin the Covenanter Church.He endured "hardness, as a good soldier ofJesus Christ." Looking back over the years of hisministry during his retirement, he surely musthave had a feeling of triumphant thankfulness tothe Good Shepherd Who gave His hfe for His sheepand had blessed him with the hope and confidenceof eternal life. He has been missed in the Councils240of the church for a number of years during his retirement.He will be greatly missed by all of uswho have known him as a close friend and fellowminister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord. Ourmemory of him will always be a source of spiritualblessing. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is thedeath of his saints."That was glad news Faris gave us over thephone that Heaven's Messenger had come to whisperto J. D. "Come up higher." What a glad release.Joe and I have been so close since our daysaway in the Near East, that we treasured the friendship.What a busy life; what enthusiasm; what amissionary spirit! For these, and more, we givethanks.—Dr. Sam Edgar, Santa AnaI remember Joe in the Seminary class of 1909,one of eight members. I have always admired hisloyalty to the Church, and energetic service to it.He was a good leader.—J. Rurt WillsonHe has fought a good fight and has finishedhis course, and we feel sure that there is a greatcrown laid up for him. He has been a very wonderfulfriend of ours through the years, and we will misshim greatly. He was a grand, good man, and wewill always be thankful for the friendship we hadwith him. He is now with the Lord that he lovedand will have no more suffering.""Heaven will seem much closer to us all sincewe know Dr. Edgar is there. We all loved him somuch. He was a wonderful person.""We knew Joe well and thought a great deal ofhim. He had a large influence among young peopleand in the whole church. His was a busy life whilehe was able to serve and preach."If you are tempted to "show that guy' who passesyou too close and too quick;If YOU would like to "put a burr" under that slowdriver holding up traffic;IF YOU FEEL like "slamming on your brakes" because"some nut" hangs on your bumper;DON'T DO IT!!SMILE and enjoy your trip!The National Foundation for Highway Safety, Inc.COVENANTER WITNESS

Covenanter Witnessrro JESUS CHRIST"THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONS"VOLUME LXXV NO. 16 OCTOBER 20, 1965 STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 14, 1965PARK CITY REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHWICHITA, KANSAS

THE COVENANTER WITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.EVANGELICAL PRM9 ASSOCIATIONEditor: Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D.D.125 N. 4th StreetSterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under the supervision of theBoard of Publication by The Patterson Press, Wapello,Iowa 52653.Contributing Editors: Department Editors:Rev. Kenneth Smith Rev. Bruce C. StewartDr. G. M. RobbMrs. Robert B. MaineRev. T. R. Hutcheson Mrs. Willis EdgarRev. John K. GaultOpinions expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Church or the editor.All material to appear in The Covenanter Witnessshould be typewritten, double-spaced, and should be inSterling, Kansas two weeks before it is to be printed.Obituaries — All words in excess of one hundred fifty,one cent per word. Money should accompany such notices.SUBSCRIPTION RATESIndividual (1 year): U.S. and Canada, $4.00, BritishIsles, 35 , all other places, $5.00;Individual (2 year): U.S. and Canada, $7.00, BritishIsles 63 , all other places, $9.00;Group: U.S. and Canada, $3.00, British Isles 28-, allother places, $4.00.9-month student subscription — $1.50; 5-month introductoryoffer — $1.00; 2 gift subscriptions to persons outsideof the R.P. Church —$2.00 each.Subscription Agent for U.S. and Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.Subscription Agent for the British Isles: Rev. HughWright, B. A., 12, Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, NorthernIreland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness in U. S. currency.Give one month's notice of a change of address. Sendboth the new and the old address to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty.Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, Iowa.This Week's WitnessMission Boards Report „ . . 243Glimpses 244Adolescence and The Church 245Alert 248Beecher Farm Mystery . . 250Lesson Helps „ . . 251Scribe 253Church News . 2540 C)(Rev. M. K. Carson, D.D., Belle Center, OhioQuestion: "As a struggling, seeking Christian should Igo with my husband and four children to worldlyplaces on the Sabbath Day which is against myconscience?"The Sabbath originated at the Creation of theworld. Genesis 2:1-3. When the Ten Commandments weregiven, the command was to "Remember the Sabbath Dayto keep it holy." Exodus 20:8. This implies that the Sabbathexisted before the time of Moses. Since the Resurrectionof Jesus Christ, the first day of the week is calledthe Christian Sabbath or the Lord's Day. Revelation 1:10.Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made for man (all men)."Mark 2:27. Isaiah speaks of the blessings of keepingthe Sabbath. Isaiah 58: 13-14. God, knowing our needs,instituted the Sabbath at the Creation of the world tobe a Day of worship and rest for all time. The keepingof this Day in the way which is pleasing to our LordJesus Christ, like the keeping of all His commandments,enriches and blesses our lives. You do not want to depriveyourself or your children of the Sabbath's blessings.I am glad you have a conviction about keeping theSabbath Day holy and I trust you will not disobey yourconscience, but that you may have always "a consciencevoid of offence toward God and toward man." Acts 24:16.The Lord is testing you to make you strong in Him, socontinue to seek Him in faithful, believing prayer. Toooften we suffer defeat because we endeavor to do whatthe Lord has promised to do for us and that which onlythe Lord can do for us. On the other hand, we fail todo what the Lord requires of us. We try to do His partbut fail to do our part. His command is to "seek firstthe Kingdom of God," Matthew 6:33; " to deny ourselves,take up our cross, and follow Him," Luke 9:23; and to"present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptableunto God." Romans 12:1. Our problems are too great for usto solve, but He is able. It is our part to* "abide in Him."John 15:4. Our relationship to Him is of supreme importancein the solution of all our problems. Our first andgreat concern is that our hearts are right with Him;then He will deal with our perplexing and difficult problems."Ask, and it shall be given you." Matthew 7:7.A little boy was trying to move a large stone fromthe drive-way. But he was not able. His father askedhim if he had done everything that he could think ofdoing. "Yes," said the son, "I have tried everything." "No,you have not tried everything," said the father; "youhave not asked me for my help.""There hath no temptation taken you but such asis common to man; but God is faithful, who will notsuffer you to be tempted above that you are able; butwill with the temptation also make a way to escape, thatye may be able to bear it." I Corinthians 10:31. This is Hispromise.(Send your questions to Rev. Mr. Carson.)242 COVENANTER WITNESS

REPORT OF HOME MISSION BOARDThe Board of Home Missions and Church Extensionmet for their regular meeting, September20, 1965, with seventeen members present. The devotionalperiod was led by Rev. Kermit Edgar.Rev. Melville Martin, president of the Board,presented to the Board a gavel made by Mr. A. D.Robb of Topeka, Kansas. This gavel was made fromwood gotten at Hot Springs and the Indian Mission.Reports were read and considered from each ofthe mission stations. Notes for rejoicing and continuedprayer: that there is a renewed interest atthe Indian Mission, that the V.B.S. held at Marion,Iowa, which they were able to conduct without outsidehelp, will bear fruit for regular Sabbath Schoolattendance, and that the fall work at Selma thathas started so well will continue.The Committee to consider the program forspecial stated supplies and home missionaries recommendedthat they be permitted to continue workwith the Seminary Faculty in arranging suitable applicationand reference blanks as well as courses ofstudy for those taking up this training and to seekthose who are interested in doing this work.The Board voted to request Dr. George Colemanto make a survey of out-of-bounds members so thatthere might be a record of their location, employment,etc.Respectfully submitted,Mrs. E. Dodds BalphMEETING OF THE BOARD OFFOREIGN MISSIONSThe September 21st meeting of the Board ofForeign Missions was opened with prayer by thePresident, W. K. Metcalfe, who introduced thethree new members of the Board: Dr. S. E. Boyle,Mrs. Norman Spear of Walton, and Mrs. JohnWhite of Newburgh. Besides the fourteen membersof the Board, there were also six missionaries present,which is somewhat of a record.Mr. and Mrs. C. T. Hutcheson, representing theLarnaca School, are retiring after a life-time ofmissionary service in Syria and Cyprus, and theyspoke out of many years of experience. The Rev.and Mrs. Alvin Smith, Jr., representing the evangelisticwork in the Island, were enthusiastic in theirreports after two years of service. Mr. and Mrs. KennethSanderson reported out of their rich experienceas missionaries both in Syria and Cyprus, and representedthe Nicosia School. Mr. Sanderson summarizedthe needs: 1. To encourage missionaries tospend more time in personal work with students.2. To work more with young adults. 3. To use thenative language more for it is the language of theOctober 20, 1965heart and the home. 4. To have the missionariesmeet monthly for prayer and fellowship. A veryinteresting and informative question and answerperiod was held as our attention was centered uponCyprus throughout the day.These missionaries had all met with the CyprusCommittee the evening before at the same time asthe Japan and Finance Committees were meeting,all in the J. R. Patterson home. At the Decembermeeting we expect to have three of our missionariesfrom Japan present for similar conferences.It was fitting that the devotions both morningand afternoon were led by E. C. Copeland, a formermissionary to Cyprus, who stressed the importanceof the proclamation of the Gospel by God's covenantpeople.The Corresponding Secretary, R. A. Henning, reportedon correspondence with the missionaries onthe fields and the progress of their work. Becauseso many of our missionaries are now home on furlough,the burdens and responsibilities are evenheavier upon those who remain and we can allhelp them through earnest prayer. Mr. Henning hasarranged a deputation program for those missionarieswho are home so most of the congregationscan hear at least one of them this fall with a minimumof travel and expense. Allan Nelson of Coldenham,a recent graduate of Syracuse University, isnow in our Seminary for the missionary trainingprogram, and the Board is in correspondence withanother young man who may also join him.The Treasurer, C. R. Fox, read his report forthe period of May 1 to August 31, showing anoverdraft of $14,448.60. This should also be madea matter of prayer and action upon behalf of themembers of the Church.Reports from various committees were given asfollows: Finance Committee by J. M. McMillan,Travel Agent by L. B. McFarland, Publicity Committeeby Sarah Archer, Hospitality Committee byJ. R. Patterson, who had 12 guests in his home theevening before, Spiritual Survey Committee by E.C. Copeland, Reformation Translation FellowshipRepresentatives by S. E. Boyle, and the Japan Committeeby E. R. Hemphill.The election of officers resulted in the followingbeing re-elected: President, W. K. Metcalfe, 1st V.Pres., J. P. Wilson, 2nd. V. Pres., J. R. Patterson,Corresponding Secretary, R. A. Henning, RecordingSecretary, J. M. McMillan and Treasurer, C. R.Fox.We appreciate the prayers of God's people uponbehalf of our missionaries and the Board. May weall be faithful in this matter.The Publicity Committee243

Glimpses of the Religious WorldALCOHOLISM EXPENSIVE FOR SOCIETYJack Swift, addressing the Topeka Rotary Club, explainedthat there are two and one-half times as manyvictims of alcoholism as there are of polio, cancer, andtuberculosis. The Director of the Greater Kansas CityCouncil on Alcoholism declared that the cost to Topekaof caring for alcoholics and their families "can conservativelybe placed at three to four million dollars a year."He warned, "The cost will double or triple if nothing isdone."THE REV. T. R. HUTCHESON820 NEW YORK STREETHOLTON, KANSASBROCHURE ON PRESBYTERIAN CRISISThe Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company,Philidelphia, has published a booklet analyzing theunscriptural features of the proposed "Confession of1967" of the United Presbyterian Church. Under the titleAnother Foundation, Edmund P Clowney, acting presidentof Westminister Theological Seminary, explains whyhe believes the proposed confession is a critical departurefrom the Christian faith expressed in previous documentsof Presbyterianism.From his analysis it would appear that there is thismerit in the proposal: it is a deliberate program to substitutea new foundation, without subterfuge.PRESBYTERIANS GAIN 10,000Presbyterian Life reports the statistics of the UnitedPresbyterian Church for the year ending December 31,1964. The report shows a membership of 3,302,839, with aconstituency of 5,500,000 (estimated). There were 9,100congregations, and 12,618 ministers, with 1,870 candidatesfor the ministry. Church school pupils plus teachersnumbered 1,802,938.Total church contributions amounted to $305,168,372,a per capita giving of $92.39.KNOWING IS NOT LIKINGWe sometimes fail to sympathize with those whohave borne burdens for many years. We suppose thatthey have become used to it. But time is not necessarilya healer; nor is familiarity always the way to contentment.This is illustrated by a story told in an article (in ChristianLiving, called "If You Would Be a Comfdrter."The illustration is, " A tourist watched a fisherman'swife in Britain preparing eels for market. Oneby one she picked up the live eels from the tub beforeher and with a sharp knife stripped the skins from thewriggling creatures. The bystander was horrified at whatmust be a painful procedure." 'Oh, no,' denied the woman, 'Not at all. I've beendoing this now for over 25 years and I am sure they'reused to it!'"The writer had some other concrete suggestions,in addition to the importance of continuing concern.One was to be definite: "Don't expect the ones in needto ask for help even if you have told them, 'Call on meif there is anything I can do.' When a person feels batteredand beaten by circumstances, it is hard to ask forhelp." She had gone through long years of family illnessand now reported, "The assistance I found easiest to acceptwas concrete offers: 'I'll pick up the ironing tomorrow.''I'll take care of the children for you on Friday.'"BAPTIST REPORT ON RUSSIAA delegation of Southern Baptist leaders recentlyreturned from a tour of Russia. Dr. Bob Ramsey, Mississippipastor, writes a report which appears seriatum inThe Baptist Record. In general, he has praise for theChristians who are practicing their faith in Communistlands, and criticism of the Communists' continuing effortsto destroy religion. Of the latter he comments, "Tobe able to claim that there is religious freedom, theCommunist state allows one church for each denominationin each city. I say each. I only know this is truewith the Russian Orthodox and the Baptist churches.Further, these churches are located with the exceptionof the Moscow Baptist Church in remote sections of thecity and are fenced about. To the Communist anythingof a spiritual nature is like a contagious disease to theirsystem."He reports of his visit to Lenin's tomb, the mostpopular site in Russia: "We joined the never-dying lineand visited the Mausoleum of Lenin. What we saw indicatesthat Lenin was a small man, that he is frozen, andthat he is their god, and that he is quite dead. Elitesoldiers would not allow even a whisper as the crowdsmarched through two abreast. The expression of innumerablemultitudes of faces all across the USSR, from theBaltic Sea to the Black, indicates the utter soul-povertyof a people who deny the existence of God, who make amockery of Christ, and who worship a corpse."AMERICAN NON-CATHOLICS AT ROMESeveral Americans are among the 82 delegate-observersat the fourth session of the Second Vatican Council.The Religious Newsweekly lists them as follows:Dr. Peter Day, is a substitute delegate in the Anglicangroup. The Lutheran World Federation is represented byDr. Warren A. Quanback, Luther Theological Seminary,St. Paul; Dr. Jerald C. Brauer, dean of the University ofChicago Divinity School; and Dr. Hagen Staack, MuhlenburgCollege, Allentown, Pa.Observers from the World Methodist Council includeBishop Fred Pierce Corson, Philideiphila; Dr. AlbertOutler, Southern Methodist University, Dallas; Dr. WilliamR. Cannon, dean of Candler School of Theology, Atlanta;and Dr. Robert E. Cushman, dean of Duke UniversityDivinity School, Durham, N.C.Other representatives are present from the InternationalCongregational Council; The Disciples' WorldConvention of Churches of Christ; The Friends WorldCommittee for Consultation; the International Associationfor Liberal Christianity and Religious Freedom; andthe National Council of Churches.244 COVENANTER WITNESS

Adolescence and the ChurchSEXUAL CONTROLBy DonaldWhen adults are asked in surveys if they wouldlike to live their teenage years over again the answeris an overwhelming NO! We present a somewhatglamourized picture of the carefree and happy adolescentbut we have found that this time of hfe ispretty rocky. There are problems which must be facedand hurdles which must be mounted if the teenageris going to take his place in society as a matureadult.In this series of articles we are going to look atthree of these hurdles in the context of the question:"What can the church do for the teenager?"The three hurdles which we will consider are: I.Sexual Control; II. Independence; and III. VocationalChoice.Sexual control is a matter which occupies muchof the time and energy of the adolescent in oursociety. It is one of the major problems of the teenagerand the solution to the problem will have continuingeffects upon his life.With the onset of puberty the adolescent isconfronted with a new drive. This new drive, thesex drive, is the main thing which sets adolescenceoff from childhood. The girl is now physically capableof becoming a mother and the boy is nowcapable of becoming a father. The physical capabilities,however, outrun the independence, maturity,stability, and deepness of love which we regard asbeing prerequisites for marriage.This situation presents a major problem to theteenager. This problem is the learning of sexualcontrol in the years between physical capabilities andmarriage.In addition to the presence of a physical andemotional drive, our society has intensified this problemfor the teenager. The greater freedom, particularlyin greater mobility, that the adolescent has increasesthe teenager's problem. Automobiles are theprimary means of this mobility. Teenagers can getaround. We no longer have the almost exclusivegroup forms of recreation that were present beforethe "car." While presenting the teenager with thismeans of getting around, we have done very littleto reduce the extreme sexual pressures which areMr. Felker is visiting assistant professor ofeducation in the department of EducationalPsychology at Indiana University.W. Felkerpresented by the many opportunities for necking,petting, and sexual play.Another social practice that has intensified thisproblem for the teenager is the increased abundanceof fairly thinly disguised sexual stimulants. Fromsuggestively clad women in magazines to torridlove scenes in drive-in movies, the adolescent receivesan abundance of sexual stimulation whichmakes the problem of control more difficult.There is much evidence that many teenagersare not solving this problem of how to control thesexual drive. The 1963 edition of the StatisticalAbstract of the United States reported that the illegitimatebirth rate for 1961 was three times higherthan in 1940.There has recently been extreme concern on thepart of public health officials with the rise in venerealdisease among teenagers. It has been reportedthat venereal disease has reached almost epidemicproportions with more than 1500 adolescents contractingvenereal disease each week. When thesestatistics are viewed in the light of human livesthat have been damaged, the teenager can be seenas needing help.What can the church do? What part should wehave in helping the teenager with this problem?I would like to suggest three things: (1) the churchshould speak out for standards of sexual conduct,(2) the church should counsel parents on the problemstheir teenagers are facing, and (3) the churchshould begin to tell youth how sex fits into theChristian life.The adolescent of today is faced with the dilemmaof trying to meet a standard which is nolonger observed by a large portion of the adult society.Much evidence points to the breakdown ofchastity in American homes. Because of this theteenager is many times just following the examplethat the adult world sets for him. One work whichthe church must do is set standards for sexual conduct.A gentleman who spends full-time working withand counseling unwed fathers has said, "These kidswant someone to say 'NO' and say why . . The caseworkersays it to the kids and they accept it .. . Parentsshould say to teen-agers, This is wrong, andthis is why it is wrong. Period.' "October 20, 1965 245

One of the things that the adolescent needs ishelp in setting standards for his conduct. Manytimes parents and the church assume that the teenagerwill be able to set his own standards muchearlier than he or she is capable or ready to do this.The outcome is a standard that is a result of desiremore than ethics or even good sense.The church has the responsibility of telling theteenager what is wrong and why and also the consequencesof breaking the standards which havebeen set. We may feel that the church is alreadydoing this. However from the standpoint of theteenager, we are not getting the message across.Adolescents, when interviewed, are confused as towhat the standards of sexual conduct should beand why they should be. On the other hand, it appearsthat many teenagers want to reserve sexualconduct until marriage and are looking for someoneto fortify them in this resolve.The second thing that the church can do is tocounsel parents on the problems that their teenagersare facing. In many cases parents do not turn tothe church or the minister when they are faced witha problem of adolescence. This may be due to theimpression that the church does not really understandthe teenager and is not really compassionateand forgiving.This attitude needs to be overcome if the churchis going to be of real help to the teenager. The adolescentdoes not exist in a vacuum. He lives in ahome. A large portion of his time and energy isspent acting and reacting to other members in thehome. When there are problems in sexual controlthis affects the life of the whole famliy and helpthat is given to the teenager must be help that isgiven to the whole family.The church can help in two ways. First of all bycounseling about the general problems that alladolescents are facing and then by being compassionatewhen difficulties do arise.It is extremely surprising how unaware manyparents are of the way adolescents feel. We veryquickly forget how we felt as teenagers, partly I amsure because we felt miserable so much of the time.We quickly forget how appealing the temptationswere, particularly if we were successful in overcomingthem. This forgetting many times leads parentsto put teenagers into situations where they are facedwith temptations that are beyond what we shouldexpect them to be able to overcome.Such things as an increase in early dating, anincrease in the use of the automobile, the emphasison single dating, and the large blocks of free timeon dates that are usually spent in quiet and solitude,lead to intense temptations. These unrestricted andunsupervised activities many times put the teenagerinto situations where it is almost impossibleto "flee temptation." Yet we many times expectthe teenager to face and overcome these temptationswith very little counsel or help from parents orchurch.One thing that the church can do is call theparents to their responsibilities. This might be donethrough special messages, Sabbath School classes,or even Conference programs that would help parentsto understand more fully the temptations ofadolescence and the help that the teenager is seeking.The third thing that the church can do is beginto develop with the teenager a "Christian view" ofsex. How often the teenager receives the impressionthat sex is something outside of the Christian life.Rather than a blessing to be enjoyed we too oftenregard it as something we enjoy but should not. Aslong as we regard sex in this manner we will havea distorted view of the blessing of sexual conductwhen it is carried on in the God-appointed time andplace.A beginning on revising our manner of lookingat sexual conduct could well be concentrated on therelationship of love and sex. The teenager who engagesin premarital sexual relations is many timesdriven on by what he feels is true love. In talking tothose who find themselves facing parenthood outsideof marriage the common statement is "Wewere in love."But how does this emotion that the teenagerfeels fit in with the concept of the New Testamentthat he who is in love is in God, and God is in him.Perhaps the most tragic thing that we have done tothe teenager is to let him feel that love is the emotionof sexual desire which he feels and nothingelse.In the Christian life love should have at leasttwo points of emphasis — trust and willingness tosacrifice. Both of these are part of the Gospel message.God loves us — therefore we can place ourtrust in Him. Christ showed His love unto men bysacrifice. The picture of human love that excels allothers is that of a man who will lay down his lifefor his fellow men.These same ideas enter into what we regard astrue love for a partner of the opposite sex. If a mature,enduring relationship is going to be established,these two things must be present — trust andwillingness to sacrifice.But these are not the things that we find whenthe teenager or adult is driven primarily by sexualdesire. Instead we find a denial of trust that someonehas placed in us and we find a desire to take246 COVENANTER WITNESS

ather than to sacrifice. The primary thought isnot of the partner — whom we say we love — butof our own pleasures and desires.We have largely left young people with a realconfusion about sex and love. Somehow we havemanaged to convey to them that they are connectedin some vague way, but we have not conveyed tothem the concept of what makes for true love andhow this is related to sex.After the church has done these things (setstandards for sexual conduct, counseled parents,and related Christian love and sex) there is still onefinal way in which the church can help the teenager.Some are going to fall before the temptation. Ifthe falling leads to pregnancy they will be facedwith all of the tragic problems that go with it. Ifit does not lead to pregnancy they will still be facedwith feelings of guilt and continued temptations.At this time this particular adolescent will need thelove of Jesus Christ and the compassion of thechurch more than ever before. It is the premise ofJesus to forgive — it is the responsibility of thechurch to minister this forgiveness to those whocome to Christ.Forgiveness is connected with the whole problembecause it exemplifies the characteristics oflove of which we have spoken. Forgiveness and compassionare characteristics of trust and sacrifice.When the teenager is overcome by temptation thenperhaps the love and fellowship which the churchoffers to those who have fallen can help them tocome cut of temptation into a fruitful life.(Next week we will consider ADOLESCENCEAND THE CHURCH — Independence.)MONEY OR MEN?by Elizabeth MorelandAn interesting development in the EpiscopalChurch is reported by the Rev. Langford Baldwin,preaching in the Madras (India) Cathedral. It beganin the early 1950's and has brought new life andvigor to the churches.A group of five churches was invited to eachsend five lay people — men or women — to aweek-end conference — usually Friday evening to(Sabbath) evening. "For almost 48 hours these 25assorted people would live together and talk togetherabout the life and responsibilities of their churches."An experienced group leader would direct them ingetting acquainted on Friday night, each one inthe group reporting on his activities in his church.Saturday was spent considering cases of desperatepeople with hidden need who came to a churchservice, but later committed suicide or were committedto a mental hospital. Where did the churchfail in cases like this?It became clear that while the church was friendly,contacts were not followed up. "The church peoplewere poor at loving people as they really are,and had almost nothing to offer the desperate excepttheir prayers... As the conferees went tobed on Saturday night they were becoming almostdesperate themselves about the world they lived inand the inadequacy of their faith."(Sabbath) was a day of meeting God, renewingconsecration and taking a new hold on faith. Stillserious about the needs to which they were nowawakened, they went home confident that Godcould help them recognize and meet those needs inlove.* * * *Mr. Langford also stated that church leaderswere "shocked as they realized how much time andeffort was being devoted by Christian people toraising money. They had justified this because theneed was great. . . but it gave the laity the falseimpression that in raising money they were doingthe highest thing that Christ asked of them." Thisled to an examination of stewardship. — Condensedfrom article in South India Churchman.From the Free Methodist 8-31-65ONLY A YEAR TO LIVEDr. W. B. Hinson succumbed to a fatal illness."You can live only a year at most," he was told.Said Dr- Hinson from his pulpit: "From myhome, I looked across at the nearby mountain andriver. I looked at the stately trees. Then when nightcame, I looked into the sky where God was lightingHis lamps. I said, I may not see you many moretimes, bur, mountain, I shall be alive when you aregone. River, I shall be alive when you cease runningtoward the sea. Stars, I shall be alive when youhave fallen from your sockets in the great downwardpull of the material universe!'"—Gospel HeraldCreate in me a clean heart, O God; and renewa right spirit within me- Psalms 51:10The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a brokenand a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.Psalm 51:17October 20, 1965 247

ANNOUNCING . . .The 1966 National CYPUSharing the blessings of the summer compriseda major part of the first meeting of this year's Staff.This sharing rates high in Staff work, not only becauseof the encouragement it means, but alsobecause of reflecting how God is working amongthe youth of the Church. On a knowledge of this, theStaff seeks to project its future work.The next meeting will be on October 30 atwhich time specific goals will be discussed. In thelight of next summer's Convention, one goal will bethe completion of the "International ConventionFund," seeking to help overseas youth attend Carleton.L. to R. — Wayne Copeland (Forest Park), ElaineBell (Penn-O-Cove), Mary Harsh (Iowa), Ingrid Birdsall(Pacific), Paul Finley (Covfamikoi), Eileen Faris (CovenantHeights), and Beth Hemphill (White Lake.)Following the elections at the respective preterial conferences this summer, ballots were countedand the following persons found to be the winners.A hearty thanks to all who let their namesbe placed in nomination!*PRESIDENT — DON PIPER of Topeka CongregationVICE PRESIDENT — BRUCE HEMPHILL of SyracuseCongregationVICE PRESIDENT — BILL FINLEY of Bethel CongregationSECRETARY — KATHY COPELAND of WilkinsburgCongregationASSISTANT SECRETARY — TRISH BRAUM ofDenison CongregationPRECENTOR — ELAINE BELL of Geneva CongregationASSISTANT PRECENTOR — BOB COPELAND ofClarinda CongregationRECREATION DIRECTOR — BOB McKEOWN ofCambridge CongregationASSISTANT RECREATION DIRECTOR — DONREED of Sterling Congregation"VEEP" BRUCE HEMPHILL SAYS . . .Our newly elected President of the NationalC.Y.P.U. Conference recently wrote an article to theyoung people in our Church . . . the "Goal Post"audience. I write this, not so much to this group asto those no longer in the C.Y.P.U. organization,whom we young people look to as older brothers,as father, mothers, church school teachers, elders,and pastors.We covet your prayers. The officers need yourprayers. We have a lot of planning to do and theSpirit of God must not only guide us, but He mustpush us. Ask Him to do this. We are going to needsome human help, too. We will be asking many ofyou to help us, even do things for us. Be willingto let God use you in answering our prayers andour needs. We do not think for a minute that everyrequest we make can be taken care, of conveniently,but please answer us promptly so we can try somethingelse if necessary.248 COVENANTER WITNESS

nference OfficersThese officers comprise the Executive Committeeresponsible for planning the Youth Division ofthe 1966 National Conference. Lie. David Armstrongwas appointed by the Conference Administrationto be their "consultant," not only advisingthem in the preliminary planning, but also givinghimself to their conference during the conventiondays, August 10-17. Assistants are called upon tofill positions if a vacancy occurs for any reason,and to give help during the conference as needed.Watch future issues of the "Covenanter Witness"and the "Goal Post" for reports of progress in theplanning. 1966 officers enjoy a new experience inhosting delegates from overseas at their conference.* Nominations for these offices were made bythe 1964 presbyterial conferences and submittedto the National C.Y.P.U. Staff who, along with the1962 president, Mel Vos, and the Director of ChristianEducation, acted as the Nominating Committee.Ballots were prepared and submitted to each conferencein 1965. Winners were counted on the basisof highest number of votes received.We could have the conference planned perfectly,and it could still be of no use to God. In orderfor a conference to bea success, lives changedfor the glory of Godmust be the result.We must have ourhearts set in tunespiritually before wego, or the completegood may not be accomplished.We ask that yourprayers be concernedwith this idea as well.Those of us on theofficers staff are in no greater need for this prayerthan everv member of each local society. We wouldlike you to pray especially for those in your ownOctober 20. 1965Skinner Chapel, Carleton College, in 1962CONFERENCE ADMINISTRATION MEETSIn the spacious basement of the Topeka Churchon September 11, W. A. McElroy called the firstplanning session of the 1966 Convention to order.Having become a "convention of conferences." ourquadrennials involve not only the C.Y.P.U. conference,but one for juniors, junior highs, and adults,not to mention the Women's Synodical MissionarySociety and Synod. Representatives of each subdivisionjoined with those responsible for the overallphases in making policies, establishing roughschedules, and committing the entire Conventioninto the hands of God in prayer. The detailed planningof each sub-division, such as the C.Y.P.U. Conference,now gets underway under their own leadership.church. Then, do what you can. How often haveyou shown your concern for the spiritual life ofthe young people of your church? How often haveyou shared some spiritual blessing with one of thoseyoung people who look to you for just such, a thing?Young people often find difficulty in getting toconferences. There may be someone in your churchwho would go if he had enough money. A little financialsacrifice cn your part could open the door tothe greatest blessing in the world for him. If transportationis the problem, maybe vou could arrangeyour vacation so that vou could take someone.At any rate, make the young people of yourchurch understand that the things of God are importantto you, that they are more important thanany thing else in the world. If vou show this, andpray for us that we might do the same. God will richlvbless our church this year: and our conferencewill serve Him.249

The Beecher Farm MysteryMrs. George (Jean L.) McFarland(Continued from last week)"There's another thing, Becky," said Dad, in avoice a little above a whisper, as he was still tooweak to talk much. "Mr. Clinton, the cattle dealer,came to the barn just before the accident and paidme for the cow he bought last week. He gave metwo hundred dollars. I put the bills in my leatherpouch with the draw-strings and put it all in myjacket pocket. I hung the jacket on a nail in the hayloft while I was forking hay. It must still be therewith the money. So go to the barn when you gethome and get the jacket and put the money in asafe place until someone can take it to the bank.The payment on the tractor is due next week andthe money will be needed."Dad shut his eyes, exhausted. Becky leanedover and kissed him. "Don't worry, Daddy," shesaid, "I'll take care of the money." Then she slippedquietly out of the room.When she reached home she went quickly tothe barn; she soon found the jacket and the money.Back in the kitchen she opened the leather pouchand took out the bills. There were ten, twentydollarbills. She had never held so much money inher hand before and it seemed hke a fortune toher. She carefully rolled the bills up and put themback in the pouch; then she looked around for asafe place to hide them. The silver teapot, shethought,win be just right; it's on the top shelf of thecupboard and we never use it unless companycomes. So thinking, she climbed on a stool and tuckedthe pouch out of sight in the teapot.Then feeling weak and shaky after her trip tothe hospital and knowing the little girls were safeat the Browns for the morning, she went out intothe yard, climbed her tree and took out her diary.Dear Little Book: The worst has happened. Daddyis bad hurt and Aunt Tabitha is coming to hvewith us. I called her on the phone and she said she'dbe here tomorrow. "How come, Tom Beecher fellthrough a broken floor?" she asked me, just as ifDad was to blame for the accident. "And makesure you have that hole fixed before someone elsegets hurt," she snapped. Oh, dear, how am I goingto get through this summer? I want things to gowell so Dad won't worry. I found the money andhid it in a safe place. Now I must get the housecleaned up and be ready for Aunt Tabitha.A STORY FORJUN| OR . HIGHSShe closed the book and climbed down fromthe tree. She saw Jerry coming toward the houseand wondered what he wanted.Part 3"The gas tank is empty," announced Jerry, "Barneysays you are to call the gas company andhave them come out and fill it up."Becky looked at Jerry. He sounded almost cheerful,she thought, nothing ever seems to bother him.But, she sighed to herself, he's a boy and onlytwelve, so guess it's a good thing he is happy.She went to the phone and dialed the numberof the gas company. She had to admit that she felta little important making a business call; she hadnever talked on the phone before except to friends.There are some things nice about being grown up,she thought, as she listened to the man say thatsomeone would be out to their farm in a few hoursto fill their gas tank.After the phone call, Becky tore into the housework. She was glad the girls were not home; itgave her a chance to work uninterruptedly. Shevacuumed the rugs, dusted furniture, and moppedfloors. She was washing the kitchen windows whenthe boys came in for lunch."You're sure spic and span around here," saidBarney, looking around the kitchen."Yep, it's clean," admitted Jerry, "but we're hungry.What's to eat?""You're always hungry," answered Becky. "Can'tyou ever think of anything but food? Aunt Tabithawill be here tomorrow and you'll have to be polite."As Becky talked she finished the window cleaningand poured the dirty water down the drain."I'll be outside when she's around," announcedJerry, "Barney and I have to do farm work."Becky didn't answer. It's true, she thought; boysalways get the best of things. But she hurried to getsome lunch on the table and soon they were chattingcheerfully as they ate, forgetting for the moment,that Dad was in the hospital and Aunt Tabithawas coming in the morning.After lunch Janet and Beth came home. Theywere carrying their dolls as they entered the kitchenand talking very earnestly about what their dollswere going to wear to an imaginary wedding.Becky listened to their talk and shook her head."My, my, if you girls talk like that around AuntTabitha she will think you are nutty. Now put yourdolls down andI'll teach you how to act."(To be continued)250 COVENANTER WITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of November 14, 1965Sabhath School Lessonthe majority.shoot three arrows near by and "if Ifor November 14, 1965In I Samuel 20:12, 13 it is recordedthat Jonathan called God as a the arrows are on this side of thee,expressly say unto the lad, Behold,JONATHAN: SELFLESS LOYALTY:I Sam. 13:3 to 14: 52; 18:1 to 20:42; witness that he would reveal to David take them; then come thou: for there23:15-18; 31:1, 2; 2 Sam. 1:1-27.whether or not his father Saul hated is peace to thee, and no hurt; as theComments by John K. Gault David and intended to kill him. This Lord liveth. But if I say unto theJonathan was the first-born son of occasion, also, reveals the character young man, Behold the arrows are beyondthee; go thy way: for the LordSaul who was Israel's first king. Since of Jonathan. He had faith in God andhe was the eldest son he naturally it was his great desire to do the will hath sent thee away." (I Sam. 20:20-42)stood first in the line of royal successionand would have been king in the 2: Jonathan Loved David and was in Jonathan's calling to the boy whomof God.This arrangement with David resultedevent of his father's death.Loyal to Him.he had brought with him, "BeholdSince Saul forsook God's counsel He was filled with admiration for the arrows are beyond thee": so Davidby desecrating his worship and disobeyingHis commands, God forsook giant Goliath. Jonathan was a man still in danger and that he must goDavid's great exploit in killing the knew by that sign that his life washim and regretted that He had made of great courage as was shown in the from that part of the country. "AndSaul king over Israel. The penalty for campaign at Michmash; consequently, Jonathan said to David, Go in peace,such offenses, as decreed by God, was the brave deed of the shepherd of forasmuch as we have sworn both ofthe complete removal of Saul's dynasty Bethlehem, who went out against the us in the name of the Lord, saying,from the ruling house of Israel. Philistian giant with no other armor The Lord be between me and thee and1: Jonathan Was Loyal to God. than a sling-shot, awakened in Jonathana deep sense of admiration. In ever." (Vs. 42) This loyalty of Jonathanbetween my seed and thy seed forThis is the first essential to anyone'sgreatness and Jonathan had this. I Samuel 18:1 we are told of the feelingwhich Jonathan had for David. hibitions of friendship ever recorded,to David is one of the greatest ex­In the campaign at Michmash therewas a garrison of the Philistines. Saul "And it came to pass, when he had and it reminds us of the friendshipand his army were encamped at Gibeah.Between the two there was a that the soul of Jonathan was knit aside his garments; and took a towelmade an end of speaking unto Saul, of Christ who at the last supper "laidpass or precipitous valley. As recordedin I Samuel 14:6, "Jonathan said loved him as his own soul." They were disciples' feet.with the soul of David, and Jonathan and girded himself" and washed theto the young man that bare his armour,Come, and let us go over unto were dominated by a firm trust in Father.very much alike in that they both 3: Jonathan was Loyal to Histhe garrison of these uncircumcised: God and were equally courageous.His loyalty to his father was testedit may be that the Lord will work for The unselfishness of Jonathan is by Saul's attitude toward David. Jonathanendeavored to persuade his fath­us: for there is no restraint to the manifested in this attachment toLord to save by many or by few." So David. He, no doubt, knew that David er not to hate David as he did, but tothe two climbed up to the heights had been anointed to be king in the no avail. When David failed to appearabove.room of his father Saul, and that he, at Saul's table at the time of theJonathan, so it would seem, had arrangedwith God for a certain sign Instead of being filled with envy, intending, no doubt, to kill him whenthe crown prince, would never be king. "New Moon," he inquired about him,to be given, whereby he would know which might have resulted in David's he would come. Jonathan explained towhether to go up or wait for the murder, "Jonathan and David made his father that David had gone toenemy to come to him. He said to his a covenant because he loved him as Bethlehem to take part in a familyarmour bearer, "If they say thus unto his own soul. And Jonathan stripped sacrifice. "Then Saul's anger wasus, Tarry until we come to you; then himself of the robe that was upon him, kindled against Jonathan, and he saidwe will stand still in our place, and and gave it to David, and his garments, unto him, Thou son of the perversewill not go up unto them. But if they even to his sword, and to his bow, rebellious woman, do not I know thatsay thus, Come up unto us; then we and to his girdle." The robe was, thou hast chosen the son of Jesse towill go up; for the Lord hath delivered no doubt, the habiliment of the crown thine own confusion, — And Jonathanthem into our hand: and this shall prince, so this was virtually an admissionthat he would never be king unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain?answered Saul his father, and saidbe a sign unto us." Jonathan, therefore,had faith to believe that God but that David would be king. And, What hath he done? And Saul castcould give them the victory and that for a brave man such as Jonathan was, a javelin at him to smite him; wherebyHe could do it just as readily when to give up his weapons was nothing Jonathan knew that it was determinedthere were just two of them as He less than unconditional surrender, an of his father to slay David. So Jonathanarose from the table in fiercecould if there were many.act which Jonathan would never haveThis faith is certainly an element done to any other man.anger, and did eat no meat the secondof loyalty to God. People must recognizethat God has absolute and un­shown again in that he assisted David for David, because his father hadJonathan's loyalty to David is day of the month: for he was grievedlimited power. He can win a battle to escape from the murderous hand of done him shame." (I Sam. 20:30, 31)with just a few as well as He can Saul. As David was hiding "by the But, notwithstanding such an attitudeof Saul's, Jonathan continued towith many. Even one on His side is in stone Ezel" Jonathan arranged toOctober 20, 1965 251

fight with his father against the Philistines.He was submissive even untodeath when he ate some honey againsthis father's prohibition, and wouldhave died had not the people preventedsuch a deed. Then, in Saul's lastbattle wherein he and his three sonswere slain Jonathan never forsook hisfather but fought side by side withhim unto the end. His love for Daviddid not lead him to forsake his father.4: David's Reaction to the Death ofSaul and Jonathan.He "took hold on his clothes, andrent them; and likewise all the menthat were with him: And they mournedand wept, and fasted until even,for Saul, and for Jonathan his son,and for the people of the Lord, andfor the house of Israel because theywere fallen by the sword." He continuedto say, "How are the mighty fallenin the midst of the battle! O Jonathan,thou wast slain in thine high places.I am distressed for thee, my brotherJonathan." (2 Sam. 1:11-27)"Lesson based on Internationa] SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessonsfor Christian Teaching, copyrighted 1958by the Division of Christian Education. NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ in theU. S. A."Junior Topicfor November 14, 1965WAYS TO WALKPsalm Text:Psalm 1, page 1Memory Verse: Col. 1:10. Continueworking on unit assignment as well.Psalms:Ps. 26, page 61, 1, 8; Ps. 121, page314, 14; Ps. 116, page 282, 1, 6; Ps. 101,page 239, 1, 2.References:Rom. 13:13; Deut. 5:33; Deut. 8:6; IThess. 4:1, 12; 2 Cor. 5:7; Prov. 10:9;I John 2:6; I Thess. 2:11, 12; Eph. 5:15,16; Ps. 119:1.Aim:To find right paths for our feet,since people can only judge the depthof our Christianity by what we do.Memory Psalm:Call attention especially to verses1, 8, and 9 of Ps. 26, page 61.Use the object lesson on page 22 of"Teaching with Object Lessons", byDorothy Harrison Pentecost (MoodyPress, paper, $1.00) to introduce thelesson. Have several types and sizesof shoes to show, and talk about whowears them and for what purpose; asfor work, play, dress, etc. Show thatthe Christian life is a "walk," andalthough we wear different kinds andsizes of shoes, we must all walk thesame way on the Christian path. ReadGalatians 5:16 and explain its meaning.The verses that follow list somesins that we must keep out of ourlives, and then there is a list of thingsthat show that the Holy Spirit is inour lives. Use other verses to tell howwe are to walk as Christians: I John2:6, I Thess. 2:12; Eph. 5:15, 16; IThess. 4:12; Eph. 5:2; 2 Cor. 5:7; Eph.4:17. Perhaps the next object lessonmay be helpful also, on page 26 ofthe same book.Point out how carefully a Christianboy or girl must walk in order not tostumble over sins and temptations.Use a blackboard to illustrate theChristian path and draw footstepsalong it. Place stumbling stones calledTemptation, Doubt, Carelessness, etc.along the path, and show that a Christianmust avoid these in order to makeprogress, even though Satan putsthem right in the path. Emphasizeagain the idea of walking "circumspectly"(looking around).Remind the children that the differentsizes of shoes might representpeople who are different ages, or peoplewho are young in the faith (smallshoes) and those have been on theChristian path longer (larger shoes).Perhaps one stumbling stone will tripup one person when it won't botheranother, because he knows to watchout for it. But each needs to walkcarefully and follow the way thatChrist leads. Ps. 23:3b.Take time to read or sing all ofthe Psalm text. This pictures what agodly person is like, and what stonesof stumbling he will avoid in his life.For the notebooks:Print the topic at top of left handpage. Underneath, list the followingfrom your object lesson:WALK in the Spirit — Gal. 5:16WALK in Love — Eph. 5:2WALK in the Light — I John 1:7WALK in Truth — 2 John: 4thverseWALK in the Law of the Lord—Ps. 119:1On the right hand page, have thechildren draw a healthy, green treebeside a stream, using crayons tomake the picture attractive. Write thememory verse at the bottom of eitherpage, after it is memorized.Note to Sponsors: Only the shellof the object lesson has been givenhere, for those who cannot obtain therecommended book. You are, however,urged to try to get the book,since it has 25 good lessons for useat any time. An alternative to usingthe blackboard for the illustration isto cut a path, stones, and footstepsfrom flannel of suitable colors anduse on a plain background. A lessonsuch as this could be for repeated usein Sabbath School, VBS, or placed inyour flannelgraph library.Prayer Meeting Topicfor November 10, 1965"MISSION EQUALS PURPOSE"Rev. Donald I. RobbMissionary on furlough fromKobe, JapanI Thessalonians 2The United States, young as anation, has been called a "mighty infantwho has found nothing to livefor." Whether this is totally true ornot, the irritating fact remains thatthe vast majority of U.S. citizens canthink of little more to live for thananother can of beer in front of a T.V.set that isn't quite paid for. The restlessnessand violence that splashes intoheadlines and shatters so many"Main" Streets is a mark of the spiritualvacuum we noisly and gaily rattlearound in.The Christian Church has absorbedof this too. Young men who tookpart in our own denomination's SummerTraining Program found communitysurveys to be both shocking andenlightening. Homes were foundwhich considered themselves activeChristians and good church members,yet the families next door on eitherside were totally ignorant as to whatmakes one a Christian. "But not so theCovenanters," we want to think. Butwe can't put ourselves on a plushcushion, assuming that we are "in theright" completely.One minister explained that hesimply kept some file cards in hispocket all week, making notes wheneverhe could, and then these werethe material he took into the pulpit.Yes, a Covenanter pastor who vowedto bring the fruit of careful, prayerfulstudy before the congregation. Oran elder who never attends prayermeeting but never fails to be at Wednesdayevening bowling. Or the S. S.teacher who said "I wouldn't visit thehomes these children come from —they're so dirty." Is this Christian purpose,missionary vision?Speaking as a paid missionary of252 COVENANTER WITNESS

our church, I am very concerned withthis "missionary vision." We, as adenomination, have shown it in thepast — in at least seven differentlands, as well as in groups in thecountry here, and in the establishingof most of our present congregationsas a matter of fact. There has been avigorous missionary vision in the past,a dedicated purpose in being a partof the Covenanter Church. It is notalways true today. For many, churchis a place to which we go, not an activebody which we are. "Sure, I putmoney in the collection — no, I'venever witnessed to anyone at work.""Yes, I like to go to church; myfriends are there — I even tell othersthey should go, too." "Yes, I'm a member;does being in a "Reformed"church really seem important anyway?"There are many attitudes thatmake us curious, or rather that saddenus, concerning our lack of purposeto be witnesses to His resurrection.In Japan we witnessed wonderfulT.V. coverage of the 1964 Olympics.Not one athlete that participated seemedto lack a purpose in being there.He went to win!In the chapter we have read, IThessalonians 2, how many placesthere are that show an intense purpose,discipline, a God-given desire inthe mind of the Christian author forhis Christian children and brethren!Vs. 2 — Even jail and a floggingdid not slow him down; but thenwhat is that compared to Wednesdayevening "with the boys"?Vs. 4 — Always considering himselfas seen by God, judged by God,and rewarded by God; but that mightnot carry much weight if "the girlsdon't like to talk religion."Vs. 7 — A nursing mother's lovefor the child? Yes, be glad it doesn'tcome from one of those "dirty homes."Vs. 8 — He would have traded immortalsouls if he could have, because"Ye were dear unto us." Would we sayit of the neighbor family?Look at the marks of purpose anddedication, of love and self-discipline.(Especially, with the above verses,verses 6, 9-12, 17-20.)When have we gotten to our kneesand begged, "God, give me a heartthat truly wants to be used, a lifethat is filled with purpose to belongto you, live for you, serve you"?Some among the church are supportedby others to lead in areas ofChristian work; the pastors, nationaloffice representatives, missionaries,October 20, 1965janitors. But if ordinary Joe, Mary,the white-haired, the teen-ager do notfind that the witnessing privilege isthe most exciting, most challenging,most compelling idea in all their lives,then we will slowly watch a churchgasp for air, choke a bit, then die.For its strict standards? Certainly not.But for men and women who seemednot to care that they have been calledby the name of Christ, and who seemednot to care if anyone else is or not.No, the Covenanter Church is notwithout bold, vigorous and Spirit-filledmen and women who are willinglylaying down their lives daily in faithfulservice in every imaginable occupation.There are many others whoare not so. Where do we stand? What'smy purpose?Some Points to Ponder.1. When did I last speak of Christto someone who is NOT a Christian,nor a church attender? (Other thanS.S. children)2. Does my church equip me to (a)witness individually (b) to groups?3. Have I ever prayed daily for aspecific person's salvation for at leastone month?4. How much do I enjoy the praiseof God, prayer, and conversations ofspiritual things?5. How concerned am I about thespiritual maturing of myself and otherchurch members? (Most of the N.T.letters are toward this end, ratherthan presenting the initial Gospelmessage)See Page 256Some months ago we went through the rooms of a vacant house, ahouse that was decaying into ruins. Unpainted, window lights all gone, roofin fragments, it was standing out against the sky, up on the hill, forlorn anddismal.Once upon a time it had been a good substantial structure. On one occasionit had withstood the terrors of a tornado that had flattened the outbuildingson the farm. A visiting minister's sermon notes had disappeared inthe tornado's violence; but the house had stood.It had been the home of an elder in the church. Once upon a time the"front room" resounded to Psalms sung in family worship. Daughters wentout from that home as missionaries to far-away lands; and grandsons receivedthe vision of Christ that, later, turned their thoughts to the ministry.Then, the house changed owners. There were other things, too, thatchanged. No more could the singing of Psalms be heard in the mornings. Nomore could childish efforts to recite the Shorter Catechism be heard on Sabbathafternoons. One family, then another, then another, lived in the housefor a time and then moved away. Finally the house was left vacant, to becomethe prey of vandals and of inebriates who wanted a place to spend a lost weekendundisturbed.We went through the rooms. We wished we hadn't. Most of the plasterwas off the walls. The floors had boards missing. The "front room" where,more than half a century ago, we had learned to sing the Psalms, was nowlittered with empty beer cans.We left, saying to ourselves that we could always remember that theplace had had its better days. In our hearts we knew that a house that hasonly a past, is a desolate place.In some ways, Christians are like houses. It simply will not do, forthem to try to live on their past experiences with Christ. If the Christian is tohave a future, he must have a present as well as a past. The believer's relationshipwith his Lord must be a day by day experience. Otherwise, decay can setin, and fast!Often we Protestants quote Hebrews 10:38, "The just shall hve byfaith" We would do well to quote the entire verse: "Now the just shall liveby faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him."253

If anyone in the church has suggestionsfor the Committee to reviseChapter VIII of the Testimony pleasesend them to R.C. Fullerton not laterthan November 1, 1965. If these suggestionsare to be of help to the Committee,the Committee must havethem.OCTOBER HONOR ROLLThese congregations sent theirsubscription money on time (i.e. postmarkednot later than October 1):Belle Center, Sharon, Winchester.DR. SAMUEL STERRETT PEOPLESDr. Samuel S. Peoples, son of Dr.John Peoples, a member of the Broomall,Pa. congregation, widely knownroentgenologist on the staff of theBloomsburg, Pa. Hospital, died at theage of forty-nine on September 7 inthe Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia."Dr. Sam," as he was called by hisfriends in the church, to distinguishhim from "Dr. John," his father, wasborn in Mersine, Turkey, on December21, 1915. About July, 1917, during theFirst World War, his mother, Mrs.Evadne Sterrett Peoples, returned tothis country with the three children,while Dr. John Peoples stayed on thefield to operate the mission hospitalas a military hospital.Dr. Sam Peoples joined the SecondPhiladelphia congregation, attendedTemple University and JeffersonMedical School. He married EvelynFond, of Coldenham, N.Y.; they havethree daughters, Linda and Lois, attendingBucknell College, and Lesliein high school. The family moved toBloomsburg in 1947, where Dr. Samwas active in his profession and incivic affairs. He was a past presidentof the Columbia County Medical Societyand served a year as vice-presidentof the Pennsylvania State MedicalSociety.Bloomsburg and Broomall are toofar apart for us to have seen themoften, but we always looked forwardto the times when the family was ableto worship with us. Our sympathy andprayers for them, for Dr. John, andfor Sam's sister, Mrs. Phil Martin,continue.THANKSMrs. Alice (Jesse) Mitchel wishesto thank her friends for the wonderfulcard shower she received on herbirthday. It was greatly appreciated.Mrs. Mitchel is unable to answerletters but she appreciates being rememberedby her friends. She is infair health and is living at the SamaritanNursing Home in Lyons, Kansas.THANKS TO FRESNOWe would like to use the pages ofthe Covenanter Witness to expresspublicly our thanks to the Fresnocongregation for the many kindnesseswhich were shown to us during thesix years of the pastoral relationship.The food showers, the farewell dinner,the gifts to the family in addition tothe very generous gift of money, togetherwith the many intangible evidencesof love, will all serve as permanentreminders of the years spentin Fresno.John and Alta Tweed and familyWANTED: A housekeeper and companionto care for an older womanwho is a member of the Los AngelesReformed Presbyterian Church. Youwould have a private room, one daya week off, and be free to attendchurch on Sabbath. Room and boardwould be free, and salary arrangementswill be discussed with you. Ifinterested, please contact the Rev.Bruce C. Stewart, 5139 Argus Dr.,Los Angeles, California 90041.THANKSMay I herewith again publicly acknowledgewith thanks and appreciationthe birthday messages of cheerand good wishes from friends overthe church in the Women's MissionarySocieties and elsewhere?Upon inquiry at a mission stationin Free China, I learned the following:"Yes, we still need used greetingcards. Please keep sending them.We continue to send them out tonearly two hundred kindergartens inthe mountains. We still use them inmany ways. They bring happiness andbeauty into many otherwise dull anddreary lives."After "processing" these lovelyprints, I mail them as "Printed Matter— Used Greeting Cards — NoCommercial Value." Directed thus thepostage is cheaper. "Do not make outa package card for that makes thepackage commercial and it has togo through customs." Some of youmay have other addresses, but one Iuse is Mrs. Lillian R. Dickson, P. O.Box 2131, Taipei, Tai Wan, Free China.Inez M. SmithWINCHESTERThe Winchester community wasgreatly saddened by the accidentaldeath of Wessie Snodgrass on September9, at the age of ten and one-halfyears. He fell from a pickup truck andwas taken to the Winchester Hospitalwhere he received first aid treatmentand X-Ray pictures were taken. Hehad a fractured skull which requireda move by ambulance to the K.U.Medical Center in Kansas City. Inspite of every effort, he passed awayabout seven o'clock, Thursday night.We extend our sympathy to his parents,Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Snodgrass,his brother Michael, of the home, andhis grandmother, Mrs. Frieda Steffens,Winchester.Mrs. Ruby Freer is recovering satisfactorilyfrom major surgery at Stormont-VailHospital in Topeka.As the school season starts againwe have "lost" a number of studentsto the college campuses. Allen Caskeyand Rose Curry have returned toSterling College for another year.Martha Huston has enrolled at TarkioCollege for her freshman year. JaneHensleigh has selected MonmouthCollege where she has enrolled as afreshman. Hugh Hensleigh and DaveHuston have resumed their studies atKansas University. Dean O'Neill hasenrolled as a freshman at KSU inManhattan. Virginia Manville has returnedto Emporia State for hersecond year. Mary Huston has beenadmitted to Wesley Hospital inWichita to start her training as astudent nurse. Dan Seelak is attendingKansas City Dental College thisyear. Mr. and Mrs. John O'Neill havereturned from Beaver Falls wherethey took Jerry to be enrolled thisyear in Geneva College. Miss MarjorieCurry is teaching in the Troy, KansasHigh School this winter. Our bestwishes go with all these fine youngpeople as they seek to better preparethemselves for the future with highereducation.Mr. and Mrs. Everett Houston havebeen visiting friends and relatives inColorado in early September.254 COVENANTER WITNESS

Our sympathy goes to the Filbertfamily because of the loss of theirfather, Charlie.Miss Agnes ReynoldjS ha,s beenconfined to her home during muchof the summer due to illness. We alsoextend our sympathy to her in thedeath of her brother, T. S. Reynolds,a life-long resident of the Winchestercommunity.Some of our vacationers during thesummer were Mr. and Mrs. Ross Keyswho visited relatives and friends inthe East.The Hal Currys and Marjorie wentto Truth or Consequences again thisyear where Marjorie helped with V.B. S.Dr. and Mrs. F. W. Huston wereaccompanied by Mr. and Mrs. DavidHuston and Davey as they took a fewdays to relax in Colorado.Mrs. Lura O'Neill has returnedfrom a visit with her brother and wife,Mr. and Mrs. Howard Hensleigh inMorning Sun, Iowa and her sister, Mrs.Anna Kennedy of Burlington, Iowa.Mrs. Dale Curry journeyed to St.Katherine, Ontario, Canada to helpcare for her mother, Mrs. Bert Millson,during her convalescence from aserious illness. Later Dale, Wayne,and Terry joined her and they tookan enjoyable sight-seeing-camping tripthrough parts of Canada as they drovehomeward.CLARINDABELLE CENTER, OHIOOur annual Sabbath School picnicwas held at the home of Mr. and Mrs.H. H. Hughes at Lima, Ohio on July5. Thanks is due to the committee,Mr. and Mrs. Howard Keys and Mr.and Mrs. H. H. Hughes for their servicesand to Mr. and Mrs. Max Leveckand family for the special dessert ofhomemade ice cream.Mr. and Mrs. J. Roy Templetontook a trip in July to the West Coastto visit relatives and friends. En routethey visited several historic and scenicplaces. Their sons, James and Robert,and families looked after the farmwhile their parents were away. Wewere glad to have them at our services.The Juniors held a social and businessmeeting at the Templeton home.Congratulations to Mrs. HowardMrs. Howard Keys is the Junior leader.Caskey who graduated from the ClarindaCommunity College, School of always glad to have them worship On July 25 we had as our guestcongregation this summer. We arePractical Nursing. She graduated with with us again.minister the Rev. James A. Hughes,the highest grade average and also We were happy to have Dr. and Ph. D., of Toronto, Canada, son ofworked full time at the M.H.I. Her Mrs. John Edgar at our church serviceson August 15. Dr. Edgar spoke Ohio. Dr. Hughes is a great grandsonMr. and Mrs. H. H. Hughes of Lima,daughters, Mrs. Jay Basler and Mrs.Tom Joseph and family attended the at the evening service telling of his of the Rev. William Milroy, who wasgraduation.work at the Church Home in Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania. The Home is gregations in Northwood, Ohio aboutpastor of one of the Covenanter con­The ladies of the congregationwere invited to the August missionary very close to our hearts as we have one hundred years ago. Mrs. Hughesmeeting at the home of Miss Mildred members there, also a former pastor was also present.Blair. Mrs. M. L. McFarland was surprisedwith a baby shower for little Rev. John Moffett, a retired Presby­and Jocele attended the Gideon In­and wife and a former pastor's wife. Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Keys, AnnKevin Paul. Kevin is the new son terian minister of Creston, Iowa had ternational in Washington, D.C. thein the McFarland home.charge of the morning service on latter part of July. On their way homeWe were saddened by the death of Forest Park Sabbath. Rev. Mr. Moffett they visited the New York World'sCharles Summers. Our sympathy goes was reared in Ireland and his parents Fair and in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.to his wife (the former Marcia Perry) were members of the Covenanterand baby daughter. After a few weeks Church for many years.August 1, we had as our guest minister,Rev. Robert A. Henning. He andvisit with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Mr. Dale Beaver is again teachingRaymond Perry, Marcia has returnedto her home in Dayton, Ohio. She College Springs. Mrs. Wilbur Cope­and sister, Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Keysin the South Page High School at his family visited his brother-in-lawwill teach in the College there this land is teaching in the Clarinda High and family.year.School and Miss Gertrude Lee and We extend to Mr. and Mrs. SamuelWe are certainly very happy to Rev. Mr. McFarland in the CommunityCollege here in Clarinda.tions on their thirty-fifth wedding an­W. Morrison our sincere congratula­have Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Whitehill,Virginia, and Tommy in our fellow­Rev. Mr. McFarland is teaching niversary.a Communicant's Class during the Professor Harrison Hughes, whoOctober 20, 1965 255ship again. They recently moved fromPueblo, Colorado.Mr. and Mrs. Gary Harrison have adaughter, Heidi Sue, born June 26. Mr.and Mrs. Knox McCalla are the grandparents.Mr. and Mrs. Dave Triebwasserhave bought a home in Shenandoahand expect to move there about thefirst of October.Charles McCalla spent a few weeksin T. or C, New Mexico this summerhelping with their Vacation BibleSchool.The Evangelistic Committee plansto sponsor a worship service at thePugh Rest Home the fourth Sabbathafternoon of each month.The prayer meeting on Wednesdayevenings has grown steadily throughoutthe year. At the September firstprayer meeting there were twentyeightpresent.Rev. Mr. McFarland was sponsorfor a Bible Club last year for collegestudents although high school studentswere also welcome. This met at thepublic library on Wednesday evenings.Those who attended showed much interest.Pray that it will continue andgrow this year.Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs.Will Morrow who have two new granddaughters.Daughters have been bornrecently to Mr. and Mrs. Henry Morrowand to Mr. and Mrs. John Morrow.We have enjoyed the visits ofmany of the sons and daughters of theSabbath School hour. His regular classis being taught by Edwin Whitehill.This is the high school class.Stan Copeland, Larry Falk, Charlesand Carolyn McCalla are attendingClarinda Community College. NancyFalk, Nancy Perry and Robert Copelandare at Geneva College where theyare seniors. Robert Moore is in collegeat Fort Collins, Colorado. Duane Perryis enrolled as a freshman at IowaState University at Ames. Our twoservice boys are both over seas: RichardMoore in Germany and Lloyd Mc­Calla in Spain.

has spent a part of his vacation withhis parents, Mr. and Mrs. H. H.Hughes, taught the adult class a coupleof times. This was greatly appreciated.He has returned to his work as ateacher at Covenant College, Chattanooga,Tennessee.Mr. and Mrs. Ross Keys of ourWinchester congregation visited theirsister, Mrs. Howard Hervey, andother friends. On Sabbath evening,July 25, they told of their trip lastyear to the Conference in Ireland andshowed pictures of many of our Covenanterchurches there.Mrs. Grace Leveck of Lima, Ohio,mother of Mr. Max Leveck, was presentat our church services. Her presenceand fellowship was appreciated.She is recovering from a recent operation.Mrs. Hugh Barbour and childrenof East Liverpool, Ohio spent twoweeks with her parents, Mr. and Mrs.J. Roy Templeton.Jocele Keys attended a Youth forChrist Conference for one week atWinona Lake, Indiana. Another weekshe spent with her aunt, Mrs. DonLowe, at their cottage in northernMichigan, and attended a conferencethere. She also attended our own conferenceat Covenant College in June.Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Keys visitedtheir sister and family, Mr. and Mrs.Ralph Mathews, Baldwin, Illinois. Onthe way home they stopped in Indianapolis,Indiana, visited Mr. and Mrs.Robert Templeton, and attendedchurch services with our congregationthere in August.Misses Grace and Clara Wagner,Cincinnati, Ohio spent a few dayswith Dr. and Mrs. M. K. Carson andother friends during their vacation.Mrs. R. E. Dill, Compton, California,and Mrs. Fred Kays, Grand Junction,Colorado visited their brother,Dell Wickersham and family, andother relatives and friends. Mrs. Kaysspent some time with her son inTennessee this summer.Dr. and Mrs. M. K. Carson, accompaniedby Mrs. R. E. Dill, spent a fewdays in Pittsburgh and Beaver Fallswith relatives and friends. Mrs. Dillremained for a longer visit.Welcome visitors in our midst thissummer were Dr. and Mrs. DelberMcKee and family, New Wilmington,Pennsylvania; Mr. and Mrs. ElwynCarson, Mr. and Mrs. Preston Carsonand family, Oakdale, Illinois; Mr. andMrs. Kenneth Frieman, Nashville, Illinois;Mrs. J. C. Mathews and Miss MildredBoyd, Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania;Mr. and Mrs. Wendell Hemphill,Mr. and Mrs. Cameron Patterson,Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania; Dr. andMrs. R. W. George, Tarkio, Missouri;Mr. and Mrs. John O'Neill, Winchester,Kansas; Mrs. Ruth Neuman Dotyand daughter, Joanne, Montreal, Canada.Rev. Donald I. Robb, missionary onfurlough from Kobe, Japan, will assistDr. M. K. Carson in our communionservices, October 15-17, and will includethe thank offering message. Thethank offering will be received onSabbath morning, October 17. Mrs. J.D. McClure is the Thank OfferingSuperintendent.GENEVA PROFESSOR TO SPEAKAT CONVENTION IN GRAND RAP­IDS. MICH.Dr. Johannes G. Vos, Chairman ofthe Department of Biblical Literature,Religious Education, and Philosophyat Geneva College, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania,will be the afternoon speakerat the annual meeting of the ReformedFellowship Incorporated to be held,October 15, in Grandville Avenue ReformedChurch, Grand Rapids, Michigan.His address is entitled "Surrenderto Evolution-Inevitable or Inexcusable?"The Reformed Fellowship is anorganization of Christian believerswho hold to the Reformed or Calvinisticinterpretation of Christianity. Itspurpose is to give a sharpened expressionto this faith, to stimulate thedoctrinal sensitivities of those whoprofess this faith, to promote thespiritual welfare and purity of suchchurches everywhere, and to furtherthe interests of all Christian institutionsof this faith. Members expressadherence to the historic Reformedcreeds including the WestministerConfession of Faith and Catechisms,It publishes a monthly journalcalled Torch and Trumpet of whichDr. Vos is a contributing editor.Dr. Vos also is editor of Blue BannerFaith and Life which is publishedby the Reformed Presbyterian Church;a commentary on "The Song of Solomon,"in The Biblical Expositor, athree-volume work on the wholeBible; Bible Truths for Young Christians,The Scottish Covenanters, TheirOrigins, History and Distinctive Doctrines,and several articles which haveappeared in The Westminster TheologicalJournal and Christianity Today.A Christian Introduction to Religionsof the World, valuable as a guidefor Christian study groups, was authoredby Dr. Vos. It was released lastMay by the publisher, Baker BookHouse, Grand Rapids, Michigan.PRAYER MEETING . . . from page 2536. What have I offered to do inthe church?7. How does my heart comparewith the attitudes of Paul as seen in1 Thessalonians 2?Prayer.1. For a grasp of the reality of belongingto the Living God.2. For a delight in God's peopleand the fellowship of the church,3. For acquaintances who know noSaviour.4. For greater willingness to giveof time, money, energy to Christ.5. For those who must set a standardby example and teaching,6. For God to make of us a moreholy people, who truly think and feelwith "the mind of Christ."256 COVENANTER WITNESS

«!TT: Ml";•Covenanter WitnessTO JESUS CHRIST'THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONS-VOLUME LXXV NO. 17 OCTOBER 27, 1965 STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 21, 1965OLATHECENTENNIALSeptember 17, 1965Cover drawing done in 1957 by Dr. Ray Wilcox,Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania

THE COVENANTERWITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.ElSCVANOEUCAL PRISS ASSOCIATIONEditor: Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D.D.125 N. 4th StreetSterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under the supervision of theBoard of Publication by The Patterson Press, Wapello.Iowa 52653.Contributing Editors:Rev. Kenneth SmithDr. G. M. RobbRev. T. R. HutchesonDepartment Editors:Rev. Bruce C. StewartMrs. Robert B. MaineMrs. Willis EdgarRev. John K. GaultOpinions expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Church or the editor.All material to appear in The Covenanter Witnessshould be typewritten, double-spaced, and should be inSterling, Kansas two weeks before it is to be printed.Obituaries — All words in excess of one hundred fifty,one cent per word. Money should accompany such notices.SUBSCRIPTION RATESIndividual (1 year): U.S. and Canada, $4.00, BritishIsles, 35'-, all other places, $5.00;Individual (2 year): U.S. and Canada, $7.00, BritishIsles 63/-, all other places, $9.00;Group: U.S. and Canada, $3.00, British Isles 28/-, allother places, $4.00.9-month student subscription — $1.50; 5-month introductoryoffer — $1.00; 2 gift subscriptions to persons outsideof the R.P. Church — $2.00 each.Subscription Agent for U.S. and Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.Subscription Agent for the British Isles: Rev. HughWright, B. A., 12, Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, NorthernIreland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness in U. S. currency.Give one month's notice of a change of address. Sendboth the new and the old address to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty.Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, Iowa.WE HOLD THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only infalliblerule of faith and conduct.The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experience.The Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Holy Spirit.The fact of death and hell as the destiny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believein Him together with their children.The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church Government.The Lord Jesus Christ as the only King and Head of His Church.That terms of membership or communion are essential to thewelfare of the Church.Quote -"Fear not the reproach of men. Faint not becauseyou are sometimes abused. Heed it not ifyou are sometimes called bigot, fanatic, madmanand fool. There is nothing disgraceful in these titles.They have often been given to the best and wisestof men. If you are only to be zealous when you arepraised for it, if the wheels of your zeal must be oiledby the world's commendation, short-lived. Carenot for the praise or frown of man. There is but onething worth caring for, and that is the praise ofGod. There is but one question worth asking aboutour actions. How will they look in the day of judgment."—John Charles Ryle, D.D.This Week's WitnessOlathe CentennialGlimpsesIndependence . .Destructive Power of Godless EducationC. A. M. Oratorical ContestBeecher Farm MysteryLesson HelpsScribeChurch News259260261263264266267269270The duty which rests upon officers to maintain discipline andpreserve the purity of the Church.Spiritual worship as a divine requirement mediated through theLord Jesus Christ.The exclusive use of the Psalms in the worship of the Church.The Protestant interpretation of the Sacraments.The divine right of the institution of Marriage and that it is notto be dissolved except by adultery or "irremediable" desertion.The Sabbath as a day sacred to rest and worship.The duty of nations and their civil rulers to honor Christ asKing of Kings and Lord of Lords.That Christian citizens are under obligation to obey lawful authority.The right and duty of the Christian citizen to dissent from allgovernmental and national disobedience to the Law of God.That the Covenants of the past are still binding.From "The Communicant's Class" by J. B. Tweed258 COVENANTER WITNESS

OLATHE REFORMED PRESBYTERIANCHURCH CENTENNIAL1865 - 1965One hundred Years of Witness and ServiceThe Olathe Reformed Presbyterian Church observedits centennial at the church on Friday evening,September 17, 1965, at 7:30 p.m. With nearideal weather, a crowd of approximately one hundredfifty attended this once-in-a-century event.An address of welcome was given by Mr. ClydeA. Redpath, chairman of the congregation, afterwhich a devotional period was conducted by Rev.D. Howard Elliott, D.D. of Topeka, who is the Presbytery-appointedModerator of the Olathe Sessionwhile Olathe is without a pastor. Then a short historyof the Ladies' Missionary Society was read byMrs. Maggie Rogers. Mr. J. Harvey McGee, Clerkof Session, had compiled and read a brief historyof the congregation.Rev. Walter Simpson of the Olathe ChristianChurch, and president of the Olathe Ministerial Alliancebrought greetings from that organization.Mrs. Jeannette McGee had written to our formerpastors and seme members of long standing whoare now too far away to come back for the occasion.She had asked different persons in the congregationto read these replies.Mrs. Mary Tippin read the message from Rev.D. Ray Wilcox; Mrs. Fred May read the one fromDr. Frank L. Stewart; Mrs. Bernice (Jameson) Woodread the reply from her mother, Mrs. EleanorJameson and her three daughters; Mrs. Don Brownread a memorial tribute to the late Rev. J. D. Edgar;Mrs. Clyde A. Redpath read a letter from Mr.George Milligan; Mrs. Roger Brown, one from Rev.Walter McClurkin; Mrs. Bennie Wallace, one fromRev. Herbert A. Hays; and Mrs. Harvey McGeeread a reply from Mrs. Jessie Stroup, a daughterof Olathe's first minister.Next, came reminiscences of those present. Ofthe guests, no doubt Mr. Frank Atcheson of Denver,Colo, could remember further back in the historyof the congregation than any other present, havingbeen born at Olathe over ninety years ago. Otherguests from a distance who favored us with remarkswere Mrs. Frank Atcheson, and Mrs. Frances(Aikin) Tweed of Denver, Mrs. Margaret (Ewing)Copeland of Sterling, Kan., Miss Belle McGee ofPittsburgh, Pa., Mrs. Jessie (Cook) Lawson of JunctionCity, Kan., and Mrs. R. W. Robb of KansasCity. Local persons who contributed in this periodwere Mr. Ernie Miller, Mrs. Harriet (Moore) Zimmerman,Mr. John Duguid, Mrs. Jennie (Huey) Marvin,Miss Marguerite McClellan, Mr. Howard Mc­Gee, and Mrs. Marjorie (Moore) Milligan.Guest precentor for the evening was Miss CarleneHutcheson of Wichita. She is a granddaughterof two of the early pioneer families of the OlatheChurch.The one hundred thirty-third Psalm was used inclosing, and the benediction was pronounced byRev. Wilbur Wood, husband of the former MissBernice Jameson, and now pastor of the Argentineand Bethel Presbyterian Churches in the KansasCity, Kansas area.Booklets made up especially for the occasionwere distributed to the guests, a picture display wasset up in the rear of the auditorium, Miss Joy Wallaceattended the guest book, and the women ofthe congregation served punch, cake, mints, andnuts in the social hour which followed the program.Guests from out of town besides those alreadymentioned, included Mr. Ernest Tweed, Denver;Mr. and Mrs. Harper Lowe of Los Angeles; Mr. andMrs. James Milligan of Valley Falls, Kansas; Rev.and Mrs. Kenneth McBurney, Miss Eleanor Faris,and Mrs. Will Linton from Denison; Rev. and Mrs.R. W. Caskey, Mr. and Mrs. Dale Curry of Winchester,Mr. and Mrs. Parsons Bolen of Overbrook,Kansas; Mr. Andy Robb of Topeka, and a fine delegationfrom our sister congregation of Kansas City.Mrs. Lillie (Redpath) Balph of Beaver Falls, Pa.sent a beautiful spray of flowers in memory of herlate parents, Mr. and Mrs. R. C. Redpath, formerand lifelong members of the congregation. Dr. andMrs. Charles M. Lee, fomerly president of GenevaCollege and resident of Beaver Falls, sent a telegramof congratulations on the occasion of the onehundred years of the congregation.Truly this was a very enjoyable occasion forthose of us who were able to attend.October 27, 1965 259

Glimpses of the Religious WorldTHE REV. T. R. HUTCHESON820 NEW YORK STREETHOLTON, KANSASGRANTS TO COLLEGES OPPOSEDThe Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairsmet recently in Washington in a Religious Liberty Conference,the ninth such conference. The theme this roundwas "Church, State, and Public Funds," with chief discussionabout whether Baptist colleges should acceptfederal funds and grants for the promotion of the collegeprograms. Many Southern Baptists, especially, areopposed to the idea. The Baptist Record summarizes theopposition as follows:"Baptists long have contended for absolute separationof church and state, and the acceptance of thesefunds means abandonment of that principle; the institutionshave a special educational purpose, with a firstresponsibility to the supporting denominations, ratherthan to the government and the general educationalfield; acceptance of funds from the government meansthe eventual loss of control of the institutions; the presentavailable grants forbid the teaching sectarian religionin the buildings or programs supported in part orwhole by federal funds, and it is unthinkable that anyarea of any Baptist institution should be so limited; theargument that Baptists are taxpayers, and thus shouldget their share of the available tax funds, is the argumentthat Roman Catholics have long made; the acceptanceof these funds destroys the Baptist witness againstmixing church and state affairs; the present grants tohigher education are the first step to making similargrants to elementary and primary education, whichopens the door for tax support of all areas of churchwork. Baptists are able to support their institutions forthe fulfillment of the purposes for which they werefounded and if they cannot do so they should get outof the educational field; Baptists should not try to competewith state supported institutions in all fields ofeducation, but only in those which are of primary valueto the supporting denominations; Baptists must face thefact that the large majority of their students are goingand more of their support to special ministeries on thoseto non-Baptist institutions and must concentrate morecampuses. Again, this may not be all of the arguments,but this summarizes RETIRED most VOLUNTEERS of them." SERVEGospel Herald reports the satisfying experiences of"retired" persons who volunteered for service under theVS program of the Mennonite Church. Trusie M. Zookvolunteered for a program of teaching illiterate adultsto read, after retiring as a public school teacher. Shenow had classes of two to nine pupils, instead of twentyfiveor thirty, and was able to help in the growth of ayoung church in that community.Wesley and Grace Metzger went to Puerto Rico forsix months to help with buildings at a Mennonite Missioncenter. They wrote of their experience, "We foundthat six months was a very short time, indeed. Seeingthe need and enjoying the fellowship, which becamericher as the time passed, made us want to stay longer"Many older people think that their gifts do notsuit the needs of a Voluntary Service program. It seems260that there are many openings for carpenters, maintenanceworkers, cooks, and houseparents. I, myself, am able todo general work, which takes in many things. If we arefirst willing, our Lord will supply the necessary courageto fulfill the tasks confronting us. We rejoice that in ourcase God proved that with Him all things are possible."Mrs. Mary Johnson, from Chicago, was unbearablylonely after her husband's death. She was contacted forthe senior service program, and went to New Mexico tobe cook and helper in the All Faiths Children's Home,a welfare home for children from broken homes. Shewrote. "I covet for more older people a voluntary serviceexperience. Even though my first year is little morethan half gone, I have already decided to sign up for asecond — perhaps, third, fourth, fifth — as long as theLord wants me to work in this way."134 BIBLE LANGUAGES IN U.S.The American Bible Society announces that distributionof Holy Scritures in 134 languages was recordedin 1964 in the 13 states making up the Western andPacific Region of the American Bible Society.This current high demand for Scriptures in manylanguages within the United States illustrates one of theoldest and most important activities of the AmericanBible Society — translating, publishing and distributingHoly Scriptures in languages other than English.At least one Book of the Bible has been publishedin 1,232 languages and dialects. Only 236 languages haveentire Bibles. Only 289 more have the entire New Testament.There remain well over 1,000 languages and dialectswhich still have nothing of the Bible.More than 3,000 translators throughout the world arevigorously engages in translation work. Members of theAmerican Bible Society Translation Department, togetherwith similar experts in other Bible Societies, are nowproviding help to persons translating and revising inmore than 500 languages.QUICK ACTION ON HIGH PLAINSThere was a threatening moment during the recentmeeting of Midwest Presbytery. While reports of sessionswere being called for, it came Denver's turn. Someknowledgeable delegate explained that the Denver pastor,a member of the traveling fund committee, had justgone to the bank.The moderator's next statement was, "We'll hold thatup!"PASTORS TO CONTINUE LEARNINGA minister is learned only if he is continually learning,the Rev. Henry Babcock Adams told delegates to therecent National Consultation on Continuing Educationfor the Ministry, held in Chicago. As a result of the discussionon the need for a continual updating of theologicaltraining and professional skills, the group called forexploration of an Academy of Parish Clergy, at whichpastors could participate two weeks per year in approvedcontinuing education programs.COVENANTER WITNESS

Adolescence and the ChurchINDEPENDENCEBy Donald W. FelkerProfessor Jersild in The Psychology of Adolescencepictures adolescence as a drama with threeacts.The first act might be titled, "Dependence." Init the teenager continues the life of dependencethat he had in childhood. He needs the emotionalsupport of his parents and readily accepts thosethings which his parents want.The second act of the drama might carry thetitle, "The Struggle for Independence." This struggleis sometimes a relatively quiet campaign, and sometimes it is a rocky time of open conflict.In this act the teenager, in order to become anadult, must outgrow his childhood dependence onhis parents. His major allegiances begin to shiftfrom his parents to his peers. He must developstandards which are "his" standards and be able tomake his own decisions about his life.The third act, if all has gone well, is once againa fairly serene picture. It can be called, "Maturity."In it the adolescent quietly takes his place amonghis adult peers. The struggle is over. The adolescenthas now become an adult and has developed traitsof maturity, independence, and stability.This pictures the situation that society almostdemands as a price for becoming an adult. One ofthe signs of adulthood is independence of actionand emotion. If a person comes of adult years andis still dependent on someone else for his standardsand emotional support we think something is missing.Unfortunately, in real life the drama is notover as quickly as a play would be. This struggleis something which is going on in the life of afamily for approximately eight years. The timefrom childhood until adulthood is a long and manytimes stormy period. Those things which parentsand adolescents find annoying or irritating in thehome during adolescence are usually connectedwith the desire of the adolescent to be independent.October 27, 1965This desire adds to the storm.There are two facets to independence. One ofthem is physical independence. Adolescents andyoung adults gain this independence when theyare able to support themselves, begin their careers,and earn their own keep. This is a long processwith our need for more education, but it is somethingthat is expected. Society makes some provisionfor this type of independence.The second facet of independence is what wemight call "psychological independence." Psychologicalindependence comes about when the adolescentor young adult possesses the ability, desire,and freedom to take responsibility for his ownthoughts, moral judgments, feelings, and conduct.Possessing this ability does not mean that theteenager does things on his own without seekingadvice or that he repudiates everything that hisparents and society have taught. It does mean howeverthat his decisions will no longer be made forhim or dictated to him. Even though he "honors hisfather and mother," he now judges his conduct andmakes his decisions according to a standard thathas become "his'' standard.This type of independence is not somethingwhich comes easily. The drama is well named asthe Struggle for independence. The struggle is wagedon a double front. Part of the struggle that theteenager has is with himself. As desperately asmost teenagers profess their desire to 'make uptheir own minds" we would not think that thiswould be much of a struggle. Becoming independent,however, carries burdens of responsibilitywith it. The easy road would be to remain dependent.Independence carries with it the responsibilityto be accountable for the decisions that aremade. This brings the conflict — the desire for independencedoes battle with the desire for securitythat is enjoyed when we are under our parents'wings.The second front on which this battle rages isbetween parents and adolescents. All of us want ourchildren to become mature and independent adults.In spite of this it is extremely difficult to let themtake the steps that are necessary to achieve thisend. We don't want to see them get hurt and theemotional pull to keep them sheltered is strong.Also the process of becoming independentmeans that the teenager must challenge us atpoints. If he is going to have his own standardsand convictions then it is necessary for him to testthem. It is only after this testing — or questioningto see if these are the convictions he wants — thatthey can really be called "his." Many times we asparents misinterpret this testing to mean a repudiationof the convictions and standards that we have261

attempted to instill in our children as we have raisedthem up.The church has an important role in this drama.We want those who are in the church to have aset of standards and convictions which are compatiblewith the aims of the Christian life. It has beenrepeated "ad infinitum" that we don't want a religionthat is simply passed on, but rather a convictionthat is born of a personal acceptance of thestandards and faith of the church. If adults are tohave personal convictions, it is necessary that they"try" these things to see if they be so. Part of thequestioning of adolescents is just this process. Theway in which young people take something to betheir own standard and conviction is by questioningit and having these questions answered to theirsatisfaction.Another way in which the church becomes involvedin the adolescent's struggle for independenceis as an object of rebellion. When the adolescentis having a difficult time in gaining independence,one place that is commonly chosen as a point atwhich to strike out at his parents is the church.This is one way in which he can show that parentscannot tell him what to do — they might make himgo to church, but they can't make him believethings. Parents should keep this in mind, because itis usually an extremely effective means of hurtingparents and of asserting independence at the sametime. Perhaps a greater degree of independence inquestioning would work toward taking this as ameans of asserting independence.But what can the church do? The main thingwould be to understand why the adolescent is questioningthe things which the church holds. This isnot usually an isolated thing that the teenager isdoing but is connected with his whole desire tobe independent. It must be remembered 'also thatindependence in thought and conviction is somethingthat the church desires for its adults.With this in mind there would be at least threepractical things which the church can do to helpthe adolescent come through this struggle successfully.These would be to provide (1) opportunitiesfor questioning, (2) help in investigating, and (3)counsel on what is involved in true maturity andindependence.If questioning or testing convictions is a partof making them personal, then the church shouldprovide opportunities for teenagers to do this in anatmosphere of understanding and concern. The understandingwould come from realizing why thequestions are being raised. The concern would beevidenced by providing, as much as possible, themeans of answering the questions which are raised.There is a danger here, and that is the dangerof just raising doubts without really helping in thefinding of adequate and satisfying answers. Too oftenmany of the doubts that teenagers have aredoubts which adults have not been able to overcomeand have transplanted to the new generation. Thisis not the questioning which leads to personal conviction.This danger is perhaps guarded against in thesecond thing that the church can do. That is toprovide help in investigating and digging for theanswers. Many of the questions that teenagers raisein the realm of the church are not questions whichare really being asked with the hope of a readyanswer. They are questions which they are askingthemselves to test out their own answers or test "butthe answer that someone has given them.Too often we either interpret this questioningas a repudiation of that which is being questionedor as an attempt to irritate. When we do this, weclose the door on the opportunity to help the adolescentinvestigate the area for himself. We cannot then help him dig and find a self-satisfyinganswer. It is this self-satisfaction with the answersthat are either given or gotten which will lead topersonal and solid convictions.The third thing that the church can do is tocounsel on what is involved in true maturity andindependence. One of the things that increasinglyshows up in various counseling reports about teenagersis the fact that many adolescents feel thatthere are no adults who care enough about themeven to listen to their problems. We may feel thatthis does not apply to our teenagers but we mightbe surprised if we heard their reactions.If the church, through the Sabbath school,young people's group, summer conferences, andthe pastor, presents an open door to the teenager,it will have opportunities for helping him. This ismentioned because we often do not have the opportunityto help the teenager come to an understandingof true maturity and independence becausehe feels that we do not care about him andhence does not seek our counsel.True maturity and independence would be builtaround those things of which we have spoken: responsibility,conviction, personal standards, andfreedom. These are vitally connected with the messageof the Gospel, and this connection should bemade clear to the teenager. It is in Christ that wehave freedom and the highest responsibility. It isthrough Him that we are led to conviction and personalstandards which are consistent with our aimsin life.The drama which we have called the "Struggle262 COVENANTER WITNESS

for Independence" is usually not a comedy. It is filledwith anxiety, often touched by turmoil and struggle.But it is a drama that ends with joy if it is successfullycompleted. It ends with the teenager takinghis place in the church and society as a maturemember who can now make a personnal contributionbecause of his convictions and his decisions.(The next article in this series will be on "VocationalChoice.")Let us face the fact realistically. There is no wisdomapart from God. "The fear of the Lord is thebeginning of wisdom."The school, in America, as well as on the continentof Europe, was originally the child of theChurch. It has become necessary, in order to saveeducation from the follies, the failures, and the incompetencieswith which many departments of thestate school is affhcted, to return education to theChurch.Christian parents have grown weary of payingTHE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OFGODLESS EDUCATIONtaxes only to have the morals of their sons andRev. August W. Brustat, PH.D., Scarsdale, N.Y. daughters corrupted by animalistic philosophiesThere are in our tax-suported schools today that would laugh God out of existence. They havethose who are enemies of religious hberty, whowould seize control of our educational system anduse it as an agency for the destruction of the Christianfaith and the establishment of political andeconomic immoralities. This subtle but none-the-lessvicious attack upon Christian faith is a desperateattempt to ruin the minds of our youth by a subtle,anti-Christian, and un-American propaganda.Let us notice carefully that without the rehgiousmotive, any education is adding power to irresponsibility."Mere education," said Theodore Roosevelt,"'without Divine guidance, is hke handing a gun toan irresponsible man."The most dangerous spot in American life is tobe found in the field of a purely secular educationwhich sneers at the mention of God, and Christ, andthe Bible; and succeeds in raising a generation ofglorified pagans, and oftentimes pagans not soglorified as well.The systematic exclusion of all religious instructionand worship, including devotional readingof the Bible, even a recitation of the Ten Commandmentsand the Lord's Prayer from the stateschools, means, in effect, that America's schoolshave become Godless institutions, or at least, institutionswhich God is officially forbidden to enter bybecome impatient with programs which, in manyinstances, encourage youth to fritter away precioustime in frivolities and trivialities. They have becomeirritated with the insistent demands for ever-increasingsums of money, while civilization staggersand reels from causes directly attributable to thefailure of incompetent and inadequate education.Nor is this mere talk. I have extensive evidencein my files, from impeachable sources, to indicatethat the programs of the United Nations Educational,Scientific, and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO),featured and promoted in state schools across thecountry by the National Education Association(NEA), are the seedbeds for atheism. They plantdoubts about Christian truth in the minds of youth.They ridicule patriotism and glorify internationalismand one-worldism. They are destructive of themoral fibre of our youth. They teach that society asa whole, and not the individual, is responsible forcriminal or delinquent action, and encourage asatanic philosophy of non-inhibitionism which says,"Never say 'don't' or no' to a child — you may warphis personality — let the child grow naturally. Beinga sinner, he does.Is it any wonder we are in trouble?—Christian Economics, Sept. 7, 1965order, if you please, of the Supreme Court of theUnited States.HOW LARGE ARE YOUR HANDS?The greatest enemy to Christianity and to ourChristian civilization is Godless instruction which,day in and day out, poisons the minds of our Americanyouth either by an outright rejection of Biblicaltruth, or the ignoring of the spiritual. Man is notonly body, he is also soul; not only creature of time,but eternity. The body hves for 70 years, more orless, and a purely academic or secular educationonly prepares him to make a hving for a few yearsOur Lord sums up Mary's action in a phrase ofextraordinary comprehensiveness. "She hath done"—for her love was not an idle sentiment, and herfaith was not a cowardly secret — "what she could."No human soul is held responsible for anythingbeyond its power. God never plans our life-workbeyond our capacities, or outside our opportunities.He made our hand exactly the size of what weshould grasp.on earth. But the soul of man is immortal, it will hveforever, and if his education is undergirded withthe spiritual, it teaches and trains him how to makeCast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shallsustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous toa life.be moved. Psalm 55:22October 27, 1965 263

Our YouthTHE CHRISTIAN AMENDMENT MOVEMENTORATORICAL CONTESTRev. Samuel E. Boyle, D.D.Seven young Covenanters gave orations on thesubject of the Christian Amendment during the recentsummer C.Y.P.U. conferences. Results were asfollows:ably anticipated many common objections to theMid-West Presbytery, Forest Park Conference Christian Amendment and gave good answers.at Topeka, KansasTom Robb had a dandy opening with real impact1st Prize Winner: Miss Kathryn Elliott of through the paraphrasing of the Gettysburg AddressTopekaof Lincoln in this way: "Eight score and eighteen"The United States Born Again" years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continenta new constitution conceived in liberty ..." He2nd Place Winner: Miss Beverly Nusbaum,Topekaended his appeal for the Christian Amendment by"Do We Need It?"calling all Christians to spiritual warfare in these3rd Place Winner: Mr. Thomas M. Robb, words: "As a true Christian soldier, should you notSharon, Iowapray and work for this goal? We must not, we can"The Christian's War'not, we will not give up the fight."New York Presbytery, White Lake Camp, N.Y.1st Prize Winner: William J. Edgar,Broomall, Pa."The Either-Or of the Hebrew Prophets"2nd Place Winner: Mr. John Edgar ofBroomall, Pa.Pacific Coast Presbytery, Camp Good News,is paid to us. How tragic, then, that America acceptsso many benefits from God and yet ignoresHim and His Son in our national Constitution.Kathy used the analogy of individual salvationthrough the new birth and a walk of Christian obedienceto illustrate how the Christian Amendmentisneeded to bring the United States to that nationalChristian regeneration which is so badly needed.Beverly Nusbaum, second place winner, presenteda well-balanced and convincing argumentationin support of adopting the Christian Amendmentnow. "Do We Need It?" was her theme. BeverlyWhite Lake Camp WinnersTwo brothers from Broomall congregation, Philadelphia,competed for the prize money in the WhiteLake Conference. Bill Edgar, the older brother, wona split decision over his brother John. Bill and Johnare sons of the late Rev. Robert Edgar, and grandsonsof the former Geneva College teacher, Dr. JohnPrescott, ArizonaColeman. Bill is a student at Swarthmore College1st Prize Winner: Mr. Bruce Martin, SantaAna, Californiaopened with these jolting words:and a keen student of social problems. His oration"Christ at the Controls""The United States will be responsible for2nd Place Winner: Harry E. Chao, Los the next world war. As a major power, theAngelesUnited States must inevitably fight in this war,"Is Riot the Answer?"ifit comes, and be destroyed by it; for her sins,According to the contest rules, if four or more God will judge this nation, and, for her sins,contestants entered any one Presbyterial oration America will be leveled, while milhons die.comest a second prize of $20.00 would be awarded, Whether we start the war or not, we will havebut as no conference had that many entries, only caused it."the $40.00 first prize went to Miss Kathryn Elliott, This startling prediction is drawn from the recordin the Old Testament of God's prophetic warn­Mr. Bill Edgar, and Mr. Bruce Martin.Even though material on the subject of the ings to Judah and Israel, and the fate of the ChosenChristian Amendment is not too abundant, and the Nation under God's judgments. "God has declaredarguments used are often stereotyped and dull, through His Scriptures thatit will be the Unitedthese young contestants showed a fresh originality States who will cause her own demise, for, God hasin their orations which made them stimulating said, The nation and kingdom that will not servereading.thee shall perish'."Forest Park Conference WinnersBill's oration is quite thorough and mature in"The United States Born Again," was Kathy its presentation, so no complete summary can beElliott's subject. She used a fresh, livery approach given in this short comment.through conversational reasoning. We all feel hurt John's oration manuscript was not forwarded towhen we do something for others and no attention us yet, so no comment can be made other than to264 COVENANTER WITNESS

say that we know it must have been excellent ifhe ran his older brother so close a race in the WhiteLake contest.Pacific Coast Presbyterial C.Y.P.U. WinnersBruce Martin, son of the Rev. Philip Martin ofSanta Ana, California, spoke on "Christ at the Controls."He began with II Chronicles 7:14 and presenteda logical, sober, and convincing argumentfor the Christian Amendment. Bruce showed howthe colonial documents, such as the Rhode IslandCompact of Government, reveal the Christian originsof our nation. He contrasts with that and otherdocuments the secular Preamble to the Constitution.This constitutes a virtual rejection of God and bringsin the evils of godlessness and immorality and violencewhich trouble our nation today. The ChristianAmendment is needed to bring America backto her primary Christian faith as a nation.Bruce asks in closing, "Is America going to bewise and choose the foundation of rock — the LordJesus Christ — or will she be foolish and build onthe sand, trusting in her own strength?" He closeswith a repetition of II Chronicles 7:14.Harry E. Chao, son of the Rev. Charles H. Chaoof the Reformation Translation Fellowship, spokeon a unique theme, "Is Riot the Answer?" He singledout the race conflict between Negroes and whitesas one special problem in our nation to which theChristian Amendment has relevance. How can wesolve this difficult social problem? Harry insistedthat we cannot find a successful solution apart fromJesus Christ. The hatreds and conflicts are a resultof sin, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ alone canchange men. We need evangelism in the churches,but we also need to call the whole American nationto repent and trust in Christ. His closing wordswere:"Finally, America is the only country with themixture of all the races. Believe me, it's a wonderfulcountry. Don't let America destroy herself. Let's helpAmerica. And I pray that someday America willunite together hand in hand, black, yellow, andwhite, and recognize Christ as her King and Lord."National Contest At Carleton, 1966The Christian Amendment Movement OratoricalContest will continue now until 1966 at theNational CYPU Conference at Carleton College inNorthfield, Minnesota. Rules for this contest may besecured from the Christian Amendment Movementoffice, 804 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221. Wealso welcome inquirers who want material or wishto ask about problems in their understanding of theChristian Amendment.This item from the Rules needs to be pubhshednow:October 27, 1965"Winners of the Presbyterial contests are encouragedto compete in the National, with the sameor other orations. Other Presbyterial contestantmay do the same, but it will not be necessary forone to compete on the Presbyterial level to be eligifor the national competition."Young Americans, Christian Patriots, begin nowto get your oration ready for Carleton next August!A first prize of $50 awaits the winner. If enough enterthe contest at Carleton a second prize of $35and a third prize of $25 will also be given.IN THE CORN FIELD OF LIFESometimes a person who seemed full of promisewhen young arrives at the retirement age, if nota failure, at least as one whose achievements nevermatched his early promise. In looking back over hiscareer, one often finds that he could never makeup his mind which opportunity he really wanted ofthe many that came his way. None of them everseemed up to what he felt his talents deserved, andyet had he given his full talents to any one of themhis career might have been brilliant.He was like the legendary Indian princess. Shewent to a neighboring chief whose corn fields werethe talk of all the tribes. She asked if she mightselect one ear for seed. He granted her permission towalk down the longest row of corn and take thefinest ear she could find. He made only one condition.She must choose as she walked down the row;she could not turn back and pluck an ear she hadonce passed by. The princess, of course, kept lookingfor the perfect ear until she walked right outof the corn field empty-handed.There are persons who go through life just asthe Indian girl went through the corn field. Theykeep looking for perfection, never seeing the goodthat is right at hand. If there is one thing aboutlife that is true, it is this: we cannot retrace oursteps. We must always move on. We must thereforebe on our guard that we do not pass by opportunitiesto do some good and useful work, tobe helpful to someone in need, or to share withothers some of the happiness which abounds inthis world. We will surely fail to live the best hfepossible for us, if we are always searching blindlyfor some perfection we can never find. — Nuggets.I will instruct thee and teach thee in the waywhich thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mineeye.Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, whichhave no understanding: whose mouth must be heldin with bit and bridle, lest they come near untoth ee Psalm 32:8,9265

The Beecher Farm Mystery(Continued from last week)"Can't we play with our dolls when Aunt Tabithais here?" asked Janet in alarm."Of course you can," said Becky, "but don't talkabout imaginary people around her. Always be verypolite and answer when you're spoken to. Keepyour faces clean and your hair combed. Whoknows? If you make a very good impression on hershe might remember you in her will. She has lotsof money, you know. She is the one relative of theBeecher family who is well off."The girls were not much impressed as theyhad no notion what a will was, and when Becky explainedit was a paper that said who was to get herproperty after her death, they lost interest altogether,because they knew Aunt Tabitha was very muchalive. However they tried hard all afternoon toplease Becky as they sensed that hfe was going tobe different with an aunt living with them.The next morning Aunt Tabitha came drivingup in her ancient car, which she called Trudy. Shehad named the car that, when it was new, becauseshe said it reminded her of a faithful and true friendshe once had, called by that name. It was withgreat peril to. her own life and the lives of others, thatshe had learned to drive the car and after havingonce mastered it, she had no notion of trading itin for a later model. So now, after many years, thecar did not always hve up to its name but for themost part the garage mechanic kept it running.Now as she turned into the driveway, the dogyapped as he jumped out of danger, chickens flewin all directions, and the two little girls ran outsideto see where she was going to stop. Aunt Tabithabrought the car to a sudden halt, and, all unruffled,climbed out."Well, come on out," she called to Janet andBeth. "I won't bite you. You can help get my luggageinto the house."She began to unload boxes and baskets of alldescriptions and set them in the yard. "Be careful,"she warned the girls, as she gave them each a boxto carry into the house. One box contains a cakefor your dad and I don't want it mashed. It's histhirty-seventh birthday tomorrow and I have alwaysbaked him a cake, although I suppose we'll have toeat it for him this year. The other box has my alarmclock, and I can't hve without it."After many trips, and with Becky's help, all ofAunt Tabitha's belongings were deposited in herbedroom, except the cake which Janet put on thekitchen table. While they were busy going in andout of the house, the screen door was left open. Old266A STORY FORJUNIOR - HIGHSMrs. George (Jean L.) McFarlandShep, seeing his chance, slipped into the room.He knew he should not be in the house, so sneakedunder the table. In doing so, he caught the tablecloth and pulled it, and the cake, to the floor. Thebox burst open and Shep started to nibble the icingjust as Aunt Tabitha and the girls entered the room.Aunt Tabitha threw up her hands and screamed,The dog, with tail down, made a beeline for thedoor. The little girls stood frozen in their tracks.But Becky rushed to pick up the cake."It's too bad," she apologized, looking at heraunt, "to have such a nice cake mashed and broken,but it can still be eaten. It stayed in the box andShep had only taken a nibble."But Aunt Tabitha was cross as she helpedBecky with the lunch. But she kept Janet and Bethbusy running errands and Becky found it mucheasier to get the meal on the table with her aunt'shelp.Just before Jerry and Barney came in for themeal, Becky had an idea; she would open some pearpreserves as an extra treat. Her mother had aspecial recipe for making the preserves and alwaysput some on the table when company came. Beckyhad followed her very special recipe and made preservesas her mother had done. So now she hurriedto the basement and got a jar off the shelf. Backin the kitchen, she got out the stemmed glass dishher mother had always used for such occasions. Shefelt very pleased that she was treating Aunt Tabithaas special company even though she was going tostay a while.The meal went well although there was not thetalk and laughter that usually accompanied theirmeals. Aunt Tabitha did most of the talking. Thechildren answered her questions pohtely, and Beckysecretly thought they were all making a very goodimpression on their aunt. Then Beth asked for thepear preserves. Jerry, being closest to them, pickedup the stemmed dish and passed it to her. But somehow,Jerry let loose of the dish before Beth had itfirmly in her hands, and over it went, spilling allthe sticky, thick preserves on the table. Becky'sheart sank, but Aunt Tabitha rose to the occasionand snapped orders right and left."Quick, Becky, a big spoon and we can get themup in a hurry. Janet, get some paper napkins; wecan cover the stickiness until the meal is over. Andyou young man," she addressed Jerry, "had betterwash your hands." Jerry had been sitting stunned,looking at his hands covered with preserves.(To be continued)COVENANTERWITNESS

Lesson Helps forSabhath School Lessonfor November 21, 1965NAAMAN: ACTING ON FAITH2 Kings 5:1-27.Comments by John K. GaultAs we are told in 2 Kings 5:1,Naaman was "captain of the host ofthe king of Syria," and Syria was acountry northeast of Israel. There hadbeen almost continual war betweenIsrael and Syria but at the time ofNaaman the two countries seemed tobe experiencing an armed neutrality.Each monarch seemed to be waitingfor the other to make the first move.Naaman was a brave and resourcefulmilitary leader. By his intrepidskill he had gained for his countryfreedom from vassalage to othernations, and so he had become a nationalhero. But he had one seriousobstacle which posed as a major threatto his achieving any further victoriesand that was that he was a leper.Leprosy among the ancients wasan incurable disease. It was usuallyinduced by the lack of cleanliness. Theuse of the word clean in referenceto the cure of leprosy, both in thisaccount of Naaman and also in theNew Testament, indicates that it isa filth disease which was very contagious.Anyone afflicted with it wasrequired to live apart from his fellows.Naaman, the mighty warrior, was aleper.1: God's Use of Little People in AccomplishingHis Work.We are told of this in 2 Kings 5:24.The Syrians, in one of their maraudingexpeditions, had captured a "littlemaid." She was a slave to Naaman'swife, but even though she was farfrom home, she had not forgotten theGod of her home-land and the prophetwho lived in Israel. She said to hermistress in the words, "Would God mylord were with the prophet that is inSamaria! for he would recover himof his leprosy." One of the householdtold Naaman what the little girl hadsaid. Naaman, desperate as he was,was ready to "grasp at a straw," andso he secured a letter from the kingof Syria and went into Israel to seekfor the great prophet.This little girl was not the onlychild whom God used in a wonderfulway. He spoke to the child Samuel,at night, and told him what was to befallthe family of Eli for their sins.the Week of NoIn the company of Jesus there was ayoung boy who had five loaves andtwo fishes which Jesus took and multipliedto such an extent that over fivethousand people were fed. God cando wonders through little boys andgirls.2: Some Vital Things of Life Cannotbe Bought with Money but areFree.Naaman, with a great retinue ofservants, with a letter of introductionto the king of Israel and with a largeamount of money and goods, went intothe land of Israel seeking theprophet of God. The letter of introductiondid him no good and neitherdid his money. Elisha the prophetwould have none of it.There are diseases which neithermoney nor influence can cure. Thosethings cannot give life in the place ofdeath and sin is the one universalmalady which can never be removedby any worldly endeavor. Salvation isfrom God, andit is "the blood of JesusChrist which cleanses us from all sin."Leprosy was like sin in thatit was incurableand separated between people.Only God could cure it, and thecure has been given as a free gift.As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 9:15,"Thanks be to God for his unspeakablegift."3: The Ineptitude of a Ruler WhoDoes Not Know Where to Find God.Naaman brought the letter of introductionto the king of Israel whichcontained the message, "Now whenthis letter is come unto thee, beholdI have therewith sent Naaman my servantto thee, that thou mayest recoverhim of his leprosy." (2 Kings 5:6) Nodoubt the king of Syria reasoned thatif such a cure was possible in Israelthen the king of that country must bein charge of it. But the king of Israelmisconstrued the motives of Naaman."And it came to pass, when the kingof Israel had read the letter, that herent his clothes, and said, Am I Godto kill and to make alive, that thisman doth send unto me to recover aman of his leprosy? Wherefore consider,I pray you, and see how heseeketh a quarrel against me." Theprophet of the Lord was in Israel butthe king of Israel did not know whereto find him, nor how to direct a needyperson to God. There have been andstill are many such rulers in the world.They do not know how to direct peopleto the source of all help. Anyruler who does not know how to directpeople to God is, in a very realember 21, 19654: Man's Help Comes from God.In 2 Kings 5:8 it is said, "WhenElisha the man of God had heard thatthe king of Israel had rent his clothes,that he sent to the king, saying,Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes?Let him now come to me, and he shallknow that there is a prophet in Israel."God, through His prophet, sent for theafflicted man. All the people of theearth are afflicted with the disease ofsin. Christ has sent, through His servantsthe prophets and through Hisown. incarnation, saying to lost humanitywhich has gone to the wrongplace for help, "Look unto me and beye served; all the ends of the earth:for I am God, and there is none else."5: God's Help is Simple and WithoutFanfare.Elisha did not go out to meet theman; he simply sent his servant totell Naaman, "Go and wash in Jordanseven times, and thy flesh shall comeagain to thee, and thou shalt be clean."This was such a simple and unostentatiousmethod of healing that Naamanwas contemptuous of it. He said, "Arenot Abana and Pharpar, rivers ofDamascus, better than all the watersof Israel? may I not wash in them, andbe clean? So he turned and went awayin a rage." God can accomplish wonderswith very lowly means. Jesusopened the eyes of the blind man withmud made by the saliva of His mouth.At another time a sick woman washealed by touching the border ofHis clothes. Paul and Silas said to thePhilippian jailer who wanted to knowhow to be saved, "Believe on the LordJesus Christ and thou shalt be savedand thy house." God's help is not anexhibition. Jesus said, "When thouprayest, enter into thy closet, andwhen thou hast shut thy door, pray tothy Father which is in secret; andthy Father which seeth in secret shallreward thee openly."One of Naaman's servants, it sohappened, had more discretion thanhis master and he said to Naaman,"My father, if the prophet had bidthee do some great thing, wouldestthou not have done it? how muchrather then, when he saith to thee,Wash, and be clean?" The logic of theservant's remark appealed to Naamanand he went and "dipped himselfseven times in Jordan, according tothe saying of the man of God: and hisflesh came again like unto the fleshof a little child, and he was clean."6: Naaman Acquired Faith in God.The cleansing of his body convincedhim and he said, "Behold now Isense, inept.October 27, 1965 267

know that there is no God in all theearth but in Israel: now therefore, Ipray thee, take a blessing of thy servant."(Vs. 15) But Elisha absolutelyrefused to take any remuneration forhis service. It was the result of a directinterposition of God and that cannotbe purchased with money. It canbe bought "without money and withoutprice."Naaman then requested that "twomules burden of earth" be given him.Evidently he wanted to build a littlealtar back in his own country wherehe could offer sacrifices to the trueGod. He said, "Thy servant will henceforthoffer neither burnt offering norsacrifice unto other gods, but unto theLord." (Vs. 17)Another request which Naamanmade was for pardon. He lived amongan idolatrous people and was a servantto an idolatrous ruler. In assistinghis master as he went into the houseof Rimmon, the god, it might seemthat he also worshipped the idol. Sohe asked Elisha, that "the Lord pardonthy servant in this thing." Elisha,thereupon said to Naaman, "Go inpeace." This was an indication thatNaaman's prayer had been answered;his little faith had been strengthenedand the appearance of idolatry pardoned.7: Naaman's Cleansing Heraldedthe World-Wide Spread of the Gospel.He was a Gentile and yet he becamea partaker of the blessings ofthe God of Israel. This was a harbingerof the time wherein the ApostlePaul would say, "Lo, we turn to theGentiles.""Lesson based on International SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessonsfor Christian Teaching, copyrighted 1958by the Division of Christian Education. NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ in theU. S. A."Junior Topicfor November 21, 1965FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD ANDBELIEVERSPsalm Text:Psalm 84, page 205, verses 1, 3, 4, 5,especially.Memory Verse:Malachi 3:16.Psalms:Ps. 27, page 62, 4, 5, 8; Ps. 26, page61, 4-6; Ps. 48, page 122, 1, 7, 10; Ps.122, page 316, 1-3; Ps. 134, page 331,1, 2; Ps. 118, page 285, 17, 18.References:Heb. 10:25; Ps. 27:4; Ps. 122:1; Ps.135:2, 3; Matt. 18:20, Luke 4:16; Acts2:42.Aim:To KNOW God and His Sonthrough daily personal relationship,and through regular fellowship withothers who love Him.Memory Psalm:Emphasize verses 4, 5, 6, 9 of Ps.26, page 61.All of us like to have friends, andusually we have many whom we enjoy,but perhaps one who is our "best"friend. This one we like to be withquite often, for we enjoy his or hercompany, share secrets, and do thingstogether all because we like eachother so much. I knew of a small girlwho would visit a friend at her home,then the two walked together to theother girl's house where they wouldvisit some more, and then they wouldreturn to the first home and continuethis until one or the other mother decidedthey had had enough! The girlsenjoyed being together. We need dailyfellowship with our Lord, to becomeso close to Him that we want Him withus always. He wants this, too. WhenHe created Adam and Eve, He cameto the garden every day to be withthem, and it was they who spoiled thisrelationship and were forever sorry.Private devotions are a necessarymeans of growing to be more likeChrist. Remember that big wordSANCTIFICATION? We must get toknow Christ if we are going to understandhow to be like Him; and althoughwe know we can never reach total perfectionin this life (for only Christis perfect and sinless), yet God expectsus to try and to keep workingat it. Read I Peter 1:15, 16. Private devotionsare simply the time you spendalone with God, reading His Word andtalking with Him in prayer. And let'sremember we are not just talking toHim, but, as with any good and closefriend, we will listen for Him to speakto us, too. The important thing is tohave a regular time each day, to makeit a part of your schedule and to DOIT, just as you do other necessarythings during your day. Choose a time,even if it is only a few minutes, whenyou can be alone and think about whatyou're doing. A daily Bible reader orsome other devotional booklet mightbe a help in guiding your thoughts,but always ask the Holy Spirit to helpyou in your thinking and in your reading.That is His job, and He is eagerto do it.There is another way to have fellowshipwith God, and it helps us togrow, too. Can you think what it is?Yes, public worship. Now there areseveral ways you can do this. It maybe that you think first of attendingchurch, and you are right — this isvery important. Why? Well, it helpsyou to be able to gather with otherpeople who love the Lord and to joinwith them in worshiping Him. Anddid you know it helps them when youworship in the right attitude and withsincerity? Helping each other this wayis being "mutually strengthened," andthis pleases God. Look at your memoryverse (Mai. 3:16). We need to remember,however, that worshipingwrongly (whispering, giggling, notpaying attention) in a public placenot only hurts us, it also hurts others,and boys and girls, IT HURTS GOD.The A-B-C of worship is Always BeCareful that you are ready to worship.Another way you can worship Godpublicly aside from regular churchservices is to fellowship with otherChristians in their homes or in yours.Or it may be that someone who hasnot accepted salvation through Christshows a desire to learn about Him.You or perhaps the older membersof your family who know Him canmeet with that friend and show himwhat God has done for you and thatHe will do the same for him. A seriesof studies together is good for bothof you and you are exalting God, orworshiping Him.A third way to have fellowshipwith God is to have friends who knowHim and believe the same things youdo. With friends like this, you canalways take God's presence right withyou as you enjoy each other, for Heis welcome in the heart of each ofyou and so you can share Him in thisway. Of course all of us meet peoplewho do not love the Lord, and we needto be friendly and kind and try to helpthem to know Him; but it is good tohave Christian friends who understandyour desire to grow more likeChrist. Temptations will not be ashard to overcome with friends wholove the Lord to stand by you andencourage you. And you can do thatfor them when they meet temptations,too.There are many Psalms listed forthis meeting, and of course, you don'thave time to sing them all. But perhapsyou can look up the ones youwill not be singing, to see how theidea of Fellowship with God isbrought out. Spend time on the Psalmtext and try to become familiar withit; have it read from the Bible as wellas singing it. Look for the idea of268 fellowship especially in the versesCOVENANTER WITNESS

chosen. Do you feel as much love forthe house of God where you worship?For your notebooks:Review the different ways to havefellowship with God, then list thesein your notebook and draw a pictureto illustrate each. Or paste suitablemagazine pictures instead. You mightfind pictures in old S.S. workbooks orpapers. Print the topic at the top ofone page, then have a boy or girl readingthe Bible or praying, some peoplegoing to church, and two or morefriends doing something good together.The pictures can be continuedacross to the opposite page. After youhave learned the memory verse, writeit at the bottom of the page or pages."I WANT SUPPER"by Frances CurtisThis morning after being washedand dressed, a little one said, "I wantsupper, Mamma.""You mean you want breakfast,"I answered. "Remember, honey, inthe evening we eat supper, but in themorning we eat breakfast.""I don't want breakfast, I wantsupper," she insisted.For a moment I pondered herwords. Then—ah, yes! supper time isSharon's deilight, for her plate isfilled with all the foods that taste sogood — mashed potatoes with butter,a juicy cut of meat, sliced tomatoeswith salt to flavor, pickles, olives, abig, thick slice of bread with butterand jelly, and ice cream. Daddy iswith us, too, and that makes it somuch nicer.Then there's breakfast — just sheand I alone in the kitchen, and notalways such a pleasant time withMother trying to persuade her prunesand mush are so good. Yes, she wantedsupper, all right, but Mother gaveher breakfast for her own good, becauseof love.Do we ask for supper all the time,too — for favors and blessings continually?He will grant us these, but beinga wise and loving heavenly Father,He knows we must have breakfastsometimes, to nourish and perfect ourChristian character. So He allows illness,financial distress, disappointment,of whatever we need, to drawour hearts heavenward, thus to findspiritual strength and beauty."Now no chastening for the presentseemeth to be joyous, but grievous;nevertheless afterwards it yieldeththe peaceable fruit of righteousnessunto them which are exercisedthereby" (Heb. 12:11).GENEVA'S HOMECOMING COURT — In keeping with tradition at GenevaCollege each class has elected one girl as its representative on the court atthe annual 41st Homecoming Day, October 9. The "Queen" who will be chosenfrom the upperclassmen in the group will be announced at the close of anall-school election. Left tc right are, Linda Hill, freshman, daughter of Rev.and Mrs. Joseph A. Hill, Beaver Falls; Linda Swan, senior, daughter of Mr. andMrs. Robert Swan, Aliquippa; Barbara Detrick, junior, daughter of Mr. andMrs. K. W. Detrick, Beaver Falls, and Karen McKinney, sophomore, daughterof Mr. and Mrs. Harold E. McKinney, Lawrence, Kansas.As we pulled into the parking lot we could see license plates from farawayplaces: from New York and New Mexico, from Washington and Wyoming,from Colorado and Connecticut and California.What was bringing people to this particular place?They had come to see a log cabin.Why travel such distances to see a log cabin? Are there no such thingsas log cabins in Colorado or Connecticut or California?This was a very special log cabin — not because of the building itself,but because of some one who had once lived here. People from all over thecountry were coming to see a rustic cabin that had once been the home of anawkward gangling youngster who was working hard and growing strong andtrying hard to get himself an education.His name was Abraham Lincoln.At the time he lived in this particular cabin, no one realized that hewas any one special. No one even dreamed that something like a century anda half later, folks from all over the United States would be driving hundredsof miles just to see the rustic cabin where Abraham Lincoln had lived as ayouth. Certainly, back in those days, no one ever expected this boy to becomePresident of the United States.It gives us all a little something to chew on, doesn't it?The fact is, that parents do not know whom they are raising, right intheir own homes. Sabbath School teachers can have no way of knowing whomthey are looking at, as they go before their classes. Ministers of the Gospelknow not to whom they are ministering the Gospel, as they view the childrenin the audience before them.The little tow-head who is soaking up what is being dispensed, may bea future Senator or business tycoon or physicist of international fame. Whoknows? In years to come we may find ourselves declaring, "That man attendedour church when he was a boy! In fact, I was his teacher!"October 27, 1965 269

IN MEMORY OFMISS BESS ARNOTTOctober 14, 1891 -June 15, 1965The Women's Missionary Society,Coldenham congregation, and SabbathSchool wish to pay a tribute of loveto the memory of Miss Bess Arnottwho was called to her heavenly homeon June 15, 1965, after a year of weaknessand suffering.Born in Coldenham, New York,October 14, 1891, the daughter of Fullertonand Grace McGibbon Arnott,she was a life long member of theColdenham Church. In the congregation,Sabbath School, Missionary Society,and W.C.T.U., she served herSaviour faithfully and lovingly.She was a graduate of New YorkState Teachers' College at New Paltz.After teaching elsewhere for a fewyears, she returned to Newburghwhere she taught for over 30 years,retiring in June 1952. She was trulydedicated to her profession. It is asa "beloved teacher" in the publicschools, and in our Sabbath Schoolthat we best remember her. Duringthe last few years, she taught theAdult Bible Class in our SabbathSchool. All that she did was done withskill and efficiency, with grace andpatience; but also "with good willdoing service as to the Lord."To her sister, Miss Grace Arnott,her niece and nephews, and cousinswe extend our sympathy."O the depth of the riches both ofthe wisdom and knowledge of God!how unsearchable are his judgmentsand his ways past finding out" Romans11:33.MRS. CLARA WYLIE MARTINThe Women's Missionary Societyof Phoenix greatly miss our dearfriend and co-worker, Mrs. Clara W.Martin, who went to be with the Lord,September 14, 1965. Mrs. Martin wasalways at our work meetings with hersewing machine, and she served onthe Work Committee and in otherpositions over the years. She wasfaithful in attending evening meetingsand was our vice president at the timeof her death. She was always doingsomething for others and I am surethat her ministry of letter writing willbe missed by many throughout thechurch. We feel privileged to havehad her in our group these last fouryears. God blessed her life and shewas an inspiration to us all. "Blessedare the dead which die in the Lord."Phoenix W.M.S.Mrs. Harry McElwain, Sec.NORTHERN IRELANDThe installation of Rev. David J.Magee to the pastorate of Larne congregationopens a new chapter in thecongregation's history.On account of the proximity of thetown to Scotland the influence of ReformedPresbyterianism extends overtwo centuries. The first covenantingminister, Rev. John Paul, exercised aministry at Loughmourne that embracedthe Covenanters in the Larne district.Later a separate congregation wasorganised in 1859, when the districtwas influenced by the noted Revival.This congregation was linked for ageneration or so with Ballyclare, underthe ministry of Rev. A. M. Stavely.The present church building was erectedin 1902.The vacancy now filled was occasionedby the death of Rev. JamesCampbell. The service was conductedby Rev. William Young, Moderator ofthe Eastern Presbytery.The sermon was preached by Rev.F. S. Leahy, Cregagh Road, Belfastand the charge to minister and peoplewas given by Rev. J. A. Creswell Blair.The congregation extended hospitalityto the presbytery and visiting friendsat a reception held in the Orange Hallafter the service.The new minister, a native of Co.Donegal, has served the Church for16 years in the joint charge of Fairviewand Tullyvallen.Mr. Joseph Fleming, an elder inthe American R.P. Church, has beenspending a holiday in his native townof Ballymoney.The annual youth camps at Portrushin the first fortnight of themonth coincide with the activities of"The Covenanter Young People's Union."The central feature in these activitiesis the annual conference held inGlenmanus Church, Portrush.This year's theme "Christianity inAction" will be dealt with under fiveheadings. "The Christian in Education"by Knox Hyndman: "The Christian inAgriculture" by Stewart McMahon:"The Christian in Nursing" by JeanPollock: "The Christian in Business"by Thomas Cromie. and "The Christianand Science" by Irene Wright.A pre-conference meeting for prayerwill be led by Mr. James Kerr, ofDervock, and a meeting for Thanksgivingby Mr. Ronald Loughridge ofKilraughts.The young people under the leadershipof Mr. Harry Tadley, form achoir, and hold sessions of psalm singingeach evening at the sea front.The congregation of Milford, Co.Donegal, has just completed an extensivescheme of repair and re-decorationof church property.The preacher was Rev. Dr. HughBlair.The offerings and subscriptionshave met the cost of the renovation.A week of mission has been heldin Rathfriland. The speakers were Mr.K. Kasho, Lebanon, Revs. J. R. Patterson,R. Hanna, R. B. Cupples, and D.J. Magee.The Youth Fellowship of DromaraReformed Presbyterian Church hascompleted a busy season's programmeunder the leadership of Mr. EdwardHarkness.During the winter months theyproduced a missionary play entitled"A Change of Heart" which they stagedto raise funds for Christian work.At the beginning of April, theyheld their annual weekend house partyat Carrig Eden, Greystones, whenRev. and Mrs. J. R. Wright acted ashouse parents.The principal speaker was Mr.Michael Perrott.An evening of sacred music washeld in the church in June. The proceedsof the effort aided missionarywork in the Lebanon.Mr. Thomas Cromie of Rathfrilandcongregation, has been honoured bythe Sabbath School Society for Ireland.The Society presented him withan inscribed Bible to mark the completionof 55 years as a Sabbath schoolteacher, and 20 years as superintendent.BLOOMINGTON, INDIANAMrs. Robert McCracken and sons-Tom, Tim and baby Andrew — recentlyspent several days visiting her270 COVENANTER WITNESS

parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Stone. sity.pace in its nearly 40-year history. TheTom and Tim remained with their Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Curry and Handbook has now become virtuallygrandfather while their mother andAndrew accompanied Mrs. Stone, anson, James, vacationed in Pennsylvaniaand the Blue Ridge Mountains.a household word among Bible studentsthe world over. Nearly 90,000aunt, Mrs. Virgil Stone, and Miss Our pastor, Rev. D. Raymond Mc­ copies have already been sold duringKaren Stone on a trip to New Providence,Cracken, and family were absent forthe first eight and one-half monthsNew Jersey, to visit R'ts. four weeks, vacationing; and Rev. Mr. of 1965.Virgil Stone's daughter, Mrs. Renwick McCracken directed a Jr. High Conference.A first printing of the revised 24thPeoples and her family.Their report — "had a mar­edition, 75,000 copies, is now nearlyDr. and Mrs. Ed Kennedy and familyvelous time in the Pacific Southwest, exhausted and a second printing,of Mason City, Iowa and Mr. and enjoying the beach, Disneyland, Ma-again for 75,000 copies, has beenMrs. Donald Kennedy and family ofIndianapolis, Indiana were guests oftheir parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Kennedy.rineland, Coronady Island, Camp GoodNews, and meeting many dear friendsand loved ones."scheduled to be ready in late 1965.The fantastic reception given this newprinting is proof positive that Halley'sDr. Earl Moore, Dr. Scanzoni and Bible Handbook is still consideredMr. and Mrs. Ray Wampler anddaughter, Rachel, attended the weddingDr. Donald Felker conducted the Sabbathworship services in the absencefar and away the best Bible handbookavailable. Its exhaustive and conven-of their son, David, in Oakland, of our pastor.ient-to-use reference material, itsCalifornia.Dr. Donald Felker and family took striking and graphic pictorial features,The annual congregational picnicwas held at the Cascades Park, Thursday,July 15. Games and abundanta two-week vacation, visiting Mrs. Felker'sbrother in Minnesota, also herfather in Michigan.its up-to-the-minute arcaeolog-ical data, coupled with the new largertype size and format, have againfood were enjoyed by the large group Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Moore vacationedwon the hearts of Bible student*in attendance.The Senior class held a party at in Florida, visiting with rel­atives and friends.everywhere.Zondervan Publishing Housethe church under the leadership of The congregation is glad Mr. JoeGrand Rapids, MichiganMr. and Mrs. Robert Stone. Everyone Moore is out of the hospital and improvingafter getting his foot injuredCHANGE IN HIGH SCHOOL SMOKenjoyedthe evening playing gamesING HABITS MAY DEPEND ON EXandeating.while working on the railroad.AMPLE-SETTINGThe young people of the Indianapolisand Bloomington congregations is improving after surgery at theWe are glad Miss Ethel McMillan*AESTRACT — Efforts to fosterdiscontinuance of cigarette smokingheld a swim party at I.U.'s Beechwood Bloomington Hospital. She is convalescingat the home of her sister, Mrs.(and to prevent it) have been largelyHeights. The weather was excellent,focused on young people. It isthe spirit was splendid, and the attendancereached a high mark of 22.Robert Curry.questionable, however, to believe thatThe young adults held a swim and WANTED: A housekeeper and companionto care for an older womaneven this limited goal can be achievedif the older age-group does notsteak party at I.U.'s BeechwoodHeights. The swim began at 4:00 and who is a member of the Los Angeleschange its own habits. "... we mustthe steaks were sizzling at 6:00. Reformed Presbyterian Church. Yourecognize that many adults serve asThe young people held a special would have a private room, one dayexemplars to youth. Parents, physicians,dentists, others in the health pro­meeting with Indianapolis Youth Fellowship,August 15, at Indianapolis. church on Sabbath. Room and boarda week off, and be free to attendfessions, ministers, athletes, and ....The leaders of this meeting were Miss would be free, and salary arrangementswill be discussed with you. Ifthe teacher."Pamela Arthur and Miss Lena Dixson.For this reason, it would be desirablefor school administrations to con­Our young people took their meetingto the new group and shared it Bruce C. Stewart, 5139 Argus Dr.,interested, please contact the Rev.vene meetings to discuss the teacher'swith them. Pray that all the young Los Angeles, California 90041.role as example-setter — not to coerce,but simply to evaluate and recognizepeople will be encouraged in theirfaith.NEW HALLEY'S BIBLE HANDBOOK"the degree to which (the teacher's)We were glad to have in our midst,A RUNAWAY BEST SELLER! smoking behavior affects his own attitudeand the effectiveness of hisduring the months of August andGrand Rapids, Michigan. The newSeptember, Mr. and Mrs. John Curryand completely revised edition of the teaching about the effects of smoking."The establishment of a non-smok­and family from Texas, who werefamous Halley's Bible Handbook hasguests of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Curry;established new sales records since ing milieu is of the utmost importance:a milieu in which smoking isMr. and Mrs. John Kennedy and familyof Indianapolis, who were guestsits release in July of 1965, accordingto an announcement made by the no longer an acceptable form of behaviortaken thoroughly for granted.of Mr. and Mrs. John Kennedy, Sr.publisher and distributor, ZondervanMrs. William Hill and family of Indianapoliswere guests of Mr. and Mrs.Publishing House of Grand Rapids, *Cigarette Smoking in the HighMichigan. Now in its 24th edition, Schools. Horn, D. Chief, Special ProjectsSection, Cancer Control Pro­Robert Curry. Mrs. Hill is a daughterin-lawof the Currys. Also visitingcompletely reset and restyled, withspecial emphasis on the up-dating of gram. U.S.P.H.S. Presented at theus were Mr. and Mrs. Rex McClintock.archaeological data and the inserting meeting of the American AssociationTo be with us for the school yearof new photos and maps, Halley's of School Administrators, Atlanticare Mr. and Mrs. Joe McFarland andBible Handbook is selling at the rate City, N.J., February 17, 1965.family of Emporia, Kansas. Mr. Mcof16,000 copies a month, the highestMedical Bulletin on TobaccoFarland is attending Indiana Univer­October 27, 1965 271

THEWITNESS COMMITTEEVOICE of the COVENANTER CHURCHToPUBLICIZE and DEFEND our DISTINCTIVE STANDOnMATTERS of PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCEto the CHURCH and to the NATION.IHE RESPONSIBILITY Of IHE CHURCHWh yNo/„s, ron) eiite?psalmodyIN IHE SACRAMENT OFTHE LORD'S SUPPED"* R ° BE,,T » "-UCB.. c. M>««REV. KENNETH A. McBURNEY

TiiaULUUlUAL SEMIXAB*PITTSBURGHCovenanter WitnessTO JESUS C?IRZST•THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONrVOLUME LXXV NO. 18 NOVEMBER 3, 1965 STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 28, 1965SiWon^ejofuic^%sln|teri(iti GkrcluMISSION AR Y NUMBER

THE COVENANTERWITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.CVANaeUCAL PflMS ASSOCIATIONEditor: Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D.D.125 N. 4th StreetSterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under the supervision of theBoard of Publication by The Patterson Press, Wapello,Iowa 52653.Contributing Editors: Department Editors:Rev. Kenneth Smith Rev. Bruce C. StewartDr. G. M. RobbMrs. Robert B. MaineRev. T. R. HutchesonMrs. Willis EdgarRev. John K. GaultOpinions expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Church or the editor.All material to appear in The Covenanter Witnessshould be typewritten, double-spaced, and should be inSterling, Kansas two weeks before it is to be printed.Obituaries — All words in excess of one hundred fifty,one cent per word. Money should accompany such notices.SUBSCRIPTION RATESIndividual (1 year): U.S. and Canada, $4.00, BritishIsles 35/-, all other places, $5.00;Individual (2 year): U.S. and Canada, $7.00, BritishIsles 63/-, all other places, $9.00;Group: U.S. and Canada, $3.00, British Isles 28/-, allother places, $4.00.9-month student subscription — $1.50; 5-month introductoryoffer — $1.00; 2 gift subscriptions to persons outsideof the R.P. Church — $2.00 each. Single copies, 10ceach.Subscription Agent for U.S. and Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.Subscription Agent for the British Isles: Rev. HughWright, B. A., 12, Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, NorthernIreland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness in U. S. currency.Give one month's notice of a change of address. Sendboth the new and the old address to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty.Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, Iowa.WE HOLD THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only infalliblerule of faith and conduct.The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experience.The Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Holy Spirit.The fact of death and hell as the destiny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believein Him together with their children.The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church Government.The Lord Jesus Christ as the only King and Head of His Church.That terms of membership or communion are essential to thewelfare of the Church.Quote -Impressed by his loveable character, GeorgeWishart's jailers asked if they could do anything forhim. In response to his request he was allowed tohave the Lord's Supper the night before he wasburned at the stake. The Christians who were allowedto attend that service with the man who inthe sixteenth century gave up wealth and positionfor Christ's sake, said that he was overflowing withjoy all evening. As they sat in the gloomy prisoncell, the martyr spoke with great feeling about thelove of the Lord Jesus in suffering and dying forus, and he exclaimed with greatest joy, "To thinkthat I shall see Him in the morning."—Choice Gleanings CalendarThis Week's WitnessWater 275Glimpses 276The Outlook in Japan 277In Retrospect 280The Beecher Farm Mystery . 282Lesson Helps 283Scribe . . 285Church News . . . 286The duty which rests upon officers to maintain discipline andpreserve the purity of the Church.Spiritual worship as a divine requirement mediated through theLord Jesus Christ.The exclusive use of the Psalms in the worship of the Church.The Protestant interpretation of the Sacraments.The divine right of the institution of Marriage and that it is notto be dissolved except by adultery or "irremediable" desertion.The Sabbath as a day sacred to rest and worship.The duty of nations and their civil rulers to honor Christ asKing of Kings and Lord of Lords.That Christian citizens are under obligation to obey lawful authority.The right and duty of the Christian citizen to dissent from allgovernmental and national disobedience to the Law of God.That the Covenants of the past are still binding.From "The Communicant's Class" by J. B. Tweed274 COVENANTER WITNESS

EditorialCommentWATERHow seldom do we seriously think of the valueof common things, that is until they reach a criticalpoint of becoming uncommon or a scarce commodity.Such is the case with water. This great commodityis universally known and used whereverthere is life.In this part of the country where I grew to manhood,and now live, a rare water situation exists.From the Arkansas River three miles south ofSterling to perhaps eight miles north of town isthe river underflow. Anywhere in this area one maydrive a sandpoint down, attach a pump to it, and hewill have a seemingly unlimited supply of water.Water gravel nearly eighty feet in thickness carriesthe mighty but invisible river for life in the area.As one reads about the critical water situationour country is facing, it brings deep concern to theserious, thinking mind. Industry has made inroadsupon our water supply and has created graveproblems in some of our communities, causingthem to enlarge their wells and their reservoirs orsources of water.Drought in certain areas has produced a waterproblem. There have been times when a person didnot receive water with his meal in a restaurant unlesshe requested it.Another problem which also raises great concernis the matter of pollution. Nearly every cityof any size has its sewer system. Through thissystem, in cities along rivers, flow the waste andfilth of the town. Many towns have no systemwhereby this burdened water is purified before it issent down the river to the next town or city.Through the increasing weight of sewage dumpedinto it by entering streams, Lake Erie, of the GreatLakes system, has become a veritable cesspool.Fish are killed, thus adding to the terrible strenchand rendering this body of water almost useless forhumanity.This whole situation, gruesome as it is, is a moststriking parable of another disastrous situation thatclaims our attention. It too calls for immediate anddrastic remedial action.November 3, 1965From time immemorial the term water has helda significant place in the religious vocabulary ofmankind. It has carried the idea of purity and purifyingpower. In a spiritual sense it is thought of asgiving eternal life, the gift obtained by acceptingthe Lord Jesus Christ as one's Saviour. It standsfor the words of life, the redeeming power of ourLord.In the Scripture we read of it as a river, the riverof the water of life. Ezekiel, in chapter 47, picturesthis life-giving stream flowing out through the doorof the Temple. This shows it to be related to thesanctuary. Truly it could be said to be the Gospel,or the Word of God.The Word of God is indispensable for the givingand sustaining of the spiritual life of man. Itis the only means of the purification of man. Jesussaid, "Now ye are clean through the work which Ihave spoken unto you." Paul wrote to the Ephesians:"Christ also loved the church, and gave himself forit; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with thewashing of water by the word." It is the one thingthe Holy Spirit uses in His purifying ministry.What do we find as we solemnly meditate onthe matter? At one of the ceremonial feasts, Christstood before His thirsty brethren who rejected Himand said, "If any man thirst, let him come unto meand drink." In our day, through the sewer of scholarshipso-called, men have sought to make this waterunuseable for man. They say Christ was not virginborn;He was not God. His crucifixion was simplythe result of the ideal life He lived, and hence hasno virtue in itself. Through this inflow of corruption,man would make this stream ineffective. Thetree on the banks of the river would disappear andthe marshes into which the water flows would notbecome productive. It behooves the church of theliving God to see that the stream flowing from herdoors is kept pure by filtering out these stagnatinginfluences.Of one thing we may rest assured and in it werejoice, and that is, while much that is bad and destructivemay be dumped into the channel, thewater, the body of truth, is not destroyed.Just as the impure waters of our streams canbe processed, and the water itself made pure, so itis when the corruption of the Word by selfish menis filtered out, the truth remains, and we find confirmedthe words, "The Word of the Lord standethsure."275

The Family Car -By GladysIn this day of rushing about from one place toanother, with members of the family expected to bein different places at the same time, what bettercounseling room is there than one's "home awayfrom home" — the family car?Watching our speedometer turn over to 100,000miles the other day, I thought about the importanceof shaping the lives of our children of this car andthe others we've owned.Recently our daughter remarked, "One of myearliest recollections is waking up in the backseat and asking what state we were in."Her brother added, "Other than the state of confusion,I presume you mean.''How can seven people crowd into a car to travel5,000 miles without confusion? In such long tripsour family soon learned that there simply wasn'troom for fighting; nerves were tense enough withoutquarreling; voices had to be pitched right tobe heard but not loud enough to irritate. Improvisinggames that could be measured by miles, notminutes, became a fine art. Some of the childrenlearned decimals trying to make one potato chiplast one mile, taking the last nibble at .9 whilereaching for the next. By the time the bag of chipswas gone, we would have covered many peacefulmiles. The alphabet was taught by racing to seewho could first locate all the letters on signs. Atemperance lesson was added by ruling out letterson beer and tobacco signs. Geography was taughtby reading, road maps, setting watches ahead andback, crossing the Continental Divide, goingthrough national parks, noting crops and industries,stopping to read historical markers along theway.One favorite pastime was harmonizing on favoritehymns and choruses, which come back to encourageus now in times of stress. Scripture verseswere also learned during these hours of enforcedtogetherness. And who can say how much doctrine,philosophy, practical Christianity were absorbedduring discussions aimed at keeping the driver alertwhen it was necessary to travel at night?I once asked a lady how she could always arriveat church with her family of ten, looking so calmand serene, ready for worship. The job of getting myfour pre-school children to church from the parson-Reimanage next door left me exhausted. With a knowingsmile she replied, "The eight-mile trip in the cargives us time to change frowns to smiles."After I went back to teaching, I realized thetruth of that statement. The fifteen minutes in thecar would be used in many ways. The children frequentlyused it to drill for tests, class plays, andBible quiz. With three teen-age sons eager for thepractice, my services weren't needed as a chauffeur;I could settle back and relax, adjusting home andschool responsibilities. I could also hear conversationsand know the problems the children werefacing, guiding them occasionally in thinkingthrough a solution.There were times when one of the childrenwould be in the car with parents for some specialreason with "time to talk things over." Some veryimportant results followed these sessions, such asthe time our son made his choice to go to WessingtonSprings. This led to his call to the ministry, hisrepresenting his school in the Dominican Republic,and choosing a classmate as his wife.While our children were at WSC, their fatherand I drove there occasionally to see how thingswere going. Our teenagers would get into the carfor a few moments to talk things over. We didn'talways know the answers to their problems, butwe knew Who did. In the privacy of the car wecould again commit them to His care and guidance.Now after ten graduations and three weddingsin seven years, the occasions that we can be togetherin our car are less frequent. But when we doget together, theology, racial discrimination, spacetravel, philosophy, politics, literature, and woman'splace in society are argued good-naturedly, interspersedwith choice bits of humor and advice.It is never easy for a pastor's family to findtime to be together, but the hours spent in ourcounseling room—the family car — have addedmuch to our enjoyment.The Free Methodist 8-31-65Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? orwho shall stand in his holy place?He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart;who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, norsworn deceitfully. Psalms 24: 3, 4276 COVENANTER WITNESS

•fFROM JAPANNewsFrom Our Mission FieldTo lead people to become faithful Christiansis not an easy task in any country under any conditions.It is only the Spirit of God who can changethe proud heart and make it desire to love andserve Christ. In Japan we reahze this anew as weface much indifference on the part of most people.Money, pleasure, and T.V. have become the newgods of the public, just as in America. In addition,much anti-American sentiment arising from theVietnam war increases people's reluctance to believethat Americans can be sincere. The American,or free-world point of view, is being given verylittle coverage in the big newspapers. The propagandabattle is surely being lost in Japan so far.At our summer conference I only heard one youngperson stick up for the American point of view.Even a man who works with me steadily is filledwith what I call communist propaganda, and thoughwe have long discussions he goes away unconvinced.Even statements of President Johnson aboutthe poor people of America are blown up to makeit look as if there were only two groups in America,the rich capitalist oppressors and the poor starvingpeople. Such things as these are a hindrance to thegospel and we feel the effect in our ordinary services.But still we rejoice that we are free to preachthe Gospel everywhere, and there are many opportunities.Special MeetingsRecently the Keiyaku Church sponsored a specialevangelistic meeting at the-Book Room and invitedRev. Mr. Okada of the Reformed Seminary topreach. Members of our two other congregations,missionaries, inquirers, and altogether new peoplecrowded in making a total of fifty-four present. Westill pray that the message will reach the heartsof some.The members of Keiyaku Church had a planningmeeting last month to talk about their futurechurch building. Together we discussed the purchaseof land in the Okamoto area, the time tobuild, the raising of funds, and the kind of buildingneeded. No attempt was made to set definitetimes or places, but all agreed to investigate hereand there and to continue to work toward our goal.THE OUTLOOK IN JAPANRev. Gene W. SpearThe fall communion service for our three congregationsis planned for October 31. We are makinga special effort to prepare well for these servicesand request your prayers.New OpportunitiesThis fall all of the missionaries have hadgreater opportunities opened up by the number ofpeople wanting English. We do not teach just Enghsh,but invite them to English Bible classes. MissLynn has started three new Enghsh Bible classes atEast Suma, the Penningtons have started some atTarumi, and in our home we have started two newclasses. Some of these people will never want anythingbut Enghsh, but by the grace of God somewill come to know their real spiritual needs andwill begin to seek Christ. In these new classes alonethe missionaries probably reach more than sixtypeople per week with the gospel message. We requestyour prayers for these students.Changing StatusThe status of missionaries has changed inJapan. When we came out, all the missionarieswere driving big foreign cars. As time passed thosecars were replaced by smaller Japanese cars. Butthere has been an increasing number of missionarieswho are going around the busy streets on smallmotorcycles. We now have five motorcycles usedby our missionaries. This kind of transportationhas also been adopted even by big league baseballplayers from the U.S. One of the top hitters of thePacific League, Spencer, who has been vying forthe title of Home-run King, was on his way to thenext game on his tiny motorcycle the other daywhen just across the street from our house he hadan abrupt meeting with a small station wagon. Theresult — a leg fractured in two places and nomore home-runs this year. We are thankful thatwe have been protected from such accidents so far.In closing let us remind one another that in thegreat spiritual and ideological conflict of today wemust deepen our faith and enlarge our vision, Wemust cast off worldliness or indifference and learnto pray more faithfully and effectually. Only thegrace of God can make us equal to the tasks beforeeach one of us.November 3, 1965 277

Who Has The Greater Guilt?...by Dr. Fred JarvisThe murder of five missionaries by the Aucaspears in the jungles of Ecuador is well knownthroughout the world. A few years ago it was myprivilege to visit the Auca territory, to interview someof the wives of the five martyred missionaries, tomake broadcasts and write articles about the sadslaying of these dedicated soldiers of the Cross.The Aucas have often been referred to as "murderers."It is true that their spears kept the whitemen out of their territory. It is true that not until1956, with the down-payment of five lives, was theAuca territory visited with the Gospel-I stayed in a home in Ecuador built by the ShellOil company, who years before had gone into Aucaterritory. It was a commercial motive that inspiredthis company to enter this area. What irony thatthe search for oil preceded the search for souls.Commercial interests went in when the Church didnot. Even the loss of ten Shell Oil Company employeesdid not stop them.Priority For the LostWhat a shame that commercial motivationshould outweigh spiritual concern. Millions of peoplesee our bars that never see our Christ. Millionsbuy our trinkets that never receive our tracts- Millionsknow about the Red Cross that know nothingabout the rugged cross. Millions drink Coca-Colathat have never heard about the Living Water thattruly satisfies.We can rush our helicopters to Vietnam and ourarmaments to India and dispatch our ships to Cuba.Why cannot we Christians obey the 2000-year-oldcommand of Christ to preach the Gospel to everycreature? While the Communists are "dominatedby a struggle for world conquest," cannot we Christiansmatch their dedication in our struggle forworld evangelization? If they can spread their falsehoods,cannot we spread the truth?When will missions be given its rightful place?A visionless, crossless Christianity is a cause. Howcan we cold-hearted comfort-loving Christians athome fail to contrast our luxury with a lost world'sneed? How dare we condone our complacent condition?Where is our compassion? Where is our concern?Self-centeredness, much less disobedience, inmen or churches is always wrong.Our greatest business, our supreme task must begiving the witness to a world of unreached men.It is not enough to be passively in favour of worldevangelism. We must not wish, we must will toreach the lost- Satan's monopoly on the heathenmust be broken. In Christ's Name we must overcomeevery obstacle, and rush the Gospel to thewaiting millions. We must hear and heed the cry ofagonizing human hearts. We must not be content tosee the world sink down to hell. The privilege ofproclaiming the Gospel to the unconverted everywhereis our greatest privilege and most solemn obligation.Christ, the first great missionary, said, "AsMy Father hath sent Me, even so I send you." Wehave been commissioned to go with His message,not to whisper it in the ear, but to proclaim itfrom the housetops. We are stewards, trustees, witnesses,ambassadors. We have a heavenly-imposedobligation.All Have Right to HearOur gratitude for our salvation, our loyalty toChrist, our compassion for human need and helplessnessall should impel us to share the glad tidingsof God's grace. We must honestly seek to dischargeour duty and pay our debt to a dying world. Wemust cry, "Woe is me if I preach not the Gospel."We must feel with Paul, "I am debtor ... I am ready. . • I am not ashamed." Our loyalty to Jesus Christshould exceed the loyalty of servants to their mastersor soldiers to their captain or subjects to theirsovereign. If we are God's children let us give wholeheartedallegiance to God's plan. If we love Christwe will keep His commandments.The pagan in far-off lands has just as muchright to hear the Gospel as we do. Were it not forGod's grace we, too, would be heathen, deludedidolaters, or demon worshippers. God's love reacheddown from heaven and our love must reach to theends of the earth. It is hardly right for Christiansat home to bask in the sunshine of light and truthwhile hardly a ray of mercy penetrates heathen darkness-God has blessed us so that we might be a blessingto others. Missions must be our primary purposeand not just a sideline. The mission of the Church ismissions. Missions must be the heart, not the appendix.Missions must be the center, not the circumference.Missions must be the work and notjust a branch of the work. We must bring Christto the Christless or we forfeit God's blessing. AChurch that exists for its own only cannot exist forlong. A selfish Church cannot survive- We mustdeeply repent of our lamentable irresponsibility.If we are not doing anything for missions we areinexcusably ignorant or wilfully disobedient.Through the Printed PageWorld evangelization is possible. It must be278 COVENANTER WITNESS

done. It can be done. It will be done of we let Godhave His way with our hves, money, and time. Wemust confess our lethargy and lukewarmness.Christ's cause must come first in our thinking,praying, giving and spending. We must press for adouble portion, pray that we may be endued withpower from on high, and purpose to have ourfeet shod with the preparation of the Gospel ofpeace.Only then will evangehsm outstrip commercialism.Only then will Christ's cause forge ahead byprodigious leaps. Only then will Christ's world-encompassingcommands be executed.May God help us to assume our responsibihty,to put first things first, and to strive to preachChrist where He has not been named. In these criticaldays may we keep in step with God. With Hismighty power behind us we must face the unfinishedtask before us and call upon the whole Churchto give the whole Gospel to the whole world.Propaganda Influences ManyHow can this be done? The answer is relativelysimple. When business or governments have animportant message they utilize the mass media ofradio and the printed page- In no time the worldknows about it. When commercial interests want tomarket their product they do the same.Millions of men and women are being influencedby propaganda. Although Gutenberg invented theprinting press to multiply the Word of God, todaythis mighty weapon of our warfare has been prostituted.Red ink rolls from Moscow's presses topollute the world. Dirty ink flows freely and thesmutty products it prints are corrupting the moralsof mankind around the world. And so the silent wargoes on. The great power of the printed page caneither be used to direct or misdirect, ruin or save,help or hinder. This mighty weapon is limited onlyby the selfishness of God's saints who put theirconvenience and comfort before its amazing abihtyto carry the Gospel message-We can reach millions through the power ofradio and the printed page if we will. Space forGospel ads can be purchased in hundreds of newspapersat an amazingly low price. Tracts printed onour presses, with no unnecessary overhead or expense,can speed the message to unreached millions.What cannot be done in years of preaching faceto face, by the outreach of the printed page canquickly reach the masses.Do you ask, "How shall men hear?" This is youranswer. Tracts can be multiplied by the millions.The Orient CAN be reached with the Gospel. ShellOil Company, Coca-Cola, Singer Sewing Machineand other foreign mercenaries are wise enough touse mass media in advertising their products. Shallwe foreign missionaries not likewise use them to' full advantage to present our Gospel?Reap the HarvestAdvances can be made- The harvest can be reaped.There is, however, a vital relationship betweenthe missionary enterprise abroad and the conditionof the Church at home. The foreign base can beno stronger than the home base. We can onlvlengthen the cords as you strengthen the stakes.The weak link in the chain, according to missionaryleaders, is that too few at home bear theresponsibihty and feel the burden of reaching thelost. Statistics tell us the shocking truth that onlyabout one-fourth of Protestants give anything tomissions. The heart of the missionary problem isthe problem of the heart.The Gospel cannot go farther until Christiansgo deeper. World evangelization will only followworld revival- Revival of the spiritual life is thedeep root of all. Sacrificial giving will follow spiritualliving.Deep love for souls implanted by the Holy Spiritwill drive out a love of ease and self indulgence.There is a price to be paid for everything that isworthwhile. Christ Himself made the supreme sacrificein order to save others.The heart of missions is sacrifice inspired bypure, wholehearted and complete devotion to JesusChrist. The extent to which we love Him will be theextent to which we spread His Gospel.May God give us a new dedication to the unfinishedtask and a new determination to give our bestto win a lost world to Christ through the printedpage.—The Bible FriendGOD'S "ELECTRIC EYE"Watch people some day as they go through the"electric eye" doors. The doors open for people ofall races, for men and women and children, forthe old and the young-The "eyes" are not respecters of persons. All thatone must do is to walk toward the door and let theelectric eye swing it open. So Christ opens the doorsof eternal life to all who trust Him.—Sunday School TimesYea, though I walk through the valley of theshadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou artwith me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.Thou preparest a table before me in the presenceof mine enemies: thou anointest my headwith oil; my cup runneth over. Psalms 23:4, 5November 3, 1965 279

IN RETROSPECTNancy WrightA question which I was most frequently askedwhen I was in America was "What made you wantto come here?" There were a variety of reasons: Ienjoy traveling and my work was at a stage whereI could take a year away from home; my father'sexperiences in America and Canada had been familiarstories from childhood and this gave me an interest;but most important, my contact with theAmerican youth at the International Conventionsin 1962 and 1964 had given me a real desire tolearn more about our sister church and to find outfor myself how she functioned.After much letter writing and form-filling, Ieventually found myself in a Boeing '707' highabove the Atlantic and realised that the adventurehad begun. Any vague thoughts of homesickness Imight have had were soon dispelled at the sight ofa dozen smiling friends who had waited until aftermidnight to meet me at Pittsburgh Airport — justthe first of many acts of kindness I was to receive.My base for the first eight months was inBeaver Falls at the home of the Dr. Herbert Haysfamily, and I very quickly learned to think of itas home, also. I thank the Lord for those who sounconsciously put into practice the command inI Peter 4:9 to "use hospitality one to another." Certainlythe best way to learn about a country is tolive with a family of that country; but I had thedouble advantage of learning about yet anothercountry —Syria, due to the Hays family's havinghved and worked there. It cannot be easy to openone's home to a stranger one has never met, and Iam sure in such circumstances there can be stressesand strains, but if there were any in the Hayshousehold I never saw them as I was always treatedlike a sister and even introduced as "my Irishsister."A big advantage from hving in Beaver Falls wasthe associations I could have with the college "kids."Fortunately I arrived in time to participate inHomecoming (even to pushing paper napkinsthrough chicken wire for the winning float). I'mafraid I didn't understand much of my first footballgame, but it was something to be part of ahappy crowd, and just to watch them and savournew sights and sounds was an experience. Thenit was a thrill to see and hear for myself a musicalgroup that had been heard on record at home onlythe week before.My impressions of Geneva (and perhaps those ofmost of my Irish friends) were rather inaccurate,but after living in the vicinity for eight months,disappointments vapourised and I was left onlywith an exciting feeling of what a role the Collegecan play in the Valley through the influence of itsChristian members and church background.Most of my church connections were with theGeneva congregation and there were many facetsof church life in America which provided novel experiencesfor me. I particularly enjoyed the monthlyfamily suppers which seemed to be put on so easilywith everyone's co-operation. I felt that the membersof the congregation got to know each otherso much better through these social contacts, andthat the idea could be adopted at home, with benefit.I wasn't always able to attend Sabbath schoolowing to my duties at the hospital, but when I did,I always found it very stimulating and helpful, witha well-prepared lesson from our teacher. The Guild(young women's missionary society) was also a greatblessing and the fun we derived from our projectswas positively hilarious at times.It was a privilege to be able to attend the PittsburghPresbytery Camp-o-day in March. This Ifound very similar to our week-end conferences athome except ours usually run from Friday to Mondaymorning. The talks and activities were all ofbenefit and it was a pleasure to meet some folksfrom the other congregations.One of the main interests to a visitor fromanother country is to find out how special timesare observed. Thanksgiving, of course, was an extratreat for me as it is not observed here, and I enjoyedhearing more about the Pilgrims, to say nothingof sampling the traditional fare. Christmas wascelebrated in a manner similar to that to whichI was accustomed (even down to the orange in thetoe of my stocking) but I found that, as at home,to many it means no more than a time of jollificationand self-indulgence and the essential mean-280 COVENANTER WITNESS

ing is often lost. Easter, I discovered, was muchmore commercialised in the U.S., as this is stilllargely a rehgious observance in Ireland.So far it sounds as though I had done no workin Beaver Falls, but during my time there I wasnursing in the Beaver Valley Hospital. Nursing inAmerica is somewhat different from nursing in theBritish Isles, but I gained from the experience andfound the staff pleasant and helpful. The patientsused to enjoy guessing where my home was, butsurprisingly few of them came up with the rightanswer, favourite suggestions being England, Scotland,and Sweden — of all places! Frequently, andto my amazement, I was asked how I spoke Englishso well!During these months, although I was veryhappy, I felt I was not seeing a wide enough pictureof the church, so when it was suggested thatI might go on the Summer Training Program Ireally felt this was the Lord's will for me. Doubtlessyou will receive other reports of the program so Iwill not go into it in too great detail, except to saywhat it meant for me. It was with some trepidationthat I went to the Seminary on June 16 as I wasnot sure what lay ahead, but very shortly any anxietywas dispelled by the evident presence of theHoly Spirit with us, and the week passed all tooquickly. Looking forward to the work scheduledfor us as a team, I wondered just how I wouldcope, but I learned to depend more on the Lord andfound how wonderfully He could fulfill His promisesto give strength. Opportunities for servicewere quite varied and ranged from cold canvassing,to presenting the gospel, to counselling at camp andtaking V.B.S. This was a wonderful opportunity forme to visit other congregations and I feel, thoughI may never see some of them again that I havefriends all over the church.Since returning home I have been asked, "Whathas your year done for you? What have you learned?"Well, my time in America has given me a highopinion of the warmth and friendship of her peopleand a real interest in her affairs, and I havelearned that people are pretty much the same theworld over, and are striving for the same ends.I feel that my spiritual life has been deepenedas a result of a summer spent with my teammatesand other Christian workers, that my awareness ofthe needs of others has increased, and that my abilityto confront others with Christ and to help themto grow in the faith, has improved. In other words— to some extent I have fulfilled the three aimslaid down in S.T.P., and I have learned thingswhich are already proving of value in my Christianservice at home.The American Church dc-es not seem so faraway now and I hope our Irish Church is of moreinterest and concern to those whom I met and thatyou will "pray now unto the Lord our God for us."Jer. 37:3.Miss Nancy Wright of Belfast, Ireland, on herway to Greater Pittsburgh Airport.THE FOOLISHNESS OF DEFYING GODThis is a great day of words—words—and morewords, both pro and con as far as God is concerned.It reminds one of an experience told by a certainman concerning his httle dog.He said: "The first time our young dog heardthunder it startled him. He leaped up, gazed around,and then began to bark at the disturber of hispeace- When the next crash came he grew furious,and fairly flew around the room, seeking to tearto pieces the intruder who dared thus to defy him."It was an odd scene: the little yelping dog pittedagainst the artillery of heaven. Poor foolish creature,to think that his bark could silence the thunder clapor put fear into the heart of God who caused it.He was only a little dog, but we have plenty ofsupposedly intelligent human beings who imitatethe little fellow. They go about howhng at theirMaker as though they felt they could bark Him outof existence or silence the voice of His warnings.They defy their Maker today, but may be crushedbeneath His righteous indignation tomorrow.—C. W. Hahn, The Pentecostal EvangelNovember 3, 1965 281

The Beecher Farm MysteryA STORY FORJUNIOR - HIGHS(Continued from last week)Mrs. George (Jean L.) McFarlandIt was only a matter of minutes until orderwas restored and the lunch went on, but Becky feltthat the meal had been a failure. That afternoon shewrote in her book."Dear Little Book: Aunt Tabitha has arrivedand the Beecher family has gotten off to a very badstart. First, Shep messed up the cake, and thenJerry spilled the preserves. It's no wonder AuntTabitha was cross.TomorrowI'll have to go to town with Mr. Brownand put the two hundred dollars in the bank, soDaddy can write the check for the tractor paymentnext week. Aunt Tabitha said she would show mehow to make out the bank slip. Ho-hum, I'm a ladyof business."Part 4The next morning the family was awakenedwith a start as Aunt Tabitha's alarm clock rangloud and long at an early hour. But Becky wasglad to get up and get the work done so she couldgo to town to see Dad and put the money in thebank. After breakfast she put on a clean dress,brushed her hair, to be ready to go when Mr. Brownstopped. She got the pouch out of the tea-pot andagain loosened the strings to peep at the roll ofbills. She had just pulled the strings tight whenthe telephone rang. Laying the pouch on the kitchentable, she went to answer the phone. It wasa neighbor woman calling to ask about Dad. Theconversation lasted a few minutes, and when Beckycame back into the kitchen, she noticed the screendoor was standing wide open, And then — herheart sank — the money was gone.Frantically she called the girls and Aunt Tabitha."Where's the money?" she asked. "Did someof you take it and hide it for a joke?"But they all looked as bewildered as Becky anddeclared they hadn't even been in the kitchen. Theyall began looking under the table and around theroom. They went to the telephone, thinking Beckymight have carried it to the phone when the neighborcalled. But the money, pouch and all, had vanished.Far out in the field they could see Jerry andBarney on the tractor, so they couldn't have beenin the house.Tears rolled down Becky's cheeks. She couldn'thelp it. How was she going to tell Daddy? AuntTabitha was as stunned as the children and stoodspeechless. What could have happened to themoney? But she pulled herself together when shesaw Becky's tears. "Don't worry," she said; "it'sbound to be around here some place. So go see yourDad and explain that we'll hunt until the money isfound."So an hour later, Becky at the hospital, tearfullyexplained to her Dad what had happened. Dadtried to reassure her by saying all would be well,but his words sounded hollow even to himself. Thefamily needed the two hundred dollars, especiallynow that he couldn't work."We'll have to borrow some money," he finallysaid, "until the pouch is found. Tell Mr. Brown tocome to see me; he can probably arrange the loanat the bank for me."Becky felt that she had failed Dad when heneeded her most. That day she did not write in herbook as she did not want to tell about losing themoney. It was too awful to put into writing, andshe couldn't think of anything else, so she wrotenothing.But that evening she prayed that God would lether find the money. After her prayer she felt betterand went to bed. She fell asleep immediately anddreamed. She thought her mother came and stoodbeside her and stroked her hair and said, "Don'tworry, Becky; things do work together for good tothose who love the Lord."The next morning she awoke feeling much better.She was sure everything would come out allright. Aunt Tabitha was getting breakfast whenBecky entered the kitchen."I have news for you," said Aunt Tabitha, inher short, crisp way of speaking, and she actuallymanaged a crooked smile as she gave her message."What news?" asked Becky almost holding herbreath. " Did you find the money?""No, not that," said Aunt Tabitha, "but Mr.Brown called. He was at the hospital last eveningand they told him your dad has his leg in a castand can come home in a day or two. Of coursehe'll not be able to walk for many days, and a Red-Cross nurse will stop every day or so to look afterhis head bandages and see that he gets good care.""Oh, we'll care for him," said Becky. "We'll takesuch good care of him, he'll be well in no time."(To be continued)282 COVENANTER WITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of November 28, 1965Sabhath School Lessonfor November 28, 1965AMOS: CHAMPION OF JUSTICEAmos 1-9Comments by John K. GaultAmos was one of the greatest ofthe Old Testament prophets althoughhe said of himself, "I was no prophet,neither was I a prophet's son." He didnot occupy the office of a prophet asdid Isaiah or Jeremiah and derive hisliving from that office; but he lefthis living, his occupation, which wasthat of a herdsman in order to prophesy.Neither did Amos belong to anyschool of the prophets. He did not haveany formal education in theology,under teachers, but he was a herdsmanof a special breed of sheep notedfor their fine wool. But even thoughAmos was not a school man he displayeda keenness of intellect whichwas unsurpassed. He thought deeplyand he had the ability to make practicalobservations and relate them tothe moral conditions of his time. Hisoutdoor life enabled him to use suchfigures of speech as "threshing instrumentsof iron." "whose heightwas like great cedars," "will a lionroar in the forest, when he hathno prey?" the "plumbline," and the"basket of summer fruit."As a seller of sheep's wool, he,no doubt, traveled extensively andthus heard many grievances from peopleand observed many injustices. Thefire in his soul burned fiercely as hecame in contact with the evil conditionsof his time, and so loud becamehis vituperations against sinthat the priest of Bethel besoughthim to leave the country and go backinto Judah. He thought the peopledown south needed his message morethan they did.1: Amos' Indictment of the Nations.He began his denunciations withDamascus or Syria. Because of thecruelty of the Syrians who "threshedGilead with threshing instruments ofThe country of the Philistines wasAmos' next point of attack. God woulddestroy Gaza "because they carriedaway captive the whole captivity, todeliver them up to Edom." He said,"The remnant of the Philistines shallperish, saith the Lord God."The doom of Tyre was next soundedby this fearless shepherd-prophet.He said, "Because they delivered upthe whole captivity to Edom, and rememberednot the brotherly covenant."Tyre had been engaged in theslave traffic, as the Philistines alsowere. They sold Hebrews to the Edomitesas slaves. The "brotherly covenant"which Amos mentioned wasprobably the covenant which Solomonentered into with Hiram, king ofTyre. The complete fulfillment of thisprophecy came when Alexander theGreat captured Tyre and sold thirtythousand of its citizens into slavery.Edom was composed of the descendantsof Esau. As Amos said in 1:11,"For three transgressions of Edomand for four, I will not turn away thepunishment thereof; because he didpursue his brother with the sword,and did cast off all pity, and his angerdid tear perpetually, and he kept hiswrath for ever." The hatred of Edomfor Israel was unrelenting, continuingeven after the exile and even tothe present time.Ammon was denounced and itsdestruction was foretold because ofthe unmitigated cruelty which thatnation meted out to their innocentvictims. The unborn infants were theobjects of their venom as they wentabout to subjugate their foes, so thatthey would never rise again.Moab, another great enemy of Israel,was denounced and its destructionforetold "because he had burnedthe bones of the king of Edom intolime." This was an expression of perpetualhatred, and as they thought,destroyed the soul as well as thebody. Amos said in 2:2, "Moab shalldie with tumult, with shouting, andwith the sound of the trumpet; And Iwill cut off the judge from the midstthereof, and will slay all the princesthereof with him, saith the Lord."Judah was the next nation to bedenounced by Amos. What had Judahdone to merit such excoriation as"They have despised the law of theLord, and have not kept his commandments,and their lies caused them toerr, after the which their fathers havewalked." The other nations were goingto be destroyed for their offensesagainst other nations, but Judah wascondemned for her offense to God;and for this God said, through Amos,"I will send a fire upon Judah, and itshall devour the palaces of Jerusalem."With the denunciation of the surroundingnations, including Judah,Amos adroitly stirred up the indignationof Israel against the othernations, which brought him to themain purpose of his prophecy whichwas the bitter denunciation of Israelfor her sins and the pronouncementof the certain doom which was awaitingher.2: Amos' Denunciation of Israel.The people of Israel were livingin sin. For one thing they had slaveryfoi debt. While the law allowed a personto indenture himself for a debt,he was not to be regarded as a bondservantand was to go free upon theyear of jubilee. But the rich Israelitesheld such unfortunates as slaves asis implied in 2:6, "They sold the righteousfor silver, and the poor for apair of shoes."Immorality had become commonin Israel as is stated in 2:8. The forfeitedpledges which had been left atthe altars or shrines were used forimmoral purposes. This had been thepractice among the Canaanites and ithad gradually crept into the shrineworship of Israel.These offenses were particularlyflagrant in view of the fact that Godhad done so much for them. Amos2:9, 10 reminded Israel of the wonderfulgoodness of God, "Yet I destroyedthe Amorite before them, •— Also Ibrought you up from the land ofEgypt, and led you forty years throughthe wilderness, to possess the landof the Amorite." Then, in 3:2 God con­iron" God would "send a fire intotinued to say, through Amos, "Youthe house of Hazael, — and wouldonly have I known of all the families"break also the bar of Damascus, andof the earth: therefore I will punishcut off the inhabitants from the plainyou for all your iniquities." The dayof Aven, and him that holdeth theof reckoning was soon to come uponsceptre from the house of Eden: andthis rebellious land. God was burdenedwith all their sins as He said inthe people of Syria shall go into captivity."Amos expressed in the words of 2:4? 2:13, "Behold, I am pressed underNovember 3, 1965 283

you, as a cart is pressed that is fullof sheaves." Amos used metaphorsof things with which he was thoroughbyfamiliar. He had driven, undoubtedly,many carts which were heavilyloaded with sheaves of grain.In 3:4 Amos said, "Will a lion roarin the forest when he hath no prey?"No, a lion will not roar under thosecircumstances. A lion roared when hepounced upon a hapless sheep ofAmos' flock. God, through Amos, had"roared" and Israel was the preywhich was to be devoured and destroyed.The figure of a trumpet is alsoused. "Shall a trumpet be blownin the city, and the people not beafraid?" The trumpet sound was awarning of an attack. So, Amos' voicewas the warning of an attack whereinIsrael would be destroyed.The lazy women of Israel are condemnedby Amos. He likens them tofat cows as he said, "Hear this word,ye kine of Bashan, that are in themountains of Samaria, which oppressthe poor, which crush the needy,which say to their masters, Bring,and let us drink. The Lord God hathsworn by his holiness, that, lo, thedays shall come upon you, that hewill take you away with hooks, andyour posterity with fishhooks. Andye shall go out at the breaches, everycow at that which is before her."(4:1, 2) The walls of the city wouldbe broken down and the "cows" wouldbe led through with hooks.The Assyrians were in the habitof dealing thus with their captives.3: God Would Not Destroy All ofIsrael.(Read Amos 9:8, 14)"Lesson based on International SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessonsfor Christian Teaching, convrlehted 1958by the Division of Christian Education NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ in theT T C A "Junior Topicfor November 28, 1965THANKFUL FOR GRACEPsalm Text:Psalm 16, page 27.Memory Verse:I Corinthians 15:10. How are youprogressing with the unit memorywork?Psalms:Ps. 16, page 27, 1, 6-10; Ps. 90, page222, 1, 6, 8; Ps. 36, page 90, 5, 6; Ps.67, page 161, v.l; Ps. Ill, page 276,1, 3, 4, 9; Ps. 145, page 350, 1-3; Ps. 26,page 61, 5, 8; Ps. 119, page 287, 1,3; Ps. 51, page 130, 1, 2. (Use as manyof these as you wish, finding the messagein each one for the topic. If thisis adapted for a program for the congregation— see Introduction to Sponsors— you may want to use them allas a praise service.)References:Col. 1:2; Col. 1:12-14; Ps. 84:11; 2Cor. 12:9a; I Cor. 1:4, 5; I Cor. 16:23.Aim:To understand what is meant byGod's grace, and to learn to recognizeit in our daily living.In this lesson, we will ask ourselvesthree questions: What is grace?How is it experienced by a child ofGod? How much and when is it needed?Christ was gracious. See Luke4:22a. If we are growing to be morelike Him, then we will also be gracious.Not only are we thankful atthis time of the year, but as we cometo understand how God is gracious tous, then we will be thankful everyday as well.Look around you. Read the papers.Notice how much trouble there is inthe world about you, and how unhappymany people are. Do you everwonder why some of the awful thingsyou read about have not happenedto you? Perhaps they have; and if so,why haven't you just given up andwanted to die? Lots of people choosesuicide rather than face up to trouble,because they have no one to turnto for help, as you have. Have youever imagined yourself being a part ofa neighborhood family that seemsto have many kinds of serious problems— an alcoholic father, a sickor weak mother or none at all, or acrippling illness that leaves you dependenton other people? As Christians,we are not immune to thesethings; that is, we may be called uponto suffer sometimes, because thishelps us to learn to depend upon Godmuch more. But when troubles docome, don't we honestly find ourselvesbetter off than our neighbors or theunfortunate people we read about inthe headlines? Can't we always findsomething to be thankful for? Whyare we better off? Any pain or sorrowwe experience is just as real, and wemay know what heartache is as wellas our neighbor. But you and I haveGod's grace to uphold us and to helpus, where the other person may notknow God at all.What is God's grace? It is simplyGod's unmerited favor, or undeservedblessing. This is how God supports uswhen we need it. Did you notice 2Corinthians 12:9a? Read also Deuteronomy33:27. Do we deserve God'sgoodness to us? Why not? Realizinghow much we need God's grace andhow generously and continually Hegives it, should make us very humbleand thankful to Him. Some of ourgreatest men have been humble men.Abraham Lincoln was a good example.He realized how much he dependedon God each day. David is an exampleof a Bible character, and you couldname many more. Read David's prayerof humility in I Coronicles 29:10-13,and remember that a king prayed thisprayer!How does the Christian experienceGod's grace? First, he has received itin the plan of salvation in which Godhas enabled him to be changed from aperson who desired to sin, to one whodesires to serve God. See Ephesians2:8. This makes him a part of God'sown family (Rom. 8:14), and perhapsa person who has never known familylife and has felt very lonely canmost appreciate this. Then there aretimes when our old nature tries tomake us say or do things that mighthurt other people, especially if theyhave tried to hurt us. We need God'sgrace to keep us from yielding to asin like this, and to help us to actlike Christians should. We are ableto give "a soft answer" (Prov. 15:1)and bring glory to God in this way.Phillips' Translation of John 1:16a is"There is a grace in our lives becauseof His grace."Or we may experience some sorrowin our home, or our family mayundergo some severe trial and affliction.We need real courage andstrength at such times to face thesethings and to be able to say to God,"Thy will be done." His grace helpsus to do this, and as soon as we haveturned over our problem to Him, theload becomes lighter and easier tobear. (Ps. 55:22)How thankful we are for God'sgrace that does all this and so muchmore for us! Sing verses 5 and 8 ofyour Memory Psalm 26 on page 61.How we should pray that God willteach us to be "full of grace andtruth" as Christ is! (John 1:14)Are you thankful for a Christianhome and a church where you canworship God freely? Notice our textpsalm, verses 4 and 5. Are you thankfulfor His daily guidance? Look atverses 6 and 7. For eternity in heavenwith Him? See verses 8 and 9. Areyou confident that God will be with284 COVENANTER WITNESS

you as you plan and enter your futurelife, your grown-up days and years?Look at verse 10. Try to rememberthese things each time you sing thispsalm, for it has a special messagefor YOU.If you have time in your meeting,you will find a study of Psalm 145on page 351 very helpful. Count theways in which God shows His gracein these verses. And try counting yourblessings; write down the differentways in which God has helped you.This would be a good daily exercisein growing in your Christian life.Learn to look for God's grace in yourdaily life; you may be surprised thatyou can find it so often. Keep athankful heart before Him. A wellknownman, in seeing some of thevery worst of sinners, said humbly,"There, but for the grace of God, goI!"For your notebooks:Draw a cloud-like circle near thetop of a page and print "GOD" in it.Near the bottom, draw a larger oneand label it "ME". Between these,draw rays like sunshine, reachingfrom "GOD" down to "ME." Labelthese "HIS GRACE." Write or printthe memory verse at the bottom ofthe page, after you have learned it.sciously relate His functions as apriest to our daily prayer life?How does His intercession fit inwith the Reformation teaching of the"priesthood of all believers?"Suggested Outline for study of Hebrews,Chapter 7:I. A Royal Priesthood: vs. 1-3II. A Superior Priesthood: vs. 4-10III. An Effectual Priesthood: vs. 11-22IV. An Everlasting Priesthood: vs. 23-28."Christ maketh intercession for usby His appearing in our nature continuallybefore the Father in heaven,in the merit of His obedience and sacrificeon earth, declaring His will tohave it applied to all believers: answeringall accusations against them,and procuring for them quiet of conscience,notwithstanding daily failings,access with boldness to thethrone of grace, and acceptance oftheir persons and services." (LargerCatechism A. 55)GIVE ALL TO HIMby Lois M. RudenYou ask, "Who is He?"He is Jesus Christ, who bore oursins on the cross.What should you give Him?Give Him your troubles. "God isour refuge and strength, a very presenthelp in trouble" (Psa. 46:1).Give Him your disappointments. Ifyou do, your disappointments willturn into blessings.Give Him your problems. By givingJesus your problems, you will find lifewill be brighter and happier. "If anyof you lack wisdom, let him ask ofGod, that giveth to all men liberally,and upbraideth not; and it shall begiven him" (James 1:5).—The Free MethodistScribe With. A Hard PencilOur poets sing "Welcome, sweet spring time'' and "What is so rare as aday in June?" Few of us would argue the point; but there is also somethingPrayer Meeting Topic to be said for these days of autumn.Here in our part of the country the nights are crisp; but in the days'for November 17, 1965bright sunshine there is a mellow softness in the air. The skies are bright"PRAYER THROUGH JESUS CHRIST blue, some of the trees are bright yellow, the maples are bright red. The backAS A PERSON — HIS INTERCES­ yards are adorned with piles of orange pumpkins. The potato cellars shoutSION"abundance.Scripture Resources:Hebrews 7; Isaiah 53:12; John 17;Romans 8:34.Bibliography:See commentaries on any of theabove Scripture references, such asAndrew Murray, The Holiest of All,pp. 239-258. Also consider text andstudy of Shorter Catechism Q. 25 andLarger Catechism Qs. 38, 39, 44 and55. Study J. G. Vos, Blue Banner Faithand Life, Vol. I, pp. 174, 175.Psalms:110:1-3, page 275; 86:1-5, page 208;86:6-9, page 211.Thought Starters for Study and Discussion:What was the function of the priestin the Old Testament? Did the peoplerelate this to a personal prayerOut in the fields the corn is ripe. The autumn stillness is punctuatedby the roar of mechanical monsters that move down the rows, devouring fourrows in a single bite, and streaming shelled corn into the wagons and trucksthat accompany them.In the schools the students have already become acquainted with newstudies, and with new friends. Some of the young men are playing football.All of the young women are cheering them on.Autumn is here. These are not the days of planning and planting.These are the days of harvest and accomplishment.To be sure, beyond the autumn lies the cold and the ice and snow ofwinter. But winter isn't here yet. God has given us these ripe colorful daysof autumn to enjoy. If we are wise, we will make the most of them while wehave them. They will not be with us for ever.God has also given us other days, in which we should redeem the time.The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, "Do thy diligence to come before winter."We can, with complete fitness, apply his admonition to things spiritual. It isright that at this time of the year our churches should observe "EvangelismDay." The Apostle Paul said to his friends at Corinth, "Behold, how is theaccepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." The Bible tells us that theSpirit of God will not always strive with man. The day of salvation will givelife? Show that his intercession is an way to the day of judgment — possibly sooner than we suppose. But we areessential part of his priestly work.How is Christ our priest? Do we con­still in the day of God's mercy and grace. If we are wise, we will redeemthe time. We will make the most of it.November 3, 1965 285

NOTICESubscriptions are due, December 1,from the Fresno and Rose Point congregations.HELP WANTEDTwo full-time faculty members willbe needed beginning September1966, Department of Economics andBusiness Administration, GenevaCollege. One opening in AC­COUNTING — Principles, Cost andAdvanced Accounting. One openingin BUSINESS ADMINISTRA­Church NewsBROOMALL, PENNSYLVANIAOnce again we express our gratitudeto the ministers who have cometo fill our pulpit. We appreciate thetime and energy this has taken, especiallyfor those who have come froma distance.Broomall congregation sent threecounsellors and four campers to WhiteLake Junior Camp, a first time for allfour campers. The counsellors all stayedfor the Young People's encampment,for which Bill Edgar served asprecentor. Eight more of our groupwere able to get to camp for the weekendor Sabbath Day. Bill and JohnEdgar were entrants in the CAMoratorical contest there.The first Sabbath after Labor Daywe had a great jump in attendance.Not only had most of our vacationersTION — Introduction to Administration,Corporate Finance & Marketing.Rank and salary open. Ifyou know of anyone who wouldqualify and be interested in eitherof these openings, please write Dr.Stewart Lee, Geneva College, BeaverFalls, Pennsylvania 15010.returned, but we welcomed visitorsBERNICE RUTH PIPERen route to their winter's work, threeBernice Ruth Piper, daughter of of them heading for Geneva. IngridMr. and Mrs. Thompson Piper, deceased,was born on the Piper farm, art, we all knew from previous visits;Birdsall, Bill McKeown, Barbara Stew­east of Oakdale, Illinois, September it took most of us a while to recognize22, 1913, and died suddenly at the the returned foreign travelers, Jimhome of her twin sister, Mrs. Ben Wilson and Jim Elsey, adorned withKassenborg, at Burbank, California, full beards.September 24, 1965, at the age of 52 We miss Carol Howell, who hasyears and 2 days.left for a second year of teaching inShe joined the Oakdale Reformed Venezuela; however, we are happyPresbyterian Church at an early age that Don Jackson has returned fromand remained a member until death. Duke University to take a position atAfter graduating from the NashvilleHigh School she went to St.the University of Pennsylvania.NEW ALEXANDRIA, PENN.Our family nights have been a varietyof films, reports of the Confer­Louis where she was employed inbusiness many years.ence in Ireland and a covered dishShe is survived by three brothers:dinner. The annual picnic at a localEverett of Columbus Junction, Iowa;park was enjoyed by a large crowd.Otis of Pontiac, Illinois; and RobertOur Geneva graduates, Betty Elderand Jean Elder, have both secur­of Oakdale; and by four sisters: hertwin sister, Mrs. Rita Kassenborg ofed teaching positions. The high schoolBurbank, California; Mrs. Velma Angeloty,of Gardena, California; Mrs.graduates, Ronald Clark has an officeposition and Robert Elder plans forMarjorie Patton and Mrs. Dorothyfurther studies.Brammeier of Oakdale, Illinois.Mr. John Vincze united with theFuneral services were conductedchurch at the time of our springin the Reformed Presbyterian ChurchCommunion.on Tuesday, September 28, by herWe had two lovely church weddingsin June. Miss Lois Edgar andpastor, Rev. Charles Sterrett, assistedby Rev. Brunn, pastor of the UnitedMr. Bruce Alexander were united inPresbyterian Church. Interment wasmarriage at a candlelight ceremonyin the Oakdale Cemetery.with a reception in the social roomof the church. They are making theirhome in Wyoming.Miss Nancy Elder and Mr. JohnVincze were united in marriage at anevening ceremony. A reception followedin the social room of thechurch.Several of our members have hadserious operations and accidents butall are able to be out again. We arethankful to God for their recovery.Mr. and Mrs. Alan Windham spenttheir vacation with Mrs. BlancheShaw. While here they presentedtheir son Roger for baptism.Wayne Duffield and Keith Edgarhave both returned to Geneva College.James L. Elder enlisted in theAir Force and is stationed at Amarillo,Texas.Mrs. John B. Steel and Mrs. ClarenceClark entertained the women ofthe church at a joint shower for LoisEdgar and Nancy Elder.CAMBRIDGEThe Misses Kathryn and ElizabethEvans, veteran missionaries in Taiwanand Ecuador, spoke on September22, under the Session's sponsorship.Their slides and tape recordingsgave witness to their work and dedicationon the mission field.Rev J. P. McCracken has begunan excellent series of Sabbath morning sermons on "Questions JesusAsked."Bob McKeown, David Faris, andGeorge Gibson have returned to GenevaCollege this fall and Barbara Stewartentered Geneva as a freshman.We are happy to have Mr. and Mrs.Donald Willson worshiping with usthis year. Their new address is 176Curtis Street, West Somerville, Massachusetts.Miss Elizabeth Messa, a studentat Jackson College, is worshipingwith us also.The Sabbath School Promotion Daywas held on September 26. Pupils receiveddepartmental promotion certificatesand achievement awards andthe teachers for the coming year readtogether "The Teacher's Covenant."A reception for Mr. and Mrs. DavidFaris was held at the home of Mr.and Mrs. Russell Faris on August 31.The couple were the recipients ofmany lovely gifts from the congregation.Both David and Bonna are attendingGeneva College and they residein Patterson Heights, BeaverFalls, Pennsylvania.286 COVENANTER WITNESS

Left to right are, Dr. Theodore M. McMillion, Chairman of Geneva's BiologyDepartment; Dr. J. G. Vos, Chairman of the Department of Biblical Literature,Religious Education and Philosophy; Mr. and Mrs. Alexander, and Dr.Edwin C. Clarke, President of Geneva College.GENEVA ALUMNUS AND WIFEHONORED BY GENEVA COLLEGEThe Life-Science ExperimentalLaboratories, an area in Section Oneof Geneva College's Science and EngineeringBuilding, were dedicated ata special ceremony during Homecomingactivities Saturday. Section Oneis currently under construction andis expected to be completed in mid-November.The area was dedicated to honorMr. and Mrs. Ralph B. Alexander, Laurens,N.Y., who recently contributed$62,500 to Geneva's Development Program.Mr. Alexander is a 1922 graduateof Geneva and Mrs. Alexander is agraduate of Syracuse University. TheAlexanders, who are active participantsin the programs of their respectivealma maters, have a special interestin the promotion of scientificstudy.The gift is the largest single financialgift ever received by Geneva froma living alumnus.In his comments Mr. Alexanderexpressed the pleasure it has been forhim and Mrs. Alexander to be ableto make this contribution. He saidthat tuition he paid at Geneva did not,Ir his remarks Dr. Theodore M.McMillion, Chairman of. the CollegeDepartment of Biology, expressed hispersonal appreciation and thanks aswell as the thanks of the departmentfor the Life-Science Laboratories.Dr. J. G. Vos, Chairman of Geneva'sDepartment of Biblical Literature,Religious Education and Philosophyvoiced a special prayer of dedication.Student escorts for Mr. and Mrs.Alexander were Sandra Baumann, asenior chemistry major from Latrobe,and Ed Miller, Pittsburgh, presidentCollege Stu­of the 1965-66 Genevadent Senate.WEDDINGS OF SHARON MEMBERSOn Saturday, March 6, Miss SharonAnliker became the bride of Mr. AlanJoseph Baird, son of Mr. and Mrs.Bruce Baird.On. Saturday, October 16, MissJudy Mae Kuntz became the bride ofMr. Bruce William Baird, son of Mr.and Mrs. Bruce Baird.On Wednesday, June 30, Mrs. OraYoung and Mr. John C. Brown wereunited in marriage.The Women's Missionary Societyhonored Mrs. Alan Baird with a"bride's party" at the church and presentedher with a gift. Mrs. JohnBrown was honored at a 9:30 Coffeeat the church and presented with agift. Mrs. William Baird also was honoredat a 9:30 Coffee at the churchand presented with a gift.We pray God's richest blessingupon each of these Christian homesthat has been established.NOTICEI moderated a call of the Hebroncongregation, October 25, which resultedin the unanimous choice ofRev. Luther McFarland to be theirpastor. It is the hope of the congregationthat he may soon be with them.M. W. DoughertyWANTED: A housekeeper and companionto care for an older womanwho is a member of the Los AngelesReformed Presbyterian Church. Youwould have a private room, one daya week off, and be free to attendchurch on Sabbath. Room and boardwould be free, and salary arrangementswill be discussed with you. Ifinterested, please contact the Rev.Bruce C. Stewart, 5139 Argus Dr.,Los Angeles, California 90041.Prayer Meeting Topicfor November 24, 1965Miss Orlena LynnMissionary — Kobe, JapanSuggested Psalms:Psalm 19, page 42, verses 5-9;Psalm 67, page 161, verses 1-3; Psalm72, page 175, verses 9-12.Scripture:PhilippiansQuotations:from Paul's Spiritual Autobiographyby John H. PickfordII Corinthians 4:7, "For we havethis treasure in earthen vessels thatthe excellency of the power might beof God and not of us."Tell you of our work? It is reallyall the Lord's and we are but Hisservants to be used of Him, just asyou are His servants to be used ofHim in the place where you are. Also,just as you long that your friends,classmates, fellow workers, neighbors,and others about you there might cometo truly know Christ, so we long thatthose about us here in Japan, too,might know our Lord and Saviour.By all means we seek to make Christknown to others. God has called us tocome and proclaim the Gospel, throughour lives and testimony, to the peopleof Japan.It is not by might nor by power,but by the working of the Holy Spirit.It is not what we do, but what Goddoes through us. We wrestle againstthe works of darkness, against spiritualwickedness. The greatest need ofall is much, much prayer.1. Philippians 1:2-5"Fellowship demands an active par-in his opinion, entirely cover thevalue received from his academic educationand the basic Christian principleshe learned which have stronglyinfluenced the foundation on whichhe has built his life. "In this way,"he said, "I hope to repay my almamater for this deficiency."Dr. Edwin C. Clarke, Presidentof the College, welcomed and introducedthe Alexanders.November 3, 1965 287

ticipation in the interest of others; itis sharing in the company of heaven—bound souls as they worship andwork for the Lord."Prayer:Thanksgiving that the Lord haslaid upon the hearts of many, manyof you to pray for us and for thewitness here in Japan, and to upholdand encourage us through your letters,understanding, interest, and gifts, andto support this witness through yourfinancial contributions.Thanksgiving for Miss MaryAdams : Miss Rose Huston, and Mr.and Mrs. Boyle, our first Covenantermissionaries in Japan. The Lord usedthem in being a great influence inleading a number of our presentchurch members to know Christ. Seeearlier copies of the Covenanter Witness,1951-1962, to learn more of theirwork when they were in Japan.2. Philippians 1:11"God wants a bumper crop ofrighteousness in our lives. No sparselyscattered fruit, hard to find, butevery branch of our spiritual beingproducing the utmost... The LordJesus is the vital Souce of productivebearing in the Christian life. Apartfrom Him, we are barren. He is thelife-giving, fruit-producing Strengthwith whom we must be vitally unitedif we would live fruitfully."Prayer:If the righteousness of Christ isnot evident in our own lives, ourwitness can not be a fruitful one. Praythat my own life, the lives of the othermissionaries in Japan, and the livesof our Japanese church leaders andmembers might be filled with thefruits of righteousness.3. Philippians 2:5-8"Jesus made Himself nothing, nothingin the sight of man, that Hemight be everything in the sight^ ofGod. Jesus made Himself nothing forus. We want to be something andconsequently we are accomplishingnothing for God ... We must be God'snothings, if God is going to do somethingthrough us .. We are to showGod's salvation to others, but this isonly possible as we are God-possessed."Prayer:Pray that we might be humble andused of God. When we try to pushahead in our own wisdom or strengthwe are sure to fail. It is not our working,but the Lord's working throughus.4. Philippians 2:14-16"In their holding forth the Wordof life, no holding out or holding backfrom God is sanctioned. If their messageis life-giving, it is worth givingtheir lives for its propagation. Everyresource is to be expended in proclaimingthe Gospel."Prayer:Pray that we might be fearlessand faithful in holding forth theWord of life to the Japanese people.For myself, I would appreciate yourprayer for the following:(a) Bible classes I teach at Suma —on Wednesdays three classes, forJunior high, senior high, and adults,4:00-7:30 p.m., and class on Sabbathmorning.(b) Bible class at Nishiwaki.(c) Literature evangelism through theCovenanter Book Room.(d) Outreach to the unreached of HyogoPrefecture.5. Philippians 3:7-9"He renounces his gain to gainChrist. He throws everything awayto be found in Christ... To foregoeverything to have everything inChrist makes all loss gain ...To gain Him is to gain everything... So we think that it costs too muchto surrender fully? It costs infinitelymore not to surrender. Who wouldforfeit the glorious 'excellency of theknowledge of Christ Jesus' our Lordfor the glittering glowworm of earth'spleasures? ... Oh to surrender all toChrist."Prayer:When the Lord first called me togo to Kentucky, I had my own plansand said "no." When the Lord calledme to go to China, I had a greatstruggle and wanted to say "No."When the Lord called me to come toJapan, I again tried to say "No." However,the Lord took me to Kentuckywhere I had the joy of teaching theBible in the schools of Elliott County,92 classes a week for four of us. TheLord took me on to China, where Ihad the wonderful privilege of knowingour Christians in South China. InFebruary 1951, the Lord brought meto Japan and laid upon me the particularneed for literature evangelismin this country and the opening of theCovenanter Book Room. There is nogreater joy than being in the will ofGod and no greater privilege thanserving the Lord and making Christknown to others. Pray for yourself, forme, for the other missionaries in Japan,and for our Japanese Christians,that each one of us might truly surrenderall to Christ, and count allthings loss for the excellency of theknowledge of Christ.6. Philippians 3:12-14"God has laid hold of us for a purpose.We are saved to serve. But theLord has a definite piece of servicefor each one ... We may reach thehighest in the opinions of others, butas far as God is concerned, if we havenot finished the work that He gaveus to do, if we have not laid hold ofthat for which we were laid hold of,we are utter failures ... How shamefacedlywe shall stand before theLord who left nothing undone, nothingunfulfilled, to accomplish our redemptionto confess that we hid our talent,that we left our task unattempted."Prayer:Hudson Taylor once said that hehad nothing of his own. All that hepossessed and all his time, energy,talents, everything was the Lord's. Weare not our own and have nothing thatis ours. It is all the Lord's. Pray thatwe might be willing, ready, and faithfulin the particular service which theLord has for each of us, that we mightapprehend that for which we are apprehendedof Christ.7. Philippians 4:4"Joy is the fruit of the Spirit, andwhen we come to Christ we are filledwith all peace and joy in believing.Oftentimes we repress that joythrough our unbelief or choke itssecret springs by our sins, but if thechannels of the inner life are keptclear, joy flows into our lives."Prayer:Prayer of thanksgiving that theLord has called us to be His own andcalled us to serve Him.Prayer of thanksgiving for those inJapan whom the Lord has called outand made new creatures in Christ.8. Philippians 4:13"Through Christ Paul prevails. InHim he is sufficient for anything andcontent in everything ... Before wecan have the infusion of divine sufficiency... we must experience thefusion into Christ through the supernaturalwork of the Spirit of God. Wemust be in Christ before we can doanything through Christ. .. Christ cansuffice, but only Christ can."Prayer:Prayer of thanksgiving, as we lookto the future, that Christ doesstrengthen us and for that which Heenables us to do, as we witness forHim.288 COVENANTER WITNESS

Covenanter WitnessTO JESUS CHRIST•THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONS-VOLUME LXXV NO. 19 NOVEMBER 10, 1965 STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 5, 1965MANCHESTER COVENANTER CHURCH

THE COVENANTER WITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.tVANOtUCAL PRIM ASSOCIATIONEditor: Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D.D.125 N. 4th StreetSterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under the supervision of theBoard of Publication by The Patterson Press, Wapello,Iowa 52653.Contributing Editors:Rev. Kenneth SmithDr. G. M. RobbRev. T. R. HutchesonDepartment Editors:Rev. Bruce C. StewartMrs. Robert B. MaineMrs. Willis EdgarRev. John K. GaultOpinions expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Church or the editor.All material to appear in The Covenanter Witnessshould be typewritten, double-spaced, and should be inSterling, Kansas two weeks before it is to be printed.Obituaries — All words in excess of one hundred fifty,one cent per word. Money should accompany such notices.SUBSCRIPTION RATESIndividual (1 year): U.S. and Canada, $4.00, BritishIsles 35/-, all other places, $5.00;Individual (2 year): U.S. and Canada, $7.00, BritishIsles 63/-, all other places, $9.00;Group: U.S. and Canada, $3.00, British Isles 28/-, allother places, $4.00.9-month student subscription — $1.50; 5-month introductoryoffer — $1.00; 2 gift subscriptions to persons outsideof the R.P. Church — $2.00 each. Single copies, 10ceach.Subscription Agent for U.S. and Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.Subscription Agent for the British Isles: Rev. HughWright, B. A., 12, Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, NorthernIreland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness in U. S. currency.Give one month's notice of a change of address. Sendboth the new and the old address to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty.Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, Iowa.WE HOLD THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only infalliblerule* of faith and conduct.The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experience.The Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Holy Spirit.The fact of death and hell as the destiny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believein Him together with their children.The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church Government.The Lord Jesus Christ as the only King and Head of His Church.That terms of membership or communion are essential to thewelfare of the Church.IMPORTANTAt the annual meeting of the Woman's Associationon February 24, 1965, it was voted that aspecial committee be appointed by the ExecutiveCommittee of the Board of Directors to study thefollowing:1. The age limit for membership on theBoard of Directors.2. Rotating membership on the Board ofDirectors.3. The matter of representatives from Synodon the Board of Directors.4. Life Directors and Life Members of theBoard of Directors.In accordance with the above action, thespecial committee is asking all members of theWoman's Association who have suggestions tomake concerning the four points which the committeeis to consider to send them — along withand other suggestions concerning the managementof the Aged People's Home — to the Chairmanof the committee, Mrs. James D. Carson,123 Sycamore Drive, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15237, byDecember 15.This Week's WitnessBring Back The Bible 291Vocational Choice 293Revolving Door or Staircase? 295Deacon's Bench 296Snowbound or Family Bound? 297Beecher Farm Mystery 298Lesson Helps 299Scribe 301Church News 302The duty which rests upon officers to maintain discipline andpreserve the purity of the Church.Spiritual worship as a divine requirement mediated through theLord Jesus Christ.The exclusive use of the Psalms in the worship of the Church.The Protestant interpretation of the Sacraments.The divine right of the institution of Marriage and that it is notto be dissolved except by adultery or "irremediable" desertion.The Sabbath as a day sacred to rest and worship.The duty of nations and their civil rulers to honor Christ asKing of Kings and Lord of Lords.That Christian citizens are under obligation to obey lawful authority.The right and duty of the Christian citizen to dissent from allgovernmental and national disobedience to the Law of God.That the Covenants of the past are still binding.From "The Communicant's Class" by J. B. Tweed290 COVENANTER WITNESS

EditorialComment 01BRING BACK THE BIBLEPubhc school officials and teachers who, intimidatedby pronouncements of the courts, removedthe Bible from the American classrooms, oughtto bring it back. The court rulings have not beenclearly understood.The Supreme Court's opinion in the case ofAbington School District vs. Schempp (June 17,1963) included the following:"The State may not establish a 'rehgion of Secularism'in the sense of affirmatively opposing orshowing hostility to religion, thus "preferring thosewho believe in no religion over those who dobelieve.'... In addition it might well be said thatone's education is not complete without a study ofcomparative religion or the history of rehgion andits relationship to the advancement of civilization.. . Nothing we have said here indicates that suchstudy of the Bible or of rehgion, when presentedobjectively as part of a secular program of education,may not be effected consistent with the FirstAmendment."In other words, there is a place for the Biblein public schools. It is not necessary to ban Biblereading, prayer, and the singing of Christmas carols,as some have done.Instead, it is illegal to paganize the schools. Itis illegal for teachers to ridicule Christian faith or toteach theories that contradict what the pupils learnat church. In some cases speakers have been warnednot to mention God or Jesus Christ in their highschooltalks. Teachers have even been told that thepledge of allegiance to the U.S. flag should not bemade in the classroom because God is mentionedin it. Do not policies such as these amount to a"religion of Secularism"?Perhaps a recent announcement by IndianaUniversity is a sign that the pendulum is swingingback — that educators are having second thoughts.It states that due to "increased student interest"Indiana U. will expand its program in the "studyof religion." It declares that "the courses will betaught by a regular staff of professional teacherscholars."A committee, after a year of study, has recommendedthat Indiana U. develop a curriculum inreligion and related courses for an undergraduatemajor and minor in the College of Arts and Sciences."Religion deserves to be recognized as a coherentacademic discipline in its own right," the committeesays.There is a similar trend in other universities.For many years, at least a few courses involvingreligion have been taught in almost all universities,and a full-fledged department of religion exists ina dozen or 15 tax-supported ones. Now we are toldthat various other state universities are exploringsteps for introducing or regularizing programs ordepartments of rehgion within their college structures.We do not expect the pubhc schools to teachreligious doctrines. This is the duty of the church,and of the home. But neither do we want the schoolsto destroy the faith that our ministers, (Sabbath)school teachers, and godly parents plant so carefullyin young people's hearts and minds.We want the schools to respect that faith. Wewant them to encourage boys and girls to trust theBible. This is the Book, more than any other, thatproduces law-abiding citizens. This is the Lightthat leads men and women down the path of selflessservice to their neighbors. This is the Truththat sets men free from covetousness, dishonesty,and violence. If ever we needed the cement of God'sWord to hold our society together, it is now.—R. C. C.The Pentecostal Evangel 9-12-65DO THE PRESENT JOBIt was Thomas Carlyle, historian of the FrenchRevolution, who wrote: "Our main business is notto see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do whatlies clearly at hand"That might be a key thought for the new year —to do the job that we have before us today to thebest of our abihty. It is not easy to follow sucha dictum. This is especially true when today's taskis difficult or unpleasant. Somehow the temptationpersists to put off difficult things in the hopethat somehow time will take care of everything. Tosettle down and do today's work and to solve today'sproblems today often calls for real courage. But,as Carlyle said, that is our main business.—SelectedNovember 10, 1965 291

Smofanyv&.tyood ^eat^fREAD THESE LATEST FACTS CONCERNING THE EFFECTS OF CIGARETTE SMOKING^PHS LEAFLET LINKS SMOKING,BRONCHITIS AND EMPHYSEMAMedical Tribune — World Wide Report— Washington BureauWashington, D.C. — The publicHealth Service is continuing its educationalprogram of drawing publicattention to cigarette smoking "as oneof the greatest health hazards of the20th century," with a new focus onemphysema and chronic bronchitis.The PHS issued a new leaflet intendedfor the general public in whichit described the relationship of cigarettesmoking and the two diseases.The leaflet reports an increase on theorder of ninefold in deaths fromchronic bronchitis and emphysemain 20 years — up from 2,300 in 1945to 19,443 in 1963.It noted, however, that the risingtoll of illness and disability from thetwo diseases might be seen as evenmore ominous. "In the last few years,emphysema has become second onlyto heart disease as a cause of disability,"it stated. The Social SecurityAdministration pays more than$60,000,000 a year to men disabled byemphysema.Explanation: Something InhaledThe most probable explanation forthe rapid pickup in incidence of illnessand mortality, it went on, is somethinginhaled into the lungs and notcommon before this century."Scientists," the leaflet continued,"have studied air pollution of allkinds. Cigarette smoking is the mosteffective way of polluting inspiredair. Cigarette smoking is a developmentof the 20th century and its increaseis remarkably similar to theincrease in death and disability fromchronic bronchitis and emphysema."The leaflet also pointed out thatthe Surgeon General's Advisory Committeereport — whose findings oncigarettes and lung cancer got thelion's share of public attention whenit was released in 1964 — also hadsomething to say about chronic bronchitisand emphysema.The report referred to studies ofmore than a million men that revealedthat the death rate from chronic292bronchitis and emphysema amongcigarette smokers was six times greaterthan among nonsmokers.Risk of Death Seventy per cent Higher"Chronic bronchitis and emphysema,however, are only part of thestory," the leaflet concluded. "Therisk of death from all causes is 70per cent higher for cigarette smokersthan for nonsmokers. Cigarette smoking,in fact, is one of the greatesthealth hazards of the 20th century. Itis a hazard entirely preventable..."Single copies of the leaflet, "CigaretteSmoking, Chronic Bronchitisand Emphysema," PHS PublicationNo. 1103-F, are available withoutcharge from the Public InquiriesBranch, Public Health Service, Washington,D.C, 20201. Quantity purchasesfor five cents a copy or $2.00per 100 may be made from the Superintendentof Documents, GovernmentPrinting Office, Washington, D.C,20402.MOUTH-THROAT CANCER RECUR­RENCE RELATED TO CONTINU­ATION OF SMOKING•ABSTRACT— To demonstrate theeffects of smoking continuance oravoidance on occurrence of a secondcancer in the mouth region a groupof 102 patients cured of cancer ofthe mouth and throat was studied. Ofthis group, 65 had continued smoking,while 37 had given up the habit.Among the continuing smokers, 21(32 per cent) developed a second"tobacco area" cancer, whereas only2 of the 37 (5.4 per cent) who hadstopped smoking acquired a secondcancer over the same six-year periodof observation.In conclusion, the author states that"The considerable protection grantedby the quitting of tobacco in thisstudy indicates that anyone havingmouth or throat cancer with a fairprognosis must stop smoking. In thosesmokers who do get mouth-throat cancer,tobacco appears to play a necessary,causative role in 90 per cent ofthem."* Smoking and Cancer of the Mouth,Pharynx, and Larynx. Moore, C. Univ.Louisville Sch. Med. and Hosps. J.A.M.A. 191:107-110, 1965.Medical Bulletin on TobaccoCHRONIC BRONCHITIS SYMPTOMSRELATED TO SMOKING IN CHI­CAGO STUDY•ABSTRACT — Among 1,887 whitemales, aged 43 to 58, living in an industrialarea in Chicago, a two-yearstudy of respiratory symptoms showedpersistent cough and expectorationsignificantly related to smoking habits.Among 582 non-smokers, 86 percent had neither cough nor expectoration;8.8 per cent had persistentcough, 4.6 per cent with expectorationand 4.2 per cent without it. Amongthe 10 per cent of non-smokers withpersistent expectoration, 5.3 per centwere without cough.Among 725, one-pack-or-more-a-daysmokers, 64 per cent reported neithercough nor expectoration, 29.8 per centhad persistent cough, 16.6 per centwith expectoration and 13.6 per centwithout it; 22.8 per cent had persistentexpectoration including 6.2 percent without cough.Cigarette smoking and the presenceof persistent cough were associatedwith spirometric alterationssuggesting early airway obstruction.This was indicated even in men who,reported no respiratory symptoms.The data were compared with 7other American, one Danish and 5British studies and showed wide variationin the prevalence of respiratorysymptoms within as well as amongvarious countries which the authorsstate supports the concept of a multifactorialetiology for chronic bronchitis.•Prevalence of Chronic Bronchitisin an American Male Urban IndustrialPopulation. Sharp, J. T., Paul, O., Lepper,M. H., McKean, H. and Saxton,G. A. Jr. Vet. Adm. Hosp., Hines, 111.,Univ. of 111. College of Med. and NorthwesternUniv. Med. Sch. and PurdueUniv. Dept. Statistics. Amer. Reviewof Resp. Dis. 91:510-520, 1965.Medical Bulletin on TobaccoCOVENANTER WITNESS

vicarious suffering of the Saviour arehere described.This prophecy was the Scripturewhich the man of Ethiopia, underCandace, the queen of Ethiopia, readas he was returning from Jerusalemwhere he had gone to worship. Acts8:30-35 tells us about this experience,"And Philip ran thither to him, andheard him read the prophet Esaias,and said, Understandest thou whatthou readest? And he said, How canI, except some man should guide me?And he desired Philip that he wouldcome up and sit with him. The placeof the scripture which he read wasthis," Isaiah 53:7, 8. "ThenPhilipopened his mouth, and began at thesame scripture, and preached untohim Jesus."The exaltation of Jesus is here describedby Isaiah in the words of53:12, "Therefore I will divide him aportion with the great, and he shalldivide the spoil with the strong; becausehe hath poured out his soulunto death."5: Isaiah Prophesied the Coming ofIsrael's Glory.Read chapters 62 and 66:10-13."Lesson based on International SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessonsfor Christian Teaching, copyrighted 1958by the Division of Christian Education. NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ in theU. S. A."Junior Topicfor December 5, 1965CONQUER THE ENEMYPsalm Text:Psalm 18, page 30, verses 1-4; alsopage 32.Memory Verse: Ephesians 6:11Psalms:Ps. 18, page 36, 1-4; Ps. 110, page275, 1-3; Ps. 91, page 224, 1-4; Ps. 27,page 62, 1-3, 6, 7; Ps. 55, page 140, 12,13.Memory Psalm:Ps. 26, page 61, 1, 3, 7, 8.References:I Sam. 12:11; Ezra 8:31; Ps. 18:48;Ps. 61:3; James 4:4, 7; Ps. 119:98; ICor. 15:26; Matt. 4:10; Eph. 4:27.Aim:To be prepared for daily battleswith Satan, learning the ways inwhich he appears.To conquer means to win, doesn'tit? What enemy are we fighting? Let'sthink of this in two ways, like lookingat a picture from more than one angle.There's Satan himself who is ourenemy. How does he appear to us? The300Bible says he is the spirit of thisworld (Eph. 2:2), prince of this world(John 12:31), the god (small "g") ofthis world (2 Cor. 4:4). Satan was oncean angel in heaven, happy in the presenceof the Lord, until one day hebegan to want power for himself andwas no longer satisfied to be withGod. Then he had to be cast out andcame to dwell on earth; and he appearsto us as a tempter (I Thess. 3:5),trying to get us to do wrong, and as adeceiver (Job 12:16), trying to makeus believe what is not true. The wholebook of Job in the Bible is the storyof a man who was wealthy and happy,a man whom God allowed Satan totest, because God knew Job reallytrusted Him. But Satan thought itwas just because Job had everythinghe wanted that he loved God, and ifhis wealth was taken away, he wouldno longer love God. Was Satan right?Read the story and see. In I Peter 5:8,Satan is spoken of as a roaring lion,and in Genesis, he appeared as a serpentwhen he came to tempt Eve inthe Garden of Eden.Taking another look at the picture,however, we find that our enemy Satanappears to us in ways which wedo not always recognize. This is whywe fall into sin even when we are tryingto live like Christians. One ofthese ways is temptation, when Satantries to lead us to do things that weknow are wrong. There are many,many kinds of temptation, but rememberthis: what may be a temptation toyou may not really bother someoneelse, and what you can pass up easilymay be just what gets the other personinto trouble. This is the reasonPaul has said that we must be verycareful of what people see us doing,because we may be leading them intowrong-doing without realizing it at all.Satan is a deceiver in putting temptationbefore us, but James tells us thatit is not wrong to be tempted; it iswrong to yield to the temptation anddo what Satan wants.And this brings us to anotherway that Satan appears. He tries toget us to be selfish, knowing that aperson who thinks more of SELF thanof God is not living a Christian life.And ALL of us face this problem —there are no exceptions. Everyonefalls easily into this sin often. It happenswhen we put ourselves first ingames or things at school; when wewhine and complain because Motherasks us to help her with somethingjust as we are starting outdoors toplay; when we sit in church and talkand giggle instead of being quiet andworshipful in God's house.Satan and sin, then, are synonymous.And if we spell that big wordSYNONYMOUS, perhaps you can rememberit easier. It means "thesame." When you talk about Satan,you talk about sin. It is Satan wholeads us into sin. Because sin cameinto God's beautiful world so manyyears ago, death also came. Man'snatural body gradually wears out anddies. What are some other ways inwhich we can see death in God's creation?Death is called the last greatenemy that man has to fight. Manypeople fear death, not knowing whatto expect after their earthly body isgone. The Christian knows that thisis only a time of change, for everlastinglife began for him when Christcame into his heart, and his soulwill never die. What does the resurrectionmean to the Christian?How can we conquer these enemies?Perhaps it will surprise you tolearn that the very first thing to dois to "run and hide." (Ps. 91 and Ps.61:3) Not as cowards, but simply retreatingto safety, as the bravest soldiersometimes has to do. We are "hiding"in God when we take our problemor temptation to Him and askHis help. Ex. 14:13, 14 says that Hewill fight for us. God is our safestrefuge, and is always there. Many anarmy unit has been forced to retreatand let a better-equipped group dothe fighting. And so we are not being"sissy," but are letting the One whois stronger than we are do battle forus, and He will always win. Never beashamed to "run and hide" in God!We can arm ourselves with weapons,though, for we never know howquickly and quietly Satan might creepup on us. With the "Sword of theWord," we can be ready to fight whennecessary. (Heb. 4:12) This is a powerfulweapon. But watch out! Satanuses it, too. He quoted Scripturewhen he was tempting Jesus in thewilderness, but he used it wrongly.Satan is still working through thewrong use of God's Word today; thereare people who quote certain versesto make it sound like their false beliefsare based on the Bible. This isa time when you will need to knowyour Bible or you might be easilyfooled by what they tell you. And wecan put on the Christian armor eachday. Read about it in Eph. 4:10-18.Each part is important and helps toCOVENANTER WITNESS

a choice that is made in the face of an unknownfuture and carries anxiety. The last factor in vocationalchoice is the need to be mobile in our society.If we want the teenager to be independent and selfsufficient,he may have to move. The move willprobably be to one of the urban areas of our land.The United States has become an urban country.This trend is expected to increase rapidly incoming years.This presents problems to the adolescent. Itmeans that he may be forced to leave family, tearup the roots that he has had in childhood and adolescence,and put down new roots. As we shall seethis also presents a challenge to the church.Most adolescents go through three stages in arrivingat a chosen vocation. During late childhoodand early adolescence they engage in a fantasygame about work. Many of the girls want to bestewardesses or movie stars — most of the boyswant to be firemen, policemen, or generals. Glamourand excitement are the attractive points of ajob.When the adolescent begins to mature he beginsto develop definite interests in certain vocations.He goes through a period when what he wantsto be is largely determined by what he likes to do.This usually lasts until the latter part of highschool.In the last stage the adolescent brings in otherfactors and makes a choice of a vocation. Theseother factors might be such things as abihty, finances,and opportunities for work. Along with interestthey will determine what the adolescent willchoose for a life work.But what does the church have to do with thischoice? What can the church do at this point tofulfill its responsibilities to the youth?The first thing that the church must do is presentthe challenge of Christian service. For thosewho are following Christ a vocation can never be"just a job." No matter what the job might be itmust be viewed as an opportunity to serve theLord and fellowmen.Too often the concept of service is hmitedto those areas in which youth are called to entervocations which are "full-time" labors in the workof the church. But this is only a part of the Bibhcalconcept of service. Do all work as unto the Lordis the injunction of the Word.The ideas of service and a Christian vocationextend far beyond those types of work that aredirectly in the service of the church. Whateverthe vocation, it must be an opportunity for serviceand an opportunity for it to be a Christian vocation.One of the factors which should be presented toyouth as they consider the choice of a life's workis the opportunities in the various fields for Christianservice and witness.The second thing which the church must do inthis field is provide training for service. We are doingthis to some extent through our college andseminary. In these institutions we have those whoare preparing for various vocations also receivingtraining which will fit them to use that vocation asan area of Christian service. Increasingly we findthose who are graduating from our church collegeseeking areas in which they can carry on the jobfor which they have been trained and also be ofservice to the church and to Christ. This speakswell of the training that they receive while in school.However, many of our adolescents do not havethe benefit of going to Geneva College. What are wedoing to prepare those who do not choose to go tocollege or for various reasons choose a college otherthan Geneva? What training for Christian servicedo they receive? Much of the work of the youthorganizations and conferences of our church isaimed at this type of training.In addition to this, congregations should bemore actively engaged in training for service. Thiscan be done, and is being done in some congregations,in a number of ways. Sessions can takeyoung men and train them in the work of the eldership.Deacon boards can let young men engage ina training program for the deaconate under theirsupervision. Pastors have occasionally taken youngmen who were interested in the ministry and havehelped them come to a decision by taking them intosome of the pastor's work. Some congregations havetraining programs in calling and others have continuingprograms in training Sabbath School teachers.These are all means of letting adolescents seethat the work of Christ is not only the work ofthose who labor full-time in the church. It is thetask of all to use their vocation as an opportunityfor service.The third thing that the church can do is providespecific opportunities of Christian work forthe youth. This would include both full-time areasof service and part-time congregational service.A paradox of American hfe is the tremendousresponse of young people to sacrificial labor whenour nation is supposedly materialistically minded.The Peace Corps offers sacrifice, not riches, butthe response has been outstanding. In our ownchurch the Christian Corps for Cyprus has gotten aresponse from young people that far exceeded theexpectations of many. New congregations in ourchurch have frequently been blessed with young294 COVENANTER WITNESS

adults who were willing to go where they were neededto serve.This response has another side to it. The otherside is the responsibility of the church to haveplaces of service. Just as the youth are finding itnecessary to go to cities for employment, so thechurch is also finding it necessary to go into urbanareas.If we are going to ask young people to serve thechurch, then we must have churches in areaswhere there is a need for service. Too often we havewaited until congregations have died and youthhave of necessity moved to the cities before wefaced the problem.All of the factors that are working to bringpeople to the cities also make it a necessity thatPROGRESSBy Mr. Joe McFarlandour church move into new areas. The point at thistime is, if we are going to offer the challenge ofservice, then we must also provide areas of service.Many times we tend to look at this problem fromonly one side. It has been said, "People shouldsettle where there is a church." Another side is,"The church must go where it has become necessaryfor people to settle."It is only as we face both sides of the cointhat we will have churches where they are mostneeded and people going where they can offer themost service.Young people are continuing to make vocationalchoices. The church must continue to help meetthe.r needs in this area.A REVOLVING DOOR OR A CIRCULAR STAIRCASE?It has become customaryat our house tospend some time on Sabbathafternoons readingBible stories or relatedliterature to our threechildren. The last time itwas my turn to read tothe children, we starteda new book. As Istarted to read on thisparticular afternoon, Idecided to see whatwould happen if I skippedaround in the bookas I read.When I came to the bottom of the first page,I turned two pages together and began reading atthe top of the following page. I had not gotten farwhen a voice patiently pointed out that we had apparentlymissed something and needed to go back.At the bottom of the next page I tried the samemaneuver and with less patience was told, "Youskipped something again."This time, instead of skipping anything, I wentback an extra page and began to reread the previouspage. Soon I was informed, "We already read that.""It doesn't hurt to hear it again though, doesit?" I countered."But we already know that. We want to hearthe rest of the story," came the reply.Before we had continued much farther in thisfashion, even their Mother's voice from the nextroom was heard to inquire, "What's going on inNovember 10, 196othere anyway? It doesn't sound like they are gettingmuch continuity that way."It was at this point that one of the more schoolexperiencedof the group suggested, "I think it issome kind of a test."The final straw came, however, when one ofthe children finally intoned, "If you aren't going toread it right, just don't read it!"It was obvious that the whole group was puzzledby their Dad's demented approach to the new book,as well as being somewhat confused as to the storyit contained. Many of you readers may be equallypuzzled and asking yourselves — "So, what's thepoint?"The point is simply this. It has occurred to methat very often our approach to our church schoolcurriculum approximates this approach to a storyin a new book. Have you ever had the story ofAbraham, or Moses, or another of the Bible heroesserved to you in Sabbath School, than again in theworship service, perhaps again in the eveningstudy group, and finally again in the mid-week service?Not that all repetition is bad. Educators recognizethat for purposes of retention and immediaterecall it has no substitute. But it is obvious thatone can waste time in repetition of what one hasalready learned — get stuck in the revolving door,so to speak — and fail to "hear the rest of the story."Perhaps a more common fault found in manychurch school curriculums is not the tendency torepeat and expand on needed truths but rather toleave large gaps in a person's Biblical knowledge.How does this happen? Not intentionally, I'm sure,See page 304295

The Deacon's BenchDr. G. M. Robb, in his lectures on Stewardshipgiven at the Seminary in 1957, expounded what hecalled "the principle of the dedicated portion." Hepointed out that in many different areas of hfe, aportion was set apart for God, as a recognition anda reminder of His ownership and Lordship over allthings. Of the tribes of Israel, Levi was set apart todo the Lord's work. The firstborn of every familywas the Lord's, and must be redeemed with sacrifice.The first day of the week was holy unto theLord. And the tenth of all their increase, the tithe,was the Lord's.In no case was it true that because the portionhad been given to the Lord, that He had no claimon the remainder. All Israel was an holy nation, undercovenant obligation to ser/e the Lord. All childrenwere God's heritage, to be trained in His ways.The fourth commandment, which commanded thatthe Sabbath be kept holy, also gave directions forthe use of the other six days. And the tithe did notdischarge a man's obligations to God for the useof his income. It all belonged to God; a tenth was tobe given directly for the maintenance of the ordinancesof worship, and the rest was to be used inaccordance with God's law.In civil law, payment of any portion of a debtis a recognition of the creditor's claim, and extendsthe statute of limitations. So in the sphere of ouraccountability to the Lord, the dedication of a portionof our income to His work is an acknowledgementthat all we possess comes from Him, and ourpledge that we will use all our possession with theaim of pleasing Him.November 14, in accordance with Synod's recommendation,will be observed in many congregationsas Stewardship Sabbath. Your pastor willprobably be speaking on the subject of the Christianuse of money, and you will be given an opportunityto enroll as a tither, or to renew your commitmentto set apart a tenth of your income for theLord's work.In having such a day, and in asking for such acommitment, the church is not acting in the role ofa beggar. Rather, it is proclaiming the truth of God296in this area, in order to bring blessing to its members.For the pathway to blessing is in obedience tothe will of God.The apostle Paul, writing to the church at Corinthon the subject of giving, said, "He that sowethsparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he whichsoweth bountifully shall also reap bountifully.'' Sacrificialgiving leads to the possession of richesnot in monetary value, but in spiritual fullness. TheMacedonian churches, in the midst of poverty, experiencedjoy as they gave. So the church, in confrontingyou with the Bible's teaching about giving,is interested, not in emptying your pocketbook, butin filling your life with true riches. Solomon said"it like this: "There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth;and there is that withholdeth more thanis meet, and it tendeth to poverty."What would our land be worth to us,The land we sell and buy,And fence about, and call our own,Without God's open skyTo hold the sunset's rose and gold,The white clouds floating high?What would our fields bring forth for usWithout the gifts He sends,Without the sunshine and the rainOn which our bread depends,His little waterbrooks to flow,His birds to be our friends?Oh, as the land without the skyThat ever bends above,So barren and so desolateOur lives without His love;The blessings that no gold can buyOur greatest riches prove.—Annie Johnson FlintSNOW BOUND . . . from page 297plans the conquest of the United States is by abolitionof the family. Now I'd like to quote from pages47 and 48 of the Communist Manifesto: "The bourgeoisfamily will vanish as a matter of course whenits complement vanishes, and both will vanish withthe vanishing of capital."Today, my friends, we have organized governmentat three levels; we have our federal, our state,and our local. But there is one government that isnot organized into any government, but it is by farthe most important of all, and that's the family unit,the grass-roots government. It is in the homes thatthe future citizens of our country develop their habits,their attitudes toward living. The family unitSee Back PageCOVENANTERWITNESS

OurYouthf@m@)ird/£*sSNOWBOUND OR FAMILY BOUND?By Jane Vander Kooi(Contest winner at a young Calvinist Convention)Last winter those of us in the southwesterncorner of Minnesota experienced a series of theworst snowstorms in history. You can well imagineour dismay when the first of these storms appeared,bringing with it thirty inches of snow and leavingour area completely snowbound. Roads were blocked,cars were stalled, schools were closed, meetingswere canceled, and to top it all off, the picturetube on our television set blew out. My entire worldhad shrunk to a farm home located two miles northof Luverne, Minnesota; and the only people in myworld were my parents, three sisters, a brother, andanother sister who was an Indonesian foreign exchangestudent. From all indications we could lookforward to a few dull days of "no place to go, andnothing to do." Dad's appointments at the officewere canceled, Mother's civic meetings were canceled,there was no school, no sodas at Bernie's Cafe,no roller skating parties, no society meetings, infact, no nothing — not even TV.Dull? Not at all. In fact, the first evening wasone of the most delightful of my life. Dad and mykid brother played checkers while the rest of us sataround giving advice- We popped corn, read, sangsongs and just talked. There was my whole world,joined in one unified purpose.Now I'd like to compare this evening with anotherone just the week before. On this evening myfather came home from the office at 6:30; therewas a hurried dinner because Mother had a meetingat 7:00; I left at 7:30 for a German Club meeting;and dad again left for an evening appointmentat the office — and the younger children stayedhome wrapped up in Gunsmoke, and Have Gun,Will Travel.In the early years of our country's founding anduntil a few decades ago, the basis of our societywas the family. The social activities were formedaround family doings such as church attendance,church activities, family get-to-gethers, a "hog-killing,"a shingling bee, a pohtical meeting; and evena funeral was considered quite a social event. Allof these activities were few and far between.Today, the basis of our American Society hasbecome the club activity. We have our boy scouts,girl scouts, brownie scouts, 4-H clubs, sorority clubs,language clubs, riding clubs, golf clubs, civic clubs,veterans clubs, and even mushroom-hunting clubs-You just name it and we have a club for it. Eachyear the people in this country spend 50 million dollarsfor club dues alone. Did you notice that theclubs are to promote the individual interests ratherthan the interests of the family unit?Let's take a look at the results of this "club"society:1) One out of every four marriages ends indivorce — this is triple the rate in 1890.2) Twelve million of the forty-five million childrenin the United States come from broken homes—this is over 25 per cent.3) Five out of every twelve families will haveto seek psychiatric help during the next decade—this is almost half.4) J. Edgar Hoover has said that a poor homelife causes juvenile dehnquency and during theyears 1950 through 1957 our population increasedonly 13 per cent, whereas our crime rate increased56 per cent. Over half of these crimes are attributedto youths 17 years of age or younger.Ernest R- Groves, Professor of sociology at theUniversity of North Carolina, wrote in his book,Our Changing Social Order: "In a period of greatcultural change such as this, there is a great dealof maladjustment which affects family life."We Americans since World War II have experienceda tremendous economic, social, and culturalchange. We have moved into the age of the atom,the age of space, and the age of automation. Thisis also the age that will make or break us. It canmake us industrially; it can break us family-wise.For in order to use our leisure time we have startedto cultivate our own interests. We join clubs, we becomeso hurried, so busy — Dad's at the golf club,Mom's at a study club, and the teen-ager, to usea popular phase, is at the soda fountain, whilethe family unit is left in the background. Umi Pasariboe,my Indonesian sister, has stated that weAmericans are so busy with all of our activities thatour families are not closely knit.You've all heard a great deal about communism-You all know that the major tenet of communism iscomplete domination of the world. You've heard Mr.Khrushchev state that America will fall like an overripe fruit into his hands. One of the major ways heSee page 296November 10, 1965297

The Beecher Farm Mystery(Continued from last week)"Well, I wouldn't say that," said Aunt Tabitha,dryly, "a broken leg doesn't heal over night, but itwill save the family making so many trips to thehospital, to have him home."The family talked over the news all duringbreakfast."He'll be surprised to know that the cows aregiving more milk than when he was here," boastedJerry."And the field work's coming along well," addedBarney.If only we could find the lost money, thoughtBecky, we would all be a happy family once more.She couldn't help but feel that she had been toblame for the money's disappearing.Part 5The next few days flew by quickly as everyonewas busy. Without saying anything to each other,they were all secretly looking for the leather pouchthat held the roll of bills. Becky saw Aunt Tabithaon the kitchen stool peeping into the teapot tomake sure Becky had not put it back before answeringthe phone. Janet and Beth got a magnifyingglass and were out in the yard examining foot printsin the earth. Janet confided to Beth that she wassure that was the way to track down a criminal.Jerry and Barney talked it over as they did thebarn chores and speculated on the way it couldhave been stolen. Only Becky was at a loss as towhat to do. She knew she had left the money onthe kitchen table and it seemed to have vanishedinto thin air.The day Dad came home was a happy occasion.Aunt Tabitha and Becky cooked a special meal withsteak and chocolate cake. Janet and Beth gatheredviolets and put them in a vase. Jerry and Barneywere in early from the barn to join in the celebration.It's almost like old times, thought Becky, as shebrought out the Bibles so they could all join in familyprayers.The next afternoon Janet and Beth were playingwith their dolls and busy talking about theirimaginary friends."Did you hear about the beautiful princess withgolden blond curls?" asked Janet."Yes," answered Beth, "and her eyes were deepbrown.""My, my what a beautiful princess," said a voicebehind them.A STORY FORJUN| OR . HIGHSMrs. George (Jean L.) McFarlandBoth girls jumped in alarm and looked around.There stood a young woman, dressed in a neat,navy-blue suit and hat. She was carrying a blackbag. She had a red cross on the sleeve of her jacket."I'm the nurse," she told the girls. "I've come tolook after your Dad. I left my car at the end of thelane, so you didn't hear me come up.""We weren't talking about a real princess," confessedJanet. "Beth and I like to talk about makebelievepeople and I guess we sounded silly to you.""Not at all," said the nurse. "I used to do thesame thing when I was a little girl. I talked about apoor little girl who'walked through a magic forestand discovered all sorts of wonderful things."O-O-Oh," said both girls at once, "how nice."As they talked they were all three walking towardthe house. Becky saw them coming and openedthe door. She knew the young woman was theRed Cross nurse."I'm Ruth Anderson," said the nurse to Becky,as she entered the house."I'm Becky Beecher, and this is Aunt Tabitha,"Becky added as her aunt entered the room.Soon they all felt very well acquainted as MissAnderson went about her job of taking care of herpatient, and seeing that he was comfortable.When she left, the family began to talk abouttheir new friend."She's nice," said Beth, "and she doesn't look likea nurse.""That's because she wasn't wearing a whitedress and cap," explained Janet."She's good-looking," added Becky; "her brownhair looked so thick and shiny.""She seemed to know her job," admitted AuntTabitha, "and that's what she was here for, not tolook pretty."Dad grinned at them all. "You women folkssure looked her over in a hurry.""Don't tell me you didn't see her, Tom Beecher,"said Aunt Tabitha, dryly, as she went to the kitchento start supper.That evening Becky wrote in her book.Dear Little Book: Something nice happened today.The Red Cross nurse came. She is nice looking,so neat and trim, with shining eyes. Her nameisRuth Anderson. Ruth — I like that name. She is avery friendly person; even Aunt Tabitha was impressedwith her. It'll be nice having her come everyfew days, like having special company.(To be continued)298 COVENANTER WITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of December 5, 1965Sabhath School Lessonfor December 5, 1965ISAIAH: PROPHET-STATESMANIsa. 1:1-17; 6-7; 9; 31:1-3; 36-37.Comments by John K. GaultAs a political analyst and wisecounselor and prolific writer Isaiahstands without an equal. Along withthese qualities he possessed a faithin the God of Israel which the iniquitouspractices of his time and thefearsome might of the great Assyrianarmy could not .cause to waver. Hisstyle of writing, his use of imagery,and his description of the salvationto be accomplished by Christ, placeIsaiah upon a pedestal which is secondto none. He truly can be called thegreatest prophet of the Old Testament.Even his name was symbolicof his message and it means "Jehovahsaves."Isaiah was the son of Amoz. Thatwas not Amos, the herdsman of Tekoa,who was also a great prophet, butnot as great as Isaiah according tohuman standards. There is a traditionthat Isaiah was a cousin of King Uzziah,who died during the year whenIsaiah received his call, and whosereign lasted for fifty-two years. Besidesduring a portion of Uzziah'slong reign, Isaiah prophesied duringthe reigns of his successors, Jotham,Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Tradition tells usthat Isaiah suffered martyrdom duringthe wicked reign of Manassah andthat he was sawn in two with a woodensaw.1: Isaiah Denounced the EmptyForms of Worship.In Isaiah 1:11-16 this is broughtmost forcibly to our attention. Hesaid, "To what purpose is the multitudeof your sacrifices unto me? saiththe Lord: I am full of the burnt offeringsof rams, and the fat of fedbeasts; and I delight not in the bloodof bullocks, or of lambs, or of heinsincere. Evil practices were permittedon every hand. In verse 21 hesaid, "How is the faithful city becomean harlot! it was full of judgment;righteousness lodged in it; butnow murderers." And in verse 23,"They judge not the fatherless, neitherdoth the cause of the widow comeunto them." This shows us that it issin unconfessed and unrepented ofwhich separates man from God, andas long as the evil condition continues,forms of religion are worthless in securingthe blessing of God.2: It is Futile to Seek ProtectionFrom Earthly Sources if One is notProtected by God.This is also brought to our attentionin this lesson. We must understandthe situation in which Israelwas placed if we are to grasp the significanceof 31:1-4. The great Assyrianempire was massing its strengthon the east. The northern kingdomhad already been subjugated andmany of its inhabitants carried intoexile. Many of the princes of Judahdetermined to seek help from Egyptwhich was another great empire tothe south and west of Israel. Insteadof seeking help from God and rightingthe evil conditions which had separatedthem from Him, they alliedthemselves with Egypt, under the delusionthat by that union they wouldbe able to turn back the great Assyrianinvader.God said through Isaiah the prophet,"Woe to them that go down toEgypt for help; and stay on horses,and trust in chariots, because theyare many; and in horsemen, becausethey are very strong; but they looknot unto the Holy One of Israel,neither seek the Lord. Yet he also iswise, and will bring evil, and will notcall back his words: but will ariseagainst the house of the evil doers,and against the help of them thatwork iniquity." Defeat is sure to cometo those who do not fight on God'sside.3: The Invincibility of Those WhoTrust in God.We read in 31:6-8 "Turn ye untohim from whom the children of Israelhave deeply revolted. For in that dayevery man shall cast away his idolsof silver, and his idols of gold, whichmen shall be discomfited."It was during the reign of Hezekiahthat Sennacherib, that great kingof Assyria, came up against Judah.He captured many of the defensedcities of Judah as we are told in chapter36 and then he sent General Rabshakehwith a large army to Jerusalemand demanded the surrender ofthat city. He taunted the Jews whowere on the wall of the city by saying,in verse 8, "Gives pledges I praythee, to my master the king of Assyria,and I will give thee two thousandhorses if thou be able on thy part toset riders upon them." Hezekiah theking was in great distress over thesituation so he sent some of his chiefmen to Isaiah who returned the wordto Hezekiah, "Thus saith the Lord, Benot afraid of the words that thou hastheard, wherewith the servants of theking of Assyria have blasphemed me.Behold, I will send a blast upon him,and he shall hear a rumour, and returnto his own land; and I will causehim to fall by the sword of his ownland."Sennacherib came back the secondtime and sent a mesage by Rabshakeh.Hezekiah took the letter and went intothe "house of the Lord" and prayedto God for deliverance from the Assyrians.Isaiah sent word to Hezekiahthat God would deliver the city andthat night "the angel of the Lord wentforth, and smote in the camp of theAssyrians a hundred and fourscoreand five thousand: and when theyarose early in the morning, behold,they were all dead corpses." Sennacheribby this catastrophe, was compelledto return to his own countrywhere his own sons murdered him.And so it turned out just as Isaiahhad said, "He shall not come into thiscity, nor shoot an arrow there, norcome before it with shields, nor casta bank against it." (37:33) Hezekiah,even though weak, was saved fromthe king of Assyria because he soughtthe help of the Lord.4: Isaiah's Prophecies Concerningthe Coming Saviour.Any appraisement of Isaiah's lifewould be unworthy if something werenot said about his clear vision of theadvent of Christ. There are at leastsixteen passages of Isaiah's bookwhich refer to the coming Redeemer.Of these prophecies, chapter 53 is thegreatest. In this wonderful chapterthe advent of the Messiah is foretold.He was to come because of man's sin.The incarnation, the rejection, and thegoats. — Bring no more vain oblations;incense is an abomination untome; — when ye make many prayers, Iwill not hear: your hands are full ofblood. Wash you, make you clean; putaway the evil of your doings from beforemine eyes; cease to do evil."your own hands have made unto youfor a sin. Then shall the AssyrianIn these scathing words did Isaiahfall with the sword, not of a mightyattack the basic evil of his time. Theman; and the sword, not of a meanPeople had a form of religion and offeredmany sacrifices but they wereman, shall devour him: but he shallflee from the sword, and his youngNovember 10. 1965 299

Adolescence and the ChurchWhen I was 30 years old and engaged in graduatestudy, my four-year-old daughter said to me,"Daddy, what are you going to be when you growup and get out of school?" I was slightly takenaback. It took me a few minutes to come up withan answer that satisfied her. She had the correctimpression — when a person is an adult it is normalfor him to have a permanent job.This is one characteristic which sets adolescenceapart from adulthood. The adult is normally engagedin a full-time occupation. The adolescent,while he might be working part-time, is still goingthrough the process of choosing his hfe's work. Heis primarily enaged in a general preparation thatwill enable him to pursue the vocation which hechooses.Choosing and preparing for a productive vocationis one of the aspects that seems to work againsta speedy solution to the other problems of adolescence.In our previous articles we considered theproblems of sexual control and independence. Bothof these problems seem to be most easily solvedin those societies where adolescence is very short.If a boy or girl can become an adolescent oneday and enter into adult society the next he doesnot have a very long or troublesome adolescence.In many of the more primitive societies this is exactlywhat happens. When children reach pubertythey are considered adults — they enter into marriageand immediately become self-supporting in theeconomy of the community.In moving to a highly industrialized society thesituation changes dramatically. Approximately 50per cent of the girls in our society do not marry untilthey are over 20 years of age and the age forboys would be correspondingly higher. It is extremelydifficult for a young person to find employmentin our society until after high school. Finding adequateemployment without some college experienceis also increasing in difficulty.These facts make adolescence a period that isbecoming longer with each decade. The age atwhich adolescents can become economically independentand find sexual satisfaction in marriage isbeing pushed upward. The physical entrance intoadolescence appears to occur at a younger age thanit did fifty years ago.This stretching out of the adolescent period isVOCATIONAL CHOICEby Donald W. Felkercaused partly by the increased skills which areneeded in our society. A group of problems for theadolescent is clustered about this need for differentskills. I would like to mention four of these problems:(1) the increased need for higher education,(2) lack of unskilled jobs due to automation, (3) theincreased necessity for choice, and (4) the urbanizationof our country and the corresponding needto move to the city.These four problems are interrelated. We havemoved into a period when many types of employmentwhich were previously open to young peopleare being closed. Automation is particularlyeliminating those jobs which were once open to anyonewho was "just willing to work hard." Today ittakes more than just a willingness to work. Theyeung person who begins looking for a job musthave a saleable skill, or at least the ability to betrained in a particular skill.Unemployment has become a present concern.While the unemployment rate has hovered aroundfive per cent of the working force it has been runningbetween thirty per cent and fifty per cent ofthose who are less than four years out of highschool. It is even higher for those who have notfinished high school.These staggering unemployment figures speakto the need for increased higher education. Butmore education, while it prepares the youth to takean adult role in society, also extends the time whenhe is still dependent. It takes longer to become anadult in the eyes of society today than it did fiftyyears ago.The speedy passing of many jobs from theAmerican scene also makes the matter of vocationalchoice more pressing for the youth of today.For many in the past there was very little choice ina vocation. If Dad was a farmer, the son also becamea farmer. It was often not a choice but justan accepted part of growing up. If Dad was a coalminer or a steel worker, the son obtained a job atthe same plant when he was old enough to work.Today this following in the footsteps of Dad isfrequently impossible. There are not enough jobs,or pieces of land, for all of the sons to do whattheir fathers did. While this opens more possibilitiesto many of the youth today, it also pushes uponthem the responsibility of making a choice. It isNovember 10, 1965 293

protect us from Satan's attacks. Agood motto for the Christian soldieris: "Always Wear Armor" (A-W-A).Now look at our Psalm text andsee if it doesn't bring out these things.Read verses 1-4 on page 30, and asmany verses on page 32 as you havetime for. Older people have experiencedthese things and can tell youthat now while you are younger is thebest time to get a good understandingof your enemy Satan and to learn howto conquer him in all the differentways he makes himself known. Onlya very foolish person will ignore a"DANGER AHEAD" sign, and so weare being warned of things to bewareof in the Christian life that wouldcause us to fall into sin.For the Sponsor:If you have the flannelgraph on"The Christian Soldier" (StandardPublishing Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, price$1.35), it could be used for this lesson.For the notebooks:Draw a large figure of a soldieron your page, and dress him in theChristian armor, labeling each part.When you have learned the memoryverse, write it beneath.GROWING THROUGH WITNESSINGThis topic might well be restatedas "How has your growing influencedyour witnessing?" for witnessing is anatural outgrowth of a "life inChrist." If you have grown in Biblestudy and prayer, and in your fellowshipwith God, you will be witnessing,too. Witnessing is just telling otherswhat has happened to you, by wordand deed. From this we see growingthrough witnessing really depends onall your other growth in Christ.Read Matthew 5: 13-16. Just asmen cannot hide a city that is all litup, neither can a Christ-filled life behid. It will shine before men, andwitnessing will be a natural outgrowthof this life.I Timothy 2:2 gives us the reasonwe should be witnessing. It is so thatothers may be taught and trained thatthey may be able to teach others. Godhas left it up to men to spread the"Good News." He could have usedangels, but He didn't.Let us look at the examples of witnessingwe have in the Bible. First,John the witness. (Luke 3:3-18; John1:23). John was a very successful witnessfor the Lord. What do you thinkmade him successful? Could it havebeen all those years spent in the wildernessin close fellowship with God?Could this be what filled him with themessage he shared with others? Couldit be that he did not speak on hisown authority, but on God's authority?Do you have enough Scripture storedup so you could speak with authority?Now consider Andrew. (John 1:40-42). Do you have someone at home,too? Or, perhaps next door?Last, let us look at Philip the evangelist.(Acts 8:4-8, 26-40). He preachedfar and wide, but you notice it saysthere was joy in the city where hepreached. Sometimes we feel othersdo not want to be bothered, and forthat reason we keep silent, but whereChrist enters in there is true joy.Consider II Cor. 5: 14-20. God hascommitted unto us the Word, and weare not to live unto ourselves but untoHim who died for us and rose again.Growing Christians put Christ first,others second, and themselves last.Where are you?If you have grown enough to bewitnessing, then you know how muchmore we need to grow to be good witnessesfor our Lord.NEED A FLANNELGRAPH?A wide selection of Bible, missions,and temperance flannelgraphs areavailable from the Women's SynodicalFlannelgraph Library. Write MissLulu Tippin, 206 N. Sth Street, Sterling,Kansas 67579 for these. Goodcare, prompt return, and postage arethe only requirements of borrowers.We hope that the whole church willtake advantage of this service.Scribe With A Hard PencilW.M.S. DepartmentPreacher Theophilus Thornberry was making a pastoral call. When themother in the home went to the kitchen to make a sociable cup of coffee,her eldest son — pre-school Jimmy — took over the job of being host. Motherreturned with the coffee, only to find Preacher Thornberry on his handsand. knees on the floor, with Jimmy astride his back and whooping it upafter the very best "Ride 'em cowboy" tradition. In fact, Jimmy opined thatPreacher Thornberry made an excellent broncho.When the preacher started to leave, Jimmy felt that he wanted to expresshis appreciation for a rousing good time. Since his vocabulary was limited,he drew upon other resources. From the large assortment of items inhis right pants pocket he withdrew three pebbles and presented them to hisdeparting guest.Preacher Thornberry accepted them with grave thanks. He regardedthem with sentiment, since they were tokens of esteem from a boy. At themoment, the preacher did not consider them as having much practical value.Later he changed his mind about pebbles. When his car got stuck inthe mud in his drive way, Preacher Theophilus Thornberry went to the telephoneand ordered a whole truck load of pebbles — "gravel" was what itsaid in the yellow pages.Sometimes the things which we regard as having only sentimentalvalue, turn out to be exceedingly practical!More than once it has transpired that some young person has becomevery wise and sophisticated: so much so, that he has smiled at the thoughtof his mother's prayers for him. "Good old Mom!" he has exclaimed withsentimental tolerance, "Good old Mom! She worries about me, and she is alwayspraying for me!"But when we get "stuck in the mud" — and sooner or later that happensto us all — our sophistication evaporates into thin air; and we want ourmothers' prayers, by the truck load if possible!Things spiritual cannot be sold over the counter at a dollar a pound;but in the long run they prove to be the most practical and the most real ofall of our possessions.November 10, 1965 301

NOTICETo correct a misunderstanding onthe part of some, I would like to statethat the 1965 Minutes of Synod wereprinted by Louisa Publishing Companyof Wapello, Iowa and not by The PattersonPress of Wapello, Iowa althoughpart of the work was subcontractedto us.Rev. David R. PattersonREV. M. S. McMILLAN, D.D.Dr. M. S. McMillan died on October28 at the Reformed Presbyterian Homein Pittsburgh. The funeral was heldin the Allegheny R.P. Church on October30, and the burial was in the RosedaleCemetery, Pittsburgh.Funeral services were conductedby Dr. J. O. Edgar who was assistedby Rev. Melville Martin and Dr. E.C. Copeland.NOTICEBritish Isles subscriptions for1966 (28/- each) are due on 1st.January and should be paid toRev. Hugh Wright.DEDICATED TO THECHESTER HUTCHESONSThe 1964-1965 Larnaca AcademyAnnual was dedicated to Mr. and Mrs.Chester Hutcheson in these words:"This issue of the Academy Annualis dedicated to our beloved and sympatheticteachers, Mr. and Mrs. ChesterHutcheson, who are leaving theAcademy this year. We express ourgratitude for the valuable service theyhave rendered to the school. AcademyHerald Editorial Staff."J.O.Y. Class of First Beaver FallsChurch have started a fund for thepurchase of a folding machine forthe Christian Amendment office.The cost of such a machine is expectedto be about two hundreddollars ($200). We are asking theWitness to print this so that membersof the church at large mayjoin in this project. We suggestthat you send your contributionsdirect to the C.A.M. office in Pittsburgh.SHARONSharon congregation has forty-eightyoung people from junior high throughcollege age. Many have been successfulin 4-H activities during the summer.Leadership for this group hascome from Sharon congregation: Mrs.Robert McClure serving as leader forthe girls, Mr. Maurice McDonald forthe boys. In competition with other4-H units, our girls came away withmost of the prizes in sewing, personalpoise, etc. and Ada Lambert andMargaret McClure were advanced tothe State Fair in Des Moines wherethey gave demonstrations.Both girls and boys have wonhonors with their livestock. Verla Mc­Elhinney won the county's ReserveChampion Shorthorn prize. Joe Bairdwas awarded the honor of attendingHealth Camp at Madrid, Iowa. Richardand Rodney McDonald were sent asdelegates to the State 4-H Conference.Joe Baird, Rodney and Dennis Mc­Donald, and Tom Robb, because oftheir high rating in livestock judging,were sent as a team to the StateFair. Richard Baird was one of the toptwenty per cent of applicants admittedto the College of Veterinary Medicineat Iowa State University.These busy young people also hadtime for church activities. They requestedtheir pastor to give them specialinstruction in Covenanter Historyand Church Principles, and later, inVisitation Evangelism. Several havegone from time to time to help in thevisitation program at Marion. A numberof our young people taught orassisted, in the Vacation Bible Schoolwhich was shared by Morning Sun andSharon, and which had a total of 69pupils in attendance three days ormore, and a Staff of 19. This year'sVacation School was from June 21 toJuly 1. The women from MorningSun and Sharon churches provided therefreshments.The Iowa Young People's Conferencewas held on the Sharon Churchgrounds, August 11-15, with the camperssleeping in tents and eating theirmeals in the church basement. Mealswere prepared by the women of MorningSun and Sharon churches.Bob Harsh attended Summer TrainingProgram. Mary Harsh acted as aJunior High Counsellor at ForestPark. Many of our young people helpwith the singing when it is Sharon'sturn to conduct the service at theCounty Home. Our high school studentsare active in band and in athlet'cs,both at Morning Sun and MediapolisHigh Schools.Ten of our forty-eight young peopleare in college or in technical trainingthis fall. Bill Cummings, LouiseEdgar, Bob Harsh, Mary Harsh, andRoger Robb, are in Geneva. MarilynBerry is at Kirksville. Bob Hays is inthe University of Iowa. Richard Mc­Donald is in State Teachers' at CedarFalls. Dick Baird is in VeterinaryCollege at Ames. Verla McElhinneyis in Beauticians' School at Burlington.Miss Janet Robertson is workingtoward her Master's degree at FortCollins, Colorado. Mrs. Philip Noss istaking elementary training at MaryCrest College at Davenport, Iowa.MANCHESTERAt Manchester we have just experiencedanother communion seasonand were pleased to have Dr. JohnEdgar assisting. Dr. Edgar is the managerof the Reformed PresbyterianHome in Pittsburgh and brought severalguests with him to the services ...Mrs. Dill, Mrs. Hagadorn, Mrs. Edgar,and Miss Helen Euwer, who is a memberof our congregation. We were remindedthat since our last communionMiss Florence Euwer was called to herHeavenly home.There is a feeling of change hereand promise of things to come. Notonly are the leaves changing color,but the very atmosphere is also changingand with it there is much activityat Manchester.We have new plans for keepingyoung people interested and activein church and possibly attract others.During the morning service inplace of the Psalm study we now have"Pilgrim's Progress" with flannelgraph.A new Sabbath School classwas started by Mrs. Clair Saylorwhich is for young mothers.There is a new program for theevening classes with Mr. and Mrs.James Blair sponsoring the teenagers.A social night for this group will bea monthly highlight.Responsible for these changes isour pastor, the Reverend Robert Ful-302 COVENANTER WITNESS

lerton, who, in addition to his regularduties, has also been using othertalents keeping the church repairedand beautified as evidenced by thelarge, attractive sign recently erectedto identify the church. The finishedclassroom for the young mothers, recreationarea, and the painted sanctuaryare other improvements.Beginning with October a news letterand calendar of church events isto be sent to each family of the congregation.As the Thanksgiving season approacheswe realize that the Lord hasblessed us greatly.GOLDEN WEDDING ANNIVERSARYThe Rev. and Mrs. Robert S. Mc­Elhinney celebrated their 50th weddinganniversary with an Open Houseat their home in Bloomington, Indiana,on Saturday, August 7, 1965. Approximately120 friends and relatives cameto extend their greetings and manybeautiful gifts and floral offeringswere received by the couple.The Rev. Mr. and Mrs. McElhinneywere married in Bloomington on August4, 1915, at the home of the bride'sparents, Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Smith.Since that time they have resided atCedarville and New Concord, Ohio;LaJunta, Colorado; and at Bloomington,where Rev. Mr. McElhinney wasemployed by the Indiana UniversitySchool of Education for many years.He attended Geneva College, IndianaUniversity, where he received his A.B. and M.S. degrees, and was graduatedfrom the Reformed PresbyterianSeminary.The McElhinneys have one daughter,Mrs. Dale Shaw, and one grandson,Robert Dale Shaw, both of Sellersburg,Indiana.NEWBURGH, NEW YORKDuring the past months since ourlast news to the Witness, the followingmen have brought us the Word ofGod on Sabbatn morning: Rev. JamesCarson, Rev. Alvin Smith, Jr., andLicentiate David Armstrong. The otherSabbaths when a minister was notavailable, recorded sermons wereheard. We thank the Lord, thatthrough this medium, we can hearHis Word through the voice of Hisservants.On August lb, the congregation metand called Rev. Alvin Smith, Jr. to betheir pastor. We are awaiting his decisionand trust that it will be theLord's will that he accept.Rev. Ivlr. Smith conducted ourCommunion services on the week-endof September 26. Alter a covered dishsupper on Friday evening, a preparatoryservice was held and on Sabbathevening, the Coldenham congregationjoined with us. Although the attendancewas smaller than usual, the messagesthat Rev. Mr. Smith brought tous were very helpful to us as individualsand as a church. We enjoyed theChristian fellowship with Rev. Mr.and Mrs. Smith.During the summer, several membersspent time cleaning the parsonageand making it available for Rev.Mr. Carson and family and Rev. Mr.and Mrs. Smith, so that they couldstay there while in Newburgh. Thelast two W.M.S. meetings have alsobeen held at the parsonage. At othertimes ; the pastors were entertained atthe homes of the various members.Steve and Ricky Price, Don andGeorge Bosch attended the WhiteLake Junior Camp. Linda Mcllwee andTommy Price attended the PrepCamp. Mrs. Andrew Price was a counselorand Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Boschassisted with the cooking. On a recentmorning during the Sabbath schoolhour, Steve, Ricky, Tommy, and Lindagave their impressions of camplife.In connection with the School ofMissions of the W.M.S., the boys andgirls of Mrs. John White's Sabbathschool class, are giving reports of themission work in the various fields.This is done on the last Sabbath ofeach month, when our regular missionaryoffering is taken.Robert Meneely, Jr., who is in theservice of our country, was home fora short stay. We were happy to haveBobby worship with us again whilehome. Another of our boys, DeweyMcllwee, is serving his country inthe Navy. He is now recovering froma broken foot, due to an accident duringhis basic training. We are glad tohear that he is recovering nicely.Another of our members, Mr. J. L.Klomp, is in the hospital for a checkupon a physical weakness that hehas had for some time. We hope thathe will have a speedy recovery.Elders Robert A. Meneely andSamuel J. Robinson attended thePresbytery meeting in Montclair, NewJersey, on October 12 and 13.GENEVANS TO ATTEND WRITERS'CONFERENCE AT WHEATONDr. Norman M. Carson, AssociateProfessor of English at Geneva College,and five senior English majorsattended the 10th Annual Writers'Conference held, October 14-16, atWheaton College, Wheaton, 111.Dr. Carson also attended the annualmeeting of the Conference onChristianity and Literature whichwas held concurrently with that of theWriter's Conference. Dr. Carson istreasurer of the organization whichis a national organization of collegelevelEnglish teachers.Dr. John C. Shaffer, Professor ofHumanities and English at NorthwesternUniversity, will be the mainspeaker at the writers' conference. Heis a recognized authority on Shakespeare,and is presently preparing abook on the Elizabethan dramatist.Also speaking at the various sessionswill be Dr. Hudson T. Amerding,President of Wheaton College;Dr. Russell T. Hitt, author, worldtraveler, and veteran newspaperman;Dr. J. Wesley Ingles, Head of theEnglish Department and Chairman ofthe Language and Literature Divisionat Eastern Baptist College; Homer E.Dowdy, author and world traveler,and Richard Baltzell, Managing Editorof the Religious Books Departmentat J. B. Lippincott Company.NEW YORK CITYPrayer Requests:1. Thanksgiving for the large missionfield near the church, for a growinginterest being shown by the peopleof the community, for four newmembers from this area.2. Since at least half who attendthe morning service are non-membersfrom the area, mostly Negro and PuertoRican, pray that as they are madeto feel welcome, they will become acquaintedwith Christ through thepreaching of the Word, and acceptHim as Saviour.3. For complete surrender of manywho attend the services, but are onlynominal Christians, if at all.4. For a young couple to sponsorthe youth group. Most are from non-Christian homes.5. For dedicated Christians tocome to New York City to seek employment,so that they might servethe Lord in this mission field asteachers in the S.S.6. For a full time city missionary.This is a "must" since there are hundredsclose by, who welcome a visitorand are eager to know the Truth.November 10, 1965 303

SNOW BOUND . .. from page 296preserves the culture of a nation-The typical American solution to this problemwould be, "Well, let's hold a national family week,which will give an incentive to family living" or"Let's form family clubs." This is where the churchmust take the lead. We as Christians must set theexample for others. We must stay home a few nightsa week. We must have more family activities withinthe church and fewer individual activities. In theBanner, several months ago, someone advocated afamily night at church at which you would have allthe week's activities for all the individual membersof the family taken care of in one night and thiswould give you more time for your family. We musthave more family activities, projects, and hobbieswithin the family unit. For example, we could takenature hikes together — learn more about God'sworld together. We must have family devotions onand beyond those at the table- When we go tochurch, we should go as a family, we should sittogether in church as a family.An American poet said:"O wanderers from ancestral soilLeave noisome mill and chaffering storeGird up your loins for sturdier toilAnd build the HOME once more."The Young CalvinistREVOLVING DOOR .. . from page 295but instead by allowing two pages to be turned atonce. This occurs most frequently when an entirecurriculum has not been adopted within a churchwhich lets the teachers know what a particulargroup may have already studied, what they shouldbe emphasizing during the current year, and whichtopics will be emphasized the following year.Public schools face a similar problem. Havingspent a considerable number of years in a publicschool environment, I feel I have logged my shareof time in faculty meetings. Occasionally I haveeven jested that when it comes my time to departthis life, I would like to be at one of these facultymeetings, because I'm convinced the transition fromlife to death would be least noticeable there. Seriously,though, I can attest to the fact that it is throughthe treatment of the vital subject of school curriculumat these meetings that the continuity and cohesivenessof the entire school program is molded.As each teacher better understands his place of responsibilityin the development of children's knowledgeand skills, a closer feeling of teamwork developsamong the group. For this reason school facultiesspend a sizeable amount of time each year revisingand perfecting courses of study to be used inschool instruction.Our own church has spent a considerableamount of time during recent years in developingand coordinating courses of study at the denominationallevel. This is not to fail to recognize thatmany congregations have developed local churchschool programs which have been good and beneficial.It becomes an insurmountable task, however,to expect each congregation to develop its own curriculumfor all of the instructional groups. For thisreason the Board of Christian Education has beenasked to undertake the job of developing and coordinatingthe entire instructional program of thechurch. A task of this magnitude will not be completedimmediately. Just as America was not builton a weekend with do-it-yourself kits, neither willa circular staircase curriculum for an entire churchprogram be developed by a few people giving up afew weekends to complete the job.Though the completion of all facets of thechurch curriculum remains for the future, thereare many phases which have already been completed.That we may close the gaps in our instructionalprogram, it is important that we begin to implementthe use of the materials as they become available.Has your congregation evaluated the materials currentlyavailable? A greater degree of continuity inwhat we teach, along with greater teamwork onthe part of cur teachers is a natural product of theimplementation of our church's complete instructionalprogram. How about taking a long look atyour own congregation's teaching program? Thenexamine our church's curricular materials whichare now available and see where they can be of assistancein solidifying the instructional programwhich you believe God would have you offer."Give instruction to a wise man and he willbe yet wiser." —Proverbs 9:9About the AuthorNozu completing his doctorate in education atIndiana Universary, the writer has been "teachingteachers" in connection with Emporia StateTeachers College in Kansas. He is Vice-Presidentof Synod's Board of Christian Education.304 COVENANTER WITNESS

WffRMED PBESBY'Covenanter WitnessTO JESUS CHRIST"THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONS"iilllillll'lill ' • il 1 I u r f M M M M l h k ^t Mfc*...VOLUME LXXV NO. 20 NOVEMBER 17, 1965 STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 12, 1965GRATITUDE SHOULD BE EXPRESSED"The steamer, 'Lady Elgin' was sinking. It was a chillyevening in early September. She was brilliantly lighted, and loadedwith excursionists. She had almost reached Chicago, but beforehelp could be put out she would be gone, and the crowd on theshore watched her, powerless to help. But not all of them werehelpless.Two brothers, students in a theological seminary, plungedthrough the crowd with a rope in their hands. Nat, the elder, apowerful man and a trained swimmer, leaped into the waves.Inch by inch he fought his way through until he reached the shipand climbed aboard. A moment later he plunged back with a womanin his arms. The crowd hauled him in, choking and cold,but still strong. Again he plunged in, and again and again. Seventeenwomen and children he brought to shore.At last he sank exhausted.Yet still the criesrang in his ears. After a bithe raised himself and againplunged in. Again andagain. Twenty-three humanlives Nat Spencer savedbefore his strength entirelyleft him. For weekshe lay delirious. Thetwenty-three whom he hadsaved scattered to theirhomes. The bodies of thethree hundred who werelost had been tossed up bythe waves, the nation hadbegun to forget the tragedy.But the twenty-threewhom he had saved, surelythey did not forget. Surely they were grateful?This is the simple truth about those twenty-three: Not oneof them ever came back to thank Nat Spencer for what he haddone.Not one of them even wrote him a letter.Nat Spencer went out into life an invalid, having givenhis strength for twenty-three people who did not so much"Thank you."Surely we do not wish to be in the class of those who do notas say,return thanks. Even dumb beasts have a way of expressing gratitude.Shall we do less? —Selected

THE COVENANTER WITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.EVANaeUCAL PR1SS ASSOCIATIONEditor: Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D.D.125 N. 4th StreetSterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under the supervision of theBoard of Publication by The Patterson Press, Wapello,Iowa 52653.Contributing Editors:Rev. Kenneth SmithDr. G. M. RobbRev. T. R. HutchesonDepartment Editors:Rev. Bruce C. StewartMrs. Robert B. MaineMrs. Willis EdgarRev. John K. GaultOpinions expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the Reformed Presbyterian Church or the editor.All material to appear in The Covenanter Witnessshould be typewritten, double-spaced, and should be irSterling, Kansas two weeks beforeit is to be printed.Obituaries — All words in excess of one hundred fiftyone cent per word. Money should accompany such noticesSUBSCRIPTION RATESIndividual (1 year): U.S. and Canada, $4.00, BritislIsles 35/-, all other places, $5.00;Individual (2 year): U.S. and Canada, $7.00, BritislIsles 63/-, all other places, $9.00;Group: U.S. and Canada, $3.00, British Isles 28/-, allother places, $4.00.9-month student subscription — $1.50; 5-month introductory offer — $1.00; 2 gift subscriptions to persons outsideof the R.P Church — $2.00 each. Single copies, 10ceach.Subscription Agent for U.S. and Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.Subscription Agent for the British Isles: Rev. HughWright, B. A., 12, Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, NorthernIreland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness in U. S. currency.Give one month's notice of a change of address. Sendboth the new and the old address to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty.Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, Iowa.WE HOLD THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only infalliblerule of faith and conduct.The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experience.The Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Holy Spirit.The fact of death and hell as the destiny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believein Him together with their children.The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church Government.The Lord Jesus Christ as the only King and Head of His Church.That terms of membership or communion are essential to thewelfare of the Church.IMPORTANTBIBLE READING HELPSYOUTH MEETING KITS"GOAL POST" MAGAZINESABBATH SCHOOL HELPS*Persons responsible for ordering Christianeducation materials for the new year should actnow. See your Superintendent or Pastor for preparedorder form.Reformed Presbyterian Board ofChristian Education7437 Penfield Court, Pittsburgh, Pa.15208(* Senior and Primary ordered directly from GreatCommission Publications, specify R.P. edition.)This Week's WitnessOur God, We Thank TheeA Pension for LifeProtestantism's FoundationThankful to Whom? For What?Letter to PresidentThe Name of JesusBeecher Farm MysteryLesson Helps . .Scribe ...Church NewsPioneer Letter307308309310311312314315317318320The duty which rests upon officers to maintain discipline andpreserve the purity of the Church.Spiritual worship as a divine requirement mediated through theLord Jesus Christ.The exclusive use of the Psalms in the worship of the Church.The Protestant interpretation of the Sacraments.The divine right of the institution of Marriage and that it is notto be dissolved except by adultery or "irremediable" desertion.The Sabbath as a day sacred to rest and worship.The duty of nations and their civil rulers to honor Christ asKing of Kings and Lord of Lords.That Christian citizens are under obligation to obey lawful authority.The right and duty of the Christian citizen to dissent from allgovernmental and national disobedience to the Law of God.That the Covenants of the past are still binding.From "The Communicant's Class" by J. B. Tweed306 COVENANTER WITNESS

EditorialComment"OUR GOD, WE THANK THEE"by C. W. Oscar son"Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, andpraise thy glorious name." — I Chronicles29:13.David was pre-eminently the authority on praise,and surely no one had greater need to praise Godthan he.It may be thought that David was a disappointedman. At the end of his life he had longed with aholy yearning to build the house of the Lord. ButGod said to him: "No; you have been a man ofblood and war. My house must be built by a man ofpeace." But was David disappointed? Instead, hepraised God. He praised Him for permitting him toput together the various jewels, with silver and ironand stone, for the building of the temple. He wasperfectly satisfied to leave the actual building to hisson Solomon, whose name signified Peaceable.It is appropriate to ask ourselves as we considerDavid's thanksgiving on this occasion, whetherwe are part of Christ's spiritual temple, and whetherwe are doing what David did in making preparationfor the beautifying of this spiritual temple. Oneof the evidences that we are part of the temple ofGod is shown in the intense longing with which weyearn to see more of our fellow men rejoicing inwhat Christ has accomplished for them.Let us notice some of the reasons given by Davidfor praise and thanksgiving. He begins his prayerwith the words: "Blessed be thou, Lord God ofIsrael, our Father, for ever and ever. Thine, O Lord,is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, andthe victory, and the majesty: for all that is in theheaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the Kingdom,O Lord, and thou art exalted as head aboveall." David recognizes the exalted personality ofGod. When the majesty of God is felt, reverentpraise follows.God is spoken of as our Father. Here, then, isa reason for our praise. In Christ we can experiencethe forgiveness of our sins and be brought intoperfect relationship with our Triune God.Then notice other perfections: "Thine, O Lord,is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, andthe victory, and the majesty." The more we studyour God, as He is revealed to us in the Scriptures,the more will our hearts well up in praise to Him.David points out yet another reason for praise—the perpetuity of God: "For ever and ever." OurGod can never change. He is for ever and ever thesame. What a reason for praise!Another great reason is brought out very clearlyby David: "Thou art exalted as Head above all."Our God is pre-eminently the Highest of the high,the King of kings and Lord of lords.David writes that the providence of God is anoccasion of praise. He points out that if he hadcollected this wonderful, almost fabulous amountof wealth for the building of the temple, it was,after all, only because God had provided it. God hadled the people to give; God had inclined their heartto give willingly.David sees in the poverty of man a reason forthanksgiving. He says, "Who am I, and what is mypeople, that we should be able to offer?" We arepaupers. Whatever we have, we have of Him,through Him. Were it not for His grace, whichDavid magnified in this prayer, we should not bewhere we are today.The analysis of praise is seen in David's praise:"Now, therefore, our God, we thank thee." Thankfulnesscomes from thoughtfulness, and when weare thoughtful, we say, "Praise thy glorious name."The word "praise" means "value," "price." Praise isthe value or price we put upon God; hence the oldEnglish word "appraiser" — a man who puts a priceon goods. When we think of our God, how can wehelp but praise Him?We will praise Him for His pardon: "Thy sinand iniquities will I remember no more."We will praise Him for His Spirit which bearswitness with ours that we have passed from deathunto life.We will praise Him for our inheritance. As aloving Father He lavishes His gifts upon His children— temporal, physical, and spiritual.We will praise Him because He calls us intoHis service as ambassadors, proclaiming to theworld, "Be ye reconciled to God."—The Free MethodistNovember 17, 1965307

A PENSION FOR LIFERev. R. A. Blair, D.D.Today we are hearing much about Old Age Pensions.Here is a proposal for a Life Pension thatis sure and workable, has no harmful features, andtends to the highest good for all. With it goes mytestimony to the faithfulness of the Sponsor of theabove pension, to do far above what we can eitherask or think.My early home life was all that could be desired,—the best of Christian parents, and the finest opportunityfor early education. In my early teens Ientered business and for six years hved with andworked under one of the finest men that ever hved.A httle over thirty years ago I found myselfin a new country, in possession of a college diploma,and a graduate of a Theological Seminary. These Ihad acquired in diverse places and ways. After threeyears as minister to a group of fine folks, with awife who had been a classmate in college, and alittle girl who had come into our hearts and home,I found myself in a great heathen land. This hadbeen my ambition from very early in life, and whilefor years it seemed impossible, now it was a realizedexperience.Then came what was in many ways the hardesttrial of my life. Because of conditions in thetropics that were not as well understood then asnow, I found that I had lost the sight of one eyeand that the other eye was affected. Those firstdays were perhaps the darkest I have ever spent. Itseemed that my life-long hope was shattered just inits very infancy. However, my Sponsor did not fail.We came home, and with the aid of kind friendsand skillful doctors and surgeons my remainingeye met every need for almost twenty years. Thenwithout a moment's warning my sight was gone,and for the past ten years I have been totally blind.I well remember the first Sabbath I was in thehospital after my sight had gone completely. TheSabbath School lesson for that day was where Jesushad healed the man who was forty years old andwho had been born blind. This man had received agreat blessing, and yet I had already received a fargreater one. I had had my sight for forty years. Ihad had the opportunity for an education. I hadlived in three continents. I knew what much of theworld looked like and could still see my friendsand live in the world that anyone can hve in whojust closes his eyes. I had far more for which to bethankful than this man in the Sabbath School lesson.This assurance has never left me.During the years, three boys had come into ourhome. Our little girl was smitten with infantileparalysis, and although badly handicapped, finishedher college course, thanks to my Sponsor, and forsome years has been our efficient housekeeper.Three years after I had completely lost my sight,my wife, who had stood with me all these years, andwhom I thought I needed as never before, was takenHome after almost two years of severe sufferingand extreme weakness. Three years later my secondboy, who was in his third year in college, in preparationfor the foreign field, was suddenly takenHome. However, he lives as never before in thehearts and memories of all who knew him. (Myother two boys like their sister, have had the privilegeof a college education, thanks to their Sponsor,and I hope they will far outstrip their father in everyway.)Seven years ago I secured a trained GermanShepherd dog, through the Seeing-Eye. She was oneof the first group of dogs trained in this country.About two years ago my dog was killed in an accident,when I was not with her. In some ways thisseemed about the hardest providence to understand,but still my Sponsor did not fail. Some monthslater I was able to secure another dog. I have traveledthousands of miles with my dogs by train, busand car. Many opportunities have opened for meto speak and bear witness to my Sponsor's faithfulnessbecause of my dogs. For some of this work Ihave received generous recompense but most of itgives me the opportunity to try to repay some of thegenerous help I have received from doctors andfriends.I did not lose any money in stocks or bondsduring the depression and I had no worries aboutinvestments. This is one wonderful thing about thePension that my Sponsor offers, — we do not needto be troubled about investments. We just do ourdaily work and the pension never fails, and whileit may not be nearly as large as that promised bysome men, yet it always meets every need. In allthese years my Sponsor has never once failed me,but I have failed Him so many times! Yet He, inHis wonderful love, weaves another pattern aroundmy mistakes and restoreth the years that the canker-wormhath eaten.During the years, I have saved from my pension308 COVENANTER WITNESS

enough to meet my funeral expenses. This I feelwill likely be needed, but beyond that I do not knowof any future need, and His promise is sure thatas our days, so shall our strength be.I would not exchange my Pension for Life forany other plan that could be offered. What He hasdone for me He will do for anyone and even in agreater degree, for not many will hinder Him as Ihave done. "This is a faithful saying, and worthyof all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into theworld to save sinners, of whom I am chief."* * * *The following are some of the promises, anyone of which is enough coming from Him who neverfaileth: — my Sponsor:"They that seek the Lord shall not want anygood thing.""No good thing will He withhold from them thatwalk uprightly.""He that spared not His Own Son, but dehveredHim up for us all, how shall He not also withHim freely give us all things.""My God shall supply all your need accordingto His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.""Even to your old age I am He; and even tohoar hairs will I carry you."His conditions (and always a wise sponsor laysdown conditions) are that we first accept JesusChrist, His greatest and best gift, and that withHim He freely gives us all things.Postscript No. 1Knowing of Dr. Blair's unusual trials and hiswonderful patience while suffering, I asked himto write his experiences for me, which he has doneunder the title, "A Pension for Life."While he was in the hospital at the time helost his sight completely, the patient who was inthe next bed and who was not a Christian, seeinghis wonderful joy in Christ in spite of this calamity, Protestantismdecided that he himself wanted, a Savior who couldgive this joy, and then and there accepted Christ.This is only one of those who have been deeply influencedby the godly life of this man.that does is worthy of its name.E. J. M. Dickson, M. D.Needham, Mass.Postscript No. 2Since the above wfts written in 1935, Dr. Blairhas lost his "two other boys." One died while in theSeminary. The other took seriously ill, was advisedby his physician that he had but a year to live, andwas urged to go South, which he did. He becameassistant to the Dean of Miami University, and regainedsufficient health to enter the United StatesNavy. He was killed at Okinawa in 1945, leaving awife and two children. His father's testimony i"I do not try to explain it, but I know the Lord makeno mistakes. Not even a sparrow falls to the groundwithout His permission."E.J.M.D.(Reprinted by Request)PROTESTANTISM'S FOUNDATIONBy definition, a Protestant is one who protests.Sixteenth-century Protestantism protested againstcertain teachings and practices of the Roman CatholicChurch. Controversy, then, is of the essence ofProtestantism.But let no one infer that Protestantism is merelynegative. Contrariwise, it is eminently positive. Rejectingan infallible church, it upholds an infallibleBible. Denying salvation by works, it proclaims salvationby grace. Renouncing a despotic priesthood,it recognizes the priesthood of behevers. Paradoxically,Protestantism's negative aspects enhance itspositive positions. The sole authority of the Bible isa more positive tenet than is the authority of theBible. Salvation by grace alone is a more positiveconcept than is salvation by grace. The universalpriesthood of believers is a more positive idea than isthe priesthood of behevers. As white appears whitestwhen viewed on a black background, so truthstands out most boldly on a background of error.The opinion is widespread that Protestantismis synonymous with change. Much of what once wasapproved Protestantism is written off as speculation,or even superstition, by today's standards. Thecatechisms and confessions of historic Protestantism,we are told, are largely outdated. Barth andBultmann, Tilhch and Ferre are said to have supersededthe Reformers; and a good Protestant, weare informed, would have it so.However, true Protestantism rests on the firmfoundation of the Word of God, and only suchWhere did Luther discover the glorious truth ofjustification by faith only? Was it not in the Bible?And did not Calvin strive to base his entire systemof doctrine and ethics so squarely on the infallibleWord that he has been labeled a bibhcist? In itsbasic features, Protestantism, far from fluctuating,is as permanent as is the abiding Word of theeternal God.Nevertheless, Protestantism is progressive. TheHoly Spirit enlightens God's children in their understandingof the Word, and over the centuries Hehas done this progressively. The Protestant Reformationitself is striking proof. Nor did the Spirit'sillumination cease at that time. Ber~ se the Re-See page 311November 17, 1965 309

Thankful To Whom?by Wesley C. SmealFor What?Bible truth points us to the source of all that isgood, namely, God. "And God saw everything thathe had made, and, behold, it was very good" (Gen.1:31). Could we expect anything less of a goodGod? "O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good:for his mercy endureth forever" (Psa. 107:1).Thankful to whom? Thankful for what? "Blessthe Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits"(Psa. 103:2). Among these benefits the psalmist includes:1. The forgiveness of sins. This is a greatbenefit. It is the divine way of reacting to injustice.Forgiveness meets hatred with love; faces fear withconfidence; overcomes evil with good; restores peaceand harmony; and heals the wounds of resentment.It is more than something negative — it is positive.It is an intensive force which gives itself away —the giving forth of good will which refuses to rememberwrong. Il is the forgetting area in the mindof God. I see it demonstrated on a cross. I experienceit through the ever-present Christ.2. Health. This is a benefit for which manypay large sums of money in their attempts to findit. The psalmist places God in his thinking as thesource of health. God is not only the source of alltrue, forgiving love, but also the source of all health,whether that health comes through a pill or a prayer.God "healeth all thy diseases." Such healing ismore than physical; it is spiritual, mental, and emotional.The individual who holds resentments is asick soul and in need of healing. And God can healthat. If God does not heal that, the personality maysooner or later have a patient on his hands. Dr. R.K. Harrison, head of the Department of Hebrew,University of Western Ontario, writes: "The personalitymay produce an ulcer patient as the end resultof worry. It may claim a neurotic patientthrough prolonged anxiety. But if the teachings ofthe New Testament were followed to even a moderatedegree, ulcer and neurosis would be relieved,since faith and hope are the specific for worry, anxiety,and fear. The mind may be burdened by sinand guilt feelings, but the work of Calvary will bringforgiveness and comfort in its application."3. Safety. God "redeemeth thy life from destruction."The psalmist realized his dependenceupon God for deliverance from certain forces whichwould tend to destroy jhim. Good driving and prayercan make our highways places of pleasant experiencesrather than scenes of destruction. A redlight may be a good place to pray. A "Stop" signcan be a time of changing to "high" in spiritualliving. Peace, quiet and patience in the home can310help to decrease the number of domestic accidents.This matter of spiritual hving is practical all theway around and all the year around.4. Rich Spiritual Living. God "crowns you withloving kindness and tender mercies." The psalmistsaw man as king — crowned with steadfast loveand "mercy" (R.S.V.). We are thankful to God forlove, expressed in the joy that others are alive. Itis the kind of love that wants to see others enjoythe best, live the most fully, and be free from allthose hindrances which keep man from being thekind of a person God wants him to be. It is the loveof God that helps us to see that hfe is meaningful,that people are worth something, and that there arethose goals which have eternal significance.5. Daily Bread. God "satisfieth thy mouth withgood things." The satisfaction of our physical needscomes near the end of benefits which the psalmistenumerates. They are important, but not the mostimportant considerations of living. These are thingsmore important than a stuffed turkey with cranberrysauce. However, God does not forget our physicalneeds. Jesus taught us to pray, "Give us thisday our daily bread." But a stomach full of foodshould be supplemented with a spirit full of praise."Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, forhis wonderful works to the sons of men" (Psa. 107:8—R.S.V.).The Bible lays the foundation for Thanksgixnng— spiritual praise. This is a spiritual basis. "I willpraise the Lord with my whole heart" (Psa. 111:1)."With my whole heart" means more than just apolite "Thank you, Lord." One has written that "truepraise consists in a sincere acknowledgment of areal conviction of worth." Praise is derived fromthe Latin which means "to prize." "To prize" meansto place a high value upon. It includes sufficientunderstanding to enjoy or admire a thing's excellence.Spiritual praise involves more than an appreciationfor what something does for us (such asgiving us pleasure), but an appreciation of the thingitself in its own right. God, the spiritual ground forpraise, is to be appreciated for what He is. The psalmistemphasizes this when he writes about thespiritual qualities of God. "Great is the Lord, andof great power: his understanding is infinite" (Psa.147:5).Bible truth emphasizes praising God both forwhat God IS and for what God DOES. "O that menwould praise the Lord for his goodness (what Godis), and for his wonderful works to the children ofmen (what God does)." In music we hear "the or-COVENANTERWITNESS

ganization of sound for beauty"; in God we becomeconscious of all those spiritual qualities in harmony.We praise God for the harmony, order, unity, whichwe find in God. We praise God for the love, faithfulness,providence, care, which we see manifesttoward His creatures. We know that "it is a goodthing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to singpraises unto thy name, O most High: to shew forththy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulnessevery night" (Psa. 92:1, 2).—The Free MethodistPROTESTANTISM'S FOUNDATION from page 309formers by and large opined that the state ought tocontrol the church, the established churches ofEurope came into being; however, under the influenceof Roger Williams, and due in part to the providentialprovision of a multiplicity of denominationsin the colonies and these United States, AmericanProtestantism arrived at that biblical positionwhich is described — somewhat loosely, to be sure—as the separation of church and state.In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuriesPietism and Methodism protested against deadorthodoxy and sounded a clarion call to Christianservice. The present age stands out as that of Protestantmissions. This also being the age of ecumenism,church union at the expense or to theneglect of truth most certainly stands condemned,but the unity of all who truly beheve in the Christof Scripture is properly receiving increased recognition.And is there not within today's Protestantisma risingtide of interest in education permeated withtrue religion? Protestantism must keep reforming.Protestantism is positive, permanent, and progressive—all three. Let the Protestant press betruly Protestant!—R. B. KuiperFrom Evangelical Press Association"INTERNATIONAL" CONVENTION FUNDThe church-wide C.Y.P.U. project to helpyouth from overseas attend Carleton shows signsof picking up momentum. Pacific Coast has seta goal for their area, and the word is that someother presbyteries are considering the same. Thedrive ends on March 1, so all projects should beterminated by that date. This provides time toprepare for meeting our own costs in getting tothe Convention.Half the goal of $2500 has been received.Send contributions to Mr. Paul Finley, Treasurer,Nat'l C.Y.P.U. Staff, Geneva College, Beaver Falls,Pa. 15010November 17, 1965LETTER TO THE PRESIDENTSanta Ana, Calif.October 8, 1965Dear Mr. President,I was happy to hear over the radio this morningthat your surgical operation was over, and wassuccessful, and that you are now on the way torecovery. I am praying for your speedy recovery, inthe name of Christ. Christ said, "If ye shall askanything in my name, I will do it." (John 14:14)Every experience, pleasant and unpleasant, mayhave a blessing in it. God's Word says, "And weknow that all things work together for good to themthat love God, to them who are the called accordingto his purpose." (Romans 8:28)Sickness often gives us more time-out to thinkof the purpose of hfe. Why are we here? What isit all about? "Man's chief end is to glorify God andto enjoy Him forever."Perhaps, as you are recuperating, you might askyourself the question, "How may I be a greater blessingto our beloved nation?" As you know, all Christiansneed to re-emphasize such important truth as,remembering the Lord's Day to keep it holy. Inour busy hfe today, we might be tempted to neglectthe Lord's Day, by not attending church regularlyand by giving time to secular or political activities,which properly belong to week days.You have had great and tremendous issuesbefore you, as the President, and I am hoping andpraying that you are keeping in close touch withthe Lord Jesus Christ to help you in your decisions.We know that we, as Christians, are totally dependentupon the Lord Jesus Christ who said, "Withoutme ye can do nothing." (John 15:5) WithoutChrist, we can do nothing eternally worth while!That which we do for God and His plan will lastforever — but that which we do for man withoutGod perishes.Prayerfully, in the service of Christ,Dr. Frank L. Stewartu^///f

y Kenneth G. Smith, Director of C. E.Last week when I attended a Communion Service,I heard a message on the passage "... that atthe name of Jesus every knee should bow . . . andthat every tongue should confess that Jesus Christis Lord ..." The message brought me face to facewith my attitude toward this Person, and this ledme to think more about how I use His Name. Asa chain reaction, I began to listen to other Christiansto see how they used His name. The evidenceseemed a bit startling; but nonetheless the more Ilistened, the more this evidence seemed to pile up.What did I discover? Simply this: I did not hearHis Name. People . . . Christian people . . . youth andadults . . . did lots of talking, but how seldom didthe name of Jesus enter their conversation! Peoplejust do not use Jesus' Name generally speaking, unlessthey are in church, scared, or angry!Now we should get one thing clear: accordingto this passage in Philippians, God exalted JesusChrist following His death, resurrection, and ascension,and now declares that '"at the name of Jesus"the universe should bow and every lip speak inadoration. Now if Christians are not using theName of Jesus, is it any wonder that other peoplearound them are not "bowing" and "confessing"before this one and only Lord?This leads then to at least one pertinent applicationwe should make. We should begin to witnessto the Lordship of Jesus Christ simply by usingHis Name. And this can be done anywhere: thecampus student center, the lunch table, riding inan automobile, in the classroom, on the telephone,and in bull sessions. I remember one time when agirl in her early twenties came to me seeking counselabout attending a Bible school. I asked her whyshe felt she should attend one, since she was a312IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT YOURJESUSCONSIDER HC"regular" in our congregation and showed signsof growth. She replied: "Because I want to learnhow to witness for Christ." How sad to reahze thatsome people feel they must go to a class or evena Bible school to learn how to witness! While thesemay help, they do not necessarily produce witnesses.A witness is simply one who talks about whathe has seen and heard; and to a Christian thatmeans talking about a person: Jesus Christ.Now you can do this first of all by rememberingHe is a Person, not a force. We should fall prostratebefore Him and confess how often we have failedto give Him glory simply by leaving Him out! Whatwe said was not wrong! It just failed to identify thematter with Him! Yesterday I read a folder producedby a Christian institution. It was printed onboth sides, beautifully laid out, and convincinglystated. But there was one gross error: Jesus Christwas not mentioned once, either by some other nameor by inference.Be assured now that those preparing this brochurein no way intended to bring discredit to theirLord. It simply was an oversight. But this is thepoint: it is a gross sin not to give Christ glory, justas much as it is to worship some other object. Somepeople depersonalize, and hence denature, JesusChrist by calling Him "Providence." The doctrine ofprovidence is a precious doctrine in Scripture, butGod is pleased to have men bow "at the name ofJesus," not "at the name of Providence." And whenyou and I use "providence" in our vocabulary insteadof the name of Jesus, our listeners are affected.You try it! You make a conscious effortwhen you are talking about the weather to avoidthe cliched expressions like "the good Lord," "theman upstairs," "providence," and a host of others.You mention the name, Jesus. I challenge you tosee what happens!At this point someone is bound to pipe up andsay, "Well, I hate to hear a person constantly flippingaround the name of Jesus. It gets too common-COVENANTER WITNESS

, ; STOP ANDUSE ... OR DO NOT USE ...RUSSIAMED PRESBYTERIANotlandYardNBCjaneCIA]itfv**?. Brown GENEVAGeneral Motors sterling^Ooj^T/3e '49,place." It stands as fact that many seemingly piouspersons try to make an impression by some glibrepetition. But I am not suggesting for a moment aflip or irreverent use of Jesus' name. The passagein Philippians says that every knee should bowbefore this exalted Christ! The name Jesus means"Saviour," and the one having been saved by Jesusfrom the wrath and curse of sin hardly flips thisName around. He reveres his Saviour! But hespeaks His Name, because he sees nothing in thisentire universe that is not related to this reigningKing! My oldest son attends a Christian schoolwhere he hears the name of Jesus many times aday, but I have never heard any teacher in thatschool speak the name of Jesus in a light manner.This is what makes the witness: Jesus' Name! Andspoken from the lips of one who recognizes whatthat Name means brings glory to God! I repeat,you begin to stop taking Jesus for granted, useHis Name, reverently, thoughtfully, frequently, andsee what happens!Now let me give a few suggestions how thiscan be done. By this I do not imply that a little"method" does the trick. But there are ways to beginto think through on our expression. For example,when you are seeking to witness either in casualconversation or in actual visitation, why not askthe person a question that relates directly to Jesus?We conducted a survey at Pitt University one timeand one question asked, "In your opinion, who doyou think Jesus of Nazareth is?" Sometimes in personalconversation I have asked, "Have you evercome to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?"A friend of mine who interviews prospective employeesfor a Christian school often inquires,"Would you share your opinion as to why JesusNovember 17, 1965Christ died on the cross?"Any of these and other types of questions focusingon Jesus Christ bring conversation immediatelyto the point. Some have asked me, "What doyou do when a person tells you he goes to suchandsuch a church?" My answer to this churchedreply is simply to smile, say "That's interesting . . .what led you to attend this church?" and if they donot answer with something significant, then ask"Have you ever come to a personal relationship withJesus Christ?" You see, our witness is to the factJesus Christ is Lord. So regardless of the churchaffiliation, including Reformed Presbyterian, thepoint rests on the other person's relationship to Himas Lord. Keep your focus in a witnessing situationon Jesus Christ. You will avoid all the secondarypoints regarding different churches (not that thisis unimportant, but it is secondary), and again Ichallenge you to watch the reactions when yourconversation brings out the Name of Jesus.But let's get a bit more personal. When you talkwith your friends, and I assume that most of your"friends" are Christian, to what or to whom do youattribute the events being discussed? Here again Iam not suggesting an empty repetition; but ratherwhen someone does get credit, do you give creditto Jesus? For example, the weather is beautiful, thetrees breathtaking in color. You comment on it.But what do you say? On the other hand, the weather'sterrible in your opinion. What do you say then?Or suppose something wonderful happens to you.What do you say? On the other hand you narrowlyescape a serious collision. What do you sigh at thatmoment? You have been confronting a serious decision.You have prayed much about this, but youknow the action you take will be noticed by variouspersons. So God answers your prayer, you makethe decision, and people notice. When they inquireabout it, how do you reply?This kind of interrogation may sound like I'mrunning something into the ground. But the factis we generally run our own importance into theground, and leave Jesus Christ as the "nameless,"behind-the-scenes, hardly relevant person to whomwe speak in prayer, but about whom we rarelyspeak in normal conversation. What this basicallyindicates is not a deficiency in speech, but a grossself-centeredness in thought. You talk as you think.If you think Jesus has something to do with thedetails of your life, you will begin to give Him credit.And people around you will in a natural waybegin to be conscious of the fact that Jesus is alive,real, and relevant ... at least to you.The Psalmist said, "His praise shall continuallybe in my mouth." The best way to praise Him issimply to use His Name! To omit it when appropriateand relevant is gross sin. And incidentallythat's what's wrong with the United States Constitution.We omitted the Name of Jesus!313

The Beecher Farm Mystery(Continued from last week)The next morning Aunt Tabitha announced shewas going shopping, now that the invalid was homeand Becky could look after him for a few hours.Dad agreed that it was a good idea, saying sheneeded to get out of the house for a breath offresh air. Becky felt it would be good to relax andnot feel she was always under inspection, althoughshe had to admit Aunt Tabitha was a great help tothe family and was not nearly as cross as she hadalways thought her to be. Her cross words hide akind heart, she thought.The family waved good-by to Aunt Tabitha asshe climbed into Trudy, her ancient car, and with ajerk and a roar started out of the lane to the road.Everyone always wondered if she would make theturn without swerving into the ditch. But she alwaysdid.After she was gone, Becky sent Janet and Bethto the orchard to see if they could pick enoughcherries for a pie. Then she took her pan of potatoesto peel into the living room where Dad was proppedon the couch and sat down on a low chair. Dad layback and watched her as she worked. How muchA STORY FORJUN| OR . HIGHSMrs. George (Jean L.) McFarlandBut Becky thought about the idea after she wasshe looks like her mother with her short, curly hair in bed. Maybe, she thought, the man did come to theand freckled nose, he thought.door and seeing the pouch on the table, grabbed it"Becky," said Dad, after a silence, "could you and left, with no one seeing him. If only 1 couldtell me more about the money disappearing? You search the cabin when he's not there maybe I couldsaid the screen door was open. Could someone have find, the pouch and then we would know who tookentered the room?"the money. But the mere thought of searching the"I guess so," said Becky, "but I didn't see anyone."sheet up over her head and went to sleep.old shanty made her shudder and she pulled the"Have you noticed any tramps or strangers The next morning when Barney came to workaround the place?" asked Dad.he had another story to tell. One of their calves"No," answered Becky, "I haven't seen any unusualpeople around."gone to hunt for it. He went near the old shantyhad broken the fence and gotten out, and he hadJust then Janet and Beth burst into the room. and saw smoke coming out of the chimney. ThenThey had only a few cherries in their pans but he heard a queer, wailing sound. "Sure soundedthey both tried to talk at once.weird," he said, "and I didn't stick around long to"We were in the cherry tree," said Janet, "by find out what it was."the fence next to the road."Later in the day Becky went with the two httle"And a man went past," chimed in Beth; "he girls to pick cherries. They climbed into the lowwas walking."tree and Becky soon had her pan full. She was helpingBeth fill her pan, when a car stopped by the"He was queer," added Janet, "with long blackhair and a brown face."orchard and Ruth Anderson, the nurse, called to"He looked dirty," said Beth, making a face. them. "Anybody home?" she asked.314"He had on a ragged, red shirt. We were scared,so we came to the house.""It didn't take much to scare you," commentedBecky, and she sounded a little like Aunt Tabitha."Too bad you didn't get more cherries, but it's toolate now to get them for lunch."When Aunt Tabitha got home from town shehad news. "We've got a new neighbor," she announced."A tramp has moved into that tumbleddownshack on the Johnson farm, just across fromyour pasture lot.""That must have been the man Janet and Bethsaw going along the road today," said Becky."I don't see how anyone could live in a shantylike that," remarked Aunt Tabitha.Part 6That evening the whole family discussed thenew neighbor, and wondered how he could livewith no work."Maybe he was the one that took Dad's moneyfrom the kitchen table," remarked Jerry."Not likely," said Dad, thoughtfully, "and wemustn't accuse anyone of steahng without proof.He's probably a harmless man with no home."(To be continued)COVENANTERWITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of December 12, 1965Sabbath School Lessonfor December 12, 1965JOSIAH: DELIGHT IN THE LAW2 Kings 21 to 23:30Comments by John K. GaultJosiah was the sixteenth king overJudah, which was the southern kingdomof Israel. The northern kingdomrebelled and separated from Judahwhen Rehoboam, the son of Solomon,became king. The rulers of Judahformed an unbroken dynasty fromDavid until the exile, but the rulersof Israel were not of David's line,neither did they have an unbrokendynasty.The great grandfather of Josiahwas Hezekiah who reigned twentynineyears and was one of the goodkings of Judah. But Hezekiah was followedby his son Manasseh who reignedfifty-five years and was perhapsthe wickedest ruler that Judahever had. He instituted the worshipof idols throughout the land and evenruler of a country. The basic requirementof a ruler, then, is to fear Godand obey His laws. The strong suggestionwhich Jethro made to Mosesconcerning the government of Israelwas that he "provide out of all thepeople able men, such as fear God,men of truth, hating covetousness;and place such over them, to be rulersof thousands, and rulers of hundreds,rulers of fifties and rulers oftens." That, we might say, was thebeginning of democracy. No personshould be made ruler who does notfear God. The first duty of such a personis to do the will of God. Josiahwas a young ruler who did right inthe sight of the Lord.3: In Doing Right a Ruler MayAct Contrary to the Wishes of HisPeople.Manasseh, Josiah's grandfather,had led the people far astray. It issaid of him in 2 Kings 21:2, "He didthat which was evil in the sight of theLord, after the abominations of theheathen, whom the Lord cast out beforethe children of Israel;" and inverses 3-6 it is said, "He reared upaltars for Baal, and made a grove asdid Ahab king of Israel; and worshippedall the host of heaven, andserved them. And he built altars inthe house of the Lord, of which theLord had said, In Jerusalem will I putmy name. And he built altars for allthe host of heaven in the two courtsof the house of the Lord. And hemade his son pass through the fire."The people "hearkened not" to whatwas commanded them in the law ofMoses, and "Manasseh seduced themto do more evil than did the nationswhom the Lord destroyed before thechildren of Israel."Josiah, therefore, went against theexample of his predecessors andagainst the prevailing practices in hisrealm. A public official should endeavorto please his constituency if hisconstituency desires to do right. TheSupreme Court, the Governor, andDistrict Attorney should have beenguided by what was right in the matterof Bible reading in the schoolsand not by what the unbelievers in thecountry wanted.4: Josiah Repaired the Temple.The house of the Lord had falleninto great disrepair during the banefulyears of Manasseh and Amon. Thesacred place had been put to thewrong use; consequently, it was ingreat need of repairing. Josiah consideredit to be one of his principalobjectives to get this important workunderway. He sent word to the highpriest to count the money which thepeople had paid in when they came upto worship and to deliver it to theskilled workmen. The workmen weretrustworthy for we are told in 2 Kings22:7, "How beit there was no reckoningmade with them of the moneythat was delivered into their hand,because they dealt faithfully."The Temple was the place of worship.It represented the meeting withGod. Josiah's act, therefore, in repairingthe Temple was an act tosafeguard the worship of God. A rulerof a country should consider itan important work to safeguard theworship of God and to make it possiblefor people to worship Him. Thosenations which prevent people fromenjoying their right to worship Godare certainly on the downward course.5: The Book of God's Law wasFound.Hilkiah, the High Priest, found the"book of the law." This was probablythe book of Deuteronomy, written byMoses, which contained the variouslaws by which Israel was to be governed.The people did not have copies ofthe Scriptures themselves. God's lawswere to be read by the priests andthe king and delivered unto the peopleby word of mouth. This "book ofthe law" had long been unused. Ithad been laid aside, and the priestshad even forgotten whereit was. Thiswas one great reason that evil hadbecome so rampant before Josiah becameking. The book of God's lawhad been laid aside and its preceptsforgotten. When God's law is disregarded,evil is sure to come in todebauch a country.6: The Reading of God's Wordburned his own son in the fire ofMolech. After Manasseh, his sonAmon, also wicked, succeeded to thethrone but he was murdered by hisservants shortly after he became king.Then Josiah, his son, became king atthe early age of eight years, and hereigned thirty-one years. 2 Kings 22:2says, "And he did that which was rightin the sight of the Lord, and walkedin all the way of David his father, andturned not aside to the right handor to the left."1: Josiah Must Have Had a GoodMother.In the first verse of our lesson weare told that "His mother's name wasJedidah, the daughter of Adaiah ofBoscath." Josiah must have receivedhis moral training from his motherforit would seem very unlikely thateither his father or his grandfatherwould give the boy any spiritual training.It was a great advantage, therefore,for Josiah to come under theinstruction of a good mother.Convicts One of Sin.2: The Best Qualification of aWhen Hilkiah, the high priest,Ruler Is a Will to do Right.found "the book of the law" he gaveA ruler of a country, or any publicofficial for that matter, is a "min­He then took the book to the king.it to Shaphan, the scribe, who read it.ister of God" and the government"And Shaphan readit before the king.over which he jrules is a divine institution.It is a most sacred trust and ahad heard the words of the book ofAnd it came to pass, when the kingresponsibility before God to be thethe law, that he rent his clothes."November 17, 1965 315

This act was a sign of grief or ofextreme anxiety. The king then commandedHilkiah, Shaphan, and otherofficials to go and "Enquire of theLord for me, and for the people ofall Judah, concerning the words ofthis book that is found: for great isthe wrath of the Lord that is kindledagainst us, because our fathers havenot hearkened unto the words of thisbook, to do according unto all thatwhich is written concerning us." Theofficials went to a prophetess namedHuldah and "communed with her."She said to them, "Tell the man thatsent you to me, Thus saith the Lord,Behold I will bring evil upon thisplace, and upon the inhabitants thereof,even all the words of the bookwhich the king of Judah had read."(2 Kings 22:10-16)7: Josiah Made a New Covenant.This was a result of reading the"book of the law." In 2 Kings 23:1-3we are told of the new covenant. Theking assembled all the great men ofJudah, and he read to them "all thewords of the book of the covenant.""And the king stood by a pillar andmade a covenant before the Lord, towalk after the Lord, and to keep hiscommandments."8: Josiah Destroyed all the Idolsand the False Priests.He instituted a great reformationas a result of reading God's law. ReadChapter 23."Lesson based on International SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessonsfor Christian Teaching, copyrighted 1958by the Division of Christian Education NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ in theTT C A '*Junior Topicfor December 12, 1965LEARN TO SERVE (Witnessing)Psalm Text:Psalm 51, page 131, verses 7-12(second memory Psalm).Memory Verse: Romans 12:1Psalms:Ps. 67, page 161, 1-3; Ps. 45, page116, v. 1; Ps. 40, page 103, 9-12; Ps. 69,page 168, v. 1; Ps. 51, page 131, 7-12.References:Deut. 10:12: John 12:26; Heb. 12:28;Acts 1:8; Acts 4:33; Phil. 4:13.Aim:To find ways to serve God aschildren, and to establish habits ofservice in later life.Notice the Psalm text on Page131. It begins in the middle of the316Psalm, and if you look at the firstpart on the other page, you will seethat getting right with God is necessarybefore a Christian can serveHim in any way. We are thinking ofservice as you boys and girls can doit NOW, and service that you can doas you grow up. God has no age limiton service; it can be done any time andat any age.There are fruit trees that remindus of Christians. Some are very smalland newly planted, yet they bearfruit, even if it's only a little. Thereare older and sturdier trees that havetheir roots deep in the soil and theirbranches are gnarled. They have withstoodmany a windstorm and thesnows and cold of many winters. Butwhen the time is right, they bearfruit. A tree that only blooms butproduces no fruit is beautiful andattractive for a short time, but isnot very useful. Do you rememberhow Jesus cursed the fig tree thatshould have had figs on it, but didn't?He said it would wither and die, andsoon it did just that.Just as a fruit tree serves bestby doing all that is expected of it,so we as Christians can be most usefulby serving Christ in every waypossible. Where and how can you boysand girls serve?Let's think first of the place that'shardest to serve — your home. Thisis probably the most difficult place toreally live Christ. The Apostle Paulsaid that after he found Christ, itwasn't really Paul living in him fromthat time on; it was Christ. (Gal. 2:20)It is easy to let down at home whereyour family knows you so well. Butthere may be a member of your familywho does not yet know Christ orwho may not have completely surrenderedto His will. What you sayand do at home will have an influenceon that person, and it might bethat God wants to use you to leadhim or her to Christ. This means livinglike a Christian, and it is a realservice to God.How can you serve God at school?By being honest, following the rules,being friendly, respecting your teachers,and by treating others the wayChrist would treat them. We studiedlast week about different ways thatSatan tries to trip up a Christian, andhe certainly puts temptation inyour way at school. God is alwaysstronger than Satan, though, and ifyou'll seek His help, you'll be ableto act like a Christian at school. Rememberto keep your language clean;this is an important way to serve God.If he is in your heart, you won't useHis name as a swear word, will you?Are there ways in which you canserve God in your church even whileyou are young? A church is a congregationof people, and wherever thereare people, there are opportunities toserve. First, of course, you can showyour love for God by showing respectfor His house. You will not run andyell, perhaps knocking down an elderlyperson in your enthusiasm. Youwill try to speak to people pleasantlyand learn their names as they learnyours. You will be interested in theirneeds and will pray for them. Youwill share a Psalm book or Bible witha person sitting next to you in theworship service, especially if he is astranger or visitor. And you will alwayshandle the books carefully yourself.You will listen to your pastoras he speaks, and ask him questionsif there was something you did notunderstand in his message. In SabbathSchool class, you will have a preparedlesson and try to learn, nomatter how others around may misbehave!You can invite friends fromyour neighborhood or school to attendclass with you. And perhaps the chairmanof your congregation knows ofways in which you could help, suchas sweeping or shoveling the walks,picking up papers blown onto thegrass, etc. I know one church thatuses a young person to take chargeof their guest book, and another toarrange chairs for Sabbath Schoolclasses. Samuel learned to serve inhis church, starting as a very youngboy.In making plans for your future,ask God to help you put Him firstand to direct you into the kind ofwork that will honor Him. Any personcan be in "full-time service" forChrist; this simply means puttingHim first in everything. As you planyour life work, try to locate where youcan worship God regularly; He willguide you to the right job if you letHim. What about the mission field?Well, it's THERE, and waiting for youand others who love Christ to go andtell people about Him; but rememberthat your own neighborhoodisyour first mission field, and you canbegin there right now. Ask God forguidance in making decisions as yougrow up; you can count on His wisdomto lead you in right ways. ThePsalmtext tells of the joy that aCOVENANTER WITNESS

witnessing Christian has, and this canbe your joy, too, for service to Godis a sure road to lasting happiness.For the notebooks:Use a full-spread double page. Onthe left one, print or write Acts 1:8,underscoring the places where theapostles were to serve (Jerusalem,Judea, Samaria, uttermost parts ofthe earth). Across on the right page,draw a large enough circle or ovalin which you can print the word"JERUSALEM". Around that, draw alarger one, and print "JUDEA"; thendraw an oval next to the "Judea" one,and label it "SAMARIA." Now drawa very much larger circle to representthe whole earth, and label it"UTTERMOST PARTS OF THEEARTH." From the words "witnessesin" on the opposite page, draw arrowspointing to each section, usingan arrow for each word of the lastbig section to show how the gospelmust be spread by our witnessing.When you know the memory verse,print or write it across the bottom ofboth pages.Prayer Meeting Topicfor December 8, 1965PRAY FOR REV. CHARLES H. CHAOAND THE WORK OF THE R.T.F.Scripture resources:I Cor. 16 (especially vs. 9) Psalm:45, vs. 1-9; pg. 114.Bibliography:Smith, A. W., Covenanter Ministers1930-1963, pg. 42-43. See also reportof Mr. Chao's trip to the FarEast in recent issue of the CovenanterWitnessDear Friends,Leon Morris commented on I Corinthians16:9 that the Christian is notusually left to pursue his task unmolested.It is part of the conditionsunder which we serve God thatwhen we have great opportunities ofservice there are also great difficultiesin our way.I have seen the great door of opportunityand effectual opened on theisland of Formosa, the only fortressof the Free China. The motto of ourFellowship is "But the Word of God isnot bound." There are about 12 millionChinese people living on the islandwith very low percentage of ProtestantChristians. The challenge ofthe Roman Catholicism and the liberalismis great which we may call ouradversaries. However, according to themonthly report from our BusinessManager, Mr. Shih, our magazine andliterature are being pushed verysteadily in Formosa among thechurches during the past two months.This is very encouraging to us.Taiwanese, mainlander Chinese(who speak Mandarin) Hakkas, tribalpeople, and foreigners give Formosaa population per square mile exceededonly by Holland. This population islarger than the population of Australiaand about the same as that ofNorway and Sweden combined. Taiwanis equal to Connecticut plus Massachusettsin area.The number of Roman Catholicsin Taiwan increased from 8,000 in1945 to 200,000 in 1961. Buddhism,with some 1,850 temples, and Taoismwith some 1,800 temples, are the traditionalreligions, along with Confucianism.They also have Moslems andsects from USA such as Mormons andJehovah's Witnesses. The dominatingfeature of the island's religious lifeis ancestor worship and the familysystem.Liberalism, neo-orthodoxy andSee page 319Scribe With A Hard PencilYoung Mr. Triplechin had mastered many of the fine arts. He knew afew things about neckties; and he was simply a wow when it came to playingthe ukelele. One of the fine arts, however, had him baffled. He simply couldnot fold a kerchief and make it look like anything in the breast pocket ofhis coat. The results invariably were so lacking in couth-ness that he wouldalways wad up the kerchief and stow it away in his hip pocket where it wouldbe mercifully hidden from view.One fine November day his suit came back from the cleaners. Notonly was it clean and weU pressed; but it was also adorned with three neatpoints of white cloth protruding above the breast pocket. Fearing that hemight be unable to duplicate such a feat of folding, young Mr. Triplechinchose not to remove the kerchief for examination. He decided to let wellenough alone.Then came the day! A certain young lady concerning whom young Mr.Triplechin had been thinking tender thoughts, was discovered suffering froma spell of hay fever. Or, maybe she had a cold. Her eyes were weeping. Shehad forgotten her lace handkerchief.Young Mr. Triplechin to the rescue! Horrors! He had come away thatmorning, forgetting to put a handkerchief in his hip pocket. Then, in a momentof genius, he remembered the nice white kerchief whose three neat pointswere protruding above the breast pocket of his coat. He seized one of thepoints with a flourish, intending to go to the rescue of a damsel in distress.What he held in his hand was not a nice white neatly-folded kerchief.What he held in his hand was only three little cloth points sewed to a pieceof cardboard. The cleaners bought these false kerchiefs by the thousands,and sent them out with all the suits they cleaned and pressed. And it mustbe admitted that the false kerchiefs seemed to look real nice, if they weiienot examined too closely. But the damsel continued to be a damsel in distress.Paul, in one of his Epistles, warns us against religion that has "a formof godliness" but lacks reality — something sewed onto cardboard, as it were.It is possible for us to stand when the congregation stands and sit when thecongregation sits — while our thoughts are all wound around last year's hator this year's crop or next year's vacation. It is possible to go to church andsing about The Shepherd, and then go out and fleece our fellow men. OurLord gives a stern warning in Matthew's Gospel where He declares: "This peopledraw nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips;but their heart is far from me."Such sham religion will leave people who are in trouble, as people whoare still in trouble.November 17, 1965 317

Contributions to the Budget of theReformed Presbyterian Church of North AmericaAugust 1, — October 31, 1965Amount of Budget 160,000.00Raised to October 31, 1965 91.499.95or Approximately fifty-seven per centDepartments GrantedReceived to October 31, 1965Foreign MissionHome Mission37,500.0015,000.0020,625.008,250.00Southern Mission 2,410.002,775.60Indian Mission 3,500.001,925.00Kentucky Mission 3,975.004,266.23Women's Association 7,000.003,850.00Theological Seminary ... 21,800.0011,990.00Students Aid 100.0055.00Ministerial Relief 1,000.00550.00Widows & Orphans 5,000.002,750.00Geneva College 19,000.0010,450.00Covenanter Witness 13,200.007,260.00Witness Committee 6,250.003,437.50Board of Christian Education 17,770.009,770.50Miscellaneous Fund 3,000.001,650.00Nat. Assoc, of Evang. 250.00137.50Board of Church Erection 1,500.00825.00Board of Evangelism 995.00547.25Pastors Refresher Course .. 750.00412.50THANKS TO SUPERIOR-BEULAHWe would like to express ourheart felt thanks to the Superior-Beulahcongregation for the many kindnessesshown to us during our ministrythere. We are thankful for thefriendships we made and are trulygrateful to God for the privilege ofserving the Lord in Superior. Spacedoes not permit us to name individuallyall those who have shown usspecial kindness and generosity. Forthe farewell dinner, the shower ofgifts, the going-away present from thecongregation, and all other gifts, wethank you.Our separation is only physical andour prayers for you are continuingthat each one may be given the graceto go on for the Lord.Verd and Alice Dunn and familyIN APPRECIATIONWe want, through the columns ofThe Covenanter Witness, to say aword of appreciation to the Sharon318160,000.00 91,527.08Respectfully submitted,CHESTER R. FOX, Treasurercongregation for the many kindnessesshown to us. Before our arrival themanse was cleaned, and wall-to-wallcarpeting installed in living room,dining room, and reception hall.Drapes and curtains were providedfor the living room. A food showerwas awaiting us, and we have beenremembered with abundance of foodfrom time to time. A new water softener,and new jet pump, have addedmuch to our comfort. We are amongthe "country cousins" living with theconvenience of bottled gas; for wefound virtually a brand new gas furnacein the manse.We appreciated deeply the receptiongiven shortly after our arrival,and the many guests who came to"open house." We have also appreciatedthe fine Christian spirit and thesplendid co-operation in the activitiesof the congregation.Thank you, Sharon!—G. M. and Ruth R. RobbMRS. SYLVIA DILLThe Rev. D. Howard Elliott fromthe Topeka congregation conducted avery impressive funeral service forMrs. George Dill, at 4:30 p.m., October26, 1965, in the former CovenanterChurch at Eskridge, which hadbeen her church home for over 70years.Sylvia Handley was born in 1870near Coldwater, Michigan, and grewto adulthood in that community. Atan early age she united with the ReformedPresbyterian Church of Ray,Indiana, which is just over the stateline. In 1894 she was united in marriageto George D. Dill of Eskridge. Tothis union were born three sons andtwo daughters. She attained the ageof 95 years, 7 months, and 25 days.Survivors include one daughter, Murrel,of the home and two foster sons-Fred of Red Wing, Minnesota, andCharley, of Whittier, California. Mr.Dill died March 8, 1927, and the threesons and one daughter died in earlychildhood.Mrs. Dill served on the Board ofDeacons and was treasurer of the MissionarySociety for many years.SHARONDavid Cummings is serving hiscountry in the Navy, and is now takingspecial training at Norfolk.We welcome the Rev. David Pattersonand his family to our fellowship.The Patterson Press is now locatedat Wapello, Iowa, about tenmiles from the Sharon Church.Our sympathy is extended to Mrs.R. E. Dill in the passing of her mother,Mrs. D. Bruce Martin.Mrs. Ralph Brown visited her homein Germany this past summer.Susan Mae arrived, September 28,to gladden the home of Mr. and Mrs.Paul McElhinney. We congratulateMatthew and Mark on being the proudbrothers of a baby sister.Our fall communion was held,September 26, with the Rev. CharlesS. Sterrett of Oakdale as the assistingminister. We were much helpedby his Biblical and Christ-centeredmessages, both in the preparatory servicesand on Communion Sabbath. Wewere happy to have the Morning Suncongregation join with us in the servicesof Communion Sabbath evening.We were happy to have Mrs. JohnC. Brown unite with us at Communiontime, from the Harrison Avenue MethodistChurch in Burlington.We had a super-abundance of rainCOVENANTER WITNESS

during the summer, causing floods.The Mississippi River is still too highfor fishing this fall. In spite of theviolent storm and hail the night ofAugust 25, most of our farmers findthat they are blessed with fair to goodcrops; and we thank God for His goodness.REHOBOTHThe Reformed Presbyterian congregationof Rehoboth, Pennsylvaniahas been saddened by the loss of oneof the members, Miss Juanita Brown.Juanita was stricken at her home,and died several hours later at thehospital on July 7, 1965. Services wereconducted by Dr. Robert B. Tweed inthe Carlson Funeral Home at RuralValley on Saturday, July 10, 1965.She is survived by her mother, Mrs.Beatrice Brown, and a sister, MissHazel Brown, of Rural Valley, andMr. George Brown of Beaver Falls.She was a nurse in the Children'sHospital in Pittsburgh for over 27years. She could say, "I will dwell inthe house of the Lord forever."Preaching services have been heldin the Rehoboth Church every otherSabbath during the summer. The lastservice for the season was on October24, when Dr. R. C. Fullerton was theminister. Services will be discontinuedduring the winter and will be resumedin the spring.TOPEKA, KANSASWhile our pastor and family wereon vacation July 19-August 2, MelvinL. Boring and Rev. Verd Dunn wereour supplies. For the evening service,July 25, Mel related the stirring testimonyof his wife, Virginia Davies,from our congregation; her recent remarkablereturn to health from anincurable (?) disease. Rev. Verd Dunn,enroute to his new pastorate at HotSprings, New Mexico, brought us theSabbath messages, August 1.Our sincere thanks to the STPTeam (Nancy Wright of Ireland, CarolMcBurney, Robert Clarke, and BillSterrett of Beaver Falls, Pa.), whoworked diligently in our church area,August 7-14, gave us their personaltestimonies Sabbath evening, August15, and then served as counselors duringForest Park Conference.Sabbath, August 22 was the climaxof 1965 Forest Park Conference withRev. G. M. Robb and Rev. Roy Blackwoodbringing the morning and eveningmessages respectively.Dr. Elliott reports that members ofthe Evangelistic Conference, ColoradoSprings, Colorado, September 6-10,thrilled to the singing of the Psalmsas introduced to them by a malequartette of R.P. delegates.Our spring graduates are well settledin their advanced schools now.Don Piper, R.P. Seminary; RosaliePiper and Paul Rocereto, Geneva College;Joyce Chestnut, Western BibleInstitute, Denver, Colorado; andBeverley Nusbaum and Jeffrey Hill,Washburn U., Topeka. Several havechanged schools. LeRoy Gibeson isnow in K. State, Manhattan, Kansas;John Hall in Wichita Automotive Collegeand Ron Stegall, Emporia StateCollege.We are happy to welcome into ourchurch family, Mr. and Mrs. Orin R.Hill, Jeffrey and Thomas. Theycome to us from First Beaver Fallscongregation, our pastor's former parish.Mr. and Mrs. (Joyce Calhoon)Mark Pierson presented little Joy-Jean for baptism, Sabbath, October24.We extend our sympathy to the Dr.W. O. Martin family in the passing ofDr. Martin's mother, Mrs. D. B. Martin,of Phoenix, Arizona.Rev. Charles S. Sterrett, pastor inOakdale, Illinois, assisted at our Communionservices, October 14-17, withchallenging messages.We welcome you to our new pavedparking lot, and as always, to ourworship services.J.O.Y. Class of First Beaver FallsChurch have started a fund for thepurchase of a folding machine forthe Christian Amendment office.The cost of such a machine is expectedto be about two hundreddollars ($200). We are asking theWitness to print this so that membersof the church at large mayjoin in this project. We suggestthat you send your contributionsdirect to the C.A.M. office in Pittsburgh.NEED A FLANNELGRAPH?A wide selection of Bible, missions,and temperance flannelgraphs areavailable from the Women's SynodicalFlannelgraph Library. Write MissLulu Tippin, 206 N. 8th Street, Sterling,Kansas 67579 for these. Goodcare, prompt return, and postage arethe only requirements of borrowers.We hope that the whole church willtake advantage of this service.NOTICEBritish Isles subscriptions for1966 (28/- each) are due on 1st.January and should be paid toRev. Hugh Wright.BOOKS35 copies — Being Protestant byDr. Walter McCarroll — 35c each13 copies — Bibles Anacrosticsby Miss Rose Huston — $1 each(Please add ten per cent extra forpostage.)Order from:The Covenanter Witness125 N. 4th StreetSterling, Kansas 67579PRAY MEETING .. . from page 317other 'isms' have taken their toll inthe Presbyterian Church here and inother denominations as well. ThePresbyterian and Reformed Council,composed of missionaries of the OrthodoxPresbyterian Church, the KoreanPresbyterian Church, the ChristianReformed Church, the WorldPresbyterian Mission and the NewZealand Reformed Church, have concludedthat there must be a new Presbyterianand Reformed denominationon the island. Even though there stillare some good sound preachers, teachersand churches within the TaiwanesePresbyterian Church, the followingconditions indicate a new churchis necessary:1. Of the two seminaries of thePresbyterian Church, one is completelyliberal and one infiltrated by liberals,and sound teaching is graduallybeing forced out.2. Many future leaders of theChurch are sent to liberal seminariesin the USA to study.3. The Assembly of the TaiwanesePresbyterian Church is in the WorldCouncil of Churches and part of theecumenical movement.4. Presbyterians are dictatorial intheir government and very weak indoctrine.Prayer requests:1. Pray for the free course of theRTF literature work in Taiwan.2. Pray for Rev. Charles Chao thatGod may open the way for him to goto Taiwan.3. Pray for Reformed witness onthe island through a bookstore just aswe have now in Kobe, Japan.November 17, 1965 319

LETTER TO BE OPENED ONTHANKSGIVING DAYBig Stranger, KansasAugust 15, 1878Dear Mr. Canfield,Your welcome letter of July 9 was received yesterday.I am only too happy to furnish you all theinformation you desire as to your prospects in thisplace.I have now been two years here, and I cantruly say that these years have been the happiestof my life. True, we have endured some hardshipsincident to pioneer life; but the glorious freedomfrom the frivolities of fashion and the formalitiesof correct manners, together with the pleasureone takes in making new improvements, all havecombined to render our family perfectly delightedwith the country.For a quarter of the money in your possession,you can purchase all the land you will desire tocultivate; the remainder you can loan hereabouts,on bond and mortgage, at good interest.The climate here is healthful and invigorating;the soil good, with running streams in sufficientabundance to water most of the farms. Plenty ofbuilding material and fuel can be had in the timberskirting the streams; and the prospect for the ultimateopening of the land in this section to a readymarket, through several lines of railway now incontemplation, is very flattering. At present, however,the nearest station to my farm, on the stageroute, is Chesterfield, thirty-four miles distant, atwhich place I will take great pleasure in meetingyou, with my team, at any time you may appoint.A very excellent farm, adjoining mine, can bebought for five dollars ($5) per acre. One cornerof the land is crossed by a never-failing stream withconsiderable timber along the same.You will have to rough it for a little while afteryou arrive; but the neighbors will all turn out to aidin getting up your log house, after which you willbe at home "under your own vine and fig-tree."We have two rooms in our house, and, till yourhouse is completed, we will give one of them toyour family. It will seem a little odd, at first, for afashionable family of six or eight persons to occupyone room, with wolf and deer skins for quiltsand coverlets; but, by-and-by, when the young ladiesfind they are in just as good style as anybodyelse, they will dismiss their fastidiousness, andthink it is jolly fun. These privations that we atfirst endure are necessary, perhaps, to enable usto appreciate the fine homes which we all expect!to have in the good time coming. Hoping to havethe pleasure of welcoming you as neighbors, I am,Yours, Very Truly,Martin FullerFrom "Hill's Manual of Social and BusinessForms." Copyright 1890.CREATION RESEARCH SOCIETYIt would not be out of place here to give a fewdetails concerning the Creation Research Society.It was founded in the United States only in 1964.In his editorial in the 1965 Annual referred toabove, Dr. Walter E. Lammerts, Ph.D., states: "Wenow have 225 active scientists members with anM.S. (Master of Science) degree or better in theway of training and experience. We have alreadyachieved one of our goals. No longer can our evolution-mindedcolleagues claim that 'all' scientists acceptthe so-called 'fact' of evolution. Obviously, atleast 225 scientists of recognised achievement believeit has for some time outlived its usefulnesseven as a theory."The following is a brief summary of theSociety's statement of behef:1. The Bible is the written Word of God, andis historically and scientifically true. Genesis is afactual record of historical truth.2. All basic types of hving things, includingman, were made by direct creative acts of God, duringthe Creation Week described in Genesis. Biologicalchanges since then entail only changes withinthe original created kinds.3. Noah's flood was an historic event worldwidein its extent and effect.4. The Society is an organization of Christianscientists who accept Jesus Christ as our Lord andSaviour. The account of the special creation ofAdam and Eve as one man and one woman andtheir subsequent fall into sin is the basis for ourbelief in the necessity of a Saviour for all mankind.It might be added that membership dues areU.S. $5.00 per year. Further information may beobtained from the Treasurer, Wilbert H. Rusch,Sr., 4090 Geddes Rd., Ann Arbor, Michigan.Evangelical Action (Australia)The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: heleadeth me beside the still waters.He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths jof righteousness for his name's sake. Psalms 23:1-3i320 COVENANTER WITNESS j

THETO JESUS CHRISTTHE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATION*VOLUME LXXV NO. 21 NOVEMBER 24, 1965 STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 19, 1965Mfrm ttfUto,\M*?ML,Co,°»*.er °4*S{ OA/ £ r*o ri'^IAN'c sM A &£&-ft-#^^T&QMjgSF-'•'r-*..-•"mmlAMiW .*• . :• .••,-. A..vjHMr f^IPI' ' 1"-

THE COVENANTER WITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.EVAN9EUCAL PRSSS ASSOCIATIONEditor: Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D.D.125 N. 4th StreetSterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under the supervision of theBoard of Publication by The Patterson Press, Wapello,Iowa 52653.Contributing Editors: Department Editors:Rev. Kenneth Smith Rev. Bruce C. StewartDr. G. M. RobbMrs. Robert B. MaineIfev. T. R. Hutcheson Mrs. Willis EdgarRev. John K. GaultOpinions expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the Reformed Presbyterian Church or the editor.All material to appear in The Covenanter Witnessshould be typewritten, double-spaced, and should be irSterling, Kansas two weeks beforeit is to be printed.Obituaries — All words in excess of one hundred fiftyone cent per word. Money should accompany such noticesSUBSCRIPTION RATESIndividual (1 year): U.S. and Canada, $4.00, BritislIsles 35/-, all other places, $5.00;Individual (2 year): U.S. and Canada, $7.00, Britisl:Isles 63/-, all other places, $9.00;Group: U.S. and Canada, $3.00, British Isles 28/-, allother places, $4.00.9-month student subscription — $1.50; 5-month introductory offer — $1.00; 2 gift subscriptions to persons outsideof the R.P. Church — $2.00 each. Single copies, 10ceach.Subscription Agent for U.S. and Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.Subscription Agent for the British Isles: Rev. HughWright, B. A., 12, Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, NorthernIreland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness in U. S. currency.Give one month's notice of a change of address. Sendboth the new and the old address to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty.Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, Iowa.WE HOLD THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only infalliblerule of faith and conduct.The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experience.The Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Holy Spirit.The fact of death and hell as the destiny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believein Him together with their children.The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church Government.The Lord Jesus Christ as the only King and Head of His Church.That terms of membership or communion are essential to thewelfare of the Church.EVANGELISM ISSUE OFTHE COVENANTER WITNESS(This Special Evangelism Issue printed under theauspices of the Board of Evangelism)Editor this issue: RAY JOSEPHTHE BOARD OF EVANGELISMElwood Woods (President), Robert McMillan (VicePresident), Robert McCracken (Secretary), Joe Copeland(Treasurer), Roy Blackwood, Keith Copeland, Paul Faris,Ray Joseph, J. E. McElroy, Waldo Mitchel, Darrell Parnell,Wilmer Piper.IMPORTANTSTUDY AS YOU READHave you tried the "Adult Bible Reader?"As a combination reading/study guide, this readertakes one through the Bible in three years. The readingsare given for the days of the week, but are undated soitmay be started at any time. Provocative questions accompanyeach reading to stimulate meditation, and thebooks being considered generally alternate between theOld and New Testaments. In three series, the bookletsare drilled to fit a small notebook.Other readers also available:The Chronological Reader — through the Bible in1 year.Moody Bible Reading Calendar — not chronological,but covers entire Bible in one year.Child's Story Bible Reader No. 1 — two readingsdaily for children who can read.The Story Bible Reader No. 2 — slightly more advanced,ittoo follows Vos's Child's Story Bible.Scripture Union Notes — for children 8-11 includingCard with readings and Notes booklet.Contact your Pastor, Church School Superintendent,or Class Teacher so every member of your family canbe systematically reading the Scripture in 1966.Materials above supplied by —Reformed Presbyterian Board of Christian Education.7437 Penfield Court, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15208The duty which rests upon officers to maintain discipline andpreserve the purity of the Church.Spiritual worship as a divine requirement mediated through theLord Jesus Christ.The exclusive use of the Psalms in the worship of the Church.The Protestant interpretation of the Sacraments.The divine right of the institution of Marriage and that it is notto be dissolved except by adultery or "irremediable" desertion.The Sabbath as a day sacred to rest and worship.The duty of nations and their civil rulers to honor Christ asKing of Kings and Lord of Lords.That Christian citizens are under obligation to obey lawful authority.The right and duty of the Christian citizen to dissent from allgovernmental and national disobedience to the Law of God.That the Covenants of the past are still binding.From "The Communicant's Class" by J. B. Tweed

EditorialCommentAcross the span of church history, God hasmore than once raised up a man, or men, whomHe has used to speak to the Church, men whosebackground and training would not seem, to merehuman eyes, to be suitable for the ministry whichthey were given. But God has been pleased to usethem. From Amos, the herdsman of Tekoa, to DawsonTrotman, lumber truck driver, the outstandingcredential of such men has been the obvious blessingof God upon their ministries, resulting in theunswerving conviction that God had called them,whatever men may have thought.Such a man was Dawson Trotman, and suchmen compose the Navigators, the organizationfounded by Trotman. Though a few of their "keymen" are ordained, most of them are not, andyet God is pleased to continue to use them to speakto the Church through their effective ministries in"raising up" men for the ministry.Anyone who has "spent time" with Lome Sanny,Trotman's successor, and other key men in theNav. organization, has sensed their single-mindedpurpose and seen concrete evidence of God's handat work in calling out men of unquestioned leadershipability, who have been recruited, not fromsome church, but from the secular world. And whenthis happens, not once, or twice, but as a "'routine,"even the Church begins to sit up and take notice!Reprinted in this special Evangelism Issue, byspecial permission of the Navigators, are two ofTrotman's messages which more or less keynotethe burden that was on his heart and which he desiredto pass on to the church (your special editorwas present when he dehvered the first one atGlen Eyrie in 1954). Read them once. Then readthem again, and pray that God may cause somethreads from the mantle of this latter day Elijahto fall on you!Just one gentle warning. Some say he mademistakes (so did Elijah). But if you read looking formistakes, it will be easy to miss his message. Rather,allow the spirit of the man to fix your attentionon our God, our Sovereign God, Who IS ABLE tofulfill His promises through any man who is giventhe faith to claim them before the Throne.by the Rev. Ray Joseph"If Socrates should enter the room, we wouldall rise and do him honor. But if Jesus Christ cameinto the room, we would all fall down and worshipHim.""Jesus Christ has trod the world. The trace ofDivine footsteps will never be obliterated. And theDivine footsteps were the footsteps of a Man . . notan angel, not a disembodied spirit, not an abstractideal, but THE MAN JESUS CHRIST." — PeterBayne."God hasn't engaged many of us as lawyers,but He has summoned all of us as witnesses.""I have now disposed of all my property to myfamily. Theie is one thing more I wish I could givethem and that is faith in Jesus Christ. If they hadthat and I had not given them one shilling, theywould have been rich; and if they had not that,and I had given them all the world, they would bepoor indeed."—From Patrick Henry's will"As a lawyer I have made a prolonged study ofthe evidences for the resurrection of Jesus Christ.To me the evidence is conclusive, and over andover again in the High Court I have secured theverdict on evidence not nearly so compelling. . .The Gospel evidence for the resurrection ... I acceptunreservedly as the testimony of truthful mento facts they were able to substantiate."—Sir Edward Clarke"All the armies that ever marched, and all thenavies that ever were built, and all the parliamentsthat ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned,put together, have not affected the life of manupon this earth as powerfully as has this onesolitary hfe — the life of Jesus Christ."—Phillips BrooksNovember 24, 1965 321

Glimpses of the Religious WorldBAPTISTS INCREASE MISSION BUDGETThe Foreign Mission Board of the Southern BaptistConvention, meeting at Richmond, Virginia, adopted abudget for 1966 in the amount of $25,282,552.55, whichis an increase over their 1965 budget, an increase of$2,351,503.79.Described in The Baptist Record, "It includes $19,-482, 552.55 for operating purposes and $5,800,000 for capitalpurposes. Of the operating budget, $17,558,058.55 willbe spent overseas and the remaining $1,924,494 in theStates for administration, missionary promotion and education,and other expenses related to maintaining a headquartersand keeping Southern Baptists informed oftheir overseas enterprise."SPAIN EASING PROTESTANT RESTRICTIONSThe World Home Bible League reports that forabout the last two years they have hari more libertyin Spain to carry on their program of placing a Biblein the homes. In The Sower they write, 'Last year, forthe first time, two shipments of World Home Bible LeagueScriptures were sent directly into Spain from theUnited States of America and were allowed entry intothe port of Barcelona. Before this time the League printedScriptures in Spain on small printing presses andalso shipped Scriptures in from undisclosed points."THE REV. T. R. HUTCHESON820 NEW YORK STREETHOLTON, KANSASCHRONOLOGY OF PRINTED BIBLES REVIEWEDElizabeth J. Eisenhart, librarian of the AmericanBible Society, has published "Scriptures of the World:A Compilation of First Editions."The Society, in reviewing the book, indicates, "Thefirst three printed translations of the Bible — all complete— were into Latin, 14J6; German, 1466; and Italian,1471. The New Testament was first published in Frenchin 1474 and the Bible in 1530; in Czech, the New Testamentwas published in 1475, with the complete Bible in1488. The next two, Dutch and Hebrew, had Old Testamentsbefore the New. A portion of the Bible was firstpublished in Dutch in 1477, the Old Testament in 1480,and the complete Bible in 1522. In Hebrew, the first portionwas published in 1477, the Old Testament in 1488,and the complete Bible in 1599. Catalan, Low German,Ancient Greek, Chaldee, Spanish, Slavonic, Serbo-Croatianand Portuguese followed in that order. English was21st in line, and had its first Scripture publication in theform of a New Testament in 1525 and a whole Bible in1535.EAST GERMAN CHURCH REPORTED INEFFECTIVEPresbyterian Life has an article by a French religiousmagazine aditor who accompanied a group of.•r'rtncn pastors invited to visit the "German Democratic. ^mr.lic." Yves Chabas reports that East German pastorsare no longer imprisoned. Sabbath Schools are notforb'dden. In fact, part of the pastor's stipends are paidfrom the state treasury, and theological students receivestate scholarships. The churches are there, but the worshippersare doing other things than worship, and theyoung people, in general, are being influenced more bythe doctrines of the state than by the doctrines of thechurch.It was recognized by concerned Eastern pastorsthat freedom for the church does not depend as muchupon the external restrictions by the state, or lack ofsuch, as upon the spiritual renewal of the church itself.BELIEF IN GOD HELD BARRIER TO JUSTICEUntil recently, members of the jury in the state ofMaryland were required to swear that they believed inGod and in an afterlife with a system of rewards andpunishment. Now this provision of the state constitutionhas been declared void by the state Court of Appeals.Hence confusion.The situation was brought about by the appeal ofa Buddhist who had been convicted of murdering hiswife. But his attorney later realized that by law all thejurors had believed in God, and the case was appealedon the grounds that this prejudiced his case. This broughtto the attention of the appeal courts that it was an injusticeto require the jury to believe in God, and theconviction was reversed.Another case that was favored by this new rulingwas the charge that Mrs. Madalyn Murray (now remarried)had assaulted and battered a police officer.The case was dismissed, presumably because no jurorswere available without prejudice. Mrs. Murray is theavowed atheist whose court action led to the SupremeCourt's decision banning compulsory prayer in publicschools.LARGE DEMAND FOR NEW GRAHAM BOOKBilly Graham's latest book, published this year,has already had a second printing to meet the demand.His first major book, "Peace With God," 1953, has sold1,400,000 copies. The second, "The Secret of Happiness,"1955, has sold 700,000 copies, and 200,000 copies havebeen sold of "My Answer," published in 1960.PETER ELDERSVELD DIESDr. Peter Eldersveld, long time radio minister of theChristian Reformed Church, died suddenly of a heartattack on October 14. Until his death he was the weeklyspeaker of the denominational broadcast, "The Back toGod Hour." Dr. Eldersveld, who was a graduate of CalvinTheological Seminary and the University of Michigan,and served churches in Iowa and Illinois, was widelyknown for his forthright and eloquent proclamation ofthe gospel.He has authored a number of books containingradio messages and shortly before his death wrote theDaily Manna meditations for October, 1965. He had prepareda number of radio messages in advance and theseare being broadcast after his demise. He is keenly missedthroughout the Christian Reformed Church and beyond.—Reformed Ecumenical Synod News ExchangeReaders will probably rernember that Dr. Eldersveldaddressed the convention assembly at the NationalCovenanter Conference in 1962.322 COVENANTER WITNESS

MMTO REPRODUCEBY DAWSONE. TROTMANA& /r0Wi?a2&4- COLORADO > P R ' N G S C I C R A D ONovember 24, 1965A few years ago, while visitingEdinburgh, Scotland, I stood on HighStreet just down from the castle. AsI stood there, I saw a father and amother coming toward me pushing ababy carriage. They looked very happy,were well dressed, and apparentlywere well-to-do people. I tried tocatch a glimpse of the baby as theypassed, and seeing my interest, theystopped to let me look at the little,pink-cheeked member of their family.I watched them for a little whileas they walked on and thought howbeautiful it is that God permits a manto choose one woman who seems themost beautiful and lovely to him, andshe chooses him out of all those menwhom she has ever known. Then theyseparate themselves to one another,and God in His plan gives them themeans of reproduction! It is a wonderfulthing that a little child should beborn into their family, having someof the father's characteristics andsome of the mother's, some of hislooks and some of hers. Each seesin that baby a reflection of the onewhom he or she loves.Seeing that little one made me feelhomesick for my own children whomI dearly love and whose faces I hadnot seen for some time. As I continuedto stand there I saw anotherbaby carriage, or perambulator as theycall it over there, coming in my direction.It was a secondhand affair andvery wobbly. Obviously the father andmother were poor. Both were dressedpoorly and plainly, but, when I indicatedmy interest in seeing their baby,they stopped and with the same prideas the other parents let me view theirlittle, pink-cheeked, beautiful-eyedchild.I thought as these went on theirway: "God gave this little baby whoseparents are poor everything that Hegave the other. It has five little fingerson each hand, a little mouth and twoeyes. Properly cared for those littlehands may some day be the hands ofan artist or a musician."Then this other thought came tome: "Isn't it wonderful that God didnot select the wealthy and the educatedand say, 'You can have children,'and to the poor and the uneducatedsay, 'You cannot.' Everyoneon earth has that privilege."The first order ever given to manwas that he "be fruitful and multiply."In other words, he Was to reproduceafter his own kind. God did not tellAdam and Eve, our first parents, tobe spiritual. They were already in Hisimage. Sin had not yet come in. Hejust said, "Multiply. I want more justlike you, more in My own image."Of course, the image was marred.But Adam and Eve had children. Theybegan to multiply. There came a time,however, when God had to destroymost of the flesh that had been born.He started over with eight people. Themore than two billion people who areon the earth today came from theeight who were in the ark becausethey were fruitful and multiplied.HindrancesOnly a few things will ever keephuman beings from multiplying themselvesin the physical realm. One isthat they never marry. If they are notunited, they will not reproduce. Thisis a truth which Christians need tograsp with reference to spiritual- reproduction.When a person becomesa child of God, he should realize thathe is to live in union with JesusChrist if he is going to win others tothe Saviour.Another factor that can hinder reproductionis disease or impairmentto some part of the body that is neededfor reproductive purposes. In thespiritual realm sin of some kind oranother can keep one from winningthe lost.One other factor that can keeppeople from having children is immaturity.God in His wisdom sawto it that little children cannot havebabies. A little boy must first growto sufficient maturity to be able toearn a living, and a little girl must beold enough to care for a baby.Everyone should be born again.That is God's desire. God never intendedthat man should merely liveand die — be a walking corpse to bel%id in the ground. The vast majorityof people know that there is somethingbeyond the grave, and so eachone who is born into God's familyshould seek others to be born again.A person is born again when hereceives Jesus Christ. "But as manyas received Him, to them gave He powerto become the sons of God...which were born, not of blood, nor ofthe will of the flesh, nor of the willof man, but of God" (John 1:12, 13) —the new birth. It is God's plan thatthese new babies in Christ grow. Allprovision is made for their growth intomaturity, and then they are tomultiply — not only the rich or theeducated, but all alike. Every personwho is born into God's family is tomultiply.In the physical realm when yourchildren have children, you become agrandparent. Your parents are thengreatgrandparents, and theirs aregreat-great-grandparents. And so itshould be in the spiritual.Spiritual BabiesWherever you find a Christianwho is not leading men and women toChrist, something is wrong. He maystill be a baby. I do not mean that hedoes not know a lot of doctrine andis not well informed through hearinggood preaching. I know many peoplewho can argue the pre-, the post-, andthe amillennial position and who knowmuch about dispensations, but whoare still immature. Paul said of somesuch in Corinth, "And I, brethren,could not speak unto you as untospiritual (or mature), but as untocarnal, even as unto babes . .."( I Corinthians3:1).Because they were babes, theywere immature, incapable of spiritualreproduction; in other words, theycould not help other people to be bornagain. Paul continued, "I have fedyou with milk, and not with meat: forhitherto ye were not able to bear it... ye are yet carnal (or babes): for... there is among you envying, andstrife, and divisions..." (I Corinthians3:2,3). I know a lot of churchmembers, Sunday school teachers andmembers of the women's missionarysociety who will say to each other,"Have you heard about so and so?"and pass along some gossip. Suchhave done an abominable thing in thesight of God. How horrible it is whena Christian hears something andspreads the story! The Book says,323

"These six things doth the Lord hate: their joy they wanted someone elseyea, seven are an abomination unto to know.Him .. a lying tongue ..." (Proverbs In all our Christian audiences, I6:16, 17). Oh, the Christians I know,both men and women, who let lyingcome in!"... he that soweth discord amongbrethren" (Proverbs 6:19) is another.This is walking as a babe, and I believethat it is one of the basic reasonswhy some Christians do not havepeople born again into God's familythrough them. They are sick spiritually.There is something wrong. Thereis a spiritual disease in their lives.They are immature. There is not thatunion with Christ.But when all things are right betweenyou and the Lord, regardless ofhow much or how little you may knowintellectually, from the standpoint ofam sure there are men and women whohave been Christians for five, ten ortwenty years but who do not knowof one person who is living for JesusChrist today because of them. I amnot talking now about merely workingfor Christ, but about producingfor Christ. Someone may say, "I gaveout a hundred thousand tracts." Thatis good, but how many sheep did youbring in?Some time ago I talked to 29 missionarycandidates. They were graduatesof universities or Bible schoolsor seminaries. As a member of theboard I interviewed each one over aperiod of five days, giving each candidatefrom half an hour to an hour.the world, you can be a spiritual power.Among the questions I asked wereAnd that, incidentally, may evenbe when you are very young in theLord.two which are very important. Thefirst one had to do with their devotionallife. "How is your devotionalA young lady works at the telephonelife?" I asked them. "How is the timedesk in our office in ColoradoSprings. A year and a half ago shewas closely associated with the youngCommunist league in Great Britain.She heard Billy Graham and acceptedthe Lord Jesus Christ. Soon sheand a couple other girls in her artand drama school were used of theLord to win some girls to Christ. Wetaught Pat and some of the others,you spend with the Lord? Do you feelthat your devotional life is what theLord would have it to be?"Out of this particular group of 29only one person said, "I believe mydevotional life is what it ought to be."To the others my question then was,"Why is your devotional life not whatit should be?""Well you see I am here at thisand they in turn taught the girls summer school," was a common reply.whom they led to Christ. Some of "We have a concentrated course. Wethese have led still other girls to do a year's work in only ten weeks.Christ, and they too are carrying onthe spreading of the Gospel. Patriciais a great-grandmother already, thoughshe is only about a year and fourmonths old in the Lord.We see this all the time. I know aWe are so busy."I said, "All right. Let's back up towhen you were in college. Did youhave victory in your devotional lifethen?""Well, not exactly."sailor who, when he was only four We traced back and found thatmonths old in the Lord, was a greatgrandfather.He had led some sailorsto the Lord who in turn led somesailors to the Lord, and these lastled other sailors to the Lord — yet hewas only four months old.How was this done? God used thepure channel of these young Christians'lives in their exuberance andfirst love for Christ, and out of theirhearts the incorruptible seed of theWord of God was sown into the heartsof other people. It took hold. Faithcame by the hearing of the Word. Theywere born again by faith in the Lordnever since they came to know theSaviour had they had a period setaside for daily devotions. That wasone of the reasons for their sterility—lack of communion with Christ.The other question I asked themwas. "You are going out to the foreignfield. You hope to be used by the Lordin winning men and women to Christ.Is that right?""Yes.""You want them to go on and livethe victorious life, don't you? Youdon't want them just to make a decisionand then go back into the world,arrow of God'sJesus Christ. They observed those do you?"Christians who led them to Christand who taught them the joy and the"No.""Then may I ask you somethingpeace and the thrill of it all, and in more? How many persons do youknow by name today who were won toChrist by you and are living for Him?"The majority had to admit thatthey were ready to cross an ocean,learn a foreign language, but theyhad not won their first soul who wasgoing on for Jesus. A number of themsaid that they got many people to goto church; others said that they hadpersuaded some to go forward whenthe invitation was given.I said, "Are they living for Christnow?" Their eyes dropped. I thenadded, "How do you expect that bycrossing an ocean and speaking in aforeign language with people who aresuspicious of you, whose way of lifeyou are unfamiliar with, you will dosomething there that you have notyet done here?"This is not for miss'onaries andprospective missionaries only. It isfor all of God's people. Every one ofHis children ought to be reproducers.Are you producing? If not, whynot? Is it because of a lack of communionwith Christ, your Lord, thatcloseness of fellowship which is partof the great plan? Or is it some sinin your life, an unconfessed something,that has stopped the flow? Oris it that you are still a babe? "Forwhen for the time ye ought to beteachers, ye have need that one teachyou again .." (Hebrews 5:12).How to Produce ReproducersThe reason that we are not gettingthis Gospel to the ends of the earthis not because it is not potent enough.Twenty-three years ago we took aborn-again sailor and spent some timewith him, showing him how to reproducespiritually after his kind. It tooktime, lots of time. It was not a hurried,30-minute challenge in a church service,or a hasty goodby, with the invitationto come back next week. Wespent time together. We took care ofhis problems and taught him not onlyto hear God's Word and to read it, butalso how to study it. We taught himhow to hide it in his heart as theWord, so that theSpirit of God could lift that arrowfrom his heart and place it in his lips,in order that he might pierce the soulof the man whom he was seeking towin to Christ.He found a number of boys on hisship, but none of them would go allout for the Lord. They would go tochurch, but when it came right downto doing something, they were "alsorans." He came to me after a month ofthis and said, "Dawson, I can't get any324 COVENANTER WITNESS

of these guys on the ship to get downto business."I said to him, "Listen, you ask Godto give you one. You can't have twountil you have one. Ask God to giveyou a man after your own heart."He began to pray. One day he cameto me and said, "I think I've foundone." Later he brought the young fellowwith him. Three months from thetime that I started to work with him,he had found a man for Christ, a manof like heart. This first sailor was notthe kind of man you had to push andgive prizes to before he would dosomething. He loved the Lord and waswilling to pay a price to produce. Heworked with this new babe in Christ,and those two fellows began to growand spiritually reproduce. On thatship 125 men found the Saviour beforeit was sunk at Pearl Harbor.Men off that first battleship are infour continents of the world as missionariestoday. The work spread fromship to ship, so that when the Japanesestruck at Pearl Harbor, there wasa testimony being given on 50 shipsof the U.S. fleet. When the war closed,there was work by one or moreproducers (I am not talking aboutmere Christians), on more than a thousandof the U.S. fleet ships and atmany army camps and air bases. Ithad to have a start, however. Thedevil's great trick is to stop anythinglike this if he can before it gets started.He will, too, if you let him.There are Christians whose livesrun in circles who, nevertheless, havethe desire to win others. Take a typicalexample. You meet him in themorning as he goes to work and sayto him, "Why are you going to work?""Well, I have to earn money.""What are you earning money for?"you ask."Well," he replies, "I have to buyfood.""What do you want food for?""I have to eat so as to have strengthto go to work and earn some moremoney.""What do you want more moneyfor?""I have to buy clothes so that Ican be dressed to go to work andearn some more money.""What do you want more moneyfor?""I have to buy a house or pay therent so I will have a place to rest up,so I will be fit to work and earn somewho are going in big circles. But youcontinue your questioning and ask,"What else do you do?""Oh, I find time to serve the Lord.I am preaching here and there." Butdown behind all of this he has the onedesire to be a spiritual father. He ispraying that God will give him a man.Perhaps it takes him six months. Itneed not take that long, but maybeit takes him six months to reach theother for Christ and get him startedgiving out the Word and getting aman for himself.So this first man at the end of thesix months has another man. Eachman wins another in the followingsix months. At the end of the year,there are just four of them. Perhapseach one teaches a Bible class orhelps in a street meeting, but at thesame time he is seeing how the newfellow he won to the Lord is doing.So at the end of the year the fourof them get together and have a prayermeeting and determine: "Now,let's not allow anything to sidetrackus. Let's give the Gospel out to a lotof people, but let's check up on atleast one and see him through."So the four of them in the nextsix months each get a man. Thatmakes eight at the end of a year anda half. They all go out after anotherand at the end of two years there are16 men. At the end of three yearsthere are 64 men; the 16 have doubledtwice. At the end of five years thereare 1,048. At the end of fifteen and ahalf years there are 2,176,000,000.That is the present population of theworld, of persons over three years ofage.But wait a minute! Let us call thesefirst three men A, B and C. A herehelps B; and B just about the timethat he is to go after C, gets sidetracked.Then he washes out and does notproduce that man, C. Fifteen and onehalf years later you can cut your2,176,000,000 down to 1,000,000,000.That is less than half of the 2,176,000,-000 because the devil caused B to besterile.God promised Abraham "... inIsaac shall thy seed be called" (Genesis21:12) so Abraham waited a long,long time for that son. When Isaaccame everything was wrapped up inhim. If Hitler had been present andhad caused Isaac's death when Abrahamhad his knife poised over him onMount Moriah, Hitler could have killedevery Jew in that one stroke.I believe that is why Satan puts allhis efforts into getting the Christianbusy but not producing.Men, where is your man? Women,where is your woman? Where is yourgirl? Where is the one whom you ledto Christ and who is now going onwith Him?There is a story in I Kings, chapter20 about a man who gave a prisonerto a servant and instructed theservant to guard the prisoner well.But as the servant was busy here andthere the prisoner made his escape.The curse of today is that we aretoo busy. I am not talking about beingbusy earning money to buy food.I am talking about being busy doingChristian things. We have spiritualactivity with little productivity. Andproductivity comes as a result of whatwe call "follow-up."Majoring in ReproducingThis was first impressed on mymind in this way. Five years ago BillyGraham came to me and said, "Daws,we would like you to help with ourfollow-up. I've been studying thegreat evangelists and the great revivalsand I fail to see that there wasmuch of a follow-up program. Weneed it. We are having an averageof 6,000 people come forward to decidefor Christ in a month's campaign.I feel that with the work you havedone you could come in and help us."I said, "Billy, I can't follow up6,000 people. My work is always withindividuals and small groups.""Look, Daw s," he answered^"everywhere I go I meet Navigators.I met them in school in Wheaton.They are in my school right now.(He was president of NorthwesternSchools at that time.) There must besomething to this.""I just don't have the time," I said.He tackled me again. The thirdtime he pled with me and said, "Daws,I am not able to sleep nights forthinking of what happens to the convertsafter a crusade is over."At that time I was on my way toFormosa and I said, "While I amthere I will pray about it, Billy." Onthe sands of a Formosan beach Ipaced up and down two or three hoursa day praying, "Lord, how can I dothis? I am not even getting the workdone You have given me to do. Howcan I take six months of the year togive to Billy?" But God laid the addedburden upon my heart.Why should Billy have asked memore money." And so on it goes.to do it? I had said to him that dayThere are many Christians like thatbefore I left for Formosa, "Billy, youwill have to get somebody else."November 24, 1965 325

He took me by the shoulders andsaid, "Who else? Who is majoring inthis?" I had been majoring in it."God, give me a girl or man whomI can win to Christ, or let me takeone who is already won, an infant inChrist, and try to train that one sothat he or she will reproduce!"How concerned we are about gettingthe masses to fill up the seats!But where is your man? I would ratherhave one "Isaac" alive than a hundreddead, or sterile, or immature.Beginning of Follow-upOne day, years ago, I was drivingalong in my little Model-T Ford andsaw a young man walking down thestreet. I stopped and picked him up.As he got into the car, he swore andsaid, "It's sure tough to get a ride."I never hear a man take my Saviour'sname in vain but what my heartaches. I reached into my pocket andsaid, "Lad, read this."He looked up at me and said,"Haven't I seen you somewhere before?"I looked at him closely. He lookedlike someone whom I should know.We figured out that we had met theyear before on the same road. He wason his way to a golf course to act ascaddy when I picked him up. He hadgotten into my car and had startedout the same way with the name"Jesus Christ." I had taken exceptionto his use of that name and had openedup the New Testament and shownhim the way of salvation. He had acceptedJesus Christ as his Saviour. Inparting I had given him Philippians1:6: "Being confident of this verything, that He which hath begun agood work in you will perform ituntil the day of Jesus Christ." "Godbless you, son. Read this," I said, andsped on my merry way.A year later, there was no moreevidence of the new birth and thenew creature in this boy than if hehad never heard of Jesus Christ.I had a -great passion for souls,but after I met this boy the secondtime on the way to the golf course,I began to go back and find some ofmy "converts." I want to tell you,I was sick at heart. It seemed thatPhilippians 1:6 was not working.An Armenian boy came into myoffice one day and told me about allthe souls he had won. He said thatthey were all Armenians and had thelist to prove it.I said, "Well, what is this one doing?"He said, "That one isn't doing sogood. He is backslidden.""What about this one?" We wentall down the list and there was notone living a victorious life.I said, "Give me your Bible." Iturned to Philippians end put a cardboardright under the 6th verse, tooka razor blade out of my pocket andstarted to come down on the page. Hegrabbed my hand and asked, "Whatare you going to do?""I'm going to cut this verse out,"I said. "It isn't working."Do you know what was wrong?I had been taking the 6th verse awayfrom its context, verses 3 through 7.Paul did not put that verse in thebook to mean, "All right, the Lord hasstarted something, He will finish it."But you know, that is what some peopletell me when they win a soul.They say, "Well, I just committedhim to God."Suppose I meet someone who hasa large family and say to him, "Whois taking care of your children?""My family? Oh, I left them withthe Lord."Right away I would say to that one,"I have a verse for you: 'But if anyprovide not for his own, and speciallyfor those of his own house, he ... isworse than an infidel' (I Timothy5:8)."Paul said to the elders of thechurch at Ephesus, "Take heed .. toall the flock, over the which the HolyGhost hath made you overseers..."(Acts 20:28). You cannot make Godthe overseer. He makes you the overseer.We began to work from that angle.This checking on some of the convertswent on for a couple or threeyears before the Navigator workstarted. At that time the program includedfewer converts but more timespent with the converts. Soon I couldsay as Paul said to the Philippians,"I thank my God upon every remembranceof you, always in every prayerof mine for you all making requestwith joy, for your fellowship in theGospel from the first day until now"(Philippians 1:3-5). He followed up hisconverts with daily prayer and fellowship.Then he could say, "Being confidentof this very thing, that He whichhath begun a good work in you willperform it until the day of JesusChrist" (Philippians 1:6). In keepingwith this the 7th verse reads: "Evenas it is meet (or proper) for me tothink this of you all, because I haveyou in my heart..."Until this time I had forgotten tofollow up the people God had reachedthrough me. But from then on Ibegan to spend time in this way. Thatis why sometime later when that firstsailor came to me, I saw the value ofspending three months with him.Isaac had Jacob, and Jacob had thetwelve, and all the rest of the nationcame through them.It Takes Time to Do God's WorkYou can lead a soul to Christ infrom 20 minutes to a couple of hours.But it takes from 20 weeks to a coupleof years to get him on the road to maturity,victorious over the sins andthe recurring problems that comealong. He must learn how to makeright decisions. He must be warned ofthe various "isms" that are likely toreach out with their octopus arms andpull him in and sidetrack him.But when you get yourself a man,you have doubled your ministry — infact, you have more than doubledyour ministry. Do you know why?When you teach your man, he seeshow it is done, and he imitates you.If I were the minister of a churchand had deacons or elders to pass theplate and choir members to sing, Iwould say, "Thank God for your help.We need you. Praise the Lord forthese extra things that you do," butI would keep pressing home the bigjob — "Be fruitful and multiply." Allthese other things are incidental tothe supreme task of winning a man orwoman to Jesus Christ and then helpinghim or her to go on.Where is your man? Where is yourwoman? Do you have one? You canask God for me. Search your hearts.Ask the Lord, "Am I spiritually sterile?If I am, why am I?"Do not let your lack of knowledgestand in the way of winning the lost.It used to be the plan of The Navigatorsin the early days that wheneverthe sailor boys were with us for suppereach fellow was asked at the endof the meal to quote a verse.I would say it this way, "Quotea verse you have learned in the last48 hours if you have one. Otherwise,just give us a verse." One eveningas we quoted verses around the table,my little three-year-old daughter'sturn came. There was a new sailornext to her who did not think abouther quoting Scripture, so without givingher an opportunity, he began.She looked up at him as much as tosay, "I am a human being." He stop-326 COVENANTER WITNESS

ped, and she repeated John 3:16 inher own way. "For God so loved theworld, dat He gave His only forgottenSon, dat whosoever believeth in Himshould not perish, but have everlastinglife." She put the emphasis on the"whosoever" because when she wasfirst. taught the verse she could notpronounce that word.Two days later that sailor cameup to me and said, "You know, I wasgoing to quote that verse of Scripture.It was the only one I knew. ButI didn't really know it, not until littleRuthie quoted it. When she said 'Whosoever,'I thought, That means me.Right there I accepted the Lord." Todaythat young man is a missionary inSouth America.Until several years after we weremarried, my wife's parents did notknow the Lord. Here again God usedchildren to reach hungry hearts. WhenRuthie was three and Bruce was fivethey went to visit Grandpa and Grandma.Grandpa tried to get them to repeatnursery rhymes. He said, 'Maryhad a little lamb," and "Little BoyBlue," but the children just looked athim and said, "Who is Little BoyBlue?" He thought they did not knowvery much.Their mother said, "They knowsome things. Give Romans 3:23,Bruce." This Bruce did. Then he asked,"Shall I quote another one, Grandpa?""Sure," said Grandpa.Bruce began to quote verses ofScripture, some 15 in all, and Ruthquoted some in between. This delightedGrandpa. He took them over to theneighbors and to the aunts and uncles,showing them how well these childrenknew the Scriptures. In the meantimethe Word of God was doing itswork. It was not long before the HolySpirit, through the voices of babes,planted the seed in the grandparents'hearts. "Out of the mouth of babesand sucklings hast Thou ordainedstrength ..." (Psalm 8:2).Soulwinners are not soulwinnersbecause of what they know, but becauseof Whom they know and howwell they know Him and how muchthey long for others to know Him."Oh, but I am afraid," someonesays. Remember, "The fear of manbringeth a snare: but whoso puttethhis trust in the Lord shall be safe"(Proverbs 29:25). Nothing except sinand immaturity and lack of communionwill put you in a position whereyou cannot reproduce. Furthermore,there is not anything that can keepa newly born again one from goingon with the Lord if h£ has spiritualparents to take care of him and givehim the spiritual food God has providedfor him.Effects obey their causes by irresistiblelaws. When you sow theseed of God's Word you will get results.Not every heart will receivethe Word but some will and the newbirth will take place. When a soul isborn, give it the care that Paul gavenew believers. Paul believed in follow-upwork. He was a busy evangelist,but he took time for follow-up.The New Testament is largely madeup of the letters of Paul which werefollow-up letters to the converts.James believed in it. "But be yedoers of the Word, and not hearersonly," he said in James 1:22. Peterbelieved in it, for he said, "As newbornbabes, desire the sincere milkof the Word, that ye may grow thereby"(I Peter 2:2). John believed in it.His words are, "I have no greaterjoy than to hear that my childrenwalk in truth" (III John 4). All thewritings of Peter, Paul, and James,and most of the writings of John arefood for the new Christian.The Gospel spread to the knownworld during the first century withoutradio, television or the printingpress, all because these produced oneswere reproducing. But today we havea lot of pew-sitters — people whothink that if they are faithful inchurch attendance, put good-sizedgifts into the offering plate, and getpeople to come, they have done theirbest.Where is your man? Where is yourwoman? Where is your boy? Where isyour girl? Every one of us, no matterwhat age we are, should get busymemorizing Scripture. In one (Sabbath)school class a woman 72 yearsof age and another who was 78 finishedThe Navigators Topical MemorySystem. They then had something togive.Load your heart with this preciousSeed. You will find that God will directyou to those whom you can leadto Christ. There are many heartsready for the Gospel now.MAKE IT RIGHTSelected by M. S. BennProfessor Stuart Blackie, of theUniversity of Edinburgh, was hearinga class in which one man rose withhis book in the wrong hand. He beganan explanation, and the professorthundered, "Take your book in yourright hand, and be seated." The studentheld up his right arm, and it wasoff at the wrist.The great man hesitated a moment,then went to the student and, withtears streaming from his eyes, he said,"I never knew about it. Will you forgiveme?" It ended in the conversionof the young man.This story was told afterwards at aBible conference, and after the meetinga man came forward and raisedhis right arm — it ended at the wrist.He said. "I am the man ProfessorBlackie led to Christ, but he neverwould have done it if he had not puthis arm around me and made thewrong right."—The Free MethodistCATCHING GOD'S EARIn prayer the most important thingis to catch the ear of Him to whomyou speak. Do not offer one petitionuntil you are fully conscious of havingsecured the attention of God.You need to have your heart filledby the Spirit with the consciousnessthat the everlasting, almighty God isindeed very near and listening to you.—Andrew MurrayTHE NEED . . . from page 329in the world can stop those men. Doyou believe that? Do you want to beone of them? You may, but you willhave to ask. "Call unto Me, and I willanswer thee, and shew thee great andmighty things, which thou knowestnot." Years ago when I prayed forFormosa I couldn't have comprehendedwhat I'm seeing now. But that'sthe way He promised it will be, sowhen you call, ask big!BEWARE OF ANUNFORGIVING SPIRITOne cause of the leakage of divinepower is allowing a root of bitternessto spring up in our hearts because ofa wrong inflicted upon us. An unforgivingspirit will blight spiritual fruit,and also cause a deep shadow to comebetween us and our Lord.Our reaction to the incident orsource of conflict matters much morethan the incident itself. The incidentwill soon pass away, but the effectupon our spiritual life does not. MayGod keep us from all resentment, andpreserve a sweet spirit within us. MayHe enable us to genuinely love thosewho have wronged us.— James StewartNovember 24, 1965 327

Tk Mi oi (lie HourWhat is the need of the hour? Thatdepends upon the person who is thinkingabout it. If I'm walking along thestreet and see a beggar with a tin cup,what's the need of the hour? A dime.If a woman is being taken to the hospital,what's the need of the hour?A doctor. But in Christian work, whatis the need of the hour? I started tolist the things that we often feel arethe need, which if supplied, wouldend our troubles.Some say, "Well, if I just had alarger staff..." Would more staffbe the answer? Today many a ministerwould like to have an assistant,and many a mission would like to havemore missionaries. The cry of returnedmissionaries is always for moremen and women to fill up the ranks... to them, the need of the hour.Others say, "We don't need moreworkers, but if we had better facilities,if we just had more office spaceand more buildings and biggergrounds and a base of operation ... ifwe had a place like Glen Eyrie...then we could do the job."In certain areas of the world theysay it's communications we lack, orbetter transportation, or better meansto take care of health. The need ofthe hour on many a mission field ismerely a radio. But if you get thatradio, there's another need, and somethingelse, and something else. Manyfeel it is literature. I hear that inmy travels all over the world, "Wejust lack literature."I know of people today who aresaying, "If we could just get into acertain place." For years people havebeen on the borders of Nepal saying,"If we could just get in there." Tothem the need of the hour is an opendoor into Nepal. Right now hundredsof people are saying, "If we could justget into China." The Bible says, "MyGod shall supply all your needs." Ifthe need were an open door intoChina, why doesn't God open it?"These things saith He that is holy,He that is true, He that hath the keyof David, He that openeth, and noman shutteth; and shutteth, and noman openeth .. .1 have set before theean open door."Paul found closed doors, but closeddoors to him weren't the problem.I really believe those closed doorswere used of God to show him theBy DA WSON E. TROTMANopen doors he was to go through next.I believe if God wanted to put Hishand over the great country of Chinatonight, turning the Reds into confusionso they would start killingeach other (a good deal of which theyare already doing), He could do it. Ibelieve in forty-eight hours the doorto China could be opened.Some say, "We need more time.If we just had more time ..." Otherssay, "If I just weren't so old, if I wereyoung again." People have said to me,"Daws, if I had known when I wastwenty years old what I know now, Icould have done a hundred times morefor the Lord. Why didn't I?"Often the biggest need of thehour seems to be money. "If we justhad money ... That's the answer to alarger staff, more facilities, literature,communications and transportation ... If we just had money."What is the need of the hour?Frankly, I don't believe it is any ofthese. I am convinced that the Godof the universe is in control, and Hewill supply all of these needs in Hisown way and in His own time, allelse being right.Let me tell you what I believe theneed of the hour is. Maybe I shouldcall it the answer to the need of thehour. I believe it is an army of soldiers,dedicated to Jesus Christ, whobelieve not only that He is God, butthat He can fulfill every promise Hehas ever made, and that there isn'tanything too hard for Him. It is theonly way we can accomplish the thingthat is on His heart... getting thegospel to every creature.In 1948 I was in Germany for sixdays. I had been put in touch withColonel Paul Maddox, Chief of Chaplainsfor all of Europe, and throughhis recommendation to the CommandingGeneral I got into Germany. I invitedfifty German fellows to meetwith me for three days, and twentyfiveof them came. I talked to themevery evening for three hours, beginningto lay before them the GreatCommission, and the idea that I feltGermany not only needed to hear thegospel, but that Germans themselvesneeded to obey the Great Commissionby sending missionaries.I gave them the privilege of askingquestions during the meetings,and every once in a while a handwould go up. I was trying to lay upontheir hearts the very thing the Lordlaid on the hearts of the discipleswhen He told them to go to everycreature, make disciples of every nation,start in Jerusalem and go tothe ends of the earth. One Germanspoke up, "But, Mr. Trotman, youdon't understand. Here in Germanysome of us right in this room don'teven have an Old Testament; we onlyhave a New Testament." I said, "WhenJesus Christ gave these commandments,they didn't have even a NewTestament."Later one of them said, "But Mr.Trotman, we have very few good evangelicalbooks in this country. In Americayou have thus and so." I asked,"How many books did the discipleshave?" A little further on one ofthem said, "Is it true that in Americayou can hear the gospel any day?" Ianswered, "Yes." He said, "If we hadthat.. . but we can't get the messageout on any radio." I said, "But thedisciples had never heard of a radio."They said, "You have automobiles, weride bicycles." I reminded them, "Thedisciples didn't have bicycles. Jesusrode a borrowed burro."Now these questions didn't comeup one right after the other or theywould have caught on, but they aroseduring the nine hours together. Finallyone fellow spoke up and said, "InAmerica you have money. I worktwelve hours a day for sixty cents.We don't have much money." I replied,"The disciples were sent out withoutpurse and without script."Every excuse in the books wasbrought up. "We don't have this, andwe don't have that. We don't havebuildings; we don't have facilities."Each time I replied, "But the twelvedidn't and He sent them out."Then finally near the end one fellow,a little older than the rest andwith almost a bitter expression onhis face, got up and said, "Mr. Trotman,you in America have never hadan occupation force in your land.You don't know what it is to havesoldiers of another country roamingyour streets. Our souls are not ourown." I said, "The disciples lived atthe time Jesus Christ lived, and theirsouls weren't their own. The Romansoldiers were in charge."328 COVENANTER WITNESS

Then it dawned on me in a way Ihad never considered before, thatwhen Jesus Christ sent the eleven out,He let a situation exist which was sobad that there could never be a worseone. No printing presses, no automobiles,no radios, no television, no telephones,no buildings, not one singlechurch, no uniforms, nothing for thevestry... He didn't even leave thema little emblem.He left them only a job to do, butwith it He said, "All power is givenunto Me in heaven and in earth. Goye therefore .. " What does the "therefore"mean? It means, "I have thepower to give you - the order and Ihave the power to back you to thehilt." He has all power in heaven andearth. .. not just heaven, but in theearth; all power, not part of the power,but all power, which means powerover the Romans and power overthe Communists.Earlier Jesus Christ had said tothis same little group, "Verily, verily,I say unto you, he that believeth onMe ..." He that what? ".. . believethon Me, the works that I do shall hedo also; and greater works than theseshall he do." Do you believe thatstatement is true? Or must you saythat for a moment it makes you stopto wonder. Could it possibly be truethat the Son of God would say to ahuman being, "The things that I do,you shall do, and greater things thanthese you shall do"?I believe with all my heart that thereason so many wonderful Christiansdon't accomplish more in their livesis they don't believe Jesus meantwhat He said. They have never cometo the place where they believe thatthe all-powerful One, Who commissionedthem, could enable them to dothese greater works. The last thingHe said was, "All power is given untoMe. I'm giving you your orders now.Go and teach all nations and see thatevery created being hears the Word."Now, gang, we think it is going tobe a tough job, even with the printingwho were not even as strong as theBereans, "For from you sounded outthe Word of the Lord not only inMacedonia and Achaia, but also inevery place your faith to God-wardis spread abroad."How did the mesage go? Not bytelephone, not by television, but bytell-a-person. That's the only methodthey had. It was as simple as that.Everyone was to tell someone else."I cannot help but speak the thingswhich I have seen and heard," wasthe impelling force. That's how itspread, and it did spread. They didn'tneed the printing press and they didn'tneed materials.Over in England they really wentfor the Bible study and memory materials.It was hard to get them tosee their value at first, but whenthey did, some of them felt they werea necessity. One rainy night duringthe Billy Graham Crusade at WembleyStadium around 3000 came forwardat the invitation. Two clergymencame running up to me, "Mr. Trotman,Mr. Trotman, we ran out of materials!What will we do?" I said, "Relax.They probably ran out of them atPentecost, too!" They looked at mefor a minute and, obviously gettingthe point, said, "That's right!"The answer is the man, not materials.Maybe the greatest problem todayis that we try to put into printedform that which should go from lipto ear and heart to heart. We de-emphasizematerials, and people can'tunderstand why. Materials are thetools. Tools by themselves are useless.If there were a young fellow beginninghis study of medicine who hadall the necessary instruments for amajor operation, and an old doctorwho just had a razor blade and aplain, ordinary crooked needle andsome store string, I'd put myself intothe hands of the old doctor forsurgery rather than this boy overhere with all his instuments, wouldn'tyou? It's not only the tools; it's theman who has the tools in his hands.What is the need of the hour, gang?I'll tell you the need of the hour. It isto believe that our God controls theuniverse, and when He said, "Theearth shall be filled with the knowledgeof the glory of the Lord, as thewaters cover the sea," He meant it.That is exactly what is going to happen.The earth will be filled with theknowledge of the glory of the Lord!about Jesus Christ because of theradio, literature, mission societies,Billy Graham, etc. But they onlyknow about Him; they don't knowHim. The Book says, "The earth shallbe filled with the knowledge of theglory of the Lord, as the waters coverthe sea." How much does the watercover the sea? Do you think thatevery square inch of sea has water init? Yes! You have no illustration morecomplete, "as the waters cover thesea." That's how every tongue andtribe and nation in every single nookand corner of this earth is going tohear about Jesus Christ and His glory.What is the need of the hour? Itis to believe that "Thy God reigneth."The rain isn't coming down like youfeel it should in order to have goodcrops. Can He send it if it's necessary?If He doesn't can you say, "Thankyou, Lord"? That's what He wants."In everything give thanks."You don't need anything that Hecan't supply. Is it knowledge? Is itstrength? God can do more througha weakling who is yielded and trustingthan He can through a strong manwho isn't. "For all the promises ofGod in Him are yea, and in HimAmen, unto the glory of God by us"(II Corinthians 1:20).I want the fellows and girls whocome to Glen Eyrie to go away withthis thought securely in their minds:"God, I'll never come to the placewhere I'm going to let the lack ofanything persuade me that You arebeing hindered." I would rather youwould go away with that in yourhearts than with methods or materialsor ideas that we may have to sharewith you, because I know the potentialof the man who will come to theplace where he can say hour afterhour, day after day, week after week,month after month and year afteryear, "Lord, I believe my God reigneth."Listen! You have an excuse if youwant one. You have more than anexcuse; you have hundreds of them.That isn't what's holding us back. It'spress, the radio, the airplane, andmodern medicine. What do you thinkthat we don't live and preach the factthe early disciples thought about it?that He is on the throne. And whenWhen Paul wrote to the Romans,He's running the show, He will takehe said, "I thank my God that yourcare of all the props, even the transportation.faith is spoken of throughout thewhole world." When he wrote to theI was in Hong Kong on my way toThessalonian church, he said, "ForIndia in 1948 when a Pan Americanour gospel came not unto you in wordflight was delayed long enough toonly, but also in power, and in theHoly Ghost, and in much assurance." Today more people than ever in amake me miss my connection in Bangkok.I inquired if there were any wayAnd he said to the Thessalonians, lot of our civilized countries knowSee inside back pageNovember 24, 1965 329

The Beecher Farm(Continued from last week)"Oh, yes, Miss Anderson," said Becky, "we havejust finished getting the cherries.""Well, climb over the fence andI'll give you alift to the house," said Ruth. "And please call me,Ruth, instead of Miss Anderson; it makes me feelmore hke a friend.""All right, Ruth," smiled Becky, "I like yourname."Soon the girls were settled in the car with theircherries, and on the way up the lane."This is nice," sighed Beth, as she leaned back."Picking cherries is a tiresome job.""It's not so bad," said Ruth; "I used to pick themwhen I was a girl. And think how good they willtaste baked in a pie.""Aunt Tabitha said she would bake a cherrycobbler," said Janet. "I never heard of one; I wonderwhat it is.""It's like a pie," answered Ruth, "only all thedough is put into the pan and then folded over thecherries to bake. Some people call it a pot-pie.""Here we are," she added, stopping the car. Thegirls climbed out and ran to open the kitchen door.While Ruth was busy tending her patient, thegirls told her all about the tramp that was hving inthe shanty."I thought I saw some one looking out of thewindow of that shanty," she remarked, "but Ithought I was only imagining it."As the weeks passed more stories were toldabout the mysterious stranger. Some people methim on the road late at night and wondered wherehe had been at that hour. More people, than Barney,had heard the weird, wailing sound coming fromthe shanty. Each time Ruth Anderson called at theBeecher home, the children had more stories totell about their unwelcomed neighbor.One day Becky wrote in her book: Dear LittleBook, I have a plan. I'm going to search the shanty.Surely the tramp took the money as we have neverfound it any place around our house. I'll watch,and when I see the man go past on his way to town'I'll cut across our pasture and search the cabin!Maybe I'll at least find a clue. Oh, if I could onlyfind some of the money or the pouch, it would makeme feel better. At least the mystery would be solved.330A STORY FORtery JUNIOR - HIGHSMrs. George (Jean L.) McFarlandShe closed her book and hid it in the box amongthe leaves as she heard Aunt Tabitha calling her.She felt almost guilty as she faced the family thatevening. What would they say if they knew whatshe was planning to do?The next three days it rained and Becky couldnot carry out her plan but she thought aboutituntil it made her absent-minded and Aunt Tabithascolded her. Becky wished it would stop raining soshe could get the search made and have it over.When Ruth came that week, Becky wanted to tellher about what she intended to do, but decideditprobably wouldn't help. Ruth would tell Dad andDad would put his foot down on the idea. ButRuth did give the family good news. She told themthat Dad could go back to the hospital and havethe cast removed from his leg. "He won't need meany more," Ruth told them, "but you'll all have totake care of him and see that he uses his crutchesuntil his leg is stronger." They were all glad Dadwas getting better but they were sorry Ruth's visitswere over."Please come back again," begged Beth."I want to be a nurse like you, when I grow up,"said Janet, looking at Ruth with admiring eyes."It'll be lonesome when you stop coming," saidBecky.But Aunt Tabitha said the most surprisingthing of all because she seldom passed compliments."You've been hke a breath of fresh air in this house,"she commented, "and Tom needed the tonic offresh air."Dad smiled and said that he hoped Ruth wouldstill be a friend even if she wasn't needed as a nurse."I certainly will come back to visit sometime,"Ruthpromised, as the girls followed her to the car. "Andtake good care of your dad; hell be walking as goodas new before long."Part 7The next day Mr. Brown took Dad to the .hospitalto have the cast removed. Aunt Tabitha laydown to take a nap. And Becky watching the road,saw the tramp going toward town. This is the time,she thought; I can search the shanty before the mangets home. Her heart was beating wildly as she wentout in to the yard where the little girls were playing."I'm going down to the pasture," she said,"and Iwon't be gone long."COVENANTERWITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of December 19, 1965Sabbath School Lessonfor December 19, 1965JEREMIAH: PROPHET OF THENEW COVENANT:Jer. 1:11; 30-33; 37-39.Comments by John K. GaultJeremiah, like Isaiah, was one ofthe great prophets of Judah, thesouthern kingdom of the land of Israel.He is sometimes called "the weepingprophet," but he had great cause forweeping. The sins of his land had becomeso great that the awful judgmentsof God were about to be poured outupon her. He said in 9:1, 2, "Oh thatmy head were waters, and mine eyesa fountain of tears, that I might weepday and night for the slain of thedaughter of my people. Oh that I hadin the wilderness a lodging place ofwayfaring men; that I might leave mypeople, and go from them! for theybe all adulterers, an assembly oftreacherous men."Jeremiah was a native of Anathoth,a small town not far from Jerusalem.His father was Hilkiah, one of a groupof priests residing in that place. It isimplied from 1:6, 7 that Jeremiah wasa young man when he was called ofGod to prophesy against Judah, forhe said, "Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannotspeak: for I am a child." He wasa prophet in Jerusalem during the lastterrible years of the nation's life, beginning,as he did, during the reign ofJosiah and continuing through thereigns of Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachinuntil the final collapse durngthe reign of Zedekiah.When the Babylonians carried themost of the Jews into captivity alongwith their blinded king Zedekiah,Jeremiah was given his choice eitherof going with them or remaining inJerusalem. He chose to remain, butwhen Gedeliah, who had been appointedgovernor, was murdered,Jeremiah was forced to accompanysome dissident Jews who fled toEgypt He continued to prophesy inEgypt until his death. One traditionsays that he was stoned to death bythe Jews in Egypt, but another traditionsays that he, along with Baruch,was taken to Babylon from Egypt.1: Jeremiah Wept Because HeLoved the People of His Nation.He was a prophet of God. God'smessage was transmitted through him.In 31:3 God said through the mouthof Jeremiah, "Yea, I have loved theewith an everlasting love: thereforewith lovingkindness have I drawnthee." Israel was God's chosen nationand as such she was the object ofGod's special love. There was no othernation of the world so endeared byGod. When Israel became laden withsin and corrupted themselves in everypossible way, it, naturally, made Godvery sorry; and this sorrow was expressedby Jeremiah.2: Because of their Sins the Jewswere Carried Captive to Babylon.Jeremiah prophesied the coming ofGod's judgments upon the rebelliouspeople. Even though he loved themjustice must be done. The king ofBabylon's army, after a seige, capturedJerusalem. Zedekiah was compelledto witness the slaying of histwo sons and then his eyes were putout. The captives were assembled atRaman which was near Bethlehem.Rachel's tomb was at that place. Asaged parents saw their sons anddaughters manacled and started awayon their long journey to the land ofBabylon, there was great weeping andlamentation. Ephraim and Benjaminwere both descendants of Rachel. Thepeople felt that they would never seetheir children again and they probablydidn't.3: Jeremiah Foretold the Returnof the Jews from Babylon.In verse 16 the prophet said, "Refrainthy voice from weeping, andthine eyes from tears: for thy workshall be rewarded, saith the Lord; andthey shall come again from the landof the enemy." The posterity of thosewho were weeping would be permittedto return.In Ezra 1 and 2 we are told of thereturn of the Jews from their captivity."Now in the first year of Cyrusking of Persia, that the word of theLord by the mouth of Jeremiah mightbe fulfilled, the Lord stirred up thespirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, thathe made a proclamation throughoutall his kingdom, and put it also in writ­God), which is in Jerusalem." So,Jeremiah was told to cease his weeping.There would be a return of theJews. A later generation would be permittedto return. The generation ofJeremiah's day would, no doubt, diein the land of their captivity but theirposterity would return if they so desired.4: Jeremiah Foretold the Comingof Christ.In 33:15 he said, "In those daysand at that time, will I cause theBranch of Righteousness to grow upunto David; and he shall execute judgmentand righteousness in the land.In those days shall Judah be saved,and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: andthis is the name wherewith she shallbe called, The Lord our Righteousness."This was a prophecy of thecoming Messiah who would be of theposterity of David. The coming Messiahwould be a ruler of righteousness.The rulers of Judah during the timesof Jeremiah had been rulers of unrighteousness.They had all been wickedand they encouraged the people intheir wickedness. The coming Messiahis here contrasted with the rulers ofJeremiah's time in that he is called"The Branch of Righteousness." ThisBranch would come and establish akingdom which would be very differentfrom that of Zedekiah.5: Jeremiah Foretold the Makingof a New Covenant.In 31:31-34 he said to the people ashe relayed God's message in the firstperson, "Behold, the days come saiththe Lord, that I will make a newcovenant with the house of Israel andwith the house of Judah: Not accordingto the covenant that I made withtheir fathers in the day that I tookthem by the hand to bring them outof the land of Egypt; which my covenantthey brake, although I was anhusband unto them, saith the Lord."The old covenant was a covenantof works and was more external. Itwas based upon the outward observancesof sacrifices, offerings, andreligious festivals. The rite of circumcisionwas considered to be an importantsign of the covenant. Jesuswas the instigator of the new covenant,the covenant of grace. Its operationwas to be in the heart under thecontrol of the spirit of God.ing, saying,.. . Who is there amongyou of all his people? his God be withhim, and let him go up to Jerusalem,which is in Judah, and build the houseof the Lord God of Israel, (he is theNovember 24, 1965 331

The new covenant would have afar wider application than that of theold covenant. Whereas the old covenantapplied to the Jews; accordingto the new covenant, "they shall knowme, from the least of them unto thegreatest of them." The old covenantwas broken by the sins of the peopleand by the nation as a whole; consequently,they were sent into exile.The covenant, therefore, was no longerin force and the people were nolonger in the promised land whichwas to be one of the benefits of thecovenant. The new covenant was putin force by Christ the Messiah comingto earth and making the supremesacrifice for man's sin. It is throughfaith in Christ, who paid the penaltyfor man's sin, that man's sins are forgiven,and not through faith in theefficacy of an animal sacrifice. Theprophet Jeremiah proclaimed the comingof that glad time.Jeremiah prophesied concerningthe coming of Christ about 650 yearsbefore the Incarnation. Even thoughhe foretold the truth concerning whatwas to happen, people are alwaysinclined to be sceptical about thefuture. Events of the present can andoften do eclipse the promise of thefuture. It was not strange that thepeople of Jeremiah's time should regardhis prognosis of the future in asort of detachedmanner. How differentit should be with us who livein the A.D. The birth and work ofJesus have been accomplished. He hascome. So, as we celebrate, again, thebirth of the Saviour, in the stable ofBethlehem, our lives should be lightedup more brightly than ever withthe light of His life which is our hopeof glory."Lesson based on International SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessonsfor Christian Teaching, copyrighted 1958by the Division of Christian Education. NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ in theU. S. A."Junior Topicfor December 19, 1965ABSORB THE WORDPsalm Text: Psalm 119Memory Verse: Ps. 119:130Psalms:Ps. 119, page 300, 1, 5, 6; Ps. 119,page 299, 1, 2; Ps. 119, page 309, 14;Ps. 19, page 42, 5-7.References:Ps. 119:160; Ps. 119:165; Ps. 119:105; Ps. 119:16; Ps. 119:34; Deut. 6:17,18; Ps. -119:11; John 15:7.Memory Psalm: Ps. 51, page 131, 7-12.Aim:To understand the importance ofGods' Word to us, and to encourageits daily use so that it will fill ourhearts.To the Sponsor:Begin with the object lesson onpage 81 of "Teaching with Object Lessons"by Pentecost (Moody), entitled"The Bible." This lesson ably representsthe heart as a sponge and emphasizesthat whatever is put into asponge is quickly absorbed by it. Itis important to be careful what goesinto the heart, because it, too, absorbsreadily. (Having a sponge touse for illustration would help thechildren to see this.) The heart shouldbe constantly filled with the Word.Ephesians 5:26 says that the Word iscleansing, or has power to makeclean, as water does. Jesus said thatwe are made clean through the Word.John 15:3. There must be somethinggood in the heart or it will absorbevil. We can keep our hearts full ofGod's Word by studying it regularly,and by memorizing, or learning partsof it. Ps. 119:11. Jesus once told astory of a man who had an evil spiritin his heart and got rid of it. Heswept out his heart, but neglectedto fill the vacancy with somethinggood; and when the evil spirit returned,he found the place emptyand clean. He quickly moved back in,bringing with him many more evilspirits as well. So, Jesus said, the manwas worse off than at the beginning,simply because he had left his heartempty.Why should we absorb the Word?It will give us a knowledge of Godthat we cannot get anywhere else.When you want to learn somethingabout a pen pal whom you've neverseen, you read his letters to find outall you can about him. Each letterhelps you to know him better, andalthough you've never met him (hemay live in a far-away land), yet youfeel you know him. God has writtenso much about Himself in His Word,and we can read it to learn aboutHim. You usually open any lettersyou get in the mail and read themright away, don't you? You are interestedin hearing from your friends,of course. God wants us to read His"letters" to us, too, and we disappointHim when we ignore what He has socarefully written to us.Then, too, we will meet times oftemptation when we will need ourhearts filled with the Word as oursponge is full of water. When Satanputs pressure on us to do wrong, weare well protected if we have theScripture itself with which to answerhim. If the Word is there in yourheart, you can squeeze it out anytime you need it. Jesus used Scriptureto defend himself against temptation,and we can do it, too. But the onlyway to have it in our hearts is toread it regularly and to ask God tohelp us understand it and rememberit.The Word does three basic thingsfor us. It shows us the sins in ourlives and the way of salvation. Itteaches us to know God so we canbecome more like Him ("Be ye holy,for I am holy." I Peter 1:16). Andit shows us how we should worshipGod. We believe and accept the Wordjust as it is. We are to add nothingto it or subtract anything from it.Deut. 4:2 and 12:32. 2 Peter 2:20, 21tells us that the whole Word is inspiredby God and He told each writerwhat to put down. The King JamesVersion, which is perhaps most commonlyused, is a translation from theoriginal language manuscripts, andwe believe there are other translationsthat are good, too, and helpfulin studying the Word. Men may havemade small errors in translating thisWord, but God made no mistakes insetting down just what He wantedwritten. 2 Tim. 3:16. All our practicesof worship come from this firm beliefin the authority and inspirationof the Scriptures. Col. 3:16.How many synonyms (substitutewords that mean the same thing) canyou find for God's Word in our Psalmtext? Count them. (Statutes, testimonies,laws, etc.)For the notebooks, we have a simpleBible study. Write or print neatlythe following:Thy Word is John 17:17Holding fast theWord.Titus 1:9Receive the Word.James 1:21 (Have your sponsorexplain the meaning of thisword)Thy Word is a Ps. 119:105 and a Ps. 119:105Thy testimonies arePs-119:129Thy Word is very119:140Now take your Bible and find eachanswer in the reference given, and332 COVENANTER WITNESS• Ps.

fill in the blanks. And when you havelearned the memory verse for thislesson, write or print it at the bottomof the page. (How are you coming onthe unit memory work in Ephesians?We have only one more week on thisseries of lessons.)Prayer Meeting Topicfor December 1, 1965"GOD'S GOODNESS AS A BASISFOR PRAYER"Exodus 34:6; Naham 1:7; Matthew19:17; Romans 2:4; 11:22Psalms:34:1-6, page 79; 119:1-5, page 294;145:4-8, page 350."And now for the football scores!" Whereupon the radio sports reporterlaunched into a somewhat protracted account of the Saturday afternoonfor December 15, 1965GOD'S TRUTH AS A BASIS FOR football doings of a nearby institution of learning. We are waiting to hear thePRAYERfootball scores from around the nation.Scripture Resources:We were told the score of this particular game. Then, almost play byExodus 34:6; Numbers 23:19; Deuteronomy32:4; II Samuel 7:28; Isaiah the game's first quarter. Neither team had scored; but Fullback Paunchoplay —or so it seemed to us — the sports reporter regaled us with details of65:16; Romans 3:4; Titus 1:2; Hebrews McBeef had run the ball out of bounds several times.6:18; John 1:14; 14:6; 18:37.We listened, wondering about the scores of some of the other games.Psalms:The first quarter was followed by the second quarter. Neither team had33:1-3, 8, page 75; 146: 14, page scored. However, the opposition had been penalized five yards on two different353; 138: 1, 2, 5, 6, page 338.occasions. We were told all about it, no details lacking.Plan of Meeting:In the third quarter, so we learned, the opposing team had scored aPraise: (5 minutes) In the above touchdown. Their expert kicker, brought along for just such a situation, hadand/or other Psalms point out referencesto God's truth; encourage from the side. We were informed as to all the details; nothing was kept backfailed to kick the extra point because he hadn't counted on the strong windthoughtful praise.from us.Prayer: (5 minutes) Have severalWe wondered about the scores in other games that had been played.prayers expressing thanksgiving forIn the fourth and final period of the game, so we were told by theanswers to prayer and asking God's sports reporter, a number of forward passes had been attempted. None hadleading for your meeting.connected. The opposing team had been penalized another five yards. FullbackPauncho McBeef had run the ball out of bounds four times.Announce topic and have Scriptureread (10 minutes) Point out that Then came the welcome announcement: "And now for the scores aroundthis is the last in a series of 9 meetingsabout God's attributes as stated then had to declare, "Our time is up! Tune in again next Saturday for thethe nation!" At long last! He got as far around the nation as Connecticutt,in Catechism No. 5. Suggest that those football scores!" We hadn't been hearing the football scores. We had beenreading verses indicate the context of hearing how many times Pauncho McBeef had run the ball out of bounds.the verse and its relationship to theIn the Lord's work, as well as in the broadcasting of sports news, thetopic. (Feel free to use verses in additionto or in place of the ones of our time working with the juvenile delinquents? They need it. Should theapportionment of our available time can be a problem. Should we spend mostabove.)Sabbath School teacher center on social activities? Or should she concentrateDiscussion of Topic: (20 minutes) on the lesson and let social matters go begging? Ought a pastor to spendAsk people to prepare in advance to most of his morning study hours in praying?speak on the following questions:When we specialize, what becomes of those phases of the Lord's work1. What is the relation of God's that we never touch? On the other hand, if we try to "cover the field" are wetruth to his other attributes? (See not in grave danger of giving a lick and a promise to areas of work thatBlue Banner Faith and Life, Vol. 1, must have far more than a lick and a promise?No. 2, p. 31)Surely we need guidance from our Lord and Master, in this matter of2. What is the relation of God's at­where to devote our energies in the time available to us.November 24, 1965 333tribute of truth to the Bible? (Seealso I Peter 1:25, Hebrews 10:23.)3. How is God's attribute of trutha basis for prayer? (See also Psalm111:5; Hebrews 11:11.)4. How does unfaithfulness in ourprayer life make God a liar?Prayer Period (20 minutes) Suggestthat those praying claim the promiseof the verse they read or anotherverse showing the truth and faithfulnessof God. Be sure to take time tosee if there are specific requests, andgive time to prayer.LOVE IS THE ANSWERIn one home where I was entertainedwas a dear little four-year-oldwhom I delighted to tease. One day Iasked, "Are you worth anything?"She said, "No." And I asked,"What's the use of keeping you then?"The little face grew puzzled whileshe felt for an answer. Then she blurtedout, "Oh, I tell you why; Mamaloves me." And not an angel underthe broad heavens could have givena better answer. Love, divine lovealone, makes us worth saving.—Thomas W. ChalmersScribe With A Hard PencilPrayer Meeting Topic

SUBSCRIPTION NOTICESubscriptions are due from thesecongregations and groups, January 1,1966:Barnet, Blanchard, First BeaverFalls, British Isles, Broomall, CacheCreek, Cambridge, Denver, Geneva,Greeley, Hemet, Hetherton, Lochiel,Minneola, New Alexandria, New Castle,Old Bethel, Parnassus-Manchester,Phoenix, Portland, Sparta, Topeka,Union, White Lake, Winnipeg andYoungstown.NOTICEThe 1966 W.M.S. Uniform Proisready and may be orderedgramfor twenty-five (25) cents each fromMiss Sarah Archer, 103 FennertonRoad Paoli, Penna.NOVEMBER SUBSCRIPTIONHONOR ROLLBear Run, Mahoning.334MEETING OF THE MIDWESTPRESBYTERYThe Midwest Presbytery met atthe Quinter Reformed PresbyterianChurch, Tuesday evening, October 12,1965. A delicious dinner was servedby the women of the Quinter congregationat 6:00 p.m. Following this thePresbytery met in the sanctuary ofthe church for the retiring moderator'ssermon. Dr. D. Howard Elliottgave an apropos sermon entitled:"Covenanter Renewal." Presbytery requestedthat this sermon be spreadon the pages of the Covenanter Witness.It deserves being read carefullyby all our members and not justskimmed over. Following this sermon,the court was constituted inprayer, the roll call taken, and thebusiness of the Presbytery began. TheRev. Glenn McFarland of our ParkCity congregation was elected unanimouslyas the new moderator. Dr. R.W. Caskey of our Winchester congregationwas elected Clerk and the Rev.Verd V. Dunn of our Hot Springs congregationwas elected Assistant Clerk.The meeting of Presbytery waswell attended with a good representationof ministers and elders from thevarious midwest congregations. Therewas a spirit of good fellowshipthroughout all the meetings.On Wednesday, October 13, 1965,the Rev. Paul Faris gave the devotionalexercises. His theme was entitled:"The Pastor's Debt To The Elder."The text chosen was II Timothy 2:2.The main thrust of the message wasthat ministers owe a debt to theelders.The Wednesday afternoon devotionalmessage was given by the Rev.Marion McFarland. His theme was:"Can This Be Said Of You?" Theemphasis of this message was thatthe elders have a responsibility to theminister. The Scripture used for expositionwas I Thessalonians 5:12-28.Presbytery kept right on schedulewith its business. The reports fromthe various congregations were encouraging.Congregations without pastorsare carrying on and the Word isbeing taught and proclaimed. Newwork is being started in some areas.One example is the work being startedin Lawrence, Kansas for the Covenantersattending Kansas Universitywho would like to stay in the boundsof our church and for families whohave settled in Lawrence. Since somany are leaving the farm and movingto the urban centers, the church mustfollow the members.On Wednesday evening, October13, 1965, the Rev. Kenneth McBurneygave the final devotional message. Histheme was entitled: "Forgetting WhatIs Behind." The text was Philippians3:13. The import of this message wasthat we as a church need to forgetpride, past accomplishments and failuresand meet the need of our day bybeing mission conscious. We mustanswer the question: "Does God havea purpose for the CovenanterChurch?"It is noteworthy to report thatsome political candidates used the explanatorydeclaration in taking theoath of c'fice. Unfortunately this successwas limited to the local andstate le>.. = and not the national.Your special attention is called tothe retiring Moderator's sermon entitled:"Covenanter Renewal." Onecan read with pride about the Covenantersof Reformation Days in Scotland.We have been atavistic, that is,we have looked too long to the pastrather than to the future. Read Glasgow'sHistory of the Reformed PresbyterianChurch in America. There isthe record of every congregation. Nodoubt there were some which werestarted which had little possibility forgrowth and so died out when themembers died.Dr. Elliott suggests that we needa Covenanter Council for 1967. TheRoman Catholic Church is now examiningitself. The very act of callingthe Vatican Council must be an indicationthat there is dissatisfaction inthe church! Now that the CatholicChurch is examining itself, wouldit not also be wise if the Protestantchurches too would begin some adequateself-scrutiny! Dr. Elliott suggeststhat we cannot overlook ourpresent need which is 'manpower.'We are not a people without vision.We have several congregationsthat have celebrated their 75th anniversary.Recently Olathe celebratedits 100th anniversary. We need to redigthe old wells in order to meet thechallenge of our time so that we mayserve God wholly and our generation.We must look to God for the graceand strength to meet this challenge.The Psalmist said in the 44th Psalm:"Thou plantedst our fathers to dwellin the land." This can be true of useven in our time!NEW YORK CITYLife moves along so rapidly inNew York City that it is difficult tofind time to record events with anydegree of regularity.During the past year many visitorsfrom various congregations all overthe U.S. have worshiped with us, aswell as attended the 1964-1965 World'sFair. Over fifty stayed at the parsonagein 1964. The Fair closes in October,but we hope the visitors will notstop coming.Encouraging signs have been seenin the way of increased attendance andgrowth. After instruction classes lastfall five new members were added tothe roll: Mrs. Julia Rosa, Iris Rosa,Donna Tabon, Mike Tabon and BillWeir. Rev. J. Paul Wilson was ourcommunion assistant. In the spring,Mr. and Mrs. Angelos TrombettasCOVENANTER WITNESS

joined our fellowship. They have twoboys: Andrew, 6, and Theodoros, 5months. Angelos attended the LarnacaAcademy. Rev. David Patterson assistedhis father with the communionservices.During the winter and springmonths the attendance increasedabout fifty per cent. On most Sabbathsthere are more non-membersfrom the community than members.This is not only unique, but very challenging.To the few who are able todo visitation it is also overwhelming.If anywhere in the church there arethose who would like to serve theLord and the Church on a missionfield, they can do it right here in thecity of New York, a city of teemingmillions. The children who come toS.S. (most of them stay for church)live within a block or two of thechurch. We have been praying forconsecrated workers, and the congregationis desirous of someone to docity missionary work as a regular job.We also need Covenanter young peopleto help the pastor in the trainingof the young people who have notbeen brought up in Christian homes.Opportunities for employment areavailable.Special speakers this year have includedDr. S. E. Boyle for our ThankOffering; Rev. Argos Zodiates; Dr.W. W. Weir for National Reform; Lie.Edward Robson; Rev. K. G. Smith,for the Board of Christian Education;Mr. Elwood Woods for the Board ofEvangelism; Mr. Thomas Edgar, Principalof Boy's School in Larnaca,Cyprus; Mrs. Claude Brown, Selma,Alabama.At White Lake Camp last summerthe young people of New York Presbyterydecided to establish a DonaldBeatty Memorial Fund which was tobe used to add to the facilities at theCamp. The goal was to be $1,000 byhoused in the homes and thirty in amotel.The young people planned andcarried out a Booster party for WhiteLake Camp in the form of a HawaiianLuau, inviting all N.Y. Presbyteryyoung people. Barnet, Cambridge,Coldenham, Broomall, Third Philadelphia,and Walton sent twenty-six. Aparty was held at the church, Fridaynight, July 9; breakfast also was servedthere after spending the nightin homes; and then the trip to JonesBeach for the Luau with twenty-fiveadded to the group from the N.Y.area. At 5 o'clock, after swimming,volley ball, and plenty of food, theyheaded back to New York and moredistant points.The Missionary Guild suffered theloss of two of its members: Miss BerthaSengenwald, February 13, and MissGeorgia Smith on May 4. Until thetimes of their illnesses, they had beenvery faithful and valuable S.S. teachers.We are happy to have Mr. andMrs. David M. Smith and three sons,David, Malcolm, and Scott, worshippingwith us since moving to Ridgewood,New York from Bala Cynwyd,Pennsylvania near Philadelphia. Mr.Smith has an administrative positionat the New York Blood Center.During the month of March thepastor preached sermons on evangelism.The members of the congregationwere asked to have a specialprayer time at 3 p.m. each Sabbath,looking forward to our special evangelisticservice on March 26, with Mr.Elwood Woods as speaker. The pastor'swife called in many homes (90in one afternoon, about half were athome) leaving publicity flyers. Ofthose whom she saw, if white, mostwere either Jewish or Catholic. TheNegroes and Puerto Ricans arevery responsive, however, and we arehappy to welcome them to all ourservices. Our congregation is small,but our mission field is immense. It ishoped that many will find Christ astheir Saviour through our mission efforts.Mr. William K. Metcalfe, Presidentof the Foreign Mission Board,member of our Session, teacher ofAdult Bible class, was given an honorarydoctor of science degree byGeneva College at the June Commencement.Mr. Metcalfe is a memberof the College Board of Trustees.MONTCLAIRThe W.M.S. gave a "going away"party for two who are going to collegefor the first time. The party wasin the spacious home of Mr. and Mrs.J. E. Donaldson of Wayne, New Jersey.Honor guests were Miss ElizabethHunter, who was given a comforter.Elizabeth is attending SimmonsCollege, Boston, Massachusetts. JonathanDonaldson was presented a blanket.Jack is attending Ohio University,Athens, Ohio. Our best wishes go withthem as they begin this phase of theireducation.Our other younger members arealso busy in schools: Mr. John Donaldsonis a Junior at Rutgers' University;Miss Mary Hunter is matriculating atNew York University, New York City;Miss Virginia Donaldson is teachingSpeech and English in the WaltonHigh School, Walton, New York; MissMary Jane Park has been promoted toTeaching Assistant to the Principal inthe Lake Persippany School; Mr.Thomas R. Park is teaching English,Creative Writing, and Dramatics in theBuffalo Gap Regional High School,Swoope, (near Staunton) Virginia.The sympathy of the congregationis extended to Mrs. Niklaus Hagmannin the loss of her brother, Mr. JohnJohnson, of Sommerville, Massachusetts.A few weeks later, Mrs. Hagmannwas called again to Boston onthe death of her brother-in-law, Mr.Harry Topping.It was good to have Mr. ThomasR. Park worship with us while visitinghis family before the school termbegan.The sacrament of the Lord's Supperwas observed on October 3. Veryenlightening and inspirational addresseswere brought to us at all servicesby the Rev. E. Raymond Hemphill ofSyracuse.Mr. Robert G. Graham, now a residentof our Home in Pittsburgh, wasable to come to his home congregationto attend the communion service.Our senior elder, Mr. A. J. Hardingcelebrated his 102nd birthday, August23, and continues to attend servicesReunion time at Christmas. Abouttwenty-five young people from ourS.S. sponsored and served the CandlelightCafe dinner on November 20.An offering was received for the projectwhich totaled $240.Several parties for the young people,along with Halloween and Christmasregularly.Visitors to our worship servicesparties for the S.S., the annualchartered bus ride to Bear Mountain,during the winter and spring, keptsocial committees busy.A good crowd enjoyed hearing aconcert by the Genevans on April 5.Supper and breakfast were served inthe past months have included thefollowing: Mr. and Mrs. Howard J.Mann and daughter, Pamela, of Hutchinson,Kansas (Mrs. Mann is a nieceof our pastor); Miss Eva Hayes andJohn Park of the Geneva congregation,visiting in the home of Dr. andthe church. About twenty-five wereMrs. Wade Marsters; Mr. and Mrs. E.November 24, 1965 335

Bash of Leechburg, Pennsylvania, visitingthe John Parks and Miss EleanorBoyd; Mr. and Mrs. Wendell McBurney,Cynthia and Willson of Bloomington,Indiana, and Mr. and Mrs. FredricW. Martin of Philadelphia, visitingtheir parents, Mr. and Mrs. EdwinH. McBurney; Miss Rose Munnellof the Rose Point congregation visitingMr. and Mrs. James A. Beatty.Other visitors were Mr. and Mrs.Rex Wilson, John and Rebecca, formerlyof Geneva College; Mrs. NathanielSmyth of Cambridge and hernephews, David, Mac, and Scott Smithof the New York congregation; Mr.and Mrs. Dean Cunningham of GlenElder, Kansas (Mrs. Cunningham isa sister of Mrs. Luther McFarland),Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Treaster of Beloit,Kansas, visiting with the McFarlands;Mrs. John P. Mitchell of Pittsburghand Mr. J. Paul McBurney of NewMexico, visiting in the McBurneyhome, and Mrs. Mina Swank of NewKensington, visiting in the John Parkhome.NEW ADDRESSAfter December 15 the KennethSandersons will have this address fora few months: 227D Burke Ave.,Towson, Maryland, 21204Prayer Meeting Topicfor December 22, 1965Rev. Hugh Blair, M.A., Ph.D.,Pastor of Ballymoney R.P. Church,Northern IrelandPRAYER FOR THE MISSIONARIESOF OUR SISTER CHURCHES INIRELAND AND SCOTLANDThe Reformed PresbyterianChurches of Ireland and Scotlandcarry on joint missionary work intwo fields, Lebanon and Ethiopia. Thework in Lebanon began in 1952, afterover eighty years' witness in Syriaand Turkey. Work in Ethiopia is justbeginning.I. LOCATIONS.The work in Lebanon is centeredin Kub Elias, from which contact ismaintained with a great many surroundingvillages, largely through thelocal schools and by household visitation.In Ethiopia the work is sited in theTigre Province, where the Governor-General has given great encouragementto our missionaries. A missionstation, including a school, clinic andmissionaries' homes, is being built atSheket, where the main work is to belocated. Two rivers flow into the areaflooding the plain during the rainyseason and turning it into a richgrazing area for the herds of cattleof the nomadic Danakil people. Thereare two permanent villages, which areto be united on a new site: our clinicand school are to be an integral partof the new village. Evangelistic workwill be linked with educational, medical,and agricultural work.II. PERSONNEL.(a) Lebanon. Rev. William andMrs. Lytle have been missionaries formore than forty years, in Syria, Turkey,and now in Lebanon. Mr. Lytlesupervises Christian teaching in agreat many schools, under the auspicesof the Arab Synod; and throughConferences and Bible trainingschemes is preparing many Christianyoung people for work among theirown people. Mrs. Lytle's work is donemainly in the homes of the people ofKub Elias.(b) Ethiopia. Miss Henrietta Gardner,after many years of missionaryservice in Syria and Turkey — shewent out first in 1938 — was transferredto Ethiopia in 1963, and hasbeen engaged in language study — ourmissionaries have at least two languagesto learn, Amharic and Tigrinya,with the possible addition of Danakil— and in preparations for the openingof our school. Rev. Samuel andMrs. Cromie, after a short period ofservice in the work of the Irish Missionamong Roman Catholics, wentto Ethiopia in 1963. As the only manon our mission staff, Mr. Cromie hashad the heavy responsibility of negotiationswith Government authorities,and of the building projects inSheket. In Makale, the capital of theTigre Province, the headquarters ofthe Mission will be located, and wehave already opened a bookshop there.This is at present an additional responsibilityfor Mr. Cromie. Mrs.Cromie is a teacher, and came fromthe Reformed Presbyterian Church inAustralia. They have three children— John, Helen, and Samuel David.Miss Norma Gill, from the Loanheadcongregation of the Scottish Church,is a nurse, and will be in charge ofthe clinic at Sheket. Miss Phyllis Gilmoreis a teacher, and along with Mrs.Cromie, will be largely responsiblefor the work of the school. Mr. Cromiehas had agricultural training whichwill be of great benefit to the peopleof the Tigre Province. But all thespecial qualifications of our missionariesare directed to the evangelismof this needy area. All of themhave been engaged in language studyand in preparations for the initiationof the work.III. PRAYER REQUESTS.(a) Lebanon. 1. Visitation tohomes. That the missionaries may beable to give a definite Christian messagein all such homes visited. 2. Women'smeetings. That the number ofwomen attending the different meetingsmay be increased and that thosewho attend may become interested inreading the Bible in their own homesdaily. 3. Bible Study Groups. Forsmall groups in different villagesmeeting for Bible study that they maytruly come to know Christ and seekto tell others about Him. 4. That suitableteachers may be found for theschools.(b) Ethiopia. 1. Language Study.Miss Gardner, Mr. and Mrs. Cromie,and Miss Gilmore continue theirstudy of Amharic and are also beginningTigrinya study. Much wisdomis needed in knowing how to copewith both languages and eventuallybe fluent in both. Miss Gill continuesher study of Tigrinya. A study ofDanakil may have to be added. 2. Sheket.Remember Mr. Cromie as hedirects the building operations, buysmaterials and frequently travels betweenMakale and Sheket on a veryprimitive road. 3. National helpers.Mehari is living in Sheket and helpingto supervise the buildings. Asefa andFiseha help in the Cromie and Gardner-Gilmore-Gillhouseholds respectively.Zeru has been helping with languagestudy and will be working inthe bookshop in Makale. 4. Pray forthe bookshop in Makale: it might bea center of most effective Christianwitness for the whole community. 5.There is need of additional workers— a man to assist Mr. Cromie, or,preferably, a young couple who mightassume responsibility for the work inMakale. "Pray ye therefore the Lordof the harvest that He would sendforth labourers into His harvest."P.S. It is hoped that Miss HenriettaGardner will represent the ForeignMission of the Scottish and IrishChurches at Carleton, 1966. Pray thatplans for her going may be successful.Turn us again, O Lord God ofhosts, cause thy face to shine; and weshall be saved. Psalm 80:19336 COVENANTER WITNESS

for me to get to Calcutta. The crewsaid, "No, not a chance in the world."Then one said, "We do have ordersfor this plane to go on to Calcutta,but because of regulations this crewcan't take it." So I prayed, "Lord,You know about the meeting in Calcutta,and it's nothing for You towork this out."We got to Bangkok and a radiomessage came, "We do not have acrew to bring this ship to Calcutta.Your crew ordered to bring it." Onlyfour people were on that big DC-6,and the other three didn't have to goto India for three days. I arrived intime for those meetings, and as a resulta man from Nepal came to knowthe Lord, a man who later became akey for getting the gospel to thatclosed country way up in the Himalayas.The need of the hour, as far as I'mconcerned, people, is to believe thatGod is God, and that He is a lotmore interested in getting this jobdone than you and I are. Therefore, ifHe is more interested in getting thejob done, has all power to do it, andhas commissioned us to do it, ourbusiness is to obey Him ... reachingthe world for Him and trusting Himto help us do it.The Lord could easily have saidto the disciples, "You fellows are onlyeleven men, and you lack facilitiesand transportation, so all I want youto do is start the fire in Jerusalem,"but He didn't say that. The believersin South India testify they are gladThomas believed Jesus Christ that hewas to go to the uttermost part ofthe earth. I understand that the MarThoma Church, the largest in SouthernIndia, traces its origin back 1900years to the work of this disciple.Aren't you glad that Thomas didn'tsay to Jesus Christ, "I don't have aDC-6 yet"?"Ye shall be witnesses unto Mein..." not EITHER Jerusalem ORSamaria OR Judea OR on the foreignfield. You are to be witnesses, whenyou have the Holy Ghost, "BOTH inJerusalem, AND in all Judea, ANDin Samaria, AND unto the uttermostpart of the earth."Suppose you are a pastor. Youhave a responsibility to your peopleto be shepherd to the flock. You alsohave a responsibility for people inother countries. You have to be concerned.The only reason you are notout there telling about Jesus Christis because you're training the lay peopleto love and serve the Lord JesusChrist in your city, your state andunto the uttermost part of the earth.I close with this ... a little of theNav story. I used to have a map ofthe world that I kept before me. I'dput my fingers on some of the islands—Australia, New Zealand, Okinawa,Formosa — and say, "Lord, let mewin men for You in these places."I wasn't challenged to do this byhearing a sermon, but by a verse ofScripture, Jeremiah 33:3, "Call untoMe, and I will answer thee, and shewthee great and mighty things, whichthou knowest not." It was in the previouschapter Jeremiah had said to theLord, "Ah Lord God! behold, Thouhast made the heaven and the earthby Thy great power and stretchedout arm, and there is nothing too hardfor Thee." Ten verses later the Lordsays to Jeremiah, "I am the Lord, theGod of all flesh: is there any thing toohard for Me?" Then just a few verseslater He says, "All right, if you believeMe, call unto Me and I will answer."1 asked a buddy, "Do you believethis verse?" He said, "Yes." I said,"I do, too, but I've never seen thesegreat and mighty things, and I'd liketo." So we started a prayer meetingevery morning. We decided to meet ata certain spot, have a fire built andbe in prayer by five o'clock. Not oneminute after five .. we just made ita date. We prayed two hours on weekdaysbut met at four on Sundays topray for our Sunday school boys byname and for the Sunday school. Weprayed for Harbor City, Torrance,Long Beach, San Pedro, Los Angeles,Pasadena, and the surrounding citiesfrom which I had received calls fromyoung Christian fellows saying, "Comeover here and show us how you'rereaching these boys."The third and fourth weeks westarted to include cities up the coast—San Francisco, Oakland, Seattle andPortland. We said, "Lord, use us inthese cities." By the fourth or fifthweek we had covered every state inthe Union. As we listed them we prayed,"Lord, use us to win young mento You in the State of Oregon. Use usto win young men in Massachusetts."Every morning we prayed for everyone of the forty-eight states. Thenabout the sixth week one of us saidto the other something like this: "Ifwe believe God is big enough to letus win men in every one of the fortyeightstates, let's go all out!"We bought a world map and leftit up in the Palos Verdes hills. Eachmorning we'd pull this old map outand pray that the Lord would use usin China and in Japan and in Korea.At the end of forty-two days I felta burden lift. We stopped asking Godto use us and began thanking Himthat He was going to do so. "Nowfaith is the substance of things hopedfor," and substance is substance.It's reality; it's something you canbelieve in. Faith comes by hearing,and hearing by the Word of God.We claimed the promises as we prayed.These promises were the brickand prayer was the mortar that putthem together.After forty-two days we discontinuedour prayer meeting. Fortyeighthours later I was in the hospital,flat.on my back for a week, and I hada lot of time to think. The Minute-Men idea came and from that TheNavigators work was born.Three or four years later I wasrummaging around in a drawer of theliving room table when I found a littlepurple card . .. "Washington, Oregon."In another drawer was a list of names— Les Spencer from Illinois, JohnDedrick of Texas, Gurney Harris fromArkansas, Ed Goodrick of Wisconsin.I discovered that men from every oneof the forty-eight states had come tothe Saviour during those three orfour years. God had answered, andthese men were being trained as disciples.Then I thought of the world."Why, Lord, am I permitted to havea part in this?" For the same reasonyou are."All power in heaven and earthis Mine. It's Mine for you to appropriate."This is not only a privilege; it'san order. He wants nothing less. Goddoesn't want you to take an islandHe wants you to take the world. Forwhat are you asking God? V, hat doyou want? Do you want to win a few?You'll have to start with the few, andyou'll have to be successful with thefew. You can be because Jesus said,"Follow Me, and I will make youfishers of men." No man ever followedJesus who didn't become a fisherof men. He never fails to do what Hepromised. If you're not fishing, you'renot following. You have to win onebefore you can win five, and fivebefore you can win five hundred. Theworld is before you. How big is yourfaith?The need of the hour is men whowant what Jesus Christ wants and believeHe wants to give them the powerto do what He has asked. NothingSee page 327

— EVANGELISM —S HURRY ^TO WIN SOULS"He that winneth souls is wise,"Proverbs 11:20Are you a soul winner?Have you ever won a soul to Christ?Jesus said, "Go home to thy friends,and tell them how great things theLord hath done for thee." Mark 5:19In a HURRY, HURRY! For WHAT?To WIN SOULS through CHRIST!1. A PERSONAL WORKER RUNS.Acts 8:30"Philip RAN thither to him,ana neard nim read the prophetEsaias."3. The man who RAN and climbed aTREE to see Jesus. Luke 19:4"And he RAH before, and climbedup into a sycamore tree to seeHim."Jesus wins and saves a SOUL.4!'A , father'RiFto , RECLAIM , his* , *SON. Luke 15:20"And he arose, and came to hisfather. But when he was yeta great way off, his fathersaw him,...and RAN, and fellon his neck and kissed him."Philip RAN. Philip wins a SOUL.The man who RAN to worshipJesus. Mark 5:6"But when he saw Jesus afar off,he RAN,and worshipped him."PIGS or the salvation of a SOUL!How much better is a man thanswine!How like Jesus who said on anotheroccasion, "How much thenis a man better than a sheep."Matt. 12:125n/^e oYsLoThe demoniac saved by Jesus.The father wins his SON.The PRODIGAL SON RESTORED -Luke 15:11-24I. BADNESS.1. Traveled•2. Raveled.3. Caviled.II. SADNESS.1. Went to the DOGS.2. Ate with the HOGS.3. Lost his TOGS.III. GLADNESS.1. Received the seal,(of sonship).2. Ate the veal,(of fellowship).3. Security was real,(home at last -"Move no more."II Sam. 7:10)alive found." "For this again: Luke my he son 15:24 was lost, dead, J and / tis8 is U

PITTSBURGHCovenanter WitnessTO •JESUS CHRIST"THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONS"VOLUME LXXV NO. 22 DECEMBER 1, 1965 STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 26, 1965Kansas City, MissouriMISSIONARY NUMBER

THE COVENANTER WITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.Editor: Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D.D.125 N. 4th StreetSterling, Kansas 67579EVAN.Ct.tCAL .RS.« ASSOCIATION _ YOUTH AREPrinted each Wednesday under the supervision of theBoard of Publication by The Patterson Press, Wapello,Iowa 52653.Contributing Editors: Department Editors:Rev. Kenneth Smith Rev. Bruce C. StewartDr. G. M. RobbMrs. Robert B. MaineRev. T. R. Hutcheson Mrs. Willis EdgarRev. John K. GaultOpinions expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Church or the editor.All material to appear in The Covenanter Witnessshould be typewritten, double-spaced, and should be inSterling, Kansas two weeks before it is to be printed.Obituaries — All words in excess of one hundred fifty,one cent per word. Money should accompany such notices.SUBSCRIPTION RATESIndividual (1 year): U.S. and Canada, $4.00, BritishIsles 35/-, all other places, $5.00;Individual (2 year): U.S. and Canada, $7.00, BritishIsles 63/-, all other places, $9.00;Group: U.S. and Canada, $3.00, British Isles 28/-, allother places, $4.00.9-month student subscription — $1.50; 5-month introductoryoffer — $1.00; 2 gift subscriptions to persons outsideof the R.P. Church — $2.00 each. Single copies, 10ceach.Subscription Agent for U.S. and Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.Subscription Agent for the British Isles: Rev. HughWright, B. A., 12, Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, NorthernIreland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness in U. S. currency.Give one month's notice of a change of address. Sendboth the new and the old address to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty.Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, Iowa.WE HOLD THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only infalliblerule of faith and conduct.The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experience.The Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Holy Spirit.The fact of death and hell as the destiny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believein Him together with their children.The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church Government.The Lord Jesus Christ as the only King and Head of His Church.That terms of membership or communion are essential to thewelfare of the Church.MPORTANTTO REFORMED PRESBYTERIANS!That explains why there are summer conferences,training programs, youth fellowship groups, and Bibleclasses geared for them. And that explains why we providematerials like the following. Are your 1966 ordersplaced yet?Senior High Fellowship KitQuarterly guide providing expressional activity forthe live questions of growing youth. Included areparticular problems facing Reformed Presbyterians.Tips for 18 programs.Junior High KitLike the kit above, it provides plans for problemcenteredprograms, but on the junior high level. Sixteenprograms are suggested for a committee tochoose from quarterly."Goal Post" MagazinePublished by the youth themselves through theirNational C.Y.P.U. Staff, this monthly gives timelyadvice, shares personal testimony, explains doctrine,and supplies news of happenings in Reformed Presbyteriancircles. No youth magazine fills the gap forchurch contact like "Goal Post."Sabbath School Textbooks'Recognizing the Bible as the only "textbook" forSabbath School, these helps recognize the differencesin interpretation. Committed to the historic, Reformedfaith, they confront youth with the real issuesof life: God's sovereignty applied to life, man'sdepravity, Christ's particular and complete atonement,with emphasis on commitment.If youth are important, and we say they are, noReformed Presbyterian Church should be without anyof the above materials! Check with your Pastor or ChurchSchool Superintendent to be sure your order is in.Reformed Presbyterian Board of Christian Education7437 Penfield Court, Pittsburgh, Pa.15208(* Ordered directly from Great Commission Publications)The duty which rests upon officers to maintain discipline andpreserve the purity of the Church.Spiritual worship as a divine requirement mediated through theLord Jesus Christ.The exclusive use of the Psalms in the worship of the Church.The Protestant interpretation of the Sacraments.The divine right of the institution of Marriage and that it is notto be dissolved except by adultery or "irremediable" desertion.The Sabbath as a day sacred to rest and worship.The duty of nations and their civil rulers to honor Christ asKing of Kings and Lord of Lords.That Christian citizens are under obligation to obey lawful authority.The right and duty of the Christian citizen to dissent from allgovernmental and national disobedience to the Law of God.That the Covenants of the past are still binding.From "The Communicant's Class" by J. B. Tweed338 COVENANTER WITNESS

EditorialCommentWHERE ELSE?When the crowds who had been miraculouslyfed in the wilderness realized the spiritual natureof Christ's Kingdom, they "went back, and walkedno more with Him." Then Jesus addressed thisquestion to His disciples, "Will ye also go away?"Peter, always a ready spokesman, rephed withanother question and assertion: "To whom shallwe go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. Andwe believe and are sure that thou art that Christ,the Son of the living God." Perhaps no greaterquestion has ever been asked than that one byPeter, "Where else, Lord." As one reads the currentreligious periodicals, he realizes that it is a fittingquestion to be put to church leaders today.Christian Victory, a non-denominational pubhcation,carries in its September issue an articlewhich makes one apprehensive. Dr. Donald Mc­Knight speaks of the Methodist Church in its beginningunder John Wesley when it received itsnickname because of "methods" used by certaingroups of Wesley's followers.There is almost an innumerable multitude inthis denomination today, but Wesley could not belongto it. Those who are known as "liberals" infiltratedthe church, and according to this article,took control in 1939 at the time of the mergerof the three Methodist groups. Various leadershave thrown their authority of degrees at thechurch through the channels of their publishinghouses, their seminaries, their schools, their Sabbathschools, and their pulpits. Modernism has filtereddown from the top to the very bottom.The movement of "going away" has been gradual.Satan knows that any sudden invasion wouldbe met with overwhelming opposition. But a gradualinfiltration can go on unnoticed.Dr. McKnight cited this example of the extentto which things have "gone away." A father saidthat his oldest son was sent to a church school.Before leaving home he was a model Christianyoung man. In the home he conducted family worshipwhen it was his turn; in his home congregationhe was a leader. While at school he came underthe influence of a professor who was a highercritic. He came home an infidel, and has not beenin church since. Can you think of a sadder situationthan this? This is operation in reverse ofChrist's command to His church.Liberalism has put its muddy footprints in thesacred halls of every denomination. None is freefrom it. The UPUSA into which men and churcheshave disappeared in a single group is now busycreating a policy that enables men to be ordainedwithout affirming behef in the cardinal doctrines.Christians must know what the Bible teachesand know the truth of these things by faith and byexperience. Then they will not be led away bythose who have turned aside. Only by believingsteadfastly and following faithfully the revealedprinciples in the Word of God, the Bible, can we remainwith Christ. Where else can we go?HOW MUCH SHALL I GIVETHIS YEAR TO MISSIONS?A Little Argument with Myself1. If I refuse to give anything to missions thiyear, I practically cast a ballot in favor of the recallof every missionary, both in the home and foreignfields.2. If I give less than heretofore, I favor aduction of the missionary forces proportionate tomy reduced contribution.3. If I give the same as formerly, I favor holdingthe ground already won, but I disregard any forwardmovement. My song is "Hold the Fort!" All ofHis soldiers are under marching orders always.They are commanded to "Go!"4. If I advance my offering beyond formeryears, then I favor an advance movement in the conquestof new territory for Christ. Shall I not jointhis class?Resolved: I do greatly believe in greatlcreasing the present number of our missionaritherefore I will increase my former offerings tsionary work.—The Capital VoiceDecember 1, 1965 339

NewsFrom Our Mission FieldFROM CYPRUS and JAPANNicosia, CyprusNovember 10, 1965Dear Friends,The school year has almost eight weeks behindit now, as I write this letter. The first quarter's reportsmust be prepared at the end of this week. Wemeet to discuss the conduct mark which each girlshould have on her report. In the local schools themark of excellent (kosmiatati) is received by everyoneunless the student has done something extremelyout of order, so it is difficult for our girls,and their parents, to understand that there areminor offences also, such as quarrelling, disturbancesin class, etc.Speaking of quarrelling, just visit our boardinghouse some day before our new crop (seven girls)of twelve year olds has tamed down a little. Idon't remember having had such a noisy, quarrelsomebunch. The older girls try to keep them calmeddown a bit; then they become the object of theirshouts. Fortunately, in the classroom they are morenormal, but it seems they feel "at home" in theboarding house. Well, we want them to feel athome, and are praying and hoping that they maysoon settle down; of course, some progress has alreadybeen made. Certainly the home life of someof them is not conducive to anything better, butthat does not account for all of them. The mosttroublesome is the daughter of a woman who worksas a cleaning woman in a good hotel, has a goodpaying position for that type of work, and is ableto pay for her daughter to be in the boarding house.Her husband left her shortly after the child wasborn and has done nothing for them. Another comesfrom a broken home; the mother is remarried to aman much younger than herself, a man in his earlytwenties. Another lost her father over a year ago,and apparently the mother has httle control overher. It is a case of daughter ruling mother. Evenbefore school started when her mother wanted herto do something which the child didn't want to do,a teacher overheard her say to her mother, "When Isay NO, it's NO!" Well, these are fragments ofhumanity which the Lord has given us to work with,and we pray that you will pray with us for them. Ihadn't thought of describing these when I sat down,but it just seemed to come out, for it has presenteda problem and a challenge. Something to keep themproperly occupied and forget their desire to quarrelis temporary help. For Sabbath occupation, I boughtsome Greek books suitable for Sabbath reading,and seven booklets (one for each) where John 3:16was printed to be colored. That kept them busy,but I can't say exactly quiet! They were, however,interested in it. There are others besides theseseven with their problems; perhaps they can betold of later. We are thankful for rays of hope andpray that the Lord will find His entrance into theirhearts.We are rejoicing in the warmer Novemberweather which followed a cold October. We especiallydelighted in the beautiful day we had for ourschool picnic last Friday, the 5th of November. Wehad planned to go to Salamis (where many recentexcavations and discoveries have been made), butthe trouble spot which developed recently is locatednot too far from there. Because we would probablyhave had to pass through it, we turned to the oppositedirection. Many of us found ourselves visitinga quiet spot where we'd never been before. Itis the location of an old monastery, but it is nowused by nuns (Greek Orthodox) who have managedto clean up and improve the place till everyoneadmires it. That immediate region is the site of oneof the ancient city states of Cyprus, dating backto the 7th century, B.C. Mnason, (Acts 21:16), accordingto tradition, was a native of that place andone of the seventy. The area was full of lovely olivetrees, there were hills for the girls to climb, theriver bed, now dry, for them to explore, and theolive trees to sit under and chat. We teachers foundtime to chat, too, and get better acquainted withsome of the newer ones. The group went in eightbusses, seating about thirty each.One of the new teachers in Nicosia is Mr.Christofi, a graduate of the Larnaca Academy in1956, who had his university and teacher trainingcourses in England and Wales. He taught inLarnaca for three years, then having married aNicosia girl (not Academy) whose "house" is locatedin Nicosia, asked to be transferred here. As hewas well fitted to take up some courses left byteachers leaving or retiring, he was transferred.We are quite pleased with his work, as well as with340 COVENANTER WITNESS

his character and personality.We miss the Sandersons, but from their letterswe know that they are busy in their deputation work.We are glad to have Ruth back after having studiedat Pittsburgh University for a total of 45 weeks.Her effort was rewarding and we congratulate herupon having successfully completed the work forher Master of Education degree.Our student body is composed of 264 girls, thebig majority of them being Greeks. Our latest additionis a -native girl from Uganda. You may hearmore of her later.Pray with us for our student body, our teachers,our Bible classes and our opportunities for personalcontacts that we may really use them; for the Breadof Life Bookroom Committee as it is planning someimprovements for it so that its usefulness may beincreased; for Rev. Mr. Christou as he works there;for him and the others who give of their ministryin preaching services; and for all that our faith maybe increased and our hves filled with blessing ofthe Holy Spirit so that fruit may be evident.Serving with you in the bonds of the love ofChrist,Sincerely,Blanche McCreaNovember 9, 1965Dear Co-workers in the service of our Lord,Guess that I must be getting old, as the sayingis that when the years become shorter, that this isa sign of aging. The months since my last letter tothe home church (April) seem hke only yesterday.An over abundance of time is not a problem here,rather a shortage.In my last letter I mentioned that after myfull time language study ends (formal that is, foras long as one is here, study continues and isneeded), my schedule will be reversed going toschool only part time and taking up work with theSpears in Okamoto. That time has become morenear in a couple of ways. One is that my study endsat the close of next term (April). The other is thatI, as many of you know, have moved from NigawatoMikage. This is a twenty minute walk (the way Iwalk) from the Spears in Okamoto.During the first week of August the change ofresidence took place. This was not only a change inlocation, but also from hving alone to having aJapanese Christian friend to share the new homewith me. Miss Kesho, the new roommate, is a memberof our Higashi Suma congregation. The otherday she paid me what I consider the most encouragingcomphment ever paid. It did more for me thanany A received for a study. She told me that injust the last week I had become very good in speakingJapanese. Of course I know she didn't meanthat I had mastered the language nor am the bestof foreign Japanese speakers.In learning the language one gets to the pointwhen the head feels as if it can't possibly take anymore. When near the end of the two years of classroomstudy, one still feels very much a stranger tothe language. What one learns and is able to speakin class, seems to vanish outside the classroom.However, with more and more exposure to hearingand using the language those memorized sentencesand phrases do become a real part of us. Livingwith my Japanese friend has helped me to thinkmore in Japanese, without trying to translate wordfor word. Continue to pray for us that whether wehave been here a year and three-fourths or fifteenyears that we will be given the ability to use thelanguage effectively for His glory in speaking,teaching, and preaching.A year ago this December I conducted my firstprayer meeting in Japanese. Many, if not most, ofthe words used and sentence structure were not apart of my actual vocabulary. For that meeting andothers, help was given in translating the preparedmanuscript so that after much advance reading inthe Japanese, it could be done understandably. Myturn for leading prayer meeting is coming up againsoon in December. My language teacher told me totry translating it myself and she would correct myerrors so that the forms and particles, etc. wouldbe correct. From this I am really increasing my vocabularymore than the other way, but what a slowprocedure! Hours can be spent on just one or twosentences. Bibhcal and theological terms are not inthe language books. The Missionary LanguageHandbook for Japan, by Joseph and Stellwagon, isa great help along this hne and learning the properway to pray.Our communion season was held the last Sabbathof October. The Tarumi Church was host thistime. The Holy Spirit surely was working in the preparationof this season. Though the three pastorsdid not confer with one another about their textsand subjects, each was related. There were somefifty people attending the Sabbath service withforty plus taking communion. Though there wereno new members taken into the fellowship of thechurch this season, there had been several studyingin preparation but either dropped or were notDecember 1, 1965 341

quite ready for membership. Pray for those whohave professed Christ and have studied towardchurch membership, then drifted away. Pray thatthey might again return. Also pray for Rev. Mr.Masunaga who has just recently begun a Sabbathevening class for inquirers. Also pray that thosewho attend might be instructed of the Holy Spirit.November 3 is a national holiday in Japan. It is"Bunka no hi" or in words that you will understand,"Culture day." On that day our three church groupshad an all day fellowship meeting in the TarumiChapel. During the period of discussion such thingsas family worship and building indigenous churcheswere discussed. A guest speaker was Rev. Weims ofthe Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Church Mission.A former English Bible student, Miss AkemiChiba, contacted me last week, asking if I wouldagain teach her Bible. Some of you have beenpraying for Miss Chiba and her family. Miss Chibanow is an airline hostess with Thailand Air Lines.She has been fortunate to be based at the Osaka-Kobe airport. She flies two days and has four daysoff. The study class with her will alternate betweenmy home and hers in Nigawa. Pray that this renewedcontact will bear fruit for the Lord.It has been my privilege to speak a numberof times at the YWCA in Osaka to the English classesthere. Some of these are advanced Englishwhile others are just beginners. I have alwaysbeen free to select my own subject which givesopportunity to witness for the Lord. I will be speakingagain at the end of November and again inmid-December. I will be taking with me, to give tothe students, tracts written in their own Japaneselanguage. If they aren't able to grasp the Enghshmessage, pray that they will read the tracts, andthat the Holy Spirit might give them a hunger formore. We know if they seek, they shall find. Praynot only for the students but also for the teacherwho invites me to speak to the classes. She is aformer Japanese language teacher of the Penningtonsand mine, and shows an interest in the Gospelbut hasn't yet been persuaded of the Holy Spirit toreceive the faith to believe in Christ as her Saviorand Lord.Miss Lynn wrote in her letter in August of anAustralian missionary asking her to help make contactsto get Bibles into Russia, when the Russianships came into port. The Russian passengers gavethem propaganda literature when receiving tractsand Gospel of John. Their leader made the touristsreturn the Christian literature and was most unhappywith the missionaries and Japanese Christians.He asked the police to require them to stopgiving out the Christian literature.When this appears in the Witness you will beturning your thoughts to the holiday season. Thiseven now seems quite near as we have alreadystarted mailing sea-mail greetings to our friendsand relatives in the homeland. The missionariesrecently spent the morning together getting thecalendars ready for mailing to the congregations athome. We trust that you will not only enjoy them,but will also be reminded to pray for the land ofJapan and your fellow workers. We look forwardto hearing from many of you during the holidayseason.As we celebrate the birth of Christ, letus not forget the purpose of His birth and Hisdeath and resurrection and ascension.Sincerely in the service of the King,Oreta Everett, Kobe Shi, JapanJti/ A Primary Teacher Shares How SheLearns and Teaches . ..NEW LESSONSBy Mrs. R. K.McConaughyAs I answer a request to make comment on ournew primary lessons, I too am making "new" adjustmentson returning to full time teaching in thefirst grade. Unusual, too, that the school has acompletely new set of textbooks. In these bookswill be the basic value of learning the text, butthe method is the best that can be found by thosein charge of the curriculum.For many years people of our church desiredtheir own Sabbath school material. Committees342were set up to study and evaluate the best methodof handling this desire. These folks were chosenbecause of their qualifications. After much studyand prayer they were led to the use of the materialswhich would best meet their needs through thepublishing house of the Orthodox PresbyterianChurch. Many have sacrificed time and money toattain the materials now available. In the PrimaryDepartment I have found them to be excellent, containingthe basic values, but presented in the mod-COVENANTER WITNESS

em classroom method.Just as I cannot go into my school room andchange texts, I believe it is our responsibility as ReformedPresbyterian primary teachers to use thematerials available as prescribed by our own church.Many times we say, "It doesn't suit my class." Nomaterials can, but they must be adapted to theclass use that our primary children may benefitthroughout the church from the material and methodgiven to us by our own church committees.No teacher can follow a lesson in detail, butevery teacher can choose the best material to meether class needs. Perhaps you have opening exercisestogether. Then concentrate on a Psalm practicejust before you begin your own class. Let thechildren pray for the needs of the church, not as afar away vision but for the definite needs of Mrs.J. or Susan, or the missionaries by name. Theymight even pray for a better teacher! No matterwhat you do with the lesson, it is all there! An experiencedprimary teacher and mother has coordinatedthe lesson for you. Tell it all, if you can.At least, tell parts of it. But if you just cannottell it, you can read it. Stop for discussion or inclu-sion of children's thoughts. Even extra curricularactivities are suggested. Time may not permittheir use in your Sabbath school hour, but somechildren may hke to do them at home.Your Primary Class may have time for extraverses. Mine does! We work for 100 points to earna Bible, 75 points to earn a Psalm Book, or 50points for a Testament. This gives the range forevery pupil to earn an award in one year. Eachmemory verse counts one point. Then assignedpassages are memorized. With 52 Sabbaths, thisgives the child only one verse to learn in Sabbathschool and one to learn at home. But at the end ofa year he is familiar, not with a smattering ofscattered verses, but with such passages as Ps. 23,Matt. 5:1-12, John 3:16, Ps. 1, I Cor. 13, or I Sam.3:1-10. In Hebrews 12:40 we read "God havingprovided some better thing for us, that they withoutus should not be made perfect."About the AuthorThe writer is a mother of four children and atone time taught in public school. She is a workerin the College Hill Church.^M* YOUR ADULT SABBATH SCHOOL .[ZH-TI Canned orby David R. ArmstrongPastor, First Reformed Presbyterian Churchof Beaver FallsS.S. helps come in all kinds. With some, all youhave to do is open the "can"; others you "brown 'nserve." And with some you start from "scratch."But before you make a choice you have to decidewhat you want and need. So let's first decide on theneeds of our people, before we pick the helps tomeet those needs. For instance, some people whocome to our adult classes need to hear the firstprinciples of the gospel so that their hearts mightbe changed by the Holy Spirit. Others have just metChrist and need to learn how to grow in the Christianlife. Still others need a survey of the Biblecontent, or strengthening in the area of doctrine,or an introduction to church history. There areworkers who need help in methods of teaching orvisiting. And the hst could go on. What we findis that there is a variety of needs; in other words,people are different. Now, if our goal is to meetthe needs of each of these individuals, is there anapproach that will move us toward this objective?Canned CurriculumHomegrown?fpgrWhat are the alternatives in adult curriculum?The first is the International Uniform Lesson Series.In his History of Christian Education, C. B.Eavey comments that the appearance of this seriesin 1872 "was one of the most significant steps inthe history of the (Sabbath) school." "The principlesof the system, in reference to the Bible, were these:(1) The selection of short sections, complete inthemselves for the Bible lessons; (2) uniform lessonsfor the whole school; (3) the covering of the entireBible in a cycle of six or seven years; (4) alternationsquarterly or semiquarterly between the Oldand New Testaments." Now, almost a century later,this system continues to be widely used in the ReformedPresbyterian Church and in other Protestantdenominations. But there are problems. Theoriginal idea of children cxxd adults studying thesame passage has been dropped by most groups asbeing unworkable (thus since 1910 a second serieshas also been pubhshed — the International GradedSeries). Eavey notes other problems: "The basicobjection was that they resulted in so fragmentarya study of the Bible that knowledge of it was notcomprehensive and complete. General grasp of aparticular book or of the trend of a historic periodDecember 1, 1965 343

was almost entirely lacking in the average (Sabbath)school." In addition Reformed Presbyterians facean ethical problem in using the International Lessons.The outlines are prepared and copyrighted bythe National Council of Churches. We find ourselvesopposing the National Council in most areas,yet paying them for the use of Christian educationmaterials. Eavey feels that there is a deeper problem."Modernists, neo-orthodox adherents, andsocial gospel advocates are adept in selecting passagesof Scripture suitable for their purpose, omittingothers, and arranging them so as to set forththe doctrines they wish to teach. As did Eve,so men do today. Instead of accepting as fact andtruth what God says, they twist the meaning to fittheir own fancy and desire."The second alternative is The Uniform Bible LessonOutlines, prepared by the National SundaySchool Association. This project, begun by theNational Association of Evangelicals in 1948, hasnever been popular in the Reformed PresbyterianChurch. It is subject to all the problems of the uniformapproach.The third alternative (chosen by at least one ofour congregations) is to follow the cycle of materialsprepared by an independent publisher. ScripturePress has its own ten-year cycle of Bible book studies.The major problem with this is the dispensationaltheology of the publishing house.Homegrown CurriculumThe fourth alternative is to build your own adultcurriculum. This is popularly known as the electivesystem. Although colleges and universities havemade use of this for generations, it is looked uponas a new idea in churches. Most significantly, it isthe only one of the four alternatives that can dealadequately with the varying needs of individuals. Indoing so, the Bible can be covered more comprehensively,church history and training courses canbe included, and a sense of accomplishment can bepromoted.The growing interest in the elective system isindicated by articles appearing from many sources.The September 1965 NSSA Link states, "This electiveprogram can answer the prevalent feelingamong Bible classes that the class offers no chancefor advancement or achievement in learning andthat the only thought given to the class is attendance,the next social, and the calling campaign."Charles Schauffele of Gordon Seminary writes,"Most of these electives are written for a singlequarter, and have given new flexibility, zest, andincentive to the adults in our evangelical (Sabbath)schools who know they can do more satisfyingthings intellectually than to have each one read averse around in a 'canned' lesson." While continuingto publish materials based on the International Lessons,Gospel Light and Standard are stressing theirnew elective courses. Scripture Press advertises thatit offers "undated elective courses for adult Biblestudy groups." An article in the February 10, 1965,Covenanter Witness by Bruce Stewart spoke stronglyin favor of the elective system. The 1964 Synodrecommended "That Committees of CE. considerthe use of elective courses in the adult departmentusing the materials now recommended by the CE.Board."How to Grow Your OwnHow does the elective system operate? Underthe direction of the local Christian Education Committeethe courses (how many, content, teachers)are determined. Opportunity is then given to eachadult to choose from the courses offered the onein which he wishes to enroll for the followingquarter. At the end of the quarter he elects anothercourse. And the process continues. A record is keptof the courses he has completed successfully sothat there is an awareness of the progress he hasmade. This is also valuable to the Committee incharting future courses.Although the transition to the elective approachis not without difficulties, the benefits to be gainedare well worth the effort. While it is true that theC. E. Committee (or a subcommittee on adult curriculum)must invest time and effort to plan for abalanced program of courses, yet this is the responsibihtyof the Committee no matter what system isin use. At first glance, teacher procurement mayseem more difficult, but it need not be. Insteadof recruiting a teacher for a "permanent" position,you seek a teacher who is qualified to teach in onespecific area for three months. Thus the load isspread and you can expect the quahty of the teachingto improve. This increases the opportunity fortraining and for service on the part of your adults.A bachelor can hve on canned goods. But oneof the things that makes marriage attractive to himis the thought of a variety of homegrown and homecookedfood designed just to meet his tastes anddietary needs. While canned curriculum is betterthan no curriculum, it is far better when it is homegrown.P.S. The Board of Christian Education can'tgrow your curriculum, but it can give you some"seeds" and some directions for their use. For thatreason the Board has published a descriptive listof "Adult Curriculum Recommended Elective Courses."It is available free upon request. Specificquestions regarding the elective system are also welcomed.344 COVENANTER WITNESS

Our YouthDO YOU DARE ASK, "WHAT SHALL I DO, LORD?"by Dick M. StraversAs you read these words, you may have putaside for a few minutes Shakespeare's Macbeth, aworld history text, or tomorrow's biology assignment.At any rate, you are back to the books. Andnow that you have gone back to the books, manyof you feel again the gnawing of that age-old question,"What shall I do?" This is a question thatbothers nearly every teen-ager, and you are a rarebird if it has never bothered you. Choosing a vocationis tough business.Many questions require courage for the asking.This one too. It takes courage to ask anyone, "Whatshall I do?" But very likely less courage is requiredwhen you ask it of yourself. You can be brave then,because you can ask the question a second time ifyou do not hke the answer.Since you sometimes have reservations aboutyour own answer, you do take the question to others.You ask your parents, but that takes greater courage.You have to be brave then, because their interestsand values and desires are different fromyours. They see hfe so differently. They size thingsup with a measuring stick that has been made moreaccurate by years and experience.Or take your question to your favorite teacher.You go with it to your counselor. You lay it on thedesk of the psychologist as you let his battery oftests give you some answers. All this asking takescourage because, as you ask, you sometimes getbattered with answers that discourage you, disappointyou, and point you down a road far differentfrom the one you had hoped to travel. Vocationalroads made attractive by money by the barrel, orby excitement unlimited, have been barricaded.Other roads that promise meager finances and long,taxing hours seem to be the only open ones foryou. Or it may be that your asking shows you many,many open roads. Perhaps the future is for you afabulous prospect of professional opportunity.Be brave enough to ask parents, teachers, counselors,psychologists, and friends. Be brave enoughto consider carefully their answers. But you havenot finished with your courageous asking until youhave done what Paul did. Paul asked, "What shallI do, Lord?" You must bring your question to thatsame Lord. You must do so through parents, teachers,counselors, psychologists, and friends; but youmust also ask the Lord directly. Do it at your deskbefore an open Bible, and- do it on your knees inearnest prayer.Paul meant it when he asked the Lord thatquestion. His hfe shows that he did. And if theLord's answer was different from that of teacher,counselor, psychologist, and friend, he had thecourage to follow the Lord's answer, whatever thecost. And because Paul had the courage to ask andto accept the Lord's answer, all uncertainty with respectto which vocational road he should travel wasgone. If you ask the Lord, "What shall I do?" withthe courage and sincerity of a Paul, your uncertaintywill dissolve like his. Try it.—The BannerWORN-OUT KNEESGypsy Smith said that when he was convertedhe immediately desired the conversion of his uncle.Among the gypsies it is not proper for children toaddress their elders on the subject of duty; so theboy just prayed, and waited. One day his unclenoticed a hole in his trousers, and said, "Rodney,how is it that you have worn the knees of yourpants so much faster than the rest of them?""Uncle, I have worn them out praying for you,that God would save you."Then the tears came. The uncle put his armaround the boy, drew him to his side, and soonbent his knees to the same Saviour. —SelectedCHARACTER BEGINS AT HOMEI strongly beheve the molding of character beginsat home. There's the best place to reverse thetrend in juvenile dehnquency.In my own home, I never remember having ameal that wasn't opened by someone saying grace.I just grew up that way.We didn't have much — but we had everythingwe needed. I always had to go to Sunday school. Iwas given a httle Testament for attendance on 52consecutive Sundays — and it was one of mytreasures. I still have it. In those days we alwaysread from the Bible so that our home environmentdeveloped a deep Christian behef and faith.—J. Edgar Hoover, in church bulletin65December 1, 19 345

The Beecher FarmA STORY FORitery JUNIOR - HIGHSMrs. George (Jean L.) McFarland(Continued from last week)"Let us go along,"begged the girls."No,"Becky said, sharply,"you must stay in theyard and don't follow me."The girls were a httle sulky, but sat down withtheir dolls. Becky ran out through the barn yardand across the pasture. She was soon out of breathand had to slow down as she neared the fence thatseparated her from the shanty.The shanty looked spooky and forbidding even indaylight. Weeds were knee-high in the yard, althoughthey had been trampled down around thedoor. The roof was sagging at one corner, and thewindow panes were cracked and broken. The foundationwas crumbling away. As Becky neared thedoor, a big rat ran out from under the house andscurried to a woodpile. Becky almost turned andran, but she remembered how badly she wantedto find the money. So, holding her breath, she pushedopen the creaky door and entered the room.Everything seemed dark after being in the brightsunshine, but soon her eyes became adjusted to thegloom and she looked around. She saw the floorwas bare and a broken chair stood in the corner.An old oil lamp was sitting on a httle shelf andbeside it was a dirty cup and bowl. An old woodenbox turned on its side served as a table, and a washbasin and bucket were on the box. Becky couldsee the whole room at a glance, and she saw therewere few places for anything to be hidden. Shelooked behind the box but found nothing. Then shesaw another door and opened it to find a bedroom.Tattered bhnds covered the upper panes of thewindows, making the room gloomier than the firstroom. As she opened the door, she heard a low,moaning wail, which made her freeze in her tracks.She gazed in horror at an iron cot on which somethingahve was tossing about. At first she thoughtit was a dog with mangy hair but as she creptcloser she saw it was a small, strange child withlong black hair hanging about his face. He wasso thin his arms were hke sticks with claws forhands. He stopped crying when he saw Beckyand stared at her with frightened eyes. Then Beckysaw he was tied to the cot.Becky stood looking at the child too stunned tothink clearly. I'll have to untie him, she thought.But at that moment she saw someone pass the window.It was the man coming back. Becky looked346around wildly for a back door. There was only oneother door in the room. She managed to openitand found herself staring into a closet. She steppedinside and pulled the door almost shut behind her,leaving a small crack. Even though she was nearlyparalyzed with fear, still she knew she mustn'tshut the door tight or she might not be able to openit again. The man came in and moved about theroom. Becky scarcely dared breathe for fear hewould hear her. She wondered if the child couldtalk and would tell the man she was in the closet.However nothing hapened, so Becky relaxed a littleand peeped out the crack. The man had untied thechild and let him off the bed. The boy looked to beabout two years old. The man sat down on an oldchair and pulled off his shoes. Becky, crouching inthe closet, wondered how long she could stay inthat position without making a sound of some sort.Oh, she thought, if the man will only leave thehouse so I can get out of here, I'll forget about looing for the money. But he seemed to have no notionof leaving. Becky couldn't see what he was doing.How long she stayed in the closet she couldn't tell,but it seemed like hours.Meanwhile back at the Beecher home, Dad gothome from the hospital and Aunt Tabitha awokefrom her nap. They asked the girls about Becky."She went to the pasture," said Janet, "but shewouldn't take us.""Why would she go to the pasture?" asked Dad.But the girls did not know the answer.When Barney and Jerry came in from thefield, Dad asked them about Becky. They knewnothing about her, but Jerry said he'd take Shepand go to the pasture and look for her. "Maybeshe's hurt," he added.Becky, in the closet, was getting desperate. Shethought she would have to open the door and surprisethe man, and maybe she could get out of thedoor before he had a chance to stop her. But justthen she heard Old Shep barking, and the mansuddenly pulled on his shoes and left the room.Becky opened the door quickly and came out. Shesaw the child curled up on the floor asleep. She slippedto the door and through the front room. Thefront door was standing open and she ran outsidewithout looking back, but she saw nothing of theman.COVENANTERWITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of December 26, 1965Sabbath School Lessonfor December 26, 1965NEHEMIAH: COMMITTED TOA TASKNeh. 1:1 to 6:3; 12:27 to 13:31.Comments by John K. GaultNehemiah was a Jew, a son of onenamed Hachaliah, who had been takencaptive and deported into the landof Babylon when the great kingNebuchadnezzar was ruler over Babylon,which country was later conqueredby the Persians.Even though Nehemiah grew up ina foreign country where the peopleworshiped idols he developed and retaineda strong spirit of patriotismfor his land of Judah. There had beenother migrations of Jews to the regionof Jerusalem; one under Zerubbabelabout a hundred years before Nehemiahand still another under Ezraseveral years before Nehemiah firstwent to Jerusalem.This story starts with Nehemiahserving as cupbearer to king Artaxerxesof Persia. This was consideredto be a very important position forthe cupbearer was required to tasteall wine served to the king lest therebe poison in it. As he served in thiscapacity one of his brothers, Hananiby name, and several other Jews returnedfrom Jerusalem. Nehemiahtalked to them and learned that conditionsin Jerusalem were in a sadstate. As they reported, "The remnantthat are left of the captivity therein the province are in great afflictionand reproach: the wall of Jerusalemalso is broken down, and the gatesthereof are burned with fire." (Neh.1:3) This made Nehemiah very sadand he determined to see what hecould do about it.1: Nehemiah First Sought the Guidanceand Blessing- of God.He was a man of very devout feelingswith a keen sense of the presenceof God in the affairs of men. So,in his sorrow, he prayed earnestly tothe God of Heaven. He, first of all,expressed adoration/ in the words ofNehemiah 1:5, "O Lord God of Heaven,the great and terrible God, thatkeepeth covenant and mercy forthem that love him and observe hiscommandments." He next prayed thatGod would hear his prayer, as hesaid, "Let thine ear now be attentive,December 1, 1965and thine eyes open, that thou mayesthear the prayer of thy servant, whichI pray before thee now, day andnight." Confession of sin is then expressedin verses 7, 8 as he said, "Wehave dealt very corruptly againstthee." He expressed the thought thatthe cause of the dilemma which Israelwas in was due to their not keepingthe commandments which God hadgiven to Moses. He reminded God ofHis promise that if they would turnunto God and keep His commandmentsHe would "gather them fromthence." (1:9) Finally, in this prayer,Nehemiah comes to the burden whichwas on his heart, and he prays thatGod would "prosper" his way and"grant him mercy in the sight of thisman"; and the "man" was the king,"For I was the king's cupbearer" ashe said. So, the first thing whichNehemiah did was to take his problemto God, and that is the first thingthat every Christian should do whenhe is confronted with a great problem.2: Nehemiah Received Commissionfrom the King.As he served in the capacity ofcupbearer, the king noticed that helooked sad. Upon being questionedNehemiah told the king and thequeen concerning the burden whichwas on his heart. He said, "The city,the place of my father's sepulchres,lieth waste and the gates thereof areconsumed with fire." Artaxerxes, theking, then gave his permission forNehemiah to go and commissionedhim, as is stated in 2:6, "So it pleasedthe king to send me; and I set him atime." The king, also, gave to Nehemiahletters of introduction to the"governors beyond the river, thatthat they may convey me over till Icome to Judah" (2:7), and also a letterwas given to him for "Asaph, the keeperof the king's forest" that he mightgive to Nehemiah the necessary timbersfor the repairing of the wallsof Jerusalem.3: Nehemiah Was Not DeterredFrom His Task by Opposition.The opposers of Nehemiah arenamed. They were, "Sanballat theHoronite, and Tobiah the servant, theAmmonite, and Geshem the Arabian.(2:19) These opposers, who evidentlylived in regions east of the JordanRiver, were very much disturbedwhen they heard of Nehemiah's purpose.They evidently were delightedwith the complete breakdown of Judah'seconomy and they didn't wantany restoration of Jerusalem. Theytried derision, first. "They laughed usto scorn, and despised us, and said,what is this thing that ye do? will ye rebelagainst the king?" When these obstructionistssaw that derision wouldnot stop Nehemiah, they then resortedto more forceful measures. Tobiahsaid in his scorn, "Even that whichthey build, if a fox go up, he shalleven break down their stone wall."But Nehemiah continued to pray andsaid, "Hear, O our God; for we aredespised: and turn their reproach upontheir own head, and give themfor a prey in the land of captivity"(4:4). The obstructionists then conspiredtogether, as they saw thatNehemiah was succeeding in buildingthe wall of Jerusalem, and they cameup with armed force. But Nehemiahmet force with force, and he orderedall the builders to be armed as isdescribed in 4:12-23. Verse 18 is anepitome of this description of Nehemiah'sarmed might. "For the builders,every one had his sword girdedby his side, and so builded. And hethat sounded the trumpet was by me."These enemies of Nehemiah thenresorted to trickery but that, too,failed. Sanballat and Tobiah invitedNehemiah to meet with them, but"they thought to do me mischief"(6:2). When they saw that Nehemiahdid not accept that line of approach,they sent a letter to him, in whichthey spoke of a so-called "report""that thou and the Jews think to rebel:for which cause thou buildest thewall, that thou mayest be their king,according to these words." And, theysaid further, "Come now therefore,and let us take counsel together"(6:5). But Nehemiah replied to theirletter, "There is no such things doneas thou sayest, but thou feignest themout of thine own heart" (6:8).The next move of Sanballet and hiscohorts was to hire a certain Jewnamed Shemaiah who counseled Nehemiahto retire to the temple andshut the door, for, as he said, "Theywill come to slay thee; yea, in thenight will they come to slay thee." Tothis Nehemiah replied, "Should sucha man as I flee? and who is there,that being as I am, would go intothe temple to save his life? I will notgo in."4: Nehemiah Organized the Peoplefor the Work.Under his direction the different347

families of the people from the nearbycities became responsible for differentsections of the wall. A detaileddescription of this organization isgiven in chapter 3. The first twoverses are a good sample of all therest of the description. "Then Eliashibthe high priest rose up with hisbrethren the priests, and they buildedthe sheep gate; they sanctified it,and set up the doors of it; even untothe tower of Meah they sanctified it,unto the tower of Hananeel. And nextunto him builded the men of Jericho.And next to them builded Zaccur, theson of Imri." It is also said in 4:6,"So built we the wall; and all the wallwas joined together unto the halfthereof: for the people had a mind towork."5: Nehemiah Reorganized theGovernment and Instituted Moral Reforms.In 7:1it is said that he appointed"porters and the singers and the Levites."Hanani, Nehemiah's brother,and Hananiah ruler of the palace,were given "charge over Jerusalem:for he was a faithful man, and fearedGod above many."There was then, under Nehemiah'sdirection a public reading of the lawby Ezra as told in chapter 8. He alsorestored the observance of the feastof tabernacles which commemoratedtheir wandering in the wilderness. Anew covenant was then drawn up andsealed by heads of families as recordedin chapter 10. But, one of the mostimportant acts of reformation washis work of Sabbath reform and, forthis, read 13:15-21."Lesson basea on international SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessonsfor Christian Teaching, copyrighted 1958by the Division of Christian Education. NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ in theU. S. A."Junior Topicfor December 26, 1965SHARE YOUR GIFTPsalm Text:Psalm 145Memory Verse:Matt. 5:16. Have you learned thememory assignment for the unit oflessons (Ephesians 4:13-24)?Psalms:Ps. 66, page 158, 12-14; Ps. 145,page 350, 1-3; Ps. 145, page 350, 4-6;Ps. 78, page 187, 1-6; Ps. 51, page 131,7-12; Ps. 71, page 171, 10-13; Ps. 146,page 353, 1-7.Scripture:Read I John 1:1-7.Memory Psalm:Ps. 51, page 131, 7-12.Aim:To realize the privilege of receivingthe gift of salvation, and the responsibilityof sharing it with others.Do you know that you are testifying(or telling others) for or againstChrist each day? Whether you realizeit or not, your life and the things youdo and say, are speaking to others.Scripture tells us that Jesus is the"light of the world." Is your life reflectingChrist or isit casting a shadowin the world? Did you know thatYOU could illuminate (light up) theGospel so that others may seeit andknow about it? The Holy Spirit makesthis possible, giving you the light ofChrist and helping you to make itshine for others. Sing the candle song(Ps. 18, page 33, verse 25).Did you know, too, that YOU canhelp to light the whole world just bysharing with others the wonderfulgift of Jesus Christ? Look at Psalm67 on page 161. Read verse one. Thisis your prayer that the light of Godwill shine on you so that you willbe able to give it to others. How canthis be done? You can explain aboutChrist and His salvation, of course,but what about the times when youhaven't an opportunity to talk? Thoseare the most important times of all,for then your faith shows in yourgood works, and they both add up toa fine testimony. Titus 3:8. This isthe way you can prove that what yousay is really true.John shared his gift by writing aGospel. He gave his reason in chapter20, verse 31. What is it? Andrew foundJesus and wanted to share Him withhis brother Peter. And we don't hearmuch more about Andrew after that,but what if he had kept to himselfthe knowledge of the Lord? He did awonderful thing for us by bringinghis brother to meet Jesus. In the 4thchapter of John, we read about thewoman who met Jesus beside a wellin Samaria and who went into thetown to tell others about Him. Shearoused the interest of many peoplewho went to see for themselves whatshe was talking about. John 4:39, 42.Our job is to share this gift of salvationand the knowledge and love ofJesus Christ. It is too big for us tokeep locked up within us. The morewe share of Christ's love, the morewe actually have ourselves. The onlyway you can prove that is to try it!Let's look at our Psalm text. Irverses 1-3 at the top of page 350, wehave the personal commitment toTELL. In verses 4-8 at the bottom oithat page, we see the result, if wehave told others about Christ. Theywill also want to join in praising Him.This does not mean that everyone wetalk to will eagerly accept Christ.There will be those who will notwant Him, no matter how much theyhear about His love and concern forthem. But there may be some heartsready to receive the gift of salvation,and how thrilling it is when we arethe ones to share that gift! On page351, these verses remind us of God'swonderful provision for His childrenand how every living creature dependson His care and mercy. Howthankful we are for such a lovingHeavenly Father who knows ourevery need! How do we get othersto praise God? What starts this desirein their hearts to know Christand accept Him for their own? TheHoly Spirit works in your heart tooverflow it with thankful, joyfulpraise, and is one means used by Godto bring others to a saving knowledgeof Him. Now sing or read verses1-3of the psalm, and think of ways inwhich you can "extol" Him (praise,tell others) every day. There are manypeople who never open a Bible, evenif they have one. Perhaps these peoplelook at YOU to find out what aChristian is like.What do they read in the "Gospelaccording to YOU?"Your group might like a project ofsharing at this Christmas time. Youcould each bring food gifts to begiven to a needy family; or perhapsyour sponsor or pastor could get foryou some tracts or Scriptures portionswhich you could give to neighbors,etc. In either case, ask God to blessyour project as you carry it out.For your notebooks:About a third of the way down onepage, print in fairly large letters theword "GOSPEL." Then in a semicircleabove that, print "What IsThe." Beneath "GOSPEL" print in astraight line, "According To," and towardthe bottom of the page, pastecut-out letters from colored paper(or draw them and color with crayons)the word "YOU," making thisword larger than the word "GOS­PEL." Add a question mark suitableto the size of the word. After you havesaid your memory verse, write orprint it neatly at the bottom of the348 COVENANTER WITNESS

page. These notebooks could be usedin your daily devotions, to help youreview the ways in which you cangrow to be more like Christ as youtry to live for Him. Remember to askHis help in prayer.Prayer Meeting Topicobedience." How? This is "wroughtin the heart of a sinner by the Spiritand Word of God." We are not onlydependent upon the Holy Spirit toconvict us of sin and to persuade andenable us to receive Christ as ourSavior, but also to renew our willsand enable us to obey God.In John 14 we see the relationshipbetween obedience and the work ofthe Spirit. In Acts 26, we see the workof the Spirit in v. 18, and the evidenceof His work in v. 19-23. In your considerationof these portions of Scripture,you will notice that there is nospecific reference to prayer. Youmight point out, that since the Wordand prayer are means of grace, prayeris one of the means through whichthe Holy Spirit works in our heartsto bring new obedience.Since this is the last meeting ofthe year, your prayer time might bedivided into sections of thanksgivingfor answered prayers, confession ofsins of omission and commision, andpetition for new obedience and blessingin 1966. Be sure to take time forprayer!My three years as Chairman ofthe Prayer Meeting Topics Committeeof the C. E. Board are completed. Ithank you for your prayers, and askfor your* prayers for the Rev. JohnTweed who is the new Chairman.for December 29, 1965"THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRITIN PRAYER — PREPARING US FOROBEDIENCE"Rev. Bruce C. StewartScripture:John 14:15-27 Acts 26:1-23.Psalms:119:1-5, (Pt. 8) page 293; 119:1, 2,page 304; 116:1-6, page 282.During the past year we have attemptedScribe With A Hard Pencilto do three things in present­ing the prayer meeting topics:1. We have endeavered to encourageprayer for specific people — inthis case the people who representus in the mission outreach of thePeople from the big city often ask the small-town resident, "How do youever spend your time?" City folks know that any night in the week they couldchurch. Congregational prayer requestsgo to a fancy restaurant, or to the concert hall or the opera or the sportswere requested also and wereanother object for specific prayer.We want to thank all those who presentedpersonal and congregationalprayer requests.2. We have endeavored to help topromote some variety in structure ofthe prayer meeting hour while emphasizingthat "prayer time" is primary.To this end, "comments" werenot as full but were rather, suggestivein order that the leader might putmore of himself into the planning ofthe meeting.3. In about half of the topics wehave attempted to study the attributesand work of each member of the Trinityin connection with prayer. Wetrust that this has been of help tomake us more aware of the sovereigntyand grace of God which underliesall these topics and is essential foreffectual prayer.Our topic this evening deals withthe work of the Holy Spirit, especiallyHis work of preparing us for obedience.arena or the lecture hall. They know that almost any night in the week theycould go to any one of a dozen churches that happened to be advertisingfish fries, or bean suppers, or turkey dinners — open to the public.In spite of the numerous activities available, the fact is that they can takein only one at a time."How do you small-town residents ever spend your time?" the big cityfolks ask. Like the folks in the city, small-town residents work for a living.Their days are well filled. As to their evenings, there is nearly always atleast one function they are supposed to attend. It may be a lecture on thegrowing of better roses or on the best way to fight dandelions. It may be aconcert by the school band, or a basketball game, or a meeting of the committeeon new street signs. Sometimes, like the folks in the big city, small-town residentsmay spend the evening in darkness because the electric power is off.The small town may offer only one or two activities in any given night; but,then, most of us can take in only one at a time.People from big churches often ask the member of the little church,"How do you folks ever spend your time? We have thousands of membersin our church. Aren't things pretty quiet in a little church like yours?" Theyknow that in the big church there may be a full time cateress, four secretaries,a staff of custodians, a minister of music, a youth minister, a ministerof Christian education, and a staff of visitation evangelism workers. Theirguilds and organizations and circles may be so numerous that the head secretaryhas to keep track of them through the card file method.Whatever can people find to do, in a small church? But, like the memberof the big church, the member of the little church can do only one thingat a time. Since the small church lacks the huge paid professional staff, itsLarger Catechism answer No. 78 members find that they are the ones who have to help with the church sup­tells us that repentance unto life is pers, do the secretarial work, assist in the janitorial activities, help with thenot only grief and hatred of sin, but music, teach classes, and participate in visitation evangelism — to say nothingalso "he turns from them all to God,purposing and endeavoring constantlyto walk with him in all ways of newof keeping the wheels running in the organizational work of the church.If the member of the little church is doing his share, he is kept rightbusy in the Lord's work. Yes, thank you, he is kept right busy!December 1, 1965 349

CORRECTIONOnly one prize was given in theCAM oratorial contest. The judges announcedno other ranking, so to mentionsecond and third places was somewhatmistaken. Our summary of theexcellent work done by all three youngpeople needs no correction.S. E. BoyleMRS. D. B. MARTINClara Isabell Wylie Martin wasborn in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, onJanuary 5, 1883. After attendingGeneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania,she was married to the lateRev. D. Bruce Martin, D.D. in October1908. During her life as a minister'swife she labored in Oklahoma, Ohio,Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Kansas. Shespent her last four years in Phoenix,Arizona and went on to be with herLord on September 14, 1965.Surviving her are three daughtersand two sons: Mrs. Isabel Read ofCardiff, South Wales; Mrs. Betty Kilpatrickof Phoenix, Arizona; Mrs.Mary Margaret Dill of Morning Sun,Iowa; the Rev. Melville Martin ofPittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Dr.William O. Martin of Topeka, Kansas.Her husband and one son, D. B. Martin,Jr. preceded her in death.Throughout the years she was afaithful worker in the R.P. Church,the WMS of the Church, and theWCTU. She lived a full life even afterthe onset of her fatal illness. Shewas a faithful witness to the end.Her children agreed to claim the promiseof God that "if two of you shallagree on earth as touching anythingthat they shall ask, it shall be donefor them of my Father which is inheaven," and the prayer was madethat Mrs. Martin would be spared prolongedsuffering. This promise washonored and she was free of pain tothe end."Her children rise up and callher blessed," and her works do followher.Interment was at Sterling, Kansas.EDGAR — ALEXANDERMiss Lois Mary Edgar became thebride of Mr. Bruce R. Alexander in350Church Newsa beautiful candle-light wedding ceremonyon June 12, 1965, in the Re-'fomvjd Presbyterian Church,, NewAlexandria, Pennsylvania. Her fathergave her in marriage and performedthe double-ring ceremony, assisted byDr. S. Bruce Willson, the bridegroom'sformer pastor. Mr. John W.Anderson, Beaver Falls, presided atthe organ and Miss Louise Edgar,Pittsburgh, and Mr. Robert Copeland,Clarinda, Iowa, were the vocalists.The bride is the daughter of Dr.and Mrs. Kermit S. Edgar of NewAlexandria, and the granddaughter ofMrs. Samuel E. Greer, formerly ofPhiladelphia. The parents of the bridegroomare Mr. and Mrs. Gilford Alexander,Cheyenne, Wyoming.Attending the bride were MissNancy Elder of New Alexandria, asmaid of honor; the bride's cousin,Miss Mary Edgar of Pittsburgh; thebridegroom's sister, Miss Sharon Alexander,Cheyenne, Wyoming; MissRuth McKeown, Cambridge, Massachusetts;and Miss Sue Perry, Seattle,Washington, as bridesmaids. LauraLynn Pierce, daughter of Mr. andMrs. James S. Pierce of New Alexandria,was the charming flower girl.James Alexander, of Cheyenne,Wyoming, was his brother's best man.The bride's brother, Keith Edgar,William Finlay, Sparta, Illinois, RobertCopeland, Clarinda, Iowa, andThomas Hutcheson, Beaver Falls, servedas ushers.A lovely reception, under the directionof Mrs. Kenneth D. Lundy, Ligonier,and her sister Mrs. L. C. Smith,Beaver, was held in the educationalroom of the Church, following theceremony.After a short trip to Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio, the newly-weds traveledacross country and took up residencein Laramie, Wyoming.The bride was graduated fromGeneva College in the Class of 1963.Prior to her marriage, she was employedas secretary in the office ofthe Dean of the Medical School atthe University of Washington inSeattle. The groom is a Senior at theUniversity of Wyoming in Laramie.jALLEGHENYSeveral from our congregation attendedthe presbyterial picnic at CampSuncrest on July 14. This was a boosterfor Camp Penn-o-Cove, which washeld near Youngstown, Ohio in August.Allegheny had 15 who attendedthis conference. Rev. Melville Martinwas in charge of the Juniors.The Young Adults met once amonth during the summer for familypicnics, and on September 27, theytoured a new Emergency Unit of St.John's Hospital, followed by refreshmentsat the home of Mr. and Mrs.Don McCracken.On July 25, we had the privilegeof hearing the Rev. Alvin Smith, Jr.,who spoke in the morning serviceabout mission work in Cyprus. Ourpastor was occupying the Rose Pointpulpit that day.Vacation trips have been manyand varied among our congregation.Miss Myrtle Wylie enjoyed a worldtour; Dr. and Mrs. John Edgar andfamily visited both in New York Stateand again in Iowa; the Don McCrackenfamily went to New England inAugust and the George family toCanada and New York State in July;Mr. and Mrs. Jay Wissner and theirfamily had a trip to New York Cityand surrounding areas in August, andMiss Carol Martin spent her vacationin Iowa and Kansas, attending boththe Iowa Conference briefly and ForestPark Conference.We were happy to see Mr. andMrs. Robert Templeton on September5. They are now living in Indianapolis,Indiana.The Blue Banner Club enjoyed atour of Falling Water, the formerhome of Mr. Edgar Kauffman nearOhiopyle, Pennsylvania, on September11.Our high school graduates arebusy in their various fields with thebeginning of school again. Miss MarilynStiver has taken a summer businesscourse and is working with theBell Telephone Co. Miss Linda Bennettis continuing her training innight school and working for an insurancecompany. Miss Janice Martinis a freshman at Geneva College, andMr. Hugh Wissner expects to enterthe service soon. Alan Wissner is asenior at Carnegie Tech.W.M.S. meetings were resumed inSeptember, along with other fall activities.We welcome the Don Robb familywhenever they can worship with us.COVENANTER WITNESS

It is good to have them here in Pittsburghand to enjoy their fellowship.Rev. and Mrs. Melville Martin wentto New York City in September tomeet Mr. Joseph Fleming on his returnfrom a trip to Ireland. Mr. Fleminghas been a visitor for severalweeks, and has gone home to Seattle,Washington.Rally Day on September 26 washighlighted by a fine program in ourSabbath School. Mr. Paul George tolda Bible story complete with his ownillustrations, Mr. Jay Wissner gavean object lesson, and the Rev. KennethSmith had an interesting messagefor us.Mrs. John Edgar is in charge ofthe TNT's (older juniors) this year,and Mrs. Martin leads the youngerjunior group.SHARONSons and daughters of Sharon congregationwho have been visiting inthe home church during the summerhave included: Miss May Allen, fromthe Home; Dr. F. E. Allen, from Winchester;the William L. Berrys fromSt. Joseph, Missouri; the EugeneDavises from Pennsylvania; the AlvinW. Edgars from California; the RobertW. Edgars from Indiana; the SamuelA. Edgars from Milwaukee; the Rev.Richard Hutcheson family, visitinghis parents — Mr. and Mrs. WalterHutcheson; Kenneth and MarjorieMcClurkin and the Jon Fishkornsfrom California; the Moards fromBettendorf; Dr. Margaret Robb fromColorado; Mrs. David Wilson andTamara from Georgia; and Mrs. LeoMurphy from Omaha.Other summer visitors at Sharonhave included: the Dr. Larry Coons,visiting Mrs. Coon's sister, Mrs. T. E.Cummings; Mr. Robert Dill from Sterling;the Dr. M. W. Doughertys fromSterling; the Dr. John O. Edgar familyand Mrs. Briars from Pittsburgh;Mrs. David Fisher from Glenwood; theRobert Greer family from Pennsylvania;Mrs. Don Martin and daughterfrom Pennsylvania; Miss MargueriteMcClellan from Olathe; the AndrewPattons from Orlando; the PatrickPerrones from California, visiting atthe manse; the Dr. J. R. Pattersonsfrom New York; Miss Nancy Ray fromKansas City; the Clayton Robertsonfamily from Texas; the J. Merrill RobbDecember 1, 1965family from Pennsylvania; the DonRobb family from Japan; the KennethSandersons from Cyprus; and the Dr.S. Bruce Willson family from Pittsburgh.No, the "Welcome" mat isn't wornout at all! Come and visit us whenyou are in this part of Iowa!SANTA ANAOur congregation seems to be gettingback to normal with a "potluck"dinner coming up next week, November10. This will be our Thank Offeringmeeting with Mr. and Mrs. KennethSanderson as speakers and guestsof honor. We eagerly await theirmessages and the fellowship withthem.Our V.B.S. this year was in Augustin the middle of the heat wave, whichcut down our attendance, but whatwe lacked in numbers we had inquality. We did it in one week goingfrom 9:00 A.M. to 2:30 PM. Rev. andMrs. Phliip Martin were in charge.Teachers and assistants were Mrs.Martin, Mrs. More, Mrs. Stewart, Mrs.Wylie, Mrs. Robb, Miss Torrens, JaniceKeys, Bruce Martin, Mrs. Gault.Our pastor and wife had to missV.B.S. because his doctor said anoperation was advisable "right away."Dr. McCracken had a pretty bad timewith some complications, but camethrough all right. Dr. McCracken wasjust well on his feet again, when ourMr. Gordon Betts was sent to thehospital for a serious operation. Hehas made a slow-steady recovery. Sowe have had deep concern this summerbut God has answered our prayersfor these and other sick folks, andwe are thankful.Dr. and Mrs. Frank Stewart arepillars of strength in the congregation,teaching, doing missionary work,mimeographing bulletins when ourpastor was absent or ill. Dr. Stewarttakes his turn at preaching when needed,as do also Rev. Philip Martin andRev. John Gault.Mrs. Paul Coleman was a recentvisitor among Santa Ana folks fora short time.On October 30, a tea was hosted byMrs. Reba Benedick in the Santa AnaSocial Room, in honor of the 80thbirthday of her mother, Mrs. Myra A.Hart.Mrs. Hart received many lovelybirthday cards, among them one fromthe Reformed Presbyterian Home,bearing the names of all the folksthere, which made her very happy.Friends from Santa Ana and LosAngeles congregations were guestsalong with several relatives who, happily,were able to be there: Dr. and Mrs.Esmond Smith, Rev. and Mrs. AlvinSmith, Jr., and Wayne Fischer. Theprogram consisted of poetic birthdaygreetings by Mrs. Benedick entitled"Mother," by Mrs. Hart's sister, andby her dear friend, Ethel Torrens, "MyFriend, Mrs. Hart." Mrs. Hart answeredwith a poem entitled "Friends."Mrs. Philip Martin sang "Memories."A quartet composed of Mrs. Martin,Mrs. Wylie, Lewis Keys, and BruceMartin sang Psalm 71. A trio composedof Rev_and Mrs. Alvin Smith,Jr. and Wayne Fischer, sang Psalm 85.Refreshments of punch, coffee, and alarge "Eightieth Birthday" cake concludedthis, happy occasion.OUR FRIENDSWho made us so happy in our tenderyears,Gave understanding and kindnessand quelled all our fears?Those generous people who lovedchildren wellTaught the way to reach Heavenand forgave when we fell?OUR FRIENDSIn life's sunny morning, with its schtime and lessonsWho played with us, prayed for us,were one of life's blessings?Our parents, our guides, our monitorstrueTaught us how we should live, sowe'd have nothing to rue.OUR FRIENDSIn life's happy noontide with childreto rearWho walked with us, counseled us,made our duty clear?In joyous communion, in weal and inwoeWho calmly advised on the rightway to go?OUR FRIENDSWho loved us and blessed us throughout the long years 1Have been with us in gladness, and ieased all our tears?Who taught us the joy of living forothersThat in foul or fair weather, we aresisters and brothers?OUR FRIENDSWhen gray hair and loneliness seemedcoming our wayWho remembered us kindly, andbrightened our day?Who loves in spite of our faults andour sins351

Our queer quirks and traits, ourfoolish, odd whims?OUR FRIENDSWho looks down from above on ourlives here on earthAnd judges with love and mercy,our worth?Who loves with a passionate love tothe end?Our precious Redeemer, our Saviour,OUR FRIENDby Mrs. Myra A. HartOctober 27, 1965SYRACUSE, NEW YORKOur Vacation Bible School washeld for two weeks in August, withour pastor, Rev. E. R. Hemphill, asSuperintendent. These team memberswere a great help: Miss ElizabethHutcheson, daughter of Rev. and Mrs.T. M. Hutcheson of Cyprus, Miss EileenFaris, daughter of Rev. and Mrs.Paul Faris of Sterling, Kansas; MissMary Huston, daughter of Dr. andMrs. Wyatt Huston of Winchester,Kansas.Others helping from our SyracuseChurch were Mrs. Edson Ely, Mrs.Betty Russell, Mrs. E. R. Hemphill,Miss Beth Hemphill, Mrs. Sally Davis,Miss Karen Sova, and Mrs. Betty De-Waard.Our church picnic was held, August14, at the summer home of Elmerand Marion Shaw on Lake Ontario.All present had a wonderful timeand enjoyed the beauty of our surroundings.Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Wright, Rev.Mr. and Mrs. Hemphill, Miss MargaretCrockett, and Mrs. C. D. Murphyenjoyed attending the St. LawrenceCamp over the Labor Day weekend,September 3-6.Our pastor urged us to write Sen.Everett Dirksen, to protest his proposedbill to hold national electionsand others, on the first Sabbath ofNovember. Several answers have beenreceived.Miss Mary Mattison has gone toMarion, Iowa, where she is teachingschool. We miss her very much, butknow she will be a real help in thenew congregation and to the McCrackens.Bruce Hemphill is attending ourSeminary in Pittsburgh. Beth Hemphillis a Junior at Geneva College.Andy Laidlaw is a Freshman at SyracuseUniversity and Alan Hemphill isa second year student at the UpstateMedical School of Syracuse University.Miss Marilyn Harrington, of Hethertoncongregation, is teaching nearSyracuse, and Mrs. Alan Hemphill isteaching in North Syracuse. They attendour church regularly.Rev. Tuisem Shishek of India, representingthe International Students,Inc., spoke at our prayer-meeting onSeptember 22, suggesting how wecan help foreign students in SyracuseUniversity.Our congregation was invited tothe wedding of Miss Marilyn Russellto Lawrence Gary Compeau, on the9th of October in the Walton, R. P.Church. Marilyn has been faithful inattendance at our Syracuse Church,during her training and work as anurse. They will be residing in Watertown.A shower was held for Marilynby Barbara Gould and Joy Russell.A shower was also held for MissGail Robson by Mary Mattison andBarbara Gould, at the Mattison home.Gail was married to Samuel Cali onSeptember 11. They are now living inSchnectady, New York.On October 3, Dr. W. W. Weir, AdministrativeSecretary for NationalReform Association, was our guestspeaker, both morning and evening,while our pastor was absent, assistingat communion in Montclair, New Jersey.Our released time classes havebeen resumed on Tuesday afternoons.Attendance has ranged from 40 atthe first session to 48 at the presenttime. Rev. Hemphill is Superintendentand he has had the followinghelpers: Mrs. Sally Davis, Mrs. BettyDeWaard, and Mrs. Louise Murphy.Miss Alice Pack, a new member atour Home in Pittsburgh, spent sometime as a guest of Mrs. C. D. Murphy,visiting our church and friends inSyracuse.We were glad to have Dr. S. E.Boyle as our assistant at Communionservices, held October 17. He broughtthe messages on Thursday and Fridayevenings and twice on the Sabbath.The W. M. S. Thank Offering meetingwas held October 22 at our church.Mrs. John Russell was program chairman.The guest speaker was Rev. DonaldI. Robb, on furlough from Japan.He showed pictures and gave a challengingmessage. A young people'schoir sang several Psalms. A socialhour, with refreshments followed.On October 24, Mr. Charles Mc­Burney, representing Geneva College,brought the message on "Means ofGrace," a Psalm-Illumination. Wewere glad that Mrs. McBurney camealong, too.On Wednesday evening, October27, several of our members met at thechurch for prayer, and, after being assignedto certain homes, went out onvisitation work.Miss Margaret Crockett and Mrs.C. D. Murphy were in Beaver Falls,visiting the family of Murdick (Pat)Murphy, when Mr. Murphy, who hadbeen ill for some time, died on Sabbath,October 31. He was buried onNovember 2. Mr. Murphy had lived inSyracuse for some time, before hemoved to Beaver Falls, to attendGeneva College, and from that time,has made his home there. The workin Eastvale has been his major interest.Mr. and Mrs. Philip Wicks, Jr. arethe proud parents of a son, KennethFrederick, born July 5, 1965.The second son of Mr. and Mrs.Philip Wicks, Sr., Douglas Wicks andCarol Ann Wuzela were married onOctober 29.Mr. William Pinkerton, who hadbeen inill health for some time, diedon October 30. The funeral service wasconducted by his pastor. Rev. E. R.Hemphill. Burial was in Preble, NewYork.We are glad to have Mr. PhilipShafer from our Coldenham congregation,attending our church regularly,while taking graduate work atSyracuse University.352 COVENANTER WITNESS

PITTSBURGHCovenanter WitnessTO JESUS CHCRJCST"THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONS"VOLUME LXXV NO. 23ddjfdDECEMBER 8, 1965.-!-"' ".STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 2, 1966TRINITY OF LOVEby Edna Janes KayserTrue love is like a perfect gardenCompletely filled with vivid blooms,A haven for the heart foreverEmitting rare and pure perfumes.It is a oneness found in JesusWhen two hearts blend in perfect trust,When each shall lay aside all othersAbove all wanderings and lust!It is a trinity of wonder —A lovely, blessed three in one,If two Joves snugly tucked in JesusWith joy and gladness just begun.True love is like the love of JesusIt brings a rest beyond compare,A peace thatfills the heart with solaceAs comforting as evening prayer.For true whispers deep assuranceThat Christ can be a part of this —A trinity of hearts togetherIn loveliness and holy bliss.

THE COVENANTER WITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.EVAN9CUCAL PRISS ASSOCIATIONEditor: Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D.D.125 N. 4th StreetSterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under the supervision of theBoard of Publication by The Patterson Press, Wapello,Iowa 52653.Contributing Editors:Rev. Kenneth SmithDr. G. M. RobbRev. T. R. HutchesonDepartment Editors:Rev. Bruce C. StewartMrs. Robert B. MaineMrs. Willis EdgarRev. John K. GaultOpinions expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Church or the editor.All material to appear in The Covenanter Witnessshould be typewritten, double-spaced, and should be inSterling, Kansas two weeks before it is to be printed.Obituaries —• All words in excess of one hundred fifty,one cent per word. Money should accompany such notices.SUBSCRIPTION RATESIndividual (1 year): U.S. and Canada, $4.00, BritishIsles 35/-, all other places, $5.00;Individual (2 year): U.S. and Canada, $7.00, BritishIsles 63/-, all other places, $9.00;Group: U.S. and Canada, $3.00, British Isles 28/-, allother places, $4.00.9-month student subscription — $1.50; 5-month introductoryoffer — $1.00; 2 gift subscriptions to persons outsideof the R.P. Church — $2.00 each. Single copies, 10ceach.Subscription Agent for U.S. and Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.Subscription Agent for the British Isles: Rev. HughWright, B. A., 12, Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, NorthernIreland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness in U. S. currency.Give one month's notice of a change of address. Sendboth the new and the old address to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty.Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, Iowa.WE HOLD THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only infalliblerule of faith and conduct.The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experience.The Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Holy Spirit.The fact of death and hell as the destiny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believein Him together with their children.The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church Government.The Lord Jesus Christ as the only King and Head of His Church.That terms of membership or communion are essential to thewelfare of the Church.INTRAIN UP A CHILD .SCRIPTURE READINGCHILD'S STORY BIBLE SERIESCan your child say with the Psalmist, "His delightis in the law of the Lord?" These two readers in theStory Bible Series are designed to help a youngster beginhaving daily devotions. Both the Old and New Testamentsare included in each reader. Questions and remarksare given to emphasize certain points. Thesereaders correspond with Vos's Child's Story Bible to correlatewith each chapter.Other readers also available:The Chronological Reader — through the Bible inone year.Scripture Union Notes — for children 8-11 includingCard with readings and Notes booklet.Adult Bible Reader 1, 2, and 3 — A reading/studyguide designed to complete reading the Bible inthree years.Contact your Pastor, Church School Superintendent,or Class Teacher so every member of your family can besystematically reading the Scripture in 1966.Materials above supplied by —Reformed Presbyterian Board of Christian Education7437 Penfield Court, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15208.This Week's WitnessThe Preacher Takes A Tour . . .The Three R's of RenewalSeniors, Teaching and ServantsEnough and To Spare ... .Beecher Farm MysteryLesson HelpsScribeChurch News .Universal Week of Prayer355356359361362363365366368The duty which rests upon officers to maintain discipline andpreserve the purity of the Church.Spiritual worship as a divine requirement mediated through theLord Jesus Christ.The exclusive use of the Psalms in the worship of the Church.The Protestant interpretation of the Sacraments.The divine right of the institution of Marriage and that it is notto be dissolved except by adultery or "irremediable" desertion.The Sabbath as a day sacred to rest and worship.The duty of nations and their civil rulers to honor Christ asKing of Kings and Lord of Lords.That Christian citizens are under obligation to obey lawful authority.The right and duty of the Christian citizen to dissent from allgovernmental and national disobedience to the Law of God.That the Covenants of the past are still binding.From "The Communicant's Class" by J. B. Tweed354 COVENANTER WITNESS

EditorialCommentTHE PREACHER TAKES A TOURHave you ever gone with a group on a conductedtour of some factory? Things were brought to yourattention about the products there which were newto you. Now you are better able to understand thework, skill, and patience that are required to producesomething that perhaps you thought did notamount to very much.One day God said to Jeremiah, "Go down to thepotter's house, and there I will cause thee to hearmy words." So Jeremiah took a conducted tour ofthe potter's house, led by God. Now Jeremiah hadgreat faith in God. He also had great love for hisnation; all the prophets were patriots. I am surethat in spite of all this Jeremiah wondered at God'sdealings with Judah, for he could not understandall the ways that God worked.He watched the potter at his work. The potterpicked up a lump of clay that was moist enoughto be pliable and yet firm enough to keep its shape.The clay was put on a flat table that had a roundtop. This top was turned round and round by atreadle. As the clay turned around, the hands ofthe potter molded it into a shapely vessel.Should the vessel not seem proper for its intendeduse, the potter squeezed it together with hishands into a shapeless lump again. On to the spinningwheel it went. This time he shaped the vesselto suit him. There it stands, its lovely, gracefulshape testifying to the skill and patience of itsloving maker.This process was to show Jeremiah the waythat God works with men and nations, and withthe kingdom of Judah in particular. Within a fewyears God will permit Babylon to carry away intocaptivity thousands of Judah because of their sinfulways. For seventy years they will be chastened bybondage in a foreign land.God is unchanging; He is always the skillfulpotter. How often we hear of men who are as we areby nature, useless vessels, made unshapely by sin,taken hold of by the almighty hand of God. Withfirmness and gentleness this bit of human clay ispressed and compressed until it finally yields toDecember 8, 1965His will.For many years a person may seem to go hisown way unhindered. He may know and be knownby the church, but he seems to be fruitless. He isa detractor, not a builder. Then suddenly a crashingblow may befall him. It may be disappointment,illness, sorrow, or some other thing; God hasmany ways of bringing these vessels to His wheel.Under the turning wheels of providence and thewisely directed pressures, the person is reshapen intoa new vessel, one that proclaims by word anddeed the matchless glory of his Maker.THE POTTERJeremiah 18:1-4He chose the clay with greatest careAnd placed it carefully upon the wheel.With fingers deft He shaped the lump;He hoped thatit would be a vessel rare.With heart intent, did he, the potter standBefore the spinning wheel for hour on hour.He fixed uponit heart and mind,While skill of ages issued from his hand.Deep in his heart there lay a great desireTo build a vessel firm and strongTo serve some needy soul, aloneAnd lonely, and with joy attire.But as he looked upon the shapen clay,A look of sorrow spread across his face.There was a flaw! He pressedit downInto a shapeless mass, — but not to stay.Again he fashioned it with care and skillInto a vessel, different from the first.Its lines were long and graceful; now'Tis fitted to go out and do its maker's will.So we, unsightly vessels of the earthAre placed upon God's wheel, whereLong and hard, with patience, He remoldsOur shapeless mass, to vessels new, of worth.Unpleasant it may be to yieldTo turns and pressures of His hand;But He knows best the way to makeUs fit for service in His field.M. W. D.355

The Three "R"s Of RenewalRev. D. Howard Elliott, D.D.Retiring Moderator's sermon published by request of Midwest Presbytery.The word renewal is often used in ProtestantChurch circles today. It expresses both a confessionthat all is not well, and a hope that the Churchmay become better fitted to do the work of theLord. In the past, the more commonly used wordto refer to much the same thing was revival. Yetthe word renew is used just as often in the Bibleas the word revive. Consider such verses as "Createin me a clean heart, O God, and renew a rightspirit within me." Psalm 51:10. "They that waitupon the Lord shall renew their strength ..." Isaiah40:31. "And be not conformed to this world but beye transformed by the renewing of your mind..."Romans 12:2.Many articles are appearing these days in Christianmagazines on the subject of renewal. Currentlythere is running quite a series of articles on renewalin the United Evangelical Action magazine.We ask ourselves, do we need renewal as achurch? "And all the people said, Amen." Then letus consider the subject of COVENANTER RENEW­AL.For an example of renewal we turn to II Chronicles30:13-15:"And there assembled at Jerusalem much peopleto keep the feast of unleavened bread inthe second month, a very great congregation.And they arose and took away the altars thatwere in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incensetook they away, and cast them into thebrook Kidron. Then they killed the passover onthe fourteenth day of the second month: andthe priests and the Levites were ashamed, andsanctified themselves, and brought in theburnt offerings into the house of the Lord."In these words we can see three basics of renewal.The Three "R"s Of RenewalThese three are Ratify, Rectify, Revivify. KingHezekiah called Israel to observe the Feast of UnleavenedBread, which was the feast that immediatelyfollowed the observance of the Passover. Bythis observance they were sanctioning anew the factof God's redemption of His people from the landof Egypt. They were ratifying the truth. Also theywere rectifying the trends by removing the unsanctionedaltars of worship from Jerusalem. Andthey were revivifying the team when the priestsand Levites sanctified themselves.Ratify The TruthRenewal begins with the ratification of thetruth. This was the way the Reformation began.Men of faith went back to the basics of truth asthey found them in the Word of God.By a ratifying of the truth we do not mean are-phrasing or modifying of our theological position,which is being done by the United PresbyterianChurch in its new confession of 1967. Over theyears, many other churches have also been doingthis in practice, if not by formal procedure, untilhberahsm has all but erased the historic stands ofmany old-line Protestant denominations. Thiswatering-down of belief is called by those involvedan up-grading of theological concepts as they relateto our modern day, but to us it is a down-gradingof Bibhcal truth.How do we ratify the truth? Suggested here isanother trio of "R"s. First, ratify the truth by a Reconfirmationof the Gospel. Declare again that theBible is the inspired Word of God, the only infalliblerule of faith and practice; that Jesus Christ isthe eternal Son of God, the only redeemer of men;that we beheve in Him and accept Him as ourSaviour and Lord.We do this in effect when we observe the Lord'sSupper on the basis of our Terms of Communion.The practice of reviewing and re-accepting of theTerms of Communion may be a bit rusty since wedo it only twice a year. It might be well to havesomething more often to remind us of basic truth.Some other churches ratify the truth by a regularrecitation of the Apostles Creed. Perhaps we couldteach our people the Apostles Creed, or encouragememorization of our Terms of Communion. Withthis in view, would it help if the Terms of Communionwere re-written? Or possibly a "CovenanterCreed" could be prepared for memorizing. Howeverit is done, the emphasis must always be on the preeminenceand centrahty of Jesus Christ.Second, ratify the truth by a Re-education in theSystem of Doctrine. How can we ratify what we donot know? In this day of watered-down creeds andbeliefs based on the lowest common denominator, are-emphasis of the Reformed Faith is more necessarythan ever. A good time to start such a programis on Reformation Sabbath, October 31, the 448th356 COVENANTER WITNESS

anniversary of Martin Luther's posting of his ninetyfiveTheses. How often or how recently have youread or studied the Westminister Confession ofFaith, the Catechisms, or the Declaration and Testimonyof the Reformed Presbyterian Church?Third, ratify the truth by a Review of the Applicationsof these truths. Bibhcal truth is absoluteand will stand forever. We do not believe in whathas been called "relative truth." Yet surely we knowthat society does change, times are different. Wemust study carefully the times as well as Scripturaltruth in order to determine our attitudes andpractices. To this end Synod each year has a committeeto review and re-apply some one of our distinctiveprinciples. This is fine as far as it goes,but surely it is inadequate in itself. How often dothese reports get down to the Christian in the pew?There are other areas of practical truth that weneglect, surely we need continual studies and emphasesin the areas of honesty, truthfulness, Sabbathkeeping, race relations, morality, etc.We call ourselves Covenanters because ourchurch has emphasized the making of covenants.What were these except a ratifying of the truth.Therefore consider this proposal; that in order tofurther ratify the truth, we prepare and sign a newcovenant as a church. What better time is there todo this than at a national conference? And since itis now probably too late to prepare this for nextyear, let us set the year 1970 as the time and ournational conference as the place of covenant renewal.By that time it will have been sixteen yearssince we made our last covenant, and since thattime a whole new generation has come to the fore.Rectify The TrendsThe second "R" in Covenanter Renewal is Rectifythe Trends. To rectify means to make right, tocorrect. In Hezekiah's time, the rectifying they didshowed itself in their removal of the altars fromJerusalem.In our church, some trends distress us, especiallythose in membership and leadership. In order torectify these trends we will need first to Reverse thetrends in membership. To reverse the trends of adwindling membership requires some majorchanges. We know that the Lord has everything todo with these things, but from a purely humanviewpoint, it appears that at least three drasticchanges are needed.(A) We need to change from introvert to extrovertcongregations. Congregations have personalities,and we must admit that most of ours are soingrown that it is quite a feat for an outsider toreally break into the inner-sanctum of fellowship.The inter-relationships almost make some congte-.December 8, 1965gations largely family affairs. Israel and the earlychurch had this problem. Not until they got theview that other peoples were to be included in thefamily of God did others begin to be accepted andthe church grow. The art of including others hasyet to be mastered by our congregations. Such achange of personality can come only by dehberate,prayerful effort.(B) We need to change our emphasis from concernto conversion. It is not enough to be concernedabout others, we must seek for conversions. Timemagazine for May 14, 1965 reports that ProtestantChurch trends are in the direction from conversionto concern. In other words, it is not conversion thatthe church is after, but just a show of concern forthe world. This is the new type of evangehsm thatdoes not go for prayer and revival meetings, but forsocial groups and Christian coffeehouses. This istypified by the meeting of the National Council ofChurches' Commission on Evangelism where thetime was spent discussing race relations and experimentalministeries that seek to serve men ratherthan convert them.In the past we as a church have been more inthe group of the concerned than among those pushingfor conversion. This trend must be reversed ifour membership figures are to change. And surelywe are moving in that direction through the leadershipof our Board of Evangehsm.(C) We need to change from the attitude of"status quo" to that of "status go." The word "go"is coming into new play as we copy "space talk" andthat of restless youth. "Go, go, go" describes movement,enthusaism, and competitive contest.Too long our church has been a spectator ratherthan a competitor in the race for souls. Jude says,"I . .. exhort you that ye should earnestly contendfor the faith ..." What constitutes a "going concern,"as far as the Christian Church is concerned,is a big subject in itself. Study it for yourself.Second, to rectify the trends, we will need toRemodel the trends in leadership. Why do we havecongregations without pastors, and have to closedown the Kentucky Mission and the West MonroeStreet Mission in Phoenix? Why are we so hamperedin starting new work and congregations? Theanswer is manpower! Leadership is lacking! In thechurch we are playing a sanctified game of "Wink."This is the game where young ladies sit on chairsin a circle with young men behind them. The youngman behind an empty chair will wink at one of theyoung ladies and she is supposed to make a dashfor his chair, but she may not go if the one behindher can tap her on the shoulder before she getsaway. Congregations are having to operate this357

way with their pastors. The only relief for playinggames is more manpower for our pulpits. And howis this done? Here again is suggested a trio of "R's."(A) Recruitment — The deliberate drawing ofstudents into our Theological Seminary and MissionaryCandidate courses is essential. This is thebusiness of pastors, congregations, and parents.Dr. R. S. Candlish of Scotland in 1843, while appealingfor the founding of New College in Edinburgh,said:"We are to expect no miracle, no baring of theLord's arm in any unusual manner — that is,without the use of means. Let us then see whatare the sources of the supply of labourers onwhich we may depend . . . The first and chiefof these ... is the piety of Christian parentsand the early devotion of Christian youth tothe cause of the Lord. On this point I thinkthat parents in our congregations and theyoung need to be reminded of their obligations,and it were well if ministers more habituallypressed on the attention of their congregationsthe duty of parents to devote their childrento the work of the ministry, even in their earlyinfancy, and the duty of the pious amongthe youth of the land to devote themselvesearly to this sacred work."(B) Replacement — We need a faster means ofgetting pastors and missionaries into the fieldswhere they are needed. Many congregations havegone for months, even years without pastoral leadership.A speeding up of the call and answer systemis needed and a more unified understanding of theway calls are to be handled is essential.(C) Remuneration — Jesus said, "For ye havethe poor always with you..." He may have beenreferring to those in church occupations. The problemof financial support for church workers mayalways be with us, but still we must struggle withit as an important item in the manpower issue.Seventy-five per cent of our pastors are now supplementingtheir incomes from other sources.We have not explored or practiced Christianstewardship in our church as some other churcheshave. Here is a field that we need to further cultivate.Of course our congregations are small andtheir abilities hmited, but the Lord's resources areunhmited and He says, "Ask and it shall be givenunto you, seek and ye shall find ..."Covenanter pastors in Ireland almost all receivemore income than that which is paid them by theircongregations. Endowment funds for the wholechurch help to supply ministers' income. Who ofour members in America would like to set up atrust fund out of which all pastors would receive asupplement each year? A million dollar endowmentcould pay each pastor almost a thousand dollarssupplement each year.It is not hard to raise problems and more havebeen mentioned than can be handled by our normalprocesses for years to come. Then why not handlesome of these things outside of the noraml processes?Here is one concrete proposal to helprectify the trends — hold our own EcumenicalCouncil. The Roman Cathohc Church has beendealing with some of their problems by these specialecumenical sessions. We have our Synod meetingeach year, but all of us know that we cannot handlesuch issues with any satisfaction in a normalSynod. Why not hold a specially called CovenanterCouncil to meet in the summer or fall of 1967 fortwo weeks or even a month if necessary. This wouldnot be a legislative body, for Synod is that. But itcould be a pre-digestive session at which theremight be a broader representation including deacons,women, young people, or others.Revivify The TeamThe third "R" in Covenanter Renewal is Revivifythe Team. This means to put hfe, enthusiasm, zealinto the people. The Pepsi Cola song blars forthregularly over the air, "Come alive ..." This iswhat we mean.In II Chronicles 30:15 it says that the "priestsand Levites were ashamed and sanctified themselves..." They began to come ahve to their positionsand responsibilities.How do we go about revivifying the team? Hereare five more "R"s suggested.First, Review the facts. This has reference notto doctrinal truth, but to local church conditions.Consider the assets and liabilities. Look honestly atthem. And let each member of the church lookhonestly at himself. Lay these things out in blackand white before you and the Lord.Second, Realize the sin. You can count on it,there is sin involved. There can be no renewal, noblessing spiritually without first dealing with sin.Confession and repentance precede cleansing fromsin. I John 1:9 and Psalm 51:10. This is the messagethat both Christ and John the Baptist used tostart the processes of renewal.Third, Revive the heart. Put Jesus Christ in Hisproper place in the heart, then revival is evident.When Christ is central, enthroned in the heart,then Christ radiates from the life as a powerfultestimony to the world. Revival is accomplished bythe Lord, yet we can do this much: "They that waitupon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shallmount up with wings as eagles, they shall run andnot be weary, they shall walk and not faint."358 COVENANTER WITNESS

Fourth, Rekindle the zeal, stir up the enthusiasm."Stir up the gift of God which is in thee ..."II Timothy 1:6. "I think it meet ... to stir you upby putting you in remembrance." II Peter 1:13.Every team needs to have its pep talks, to be stirredup to new vigor. Even one person with enthusiasmmay do much to kindle zeal, for it is contagious.Fifth, Redeem the time. "See then that ye walk... as wise, redeeming the time because the daysare evil." Ephesians 5:16. Get at it, get to work!Jesus said, "1 must work the works of him that sentme while it is day: the night cometh when no mancan work." John 9:4. Clouds of darkness and nightare descending over our society. With the blackeningof the picture and the time getting shorter andshorter, we must be about our Master's businesslest we be forced to join in the agonizing wail "Toolate! Too late!"Therefore the challenge goes forth to every congregationto consider carefully the establishment ofa program of revivification. Nothing ventured,nothing gained! No prayers, no answers! No goals,no victories! No labors, no achievements! "Now untohim that is able to do exceeding abundantly aboveall that we ask or think, according to the powerthat worketh in us, unto him be glory in the churchby Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world withoutend. Amen." Ephesians 3:20, 21IDEAS AT WORKSeniors, Teaching, and "Servants"by John"Would you teach the senior high class for a fewweeks while the regular teacher is away?" There'sa tough assignment! No behavior problems, ofcourse — senior highs are far beyond that stage —but spiritual problems, communication problems?Yes, indeed!High school students today are under intensepressure, both academic and social; pressure thatseems almost incredible to those of us who only afew short years ago were high school studentsourselves. High school hfe has changed and ischanging fast, and through the barrier that changeerects, the Church school must in one short hourcompete for attention, interest, and commitmentwith a week of professional material, professionallypresented and oriented more or less directly towardpreparation for a world which has no time for JesusChrist.In this situation the dull repetition of oft-heard"Bible stories" falls on ears deafened not by moralperversity but by the seeming remoteness of Churchschool from the real world where the Senior Highstruggles for purpose, identity, and self-control. Inthis situation the Church school teacher needs help,primarily of course from God the Holy Spirit workingin his own heart and mind, but also from theHoly Spirit's work in the Senior Highs and in thosewho prepare the lesson materials.I found that the materials pubhshed by GreatCommission Pubhcations gave the help that aDecember 8, 1Schaeferteacher needs to interest and to challenge SeniorHighs. Attractively printed, flexibly presented,spiritually conceived, these lessons are written inlanguage that the Church school student understandsand to which he responds. They speak ofsituations which are part of his own experience,applying Scripture truths in an uncompromisingand yet winning way.The printed manuals are intended as helpersin unlocking the riches of God's Word, demonstratingto both student and teacher that this Worddoes contain God's answer to the questions and problemsof hfe. The student's manual discusses theselected Scripture passage, giving background, suggestingapplications, raising questions, proposingsolutions. It is well-written and well-illustrated (adiscussion of Christian separation — unequal yoking— is illustrated by a "photograph" of an airplanewith two jet engines on one wing and twoprop engines on the other). The teacher's manualsuggests questions to be discussed, gives answers,lists references, supplies methods and proceduresfor individual lessons, and discusses overall objectivesfor groups of lessons.Often hypothetical situations are proposed andthe students are invited to suggest and evaluateresponses to these situations. The situations areplausible and instructive, and challenge the studentto investigate his own patterns of response. On severaloccasions lively discussions developed among359

the members of the class as to the proper responsein the light of Scriptural teaching. In a lesson concernedwith the Christian at work, a situation wasproposed in which a worker's over-concern with"witnessing' resulted in poor performance on thejob and a threat of dismissal. The worker in questionregarded this as "persecution." In the ensuingdiscussion the ideas of work as a God-given responsibility,satisfactory work as a part of one's totalwitness, personal abilities and temperament as afactor in work and witness, and God's direction invocational choice were introduced by the SeniorHighs without suggestion (or even participation) bythe teacher.One of the most important aspects of the seniorhigh curriculum is its criticism of our currentsociety in the hght of God's Revelation. Does the"family that prays together" stay together, and if so,what is the true cause of this effect? What is heresy,and what should be our attitude toward it? "Newmorality" or plain old sin? — These and otherquestions lead student and teacher to evaluate theattitudes which they have absorbed from the world.The Great Commission materials challenge thestudent to deep thought, showing that doctrinedetermines practice. In fact, these manuals havebeen so challenging and so well received in theNorth Hills congregation that it is planned to usethem for an adult elective course in the fall quarter.The materials encourage the student to participate,to share his problems and to seek the truth fromthe Word. They enable vital communication to beestabhshed quickly between student and teacher(even a substitute teacher). The flexible format allowsthe teacher to concentrate on the problemswhich are real and current in the students' hves,while the topics and the method of presentationchallenge the student to recognize his own personalproblems. In the words of a teacher's manual, "Asthe teacher, you know best the needs of your ownclass. You are to lead them in studying God's truth.These printed materials are not your masters butyour servants." I found them good and faithfulservants.About the Writer: Mr. Schaefer teaches Physat Geneva College, while maintaining membeship and responsibilities in the North Hi(Pittsburgh) congregation. A graduate of M.he is nearing completion of his Doctoral pgram at Carnegie Tech.REFORMED ECUMENICAL CONFERENCE IN1966 WILL STRESS PREEMINENCE OF CHRISTAND NEED OF SELF-CRITICISM"In all things, including ecumenical action,Christ must have the preeminence." So stated Dr.Paul G. Schrotenboer, General Secretary of the ReformedEcumenical Synod, in describing the themeof the R.E.S. Regional Conference for July 26-28,1966 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.Under the general theme, Christ or Chaos!, theConference will show that Christ is the Power ofthe gospel, the Head of the church, the Key tounity, the Hope of the world."Chaos is the only alternative to Christ," Dr.Schrotenboer stated. "Apart from him the world islost, the churches are confused and our age is disillusioned.Christ alone is the answer. This we shallhumbly and boldly proclaim.""Lest we give the false impression," the GeneralSecretary also explained, "that all Reformedchurches are already fully united in the proclamationof Christ, the conference will also face thenettlesome issues which separate Reformedchurches. Christ is the critic (kritikos) of His church;our differences must be tested by His Word."Speakers at the conference will be Dr. Joel Nederhood,Radio Minister of the Back to God Hour;Prof. Edmund P. Clowney, acting President of360Westminster Theological Seminary; Dr. G. AikenTaylor, editor of the Presbyterian Journal; and DrJohn W. Sanderson, Dean of Covenant College.The second day of the conference will featurea panel discussion under the theme: "Christ theCritic of His Church: testing our differences by HisWord." The moderator will be Prof. Bruce Willson ofthe Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary.Others on the panel will be Johannes G. Vos, GordonJ. Spykman, Edmund P. Clowney, and Jeromede Jong.The conference will provide an atmosphere andsetting in which participants can reflect upon theabiding task of the church: the proclamation of theGospel. Participation will be open to all. The siteof the conference is the new beautiful 'KnollcrestCampus' of Calvin College.ENOUGH . . . from page 361you so much: I can give you no more." God's wayis, "I have given you so much: I am bound to givemore." Sometimes it seems that hfe is just one thingafter another. But so is the grace of God! TakeHis promises in all their fullness, for you will neverfind God taken short: there are always remnants ofHis grace left over for our using. "All things areyours; whether the world, or life or death — all areyours, and ye are Christ's and Christ is God's."COVENANTER WITNESS

OurYouthENOUGH AND TO SPAREBy Rev. Hugh J. Blair, M.A., Ph.D.After the feeding of the five thousand, we aretold, Christ said unto His disciples, "Gather up thefragments that remain, that nothing be lost." I hadalways thought that the main lesson taught by thatcommand was, "Waste not, want not." Food for themultitude had been miraculously provided: but thatdid not mean that it was to be squandered recklessly.The crowd, it seemed to me, was being wastefuland extravagant. What comes easily goes easily,and the green slopes by the Lake of Galilee werebeing littered with pieces that the crowd had thrownaway. And so to rebuke their sinful waste Christcommanded the disciples, "Gather up the fragmentsthat remain, that nothing be lost." That is a salutarylesson for us to learn, but I find on lookingmore carefully into the passage in John 6 that it isnot primarily the lesson taught by Christ there.For the 'fragments' were not the bits and piecesleft by the wasteful crowd — that would have beenan unthinkable extravagance for a Jew — but ratherthe pieces broken up for distribution and notused. The lesson is a far deeper one than "Wastenot, want not." It is the lesson of a divine liberalitythat provides more than enough for all. No matterhow much of God's bounty we use, there is still anabundant supply left.There are two lessons for us in this commandof Christ — (i) a warning that a blessing may belost; and (ii) a promise of Divine resources beyondall our taking.I. The Wastefulness of Man's Taking.Christ gave a warning that the blessing of thatday of miraculous provision might be lost. How?By failing to gather it up and use it. Things lost onthe railway sometimes find their way to the LostProperty Office. But they are never really lost unlessthere is no one to claim them. Spiritual blessingis lost only when we fail to take what is there forthe taking. It can happen with the Bible. Speakingof hearing the word of God, Christ gave a warningthat "unto him that hath shall be given, and heshall have abundance. And from him that hath notshall be taken away even that which he hath." Inother words, use the Bible, and you will find moreand more in it: fail to use it, and the time willcome when you will get nothing out of it. I wasstruck once by a newspaper heading — FlightlessDecember 8, 1965bird flies 13,000 miles. It was a kiwi, but the onlyway it flew the 13,000 miles from Auckland Zooto London Zoo was by plane; for long ago the kiwilost the power of flight because it ceased to fly. Itcan happen with prayer. If we do not pray we maylose the power to pray.That kind of loss can happen, too, by failingto translate worship into action. A primitive tribein Africa was once given the gift of a plough toassist their very ineffective agriculture. But insteadof using it they set it up as an object of worship,and its value was lost. Christ's challengecomes to us, "Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and donot the things which I say?" A worship and pietywhich do not find their way into action are as uselessas a plough set up upon an altar.Christ's blessing can be lost, further, by takingonly what we want and leaving the rest, as thecrowd did that day by the Lake of Galilee. SamuelRutherford once warned against taking a half-Christ— taking His benefits but refusing His commands."Christ and His truth," he wrote, "will not divide;and His truth hath not latitude and breadth that yemay take some of it and leave other some of it."We lose the supreme blessing of His teaching andHis grace if we try to take only what suits us andleave the rest.II. The Wealth of God's Giving.The unused fragments after the feeding of thefive thousand not only show us how blessing mightbe lost; they show us, too, the wealth of God's giving.I remember hearing of two httle boys who werearguing about which of them had the more brains,and they proposed different tests to decide thequestion. Then one of them made this devastatingclaim: "I've got brains that I have never used!" Hemay have been right or not, but at least he had theright idea of abundance. It means having resourcesbeyond your immediate need. That was the featureof the wealth in his father's house that appealedto the starving prodigal — "bread enoughand to spare," the very word used in Christ's command— "Gather up the fragments that are tospare ..." God has more in hand than we haveever used. No matter how much He has given us,there is more left to give. "He that spared not Hisown Son ... how shall He not with Him also freelygive us all things?" Man's way is, "I have givenSee page 360361

A STORY FORThe Beecher Farm Mystery JUN| 0 R HIGHSMrs. George (Jean L.) McFarland(Continued from last week)Jerry saw her coming across tne pasture andran to meet her. "What happened to you, Becky?"he asked. "Why did you go off without telling anyonewhere you were going?"Becky was so relieved and tired and excited, allat the same time, that it was a while before she couldsay a word. But as they went across the pasture shefinally explained what she had done and what hadhappened. They were still talking about it whenthey reached home and then she had to tell thestory all over again.When she had finished her story, Dad said,"We'll have to report the case to some authority ifa child is hving there in that condition. Barney,after the chores are done and supper over, if you'lldrive me over to Ruth Anderson's home, I'm sureshe will know the welfare people."Part 8It was late at night before Dad got back, butnone of the family could go to sleep until he cameand told them the news. The pohce had gone to theshack and found the man and child as Becky hadsaid. They took them both into town for the night."The man told a sad story," said Dad. "He saidhis wife had died and he with his child started outin an old car looking for work. The baby got sickand wouldn't eat; then the car broke down andhe carried the baby for miles. When he saw the oldshanty with some broken down furniture in it, hethought he'd stay a while until the baby was better.He admitted, because he had very little money, he'dstolen some fruit and vegetables around the neighborhoodand he had gotten some milk from ourJersey cow in the pasture. I'm sure he didn't take ourmoney or he would have spent more around townand had more stuff in the shanty. Becky, don't evertry to play detective by yourself again; it might notturn out so well the next time. The man had tiedthe child to the cot when he left the place so itwouldn't get hurt or lost.""And now," added Dad,"it's time we all go to bed."A few weeks later Ruth Anderson stopped atthe Beecher farm and told them more about the manand his boy."A farmer has hired the man for the summer,"she announced, "and Francis, or Frankie, as hisfather calls him, is placed in a foster home wherehe'll get good care. I'm sure he will soon be welland quite a different child."That evening after Ruth was gone, Aunt Tabitha,sitting in a rocking chair, laid aside her sewing andannounced that she was going home the next day."I've got you back on your feet, Tom," she saidin her usual brisk way, "and now Til have to gohome and clean and air my house and get somework done before winter.""You've been a big help to us," answered Tom;"I don't know how we would have managed withoutyou. Maybe we can help you sometime."All unexpectedly Beth ran across the room andflung herself on her aunt. "Oh, Aunt Tabitha," shecried,"don't leave us, we love you.""There, there, child," said Aunt Tabitha, raisinghurriedly, "you'll soon forget your old aunt."But Becky noticed a tear drop from her cheek asshe hurried to the kitchen. Becky followed andfound Aunt Tabitha wiping her eyes with the cornerof her apron."We will miss you," Becky said, "and we hopeyou can come back to visit us soon.""Don't worry," said Aunt Tabitha, her old selfagain, "I'll come back. A bad penny always returns."The next morning the whole family helped AuntTabitha load all her belongings into her old car,Trudy, and waved her good-by, as she took off witha jerk and a sputter."I fell hke I'm really well now," said Dad, "withAunt Tabitha gone, it's up to us to take care ofourselves."The rest of the summer passed quickly, the haywas in the barn, the grain combined and stored. Theyoung pullets were almost grown-up and would soonbe ready to lay eggs. One day Dad declared it wastime the Beecher family took a day off to go on apicnic."Hooray," shouted Jerry, tossing his hat intothe air.The girls were equally glad and began to makeplans for a big day. "May we ask Ruth to go along?"begged Janet. "It's always more fun when she iswith us.""That's a good idea," answered Dad, "we candrive past for her if she can spare the time."362 COVENANTER WITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of January 2, 1966Sabbath School Lessonfor January 2, 1966WHAT CHRISTIANS BELIEVEUnit 1 — Beliefs. The Nature of Belief.Comments by John K. Gault1: Belief in the Sufficiency ofChrist's Word. Matt. 8:5-13.This thought is presented to us inthe healing of the centurion's servant.As Jesus entered into Capernaum acenturion came to Him and besoughtHim to heal his servant who was lyingat home in a paralyzed condition.Now, the centurion was a Gentile anda Roman officer in charge of a garrisonof one hundred soldiers.Jesus said, "I will come and healhim." Upon this the centurion saidthat he was unworthy for Christ tocome into his house. Being a highranking Roman officer, the centurionwould have a nice dwelling. He wouldnot be living in a dirty garret ofwhich he would have reason to beashamed. He was thinking of his personalunworthiness. Even though hewas a great man in authority andcould order his servants to do this orthat, he indicated that the authorityof Christ was far greater and Hecould "speak a word only, and his servantwould be healed."There were some who thought thatJesus must touch the afflicted personin order to accomplish the healing.But the centurion showed superiorfaith by believing that the wordof Christ would be sufficient. Christianstoday have the word of Christ,which is the Bible. We should read thepromises of God and take Him at Hisword.Because of the centurion's faithJesus used him as an example of thesalvation coming to the Gentiles. Hesaid, "Many shall come from the eastand west, and shall sit down withAbraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, inthe kingdom of heaven."2: Belief Under Trying Conditions:Acts 16:25-34.Upon this occasion Paul and Silashad commanded the unclean spiritto come out of the young girl who hadbrought her masters much gain byher "soothsaying." Then the men whohad used the girl in order to makemoney, seized Paul and Silas andbrought them before the officials andpublicly accused them of "exceeding­December 8, 1965ly troubling the city." After beingbeaten Paul and Silas were put intoa "maximum security prison" withtheir feet "made fast in the stocks."They were much too uncomfortableto sleep, so at midnight theysang Psalms "and the prisonersheard them." God also heard themand caused a great earthquake whichshook the doors open and every one's"bands," that is the chains or stocks,were loosened.When the keeper of the prisonawoke, he found all the doors openand supposing that the prisoners hadescaped, he drew his sword and wasabout to kill himself. But Paul calledto him and said, "Do thyself no harmfor we are all here." The keeper ofthe prison, then called for a light andcame trembling, "and fell down beforePaul and Silas." He, before whomothers had stood trembling, nowtrembled himself in the presence ofPaul and Silas, and said, "Sirs, whatmust I do to be saved?" He was in fargreater danger than Paul and Silashad been, and he needed to be savedfrom a far greater doom than thatwhich had threatened the two apostles.They told him, "Believe on theLord Jesus Christ and thou shalt besaved and thy house."The keeper of the prison thenwashed their wounded flesh and heand his household were baptized. And,having brought them into his house,he set food before them, and "he rejoiced,believing in God with all hishouse."3: What is Belief? Hebrews 11:1-6.It is here called "faith" and it issaid here, "Now faith is the substanceof things hoped for, the evidence ofthings not seen."Belief, or faith, has both a backwardand a forward look. In verse 3we are told to look back to the creationof the world and believe thatthe worlds were "framed." The wordframed means that the universe wasdeliberately put together according tothe plan of a Master Mind. Creationis not something which can be explainedby natural reason nor observedby the naked eye. The worlds"were framed by the word of God."He spoke and it was done. Faith issuperior to reason or natural observation.Faith, or belief, also takes a forwardlook. Abel looked forward tothe coming of Christ when "he offeredunto God a more excellent sacrificethan Cain." Abel offered of"the firstlings of his flock," whichact involved the shedding of blood.Cain just offered of the "fruit of theground" in which there was no sheddingof blood.Another example of sincere beliefwas that of Enoch. His faith was sogreat and was in such striking contrastto the practices of his time, that he"walked with God" right out of thisworld into heaven. God did not allowhim to go through the natural processof death and then to rest in the graveuntil the resurrection.Verse 6 tells us of the indispensabilityof faith if one is to please God.To please God is the great objectiveof life. That objective cannot be reachedin any other way than throughfaith. We cannot see God with ournatural eyes, neither can we reasonout His accomplishments. We mustaccept by faith that He exists andthat He has perfect control over allevents and over all people.4: The Relationship Between Faithand Works. James 2:18-26.Faith and works cannot be divided.One Christian cannot have faithwithout works and another Christianhave works without faith. James challengesone to show that there is sucha division. One may attempt to do soby believing in the orte God. He mightsay that there is nothing of worksconnected with that statement. Butwe are told in verse 19, "The devilsalso believe and tremble." We certainlydo not want to be like the deviland just have an intellectual belief inthe existence of God. To be a followerof Christ therefore one must havegood works along with his profoundfaith in God. "Faith without worksis dead," says James in verse 20.If faith does not reveal itself in goodworks, it is worthless. A mere intellectualpersuasion that God is, is notsufficient to save a person. Just possessingan implement is not sufficientfor working the ground for thegrowing crop; it must be put to use.Faith is that way; it must be put touse.5: Belief, in Operation: I Peter363

3:15."But sanctify the Lord God in yourhearts: and be ready always to givean answer to every man that askethyou a reason of the hope that is inyou with meekness and fear."A Christian should love the Lordwith all his heart. That was the lawof the Old Testament and it was confirmedby Jesus while He was onthe earth. Through the study of God'sWord one should always be in readinessto give a reason for the hopethat is in him, not in any self-righteousmanner, but with "meekness andfear.""Lesson based on International SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessonsfor Christian Teaching, copyrighted 1958by the Division of Christian Education. NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ in theU. S. A."Junior TopicJUNIOR UNIT on CHURCH HISTORYMrs. Glenn McFarlandJanuary — May, 1966BIBLIOGRAPHY:Church Time for Juniors, Book 1,Part 1, By Julia A. Gorman, ScripturePress.Highlights of Church History, ByHoward F. Vos, Moody Press.The Church in History, By B. K.Kuiper, Eerdmans.Halley's Bible Handbook, 1953edition pp. 668-713.MEMORY WORK:Selected Bible verse for each week.Three Psalms to be memorizedwith two others suggested for optionaluse.Psalm 89, page 216, Vs. part or all.Psalm 72, page 175, Vs. all.Psalm 48, page 122, Vs. 1, 2, 6, 7, 10.Psalm 107, page 264, Vs. 1, 2, 4, 5.Psalm 84, page 205, Vs. 1, 3-5.FILMSTRIP: optional.The Story of the Christian Church.Original drawings with script in twoversions, for adults and children.Script frequently refers to the denominationwhich produced it, but filmstripis a valuable visual aid in teachingchurch history. Covers the earlychurch, early European, and medievalperiods; pre-reformation and reformationperiods; Protestant movement inEurope and America; and the lastcentury. 50 frames. Black and white.Filmstrip and guide. No. 63 R 1457,$3.50. Scripture Press Foundation,1825 College Ave., Wheaton, 111. (Perhapsseveral societies could shareone.)364SPECIAL PROJECTS:First lesson: Flannelgraph of Pentecostand Paul's conversion might behelpful.2. Assigning reports a week aheadto some of the older Juniors whenmore familiar leaders or events are tobe discussed.3. Minister or elder may report ona period of history emphasizing thepresent high privilege we have ofmeeting and adoring God in worship.Only as Juniors know the Object ofworship — God, can they really worship.4. Bible Baseball Quiz for reviewpurposes.5. Pantomimes may be worked outin advance for some meetings or evenparties and programs.NOTEBOOK SUGGESTIONS:Page for each week to record asymbol of the lesson as an attendancerecord, printing of memory verse, applicationsfor lessons etc. If time islimited, one large notebook may bemade a group project.HANDWORK:Over a period of the first severalweeks a large 18-inch wheel of cardboardcould be made with 22 spokesmarking off equal sections to designatethe different periods of historycovered. These are outlined in yourJunior Handbook. There would be unequalmajor divisions and topics tofill in for 22 weeks. After the printingis completed, the major divisionscould be colored lightly in variousshades. Put movable hands in the£ 6 ^V/'i/'cnj )center like clock hands. Move theseweek by week as the periods of historywith its special events are covered.(The hour hand on the major divisionand the minute hand on theweekly topic.)(e.g.: section of wheel:)INTRODUCTION FOR THE JUNIORLEADER:Our story for the coming monthswill deal with lives and events coveringmany years starting soon afterChrist's work on earth was finished.This story is dealing with our pastand that of our great-great-grandparents.Most of all it tells the wayGod has preserved His Church toproclaim His word faithfully from itsbeginning to the present day.We will discover how the Churchfirst came to be, grew, struggled tosurvive, divided, was awakened, andhow men fought with their lives topreserve the faith. It is truly a thrillingstory that will concern each of usworking in the Church as soldiers ofJesus Christ.I'm sure all of you have traced apicture from another and have comeup with both the original and thecopy of it. Or maybe you have receiveda model airplane to assemble. Somewherethere was the real plane fromwhich your copy was made.If we want our Church to be anaccurate copy of the first Church Godestablished, from what shall we copy?The New Testament records the originalpattern. Our first topic in thenew year will be concerned with howA Church is Born.Junior Topicfor January 2, 1966WHEN THE CHURCH WAS YOUNGTHE N. T. CHURCH IS BORNMrs. Glenn McFarlandSponsor:Refer to the helps printed for thisUnit which include the suggestedmemory Psalms and introduction tobe used prior to this lesson. Checkthe flannelgraph suggested. The "outline"wheel for handwork should bestarted at this time.Memory Verse: Acts 1:8.Notebooks:A simple map could be drawn withlines radiating out from Jerusalem toJudaea to Samaria and the Worldand the verse printed beneath.Another suggestion would be to drawCOVENANTER WITNESS

a small inner circle labeled Jerusalemand circles of increasing size aroundit with the respective labels.Application:Jesus' last recorded words beforeHe returned to Heaven were given toHis disciples as a command and prophecyof what they would do. ReadActs 1:8. What are the four placesHe mentioned? Why were these fourchosen? Why are they named in thisorder? (Explain our commission andgive modern day equivalent — e.g.:Chicago, Illinois, United States andWorld.)For the Junior leader:About 120 souls formed the firstgroup of Christ's followers in Jerusalem.Through their humble prayerservices they were prepared for theSpirit's coming to aid them in tellingthe world of Christ. On the day ofPentecost (30 A.D., 50 days after thecrucifixion and 10 days after the ascension)His followers were rewarded.As they were gathered together asound like a rushing wind filled thehouse. What appeared to be a tongueof fire lighted on each one and immediatelythey were filled with theSpirit and began to speak in differentlanguages.Now this day of Pentecost was aJewish holiday at harvest time, celebratingthe giving 6f the law on Mt.Sinai. It was not unusual for Jews toassemble together in Jerusalem at thistime from different and distant countries.Word spread rapidly of this amazingevent so that large crowds ofJews gathered for this feast rushedto investigate. They each heard themessage of truth in their own language!(Acts 2:5-13). Peter, filled with theSpirit, got up to explain what happened.He preached Christ and theirnecessity of receiving Him by faith asSaviour and being baptized in HisName. What were the results? (Acts2:37-39, 41) 3,000 believed on that day!God's timing was perfectly planned.Think how the good news wouldbe carried all over the world when theJews went home. Although the churchwas originated by God, He used mento form His church. He continues touse the preaching of the Word as theimportant factor in the church's development.The new believers in Christ wereenjoying wonderful days together.They were faithful in prayer, held tothe true teachings, partook frequentlyof the Lord's Supper and wereDecember 8, 1965joyous in their fellowship. Soon theirnumber grew to about 5,000 men, notcounting women and children.But they were soon made awarethat things would change and therewould be trouble. The true believersin Christ were ridiculed for their worshipand devotion to Him. God againused this persecution time to Hisglory in that the Christians werescattered. Wherever they went theycarried the Gospel — even to Samariawhere the second church was established.One great example of God's powerin the development of the church wasthe conversion of Saul. God again initiatedthis change and afterwardsused men to assist Saul in Christiangrowth.Saul, a devout Pharisee, was persecutingChristians and was even presentat the stoning of Stephen. Headingtoward Damascus to tormentChristians there, he was stopped inhis tracks by God whom He opposed,(Acts 9). A great light blinded him,and he discovered Stephen and otherChristians were right after all. Heasked, "Lord, what wilt thou have meto do?" (Answer: Acts 22:14.) Hisname was changed to Paul and hetruly came to see Christ, to knowHis will, and to hear His voice. Hebecame the greatest witness for Godthe world has known because he wasobedient to God and His call.Paul's former evil friends nowsought to kill him when they heardSee page 367From the study window it is possible to see no fewer than four tractorsgoing up and down the fields, pulling huge plows. In our part of the countryit's time for the fall plowing. The weather could not, with any degree of accuracy,be described as balmy. Men are not riding those tractors because ofthe comfort that's in it. Spending a day on a tractor in a raw bone-chilling wind,does not quite meet the conditions in the advertisement that tell of "vacationingin solid comfort." But the farmers in our area haven't gone to their fieldsin order to find solid comfort. They have gone to their fields to do the fallplowing. Comfort or no comfort, they are on their tractors and they are hardat it.God, through His Prophet Jeremiah, tells us, "Break up your fallow ground.We tend to allow many of our spiritual powers and abilities to lie idle and unused.Very much too often, our "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness,goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance" are allowed to grow up in weeds.Revival in the Church will not be comfortable. Which is the most important?Our comfort?A week ago a huge truck backed into our drive way. It was the bottled gasman coming to fill our thousand gallon tank. He came down out of the truckcold and shivering and slapping his hands. Actually, he came down out of thetruck to hook up the hoses and deliver the fuel that would keep us warm duringthe coming cold weeks of winter. Not once did we hear him say, "I'm notcomfortable! This is too cold! I'm going to quit and go home!" Instead, hetalked of other deliveries that he still had to make.Our Lord has given us something to deliver: "Go ye . . and preach theGospel." "How beautiful . are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings."Admittedly the giving of our Christian witness does not always mean solidcomfort for us. Those to whom we would bring the good tidings may act as coldas a frosty morning. Or, they may become angry; or scornful. We are perpetuallybeset with the temptation to say, "I'm not comfortable! This is toocold' I'm going to quit and go home!" But we are there to deliver a messagethat will mean Eternal Life to those who will receive the Christ Whomproclaim.Comfort or no comfort, He expects us to get the work done.we365

NOTICEWomen of the Reformed PresbyterianChurch wishing to becomemembers of the Reformed PresbyterianWoman's Association areurged to pay the annual Associationdues of one dollar per memberbefore December 31, 1965, in orderthat they may be eligible to voteat the Annual Association meetingto be held at the North Side CommunityHouse, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,February 26, 1966. Names andaddresses of the members shouldaccompany the dues payable to Mrs.Mary C. George, Box 132, Warrendale,Pennsylvania.TRIBUTE TO MRS. MARY MOOREThe Sterling W.M.S. wishes to paytribute to the memory of Mrs. MaryMoore who left us in the early morningof September 16, 1965, and wentto be with the Lord in whom shetrusted as her Saviour. She was afaithful member of the CovenanterChurch all of her life, and was alwaysready to testify of her faith in God'sWord and to obey His Word in assemblingfor worship in His houseas long as her health permitted. Shewas always ready to help in time ofneed and she did many kind deeds.She did what she could.We miss her presence among usand her cheery greeting. "Blessed arethe dead who die in the Lord."Mrs. Lucy S. MacClementMrs. Selina BeckettFRANK M BEARDFrank M. Beard was born August1, 1875, at Washington, Iowa. In 1885he came to Kansas, and that sameyear united with the Associate PresbyterianChurch at Stafford, Kansas.In January, 1911, he transferredhis membership to the ReformedPresbyterian Church of Stafford as acharter member of the congregationand was elected an elder, which officehe held till the congregation wasdisorganized in 1961. At that time hejoined the Sterling congregationwhere he attended regularly until hisChurch Newshealth failed during the last year ofhis life. Death came on November 14,1965.His daughter, Gladys, passed awayin January of this year. He is survivedby one daughter, Mrs. Mabel Freeman,San Gabriel, California, and twograndchildren, who came to Staffordto care for him during the lastmonths of his life.Mr. Beard was a carpenter; hegave a lot of help in the building ofthe Park City parsonage though atthe time he was in his eighties.OLD BETHELOakdale and Sparta congregationsjoined Old Bethel in a Psalm Sing onSeptember 3. The theme centeredaround the Lord's Prayer in thePsalms. Carl Mathews acted as narratorwhile William Finley was precentor.A social hour followed afterwhich the Old Bethel W.M.S. servedrefreshments to about fifty guests.Our pastor, Rev. Ralph Joseph,was elected president of the SpartaMinisterial Association recently.Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Finley celebratedtheir fortieth wedding anniversaryby flying jet to Beaver Falls,Pennsylvania, where they were guestsof their aunt, Mrs. J. Boyd Tweed,and son Robert. While there theyvisited Dr. and Mrs. M. S. McMillan,Mrs. Echo Robb, and other friends inthe Home in Pittsburgh. They werealso guests in the homes of Mr. andMrs. Neal Mathews and Mr. and Mrs.Charles McBurney and attended thechurch services of the Beaver Fallsand Geneva congregations.Several friends from differentCovenanter congregations have joinedus in our worship services duringrecent months: Mrs. Mildred Hallidayand Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Lynn fromour Chicago congregation; Mrs. MelRutherford and Mr. and Mrs. WilburKeys from Belle Center, Ohio; andDr. E. Clark Copeland from ourSteminary in Pittsburgh. All thesevisits were very much appreciated.The annual Thankoffering servicewas held at the church the eveningof October 15 with Mrs. Leonard Finleyin charge. The film, "Missions inCrisis," produced by the IntervarsityChristian Fellowship was used plusa children's film.Miss Flora Mathews of Glenwood,Minnesota visited her sister, Mrs. ForrestFinley, and other relatives andfriends in the congregation and community.We were glad she could bewith us for our Communion services.Rev. David Patterson very ablyassisted our pastor with Communionservices. October 24. We were verygrateful for his helpful and inspiringmessages.Although Nancy Boyd broke herarm in two places while playing atschool, it has not kept her away fromchurch where she has had a perfectattendance in Sabbath School so farthis year. She and her sister, JeanAnn, are also faithful in attendingJunior meeting on Sabbath evening.Three of our young people, BillWilson, Jim and Carl Mathews arestudents at Southern Illinois Universitythis fall. They get home everyweek and help out as Sabbath Schoolteachers and precentors.We were glad to welcome Mr.and Mrs. Chester Hutcheson, returnedmissionaries from Cyprus, for abrief visit to Old Bethel, October 31,when we enjoyed a talk on the workin Cyprus by Mr. Hutcheson.CAMBRIDGEWe are enjoying the presence ofMrs. Greeta Mitchell as she vacationshere.We regret to report the suddendeath on October 3, of Mrs. HarrietLesslie, wife of Dr. Thomas Lesslie ofDue West, So. Carolina. Harriet wasa former member of our congregation.We extend to the Lesslie family ourheartfelt sympathy in the loss of awife and mother.On October 12, a surprise personalshower was tendered Mrs. John Weinacht(nee Betty Jo Dickson) at thehome of Mrs. Charles F. Millican, withMiss Ruth McKeown as co-hostess.Betty Jo received many lovely gifts,but especially our best wishes formuch happiness.The regular meeting of the W.M.S.was held on October 22, with Mrs. W.Watson Stewart presiding in the absenceof our president, Mrs. AbbottCutter, who was injured in an automobileaccident on her way to themeeting, which resulted in her spendingseveral days in the hospital. We366 COVENANTER WITNESS

were most thankful that the other occupantsof the car were not injured.In spite of this mishap, we all enjoyedthe special party refreshmentswhich were served at the end of themeeting by our hostesses, Mrs. RussellFaris and Miss Pauline Faris, inhonor of the 80th birthday of Mrs. E.J. M. Dickson. A beautiful plant waspresented to Mrs. Dickson from theSociety as a token of our love.The cadets with their teacher, Mrs.J. Paul McCracken, recently enjoyedan outing. Wendy Smyth, age 10, haswritten the following about this event:"On October 23, the cadets went bowling.It is called Bowl Haven. It wasa lot of fun but most of us didn'tlike the bowling shoes because theysquash your toes. We all got a highnumber. Afterward we went down theriver (Charles) and ate our lunch. Weall had lots of fun and were glad wecould go."A "Trick or Treat Family Night",sponsored by the Covenanter BibleClub with Mrs. Thomas Smyth aschairman, was held on the evening ofOctober 29, at the church. The trickwas to treat our newlyweds Don andSarah Willson to a surprise shower.Following the opening of the beautifullywrapped gifts, games and refreshmentswere enjoyed by all.It was a great privilege for us tohave the Rev. Donald I. Robb, ourimmediate former pastor, presently onfurlough after his first term of servicein Japan, with us on October 31,for a brief but enjoyable visit. Hepreached wi both services while ourpastor, Mr. McCracken was assistingwith communion in Orlando, Florida.NOTICEThe 1966 W.M.S. Uniform Proisready and may be orderedgramfor twenty-five (25) cents each fromMiss Sarah Archer, 103 FennertonRoad, Paoii, Penna.JUNIOR TOPIC ... from page 365him witnessing for Christ in Damascus.He fled to Jerusalem, but Christiansthere were even still afraid ofhim.He did find a friend in Barnabaswith whom he went to help build achurch in the highly cultured pagancity of Antioch.God had again "gone before" preparingthe men, the translation ofthe Old Testament into the universalGreek language and the place fromDecember 8, 1965which the church was to make itsgreat advance. Antioch was a seaportand Paul and Barnabas sailed fromAntioch on their first missionary journey.After Paul's death (about 64 A.D.)God raised up other leaders. By theyear 313, there were Christianchurches throughout the entire knownworld. What a growth! Even now thechurch has not reached into all partsof the earth.Some of the men who led thechurch from the years 90-460 A.D.were called Apostolic Fathers. Somethink they were taught personally bythe Apostles. We find from theirwritings that their belief in Christwas still very simple, but they werestudying and wanting to know moreof His Truth. They tried to definetruths or doctrines from God's Word.Many people departed from thetruth and said Christ had never cometo earth and some said the promiseof the Holy Spirit to come had notbeen fulfilled. They even said theend of the world was near. This causeda crisis for the church when manybelieved these false teachings.Next week we shall see how Godusedthis experience to again helpHis church.W. M. S. Departmentfor JanuaryJOY THROUGH REPENTANCEMrs. Gene ListPsalm 51:1-4, 10-12."God be merciful to me a sinner."This is the fourth of the penitentialPsalms. There is no doubt as tothe authorship of this Psalm. Davidas a man, as a soldier, and as a king,had been found wanting. He hadsinned greatly in the case of Bathshebaand Uriah the Hititte, and Nathanthe prophet had created a deep sadnessof repentance in David's heart.The evidence of repentance is inthe whole Psalm rather than in oneverse. Contrition is found in everypart of it, sorrow for the wrong doneto his fellows and sin against God.Only they can appreciate David'semotion who have experienced it themselves.Remorse is a terrible experience,even when we know it is a signof grace.The Psalmist's sorrow was not forthe consequences of sin, but for thesin itself. Esau, Saul, and Judas weresorry for the consequences of theirwrong doing but not for the cause ofit and that is not repentance.Sin may be regarded in three ways:1. a blotted record that must beerased.2. a polluted robe that must bewashed.3. a fatal disease which must becleansed.Wrong doing is a violation of thelaw. Evil is a crime against our fellowmen but it is essentially a sinagainst God. David reiterates the sinis his. Neither he nor we can blameheredity, nor society, nor environment— only ourselves.David's repentance was public ashis sin was. However much God lovesthe sinner and desires to forgive him,He cannot do so until the penitent acknowledgeshis sin. "Against Theeonly I have sinned."In this Psalm we see God as theSaviour of the sinful. In verse 12David asks that God would "Restoreunto me the joy of thy salvation."David recognizes that joy and peacewill be his only when he knows hissins are forgiven.Like David, we too have brokenGod's law many times. We have goneoff the straight and narrow path. Weneed to confess our sins and rely onGod's mercy. Then we may know the"joy of repentance."WORLD DAY OF PRAYERWHEATON, ILL. — "Believing, yeshall receive" is the theme for the1966 World Day of Prayer scheduledfor February 25. It is also the title ofthe program book written by RosalindRinker, internationally-known authorof six books and a noted speaker atprayer retreats.Hundreds of communities acrossthe nation will observe this specialday on the Protestant calendar.These Bible-centered worship materialsare made available withoutcharge by the National Association ofEvangelicals. A sample copy may besecured by writing to the National Associationof Evangelicals, P. O. Box28, Wheaton, Illinois.Lord, thou hast been our dwellingplace in all generations.Before the mountains were broughtforth, or ever thou hadst formed theearth and the world, even from everlastingto everlasting, thou art God.Psalm 90:1, 2367

Universal Week of PrayerCALL TO PRAYER 1966From almost every part of theworld re-echoes the cry of the Psalmist,"Wilt Thou not revive us againthat Thy people may rejoice in Thee"(Psalm 85:6).The emphasis in the UniversalWeek of Prayer in 1966 is thereforeupon prayer for spiritual revival thatthe Church of God may again experience"times of refreshing ... from thePresence of the Lord."First Day — Monday — The Sourceof Revival.Scripture Readings: Psalm 85; John15:1-8.Revival is the sovereign act ofGod in answer to the prayers of Hispeople. It is God visiting His people,restoring, re-animating and releasingthem into the fullness of Hisblessing. It is an invasion from heavenwhich brings to men a consciousawareness of God.Let us thank God that "His armis not shortened that it cannot save,neither His ear heavy that it cannothear" (Isaiah 59:1).Let us confess that the sins ofHis people have caused God's displeasureto rest upon His Church,particularly the sins of faithlessness,prayerlessness, and lack of spirituality.Let us pray "Revive Thy work, OLord."Special Prayer Topics: Our ownprayer-life; the prayer activities ofour churches; the nights of prayer forrevival.Second Day — Tuesday — TheFocus of Revival.Scripture Readings: Acts 4:1-4,13-21.In revival the Name of the LordJesus is honored and glorified. "JesusChrist and Him crucified" is preachedwith new power and effectiveness.Revival is the manifestation of theglory and power and blessing of theLord Jesus Christ among His people.Let us thank God that JesusChrist is "the same yesterday, todayand forever."Let us confess that all too oftenwe have been concerned for our owninterests and our local church activitiesrather than primarily for theglory of the Lord Jesus Christ.368Let us pray that Christ may bemagnified in His Church.Special Prayer Topics: Our ownreading of God's Word; the Bible societies;Scripture reading movements.All who translate the Bible. The distributioncampaign of the United BibleSocieties.Third Day — Wednesday — TheDivine Agent in Revival.Scripture Readings: Acts 1:13, 14;2:1-4, 38, 41.A revival means a fresh outpouringof God the Holy Spirit upon theChurch. In times of revival God'speople are filled with the Spirit andwalk in the Spirit.Let us thank God for the gift ofthe Holy Spirit.Let us confess that all too oftenwe have grieved, quenched, and resistedthe Holy Spirit.Let us pray that the Spirit of theLiving God may fall afresh on us.Special Prayer Topics: Our ownwitness to Christ in the power of theSpirit; our daily work; ChristianUnions and fellowships in schools anduniversities, offices and factories; ourfriends and neighbors.Fourth Day — Thursday — TheSubjects of Revival.Scripture Readings: Psalm 1:3-8;Malachi 3:1-10.Primarily revival affects theChurch. It is God's sovereign act ofgrace whereby He brings His ownbacksliding people to repentance,faith and obedience. Revival comes tothose who are prepared to confesstheir spiritual failure and desperateneed.Let us thank God that even in thedarkest days the Lord has not leftHimself without a witness.Let us confess our lack of zeal forGod and His glory and our pre-occupationwith earthly things.Let us pray for the renewal andreviving of the Church that God'speople may rejoice in Him.Special Prayer Topics: Our churchlife; our own ministers, pastors andelders; all in training for the ministry.Fifth Day — Friday — The Outcomeof Revival.Scripture Readings: Acts 2:3747;4:31-37.While revival first of all bringsnewness of life to the Church, itseffects are felt throughout the wholecommunity. Revival leads to a newemphasis upon righteousness andtherefore to the raising of moralstandards, the only answer to moraldelinquency is spiritual awakening.Let us thank God for all who beara Christian testimony in places ofleadership.Let us confess that moral standardshave been lowered even in professedlyChristian countries and the individuallives of Christians.Let us pray for nations and theirrulers, that God will raise up in allpur countries men after His ownheart who preach and practice righteousness.Special Prayer Topics: Our nation;its rulers and government; all inauthority and all who wield great influencein our national life; for schoolsand colleges and all teachers; for thepress, radio, and television.Sixth Day — Saturday — The Outreachof Revival.Scripture Readings: Isaiah 35; Acts1:1-8.A renewed Church is essentially anevangelizing Church. Pentecost wasimmediately followed by the powerfulpreaching of the Gospel to the unconverted.Many of our missionarysocieties were born out of spiritualrevival.Let us thank God for all missionarywork and evangelism that is beingdone, even in "a day of small things."Let us confess our lack of concernfor the lost and a lack of obediencein fulfilling the missionary commission.Let us pray that God will raiseup laborers who shall go forth into theharvest field of the world with theGospel.Special Prayer Topics: For evangelism,local, national and worldwide;for all evangelists and evangelisticagencies; for Billy Graham; for ourown church's evangelistic program.Prepared by The Evangelical Alliance,30 Bedford Place, LondonW.C.I, (in association with theWorld Evangelical Fellowship)CONVENANTER WITNESS

WitnessTO «T£3SUS CHRIST"THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONS"VOLUME LXXV NO. 24 DECEMBER 15, 1965 STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 9, 1966REV. ROBERT STEWART McELHINNEY, D.D.1883 - 1965

THE COVENANTER WITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.EVANOeUCAL PK*** ASSOCIATIONEditor: Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D.D.125 N. 4th StreetSterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under the supervision of theBoard of Publication by The Patterson Press, Wapello,Iowa 52653.Contributing Editors:Rev. Kenneth SmithDr. G. M. RobbRev. T. R. HutchesonDepartment Editors:Rev. Bruce C. StewartMrs. Robert B. MaineMrs. Willis EdgarRev. John K. GaultOpinions expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Church or the editor.All material to appear in The Covenanter Witnessshould be typewritten, double-spaced, and should be inSterling, Kansas two weeks beforeit is to be printed.Obituaries — All words in excess of one hundred fifty,one cent per word. Money should accompany such notices.SUBSCRIPTION RATESIndividual (1 year): U.S. and Canada, $4.00, BritishIsles 35/-, all other places, $5.00;Individual (2 year): U.S. and Canada, $7.00, BritishIsles 63/-, all other places, $9.00;Group: U.S. and Canada, $3.00, British Isles 28/-, allother places, $4.00.9-month student subscription — $1.50; 5-month introductoryoffer — $1.00; 2 gift subscriptions to persons outsideof the R.P. Church — $2.00 each. Single copies, 10ceach.Subscription Agent for U.S. and Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.Subscription Agent for the British Isles: Rev. HughWright, B. A., 12, Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, NorthernIreland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness in U. S. currency.Give one month's notice of a change of address. Sendboth the new and the old address to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty.Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.STATEMENT Second-class OF postage OWNERSHIP, paid at Wapello, MANAGEMENT Iowa. ANDCIRCULATIONDate of filing: December 15,1965Title of Publication: The Covenanter WitnessFrequency of Issue: WeeklyLocation of Known Office of Publication:Patterson Press, Wapello, Louisa Co., Iowa 52653.Location of Headquarters or General Business Offices:125 N. 4th St. Sterling, Kansas 67579.Publishers: M. W. Dougherty, 125 N. 4th St., Sterling,Kansas 67579.Editor: Same as Publisher.Managing Editor: Same as Editor.Owner: The Reformed Presbyterian Church of NorthAmerica, Empire Bldg., Liberty Street, Pittsburgh,Pa. 15222.Known bondholders, mortgages, and other security holdersowning or holding one per cent or more of total370NATIONAL YOUTH WEEKJanuary 30 - February 6, 1966Theme: "Christ Is the Way"Sub-themes: Love Supreme Faith EnduringHope for the Future Joy Today SatisfactionAlways Peace Unending Life EternalScripture: Psalms 37:5 Haggai 1:5The need for all-out submission to the Lord Jesus, on the part of America'syoung people, is very obvious in these times. Our present task is one ofchallenge. We reach them, and teach them . . but each fellow and girlneeds to be challenged with complete commitment, full surrender, wholehearteddedication, and head-to-toe consecration. What better opportunitythan NATIONAL YOUTH WEEK to challenge our youth.ORDER BLANKChrist the WayNATIONAL YOUTH WEEKIdeabook — (tells how to plan Youth Week) 25# each.Bulletin Covers — 8V2 x 11 (mimeo) $2.00 per C.Bulletin Inserts — 5'/2 x 8'/2 (message foryouth)$1.50 per CPosters — 11 x 17.10 each.Postcards (mimeo)$2.00 per CStationery — 8V4 x 11 (mimeo)$2.00 per CTRACTS - 85(2 per 100, $7.00 per 1000.Would You Cheat Your Child?Why Go to Sunday School?Ten Reasons for Attending Sunday SchoolThree Reasons Why I Believe in Sunday SchoolFBI Chief Pleads, Save Our FamiliesEvery Home a KingdomSubtotal $*10% for postageand handlingTOTAL $.NAMEADDRESSCITY STATE ZIP CODE.* 25?! Service Charge on orders when charged.Mail to: National Sunday School AssociationP.O. Box 685, Wheaton, III. 60188amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities: None.Average number of copies: 2445. Single issue duringpreceding 12 months, nearest to filing date: 2445.Total Number of copies printed: 2445Paid circulation:1. Sales through carries, dealers, streetvenders and counter sales. None None2. Mail subscriptions 2295 2295Total Paid Circulation 2248 2248Free Distribution 47 47Total distribution 2295 2295Office use, left over, unaccounted for afterprinting 150 150Total 2445 2445Signed,M. W. DoughertyEditorCOVENANTER WITTNESS

Memorial to:REV. MR. ROBERT S. McELHINNEYRev. S. Bruce Willson, D.D.My first acquaintance with Robert S. McElhinneycame when I began my pastorate of the Bloomingtoncongregation in 1941. During the seven yearsour family served in that community it was ourprivilege to know and respect Mr. McElhinney as afriend and counselor. This past winter we enjoyedthe opportunity of renewing this fellowship again.Mr. McElhinney's greatest desire was to teachand preach the Gospel of Christ. Due to physicallimitations he was not able to continue the ministryin the pastorate. He demonstrated an admirabletrait of adjusting to another area of Christian serviceand rendered a valuable service throughouthis life as a writer, editor, and teacher. Dr. LesterSmith, Dean of Education at Indiana University formany years, often spoke of his reliance on Mr. Mc­Elhinney's careful research and lucid writing as anassistant in his office. In the congregation he taughta Sabbath School class for many years in which hedemonstrated the relevance of God's Word to thepractical issues of our times.Perhaps the lasting characteristic that impressedme most as pastor was his willingness to take timeto listen to a problem, or lend a friendly, sympatheticear when I was in the process of thnking througha subject new to me.John Calvin once wrote (The True ChristianLife) that the Apostle Paul said, "That if we 'knowthe fellowship of his sufferings' we shall also understandthe 'power of his resurrection'; and, that whilewe are 'participating in his death,' we are also beingprepared for sharing his glorious resurrection." Mr.McElhinney knew of the "fellowship of suffering."The steadfastness of his faith in the Saviour, and aquiet humor that lightened many a dark momenttestified to a life prepared to appreciate the resurrectionto life with Christ.HE RESTED ON CERTAINTIESWhen that great Christian and scientist, SirMichael Faraday, was dying, some journalists questionedhim as to his speculations on a life afterdeath."Speculations!" said he, "I know nothing aboutspeculations. I'm resting on certainties. 'I knowthat my Redeemer liveth,' and because He lives, Ishall live also."—Gospel TrumpetDecember 15, 1965THE BIBLE SAYS —"By grace are ye saved, through faith; and thatnot of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works.lest any man should boast" Ephesians 2:8-9.It Is a Gift — you cannot earn it. "For God soloved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).If You Believe It — "Verily, verily, I say untoyou, He that heareth my word, and believeth on himthat sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall notcome into condemnation, but is passed from deathunto life" (John 5:24).If Yon Receive It — "For as many as receivedhim, to them gave he power to become the sons ofGod, even to them that believe on his name" (John1:12).But if You Reject It — "He that believeth notthe Son shall not see life; but the wrath of Godabideth on him" (John 3:36).There Is No Other Way — "Neither is theresalvation in any other: for there is none other nameunder heaven given among men, whereby we mustbe saved" (Acts 4:12).ANBIBLE STUDY"Around the World"SCRIPTURE UNION NOTESHere's a plan of Bible reading used by junior agechildren, ages 8-11, in many countries, and it has beenenjoyed by Reformed Presbyterians internationally. Preparedby Scripture Union, it includes puzzles, questions,pictures, and new ideas to interest the reader. The JuniorNotes booklet contains helps with each day's reading. TheMember's Card includes a yearly calendar of readings.Other readers also available:The Chronological Reader — through the Bible inone year.Moody Bible Reading Calendar — not chronological,but covers entire Bible in one year.Child's Story Bible Reader No. 1— two readingsdaily for children who can read.The Story Bible Reader No. 2 — slightly more advanced,it too follows Vos's Child's Story BibleAdult Bible Reader 1, 2, and 3 — A reading/studyguide designed to complete reading the Bible inthree years.Contact your Pastor, Church School Superintendent,or Class Teacher so every member of your family can besystematically reading the Scripture in 1966.Materials above supplied by —Reformed Presbyterian Board of Christian Education,7437 Penfield Court, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15208371

Glimpses of the Religious WorldWAR ON POVERTY SUSPECTConsiderable concern has been expressed about theparticipation of churches in the government war onpoverty. Not that churches are in favor of continuingpoverty; but attention has been called to the manner inwhich congregations may take advantage of federalfunds to further their own programs and promote theirown image in the community. Their chief means of participationhave been youth corps projects and "head-start"programs for pre-school children.Protestants and Other Americans United For Separationof Church and State (POAU) at their recent annualmeeting in Washington voiced concern. As quoted in TheBaptist Record Executive Director Glenn L. Archer declaredin a convention address:"Certain denominational leaders of Protestantismwho presume to speak for all the churches have endorsedFederal legislation which seriously undermines the independenceof these institutions. However good theirmotives, they are turning organized religion into a department,minor though it be, of the U.S. Department ofHealth, Education, and Welfare."Though our churches were never so right as theyare today, their leaders want more and they move readilyinto the role of welfare instrument of the state. Todaythe church prays, 'Tarry ye in Washington until ye beendowed by the government.' "The Record item says of the director, "Mr. Archercharged that there is a great deal of politics and alsoof deceit in the war on Poverty. The politician, beinghuman, expects votes for money expended. Thus politicalcontrol ties the hands of the church. The deceit is ina church posing as a charitable institution, when, underpresent legislation, the church became a government administrativeagency, not a charity at all."GREEKS DISPUTE ELECTION OF BISHOPSIn Greece, there seems to be truly trouble fromunion of church and state. Time has come for the appointmentof bishops, which is a government matter. Buta law states that a bishop may not be transferred fromone bishopric to another. The majority of the bishopshave opposed this law, maintaining that it is unfair tocompel a bishop, who holds office for life, to spend hisdays in a low-paying diocese without hope of transfer.The Cathedral of Athens, at which the church leaderswere to assemble to nominate the new bishops, wasaccordingly closed and surrounded by 700 policemen.The bishops drove in their limousines to the headquartersof the archbishop, and there defied the law by transferringtwo bishops and electing two men to becomebishops.The premier of Greece has promised action to getthe disliked law repealed or amended. But the work ofthe assembly thus far may be declared illegal, becausethe government's Minister of Education and Religion wasnot present.JEWS ARE URGED TO PROSELYTIZENone of the organized religious bodies of Jews inTHE REV. T. R. HUTCHESON820 NEW YORK STREETHOLTON, KANSASthis country has been active in seeking converts to theJewish faith. The president of the Union of AmericanHebrew Congregations has urged a change in this staticpolicy.This is the group known as Reform Jews, liberal intheir theology. There are about one million members of664 congregations. Three thousand delegates were at theSan Francisco convention to hear Dr. Eisandrath soundhis call to evangelism.The special report to The New York Times, reportingthis convention, commented, "Such an attemptwould mark the first efforts of .organized Judaism toopenly seek non-Jewish converts since A.D. 315 when theRoman Emperor Constantine issued an imperial edictprohibiting Jews from engaging in proselytizing underpain of death."CATHOLIC-PROTESTANT WORSHIP BOOKCONSIDEREDRepresentatives of The Roman Catholic Church andthe United Presbyterian Church met for discussion recentlyat the United Presbyterian Krisheim Study Center,Chestnut Hill, Pa. This was the second such meeting,the first having been held July 27 in Washington.The agenda listed as the chief topic, "The Role of theHoly Spirit in Renewal and Reform." Consideration wasalso given to the draft of a book of common Bible studyand prayer to be used for joint Protestant-Catholic worshipservices.BAPTIST RECOMMENDS SEMINARY MERGERSAs reported in PresbyterJan Life, Dr. Lynn Leavenworth,director of American Baptist Convention's Departmentof Theological Education has advocated themerging of seminaries of present denominational connection.Speaking at the United Presbyterian Church'sCouncil on Theological Education in Atlantic City, Dr.Leavenworth decried the small number of students inseminaries (an average of 124) and commented, "By thenineteen-seventies this frightful situation will have to becorrected. It makes no sense to have Baptist, Methodist,Episcopal, and Presbyterian seminaries."LUTHERAN WELFARE AGENCIES MERGEThe Lutheran Welfare Conference in America willbegin operation in 1967, as a union of two present churchorganizations: The National Lutheran Social WelfareConference and Associated Lutheran Charities. The formeris a joint project of the Lutheran Church in Americaand the American Lutheran Church, while the latter isa program of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.These Lutheran programs, continuing the missionof the Church to the fatherless and the widow, havegained a respected place among both public and parochialwelfare agencies. For example, the president of theKansas Conference of Social Workers is a Lutheran ministerin charge of a church charitable program. We arereminded that the widows' and orphans' fund of theBook of Acts was not limited, in its benefits, to thefamilies of the Apostles.372 COVENANTER WITTNESS

THE REV. R. S. McELHINNEY, D.D.Robert Stewart McElhinney, son of Charles andMary Jane (Guthrie) McElhinney, was born at Oakdale,Illinois, December 9, 1883, and passed awayat the Bloomington, Indiana Hospital, October 14,1965, at the age of 81 years.He was baptized the year after his birth at Oakdale,Illinois and united with the Reformed PresbyterianChurch at Princeton, Indiana at the age of14 years. He attended the public school and highschool at Princeton. He attended Geneva Collegeone year and three years were spent in Indiana University,from which he received a B. A. degree in1912 and in 1915, a Masters degree.He was graduated from the Reformed PresbyterianSeminary in 1915, and after two years spentas a Fellow in English in Indiana University, hewas licensed to preach by Illinois Presbytery. Hewas ordained to the Gospel ministry by Ohio Presbyteryat Cedarville, Ohio, in December, 1919, andinstalled as pastor of that congregation. He was releasedfrom this charge, July 1, 1922. Beginningwith the year 1920, he was a professor in CedarvilleCollege, where he was head of the Department ofEducation.In 1931-32 he served as stated supply in theLa Junta, Colorado congregation for one year. OnOPENby Rev. D. RaymondThoughts taken from the message deliveredat the memorial of Rev. Robert S.McElhinney — Pastor and TeacherScriture — Revelation 21:1-13.GOD is the God not of the dead, but of the living;for all who trust in HIM also live in HIM. Becauseof our firm belief in the promises of Almighty Godthat those who trust in Him shall also live and restin Him, we this day have hope. The Word of Godtells us that the spirit which God gave unto us, shallreturn to be with Him.The closing days of Mr. McElhinney's life weredays that I shall not forget. Why? Becausethey were difficult days. However, the difficulty ofthe days lay in an area not readily understood. Mr.McElhinney was a man who had a very keen mind,a mind of action. In talking with him, I could sensethe desire, which lay within his heart, to be up andworking. "The spirit indeed was willing, but theflesh was weak." He told me that he so wanted toattend the fall Communion services, but his bodywas not able. So, in this way, the days were difficult.,.Mr. McElhinney possessed a certain radianceDecember 15, 1965account of an affliction that affected his throat hegave up this pastorate.He was Professor of Education in the ExtensionDivision, Indiana University from 1940-1945.In 1949 he retired as research assistant to thelate Dean H. L. Smith of the Indiana UniversitySchool of Education. He was a member of Phi BetaKappa and the Emeritus Club and was listed in 1949in Who's Who in American Education. He is theauthor of a textbook, Personality and CharacterBuilding.He and his wife, Pearl (Smith) McElhinney, whosurvives him, celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary,August 4, of this year.Other survivors are a daughter, Mrs. Dale (MaryIna) Shaw, Sellersburg Indiana; a grandson, RobertDale Shaw; two brothers, Rev. J. G. McElhinney.D. D., Phoenix, Arizona; Mr. Glenn McElhinney,LaFayette, California; two sisters, Mrs. David Mc­Farland, Denver, Colorado; Mrs. Neil Durkee, CapistranoBeach, California; and a step-sister, Mrs.Carrie Cathcart, North Hollywood, California.The Rev. D. Raymond McCracken preached thememorial sermon and the body was buried in theCovenanter Cemetery, Bloomington, Indiana.GATESMcCrackenwhich was so much a part of his countenance itseemed thatit was reflected from the Saviour withwhom he daily walked. Therefore we are met hereto celebrate the promotion of a good man, who forso many years was a faithful disciple of JesusChrist.We do not weep as those who have no hope, butour tears rather express the longing in our heartsfor the fellowship of one dearly loved. Our longingis not without the confident hope that the fellowshipwill one day be restored in that far more blessedhome in Heaven.This marvelous home of the believers' reward isdescribed in various places throughout Scripture.We are told that our hearts cannot even conceiveof the glories thatit holds. We are told that one ofthe greatest rewards of the believer is to beholdthe face of God in light and glory while abiding inthis beautiful home. Seeing this glorious state, theApostle Paul said. (Phil. 1:23) For I am in astrait betwixt two. having a desire to depart, and tobe with Christ; which is far better for me to liveis Christ, and to die is gain."It was John, the beloved disciple, who had a vi-373

sion of the city of God as it might be, beyond timeand history. It is called the new Jerusalem, theholy city, descending from God out of heaven. Allthe city will be a church; all life will be sacred andsanctified; no sin will be present, no death; allwork will be worship because the presence of Godwill fill all things.As the vision impressed itself upon the mindof the disciples, the glories of this city became morevivid and he saw that this city was enclosedby great walls. In those shining walls were twelvegates, gates always open to those who had beenprepared by the Lamb. Day and night these gatesare open, open in all directions — open to the eastto the north, to the south, and to the west.Looking at the gates facing all directions, receivingany who would come the way of the Lamb,we can see a picture of life. The east gate standsopen for those who come while still young in life,with the rising sun still shining upon their tenderyouth . . . boys and girls, young adventurers forChrist, children whom He has called and whohave responded to Him with their loyalty.The gates on the north seem to speak to us ofthe cold and windy times of life; the bleak sideof life which is hard for us to face. But a side whichwe all do face from time to time. These northerngates remind us that even though the storms areat times severe, there is a refuge from every stormwithin the warmth of the Lamb of God, JesusChrist. Sometimes during the storm we are calledhome, but the gate is open.The gates on the south, in contrast, speak ofwarm and balmy breezes, good times in life, pleasantmoments in life. From time to time, during theperiods of prosperity and growth, when all seems soperfect, dear ones are quickly called home. It isdifficult for the human mind to understand or toconceive the plan and will of God. But God has assuredus that the gate to the south is open and thereward within the gate is far greater.There is another set of gates. They are thegates facing the west,, facing the setting sun.Lengthening shadows come upon us as we travelwestward through our lives. These gates seem toportray life that has traveled long and full, lifethat has experienced the intersections of achievementand passed many milestones of victory. Todaywe think of one who was granted many milestonesof victory, allowed to see many intersections ofachievement, one who was granted length of daysand who during his life walked with the Lord Jesusthrough countless fruitful years. How many thereare who could rise up this day and call him blessed.I am sure that he would bid us not mourn, butrejoice that after a long day's work and servicehe has entered through the gate of death, his handin the hand of his own dear Saviour, into that great"city whose builder and maker is God."May we hear again Christ's promise to us —"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God,believe also in me. In my Father's house are manymansions: if it were net so, I would have told you.I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and preparea place for you, I will come again, and receiveyou unto myself; that where I am, there ye may bealso."R. S. McELHINNEYRev. Roy Blackwood, Jr., Ph.D."And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and the infinitely more complex and responsible trainingGod will surely visit you, and bring you out of thisland unto the land which he sware to Abraham, toIsaac, and to Jacob." (Gen. 50:24)There were many similarities between the life ofJoseph and that of R. S. McElhinney. Both grew upwithin the bosom of the Church. Both became ministersin a particular sense and yet both, for reasonsin many ways similar, found the majority of theof generations of teachers. But even behind thishe drove back to that very spring or origin of educationwhich has to do with the development ofcharacter. The development of character was atonce the origin and the objective of his interest ineducation. I have read many bulletins issued by theUniversity Department of Education which bore themarks of his research, writing, and careful editing.years of their life ministry lived in a "foreign land" Supported by his close friends, Dr. Wm. Lowe— the one in Egypt, and the other in Indiana University.Bryan, the President of the University, and Dr. H.As Joseph ministered to his family in Egypt,so R. S. McElhinney ministered to untold numbersof souls in the University community at the mostcrucial turning points in their lives.L. Smith, the Dean of the School of Education, hepreached one powerful sermon after another froman often lonely pulpit, to ears of schoolmen unaccustomedto the thought that "The fear of theHis interest in education went behind the Lord" must be, after all else is said and done, "themechanical development of the learning skills to beginning of wisdom."374 COVENANTER WITNESS

Preciseness was a feature of his character andit contributed to other things to make him one ofthe most outstanding Sabbath school teachers I haveever known. He thoroughly enjoyed taking a word,tracing it to its origin, and then showing its specificapplication to the subject at hand. He never losthimself in misty attempts at thinking, or becamedull through darkening counsel by "words withoutmeaning," but brought his explanations 'home' withthe most practical applications. He did not makethe mistake of trying to make profound things simple,but he was a master at laying bare their originswith such accurate terminology that their profunditybecame clear and their personal applicationmeaningful. He could communicate with his class,and both teacher and taught enjoyed and profitedin an eternal way from those hours spent togetherin the classes on the corner of First and LincolnStreetsHe examined me and addressed me on the dayof my ordination in the Bloomington Church. Hisoutline followed the definition of God as we haveit in the Catechism, and in a fatherly way he presseddeeply into the recesses of my understanding ofthe nature of God. At the close he charged me toknow God well — to think deep and long thoughtsThe biography of R. S. McElhinney is containedin Sketches of the Ministers by the late Rev. O. F.Thompson, D.D., and Covenanter Ministers by theRev. A. W. Smith, D.D. My personal association andacquaintance with him began when he was professorof philosophy in Muskingum College for aperiod of years, while I was pastor of New Concordand White Cottage congregations. Our friendshipgrew very strong during that time. Our familieshad much in common. The exchange of fellowshipwe had in our homes was greatly enjoyed and willnever be forgotten.It was with great pleasure that Mrs. McKnightand I accepted an invitation to stop overnight inhis home in Bloomington, Indiana, on our wayhome from Florida about two years ago. As we werebidding one another good-by to come on home, R.S., grasping my hand said to me, "We may not seeone another again here on earth." Now he is gonefrom us for a while, and there is a lonesome placein all of our hearts because we shall see his facehere no more. Death has opened up for him a newand better fellowship with our exalted Lord, aswell as with great and lesser redeemed ones whohave gone on before.December 15, 1965in coming to know God more and more intimately.In the years that followed, as I entered that studyfrom morning to morning, there was frequent causeto remember that counsel, and I still do. It providesa check point for personal devotions.Having him in the congregation of which I waspastor was both a blessing and a privilege. To thebest of my knowledge he never hindered or interferedwith the work. On the other hand his contributionsto the Sabbath School, midweek meetings, andother services enhanced the entire church program.Beyond these things, the young pastor quickly foundthat here was an understanding heart, lips that didnot violate a confidence, and a fine mind that desiredthe best for both paster and people — andcould often see both better than either of themcould. Many times the "pastoral call" must havebenefited pastor more than parishioner.R. S. McElhinney was like Joseph in many ways.Now he has gone on with Joseph before the rest ofus. And yet, because of this, the words of Josephseem to have more meaning for his family and therest of us: "I die: and God will surely visit you, andbring you out of this land, unto the land which hesware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob."MEMOIR OF THE REV. R. S. McELHINNEY, D.D.Rev. T C. McKnight, D.D.Mr. McElhinney was a good student of the Bible.He was a good preacher of the Gospel. He read theBible in the pulpit with excellent inflection of voiceto express its true meaning. He was a man of trueChristian and Covenanter convictions. He livedfaithfully to both of these throughout his life. Ithas been a great loss to the Church that a throataffliction, which he suffered many years, made itimpossible for him to continue active in the pastorate.This man was one of my devoted friends. I believethe Master could truthfully say as he "passedinto glory," "Well done, thou good and faithful servant. . . enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."As a bird beneath her feathersGuards the objects of her care,So the Lord His children gathers,Spreads His wings, and hides them there;Thus protectedAll their foes they boldly dare.Thomas Kelly, 1806Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lordwill deliver him in time of trouble. Psalm 41:1375

A CHRISTIAN TEACHERRev. Paul D. WhiteWhile I was pastor of the Bloomington congregation(1930-1940) I became well acquainted withthe Rev. R. S. McElhinney, whom God had endowedwith many talents. Physically he was not robust,but intellectually and spiritually he was "strong inthe grace that is in Christ Jesus." He excelled inthe field of education. He was "vigilant, sober, ofgood behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach."I Timothy 3:2. In meekness he instructed others,many of whom were teachers.Above the main door of the Indiana UniversityLibrary, where R. S. McElhinney spent many hoursin research and writing, are inscribed these words,"A Good Book is the Precious Life Blood of a MasterSpirit." R. S. McElhinney worked with anotherCovenanter educator, Dr. Henry Lester Smith, Deanof the School of Education Indiana University, inpreparing pamphlets, courses of study, and a textbook,Personality and Character Building, whichtruly is a "good book," dedicated "To the Teachers ofAmerica Whose Lives and Teachings Help to BuildHigh-grade Personalities." The author cites the oldestmoral codes, which can never be replaced — theMosaic Code, the Beatitudes — referred to by someas "the code of attitudes," and the Golden Rule.Early one fall many years ago, when I was alad in Bloomington, Indiana, a young man came toour door and asked my mother if he could rent aroom at our house. He said he was planning to enterIndiana University, and introduced himself asRobert McElhinney, a Covenanter from the Princeton,Indiana, congregation. Mother really didn'thave an extra room, but a Covenanter, particularlyfrom a neighboring congregation, certainly couldn'tbe denied accommodations, so it was arranged thathe would share my room as a roommate. Thus beganmy association with Rev. R. S. McElhinney,which has recently ended with his death.The experience of this early association wasmost valuable for the school boy. Mr. McElhinneycould open up to me areas of knowledge that werebeyond my hmited acquaintance. He gave me myfirst real taste of the higher learning, and whettedmy appetite for more of it. I have always consideredthat he gave me my first significant push toward anacademic career.Bert, as everybody soon came to call him, wasa significant addition to the hfe of the youngerROBERT S. McELHINNEYJohn Dale RussellMany other praise-worthy codes are given, such asthe Hutchins Code — known as "the Children'sMorality Code"; the Boy Scout and the Girl ScoutCodes; Franklin's Code which emphasized "temperance,silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry,sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility,chasity, and humility." But R. S. McElhinneyemphasized the need of religious instruction inPersonality and Character Building. He set forththe "Effects of the Christian Religion on Character."Twenty-five years ago R. S. McElhinney wrote,"Our whole school population in facing the terrifyingconditions of a world at war, facing a barrageof false propaganda and a flaming fire of hatredboth national and racial, is entitled to a knowledgeof and experience in religion which will furnishspiritual insight and courage for the days ahead."How we need to heed his words of warning andwisdom today!In the pulpit, in his Bible class, in his UniversityExtension classes, and in his writing, R.S. McElhinneywas "apt to teach." May Jesus Christ, the MasterTeacher, give us many more Christian teacherstoday.set in the Bloomington congregation. There hecourted one of the popular young ladies of thegroup, and later they were married; they celebratedthe fiftieth anniversary of their wedding this pastAugust. After some time spent elsewhere, in a pastorateand as a college professor, they settled inBloomington and remained as effective participantsin the Covenanter group there. Later Mr. McElhinneyjoined the staff of the Bureau of CooperativeResearch at Indiana University. There he carried onresearch in collaboration with the late Dean HenryLester Smith, on character education and religiouseducation. Several monographs were published undertheir authorship presenting important findingsfrom the research.Bert McElhinney, to those who knew him, wasalways a warm friend, a most wholesome person,with wide-ranging interests, scholarly, refined, genial,with a delightful sense of humor and a deephuman sympathy for anyone needing his help. Ina very quiet, personal way he was most effective ininfluencing for good the lives of those he touched.376COVENANTER WITNESS

Our YouthCHURCH PATTERNSBy Rev. Hugh J. Blair, M.A., Ph.D.A typographical error in an advertisement in ourlocal paper, The Coleraine Chronicle, caught my eyerecently. Here is what it said:Monthly Service in Balinteersee our patterns. Tweedy, Achesonat 8:15 p.m. Preacher, Rev. J. E. P. Boyd, B.A.What had obviously happened was that a lineof an advertisement by Messrs. Tweedy, Acheson, aColeraine drapery firm, had got mixed up with anadvertisement of a monthly religious service inBalinteer Orange Hall. But that misplacement ofa line of type set me thinking. Might it not be agood thing if we could advertise our Church servicesin something of the same way:Reformed Presbyterian ChurchServices at 12 noon and 6 p.m.See cur Patterns.For the best advertisement for the services of anychurch is the kind of people which it produces."See our Patterns." I have known people who havebeen led to come to a particular church becausethey were impressed and attracted by the life andcharacter of someone who went to that church.That is the best kind of advertisement which wecan display.The Apostle Paul had something of the sameidea in his mind when, in I Timothy 1:6, he triedto give a reason for Christ's saving him. "For thiscause," he said, "I. obtained mercy, that in me firstJesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering,for a pattern ..." Paul was picturing someone whomight have difficulty in believing that Christ couldsave him, someone who thought he was beyond thereach of Christ's redeeming grace. "Well," Paulwould say in effect, "I have the answer to thatdoubt and difficulty of yours. I was a persecutor:I hated Christ and His Church: and yet He savedme. And if he could save me, the chief of sinners,can you not believe that He can save you. That isthe only reason I can imagine why He should havesaved me at all, that He might have a test-case, toshow just what He could really do. He saved me'for a pattern to them which should hereafter believeon Him to life everlasting'."Christ is needing that kind of pattern still. Atyour school, or at your job. there are people whodo not really know what Christ can do for someonewho trusts Him. And He is depending on youto be an advertisement for Him and a pattern forthem of what He can do.But how can we be sure that our patterns are agood advertisement for Christ and His Church?There is a verse in the first epistle of Peter whichcan help us here. In I Peter 2:21 Peter writes,"Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example,that ye should follow his steps." Now the Greekword translated example' in that verse is a veryinteresting one. It originally had to do with theway in which Greek boys learned to write. Theycouldn't practice their writing on pieces of paper, aswe do, because the kind of paper used then—calledpapyrus — was very expensive. The cheapest sheetscost about fourpence each and the dearest morethan a shilling. So the schoolboy's jotter in thosedays was a wax tablet — a very shallow tray filledwith soft wax. The writing was done with a styluswhich was pointed at one end and flat at theother. The pointed end was used to write with,and the flat end was used to smooth over the wax,so that it could be used again.Plato, the famous Greek philosopher, tells ushow boys were taught to write using this wax tablet.The teacher drew straight lines across the tablet,and then wrote at the top the line that the boy wasto copy. That was the example, the pattern. Sometimesitwas a nonsense sentence containing all theletters of the Greek alphabet, like our line forpractice typing, "The quick brown fox jumped overthe lazy dog." That was the pattern that the boyhad to copy. And what Peter is saying is that Christis our pattern like that, "leaving us an example,that ye should follow His steps."But there was another even better way of usingthe wax tablet in learning to write. Sometimes,we are told, the school-master traced the letters inthe wax of the tablet, and then the hand of the boywas guided along the grooves. At first the teacherhelped the boy with his hand over his, and as wellas the edges of the grooves traced in the wax kepthim from wandering. That is what we need Christto do for us. It is not enough that we should begiven a perfect pattern to follow: we need His handholding our lives and guiding us in the perfect pathwhich He wants us to follow. And when that happens,we can sav to the world about our church, "Seeour patterns, for they are His."Reformed Presbyterian WitnessDecember 15, 1965 377

The Beecher Farm MysteryA STORY FORJUNIORHIGHS(Continued from last week)So it was, that a few days later, the weatherbeing perfect, they climbed into their car with bigbaskets of food. They picked up Ruth on the wayto the picnic park, and were all set for a big day.On reaching the park the children ran like youngcolts, enjoying the swings and sliding boards. Dadand Ruth built a fire under an open grill and soonhad the hamburgers on to cook. By noon all hadbig appetites, but there was plenty of food for alland they finished off the meal by toasting marshmallowsover the red coals. While they were eating,a woman leading a little boy came by their table."Why it's Frankie," exclaimed Ruth.It was hard for Becky to believe that the plump,little, brown-eyed boy, with nicely trimmed hair,and clean play clothes, was the pitiful little childshe had found in the old shanty.Beth and Janet wanted to take him for a swing,but he was shy and hid his face against Mrs.Woods, his foster mother."Sometime I'll bring him to see you," promisedMrs. Woods, "and he'll be glad to play when hegets acquainted."The girls waved good-by to Frankie as theywent off with the family to the swimming pool.What a time they had in the water! Dad helpedBecky and Jerry improve their swimming whileRuth played with the little girls in the shallowerwater. The afternoon slipped away, and all toosoon it was time to go home."This was a nice day," said Beth, leaning againstRuth in the car. "I wish it could go on forever.""Maybe some of it can," said Dad. "I didn'tintend to tell you until later, but I really can't keepthe news. Ruth says she will come live with us forkeeps if we all want her." He cast a side-long glanceat Ruth and grinned. "Would you like her as amother?"The children were stunned for a moment andwere speechless."Tom Beecher," said Ruth, "what a way to announcesuch news to your family."But the family had revived and the girls wereall talking at once."When will the wedding be?" asked Janet."Will you let me be a flower girl?" begged Beth.Mrs. George (Jean L.) McFarland"What do you think of the idea, Jerry?" askedDad."It's okay," answered Jerry, grinning broadly.Becky was quiet but a deep peace entered hersoul. It was as if a weight had rolled off her youngshoulders. A new mother, she thought. She'll neverbe the same as our real one, but a very nice personto have for always in the family."How about it, Becky?" asked Ruth, "will youtake me in?""Oh, yes," said Becky, "you're already like oneof the family."Part 9When they arrived home, Ruth stayed to helpthe girls get supper while the men did the barnchores. After the dishes were done, Ruth and thegirls sat on the back porch and soon the mencame in. Barney hurried off home as he had adate. Dad and Jerry sat on the grass by the porch."Why don't you play your mouth organ, Dad?"asked Janet. "You haven't played it for a long time."Ruth looked up in surprise. "Do you have atalent I don't know about?"Janet ran and brought the mouth organ. Butit was not played that evening, because just thenold Shep walked up, wagging his tail as if he wantedto be a part of the family, too. He looked atthe crowd then turned and crawled under theporch."He must be ashamed of us," said Jerry."I was thinking," said Dad, "that hole underthe porch should be boarded up. I'll get it fixedsome day now that the summer work is aboutdone."Just then Old Shep came crawling out again,and he was dragging something by a string. Beckysaw it first and sprang from the porch."It's your pouch, Dad. It's the lost pouch!"All the family gathered around and almost heldtheir breath as Dad took the pouch from the dogand opened it. There were the twenty dollar bills,all ten of them."So old Shep was the thief," said Jerry. "Iguess he pulled the pouch from the table and carriedit under the porch."378 COVENANTER WITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of January 9, 1966Sabhath School Lessonfor January 9, 1966THE BASIS OF BELIEFJohn 20:24-31; Romans 10:8-14, 17.Comments by John K. GaultIn this lesson we have a continuationof the study of the general subject,"What Christians Believe." The"Basis of Belief" is set before us inthe following Scripture.1: Psalm 19. This beautiful psalmtells of God's revelation of Himself toman. First: the orderly arrangementof the universe declares the glory ofGod. The psalmist looked up at thesky and considered how all the solarsystem declared the glory of God.The universe is filled with stars andplanets, each one of which moves inits orbit. There is no collision of theheavenly bodies, for each one movesin its regular orbit, being governedby an immutable law. What a marvelousarrangement the universe is. Thatperson is blind indeed who cannot discernthe imprint of God's hand in allthis orderly arrangement of the universe.The existence and movement ofthe heavenly bodies declare to us,plainly, that there is a God who createdall things.There is a still higher revelation ofthe glory of God, which is given toman, and that is the revelation ofHis Word. It is a personalized message.Whereas the planetary system ofthe universe makes its appeal throughthe eyes, the law of the Lord appealsto us through the heart. Man is aspiritual being as well as physical.God's law takes effect on his spiritualnature and makes him into a new creature.God's law, the Bible, is perfectbecause it has been written by divineinspiration. It converts the soul. Itgives understanding to those who areunlearned. The physical universe cannotconvey to man the message of sinand salvation through Christ, but theWord of God reveals to man that heis a sinner and that salvation canbe secured only through Christ.2: John 20:24-31. This passageshows to us the superiority of beliefin the unseen Christ to that of theseen Christ.On the evening of the first day ofthe week, following the resurrection,December 15, 1965the disciples met in a room with thedoor locked. They did this "for fearof the Jews." Mary Magdalene had alreadytold them that she had seen theLord and that He had talked to her.Thomas, however was not with themat this time. Jesus, even though thedoor was locked, came and stoodamong them. He said to them, "Peacebe unto you: as my Father hath sentme, even so send I you. And whenhe had said this, he breathed onthem, and saith unto them, Receiyeye the Holy Ghost."When the disciples saw Thomas,they told him that they had seen theLord. But he said, "Except I shallsee in his hands the print of the nails,put my finger into the print of thenails, and thrust my hand into his side,I will not believe." (John 20:25) Thomas'faith was weak. He doubted thatJesus was the Messiah when he said,as they went to the tomb of Lazarus,"Let us go that we may die with him."Now, he will not believe unless he hasa physical confirmation by touchingthe imprint of the nails and the sword.Such an attitude is not "walking byfaith"; it is walking by sight. If weonly believed in what we could see,our lives and activities would be verymuch restricted.The next week the disciples weremet together just as they had beenbefore, only this time Thomas waswith them. Jesus suddenly appearedamong them, even though the doorswere locked. Since Thomas had declaredthat he would believe only ifhe could make physical contact withthe wounded flesh, Jesus gave himthe opportunity to be convinced. Eventhough Jesus had not been visiblypresent when Thomas made that statement,He had been spiritually present,and therefore knew what Thomas hadsaid. Jesus said, therefore, to Thomas,"Because thou hast seen me, thouhast believed: blessed are they thathave not seen, and yet have believed."3: Romans 1:18-20. The Wicked areInexcusable for their Unbelief.In this passage Paul tells us that,"the wrath of God is revealed fromheaven against all ungodliness andunrighteousness of men, who hold thetruth of God in unrighteousness."(1:18)The wicked have sufficient evidencethat they should believe in Godand should cease from their evil doing,such as idolatry. As Paul tells us inverse 20 the creation by God is clearlyseen "being understood by the thingsthat are made."Likewise, the power of God isclearly displayed before men's eyesall the time. His wrath is directedagainst ungodly people through stormsand pestilence. To live wickedly,therefore, in the world, is just plainstupidity. In Psalm 14:1, the inspiredwriter says, "The fool hath said inhis heart, there is no God. They arecorrupt, they have done abominableworks, there is none that doeth good."It is folly, therefore, not to believe inGod, and people who do not believeare without excuse for the "invisiblethings of him from the creation of theworld are clearly seen." (vs. 20)4: Romans 10:5-17. Righteousnessis by Faith and not by Works.Paul tells us in this passage that"Christ is the end of the law forrighteousness to every one that believeth."It is the righteousness ofChrist which is so desirable and notthe righteousness of the law whichMoses prescribed. One cannot achieverighteousness by some great work as"to bring Christ down" or "descendinto the deep (that is to bring upChrist again from the dead.) One canbelieve without going to all that troublefor on verse 8 Paul says, "The wordis nigh thee, even in thy mouth and inthy heart: that is the word of faithwhich we preach."5: Romans 10:9. The Essentials ofSalvation."If thou shalt confess with thymouth the Lord Jesus, and believe inthine heart that God raised him fromthe dead, thou shalt be saved. Forwith the heart man believeth untorighteousness and with the mouthconfession is made unto salvation."One must believe in Christ and in allof His divine prerogatives and mustconfess Him publicly. These are essentialsof salvation.6: Romans 10:11-13. "Whosoever"Can be Saved.Paul says in this message, "Forthe scripture saith, Whosoever believethon him shall not be ashamed379

For there is no difference between theJew and the Greek: for the same Lordover all is rich unto all that call uponhim. For whosoever shall call uponthe name of the Lord shall be saved."Jesus did not die for any one raceof people to the exclusion of peopleof another race. All persons possessimmortal souls; all, therefore, can besaved if they come to God in the rightway.7: Romans 10:14, 15. The Place ofPreaching in the Belief of People.The Apostle says, "How then shallthey call on him in whom they havenot believed? and how shall they believein him of whom they have notheard? and how shall they hear withouta preacher? And how shall theypreach except they be sent? as it iswritten, How beautiful are the feetcf them that preach the gospel ofpeace, and bring glad tidings of goodthings." The great purpose of preachingthe Gospel is to show "that Jesusis the Christ, the son of God; andthat believeing ye might have lifethrough his name." (John 20:31)8: 2 Timothy 3:14-17. One ShouldContinue to Believe.This is what Paul counselled hisson in the faith, Timothy. We are toldin 1:5 "When I call to remembrancethe unfeigned faith that is in thee,which dwelt first in thy grandmotherLois, and in thy mother Eunice; andI am persuaded that in thee also."Timothy had been well instructed as achild. Paul desired that he, Timothy,should become a faithful preacher oftheGospel. The Apostle, therefore,laid great stress on continuance "inthe things which thou hast learned."There have been many who have beenwell-taught but have not "continued.""Lesson based on International SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessonsfor Christian Teaching, copyrighted 1958by the Division of Christian Education. NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ in theU. S. A."Junior Topicfor January 9, 1966A CHURCH TEMPEREDAND VICTORIOUSMrs. Glenn McFarlandAim:The Christian life will cost com'-plete devotion to the Lord Jesus. ChallengeJuniors to the courageous commitmentthese early martyrs displayed.Memory Work:Matthew 10:22. Repeat the Apostles'Creed.Notebooks:We don't have to face lions. Butwhat do we face? List temptationsand ridicule we endure as faithfulsoldiers of Christ. Draw symbols ofpersecution. Print memory versebeneath.Handwork:Make replicas of various types ofpersecution. E.G.: lions from pipecleaners, stake and rope with firefrom red cellophane — stuck in claybase with sticks surrounding, crosses,lashes, wheels.For the Junior Leader:Last week we learned false ideaswere being followed by some in theChurch. Godly men found they neededto be organized to fight theseheresies. At first the organization ofthe Church was very simple. Theyhad elders (or overseers) just as wedo now whom they called presbyters.One of them would preside over theirworship and preach. Churches werefirst established in the cities.Just as a nation needs allies tofight against a common enemy, sothe Church found it needed to uniteagainst the false teachers (heretics).This united defense of the true faithled to the development of Christiandoctrine. We know today that Christis the eternal Son of God and evenGod Himself. It was not as well understoodby the early Church. TheChurch Fathers spent many hoursof hard study and discussion that wemight have the right understandingof the person of Christ. The Apostles'Creed, or statement of belief, seemsto summarize the Apostles' teachings.We still use it today.One more outcome of this struggleagainst heresy was the formation ofthe New Testament Canon. A canon isa list. Many had written books andthe Church needed to know which ofthese were inspired by the HolySpirit and absolutely true. Christianleaders made a list of those books belongingin the New Testament.God caused the Church to bestrengthened in this time of crisis.The organization, creed, and canonthat developed were extremely importantthen and to us over 1700years later.During this time there were groupsmore violently opposing Christians. InJohn 15:20 Christ warned His disciples,"If they have persecuted me, theywill also persecute you." Christiansknew they must be faithful and bravein their stand for Christ. After beingput in prison, Peter and John werethreatened with further punishment.They still boldly asked if it would beright to obey men rather than God.They continued preaching Christ andsuffering in His Name.Jews persecuted the Church asleaders thought they'd lose high positionsif Christianity became popular.Others thought Christianity was opposingtheir "true faith."Romans feared Christians as theyspoke of a kingdom with Christ as itsruler. They thought Christians meantto overthrow the Roman Empire. Theyrefused to worship the Roman gods.Christians also opposed the Romancustom of slavery.Those in important positions insociety could easily stir up mob opposition.They blamed Christians forfamines and earthquakes because theyhad forsaken the gods. Christians werenot quietly tolerant of evil and otherfaiths because of their desire to serveChrist. They tried to win others toChristianity which infuriated the Romans.In 64 A.D. the great fire in Romeoccurred. This started official persecutionsas the people suspected Nero,their emperor. The fire lasted oversix days and about three-fourths ofthe great city was destroyed. Manysuffered. To relieve himself of suspicion,Nero blamed Christians andordered punishment. Thousands wereput to death in the most cruel ways.Imagine the worst possible methodsof killing by sinful men and that's theway our Christian fathers died.They were burned at the stake atnight to light public gardens. Even iwomen and children were torn topieces by big dogs or tied to mad bullsand dragged to death. Others such asPeter and Paul, Polycarp, Justin Martyr,and Ignatius were hung oncrosses, burned or butchered alive.Imagine the torture endured watchingloved ones treated this way and knowingtheir time was soon to come.For the scene of brutal games Romansbuilt great stadiums or Coliseums.People gathered from miles tosee thousands of victims tortured. DefenselessChristians were brought intothe arena and torn by wild beasts.Some were broken on stretchingwheels or driven by lashes.Greater suffering was endured bythose who lay in heavy irons in filthy,hot prisons until they died of diseaseor starvation. Others, half-naked and ''380 COVENANTER WITNESS ;

underfed, slept on damp ground, andwere beaten when forced to work inthe fields and mines. Many in Romefound refuge in the catacombs whichare under-ground tunnels 30-40 feetdown, dug out of soft stone. In thesepitch dark passageways they buriedremains of fellow believers and hidthemselves.Marcus Aurelius, 161-180 A.D., madepersecution almost universal. He decreedthat the property of Christiansbe given to those who found and reportedthem. Of course, many morewere slaughtered, church buildings demolished,and Bibles burned. Theywere determined to get rid of Christianityand wipe the Church off theearth.But still many people continued tobelieve on the Lord Jesus. It soon becameobvious Christianity was hereto stay. Constantine became emperor,and, in a battle, felt God's hand inmaking him victorious. He became aChristian, made Christianity a legalreligion, and helped Christians inmany ways. In the year 313 Constantineissued an Edict of Milan whichput a stop to persecutions and madeChristianity equal, before the law,with the other religions. This markedthe victory of the Church over heathenism.How was it possible for the Churchto come through victorious? Dying forthe faith has no sin-covering merit.The Church seems to grow; however,when martyr-blood has been shed. TheChurch was more pure for those whodared to name the Name of Christ.The only complete answer is Christ.Prayer Meeting Topicfor January 12, 1966Due to circumstances beyond thecontrol of the 1966 Prayer MeetingCommittee, it was not possible toprovide new and original topics andmaterial for the month of January.Several of those who have in pastyears contributed to the spiritualnourishment of the Covenanter Churchby writing for the mid-week prayertime will again direct our attentionfor the month.The topic for January 12, 1966, wasprovided for use on May 22, 1946 andwas prepared by the Rev. Robert D.Edgar.MY MOST UNFORGETTABLEBIBLE CHARACTERScripture Lesson: Hebrews 11December 15, 1965Psalms:Psalm 132:1-6, page 329Psalm 103:5-8, page 247Psalm 99:1, 2, 5, 6, page 236In the chapter for our Bible reading,Hebrews 11, there is a whole listof Bible personalities mentioned bythe author of the book. These characterswere unforgettable to the authorbecause of their outstandingfaith. Abraham showed his faith bybelieving God and leaving his homein Ur of the Chaldees to go out to aland that he knew not, but whichGod would show him; Noah by buildingan ark in the face of criticism;Moses by turning down the glitter ofthe Egyptian kingdom and choosing tosuffer affliction with God's peoplerather than to enjoy the pleasures ofsin for a season; Gideon by havingcourage to take his handful of followersagainst a mighty army. Thenthe writer ends up by saying "andwhat shall I more say, for the timewould fail me to tell of .. the prophets"So rather than commenting on thelife of any one particular Bible characterin the Witness notes, let eachone asked by the leader prepare abiography of his most unforgettableBible character. Possibly in your biographyyou will want to include: (1)his family background; (2) conditionsof the times in which he lived, nationaland international; (3) his childhood:(4) development of his character; (5)his characteristic that is most outstandingin your mind, that makeshim your most unforgettable character,with incidents that show why youhave chosen this particular character.Of course, our most unforgettableBible character is the Lord JesusChrist; and the leader might beginthe meeting by giving a brief sketchof His life and pointing out His characteristics.Uncle Horace was settling down for an afternoon nap. Suddenly hecould be heard muttering imprecations, — emphatic ones! Aunt Matilda expressedshock. ."II 's that so-and-so fly," exclaimed Uncle Horace. "He keeps walkingon my nose!" Then, as though Aunt Matilda and the fly had chosen up sidesagainst him, Uncle Horace demanded in aggrieved tones, "How would thatfly like it if I walked on his nose?"The laws of probability would indicate that the results might not bethe same in the one case as in the other.This is not to be taken as a defense of flies, nor of their right to walkon peoples' noses. At our place we swat them whenever we are fast enoughto hit them However, there is such a thing as a consideration of proportionateresults. A fly, walking on a man, would bring annoyance. A man. walking ona flv would bring flattened out demise.Maybe it's time to forget about flies and think about people, in thismatter of proportionate results.There is no doubt about it! Preachers and church school teachers andother church workers have their occasions for becoming annoyed at theanUcs of some of the youngsters in their charge. A boy with a bean shootercan do an effective job of messing up a lesson on the true meaning of Infralapar'anlsmBut adults need to gaurd carefully against the temptation to descenduZthe offender with all the disapproving censure and vitrei thatthpir aroused annoyance can muster.It goes without question that an able adult can overwhelm a child in a«.trn of tW Ind He can, in fact, so flatten out a child, that the child _set-to of this kina ne cbec0mes resentful to the point where heunable to hold his own _ simply bee ^ ^ ^ ^rerwe^w^ou 0 / Ingr/^ur^s^do'more genuine harm to the cause ofChrist than does the boy with his bean shooter.381

ZIP CODE IMPORTANTPlease give the ZIP CODE WITH­OUT FAIL when you send a new addressas you move or send in a newsubscription. We are in the process ofadding the zip codes to all the mailinglist where they are lacking, andwe must maintain these. Consult yourpostmaster if you do not know the zipcode for any address.M. W. D.NOTICE, JUNIOR LEADERSJunior Handbooks for 1966 havebeen mailed out. Any group not receivingcopies and desiring to havethem please write to Mrs. Robert B.Maine, 1219 Sussex Drive, SouthBend, Indiana 46628. May I also urgeall Junior leaders to fill out theirW. M. S. report blanks by January31 and send to the Presbyterial JuniorSuperintendent. Even though youare under the local direction of yourC. E. Board, you are still technicallyobligated to fill out the blanks forthe W. M. S. as they are the onesstill furnishing the lesson materialsand Handbooks and planning the NationalJunior Convention. It would helpme to have a better picture of thework, what is being accomplished andwhat needs to be done, if I couldhave your cooperation. This will inturn help our Synod's Board ofChristian Education for I am cooperatingwith them. Thank you.Mrs. R. B. MaineSynodical Junior SuperintendentDECEMBER SUBSCRIPTIONHONOR ROLLFresno.NOTICEThe 1966 W.M.S. Uniform Proisready and may be orderedgramfor twenty-five (25) cents each fromMiss Sarah Archer, 103 FennertonRoad, Paoii, Penna.DEAR, REMARKABLE MRS. MARTINMrs. Martin had boundless energyand a zest for living, and every momentof that life was spent in serviceto her Lord. Like Dorcas she wentChurch Newsabout doing good. Many of her sleeplessnights were spent in prayer.Mrs. Martin's day began with earlymorning Bible study and prayer. Herforenoons were spent writing lettersto the lonely or in sewing for needychildren. Many were the garmentsplaced where they were most needed.Mrs. Martin's afternoons werespent visiting with the lonely andunfortunate, and sometimes she continuedthis into the evening hours byhaving devotions with some children.She was active in the Women'sChristian Temperance Union and Women'sMissionary Society. She oftenformulated and carried petitions toCongress when the need arose. Mrs.Martin was a constant challenge andinspiration to us all. Hers was indeeda life of service and she will be greatlymissed by her many friends acrossthe church.Revelation 14:13b "Blessed are thedead who die in the Lord . .. that theymay rest from their labors and theirworks do follow them."The Sterling Missionary SocietyTHANKSMrs. Hutcheson and I wish to expressour thanks to the Olathe congregationfor the bountiful food shower,they gave us a few days after ourarrival in their fair city to begin ourretirement from missionary work,which we had made our life career.Such occasions give us pleasant memoriesto think back on, and helpus to feel rewarded for the serviceswe have tried to render our church,in their foreign missionary work, forHis Kingdom. The field seems foreignto most of you in the church, but forus who have spent some 40 yearsthere, more years than we have spentin U.S.A., we can hardly call it foreign.Again thank you.Chester T. HutchesonHALF HAVE REPORTEDHalf of our 68 congregations havebeen heard from by November 20.The ones reporting on absentee membersare the following, given in theorder in which the reports were received:First Beaver Falls, Mars, Cambridge,Eastvale, Walton, Broomall,Youngstown, Almonte, New York,Seattle, North Hills (Pittsburgh,) ParkCity, Lisbon, Hopkinton, San Diego,Belle Center, Geneva, Orlando, Topeka,Third Philadelphia, Wilkinsburg,Oakdale, Allegheny, Bethel, OldBethel, Santa Ana, Lochiel, Phoenix,Olathe, Montclair, Sterling, Manchester,Cache Creek Mission, Greeley,Quinter.THANKSWe would like publicly to expressour gratitude to the Kansas City congregationfor the warm welcome wehave received in beginning our ministryin this community. Upon our arrivalin the manse we found the kitchenshelves generously stocked with alarge variety of groceries. The comfortablemanse has been made evenmore attractive by the addition of newwallpaper. We are grateful for theseand other material blessings, and especiallyfor the love and hospitalitythat has been shown to us.John and Alta Tweed and familyNOTE OF APPRECIATIONMrs. Hutcheson and I have justcompleted a trip among our churchesof the Midwest, speaking at theirThank offering services. We were privilegedto speak at eight different congregations.We enjoyed this trip verymuch, and wish to thank all who hadanything to do with entertaining usso royally.We greatly appreciated gettingmore acquainted with the congregationsand pastors, that we had knownbefore, and then getting acquaintedwith the ones we had never visitedbefore. We appreciated talking overthe problems, of both old and newacquaintances. They have their problemsand rewarding experiences.Keep praying for them.Again, let me say thank you to theten congregations we visited, and wehope it helped you spiritually, as itdid us. The Thank Offerings, were asmuch as expected, and more, eachplace. May our efforts and yours beused to advance His Kingdom.Cordially yours,Chester T. HutchesonHe that dwelleth in the secretplace of the most High shall abideunder the shadow of the Almighty.Psalm 91:1382 COVENANTER WITNESS

STERLINGOne of our Covenanter boys wentto Mass this summer, (Massachusetts,that is). Hadley Wilkey, along with600 Air National Guardsmen, left theHutchinson Base for a two-week trainingperiod at Otis Air Force Base inMassachusetts. His unit was namedsecond best out of the ninety-two flyingunits in the United States.This fall an ice cream social washeld at the church to welcome theCovenanter college students. Thoseattending here are Rose Curry, NormaHays, Sheryl Patterson, Jo Joseph, AllenCaskey, Judy Schott, BarbaraSterrett, Brent Van Vleck, CeciBrown, and several from our Sterlingcongregation. We are also enjoyingthe presence of John Tedford andPhilip Beard from the Minneola A.P.Church along with Roger Black ofEugene, Oregon.Traveling away to college wereDavid Young to Fort Hays; ShielaWilkey to. Wichita State University;and Eileen Faris to Geneva College.The C.Y.P.U. has been enjoyingthe Psalm Sings held for them in varioushomes throughout the congregation.The "sings" are held on Sabbathafternoon or Sabbath evening afterchurch.Eleanor Faris was our Thankofferingspeaker this fall. She gave avery enlightening and interesting talkon her work in Japan.Reverend Paul Faris attended thePastor's Conference at Glen Eyrie onSeptember 6 through 10. While hewas away, Reverend Wylie Doughertypreached in the morning and eveningservices.Back in regular attendance noware Robert McCrory who was sufferingfrom a leg injury, and Barbaraand Connie Kilgore who were hospitalizedbecause of pneumonia.Mr. and Mrs. Willis Edgar spentthree weeks in California in October.Along with sight-seeing and traveling,they visited Mr. Edgar's sisterin-law,Mrs. Charles Edgar.The annual missionary work dayfor the Selma Mission was held inOctober. This year in the afternoonmeeting a talk was given by CeciBrown, concerning her father, ReverendClaude Brown's work there inSelma and the situations they arehaving to face.The congregation was saddened bythe death of Mrs. Mary Moore. Mrs.Moore had been a faithful memberfor years and we all will miss her.December 15, 1965During the communion season, sixnew members were received into fullmembership in our church by professionof their faith. They are GwenFaris, Doug Fountain, Pam Mann, DonMcCrory, Don Reed, and KarenYoung.Baptismal vows were taken by Mr.and Mrs. Larry Tener for LarryScott Tener, and Mr. and Mrs. JamesHumpherys for Thomas Allen Humpherys.We enjoyed the presence of Mr.and Mrs. Wyley Caskey during thecommunion services. Rev. Mr. Caskey'swords made this communiontime an enriching and soul-searchingexperience.SUPERIOR, BEULAHThe Thanksgiving season is hereagain. Let us recount some of themany blessings that God has bestowedupon us as individuals and as congregations.Since our congregation has beenwithout a minister we have beenfortunate in having several visitingministers conduct our Church services.We have welcomed to the pulpitthe Revs. Ross Karnes, M. W. Dougherty,Alvin Smith, Jr., and RobertMcFarland.Three of our laymen, Frank Schott,Kenneth Hurd, and Eugene Shaw, alternatein conducting the morningchurch services when we are withouta minister.They are doing a wonderful workand the congregation is appreciatingit very much.The Communion service will beDecember 5. Rev. R. W. Caskey willbe the visiting minister.Mr. Frank Schott represented thecongregation at the meeting of Presbyteryat Quinter, Kansas. Mrs. Schottalso attended the meeting.The Missionary Society had theirannual Thank Offering service, Sabbathmorning, October 24. Miss EleanorFaris gave the message.This year our Society had a partin the World Community Day Program,held in the First PresbyterianChurch. A number of sewing kits hadbeen made and filled by the womenof our Society for a girls' school inChile, South America.The W.M.S. officers who will serveagain next year are President, MissClara Sloane; Vice President, Mrs.Knox McKee; Secretary, Mrs. DaleAdams; Treasurer, Mrs. Ted Schott.Two of our members are awayat college. Bob Shaw is a student atthe Nebraska State University andJudy Schott is a freshman at SterlingCollege."Challenge of Growth" is thisyear's theme for Soil StewardshipWeek throughout the nation. Specialservices were held in our churches onSabbath, May 30. Max Adams, presidentof the Superior chapter of FutureFarmers, gave a very interestingand informative talk at our morningchurch service.Mrs. Wm. J. Walkinshaw, who hasbeen a patient at the Brodstone Hospital,has recovered sufficiently to bereleased and is back at her usualplace in the Good Samaritan Center.Mr. and Mrs. Guy Work are visitingfor a time with relatives in California.News has reached us of the deathof Mrs. Pauline Sloane Ferguson, whopassed away at her home in WilkesBarre, Pennsylvania. Pauline spenther girlhood days in the Beulah community,where she was very activein the church and community affairs.BOOK REVIEWARNOLD'S COMMENTARY on theINTERNATIONAL SABBATHSCHOOL LESSONS for 1966. 330pages. Price $2.50. Light and LifePress, Winona Lake, Indiana.In addition to the regular table ofcontents, this commentary carries acumulative index which covers theyears 1962-1966 to help one find thecomments on various passages ofScripture covered by Arnold in thesevolumes.For each lesson a personal point ofview is given by a minister and alayman, a procedure guide for theteacher, together with daily Biblereadings for the week. Each lessoncloses with a personal application anda preview of the next study.The comments are clear, practical,and concise, and they would be a greathelp to any Bible teacher.For all our days are passed awayin thy wrath: we spend our years as atale that is told.The days of our years are threescoreyears and ten; and if by reasonof strength they be fourscore years,yet is their strength labor and sorrow;for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.Psalm 90:9, 10He clave the rocks in the wilderness,and gave them drink as out ofthe great depths. Psalms 78:15383

Synod's Stewardship Committee Presents the Needs Of . . .The Board of Foreign MissionsSupport of this Literature work for Chinese Christians.Our Budget for 1965 is $81,555. of which $37,500. must come from Synod'sBudget. Almost 24c out of every dollar contributed to the Budget helps in thisoutreach to other lands. Join hands with your Board by contributing to the Budget.SYNOD'S 1965 BUDGET $160,000COVENANTER WITNESS

'LOGICAL SEJHAAIftPITTSBURGHWitnessTO JESUS CHRIST"THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONS"VOLUME LXXV NO. 25 DECEMBER 22, 1965 STERLING, KANSASBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 16, 1966A LOOK AT THE BABYThe angels announced with a brilliant display"A Saviour is born," but in humble array.The shepherds who heard it then made no delayTo see for themselves a new babe on the hay.They found Him as even the angels had said,A sweet little baby asleep in His bed.They entered with caution and lightness of tread,They came to the manger with uncovered head.Yet what they were seeing was something much more —The something that drove them to come and adore;Now here was the one who their hopes could restore,For here was the Saviour of Scriptural lore.They feasted their eyes, but their minds ran aheadIn picturing Israel raised from the dead.Yet how could they know that the picture insteadWouid be of a Saviour whose blood would be shed.With hearts overflowing and tongues full of praise,The shepherds returned to their usual ways.However their story will always amazeThe people of modern as well as past days.Our Lord to the temple was brought as a child,There Anna and Simeon, saints unreviled,Rejoiced in this "Infant so tender and mild,"They saw the Redeemer and Christ undefiled.From lands far away several wise men arrived,Their guidance from God through a star was derived.The King here they worshipped with spirits revived,And voided the scheme that King Herod contrived.And what do you see in this Baby, so dear?Art able to see past the Christmas veneer?To you does He mean a Redeemer quite near?And One whom you worship and daily revere?— D Howard Elliott

THE COVENANTER WITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.EVANGELICAL PR*** ASSOCIATIONEditor: Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D.D.125 N. 4th StreetSterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under the supervision of theBoard of Publication by The Patterson Press, Wapello,Iowa 52653.Contributing Editors:Rev. Kenneth SmithDr. G. M. RobbRev. T. R. HutchesonDepartment Editors:Rev. Bruce C. StewartMrs. Robert B. MaineMrs. Willis EdgarRev. John K. GaultOpinions expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Church or the editor.All material to appear in The Covenanter Witnessshould be typewritten, double-spaced, and should be inSterling, Kansas two weeks before it is to be printed.Obituaries — All words in excess of one hundred fifty,one cent per word. Money should accompany such notices.SUBSCRIPTION RATESIndividual (1 year): U.S. and Canada, $4.00, BritishIsles 35/-, all other places, $5.00;Individual (2 year): U.S. and Canada, $7.00, BritishIsles 63/-, all other places, $9.00;Group: U.S. and Canada, $3.00, British Isles 28/-, allother places, $4.00.9-month student subscription — $1.50; 5-month introductoryoffer — $1.00; 2 gift subscriptions to persons outsideof the R.P. Church — $2.00 each. Single copies, 10ceach.Subscription Agent for U.S. and Canada: Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.Subscription Agent for the British Isles: Rev. HughWright, B. A., 12, Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, NorthernIreland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness in U. S. currency.Give one month's notice of a change of address. Sendboth the new and the old address to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty.Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, Iowa.WE HOLD THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only infalliblerule of faith and conduct.The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experience.The Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Holy Spirit.The fact of death and hell as the destiny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believein Him together with their children.The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church Government.The Lord Jesus Christ as the only King and Head of His Church.That terms of membership or communion are essential to thewelfare of the Church.Verse for the WeekPsalm 145:1 "I will extol thee, my God, O king:and I will bless thy name forever and ever."Praise is the only part of duty in which we atpresent engage, which is lasting. We pray, but thereshall be a time when prayer shall offer its last litany; webelieve, but there shall be a time when faith shall belost in sight; we hope, and hope maketh not ashamed,but there shall be a time when hope lies down and dies,lost in the splendor of the fruition that God shall reveal.But praise goes singing into heaven, and is ready withouta teacher to strike the harp that is waiting for it, to transmitalong the echoes of eternity the song of the Lamb.In the parti-colored world in which we live, there aredays of various sorts and experiences, making up theaggregate of the Christian's life. There are waiting dqys,in which, because Providence fences us round, and itseems as if we cannot* march, we cannot move, as thoughwe must just wait to see what the Lord is about to doin us and for us; and there are watching days, when itbehooves us never to slumber, but to be always readyfor the attacks of our spiritual enemy; and there arewarring days, when with nodding plume, and with amplearmor, we must go forth to do battle for the truth, andthere are weeping days, when it seems as if the fountainsof the great deep within us are broken up; and as though,through much tribulation we had to pass to heavenin tears. But these days shall all pass away by and by —waiting days will all be passed; warring days will all bepassed; watching days will all be passed; but not so ourdays of praise. They go on for ever.William Morley Punshon (1824-1881)This Week's WitnessHeadlessFaith and The Ten Year ProgramWe Foster A RevolutionAlcoholism and Traffic Deaths .The Deacon's BenchAlertStory — PuzzleLesson HelpsScribeChurch News387388389390391392394395397398The duty which rests upon officers to maintain discipline andpreserve the purity of the Church.Spiritual worship as a divine requirement mediated through theLord Jesus Christ.The exclusive use of the Psalms in the worship of the Church.The Protestant interpretation of the Sacraments.The divine right of the institution of Marriage and that it is notto be dissolved except by adultery or "irremediable" desertion.The Sabbath as a day sacred to rest and worship.The duty of nations and their civil rulers to honor Christ asKing of Kings and Lord of Lords.That Christian citizens are under obligation to obey lawful authority.The right and duty of the Christian citizen to dissent from allgovernmental and national disobedience to the Law of God.That the Covenants of the past are still binding.From "The Communicant's Class" by J. B. Tweed386 COVENANTER WITNESS

EditorialCommentHEADLESSOnly by study and by comparison does onecome to appreciate the wonder that he is. All theparts of his body are valuable beyond price. Whateverman may produce as a substitute is not asefficient as the original and it is quite expensive.However there are parts of the body that cannotbe duplicated at any price. The head is the mostoutstanding of these. Even though no one useshis head to its greatest capacity, he still doesnot want to part with it. By the head we mean thatpart of man that controls all other parts of thebody, and also all the processes of the mind. Tohouse a modern electric calculating machine thatwould do the things the brain does would require abuilding larger than the Empire State Building.One can scarcely comprehend all that the braindoes. Surely the head is a wonderful thing. Whensomething goes wrong with it, various parts of thebody may cease to function or function poorly andhinder other parts, for it is from the head thatevery part of the body gets its orders and its power.One of the greatest comparisons used in theBible is that of the human body to the church. Becominga believer is likened to the birth of a child.The church is called a body of behevers. As suchit has its various functioning parts, and over allthese there is a Head. If there were no head therewould not be a living body. Jesus Christ, the Sonof God, is that Head. He is the one to whom eachmember looks for direction. Now if some memberof the body should decide to do something otherthan the will of the head, confusion would resultand efficiency would drop. Should the arm decidenot to move, we know that after a time, it could not.When any member is cut off from the head, itsactivity ceases at once and decay sets in. Yet inthe allegorical sense, we fail to apply this. Withinthe church one member may think that he can workindependently. In fact, he may oppose other membersand set his own will and desires over againstthe word and will of the Head.The UPUSA Confession of 1967 is the subjectof discussion in many rehgious periodicals. It hasastounded thinking Christians everywhere. It is anuncanny operation. In it the doctrine of Jesus Christ,the Son of God, virgin born, crucified, risen, ascendedis discredited. Yet we are told that this isprogress. Rejoicing is reported in some camps ofthe ordained that belief in such doctrines is nolonger required.By the same allegorical reasoning laid downin Scripture, what is the body going to do? Therewas a time when Israel boldly declared such independenceand everyone did that which was rightin his own eyes. History says that it was their undoing.In all Presbyterian churches there are courts.These courts are constituted and adjourned "in thename and by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ,Zion's only King and Head." Now with no head itnecessarily follows that there is no authority, sowhy "hold court"?A homely but rather accurate illustration isfound in the chicken that you had for dinner. Thenext step after catching it is to take off the head.If it is released after that happens, one sees an exhibitionof flapping wings and long leaps when afoot happens to get between the body and theground. There is no organization or purpose. Finallyeverything is quiet. The bird is dead. No more cana church live without a head than can a chicken.We lament the failure to recognize this and actionsas if it were a headless church. Paul said of Christthat the Father "gave him to be head over all thingsto the church, which is his body." Jesus has said,"Without me ye can do nothing."ALCOHOLISM . . . from page 390goes undetected. Programs are badly needed to detect,restrain and rehabilitate the alcoholic driver,although the public and the medical profession mayfirst have to be shaken out of their apathy towardtraffic accidents.—Medical Tribune Sept. 8, '65December 22, 1965 387

Faith and The Ten Year Program(From a sermon preached to Southfield Church, August 22)By Rev. DonaldAlthough some two and one-half years havepassed, some Reformed Presbyterians continue toask, "What is the Ten Year Program?" In answeringthe question, one ought first to say that it is not achange in the form of Church Government —whereby a CE. Committee assumes both the authorityand the responsibihty of the Session. Nor is ita substitute for the diligent work of Sabbath Schoolteachers and officers. And certainly it ought not tobe confused with the mere attendance at numerousmeetings, committees, and surveys.Understanding the ProgramOn the contrary, it is a plan to double the SabbathSchool membership and average attendance ofour denomination by 1972; that is, from 5,000 to10,000. It is a plan which must be adapted to localneeds, resources, and opportunities. Perhaps wemight compare the process of adaptation to thatwith which many of the women in this congregationare famihar. When desiring to make a suit, you buya pattern that most nearly conforms to your measurements.However, most women find that theirproportions don't fit the pattern of the ideal. Hence,there comes the difficult job of adjustment — perhapsby experimentation. I have seen my wife takeapart and put back together a suit some five or sixtimes until it fit properly. So it is with the suggestionsfor implementation of the Ten Year Program—they must be adapted to each congregation. Moreover,the program must be organized in such a mannerthat everyone in the congregation can understandit and also participate in it.Such a plan, simple as it may be, is desperatelyneeded by our Church. It presents to us a vision ofoutreach which we must have; for "where there isno vision, the people perish" (Prov. 29:18). But asthis program becomes the vision of the entireChurch, by God's grace it shall give us "a mind towork" (Neh. 4:6).The Foundation of FaithTherefore, if it is agreed that the Ten-Year Programis a plan to double the S.S. membership andaverage attendance of our denomination by 1972,then certainly such an endeavor demands faith. Yetthis faith is not in a program, but in God, His pro-We'.lersbachermises, His means of grace, and His working in andthrough the Church to reveal His will. We shouldtake a great deal of comfort from the words of Paulin Philippians 2:13:"For it is God which worketh in you both to willand to do of His good pleasure." Unless there is evidenceto the contrary, we ought to consider the TenYear Program as the product of the work of theHoly Spirit in our Church.Furthermore, since we are attempting a workwhich is spiritual in nature and can not be accomplishedby human efforts, we must hsten to theadmonition of the Scriptures in Zechariah 4:6:"Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit,saith the Lord of hosts." Faith is not a power in andof itself. Rather, it is a channel for God's grace. Itis the means by which He empowers us to do Hiswill.Now if we are agreed that faith is necessaryfor the success of the Ten Year Program, perhapsone ought to ask, "But how great must our faith be?"Jesus certainly promised that we could move mountains— if we would only believe (Mk. 11:23). Yetfew of us would classify our faith as the mountainmovingkind. Hence, we cannot honestly pray foran increase of 5,000 in the Sabbath School. Wethink and pray in terms of 1, or 2, 5 or 10, butnot 5,000 or 10,000.Becoming PracticalAt this point perhaps we might learn a lessonfrom the business world. Several years ago some ofyou may have eaten a breakfast cereal known as"Shredded Wheat." It was a pleasant enough product,but had to be crumbled in the hands beforeit could be put into the cereal bowl. This process ofbreaking it down made it more easily assimilated.It also scattered the breakfast cereal all over thetable — if one were not too careful. Some mothermust have complained to the company; for todaywe have Shredded Wheat in bite-size biscuits.So it is with the matter of faith. Before we canhonestly pray for God to bless the Ten-Year Program,we must break it down to the right believingsize for you and me. Perhaps we should use the exampleof our own congregation. In 1962 the average388 COVENANTER WITNESS

Sabbath School attendance at Southfield was 43.Therefore, our own goal should be to average an attendanceof 86 by the end of 1972. This would meanan average increase of 4.3 per year. Such a smallfigure is within the scope of my faith — and I trustthat it is also within the dimensions of yours.At this point I would hke to ask, "Has this goalof 4.3 per year been experienced in this congregation?"As I look at your faces, I can see that most—if not all — appear not to know. Well, it has beenso. In 1963 the actual increase in average attendancewas 4. In .1964 the increase was 5. Thus thegoal for the first two years has been met.Steps for FulfillmentHaving broken down the goal for our congregationinto a "faith-sized" number, is there any otheraspect of faith which should be discussed? Yes,there is! We need the kind of faith that will moveus to accept pubhcly the challenge of the Ten YearProgram. The Synod did this in 1962 by adoptingthe resolution to initiate such a plan. Moreover, individualcongregations have been doing this sincethen every time they estabhsh a CE. Committee orrevamp and revitalize the one that they have.We need the kind of faith that will be demonstratedby hard work. The Sabbath School must endeavorto improve the quality of its teaching, maintainexisting personal contact, and provide adequatespace and equipment. Such is our defensive strategy.In taking the offensive, the Sabbath School mustmake contact with new people, invite them, andeither bring them or provide transportation, if necessary.Finally, we need the kind of faith that perseveresuntil the goal is met. In our congregation it is86. In the Church it is 10,000 in average attendance.As the writer to the Hebrews so aptly statesit:"For ye have need of patience, that after yehave done the will of God, ye might receivethe promise." Hebrews 10:36By way of application, I would personally like toinvite everyone here this morning to come to SabbathSchool and attend regularly. Moreover, I challengeeach one personally to invite someone else tocome to Sabbath School next week — and to continuesuch a program of personal invitation to newpeople until our goal is met. So as to remind us todo this work, each Sabbath School class, adults included,will be asked to report at our closing exerciseshow many persons were invited each week.Now the God of peace, that brought again fromthe dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherdof the sheep, through the blood of the everlastingcovenant, make you perfect in every goodwork to do His will, working in you that whichis well-pleasing in His sight, through JesusChrist; to whom be glory for ever and ever.Amen. (Hebrews 13:20,21).We Foster A RevolutionRev. D. HowardDuring the year 1965, the globe has been pockmarkedwith rebellions and revolutions. We needonly mention such names as Watts, Kashmir, theDominican Republic, Viet Nam, Rhodesia to recallto your minds incidents that you term either rebellionsor revolutions, depending on which side of theissue you are. No doubt there are many more suchincidents spawning in the hearts of dissatisfied onesthe world over. Individual revolutions exist in thehearts of many of us which are never known exceptto God.There is an organization in this country thathas been fostering a type of revolution for 150years come next year. The business of this organizationis the distribution of a book which when followedproduces revolution in the heart of man and inhis society. This organization is the American BibleSociety and of course the book it distributes by themillions is the Bible. The Bible is revolutionary becauseitproposes a way of life that a vast majorityElliott, D.D.of the inhabitants of the world does not know aboutand which is practiced by a meagre few. But thosewho know and follow this way and Him who said,"I am the way," experience a revolution of righteousnesswhich they know to hold the only solution forthe troubles of the world.Since 1966 is the 150th anniversary of theAmerican Bible Society,it is being called "The Yearof the Bible." The United States Senate and thegovernors of 25 states have urged that 1966 be observedas "The Year of the Bible."The battle of books is on in the world. But toChristians, the battle to put THE BOOK in thehands of all people is of prime importance. TheAmerican Bible Society, along with the UnitedBible Societies, is doing allit can with the means ithas to put The Book before all peoples. Yet as thepopulation increases and millions of new readersare added to civilization each year, the resourcesSee page 391December 22, 1965389

ALCOHOLISM AND TRAFFIC DEATHSBy Melvin L. Selzer, M.D.Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Director,Alcoholism-Fatal Accident Project,University of Michigan Medical School,Ann Arbor.Approximately 1,000,000 Americans are destinedto die in traffic accidents in the next 15 years ifthe present annual increment continues. That theingestion of alcohol will play a considerable role inover half these deaths is no secret. Indeed, strenuousefforts have been made in the past two decadesto reduce the incidence of alcohol-relatedtraffic accidents — to no avail!Until the 1950s, it was assumed that alcoholizeddrivers who incurred accidents were exclusivelydrawn from the ranks of social drinkers who hadbecome somewhat careless and impaired by a fewdrinks. This myth was supported by unproven notionsthat the alcoholic, when in his cups, was simplytoo drunk to drive—or was too clever to exposehimself to an arrest that would reveal his alcoholism-The myth was ultimately discredited by investigatorsin Canada and Sweden who discoveredthat chronic alcoholics were significantly overrepresentedin traffic accidents and that alcohohcdrivers, when compared with other drivers, wereresponsible for significantly more traffic accidents.A study completed in 1962 of Michigan driversarrested for driving while intoxicated revealed that80 per cent of the drivers had serious and chronicdrinking problems. This information, coupled withstudies revealing that approximately 50 per centof accident-responsible, fatally injured drivers werehighly intoxicated at the time of the accident, indicatedthat the next logical area for explorationwould be to determine what role chronic alcoholicsplayed in serious traffic accidents. A project was initiatedto determine the incidence of alcoholism indrivers responsible for fatal accidents in Michigan'sWashtenaw County over a three-year period. Of72 drivers investigated thus far, 50 per cent hadserious chronic drinking problems. (Of the 46 driversknown to have been drinking prior to the fatalaccidents, 35 — 75 per cent — had chronic drinkingproblems). Many of these latter had abominabledriving records including prior arrests for drunkdriving as well as arrests for drunk and disorderlybehavior. Two drivers had been responsible for earliertraffic deaths while driving in an intoxicatedstate.Since many alcoholic drivers are immunized bytheir illness against legal threats and educationalcampaigns and appear to be responsible for theoverwhelming majority of alcohol-involved fataltraffic accidents, it behooves us to take remedialaction- The alcoholic driver today, even when repeatedlyapprehended, is neither effectively restrictedfrom driving nor required to seek treatment. Theresult is that he often continues his highway depredationsuntil he removes himself by way of afatal injury. This places other drivers in positionsmuch like that of ducks in a shooting gallery. Whatcan be done?Let me state here and now that the "get tough"approach toward alcoholic drivers constitutes a seriousdisservice to the general driving public. The bigstick approach may give certain public officials athrill — but yields dismal returns if we are indeedinterested in meaningful results. And it is high timewe became concerned with results. Since the alcoholismof most alcoholics is hidden from publicview, traffic authorities will need help in designingprograms to detect the chronically alcoholic driverwho is brought in for traffic violations. This willhave to be accompanied by methods to prevent theaccident-susceptible alcoholic from driving untilhe has received treatment and been rehabilitated.Is the problem of sufficient magnitude to warrantestablishing alcoholism as a legally reportabledisease so that alcoholic drivers may be effectivelycurbed? Many physicians may object to this suggestionas inimical to the patient-doctor relationship.However, how many of us would let TyphoidMary walk out of our office to resume a job asshort-order cook at a local restaurant? Yet we countenancethe alcoholic patient's continued driving.The physician's role is to relieve suffering and preventdeath—even if the life he saves is that of atotal stranger on some distant highway.I anticipate that one obstacle to a reporting programwill be our knowledge that not all alcoholicsare amenable to treatment. A small percentage willremain alcoholics despite treatment efforts and oneshrinks from permanently enjoining a man fromoperating a car in our highly mechanized society.The alternative — the crunch of bone on steel ora child thrown through a windshield — is not particularlyrefreshing, either.In summary, we are faced with a traffic problemof epidemic proportions which will kill a millionpersons in the next decade and a half and leavemillions of others seriously injured. If our findingsin Michigan are typical — and there is independentevidence to believe that they are — approximatelyhalf of these deaths (and countless injuries) will becaused by drivers with long-term chronic drinkingproblems- Present deterrents do not affect this dangerousgroup and for the most part their alcoholismSee page 387390 COVENANTER WITNESS

The Deacon's BenchLET ME THINK!How and what shall I give this year to andthrough my church?If I give nothing:I cast a ballot in favor of closing my church.I discourage others.If I give less than last year:i show my disapproval of the work that hasbeen done.I favor curtailment of the work at home andabroad.If 1 give grudgingly and of necessity:I shall find no joy in my giving.I shall not find the Lord's richest blessing; forit is written that the Lord loves a cheerful giver.If 1 refuse to make a subscription in advance:I make it difficult for my church to make plansfor the year.If I give less than one tenth of my income:I do less than that which was required of thepoorest of the Jews.If I give proportionately:I shall be blessed in my giving, whether thegift be large or small."For if there be first a willing mind, it is acceptedaccording to that a man hath, and notaccording to that he hath not."I shall probably increase my gifts; I know thekingdom causes need increased support, andthat I have not been giving in proportion. I mustask myself whether or not my giving has increasedwith my income.If I give systematically:I shall make it possible for my church and formy denomination to plan work in advance, andto live within income.I shall make it much easier for myself. I know,from past experience, that the accumulation ofsmall obligations soon becomes burdensome. Ishall find real joy and satisfaction in my giving.How and what shall I give this year to andthrough my church?Let me think and let me pray!—John A. McAfee, Everyone, December, 1954And then there was little Linda, who startedout one Saturday morning with two shiny nickels:one to buy an ice cream cone, one to put in the offeringnext day at Sabbath School. As she walkedalong, one of the coins slipped out of her hand androlled down a drain. "Oops," said Linda, "Theregoes the Lord's nickel!"With this column, The Deacon's Bench comesto an end, at least in the hands of this StewardshipCommittee. We trust that in some measure Christianshave been encouraged and stimulated in theexercise of the grace of giving. Our church has alwaysstood high on the list of per capita giving; butin comparison with what we could be doing, and incomparison to the needs, there remains much landto be conquered. As we complete our giving for theBudget of 1965, and look ahead to the needs of1966, may we have the spirit of the widow whogave the mites, and the faith to believe that "myGod shall supply all your needs according to hisriches in glory by Christ Jesus."REVOLUTION . . . from page 389to perform this task do not begin to meet the needof keeping pace with a growing population let alonegetting ahead in the effort to reach all people.Who is to provide the additional funds necessaryto meet the world's growing need of the Word?Churches must realize that this is their responsibility.Each denomination is responsible for gettingthe Bible to the world. In 1964 the total budget ofthe American Bible Society was $5,907,000. Of thisamount the churches contributed only 22 per cent.In 1966 the budget will be $6,645,000. It is theprayerful expectation of the Bible Society that inthe immediate future, 50 per cent of its income willbe derived through the churches, for this is thework of the church.The Covenanter Church contributed some$2,700 to the American Bible Society through officialsources in 1964. Let each congregation in1966 remember "The Year of the Bible", rememberthe needs of the world, remember that we have noagencies of our own for doing this work world-wide,remember that the American Bible Society IS ouragency for doing this — and so make its contributionin increasing volume to help perform the increasingtask.December 22, 1965 391

Dear C.Y.P.U.'ers ...How's your perspective these days?Enthusiasm from camp beginning topeter out? Getting tired of studies?Or, are you on top? It has impressedme this fall that a growing number ofour "crew" are beginning to latch onto every day Christian living. I'venoticed some real encouraging thingsin the gang at Geneva, and am convincedthis is not a localized thing.Now while we all know that thereis no substitute for one's personalfellowship with Jesus Christ everyday, there also exists no substitutefor our fellowship with each other.Biblical fellowship is a real must forall Christians, and especially youth.So let me suggest a few things whichI feel can help your fellowship.For one thing, keep in touch withone another. This not only requiresparties and activities, but I want toput a real plug in here for keeping upon groups too far away to meet with.The GOAL POST magazine, your ownC.Y.P.U. magazine, seeks to do this.The National Staff would like to seeevery home in the denomination whereyouth live receiving this monthly.This year it's to be sold strictly on anindividual basis, but this means it'smailed right to your home. Why notmake it a project to boost the GOALPOST? After all, it is your magazine.ofMy Impressions"Close Communion"by John RobertsonI recently attended Communion services at a Reformed PresbyterianChurch, where I was not eligible to receive the sacrament of communion, asI am not a member of this Church. Since then I have been asked to share myimpressions of Ihe communion service, particularly my feelings on being ineligibleto partake of the elements of communion.I have been attending a Reformed Presbyterian Church for about threemonths. In this time I have enjoyed tremendous fellowship with the membersof this Church, although I am not a member. When I was told that the Churchpracticed close communion, my first impulse was to attend church somewhereelse on communion Sabbath. I feared lest I be "out-of-place" and my presencemight make some participating members uncomfortable, as I might appear tobe a curiosity-seeker. I was assured by some close Christian friends who aremembers of this church that this was not the case, but they were concernedthat I might be offended. I learned that many members of the Church wereconcerned about the feelings of non-members on close communion, even tothe extent that many would prefer open communion to risking offendingnon-members.First, let me say that I was in no way offended by close communion.In fact, 1 was very much impressed with the seriousness with which the sacramentwas administered. It was refreshing to see a church take care that thesacrament not be administered to anyone who had not, to the best of theknowledge of the Session of the Church, placed his faith and trust in JesusChrist as Saviour and Lord. I personally have trusted Jesus Chirst as mypersonal Saviour and committed my life to Him as my Lord, but I have neverappeared before the Session of tbe Reformed Presbyterian Church to confessJesus Christ. I can therefore see no cause to be offended by being excludedfrom partaking of the elements. It is necessary for the Church, in myopinion, to draw the line somewhere in order to ensure that the sacramentis not administered to anyone who has not acknowledged to God his sinfulness392 COVENANTER WITNESS

and need to be cleansed by the blood of Christ. Paulin I Corinthians 11:27 points out that whosoever shalleat of this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthilyshall be guilty of the body and blood of theLord. I believe that to make myself worthy in the senseof this verse is to confess my sins to God and claim theblood of Christ to cleanse me from my sin. Although Ihave done this., I have never confessed this faith beforethe Session of the Church, so I have never proven to[hem that I should be allowed to partake of communion.Although I did not partake of the elements of communion,I did appreciate very much the opportunity tobe present as it was administered. I profited greatlyfrom the message of institution, as it reminded me of thecomplete hoplessness of ever standing before God, wereit not for the broken body and shed blood of Jesus'Christ. It also brought to remembrance the tremendouslove that God showed to me in allowing His only Sonto be cruelly executed for my sin. In fact, I enjoyed fel-lowship with the Lord during the communion service andliave enjoyed very close fellowship with the memberspartaking both before and since the service.A thought that describes very well this fellowshipI have experienced in all facets of Church activity I havebeen attending in the Reformed Presbyterian Churchis Psalms 84:7: "How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lordof Hosts." I can truly say that this Church is extremelyamiable, and L have been made to feel completely athome there, itgardless of the fact that I am not a member.About the author:Ensign Robertson is with the Dept. of Shipsof the U.S. Navy, particularly concerned withnuclear power. He came to Pittsburgh severalmonths ago to study at Westinghouse, and hencecame into contact with Reformed Presbyterians.He has attended several congregations and witnesseda communion ssrvice in two of thein.S.T.P. RECAPOn November 20 about a dozen of the trainees andslaff of last summer's S.T.P. met at the Seminary toswap blessings, lessons learned, and show pictures oftheir summer experiences. It was the first time such anevaluation session had ever been tried like this, and itproved very fruitful. Liz Hutcheson sparked the gettogether,and even the same cook, Mrs. Irene Caputo,prepared the delicious dinner.Praise and prayer, a highlight of the initial week oftraining back in June, also colored the session. A hardlook at what it costs a student to give a summer toS.T.P. resulted in some helpful suggestions. What to doabout next year when the National Convention will beheld was discussed, and the unanimous expression wasthat some type of training program should be conductedif at all possible. The Board of Christian Education willdecide if this is feasible at its December meeting atTopeka.From all indications, the 1965 S.T.P. proved one ofthe best. But only time will tell. One trainee put it thisway: "I've changed S.T.P. (summer training program)'o L. T. P. (life time program)." This after all is the realgoal of such a program.C.Y.P.U from page 392For another thing, pray for the officers planningyour part of the Carleton Convention. It's true we'reseeking to raise funds for "internationals" to come; butunless we pray down God's blessing, it will be moneywasted. Don Piper and all the execs have been workinghard, but they bank on your prayers. Incidentally, fellowshipreally grows if you pray together. Try the conversationalmethod and see.Finally, get to the conferettes being held! ForestPark and White Lake hold theirs about the time youread this. Pacific and Penn-O-Cove come in the spring.These shortstops for fellowship can be a real boost!If you are like I am, you enjoy getting together withother folks to do something! So start building your supportof the rest of the C.Y.P.U. in other parts of thecountry, along with your cultivating one another in yourown territory, and you'll not only accomplish something,but you'll find joy in the doing of it!Sincerely in Christ,Rev. Ken SmithP.S. Speaking of doing something, we really miss DaveArmstrong around the Christian Ed Office! When youread this, he will no doubt be "Rev." David Armstrong,new pastor of First Beaver Falls Church.December 22. 1965 393

The Beecher Farm MysteryA STORY FORJUNIOR - HIGHS(Continued from last week)Mrs. George (Jean L.) McFarland"Little did he know how much trouble he caused The clue is in the one letter on each across line.us," said Dad, "but he at least brought it back." Find a book of the Old Testament beginning with "J"That evening after the excitement had died and having five letters. Answer first line "Jonah."down, and Dad had gone to take Ruth home, andthe rest of the children were in bed, Becky wentout in the bright moonlight to her apple tree andtook down her diary and brought it into the house.It'll soon be winter, she thought, and I can't keepit in the tree any longer. As she looked at the book,suddenly she remembered how she had written,that things were not working together for good forthe Beecher family. She was startled, as all atonce, she realized things had worked out for good.She opened her book and wrote:Dear Little Book Of Inmost Thoughts: It's reallytrue. Things do work together for good to those wholove the Lord. If Dad had not gotten hurt, wewould never have met Ruth, and we might neverhave learned to love Aunt Tabitha. If the moneyhad not been lost, I would never have foundFrankie. And then after all this, we found themoney.She closed the book and bowed her head andprayed a little prayer of thanksgiving for all thegood things of life.THE ENDJunior TopicJanuary 16, 1966A CHURCH CONSOLIDATES,SURVIVES, AND GROWSMrs. Glenn McFarlandMemory work:Acts 26: 18 (First part for youngerJuniors.)Notebooks:Draw symbols of Trinity; triangle,clover, three intertwined equal circles,etc. Print memory verse.Handwork:Make three colored paper banners.Print on 1. Christ is Divine. 2.Holy Spirit is Divine. 3. Christ is Humanand Divine. Print on paper circleon clay standard 1. Council ofNicaea, 325. 2. Council of Constantinople,381. 3. Council of Chalcedon, 451.Attach banner to wire or wood stemand insert in clay base.Assignment:Have a Junior report on Mohammednext week.A group of people is like a pieceof string. It is one group, yet madeup of many individuals, just r.s onepiece of string is made up of manystrands. The string is much harder tobreak than each of the strands, alsothe Church has a much stronger testimonywhen united.Church Councils were held, suchas the first one called by the Apostlesin Jerusalem to consider problemsand unite against heresies. One ofthe problems bothering the Churchfor hundreds of years was the Personsof our Triune God. Differentmeetings or Councils were called todefine the Bible stand on matters offaith. In 325 A.D. a Council met atNicaea to discuss whether Christ theSon, was like God or was fully God.The result was the Nicene Creedstating that Christ is divine, the sameas and equal with the Father.Another Council held in Constantinoplein 381 A.D. expressed the deityof the Holy Spirit. The doctrine ofthe Trinity (the belief in the Father,Son, and Holy Spirit as the TriuneGod) was then re-established.In 4K1 A. D. the Council in Chalcedonrecorded the belief of Christ'sdeity and full and complete humanity.This was necessary if He was to bean acceptable sacrifice to God forour sins. These Creeds have remainedthrough history without rejection orchange.Let's now look at three greatleaders and writers in the westernpart of the Church from 341-430 A.D.They are Ambrose, Jerome, and Augustine.Ambrose was elected a bishop ofthe Church before he became a mem-See page 396394 COVENANTER WITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of January 16, 1966Sabbath School Lessonfor January 16, 1966GOD IS HOLYLev. 19:1, 2; I Sam. 6:19-21; Rev. 4:8-11.Comments by John K. GaultThis conception of God is essentialto all true worship. If God were notholy, any worship of Him would bepure inanity; but because of His perfectholiness He is preeminentlyworthy of man's reverence, adoration,and fear. God is possessed with theonly absolute holiness, and absoluteholiness is an incommunicable attribute.God only is absolutely holy, andman can become holy only in so faras he is related to, or united to God.One thought that is conveyed to usthrough the word holy or holiness isthat of separation. Israel was said tobe a "holy nation." They were a"holy'' nation in the sense that theywere separated from the other nationsof the world in order that Godmight accomplish His special purposein them as a nation.•'Another idea conveyed in the wordholy is freedom from all defilement.God is holy in that sense. In Himis no sin or imperfection of any kind.It is practically impossible for sinfulman to comprehend the existence of apersonality as an absolutely holy God,but that is what God is. And, God isthe sole judge of what is holy andwhat is unholy. All things are underHis control and "He has foreordainedwhatsoever come to pass." It is impossible,therefore, for God to sin, asAbraham implied in the question concerningSodom, "Shall not the Judgeof all the earth do right?" God alwaysdoes what is right for He is thepersonification of all righteousness,and apart from Him righteousnessdoes not exist.1. Man Should Imitate God in Holiness.This is the command in Leviticus19:2 where God is implementing theTen Commandments which He gave toMoses, with instructions for the childrenof Israel. Man has been created inthe likeness of God, as we are toldin Genesis. God's highest work ofhis sin. Man, however, is never absolvedfrom the obligation to imitate Godin holiness as God has revealed Himselfin His Word. God's holy natureis revealed to sinful man through HisWord, the Bible.Now, the way to imitate God inholiness, is to keep God's commandmentswith all of their implications.The commandments of God are implementedto us through His Word.We are to study it, therefore, that wemay have knowledge of His will. Hisword is a light to us; consequently, weshould be guided by what it says.Separation, as far as is humanly possible,from all sin, should be a constantendeavor of people. This isgraphically presented to us in Psalm1:1 wherein the singer says, "Blessedis the man that walketh not in thecounsel of the ungodly, nor standethin the way of sinners, nor sitteth inthe seat of the scornful."2: Since God is Holy, PeopleShould Approach God in the AppointedWay.The appointed way is the way Godhas revealed in His Word. Early inthe history of the race, God impressedhumanity with the fact of His holiness.Any act of will-worship resulted in anoutburst of divine displeasure. Theark of the covenant was a symbol, tothe children of Israel, of the holypresence of God. Consequently whenthe people of Beth-shemish becamecurious, as recorded in I Samuel 6:19,20, and looked into the ark, probablyto find out why it had such a deleteriouseffect on the Philistines, the angerof the Lord was directed againstBeth-shemish, and there was a greatslaughter. So, they wanted to get ridof the ark and they said, "Who is ableto stand before this holy Lord God?and to whom shall he go up from us?"Since God is holy, people are withoutauthority in trying to improve onHis method of worship. The stone altarand ark of the covenant are nolonger the symbols of God's presence,but the broad general principles ofaltars but they were to use the roughun-cut stones just as God had createdthem.The formal worship of God is an"altar" or an "ark" symbolizing thepresence of the holy God. This modern"altar" should be characterizedby God's appointed articles of worship,namely His Word and His Psalmswhich are to be sung without instrumentsof music. Modern hymns are ofhuman composition and musical instrumentsare of human construction.If God had intended people to usesuch things in worship, He would havegiven to them the authority to do so,for "Whatsoever is not commanded inthe worship of God is forbidden."People worship a holy God; theyshould, therefore, go about it in theappointed way.3: Since God is Holy, He BecomesMan's Supreme Object of Veneration.This thought is brought to our attentionin I Chronicles 29:10-13. Davidis here pictured as he relinquishes hiscrown to his son Solomon, who succeedshis father as king of Israelwhile David is still living. It wasa time of national rejoicing both byDavid and by the people, chiefly becausethe advent of the new kingsignalized the beginning of the constructionof the temple for whichDavid had prepared materials in abundance.He was especially thankful thatGod had made this transition possibleand so it was a time of national worship."David blessed the Lord beforeall the congregation: and David said,Blessed be thou Lord God of Israelour father, for ever and ever." "Thine,O Lord, is the greatness, and thepower, and the glory, and the victory,and the majesty: for all that is inthe heaven and in the earth is thine;thine is the kingdom, O Lord, andthou art exalted as head above all."These words of David teach usthat God alone is to be worshipped.He is the one and only true God andin the first commandment, "Thoutheir use, are still imperative upon shalt have no other gods before me."people in their worship of the holy Yet the besetting sin of the childrenGod. In Exodus 20:25 God gave the of Israel was to worship idols asdirective to Moses for the children the people of the other nations did.of Israel, "And if thou wilt make me And this is the besetting sin of peoplein our modern age. Most peoplean altar of stone, thou shalt notcreation has been grossly marred bybuild it of hewn stone: for if thou lift will probably say with their lips that'n but, through acceptance of theup thy tool upon it, thou hast pollutedit." The people were forbidden He is not their supreme object of ven­they believe that there is a God, butSubstitute provided by God, it is possiblefor man to receive forgiveness offrom dressing-up the stones of their eration. He is not mentioned except inDecember 22, 1965 395Heenjoined the children of Israel

a profane way. It would seem that themost of the people place worldly interestsbefore the one and only trueGod. Politics, money, and sports arerepresentative gods of people inAmerica. God is not prayed to eitherat home or at church. The late Dr.Eldersveld made the remark in oneof his radio sermons, "There are morechurch members in America thanever before, but there is less Christianity."4: Since God is Holy, He is Eternal.The Apostle John, banished as hewas to the island of Patmos, saw inhis vision, the four "beasts" whichrepresented wild animals, domesticanimals, humans, and birds of the air.(Rev. 4:7, 8) In the ages to come allforms of life will sing praises to God;"Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,which was, and is to come." God hasneither beginning nor ending. He iseternal. That is something which cannotbe said about any material creationwhether animate or inanimate. Allthings are in process of dissolutionand eventually the "earth also andthe works that are therein shall beburned up" as Peter tells us in 2Peter 3:10. There is, therefore, noeternity, apart from God.5: The Holiness of God Should InspireMan to a Constant Admirationof His Infinitely Superior Attributes.Romans 11:33-36 is an exclamationof amazement wherein the writer exultantlysays, "O the depth of theriches both of the wisdom and knowledgeof God! how unsearchable arehis judgments, and his wayspastfinding out.""Lesson based on International SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessonsfor Christian Teaching, copyrighted 1958by the Division of Christian Education. NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ in theU. S. A."Junior TopicJUNIOR TOPIC ... from page 394ber! He thought this was a call ofGod. His writings reveal practical instructionsfor a Christian life.Jerome lived most of his life in amonastery (home for monks) andwrote commentaries of the Bible andarticles against heresies. He translatedearly manuscripts of the Bibleinto Latin, known as the VulgateBible. It is still the official Bible ofthe Roman Catholics.Augustine did not become a Christiantill late in life and as a resultof his mother's faithful prayers. Heemphasized a personal experience ofthe grace of God as necessary forsalvation and that man was totallywithout hope. Salvation was a workof God from start to finish. He devotedfull time service to the Church tillhis death.During this time the organizationcf the Church changed. You rememberthe early Church had bishops of equalrank. Then pagan Romans destroyedthe center of the early Church inJerusalem in 135 A.D. Gradually thebishops of the five largest citychurches were accepted as havinghigher rank. The Roman Bishop claimedthe right to be the "head" of thewhole Church because he said Peter,the chief of the Apostles, had foundedhis church. He already had moreauthority in the West than the bishopsover smaller areas in the East. Butwhen civil government declined in theWest, the Church in Rome took overcompletely. The bishop of Rome cameto be called the Pope, or father, andthe Church came to be known as theRoman Catholic Church.By 500 A.D. strange beliefs werebeing practiced such as: prayers forthe dead, souls after death beingchanged so they could enter heaven,removing evil spirits, 40 day Lentenseason, pictures and images of martyrsand Mary, altars in churches andothers. The Bible was misinterpretedand the Church compromised with itsheathen and superstitious surroundings.Just as white snow from heaven isquickly soiled, the heavenborn Churchwas soiled when it came into contactwith the sinful world. True Christianswere angry with these changes andstarted persecuting heathens. Emperorswho were now Christians forbadeheathen worship.Barbarians, rude and uncivilizedforeigners, started invading the culturedRoman Empire. They slashedthrough the Empire slaying priests,destroying churches and monasteriesand taking thousands captive. It tookbarbarians 100 years to destroy Romeand conquer the Western Empire.They worked at night burning buildings,stealing, and killing.But the Church survived and latereducated the barbarians who hadcaused such ruin. The Church nowfaced a heathen, uncivilized worldwithout a strong government to protectit.Clovis, king of France, became aChristian during a battle and led3,000 warriors to accept Christianity.Whole tribes now became Christianswhen their king was converted.Although before the fall of the RomanEmpire soldiers introduced Christianityinto Britain, only after manyyears was England made a Christiancountry. St. Patrick established achurch in Ireland and influenced missionarywork in Scotland. A great missionaryto the Germans was Bonifacewho dared to destroy their idols. Willibrordstarted Christianizing the Netherlands.Pope Gregory the Great was one ofthe most important popes in Rome'shistory. His work in missions helpedto conquer the barbarian kingdoms.He was the first monk to become popeand had more power in Italy thanthe emperors.In summary, during the first 500years the Church conquered the civilizedheathen of the Roman Empire.After the fall of the Empire, the next500 years the Church conquered thebarbarous heathen of northern Europe.Prayer Meeting Topicfor January 19, 1966(See Note in preface of PrayerMeeting Topic for January 12, 1966)Our Prayer Meeting Topic thisweek was written by Rev. Walter Mc­Carroll, D.D. for use on June 25, 1947.EBAL AND GERIZIMIN THE PROVERBSChapters 10-15Psalms:Psalm 10, No. 17:1-4Psalm 15, No. 26Psalm 141, No. 344:1-4Psalm 119, No. 287Suggestions:1. Explain what is meant by Ebaland Gerizim. Read Deut. 11:26-29;Joshua 8:30, 33, 34.2. Read responsively Chapter 10,the leader reading the first part ofeach verse and the group the lastpart, save for verses 18, 22, and 26which leader and group should readtogether.3. Prayer Period. Pray for local interests;week-day religious education,and Indian Mission. Pray for College,Seminary, and Covenanter Witness.4. Select two members of the groupto read Chapter 11, one reading thefirst part of each verse, the other thelast part. The verses in which thereis no "but" to be read in unison.5. Appoint some one to classify thevirtues and the opposingChapter 12.vices in396 COVENANTER WITNESS

6. Let another show how the lawof sowing and reaping is exemplifiedin Chapter 13.7. Prayer Period. Pray for Synod,the Young People's Conference, theBoards and Committees, for the lecturersfor the Christian Amendment;for the agencies of relief operating inEurope and Asia.8. Have some one comment onverses 27, 29, and 34 of Chapter 14.9. Have the group read in unisonverses 11-16 of Chapter 15.10. In closing pray'er rememberour missionaries.SYSTEMATIC BIBLE READING...FOR THE STRONGThe Chronological Bible ReaderHere's a reading guide that takesyou through the Bible in twelvemonths in historical order: Samuel,Kings and Chronicles are harmonizedand the prophets and poetic books areread in their historical position; thegospels are also harmonized and theepistles fitted into their position inthe account in the Acts. Try this methodthe next time you read your Biblethrough. Morning selections are fromOld Testament; evening from New.Bible Reading CalendarA helpful guide to aid you in readingyour Bible through this comingyear is this Moody Bible ReadingCalendar. Your morning reading takesyou through the Old Testament whilethe evening readings complete the NewTestament. Not chronological, it followsthe books as arranged.Other readers also available:Child's Story Bible Reader No. 1—two readings daily for children whocan read.The Story Bible Reader No. 2 —slightly more advanced; it too followsVos's Child's Story Bible.Scripture Union Notes — for children8-11 including Card with readingsand Notes booklet.Adult Bible Reader 1, 2, and 3 —A reading/study guide designed tocomplete reading the Bible in threeyears.Contact your Pastor, Church SchoolSuperintendent, or Class Teacher soevery member of your family can besystematically reading the Scripture in1966.Materials above supplied by —Reformed Presbyterian Board ofChristian Education7437 Penfield Court, Pittsburgh, Pa.15208December 22, 1965BOOK REVIEWPeloubet's 1966 Select Notes on theInternational Bible Lessons. 443 pages.Price $2.95. W. A. Wilde Company, 10Huron Drive, Natick, Massachusetts.This is the 92nd annual volume ofthis time-proven commentary. A topic,Scripture lesson material, and a memoryverse are given for four age levels.A very comprehensive outline is givenfor each lesson. This outline, based onall the Scripture passages listed, isdeveloped largely by means of quotationsfrom a variety of recognizedauthorities. Source books for studyare listed under "The Teacher's Library."Other sections are "The Lessonin Life, Literature, and Archaeology","A Truth for the Class toCarry Away," and suggested questions.At the first of the book audio-visualaids for each lesson are listed and abibliography.Here is a thorough, evangelical,scholarly commentary that will behelpful to any teacher.Prayer is a sincere, sensible affectionatepouring out of the soul to God,through Christ, in the strength and assistanceof the Spirit, for such thingsas God has promised.—BunyanThou crownest the year with thygoodness; and thy paths drop fatness.Psalm 65:11The lady of the house planned to be away at noon. As she left, herconcluding instructions were, "Just heat up the soup." Indeed, yes! On thatcold and windy fifth day after Thanksgiving, a bowl of steaming hot turkeysoup seemed quite appealing.At a quarter of twelve the man of the house entered the kitchen,marched over to the stove and turned on the burner, then went back tothe study for an additional fifteen minutes of intellectual plodding.Came twelve o'clock. Returning to the kitchen in anticipation of hisnoon-day fare, the man of the house made the dismaying discovery that thefine kettle of turkey soup was still cold. He had turned on the wrong burnerIt was still blazing merrily - under nothing! Wasted fuel, cold soup, hottemper! Even when we are cooking a bachelor dinner, it is the part of wisdomto see to it that we are turning on the right burner.That same principle can have its application in the Lord's work.In one form or another, we are always asking, "What's cooking?" Have weturned on the right burner, under the kettle of soup?In our sermons and our Bible studies and our Sabbath School lessonsare we meeting the needs of our people? Or does all of our effort leavethem as cold as a kettle of cold turkey soup? Might we be turning on thewrong burner?Do we pastors meet the real needs of our people, in our Sabbath bySabbath sermons? Do we give our people "three points and a poem" on thepros and cons of Barth and Tillich, while all the time they are strugglingwith day-by-day disappointment and frustrations that leave them crying toGod for comfort? In our Sabbath School lessons and our evening fellowshipmeetings, are we making an effort to meet the actual needs of those weare reaching'' Or are we going over the same ground that they have alreadycovered half a dozen times, with little attempt at cutting the cloth to fit theirpresent real-life problems?Teachings from the Scriptures ought to be the most practical anddown-to-earth help that we ever get hold of! The Inspired Word of God hasa vital message for every phase of living. It is up to alert pastors, teachers,Christian Education committees, and sponsors, to see to it that the rightburner is on.397

NOTICEThe 1966 W.M.S. Uniform Probeorderedgram is ready and mayfor twenty-five (25) cents each fromMiss Sarah Archer, 103 FennertonRoad Paoii, Penna.MRS. GEORGE KENNEDYMrs. Fannie Coverdale Kennedy,ninety-six and one-half years of age,of 433 Peebles Street, Sewickley, Pa.,died at her home on Monday afternoon,November 15, 1965.Funeral services were conductedby the Reverend John White of theCollege Hill Reformed PresbyterianChurch at 2 o'clock on Wednesday afternoon.Interment was in BeaverCemetery.She was born in Kingston, Ontario,Canada, on May 9, 1869. She studiedtwo years in Geneva before her marriagein 1891, to the late George Kennedy,D.D., professor of Greek andLatin and vice president of GenevaCollege. The Rev. Mr. Kennedy wasordained in the Northwood, Ohio congregationabout 1880 and served thereabout two years before moving toBeaver Falls to assume the professorshipat Geneva. He was killed in anaccident in 1918. She resided for manyyears in College Hill, Beaver Falls andwas a member and took an active partin the organizations of the CollegeHill Reformed Presbyterian Church.Her older son, Miles CoverdaleKennedy, aged 72, partner of the NewYork Consulting Engineering firm ofCoverdale and Colpitis, died in NewYork on March 6, 1965.She is survived by three daughters,Miss Elizabeth Kennedy of Sewickley;Mrs. Mary Woodward ofWethersfield, Conn., and Mrs. CathryneWilson of Sewickley; a son, G.Conn Kennedy of Philadelphia andsix grandchildren.QUINTER, KANSASWe are happy to welcome Mr. andMrs. Roland Graham, Mr. and Mrs.Walter Ikenberry and Mrs. GraceChurch NewsBarrett who have moved here in thepast few months.Mr. and Mrs. R. W. McBurney,John and Tom Forman, Miss MaryJane McBurney and Mrs. JohnChestnut attended the wedding ofMiss Keay Woolley and Ray Formanin Pittsburgh, July 30.Visitors who worshiped with usthis summer and fall were Mr. andMrs. J. R. Templeton, Mr. and Mrs.Byron McMahan, Mrs. Scott Milroyand Joann, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Johnstonand family, Mrs. Reah Mathews,Mrs. Grady Stegall, Mr. and Mrs. WilburMore and son, Rev. and Mrs. RobertMcFarland and family, KennethGraham, Rev. and Mrs. M. W. Dougherty,Miss Fern Oline, Mrs. EffieSchooley, Miss Mary Jane McBurney,Miss Phyllis Wilson, Michael Barrett,Mr. and Mrs. Dale McMahan, Rev. andMrs. Kenneth McBurney and family.Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bales andfamily, Mr. and Mrs. Dean Emerick,Mr. and Mrs. Jim Betres, Mr. andMrs. Jay Mann, Raymond Milroy, Mr.and Mrs. Fred Bailey, Mr. and Mrs.Warnock Bailey, Mr. and Mrs. AldenHall and John, Kirby Hodges, Mrs.Agnes Schott and baby, Mrs. WalterBailey, Leslie Bailey, Mr. and Mrs.D. G. Wilson and family, Mrs. HomerJohnson and Daryl, Rev. and Mrs.Alvin Smith, Jr., Dr. F. E. Allen, Mr.and Mrs. Denny, Mr. and Mrs. RobertMann and family, Mrs. Iva Armbruster,Mr. and Mrs. Roger Ewing, andRev. and Mrs. Howard Spear andDonna.Those attending, all or part time,the Forest Park conference in Augustwere Judy and Janis Denny, John andTom Forman, Barbara Sterrett, Deanna,David and Neal Mann, Mr. andMrs. Joe Copeland and family, andDr. and Mrs. Max Mann.We miss our young people whoare away at school or work: CarolynChestnut, graduate school, Muncie,Indiana; Wayne Copeland, Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania; Barbara Sterrett, SterlingCollege; Shirley and Rose Graham,Denver, Colorado; John and TomForman and Neal Mann at GenevaCollege and Dennis McWilliams, KansasState University.We enjoyed entertaining the membersof the Midwest Presbytery whenthey met in our church, October 12and 13.Visiting ministers who have preachedfor us have been Rev. Robert Mc­Farland, August 8; Dr. F. E. Allen,August 15 and October 17; Rev. AlvinSmith, Jr., September 5 and 12 andRev. Howard Spear on November 7.Miss Eleanor Faris spoke at ourThankoffering meeting, October 31.We continue to pray for the Lord'sguidance to Rev. and Mrs. AlvinSmith, Jr. as they make their decisionon our call which was moderatedon September 20.We have found the memorizing of"alphabet verses" in the SabbathSchool interesting and profitable.Rev. Paul White went to HotSprings, New Mexico for the installationservices of Rev. Verd Dunn andto assist in communion, October 31.He also assisted with communion servicesin Denver, November 7. Mrs.White accompanied him.Mrs. Ruth Mann has gone to spendthe winter with her daughters, Mrs.Mary Quinlisk and family, Boise, Idahoand Mrs. Jewell Bales and family,Fair Oaks, California.Mr. Bert McElroy is in the FairviewHome, Oskaloosa, Kansas.We miss the Royce Chestnut familywho have moved to Beloit, Kansas,where Royce is attending a Vocational-Technical School.The children of the congregationenjoyed a Halloween party at thechurch, October 29.A missionary society was organizedin October. The name for thisgroup is the Hope Society. Its officersare President, Mrs. Max Mann; Secretary,Mrs. Roland Graham and Treasurer,Mrs. Gary Roberts.NEWCASTLEHaving been without a pastor sincethe resignation of Rev. R. W. Nickersonin July, 1964, it was a very happyoccasion when Rev. Young J. Son wasinstalled as our pastor on November12, 1965. Installation service was arrangedby the Ad Interim Commissionof Pittsburgh Presbytery and the followingpersons participated in theprogram: Mr. Glenn A. Lemon, memberof session; Rev. Thomas J. Wilson,pastor of Youngstown, Ohio; Rev. S.Bruce Willson president of our TheologicalSeminary; Dr. Roy Adams, Ph.D. from Geneva College; Rev. R. R-Fullerton, pastor of Manchester; andRev. William J. Turner, Jr., of the398 COVENANTER WITNESS

United Presbyterian Church of NewCastle, who represented the local ministers'association.Following the program, a receptionfor the new minister was held in thesocial rooms of the church when alarge number of local members andfriends from Presbytery enjoyed asocial time together. Lunch was servedby a social committee composed ofMrs. Charles Higgs, Mrs. Robert Clark,Miss Olive Houk, and Mr. RobertTurner.Born in Tokyo, Japan, of Koreanparents, the Rev. Mr. Son receivedhis early education at the NationalUniversity in Seoul, Korea. He cameto the United States in 1955 and wasgraduated from Geneva College in 1959and from the Reformed PresbyterianSeminary of Pittsburgh in 1962. Heserved as a city missionary for theNew York City congregation and forthe past year has been the pastor ofWhite Lake, New York, congregation.The Rev. Mr. Son is married to theformer Mary Lou McCurdy of Philadelphia,and they have an infantdaughter, Elizabeth Unhue.WILKINSBURGOur fall Thank Offering meetingwas held on October 21, preceded bya dinner. Rev. Donald Robb gave us amost interesting message on Japan,illustrated by excellent slides of variousaspects of Japanese life andscenes. The Rev. Samuel Boyle family,Mrs. Margaret Boyle, the Rev.Donald Robb family, and the Seminarystudents were guests.Rev. and Mrs. C. E. Caskey visitedwith their son, Carroll Caskey andfamily in Richmond, Virginia for afew days, the middle of September.Rev. Clark Copeland studied atConcordia Seminary during June andJuly. Mrs. Copeland took a 'remedialreading' summer course at Penn StateUniversity center in Monroeville.The congregation held a farewellfor Mr. and Mrs. Don Willson beforethey left for their new home in WestSomerville, Massachusetts, where Donis a graduate student at Tufts University.They were presented with arotisserie.A number of our young people areattending Geneva College this fall.Daniel Copeland has returned for hisJunior year and is vice-president ofhis class; Margaret Boyle, Jean Caskey,Carolyn Copeland, and RobertWillson are in their Sophomore year.Ray Stohner, Jr. is continuing hisstudies at Carnegie Tech in the IndustrialManagement and EngineeringSchool. Polly Grace McKnight hasleturned to Westminster College atNew Wilmington for her Senior year.Robert J. G. McKnight III is a secondyear student in Indiana State TeachersCollege at Indiana, Pennsylvania,Terry Brown has entered SlipperyRock Teachers College as a Freshmanand Laurel Brown is a Freshman atBaldwin Wallace. Patsy Boyle is inher first year at the University ofCalifornia at Los Angeles.Kathryn Copeland was graduatedfrom Geneva College in June and isnow teaching a third grade in BeaverFalls, Pennsylvania.We are happy to have Rev. and Mrs.Samuel Boyle and family and Mrs.Margaret Boyle worshiping with us.Rev. Mr. Boyle gave us some challengingmessages during our fall Communionseason.Scott Boyle has visited his familya number of times this fall. He isin the Navy Air Force and stationedat Norfolk, Virginia.We miss the fellowship of Mrs.Greeta Mitchell. She has been visitingin Massachusetts and Nova Scotia andplans to visit her daughter, Mrs. HowardElliott and family in Topeka,Kansas.Rev. and Mrs. S. Bruce Willsonhave returned to Wilkinsburg followingRev. Willson's leave of absencefrom the Seminary the past year toattend Indiana University. This summerRev. Mr. and Mrs. Willson andRobert visited relatives in Californiaand attended the wedding of DonWillson to Sarah Lee Martin in June.They also visited their daughter, Mrs.David Patterson and family in Wapello,Iowa.Terry Brown, Jean Caskey, Kathryn,Daniel, Carolyn and Jim Copelandattended the Stambaugh Conferencethis past summer. Daniel is presidentof the conference for the nexttwo years.Robert, Don and Sarah Lee Willsonattended White Lake Conference theweek end of September 3.Mr. and Mrs. Lou Hutmire arethe happy parents of a baby daughterborn on November 17. They haveanother daughter, Lyn Ann.KANSAS CITYSeveral busy, happy weeks haveflown by since we at Kansas City haveshared with you the events of ourcongregation.In August we received word fromthe Rev. John Tweed of his intentionto accept the call to become our pastoras of October 1.That started a flurry of preparation.Members of the deacon boardand both missionary societies had ahand in cleaning the parsonage. TheSocial Committee began plans for areception to welcome the Tweed family.When they arrived on September4, we all felt very thankful that theLord had again provided an undershepherdfor our congregation andhad given traveling mercies for thelong trip from California.A week later we officially welcomedthe Tweeds with a reception atthe church. Representatives of thedifferent organizations spoke and giftswere presented to each of the childrenby the Juniors. The Junior High'smade their welcome known with acorsage for Mrs. Tweed and a boutonnierefor Rev. Mr. Tweed. Then wewere all entertained with some of thepictures that Mr. and Mrs. Ben Duffetttook on their recent trip toEurope.The Ad Interim Commission installedRev. Mr. Tweed as our pastoron November 10. We were glad to haveseveral from nearby congregationsshare this happy event with us. Itseemed especially appropriate thatthe Rev. Howard Elliott, Rev. Mr.Tweed's former pastor, had a part inthis special service.The Rev. Raymond Joseph of theGreeley congregation was our communionassistant, November 14. Wewere happy to have Mildred Ulrich,Barbara Faris, Elizabeth Bruce, andMr. and Mrs. Mark Fisher join ourchurch at this time. Little Mike Fisherand Elizabeth Bruce were also baptized.On Sabbath afternoon the elders,Rev. John Tweed, and Rev. RaymondJoseph went to the hospital where Mr.T. J. Humphreys was a patient and administeredthe sacrament of communionto him. Three days later he wascalled Home where he now enjoys thefull communion of his Lord and Savior.On December 1 the congregationmet to elect two ruling elders. Mr.Harold Ward and Mr. Thomas Josephwere chosen. We are praying withthese men as they seek the guidanceof the Holy Spirit in this call to specialservice.Nancy Wright underwent back sur-December 22, 1965 399

gery this fall. While the period ofrecuperation sometimes seems long,we are rejoicing with her in the successof the operation.Nancy Ray was home briefly inOctober. She is enjoying the opportunitiesto work with the group atIndianapolis.Thanksgiving vacation brought JimWright from his job in Washington,D.C. for a few days visit with friendsand loved ones here.Mrs. Homer Van Vleck is in thehospital for tests and observation. Wetrust that she will soon be able to returnhome.WALTONSchools are now in full session sothat many of our members are back towork and studies. College students:Bruce Henderson, Bob Eells, and BobMitchel, Geneva; Renwick Russell,Delhi Tech.; Ruth Loker and KenEells are taking business training atAlbany, New York.In September the MissionaryGuild met at the Boye home, and inOctober in the Thomas Hendersonhome. A committee has decided onthe kind and price of seven newtables to be purchased in the nearfuture for the church dining room.One of the Guild members, Mrs. MarjorieChurch, was in the DelawareValley Hospital for a week duringwhich she underwent surgery. We arehappy that she is now able to be backat home and attending church again.On the evening of September 10the Sabbath School held a dinner atthe church in place of its annual picnic.Mrs. Wendell Spear was incharge of a program recognizing ouryoung people who were leaving forschool and the service. A movie entitled,"The Street," was shone aspart of the evening's program.During the Sabbath School houron September 26 moving up day wasobserved. All the departments tookpart, from the Cradle Roll to theadult classes. The total enrollmentfor the last quarter was 73, with anaverage attendance of 44.On the evening of September 30members of the Guild gave a surprisehousewarming party for Miss VirginiaDonaldson. She was the recipient ofmany gifts for her new apartment.Virginia was graduated last Junefrom Geneva College, and is nowteaching at the Walton High School.We extend to her a cordial welcometo our church and its services.On October 9, at 2 o'clock, at thechurch, Marilyn Russell and Mr. LawrenceCompeau were married in abeautiful ceremony performed by ourpastor. The church was decoratedwith palms, white mums, and candelabra.Marilyn's aunt, Mrs. Howard Gilchrist,was the organist. A solo wassung by Mrs. Wendell Spear, and twoother numbers were sung by a quartettecomposed of Mr. and Mrs. WendellSpear, Miss Loretta Patton, andMr. Paul Loker. A lovely receptionwas held in the church dining roomfollowing the wedding. Marilyn andLarry spent their honeymoon in NewYork City, Washington, D.C. andpoints south. The couple is now livingin Watertown, New York whereLarry is employed.Visitors at the church service,October 10, were Mrs. Donna Swagerand son Scott, Mr. and Mrs. MurrayRussell, Miss Loretta Patton, and MissMarilyn Harrington. Others recentlyattending were Mrs. Florence Lynn ofWhite Lake, Mr. and Mrs. RalphAlexander of Laurens, Misses Lauraand Janet Boye and Mr. and Mrs.John Russell and children.Dr. and Mrs. Walter Eells spentpart of a week during October inBeaver Falls visiting their daughterEleanor and husband and their sonRobert at Geneva.One of our members is with theMarines now stationed at ParrisIsland, South Carolina. She is RosalieBishop, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. HarveyBishop. Rosie will be graduatingfrom basic training, November 16, andthen she will be transferred to anotherbase.The Missionettes held their Septembermeeting at Virginia Russell'shome and their October meeting atJoan and Beverly Henderson's home.They have two new members now,Patty Church and Roxanne Russell.The girls are doing a monthly studyon the book: "Wolves in Sheep's Clothing"by Don Hillis.On October 5 and 6 Mr. RalphHenderson and Dr. Mitchel attendedthe meetings of St. Lawrence Presbyteryat Barnet, Vermont.A time has been set apart sinceSeptember during the opening exercisesof the Sabbath School to emphasizetemperance teachings. Mrs.Wendell Spear has been chairman ofthe temperance committee. The villageof Walton will have a local optionvote on election day.We are looking forward to ourcommunion services, November 7. Rev.Luther B. McFarland of Montclair,New Jersey will be the Lord's messengerthat day.FRESNO, CALIFORNIAThe Fresno congregation has beenwithout a pastor since the middle ofSeptember when Rev. John Tweed andhis family left to take up the workin Kansas City. We have greatly missedtheir Christian fellowship, service,and friendship; but even though wedo miss them we know they are in theLord's will where they now serve.Rev. Wayne Spear officiated at ourfall communion on October 17, 1965.We enjoyed his helpful messages andfellowship at that time.Our sympathies were with thefamily and friends of Mr. Ben Emmett(husband of Mrs. Irene Emmett)who passed away, October 12, 1965.At our fall Thank-offering service,held on November 10, Rev. AlvinSmith, Jr. and his wife, Marlene, gavevery interesting reports of the personalwork they had been doing inCyprus. On November 3 we also heardfrom the Sandersons who gave us agrand tour through Cyprus with beautifulcolor slides. A potluck dinner washeld in honor of the Sandersons andenjoyed by all.Two new homes were recently established:Linda Wagner (daughter ofGeorge and Eileen Wagner) and AlexClaros were united in marriage onOctober 9, 1965. A dinner receptionwas held following the ceremony.Sandra Spence and David Webster(son of Russell and Evelyn Webster)were married on November 6, 1965, byRev. Alvin Smith, Jr. our visiting minister.A reception was held in thechurch basement following the ceremony.Two new members have been addedto our cradle roll:Congratulations go to the parentsof Laurie Allison, daughter of Philand Karen Hammond, and to ElizabethLouise, daughter of Rick andLinda Mitchell.We are making plans for our annualChristmas program. This year'stheme — "Christmas Around theWorld."400 COVENANTER WITNESS

y0*m T H EmTSBUM|•Covenanter WitnessTO JESUS CHRIST"THE SAVIOUR AND LORD OF MEN — THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH — THE SAVIOUR AND KING OF NATIONS-BIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 23, 1966In unknown paths His hand hath ledO'er mountain peaks and in the vale.But oh! how sweet to know 'tis HeWho did o'er sin and death prevail.Lead on, O Christ, thou conquering King;Thy triumph from afar I see.So step by step, help me to walkThat narrow path marked out for me.And as this year I climb the hillsToward yonder plain of hving hght,O God, give me the grace, I prayTo walk by faith and not by sight.Though all unknown the path aheadDark veiled the future is today,My soul cries out, "I'll follow on;My Saviour, He doth know the way."The past year's been a blessed one,Enveloped in His love so true.Unerringly He still will leadThrough the days of a year that's new.—Bessie Reid Kresge

THE COVENANTER WITNESSOfficial organ of the ReformedPresbyterian Church of N. A.evANaeucAi. pp,*** ASSOCIATIONEditor: Rev. M. W. Dougherty, D.D.125 N. 4th StreetSterling, Kansas 67579Printed each Wednesday under the supervision of theBoard of Publication by The Patterson Press, Wapello,Iowa 52653.Contributing Editors:Rev. Kenneth SmithDr. G. M. RobbRev. T. R. HutchesonDepartment Editors:Rev. Bruce C. StewartMrs. Robert B. MaineMrs. Willis EdgarRev. John K. GaultOpinions expressed in our columns are those of theindividual writer, not necessarily the views of the ReformedPresbyterian Church or the editor.All material to appear in The Covenanter Witnessshould be typewritten, double-spaced, and should be inSterling, Kansas two weeks beforeit is to be printed.Obituaries — All words in excess of one hundred fifty,one cent per word. Money should accompany such notices.SUBSCRIPTION RATESIndividual (1 year): U.S. and Canada, $4.00, BritishIsles 35/-, all other places, $5.00;Individual (2 year): U.S. and Canada, $7.00, BritishIsles 63/-, all other places, $9.00;Group: U.S. and Canada, $3.00, British Isles 28/-, allother places, $4.00.9-month student subscription — $1.50; 5-month introductoryoffer — $1.00; 2 gift subscriptions to persons outsideof the R.P. Church — $2.00 each. Single copies, 10ceach.Subscription Agent for U.S. and Canada: Mrs. M. WDougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.Subscription Agent for the British Isles: Rev. HughWright, B. A., 12, Knutsford Drive, Belfast 14, NorthernIreland.All checks should be made payable to The CovenanterWitness in U. S. currency.Give one month's notice of a change of address. Sendboth the new and the old address to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty.Postmaster: Please send Form 3579 to Mrs. M. W.Dougherty, 125 N. 4th Street, Sterling, Kansas 67579.Second-class postage paid at Wapello, Iowa.WE HOLD THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE:The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only infalliblerule of faith and conduct.The Trinitarian conception of the Godhead.Faith in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.Salvation by Grace.Assurance of salvation as a possible Christian experience.The Gospel Call and Election.The Holy Spirit as the Author of regeneration.Sanctification through the cooperating agency of the Holy Spirit.The fact of death and hell as the destiny of the lost and heavenas the destiny of the saved.That the Church of Jesus Christ consists of all those who believein Him together with their children.The Divine Right of the Presbyterian form of Church Government.The Lord Jesus Christ as the only King and Head of His Church.That terms of membership or communion are essential to thewelfare of the Church.The New YearTurning the leaf that the New Year bringsTo the worn old book of life,Is turning our back on a tired pastWith its fear and distress and strife.Turning the leaf, you may turn to love,To brightness and joy and laughter;But it isn't the turning that counts so muchAs what comes after!It's writing that counts in the book of life,It's the message you pen each day;It's whether the page be rosyhuedOr touched with a sullen gray.It's what we teach as we humbly writeAnd what we, please God, may learn;That really counts as the New Year dawns,Is what comes after the turn!—Margaret E. SangsterTOMORROW . . . from page 408help, to keep communication channels with heavenopen, by using that which God has given me, rightwhere I am, right now."God knows our talents! He knows what we arecapable of doing. And He wants us to utilize thatwhich we have right where we are. So shall we liveeach new day to the full — glorifying God and encouragingeach other.A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!—Pentecostal EvangelThe duty which rests upon officers to maintain discipline andpreserve the purity of the Church.Spiritual worship as a divine requirement mediated through theLord Jesus Christ.The exclusive use of the Psalms in the worship of the Church.The Protestant interpretation of the Sacraments.The divine right of the institution of Marriage and that it is notto be dissolved except by adultery or "irremediable" desertion.The Sabbath as a day sacred to rest and worship.The duty of nations and their civil rulers to honor Christ asKing of Kings and Lord of Lords.That Christian citizens are under obligation to obey lawful authority.The right and duty of the Christian citizen to dissent from allgovernmental and national disobedience to the Law of God.That the Covenants of the past are still binding.From "The Communicant's Class" by J. B. Tweed402 COVENANTER WITNESS

EditorialComment &A PREVENTIVEOne of the great problems under discussiontoday is the moral decline. This problem is fullof the complexities of other problems. J. EdgarHoover frequently states that crime is on a continualincrease, while at the same time the age ofthose committing these crimes is ever lowering.Veneral disease, which was whipped into practicalinsignificance, has burst out and its flame hasspread with leaps and bounds. We have long beenalarmed by broken homes, drink and its companionevils, traffic in other drugs, gambling, dishonesty,but today many of these evils are condoned.One of the alarming things to the concernedchild of God is the great paradox of our day. Overone-half of the population of the United States belongsto some church. Then why are crime andevil so alarmingly on the upsweep? Are people professingChristians only and not practicing Christians?Where is their regard for God's law? Arethey "saltless" Christians, unable to have a purifyingeffect on society about them? How may moreeffective Christians be produced?A child comes into the church after a shortperiod of instruction concerning the beliefs andpractices of the church. Years later he may declarehis opposition to certain teachings to which he hasgiven his assent. This attitude is excused by sayingthat he never understood the teaching along thisline.Why did he come to maturity possessing this ignorance?Years before, when he could not speakfor himself, two people, who cherished his presencemore than anyone else, stood before God and a congregationand solemnly vowed among other thingsthat they would teach this child the things taughtand believed by the church. Now he declares, "Inever understood these things." Such learning cannotbe completed in a few sessions of a communicant'sclass.In Psalm 78:4-7 there is a program given, whichif followed faithfully, will do much toward producingstalwart Christian character. The writer of thisPsalm is speaking as a father. The program callsFfor definite instruction in the things of God andHis law. The program provides for the continuationof this instruction down through five generations:1. "Father"; 2. "Their children"; 3. "The generationto come"; 4. "Their children"; 5. "And theirchildren." So says Adam Clarke.This was done for two reasons: 1. For God'spraise and 2. For the child's own good, "that theymight hope in God."There were three benefits to be derived fromthis program of instruction. First, a people would bemaintained whose hope was fixed on God. Second,there would be a people who would follow God'scommands. This would bring God's favor. A thirdbenefit was that they would not be rebellious likethe older generation. The Psalmist does not seemto hesitate to call those long gone a rebellious outfit.He lists quite a catalog of consequences. Hesays ten times they had provoked God to anger,and they suffered terribly. The problem of thePsalmist is this: How can these catastrophies beavoided? As a solution to the problem, a preventiveof disasters, he proposes this "line upon line" planof teaching.Paul said, "Faith cometh by hearing." Hearingmay be impossible for two reasons. There may not bean ear to hear. Then there may be no voice. Always,of course, there is a message. The process must beginwith the young, the first generation. This is aparental duty. We are told that wool dyed before itis spun will hold its color better than if it is dyedafter it is woven into cloth. We need "dyed in thewool" Christians today. Children are heirs of theirparents' possessions. Christian knowledge and God'sWord are to be passed on from parent to child. Theparents' mouths and lives are books in which theirchildren read the noble acts of God.Here then, it seems to me, is the preventive ofevil for our day. Negligence of the things of Godalways ends in tragedy. According to this plan,the delinquency lies in the older generation. Defectionof church members results not merely fromnot having a communicants' class six weeks out ofthe year, but more likely it comes because of thosewho fail to keep vows taken and affirmed wheneverthe sacraments are observed. This ignorance whenthe age of maturity develops shows up in pulpits,seminaries, and pews in those who no longer wantthe truth to be where it accuses.Each of us bears a responsibility for conditionsand attitudes far down into the future unto thefifth generation. He who breaks this chain of instructionin God's truth invites disaster.December 29, 1965 403

"Reconciliation" - Without PropitiationThe Committee that prepared "the Confessionof 1967' for the United Presbyterian General Assemblywas emboldened to try to provide somethingthat might go far beyond their own church tochurches around the world. They said, "The wholeReformed family of Churches, thus, has felt theneed not only to reaffirm their relations to theirolder standards but to make new formulations moreappropriate to the needs of our day. This places thetask of the Committee in a much wider contextthan the relation of our particular denomination toits own Westminster standards."Perhaps, then, it will not be thought ungraciousif some from those other Churches of the Reformedfamily examine what has been offered, and seek tooffer some Scriptural comments.There will be much written about this Confession,for it is a major effort. The labor of an ablecommittee over a period of six years has been boileddown to the dimensions of a college Englishclass "composition." Except for the occasionalroughness that is inevitable when a sentence isframed by a committee, it is a polished document,adhering undeviatingly to its theme of "Reconciliation."Perhaps this identifying theme, "Reconciliation,'is the best place to start, in order to get a clear ideaof the nature of this pretentious document — andthis can be no more than a start. Reconciliation isa Biblical idea. It is the need of every human."The carnal mind is enmity against God." (Rom.8:7) Even nature itself "groaneth and travailethin pain together until now." (Rom. 8:22)The Confession says,God's reconciling work in Jesus Christ and the missionof reconciliation to which he has called his churchare the heart of the gospel in any age. Our generationstands in peculiar need of reconciliation in Christ. Accordinglythis Confession of 1967 is built upon that theme.THE CONFESSIONIn Jesus Christ God was reconciling the world tohimself. Jesus Christ is God with man. He is present inthe church by His Holy Spirit to continue and completethe work of reconciliation. This work of God is the foundationof all confessional statements about God, man, andthe world.All this is true. Now, how does the Confessiondeal with this work of God? The subject of Part Oneis "God's Work of Reconciliation." There are threesections in this Part, ranged under the three phrasesfrom the commonly used benediction of II Corin­'•The Confession of 1967"Rev. Lester E. Kilpatrick,Pastor of Phoenix, Arizona R. P. Churchthians 13:14, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,and the love of God, and the communion of theHoly Spirit." Under Section 1 is given a summaryof Jesus' earthly ministry.In Jesus of Nazareth true humanity was realizedonce for all... . God raised him from the dead, vindicatinghim as Messiah and Lord. The victim of sin becamevictor, and in him man is victorious over sin anddeath.In giving the significance of this reconcilingact of God, the next paragraph says:God's reconciling act in Jesus Christ is a mysterywhich the Scriptures express in various ways. It is calledthe sacrifice of a lamb, a shepherd's life given for hissheep, atonement by a priest; again it is a ransom of aslave, payment of debt, vicarious satisfaction of a legalpenalty, and victory over the powers of evil. These areimages of a truth which remains beyond the reach of alltheory in the depths of God's love for man...Now to speak in a confession — which,it ishoped, will be adopted on behalf of a denominationof more than three million souls, and even reachbeyond it — of something which God has revealed,as "images of a truth which remains beyond thereach of all theory," should be termed a denial ratherthan a confession.The word "mystery" is a good Biblical word witha definite meaning. It is something that is hidden,not yet revealed. I Corinthians 13:2 speaks of "understanding)all mysteries." In I Corinthians 15:51Paul says, "Behold I shew you a mystery," and inEphesians 1:9, he tells of God's "Having madeknown unto us the mystery of his will." Abbott-Smith Lexicon of the New Testament says "mystery'in the New Testament means something "of thecounsels of God, once hidden but now revealed inthe Gospel or some fact thereof." This Lexicon saysfurther, it is not "as in the modern sense, intrinsicallydifficult to understand." Yet this Confessionapparently uses this word "mystery" as of somethingmysterious (in the modern sense of the word),esoteric, so difficult to understand that it is beyondthe reach of all theory.This Confession is eager to tell of reconciliation,to tell us that the world is reconciled to God. It refusesto tell us of the propitiation by which alonemen can be reconciled to God. The Gospel does notconsist simply in telling the world that it is reconciled.The Gospel consists, in the announcementthat the Saviour has come. It is revealed to menthat this is the "Lamb slain from the foundation of404 COVENANTER WITNESS

the world," "which taketh away the sin of the world."After all, it is only when sin is removed that Godcan have fellowship with men.This is one of the crucial points of Christianwitness needed to day. This Confession passes overit — intentionally, it would appear — as somethingthat cannot be understood. God's holiness has beenoffended by man's sin. Even more important, ormore basic, than reconciliation is propitiation. HasGod's justice been satisfied?This omission of any reference to propitiationmay be a clue to the care with which this Confessionhas been framed, or it may be the unintentionalunity of thought of the Committee; but while variousattributes of God are mentioned, His wisdom,His power, and again and again, His love, neveronce does the Confession mention His holiness.(The word "holy" is found only as a proper name,"the Holy Spirit," and in reference to the "HolyScriptures.")While it is true that the death of Christ for menis a deep and rich work of which we shall neverfathom the full truth with our finite minds, yet it issomething that even a child or an unlettered sinnercan understand. God's love is not a nebulous,mysterious something that prompted Him, withoutany explainable reason, to work our salvationthrough the death of His only begotten Son. Rather,it was only so that His holiness could be satisfied.There is no reconciliation without propitiation.How could so basic an idea be omitted, as thoughit were something "beyond the reach of all theory"?Perhaps the words of a man who, in a recent articlein Christianity Today,. described himself as "unashamedlywithin the broad tradition of liberalism,... as unreconstructed as John Dewey ever was,"will explain. He says, "Liberal ministers continue toaffirm publicly what they deny privately. Phrasessuch as 'Son of God,' "Virgin Birth,' 'Word of God,''Resurrection,' are repeatedly used." This gentlemanconsidered this a little misleading, and thought thathis liberal brethren ought not so to do.This Confession is definitely in the hberal tradition.Perhaps the Committee thought the timehad come to sort out and eliminate at least a littleof this embarrassment, some of this double talk, or"double speak" as it was termed in the- ChristianityToday article.In order to cut the tap root of some of thoseold ideas from the present day church, the Confessiongoes on to speak of the Bible as though itwere something different from the Word of God.The Confession speaks of the Holy Scriptures asthe "normative witness to this revelation" of "JesusChrist the Word of God incarnate." Yet, in theirintroductory comments the Committee says, "Thissection is an intended revision of the Westminsterdoctrine, which rested primarily on a view of inspirationand equated the Biblical canon directlywith the Word of God."Why did they feel it necessary to revise whatthe Westminster standards say about the Bible?They say that now Bible scholars will be "uninhibitedby the doctrine of inerrancy." In other words, ifthere is something in the Bible that doesn't agreewith the ideas of the "scholar" he will now be "uninhibited";he will now be "free" simply to statethat the Bible is in error at this point.Let no one think that this is a misrepresentationof this document as a whole. The Preface includesa disclaimer of its being a "system of doctrine." Thisrelieves the Committee of the problem of identifyingwhat the Christian faith is, and distinguishing itfrom humanism and paganism. It will protect thehumanists and unbelievers in the church, if therebe such. But what is the purpose of a Confessionif not to identify the true faith, and distinguish itfrom the false?Whatever kind of reconciliation is defined in thisConfession, it is apparently a kind that needs nopropitiation.TOMORROW IS NOWBy Katherine BevisA new year lies before us. Its opportunities challengeus; yet with all the promise a new year brings,we will not be drastically different from what wewere in 1965. For life is made up of gradual advancements,not of layers of years stacked neatlyone on top of another.It is true that we can tell the age of a tree bythe number of rings which make up its trunk,but human experience is not so well defined. Thereare no definite markings to prove that one is exactly20, or 40, or 50 years old. The date of birth is theonly standard we can go by in this matter. Our developmentis gradual, imperceptible, constant. Thiscontinuity means that we are always in process, alwaysbecoming, always undergoing change.What we are today is determined by what wewere yesterday! Each day's experience contributesto the foundation on which our tomorrows arebuilt. Thus 1966 will be little different from 1965except that that which has been developing will becomeintensified and multiplied. We can only developand advance as we learn to use what theLord has given us. We must not wait for somebrighter tomorrow to better our condition or polishour talent. Tomorrow is now! The Lord can useSee page 408December 29, 1965 405

The Factors Within The Church and The PastorA Churchwide Survey by Pittsburgh PresbyteryMajor sources for this paper have been questionsNo. 6, 7, 12, 13, and 14 of the pastor's questionnaireand the views expressed in the layman's questionnaireconcerning what they expected of their pastor,things on which the pastor should spend his time,and five factors in the church hindering the pastor'swork.It is difficult to analyze the internal pressuresbecause they are so varied:I. Doctrinal pressuresII. Financial pressuresIII. Pressures from the laity.I. Doctrinal PressuresAll but 4 of the men who reported and had lessthan 10 years of service conditioned question 7about the binding nature of the ordination vows.One of the men reported that the ordination vowWAS binding "in a general sense." Twelve ministerssaid in either general or specific terms that oneof the areas in which they felt most unprepared wasa defense of the Distinctive Principles. There was acontinued repetition of a feeling of frustration abouta church that has a high creedal and confessionalstandard, but little conviction and commitment tothis on the congregational level. On the part of aminority of both laymen and pastors reporting,there was a feeling of frustration that was causedby having on the one hand a church which talksof being a confessional church, but does not andhas not exercised church discipline. The specificdoctrine mentioned most frequently (10 times) asasserting a pressure on our pastors was politicaldissent, either a dissatisfaction with it as a doctrineor a desire that the church would settle the issue.II. Influence of SalaryOf those ministers reporting, 22 had been ableto live on their salaries, 40 had not. Ten said theyhad considered leaving the pastorate because offinances, whereas 46 said they had not consideredleaving because of finances. It would seem fromwhat the pastors themselves say that finances arenot a major pressure causing men to leave thepastorate. However, when two-thirds of the men reportingfind that they are not able to hve on theirsalaries, it must be considered a very real pressure.It influences the pastor's image of himself. Itplaces a limit on his time, as many reported thatthey held other jobs.III. Pressures in the CongregationThe real area of pressure that our ministers feeland our laymen sense comes from the lack of responseon the part of their people. The lack ofspiritual thinking in terms of the basic concepts,doctrines, and disciplines of the Christian life, aswell as the church's mission, was frequently mentionedby the pastofs as a detriment to their ministry.Several expressed a frustration caused by a congregation'ssatisfaction with the status quo. Manyof both ministers and laymen mentioned the lackof evangelistic zeal as well as the minister being"their substitutionary worker in the Kingdom." Severalnoted particularly the lack of Sessional visionin evangelism and Christian education. Either theSession sits back and is willing to maintain thestatus quo or they are willing to approve a programas long as they do not have to get involved init. One elder expressed a view that is faced inmany if not most of our congregations: "It is thejob of the pastor to discipline people, to get themto come to the church, and to reach people forChrist." Basically an idea which reoccurs in thequestionnaires is the lack of trained and willingmanpower. One layman in answer to the questionon five things in the church hindering the pastorlisted No. 1 the Session, No. 2 the Session, No. 3the Session, etc. Some 15 of the pastors in someway made reference to the failure of the eldershipas a hindrance to their ministry.Another pressure is the lack of respect for thepastor and his task. Five of the laymen mentionedthis as either No. 2, 3, or 4 of their list of five factorsthat hinder the pastor in his work. The ChristianReformed brethren have a real respect for theDomini. This researcher heard a Christian Reformedlayman recently say that he was shocked by thelack of respect given to the Covenanter ministersby the laity. The pastors generally criticized the congregation'sview and image of the pastor as to histask and time. The biggest frustration seemed to bethat they expected that he be many things otherthan a man who preached, taught and prayed.Twenty of those pastors responding listed someaspect of this as one of the impediments they faced.Another internal factor that many of the menmentioned was anarchy against the law and orderof the church, as well as quarrels and a lack of love406 COVENANTER WITNESS

within the congregation.The lack of adequate training seemed to be areal burden on the hearts of many pastors. As theylook at their ministry and see a lack of fruit, 26attributed this to a lack of training in evangehsm.One other pressure that they felt was caused bythe lack of training in counseling.ConclusionThe major areas of internal pressure seemed tobe spiritual indifference of the congregations, theYOUR COMMITMENTRomans 12:1, 2The Gospel offer, with its urgent press for apersonal commitment, is widely heralded today.And yet, in the push, the plea for the Christian'scommitment, recorded in the text, is largely forgotten.This materialistic, libertine age has irreformablyentrenched itself against this commitmentand has long bombarded that God-appointed bulwark.Paul, in the previous context, places the Christian'scommitment in the beauteous and marveloussetting of God's presence. Since God is the reasonfor the commitment, therefore it follows in coursethat man has the moral obligation to be committed.And to bring this to pass, Romans 12:1 is Paul'splea for a commitment with a description of its nature,while verse 2 is the pattern for the commitmentto follow.This plea, it should be first noted, is for a Christian'scommitment. It would be a travesty of truthto think that Paul would ask unregenerate, heathenishsinners to be acceptable to God. This is a call tosanctification and a greater intensity of affection onthe part of redeemed saints.> The call also carries a note of urgency. Paul theapostle, though long dead, is concerned today, fordoes he not write directly to you, "I beseech you?"And God Himself is also interested, for the readersare addressed as "brothers" which was the primitivechurch's word for "Christian." The call forcommitment is addressed to God's adopted and redeemedsons, with the Trinity verily being vitally involved.Thus it is urgent.The commitment is essentially one of grace,for it comes to pass "through the compassions ofGod." This is foundational. Carnal consciences mayresolve to act and think differently, or may promisegreater fidelity or a host of other things; butthis is not Christian commitment. This is bornthrough God's exercise of compassion upon HisRev. Robert More, Jr., Almonte, Ontariostandards for church membership either as to whetherthey are Biblical or concerning the gap betweenlife and doctrine, and the wrong view that the laityhas of the task and relationship of the pastor andpeople. Though finances were not directly expressedas a factor influencing men leaving the pastoralministry, it must be considered as a significant thingthat only one-third of the men reporting were hvingon their salaries.elect child. Thus verbal or mental declarations donot constitute the source of Christian commitment;the gracious compassion of God must be performedif it is to exist.When God exercises His sovereign compassion,then the commitment is real and even ourbodies become new. Body here is not equated withfingers, muscle|s, and eye-balls; it denotes theiwhole of human nature, or as we confess, "bodyand soul." When God's grace is received, then ournature is reconstituted and we are committed toChrist.The commitment is responsive. God's compassionscome to utterly repugnant and totally unfitsinners and create a new person as the consequence.The call to "present" ourselves, please observe, isthe result of the exercise of "the compassions ofGod." Grace creates the commitment, and the responseor presentation ratifies the commitment. Onthe contrary, after the grace creates the foundation,then it is obviously nauseous to God for the newlyre-constituted Christian (and 'salvation' is not beingdiscussed by Paul please recall) to suppress orrestrain or undermine the response. The more thecall for commitment is presented and the longer itis personally by-passed; well, the Christian onlystores up God's wrath for himself against that fearfulday of judgment when all hearts will be madebare before God. Thus fancy not that you will escapedivine retribution if you lightly treat thisearnest, Biblical, plea for a Christian commitment.The commitment is unreserved. It is a sacrifice.The animal gave its all in sacrifice; the commitmentdoes likewise. It is not enough to go to church fora couple of hours and use the word Sabbath; singingby rote your Psalms is insufficient; pouring fortha gush of prayerful words doesn't meet the standard;paying your filthy lucre isn't adequate. Thecommitment performs all which God requires; thereDecember 29. 1965 407

is to be no mental reservation or pietistic withholding.The commitment is zealously unsullied. It isliving, enthusiastic; it is holy, without blemish, spot,or wrinkle and is entirely and morally pure; it isacceptable or well-pleasing to God for it does whatGod desires.The commitment is spiritual, mystical (as opposedto literal and physical) and is our reasonablereligious service. This is the nature of the Christian'scommitment recorded in the form of a plea.The second verse describes the pattern for thecommitment. It is of a non-earthly type, for a mundaneconformity does not fulfill a heavenly archtype.The word translated "conformity" appears inEnglish as "schematic." This is the printed wiringdiagram of your television, for example. The Christiancommitment will therefore notably disassociateitself from worldliness and impure or unworthyalliances and actions.The pattern leads to transfiguration. This sameword describes the Lord Jesus on the Mount ofTransfiguration. The commitment therefore leavesthe Christian glowing in dazzling and awesome arrayof sanctification. But note well; this change occurssimply because God enclothes us in that holiness,since the original states the transfiguration isin the passive voice. Thus God alone, and not weourselves, causes the Christian to be decked out inrobes of sanctified purity.The pattern includes the renewal of the mind.Our attitudes, ambitions, and conceptions undergoa remolding. Stumbling along in unsanctified livingby the Christian, according to Paul, is due toinsufficient enlightenment and instruction in Christiangrace. There is always the lurking, sinisterDevil who gallops around in our conscience andwho causes us to trip and become splattered withevil. Thus thoughts and intents must be illuminatedif the heavenly schematic for Christian commitmentis to be experienced.The pattern probates the ways of commitment.The Christian is to test or try the spirits — to detectIF they are of God their Father or are spawned bythe lying father. The Christian is hereby subtlywarned not to embrace everything which carries thecognomen of Christianity or rehgion. The Christianis to be committed only to that which derivesfrom God. All thoughts and practices are broughtto the touchstone of the Scripture, and what it revealsis to be permanently and universally beheved,and what is indefensible there is to be immediatelyand always scrapped in the theological junkyard.This raises the important question as to whatconstitutes God's will? Paul answered the questionin the text. God's will is first of all good. Anythingwhich injures the individual, the church, or societytherefore cannot be God's will. And, according tothe Lord, good is the nature of God. Thus anythingwhich God would do — well, that is God's will obviously.Then whatever is acceptable to God is Hiswill. And the only infallible record — which cannotbe controverted today — of this is, naturally, God'sScripture. Whatever it blesses is automatically God'swill; what it anathematizes is forever wrong. Andlastly, God's will is perfect. There are no flaws orchinks or ambiguities or loopholes, for it is perfect,complete, and entire.God gave His all in committing Jesus Christ tothe cross; thus He demands of the Christian, hisor her all. The plea is furthermore urgent; God isconcerned about your commitment; Paul is zealousfor your commitment and, ministering this day inChrist's earthly stead, "I beseech you, brothers ..."TOMMORROW . . . from page 405us now, and we can improve as we work. What wedo not use we lose. Set a goal for your life and trustGod to help you accomplish the desire of yourheart, by using that which you have, right whereyou are.A ship had been lost at sea for many days beforeit was finally sighted by a friendly vessel. Fromthe mast of the ill-fated ship was seen the signal,"Water! We die of thirst!"The friendly ship answered back, "Cast downyour bucket where you are."As if they did not comprehend, or could not believe,a second and a third time the signal camefrom the ailing ship: "Water! Water! We die ofthirst."Again the friendly ship answered: "Cast downyour bucket where you are."The captain of the distressed vessel at last, heededthe message, cast down his bucket, and broughtitup full of fresh sparkhng water from the mouth ofthe Amazon River.Let us learn from this story. Too many timeswe feel that our talents are so small, that we haveso little to offer, and we should wait for a betteropportunity.For most of us the majority of the days of thisNew Year will be rather ordinary. We will work andplay, laugh and cry, pray and worship, and performthe routine of daily living. Yet these days areall a part of God's timetable. He has the year plannedand knows what will be best for each one of us;thus the best resolution we can make and keepthroughout the year is this: "I resolve, by God'sSee page 402408 COVENANTER WITNESS

Our YouthGASHMU THE GOSSIPBy Rev. Hugh J. Blair, M.A., Ph.D.Some of the cities in Scotland have interestingmottoes attached to their coats of arms. Edinburgh,for example, has a motto consisting of three Latinwords — Nisi Dominus Frustra — which are atranslation of the opening words of Psalm 127 —"Except the Lord ... in vain." Glasgow's motto is,"Let Glasgow flourish by the preaching of the Word,"though often nowadays the last part is left out. Butthe one which especially interests me at the momentis the motto of Aberdeen — "They say: what saythey? Let them say!" It is directed against those whomake a practice of spreading unkind gossip aboutother people, and it is for the comfort of those whoare slandered by such unkind gossip. "They say."That is, there are always people ready to talk aboutother people. Nehemiah knew all about that whenhe was engaged in the great work of rebuilding thewalls of Jerusalem. He had to meet opposition anddifficulties of many kinds, but perhaps the hardestthing to put up with was the way in which hisenemies spread slanderous reports about him. Foremostamong them was the man who has earnedthe unenviable title of Gashmu the Gossip from thereference to him that is recorded in Nehemiah 6. 6— "It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmusaith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel.""They say." There are always descendants of Gashmuwho make that their.main business in life."What say they?" If there is something to besaid, say it openly. Then, for one thing, it is farmore likely to be accurately reported. It is the thingswhich are whispered secretively from one to anotherthat are most likely to be false, or at least notwholly true. I remember once playing a game at aparty, in which two teams were involved: one memberfrom each team was sent out of the room, andthe two of them while outside concocted a messagewhich they whispered to the first member in theirteams when they came back into the room. Themessage was then passed along the line from oneteam-member to the next until it reached the endof the line. Needless to say, no message was evertransmitted accurately, and there were some fantasticmisinterpretations of the whispered messageen route. That is the great danger of gossip: it is soeasily added to, and so easily misinterpreted as itpasses from one to another.Dr. Alexander Whyte, of St. George's, Edinburgh,used to say that all gossip should be subjectedto three tests — Is it true? Isit necessary?Is it kind? First, is it true? Are you quite certain thatthe report you heard is accurate? Or did someonetell someone else who told the person who told you?Then, even supposing that the report is true, is itreally necessary to passit on? Is any useful purposeserved by repeating it? Finally, is it kind? Most gossip,if these three tests were applied strictly, woulddie at birth."Let them say." As in the case of Glasgow'smotto, the most important part, the part that givesmeaning to all the rest, has dropped out. Originallythe motto was, "They say: what say they? so ye dowell, let them say." In other words, if you are doingwhat is right, you don't need to worry what anyonesays about you. "If you do well, let them say." ChristHimself, when He was on trial, heard many falseaccusations made against Him in the palace ofCaiaphas the high priest, but stood silent throughoutit all. "And the high priest arose, and said untohim, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which thesewitness against thee?' But Jesus held his peace.""They say: what say they? Let them say.''If we are followers of His, often we may haveto face ridicule and hostility for His sake: but if wehave His commendation, we can face it unafraid.Once on a cold wet day, there was a new ticket-inspectorat the railway station exit, and his orderswere that all tickets must be shown. There was alot of grumbling at the inconvenience caused, andsomeone finally said to him, "You seem to be veryunpopular here today." "That doesn't worry me,"came his reply, "so long as I am in good standing inHead Office." It was the same kind of attitudewhich kept Paul unmoved in face of the-criticism ofsome of the members in the church at Corinth. Hisfirst duty, he saw, was to God, and his constant aimwas faithfulness to Him. And so he wrote in I Corinthians4 — "Let a man so account of us, as of theministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries ofGod. Moreoverit is required in stewards, that a manbe found faithful." And if Paul were faithful, hefelt that he had httle reason to fear the tongues ofmen. "But with me," he said, "it is a very smallthing that I should be judged of you, or of man'sjudgment ... he that judgeth me is the Lord." "Theysay: what say they? So ye do well, let them say!"If we are walking in Christ's way, we have little tofear from Gashmu the Gossip.—Reformed Presbyterian WitnessDecember 29, 1965 409

A PAGE FOR JUNIORSJunior Topicfor January 23, 1966THE CHURCH SEPARATESINTO TWO PARTSMrs. Glenn McFarlandMemory Work:Acts 4:12. Continue to memorizePsalms suggested in introduction tothis Unit.Work Books:Draw the Mohammedan symbol ofthe crescent (first quarter moon) andthe Christian symbol of the cross.Print memory verse. (Move hands ontopic wheel to second division andfourth topic.)Church History Baseball:Capitalize on Junior enthusiasmfor baseball by arranging a quiz inthe form of a "Church History Baseball"game. Make a list of questionswith increasing difficulty from previouslessons or memory work. Questionsmay be used over again forlearning through repetition. Numbertwo teams for batting order. Markout three bases and home plate. Thesponsor "pitches" the questions forboth teams and is the timekeeper.The pitcher first states whetherquestion (according to difficulty) isgood for a single, double, triple orhome run. Batter must answer questioncorrectly within 30 seconds andadvance the proper number of basesor is "out." To teach group order andrespect, never repeat the question.Runners on bases advance the numberof bases the batter hits — no stealingof bases. If team mates help theSee page 4127 10N ALE Nft7]7 A700B£u£LSAHStsMKH0ih1-$Iu1s MH £7fiA |A HAcross:1. God delivered him from the lions.6. He was tested by God. Job 1:1.8. The Garden made by God. Genesis 2:8.9. "And they tell him of her." Mark 1:30.11. Jabal's mother. Genesis 4:20.12. "And we wiU and sell, and get gain.' James 4:13.14. "— according to all the thereof, shall ye keep it." Numbers 9:3.15. "Speak not to Jacob either good bad." Genesis 31:24.17. "Love your enemies; do good to them that you." Luke 6:27.19. Not "she."21. "A soft turneth away wrath." Proverbs 15:1.22. "— give the money, wherewith thenumber of them is to be23.24.25.Down:redeemed." Numbers 3:48.Not too, or two." have they, but they smell not." Psalm 115:6."Thou art my and my deliverer." Psalm 70:5.1. He plans for the church money."— stingeth like an ." Proverbs 23:32."Call ye upon him while he is ." Isaiah 55:6."—shall everlasting life." Matthew 19:29.2.3.4.5.6.7.10.13.16.18.19.20."Six days shalt thou ." Exodus 20:9.Happy. Colossians 2:5.Not off.Joshua's father. Exodus 33:11.The queen. Esther 5:2."They that dwell in mine house and mycount me a stranger."Job 19:15."He with publicans and sinners." Mark 2:16"—besought him that he would come down, and — his son." John4:47.Jesus is theof God.410 COVENANTER WITNESS

Lesson Helps for the Week of January 23, 1966Sabbath School Lessonfor January 23, 1966GOD IS FATHERHosea 11:1-4; John 14:6-11; 2 Cor. 1:3-4Comments by John K. GaultThe fatherhood of God is a distinctteaching of the holy Scriptures.Man by creation is a child of Godbut that does not mean that all peoplewill be saved. "Like begets like,"and so, as we are told in Genesis 1:26,"And God said, Let us make man inour image, after our likeness." —Vs.27, "So God created man in his ownimage, in the image of God createdHe them."We now turn to the New Testamentand in Acts 17:28, 29 we read, "Forin him we live, and move, and haveour being; as certain also of your ownpoets have said, For we are also hisoffspring. Forasmuch then as we arethe offspring of God, we ought not tothink that the Godhead is like untogold, or silver, or stone, graven byart and man's device."Man, as the "offspring of God" hasasked for the "portion of goods thatfalleth to him" and has gone into the"far country." He may not be actinglike one who is the "offspring of God"and may be "wasting his substance inriotous living," but that does notchange the nature of God who is evera Father to his wayward son and isever watching for his return. But, asthe "offspring of God" by creation, peoplemust return to the Father's housebefore they can experience the blessingsof God's fatherhood, that is ina saving way. Many who are wickedreceive the natural benefits of theworld. God sends His rain on the justand on the unjust. The fields of the(wicked produce bountiful crops andthey often are enabled to "fill theirbarns with plenty." But, we are tothink principally today about the fatherhoodof God in its relation toman's spiritual rebirth which is an experiencewhich man can never receivethrough creation alone.| 1: God is Father to Those WhomHe Has Chosen.This is the very beginning of man'srebirth, from creation to re-creation.God chose Israel for a special purposeand on Israel He bestowed His FaiDecember29, 1965therly love and care. In Hosea 11:1 ofour Scripture lesson, we are told,"When Israel was a child, then I lovedhim," and in verse 4, Hosea the prophetcontinues to say, "I drew themwith cords of a man, with bands oflove." Israel, therefore, was God's sonin a special sense for God had chosenhim out of all the other nations ofthe world for a special purpose.God, also, makes choice of individualsfor salvation. We cannot thinkof God in any other light for He iswithout any limitation in all of Hisattributes, especially in His knowledge,wisdom and authority. This isthe "determinism" which many philosophersreject, and rightly as far asman is concerned, but not as far asGod is concerned. Those whom Godhas chosen are, therefore, children ofGod, and as "children" they become"heirs of God, and joint-heirs withChrist." Children of God, those whoexperience His fatherhood, receivesalvation and the promise of eternallife, which benefits are the greatestthat are possible for people to receive.The fatherhood of God makesthis great change possible for sinfulmankind.2: People Can Know God as aFather Only Through Christ.This thought is brought to ourattention in John 14:9-11. In this passagePhilip said to Jesus, "Show us theFather and it sufficeth us." In replyJesus said to him, "Have I been solong time with you and yet hast thounot known me, Philip? he that hathseen me hath seen the Father; andhow sayest thou then, Show us theFather? Believest thou not that I amin the Father, and the Father in me?the words that I speak unto you Ispeak not of myself: but the Fatherthat dwelleth in me, he doeth theworks. Believe me that I am in theFather, and the Father in me."Christ is the second person of theGodhead. When He was sent into theworld He revealed the fatherhood ofGod. God said of Him at the time ofthe transfiguration, "This is my belovedSon in whom I am well pleased."Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way,the truth, and the life: no man comethunto the Father but by me." No one,therefore, can make any approach toGod save through Christ. Any prayerthat is offered, therefore not in thename of Christ is in reality no prayerat all. It does not reach the earof the Almighty because Christ is theonly advocate, or mediator, before theThrone of Grace. Failure to recognizeChrist or to accept of Him meansfailure to make contact with AlmightyGod.Jesus became our mediator by virtueof His offering up Himself as aperfect sacrifice. He performed inreality that which was done in symboland in shadow throughout the precedingeras of man's existence on earth.At His death on the cross the veil ofthe temple was "rent in twain fromthe top to the bottom." Jesus, by Hisdeath on the cross, made it possiblefor man, once again, to know God ashis Father.3: God, as Father, Loves and ComfortsHis People.This is brought to our attention inJohn 3:16 wherein it is said, "For Godso loved the world, that he gave hisonly begotten son, that whosoever believethin him should not perish buthave everlasting life." And, in I John3:1 the same writer says, "Behold,what manner of love the Father hathbestowed upon us, that we shouldbe called the sons of God." The giftof Jesus Christ to the world was thegreatest demonstration of love thatthe world has ever seen.This world is filled with trouble.Sickness and death are on every hand.Human life is rightly compared to"grass" and to an "handbreadth." Allpersons feel the need of comfort andlove. God, through Christ Jesus, makesit possible for people to receive comfort,living as they do in the midst ofthe harsh, sinful realities of thisworld. In 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4 we aretold, "Blessed be God, even the Fatherof our Lord Jesus Christ the Fatherof mercies, and the God of all comfort;Who comforts us in all our tribulation,that we may be able to comfortthem which are in any trouble,by the comfort wherewith we ourselvesare comforted of God." Peoplewho fail to accept of Christ are withouthope and consequently without411

comfort.4: God, as Father, Has Provided,for His People Their Eternal Home.Jesus said in John 14:2, "In myFather's house are many mansions:if it were not so I would have toldyou. I go to prepare a place for you."Heaven is here pictured to us as theeternal home of Christians. In everywell-ordered family the father's houseis the home for the children. Theymay go away to school, or to otherplaces in the morning, knowing fullwellthat they have a home to cometo at the end of the day. Childrenwho are homeless are indeed to bepitied.Apart from Christ, God's spiritualchildren whom He has created donot know the way home, but they arelost in "trespasses and in sins." Jesusknows the way home to the Father'shouse because He came from thereand He is "able to save unto the uttermostall who come unto God by Him."The "Father's house" will be amuch better place than any placewhich this world affords. It is heresaid to be "mansions." There will beplenty of room for all and it will beof such magnificence that it has beensaid of it, (1 Cor. 2:9) "Eye hath notseen, nor ear heard, neither have enteredinto the heart of man, thethings which God hath prepared forthem that love him." The "Father'shouse" is also, an abiding place. Itis not like a tent which is set up andtaken down quickly, but it will be apermanent place of residence becauseit is eternal. Our homes of this worldare not "abiding places." At the bestthey are very impermanent. How aptthen is the admonition of Jesus to"Lay not up for yourselves treasuresupon earth, where moth and rust dothcorrupt, and where thieves breakthrough and steal: But lay up for yourselvestreasures in heaven, whereneither moth nor rust doth corrupt,and where thieves do not breakthrough and steal.""Lesson based on International SundaySchool Lessons: the International Bible Lessonsfor Christian Teaching, copyrighted 1958by the Division of Christian Education. NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ in theU. S. A."Junior TopicJUNIOR TOPIC ... from page 410batter answer, they're "out." Givepenalties if opposing team interferes.Keep score of runs on blackboard.Three wrong answers and other teamis up to bat. Record innings andscore and keep same teams fromweek to week.For the Junior Leader:Our story for today is rather sad.It is of the destruction of the Easternpart of the Empire. The Churchin the West survived the invasion ofthe Arabs and grew afterward. However,the Church in the East neverregained its strength from the invasion.(At this time have the Junior whois to review Mohammed's life reporton his birthplace, year, occupation,travels, reason for confinement, followers,etc.)The book containing Mohammed'steachings is called the Koran. Hisbasic teaching is "There is but oneGod, and Mohammed is his prophet."Since most of the people in Mecca believedin many gods, he and his followershad to flee to Medina, a citywhere he was welcomed. He died tenyears later in 632 but his vast numberof followers who were fierce horsemenstarted taking over many provinces.Their forces were so strongthey conquered Syria, Palestine,Egypt, North Africa, Spain, and enteredFrance. Many feared all ofEurope might become Mohammedan.The whole future of the Church andthe world depended on what wouldhappen at this point.You'll remember when Clovis, kingof France became a Christian, he ledhis warriors to Christianity. NowFrance formed a great Christian armyand went out to fight the Mohammedans.The Mohammedans who hadbeen victorious for over 100 yearsexpected to win this battle, too. Itwas a wild and furious war. The Mohammedanson horses charged whilewaving the crescent, their banner.The Christian army of the Frankscontinued to send their ranks forwardon foot, waving the cross.The m-oirning after this bloodyBattle of Tours, hundreds lay deadand the Franks found the Mohammedanshad retreated into Spain. Theonce heathen barbarous Franks hadsaved Western Europe for Christianity.The Church had already sufferedgreat loss though. Even today oneseventhof the world's population isMohammedan. It has been a slowand difficult process to re-introduceChristianity into many countries.Why did Mohammed gain so muchpower? He came at a time when theChurch was worshiping images,martyrs, saints, and Mary. It was arevolt against this idolatry of the"Christian World" or judgment on thecorrupt Church. Civilization had softenedthe Christians while the wilddesert life had hardened the Mohammedans.They were ready to fightwhile many who had lived in monasteriescouldn't defend themselves.Even though Mohammedans said theybelieved in one God, they encouragedfighting, slavery, polygamy, and promisedthose who died in battle specialprivileges and pleasures in the nextworld. Christians should always beready to stand against false teachings.The part of East Europe wherethe Church did survive was small andthe language was Greek. The Churchin the West was mainly made up ofGermanic tribes to which Rome hadpassed on its Latin language, literature,and civilization. Up to this time,about the year 1000, the Eastern andWestern Church had been one. Nowin 1054 the Greek Eastern and LatinWestern Church separated. Therewere many small differences, but thecharacter and language of the peoplewere the real causes of the division.The Greek Church in the Eastpassed on much of its knowledge oftheology to the Western Church. TheEastern Church became weak and wewon't hear much about it after this11th Century. We shall learn how theLatin Western Church really grewduring the Middle Ages.Prayer Meeting Topicfor January 26, 1966Comments this week were originallyprepared for use on October 2, 1946by Rev. E. G. Russell.PENITENCEPsalm 51:17"The sacrifices of God are a brokenspirit: a broken and a contriteheart, O God, thou wilt not despise."References:2 Chron. 7:14; Job 11:13-15; Ps.34:14; 147:3; Matt. 5:4; Luke 18:10-14.Psalm 32:1-6, page 74Psalm 34:6-9, page 82Psalm 38:10-13, page 98Psalm 51:1-4, page 132Psalm 130:1-5, page 325Penitence is a grace, bestowed bythe Spirit, and exercised by Christianpeople who deeply feel the grievousnessof their sins. It is a genuine sorrowfor sin which leads to true repentance.The Psalmist defines it as abroken spirit, and a broken and a contriteheart. David's penitence is re-412 COVENANTER WITNESS

corded in the 51st Psalm where wefind it to be an inner state which ledto the humble and sincere confessionof his sin.There is need of it in general becauseof the attitude toward sin everywhere.Too much is sin regarded asa trifling thing by the nation and bythe people of the world. And churchpeople are not always inclined to regardit as very serious either. Arethere not too many who are like thePharisee in the temple, who are proudinstead of humble, and are inclinedto applaud themselves rather than admitthere is any iniquity in them whichneeds to be confessed? How far awayfrom Christ some are living who claimto belong to the church! How slenderis the thread which joins some churchmembers to it. How universal, almost,the careless regard for the Lord's Day.How many are living in captivity toknown sin and do not mourn overthese things, and many other conditionswhich are displeasing to Christ.Personal impenitence is a very seriousstate. The Word of God holds outno promise of salvation to the impenitent.The spirit of penitence doesnot seem to exist to any perceptibledegree anywhere these times. The lackof it hardens one in sin and blindsone to the grievousness of sin. Thenwe grow to feel that sin isn't bad atall and finally decide that it isn't sinanyhow. And God's Word warns, "Afterthy hardness and impenitent hearton the white face of David Livingstone.Then they could not keep fromrealizing it. To see God is most likelyto constrain one to cry like theprophet: "Unclean; I am a man ofunclean lips." And the thoughtfulreading of the Bible may produce it,too.The benefits of penitence areworthy of special discussion. The goodresults of it may be observed by lookingat the Bible examples of penitentmen, as David and Manasseh in theOld Testament and Peter, the publicanat the temple entrance who prayed,"Lord be merciful to me a sinner,"the Prodigal Son, and the thief onthe cross who asked the Lord to savehim. God never despises a brokenand a contrite heart. "The Lord isnigh them that be of broken heartand saveth such as be of a contritespirit." Ps. 34:18.NORTHERN IRELANDThe 110th session of the ReformedPresbyterian Theological Hall hascommenced at Grosvenor Road, Belfast.The opening lecture was deliveredby Rev. J. R. Patterson, lecturer inNew Testament Language and Literature,who took as his subject: "TheMessianic Idea" and how Jesus handledJewish misconceptions.Rev. A. R. Wright presided andRev. J. W. Calderwood, Convener ofthe Committee of Superintendence reportedon the results of the entranceexaminations.Mr. A. C. Gregg, a third-year student,was awarded the William WarronMemorial Bursary of 30 pounds.Mr. Edward Donnelly was awarded theMawhinney Bursary supplemented to20 pounds, and Mr. C. Knox Hyndmanthe Archibald Bursary, augmented toSee page 415Scribe With A Hard PencilThis is the time for picking up our new calendars: little calendar cardsto go in our wallets, beautiful calendars to hang in the front hall, large plaincalendars with huge squares for each date so that we may make notations ofcoming events and thus remind ourselves.In the rush of modern living, this latter type could well prove to bethe most important of all. With meetings, social engagements, school functions,club programs, church activities, and all manner of other happenings, wecould find it very easy to forget some event that should not be forgotten.Who of us, for example, would want to forget an appointment with the dentist?Who would want to stay at home eating green beans and liver because hehad forgotten the invitation to the Van Highbrows where they would beserving Lobster a la Newburgh?There is just no getting around the fact that it is important for us towrite the notable events in the new calendar, so we may be reminded whenthey are due.thou art treasuring up wrath untothyself against the day of wrath andrevelation of the righteous judgmentof God." There is need of it to escapethe consequences of our Bins and thedivine wrath and displeasure.Now what will lead to it? The HolySpirit brings it about in various ways.The prophet Nathan was sent to Davidwith a personal message to convicthim of sin. When the minister preachesabout your sin in a way that com­attending to it automatically — like attending to breakfast, dinner, and sup­There is one event so noteworthy that many of the Lord's people arepels you to face it, in a way that you per each day. As a matter of fact, this event should be a daily occurrence. Wecannot sidestep the matter, you are refer to the Quiet Time, time set aside for personal devotions, when we maybeing led to it. In the palace of the be alone with God in a period of personal devotions that will consist mainlyhigh priest it was the direct look of of Bible reading and prayer.Christ when He turned His eyes uponThis is so important for every one of us, that if we are not now keepingthis daily personal appointment with our Lord, it would be well to takePeter that led the disciple to go outand weep bitterly over the denial of that new calendar; and in the space for each of the days of 1966, make anhis Lord. There have been those like appropriate mark that would serve to remind us. Exactly what kind of markIsaiah who have been led to it by we make, is not very important. It might be a small "D. D." (Daily Devotions);realizing that they are beneath the or it might be a small "X" with red ink; or a circle; or any other symbol thatall-seeing eyes of the Most Holy One. we might choose.There comes a deep sense of sin whereOne thing is certain: if we faithfully keep our appointments for dailythere is a clear sense of the presence devotions in 1966, we will not find it necessary to enter these "D. D." appointmentsin our 1967 calendars. We will look forward to them each day — asof God. We have been told that therewere certain Africans who never knew much as we do to breakfast, dinner, and supper.that they were black till they lookedDecember 29, 1965 413

Amount of Synod's BudgetRaised to December 17, 1965Please HELP!CALLOn December 20, 1965, I moderateda call by the Superior-Beulah congregationwhich resulted in a unanimousvote on the first ballot for R. W.Caskey, D.D.. as their choice for pastor.Paul E. FarisNOTICEThe 1966 W.M.S. Uniform Programis ready and may be orderedfor twenty-five (25) cents each fromMiss Sarah Archer, 103 FennertonRoad, Paoii, Penna.ATTENTIONCLARINDA, IOWAReleased time for religious educationhas been granted this year in theClarinda schools for the sixth, seventh,and eighth grades. Our congregationhas joined with the two Clarinda U.P.Churches in a cooperative school. Mrs.Leslie McCalla from our churchteaches the sixth graders. There aretwenty pupils in her class. The classmeets once each week the first thingeach Wednesday morning.Neighbors and friends joined withus to honor Mr. and Mrs. Dave Triebwasserat a basket supper beforethey moved to their new home inShenandoah. The Truth Seekers S.S.Class sponsored the event. Miss MildredBlair is the teacher and Mr. DonaldWhitehill substitute teacher.Mrs. Mary (Tippin) Russell of LongBeach, Calif, visited a few weeks recentlywith her sister-in-law, Mrs.Myrtle Tippin.Miss Virginia Whitehill, daughterof Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Whitehill waschosen as Queen's attendant for theSouth Page High School Home Comingat College Springs.Mr. and Mrs. Howard Caskey enjoyeda trip to Wenham, Mass. thisfall to visit their daughter and husband,Mr. and Mrs. Jay Basler.Miss Mary Cabeen of La Junta,Colo., one of our out of bounds members,spent a few weeks in late summerwith her brother, John Cabeen,Chester R. Fox, Treasurer160,000.00109,806.16and other relatives.Mr. J. Ren Lee, our oldest memberwill celebrate his ninty-sixth birthdayon December 20.Mr. and Mrs. Homer Woods andMr. and Mrs. Claude Blair enjoyed avisit in early fall with the Woods'daughters and Mrs. Blair's sisters, Mrs.John White and Mrs. Roy Adams andtheir families in Beaver Falls, Penna.Mr. and Mrs. John Walkinshaw ofBlanchard, Iowa and Miss MargaretMoore of Omaha were with us forCommunion Sabbath. Miss Moorevisited over the weekend with herparents, Mr. and Mrs. RaymondMoore.Mr. and Mrs. Claude Blair are thenew sponsors of the Young People'sSociety.Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth McCalla accompaniedMrs. McCalla's brother, Mr.Raymond Stevenson and Mrs. Stevensonof Farmington, Mich., to Benson,Arizona. They went especially to visitMr. and Mrs. John Finley. Mrs. Finleyis a sister of Mrs. Stevenson and Mr.Finley is a cousin of Mrs. McCallaand Mr. Stevenson.Howard Falk has accepted employmenthelping to put up Harvestores.At the present he is working out ofAdel, Iowa.Our pastor has been suffering withblood clots in his leg for some weeksbut has missed only one Sabbathmorning service. Rev. Lester Greenwood,father of Mr. John Greenwoodwho attends our church, preached forus that Sabbath.We were saddened to hear of thedeath of Dr. M. S. McMillan at ourChurch Home in Pittsburgh, Penna.,on October 28. He was our pastor from1920 to 1931.Mr. and Mrs. Donald Whitehill visitedMrs. Whitehill's brother, CameronStevenson and family at Pratt,Kansas a few days in October. Mrs.Whitehill's mother, Mrs. Ed Stevenson,from Calif., was also a visitor in theStevenson home.Duane Perry who attends IowaState University at Ames, Iowa, isable to spend an occassional weekendwith his parents, Mr. and Mrs. RaymondPerry.The Golden Rule Class, of whichMr. Dale Beaver, is president is usingstudy material on the Shorter Catechism.Mrs. Myrtle (Lucas) Strain of Auroa,Missouri attended church oneSabbath evening recently. Mrs. Strainis a former member of the Blanchardcongregation.A new class has been started forour college age young people. Theirteacher is Mrs. Wilbur Copeland.Our Communion service was heldthe last Sabbath in October with Dr.D. Howard Elliott of Topeka, Kansasas assistant. Brenda Falk, ThomaseneKirsch and Tommy Whitehill unitedwith the church by profession offaith.Our congregation is now incorporatedas a non-profit organization underthe constitution and statutes of theState of Iowa. The By-laws were adoptedby the congregation on Nov. 9. Thishas required much work on the partof the chairman of our congregation,Mr. John Bayles, our Session and Mr.William Hemphill (our attorney).These from our congregation listedon the honor roll for the first nineweeks of school at C.H.S. were Bessieand Linda Morrow and Steve Copeland.Merle Falk is leaving the first ofDecember to attend an agriculturalshort course at Iowa State Universityat Ames.George Dunn who works for an oilcompany in Arabia has written hismother, Mrs. Mildred Dunn, that heexpects to spend the Christmas holidaysin Spain.December 17 marks the 110th Anniversaryof our congregation here atClarinda.Our three students are among 21at Geneva College at Beaver Falls,Pa., elected to Who's Who in AmericanColleges and Universities. This isa national honor organization for outstandingstudents. Nancy Falk, NancyPerry, and Robert Copeland are thethree seniors from our congregationwhich were chosen. Students arechosen on the basis of excellence andsincerity in scholarship, leadershipand participation in extracurricularactivities, citizenship, service to thecollege, and promise of future usefulnessto business and society. Theseare the marks of an all-around stu-414 COVENANTER WITNESS

dent.BARNETOn the evening of July 31, thehome of Mr. and Mrs. EllsworthShields was the scene of a delightfuloccasion when relatives, friends, andneighbors gathered to honor Ellsworthand Evelyn on the twenty-fifthanniversary of their marriage. Sevenof their eight children were present.Mr. and Mrs. Shields were the recipientsof many tokens of high esteemin which they are held by all whoknow them.The Rev. Mr. and Mrs. T. RichardHutcheson and son, Harvey, Holton,Kansas, spent a few days in Augustat the McLam home. Another son,Dean, who had been employed in thecommunity for two months, returnedhome with them.The Rev. and Mrs. J. Paul Wilsonand son, John, attended the WhiteLake Conference where Mr. and Mrs.Wilson served as Camp Father andMother. During the pastor's absence,the Gideon Society conducted the serviceon the first Sabbath, and Mr.David Armstrong preached on thesecond Sabbath.On September 9, Miss NancyShields, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. EllsworthShields, was graduated fromthe School of Nursing at Laconia GeneralHospital. Her family attendedthe graduation. Miss Shields receivedthe award for having made the mostprogress during her three years at theschool. She is presently employed atthe same hospital. Congratulations,Nancy!Congratulations, also, to Miss LaurenWilson who was "capped" at theSchool of Nursing in the MassachusettsGeneral Hospital on the eveningof September 9. Her parents, theRev. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, and herbrother, John, drove to Boston toattend the ceremony.The young people have returnedto their various schools: Patricia Faristo Keene, N. H. State College; VirginiaShields to Johnson TeachersCollege; Carol Shields to the schoolfor Practical Nursing; Hanover, N.H.; David Shields and Edward Shieldsto Peacham Academy; and John Wilsonto St. Johnsburg Academy.Mr. and Mrs. C. T. Hutcheson wereat the church on September 19 and inthe evening gave instructive talks ontheir missionary work in Cyprus.We are happy that Miss PaulineFaris of the Cambridge congregationhad recovered sufficiently from herillness to be able to spend two weeksat her cottage here. Her sister, Mrs.Margaret Lundell of New York, waswith her.Dr. and Mrs. Kent Fergusson (neeJo Ricnardson), Denver, Coloradospent a week in September with relativeshere.The best wishes of the congregationgo to Miss Phyllis Wilson whohas accepted a position in social welfarework in Wichita, Kansas. Shewill be greatly missed in the churchhere.Mr. James Wilson has returnedto his duties as instructor of Latin inWake Forest College, North Carolina.Recently we were pleased to welcomeat the church service Mrs. PriscillaBerry Blanchard, Millville, NewJersey, and her husband's father andmother, Mr. and Mrs. Allen Blanchard,Allendale, New Jersey.St. Lawrence Presbytery met atthe church, October 5 and 6.Mr. and Mrs. James Park, Montreal,Canada, spent a few days withtheir cousins, the Wilsons, and werevisitors at the Sabbath services.We were privileged in having forthe Thank Offering speaker the Rev.Donald I. Robb. Mr. Robb showed.•slides and gave a most interesting talkon Japan, its people, and his workthere. During the social hour refreshmentswere served.CAMBRIDGEOn Sabbath evening, November 7,a special study class was started toconsider the God-given offices of elderand deacon. This study group replacedthe Adult Prayer Group at6 o'clock for four weeks after whichthe prayer meetings were resumed.On Monday night, November 15,the Women's Class II, met at the homeof Miss Ruth Calderwood in Newton.Under the direction of Mrs. McCracken,a Bible study was conducted usingthe book, The Gracious Woman. Thepurpose of the meeting is to stimulateinterest in the Word, closer fellowshipand association one withanother, and the hope that some whodo not come on Sabbath might be inducedto attend.On Wednesday evening, November17, a Workers' Conference for SabbathSchool teachers and others interested,was sponsored by the ChristianEducation Committee. In the formof a forum, the two special considerationswere the importance of the devotionallife of the teacher and thefutility of teaching facts without applicationto the individual needs ofthe class.We are sorry to report that Mr.Alan Hathaway of Boston passed awayon November 19, as the result of anaccident. Mr. Hathaway was the stepfatherof Mrs. Bruce Nickerson. Oursympathy goes out to her and herfamily.We are glad that Mrs. Helen Cutterhas recovered sufficiently fromher car accident to resume her accustomedattendance at church. TheLord is good.We shall be happy when Mrs. Dicksonis able to be with us again. Forseveral weeks she has been sufferingfrom a heart attack and the processof slowing down is difficult and tedious.But, as we said, The Lord ISgood.Our family night program for Novemberincluded a shower for the newlyweds,Don and Sarah Lee Willson.This young couple have been a realblessing to our church and we thankthe Lord for sending them to us.NORTHERN IRELAND . .. from p. 41315 pounds.Miss Jean Pollock, a member ofStranorlar congregation, has made applicationto the Mission Board as acandidate for Mission work in Ethiopia.Arrangements have been made forher missionary training following thecompletion of nursing training.MAKING OUR HEARTS GROW!There is nothing that so makes uslove someone as praying for him. Andwhen you can do this sincerely foranyone, you have fitted your soul forthe performance of everything that iskind and civil towards him.Be daily on your knees in a solemn,deliberate performance of the devotion,praying for others in such form,with such length, importunity, andearnestness as you use for yourself;and you will find all little, ill-naturedpassions die away. Your heart willgrow great and generous.—William LawThe pasture are clothed with flocks;the valleys also are covered over withcorn; they shout for joy, they alsosing. Psalm 65:13Mrs. Hutcheson also addressed theWomen's Sabbath School Class.December 29, 1965 415

A BUDGET IS AN IMPERSONAL THING. . .BUT IT REPRESENTS VERY REAL NEEDS!NEEDED for missionaries' salaries, Gospel literature, medical expenses,evangelistic training and materials, and more:Board of Foreign Missions$63, 380 Board of Home Missions and Church ExtensionBoard of EvangelismNEEDED for the Double-in-a-Decade program, salaries for Seminaryprofessors, support for Geneva College, and more:Board of Christian Education$59,420 Geneva CollegePastors' Refresher CourseStudents' AidTheological SeminaryNEEDED for editorial work, printing costs, salaries, and more, to maintaina testimony for Christ and the truth through the Christian AmendmentMovement, The Covenanter Witness , and tracts:National Association of Evangelicals$19,700 The Covenanter WitnessWitness CommitteeNEEDED to provide comfort in the sunset years for retired ministers andmissionaries and their wives, and for others who have served the Lord inthe church:Home for the Aged$13, 000 Ministerial ReliefWidows and OrphansNEEDED for new church buildings, the expenses of Synod's committeesnew Psalters, and more:„,„ „„„ Board of Church Erection$ 4^500 ,_. .. „ ,Miscellaneous FundTOTAL NEEDED: $160,000More than $100, 000 has been raised, for which we give thanks. Inorder that there be no cutback in the Lord's work, the remaindermust be in Mr. Fox's hands by January 12, 1966.Synod's Stewardship Committee416COVENANTER WITNESSJ