J• GRESHAM MACHEN • EDITOR 1936· 1 937 Eeomenieal Synod Ned B. Stonehouse • Waters in the Wllderness aareuee W. Duff • Life of Jesus Christ Leslie W. Sloat • University Board Meets • Guardian News Commentator Who maketh the clouds His chariot, Who walketh upon the wings of the wind. Oetober 10, 1946 VOLUME 15. NO. 18 274 THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN October 10 cious purposes of the new covenant but it also detracts from the glory of may be fulfilled in the heart of man. God. How useful and usable is that It is the sovereign work of God. In servant of God who says sincerely, HI .~fAMlLYALTAR His time, in His way and in whom He am nothing." wills God implants the mercies of the OCTOBEIt 28 covenant. He adopts us into His COLOSSIANS 1:1-13 (12,13) Redemption Thoughts household where we are evermore His Elsewhere we are told to offer the OCTOBER 19 people and the Lord is eternally our sacrifice of praise to God continually, DEUT. 30:1-10 (6) God. that is, the fruit of our lips, giving HEN the Lord Jesus told Nico­ thanks to His name. In today's pas­ OCTOBER 24 Wdemus that he must be born sage we are given the basis for such again by the Spirit He was but stating EZEKIEL 11:14:25 (19) continued thanksgiving. God hath gra­ an old truth in a new way. God is the Three things are observable in the ciously fitted us for a spiritual heritage, memory verse. The first is the effect active agent in regeneration. By His He has delivered us from darkness and power He changes man's heart, renew­ of sin upon man's heart-it is as stone. its power and He has translated us, ing it, or bringing about the new birth. Secondly, man is helpless in this con­ by redemption, into the kingdom of And the one renewed is to give evi­ dition, else God would not have to His dear Son. Let praise sound forth dence of his inward change of heart act. Third, only God can and does give continually for all His wonderful works by wholehearted love for God. Thus us a receptive heart of flesh, or faith. in our behalf! The following verse most certainly sets he will choose those outward practices OCTOBER 29 which are pleasing to God. forth God's purpose in thus changing our hearts. II TIMOTHY 2:16-26 (25) OCTOBER 20 All spiritual 'exercises which we are PSALM 51 (10) OCTOBER 25 called upon to manifest are from God. In his extremity of repentance JOHN 6:49-7 1 (65) In this and other passages we learn David turned for help to the One who Total depravity is not some man­ that repentance, love, faith, in fact, had first called him from his state of made doctrine of the Reformed Faith every grace is from God. Truly He sin. God had changed his heart and but an integral part of the Scripture. worketh in us both to will and to do now that it was weighed down with In this one chapter Christ twice makes of His good pleasure. guilt David called upon the Lord to the unqualified statement that no man OCTOBER 30 create within him a clean heart. It is can come to Himself and salvation ex­ I CORINTHIANS 15:1-11 (10) God alone who knoweth the heart; cept the Father draw him. Sin leaves There was probably no one so He alone can give peace of heart. man entirely at the mercy of God. But greatly endowed by nature and train­ OCTOBER 21 is there anyone more merciful? Is any­ ing for his ministry as was the apostle PSALM 119:25-32 (p) one more gracious? Is anyone more Paul. Humanly speaking, men would One notable feature of this Psalm is longsuffering? Is anyone more able to expect him to succeed because of his especially prominent in these eight call and quicken whom He will than native abilities. But Paul was great in verses-the psalmist calls upon God our almighty and sovereign God? more ways than one. He was great to conform him to God's will and in humility-HI am the least of the ways. Expressed here is that thirst OCTOBER 26 apostles." He was great in giving glory after the knowledge of God. Also the JOHN 15: 1-12 (5) to God-HBy the grace of God I am fountain of such knowledge is re­ Not only does sinful man make the what I am." All saints are as de­ vealed. There is not only prayer for mistake of thinking that he can work pendent on the Spirit for holy affec­ an understanding of God's ways, but out his own salvation, but often a tions as sinners are for the gift of also a purpose to follow in them. Christian has the sinful thought that faith. he can serve Christ in his own OCTOBER 22 strength. It is necessary to depend OCTOBER 31 I CORINTHIANS JEREMIAH 24 (7) upon God both for wisdom and 1: 1-10 (9) 1 God's power is always at the com­ strength in any Christian endeavor. In His faithfulness, God not only J mand of His purpose. By the figure of Apart from Him there may be great elected certain people to salvation but i the good basket of figs God revealed activity but precious little will be ac­ also effectually calls them. By His His purpose to restore from captivity. complished, in fact, from the eternal Spirit men are called unto the fellow­ By His power Jehovah would give standpoint, absolutely nothing. ship of His Son Jesus Christ. The them a heart to know Him. To know, outward call that comes to all through is in this case, to love, to obey with OCTOBER 27 messages, tracts and Scripture reading the whole heart. So ought we to know I CORINTHIANS 3:1-11 (7) is implemented by the Spirit who re­ Him today! Do you have that knowl­ With the hypodermic needle of suc­ generates and brings to conversion. edge of God which springs forth to cess or fruitfulness Satan often injects This is seen strikingly in the conver­ loving, faithful obedience? pride into the Christian. Such a treat­ sion of Paul who to the very moment OCTOBER 23 ment must be fought with great of his vision was a zealous enemy of JEREMIAH 31:27-37 (33) energy. For pride will not only kill Christianity. There is but one way that the gra- one's effectiveness in Christian work, -HENRY D. PHILLIPS Th, Presbyterian Guardian Is published semi. monthly from September to July. Inclusive., and monthly in August '" The Presbyterian Guardian Publishing Corpora­ tlen, 728 Schaff BuU-Ging. 1505 Race Street. Philadelphia. Pa., at the followin&' rates. payable in advance. for either old or new subscribers in any part of the world. posta.. prepaid: $2.00 per Year; $1.00 for live months; five or more copies either to separate addresses or in a package to one address. $1.25 each .Per year; introductory rate tor new _ribers onI,y. three months for 25c; 10e per sinllie copy. Entered as second class matter March 4. 1937. at the Post OJllce at Pbil&doiJ>hia. P.... undor the Act of March S. 1111. f 275 1946 THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN The First EeulDenieal Synod of ReforlDed Churehes P.rt Two: 'mport.nt Decisions By DI,t. NED B. STONEHOUSE N AN earlier report published in ence to the Scriptures as the infallible "(2) In this covenant the Lord I THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN a Word of God. In a "Testimony," comes to us with the promise of sal­ month ago, I sought to inform Our which took account of "the aversion vation and on this ground with the re­ readers concerning the constituency, to, this only and unshakable founda­ quirement of faith and conversion. background, authority, and purpose tion" and its terrible consequences for "These two, promise and require­ of the First Ecumenical Synod of the life of nations, families, and indi­ ment, are joined to each other in such Reformed Churches, which had con­ viduals, the Synod gave expression a way (Gen. 17:7; 18:19) that man's vened in Grand Rapids on August eloquently to its fervent faith in the responsibility is fully maintained and 14th. The promise was made at that inspiration and authority of Holy nevertheless the Lord in his covenant . time that, following the adjournment Writ. is not dependent on what man does. of the Synod, a supplementary report Doctrinal Declaration For in the promise he testifies not only would be forthcoming which would . The Synod also undertook, 'in re­ that every one who believes in the Son relate some of its most important de­ sponse to the request of the Nether­ has eternal life (John 3:36), but he cisions. lands Church, to declare itself with also assures us of the Holy Spirit, who When the Synod adjourned on regard to a doctrinal pronouncement produces faith, whereby he imparts to August 30th, it could not claim that of this Church, adopted at its Synod us Christ and all his benefits (Isa. it had solved all of the problems facing early in the present year. For some 59:21; Jer. 31:31-34; Gal. 4:28, 29; Reformed Christendom. But it clearly years a controversy had been raging Heb. 8:1O-1l; Heid, Cat., Ans.74). could be credited with an earnest de­ which centered largely in the doctrines "Accordingly he works in his elect sire to come to grips with such prob­ of the covenant of grace and of bap­ that which he requires of all (Canons lems and to lay a solid foundation for tism.