CATECHISM BOOKS

The new editions of the catechism books by J. Borstius, P Dyksterhuis and J. H. Donner, have been completed and may be had upon request to the Netherland Reformed Church (English) at 24 Haledon Ave., Paterson, N. J., or directly to A. Breeman, 245 Brown Ave., Paterson, N. J.

The catechism books by A. Hellenbroek and the Compendium, are also available. All of these are now published in the English language for our young and rising generation.

Dear Parents, remember the solemn covenant made between God and thy soul. Wherein thou hast promised obedience to God and to His Holy Word. And whereby thou art now in duty bound to keep thine promises. O, solemn indeed is our trust which the Lord has been pleased to bestow upon us as parents. Just think of it, this truth, what is it? It is one, two, three or more immortal souls of every one of the dearly beloved children whom the Lord has (not given to us but) only loaned to us for a certain length of time after which He will require them from us with an account of our stewardship.

How concerned are we, then, about each one of these immortal souls entrusted to our care? Are we mindful of our promises and intentions to see these loaned vessels (children) instructed and brought up in the doctrines contained in the Word of God, to the utmost of our power?

Perhaps we are ready to offer any number of seemingly reasonable excuses, too many for me to name now, but let us remember, they will hold no water before our Judge in the day of reckoning. The blood of these loaned vessels will be required from our hands.

God never faileth to keep His promises of grace, mercy and salvation unto us and the children that He giveth us, but we, we do fail and break our promises and neglect to instruct them in these doctrines necessary unto their salvation.

O may the God of all Grace enable us then to put these Catechism books to a prayerful, proper, and thorough use with our families in the homes first of all. Parents, it is required of thee to so study with your sons and daughters in the home and by the way. In conversation and in conduct.

Elders and ministers, it is our solemn obligation to God and every soul entrusted to our care to be diligent in prayer and in supplication in our private meditations as well as in our public ministrations in behalf of these immortal souls in whom dwelleth a world of iniquity and where are established thrones, whereupon sitteth the great gods of Satan and Self, in defiance to the only true and living God, consisting of Three distinct Persons in Unity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, in whose name we stand as servants and not as lords.

May God the Son, who now is exalted on the right hand of God the Father as the Mediator of His people, and there is ever making intercession for them at the throne of grace, grant unto us as parents, grandparents, guardians, elders, and under shepherds of His flock, the spirit of prayer and of supplication that we may redeem the time wisely with the immortal souls over which we are made stewards.”

And unto the children, we say, “let the children learn of Me,” saith the Lord. Come then ye children of God’s covenant who of His grace have heard, etc. Keep then this covenant which the Lord thy God hath made with thee.

What, say you, we keep this covenant? Why sir, you are setting us to work in the salvation of our souls, and that is most God dishonoring of you to so teach us to do.

Nay, my dear children, we are not putting you to work as though through your own doings you can work out your salvation! That is alone the work of Jesus who did finish that work of His Father when He cried out upon the cross “It is finished.” But this we would remind you of, that, you have been dedicated unto the Lord by your parents, as we read in Justus Vermeer’s Catechism, where he addresses the baptized children: “those of you who are yet very young, it is your solemn duty to remember that your parents have consecrated you to the Lord; to bend your knees before God; to pray unto Him that He would regenerate you so that you may become united unto the Lord Jesus. O, your lot will be terrible if you must appear before God as you now are, and if you have broken the promise of your parents. O, do not your parents speak to you about these things? Or, are not they concerned about your soul? That is sad indeed! And terrible will it be in the Day of Judgment when children shall witness against their parents! O what a horrible upbraiding there will then be of children against their parents in hell, and that eternally.

O, dear children, although your parents may so neglect your precious soul, pray to the Lord and ask Him to give you Light. Who can tell? It may bring you a great reward. O,’remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth,’ Eccl. 12.

O, in God’s name we plead with thee: “ye children of God’s covenant, who of His grace have heard, forget not, forget not all His wondrous deeds and judgments of His word.” O remember this, dear children: “The Lord our God is God alone, all lands His judgments know; His promise He remembers still, while generations go.” Read these precious truths in the Psalter, No. 289 verses 3 & 4; but especially read Psalm 105: verses 5 to 45.

But, my dear children, however you may argue and strive to set yourselves free from this covenant engagement, your sin and guilt remaineth. Ye continue yet in your sins. Rebellious art thou against your gracious God, when ye say: “the way of the Lord is not equal!” O hear now, answereth the Lord unto thee, “O house of Israel; is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?” O may God the Holy Spirit open your eyes to see your unequal ways, and turn ye from them to the good old paths, even as God exhorteth thee to do in Ezek. 18:31 & 32; saying “Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.”

And what does the Lord promise to all who do wickedness? This, “when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.” Ezek. 18:27. Read this entire chapter.

Are you now able to keep your covenant engagement with God ? No, you are not able there-unto in yourself. You are sinful, and corrupt in nature, thus prone to all manner of evil, but unable to do anything right or good in the sight of God. What you need is just the very Treasure that God revealeth in His Holy Word which we are striving to instruct you in by the simple means of the aforementioned Catechism books. You need to be rightly informed of your sins; of God and His mercy which He reveals in the person of Jesus, the Saviour and Redeemer. As God is ever faithful unto His promise through Jesus the Mediator, so too, dear children, you can only be faithful to your covenant engagement in and through Jesus and His finished work. This is the only way whereby ye can be saved; by grace through faith in Jesus. Do you possess this saving faith and knowledge of Jesus in your very heart? Then are ye happy indeed, but if not, then woe be unto you, for it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgment than for you. The Lord so bless the study of these catechisms to His own glory and the salvation of many immortal souls.—Editor.

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