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Barrett L. Gritters

Elders Who Know the Sheep

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

What is the necessary knowledge that elders must have of their sheep? This article shows that there are three essential areas.

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Preaching and the Real Battle for Worship

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

Preaching should lead to worship. How many sermons have you heard, did they make you behold your God? If you will be preaching or hearing a sermon in the future, then read this article, for a refresher on what the goal of preaching is.

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Renewing the Battle: Drama, Television and Movies

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

This article shows how TV and movies can affect the holiness of the church. It shows that holiness is rooted in the call to live out the antithesis as the people of God.

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The Participating Pew

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

Reformed worship has been accused of being a one-man show. This article shows that such an accusation cannot stand. From the beginning the Reformers understood that all members participate in public worship.

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Being the Hand of God: Godly Parenting in an Ungodly World

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

The painful experience in parenting is seeing children growing up to reject God. How can parents deal with this? This article argues that parents should understand that their role is being God’s hand to their children. It shows how God demonstrated this painful experience in the Bible.

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Shall We Dance, Rock, and Play? Or: How Shall We Judge Contemporary Worship

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

Reformed worship cannot be judged by whether is it traditional or contemporary. In its nature it is covenantal. The nature of covenant worship is found in its union between God and his people, centred on God’s Word. In this article the focus is on preaching in worship.

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Life of John Calvin, Pastor and Teacher

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

This article is a biography on John Calvin with focus on his pastoral and teaching ministry.

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Rare as a White Crow (2)

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

This article warns against the danger of abandoning church discipline. Church discipline is important because it is means of protecting God's covenant - the life of fellowship with His people. In these two articles the duty of officebearers in administering discipline is explained.

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Rare as a White Crow (1)

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

This article warns against the danger of abandoning church discipline. Church discipline is important because it is means of protecting God's covenant - the life of fellowship with His people. In these two articles the duty of officebearers in administering discipline is explained.

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Prepare Your Children for Persecution

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

The growing toleration for wickedness in the world and the intolerance of Christian truth signals looming persecution for Christians. This article shares some ways in which parents can prepare children for persecution.

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The Great Blessing of Preaching the Catechism

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

Preaching the Heidelberg Catechism is crucial for the defense and preservation of the church. This article traces this practice from the Reformation to the synod of Dordt, maintaining that teaching the Catechism is still necessary today.

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In Praise of Psalm-Singing

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

The richness of Psalm singing is found in that the Psalms are songs given by God. The Psalms teach theology and the history of redemption, they reveal the blessed life, and they help in making the word of Christ dwell in you.

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The Underlying (Doctrinal) Reasons for Separation

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

The struggle around the sacraments, Psalm singing, and church membership led to the formation of the Christian Reformed Church as members separated from the Reformed Church of America. This separation was based on doctrinal struggle.

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Polemics: Fighting Words (5)

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

Polemics is the activity of destroying error of teaching and conduct. This article focuses on the fruit of polemics. When done wrongly, polemics yields its own bad fruit, but will yield good fruit when done in a right manner. Are you engaged in polemics?

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Polemics: Fighting Words (4)

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

Polemics is the activity of destroying error of teaching and conduct. This article focuses on the method of engaging in this war. A distinction is made between improper and proper methods of practicing polemics.

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Polemics: Fighting Words (3)

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

Polemics is the activity of destroying error of teaching and conduct. This article focuses on the method of engaging in this war. A distinction is made between improper and proper methods of practicing polemics.

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Polemics: Fighting Words (2)

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

Polemics is the activity of destroying error of teaching and conduct. This article focuses on the necessity of polemics. The church must be militant in this regard in order to honor God's name and promote the health of the church.

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Polemics: Fighting Words (1)

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

Polemics is the activity of destroying error of teaching and conduct. This article focuses on the necessity of polemics. The church must be militant in this regard in order to honor God's name and promote the health of the church.

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A Call for Christian School Teachers

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

This article is a call to teachers to embrace their work with joy, as well as a call to others to enter the teaching vocation. The health of the church and the family requires good Christian education. The qualities of a Christian teacher is discussed here at length.

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The Minister as a Physician and the Seminary as Medical School (2)

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

This article draws a metaphor of the minister as a physician and the seminary as medical school. Biblically a link is made between the spiritual and physical condition – sickness and healing. The minister, like a physician, must be trained to correctly diagnose and prescribe. The nature of this work requires training at seminary in order to shape the minister and teach him to use his tools well.

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The Minister as a Physician and the Seminary as Medical School (1)

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

This article draws a metaphor of the minister as a physician and the seminary as medical school. Biblically a link is made between the spiritual and physical condition – sickness and healing. The minister, like a physician, must be trained to correctly diagnose and prescribe. The nature of this work requires training at seminary in order to shape the minister and teach him to use his tools well.

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Calvin as a Model for Reformed Ministers Today (2)

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

Ministers today can learn a lot from the life of John Calvin. These two articles include seven lessons for today's pastor, that he may be encouraged in his ministry.

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Calvin as a Model for Reformed Ministers Today (1)

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

Ministers today can learn a lot from the life of John Calvin. These two articles include seven lessons for today's pastor, that he may be encouraged in his ministry.

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The Making of the Minister (2)

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

How does God make ministers? How does He prepare pastors for the ministry? This article seeks to answer these questions.

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The Making of the Minister (1)

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

After seeing how difficult a calling the ministry can be, why would anyone want to be a minister? This article answers that God makes the pastor, and prepares the way for him from childbirth. The apostle Paul is an illustration of this. It is God's power that makes men useful to his ministry. A minister will therefore not be proud, since he is only an instrument of God's hand.

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Catechism… or Discipline

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

Should parents who do not send their children to catechism classes be disciplined? The author shows that this has been a conviction in the history of the Reformed Churches. He shows the need for catechism and the benefits it has for the church. The author maintains that instruction in the Heidelberg Catechism is linked to the promise parents make to their children at their baptism.

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Catechism: The Old Path, the Good Way (3)

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

Catechism teaching is under threat in many churches. This article shows that catechism is important for the formation of children as they grow in their knowledge of God. This article discusses how we can continue to develop and improve our ways of teaching the catechism.

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Catechism: The Old Path, the Good Way (2)

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

Catechism teaching is under threat in many churches. This article shows that catechism is important for the formation of children as they grow in their knowledge of God. It is essential for the preservation of doctrine and is a suitable means to teach the word of God in a systematic way. Methodology for teaching the catechism is also discussed in order that God’s word may be taught and applied rightly.

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Catechism: The Old Path, the Good Way (1)

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

Catechism teaching is under threat in many churches. This article shows that the church's instruction of the youth has always been the practice of God's people. Tracing this practice through the Old and New Testament, the early church, and the Reformation, the author encourages the church to continue in this practice.

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The Afscheiding’s Commitment to Psalm-Singing

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

Is the singing of hymns a deviation from God’s word? This article discusses the viewpoint of the Secession churches (of the Netherlands in the 1900's) on the singing of Psalms and hymns in the worship service.

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Supervising Preaching: Edifying Congregations (3)

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

This trilogy of articles discusses the task of the elder in working with the pastor for the improvement of the preaching. This article discusses how sermons must have an aspect of spirituality.

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Supervising Preaching: Edifying Congregations (2)

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

This trilogy of articles discusses the task of the elder in working with the pastor for the improvement of the preaching. This article gives some direction as to what church council should look for in a sermon, highlighting that sermons should glorify God and edify the saints.

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Supervising Preaching: Edifying Congregations (1)

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

This trilogy of articles discusses the task of the elder in working with the pastor for the improvement of the preaching. This article provides reasons why this is important. The author also gives some direction as to what church council should look for in a sermon and how they can supervise the preaching.

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The Command We Love to Keep

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

The survival of the church depends on the keeping on the Lord’s Day. This keeping of the Sunday must be done in love. We must love the fourth commandment, just as Jesus did. This article gives some ways in which Christians can show that they love the fourth commandment.

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Ministers and (Their) Mothers (2)

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

Motherhood is a good analogy for the work of the minister. They are great principles for the ministry embedded in the role of the mother. The author discusses this concept by looking at 1 Thessalonians 2:7.

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Ministers and (Their) Mothers (1)

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

Motherhood is a good analogy for the work of the minister. They are great principles for the ministry embedded in the role of the mother. The author discusses this concept by looking at 1 Thessalonians 2:7.

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The Netherlands’ Early Contribution to Missions

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

What is the purpose and goal of mission work? Who sends out missionaries? Who may be sent to do mission work? Who is mission work directed toward? The written answers to these questions by Gisbertus Voetius contributed to the work of evangelism by the Netherlands churches.

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Seminary Applicants and the Role of the Elders

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

What is the process behind the decision of whether an individual will go to a theological seminary? This article maintains that not only is the individual himself behind the decision, but the church federation and the church elders. Elders have the responsibility to seek out and encourage suitable individuals to consider going into the ministry.

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Preaching and the Real Battle for Worship (2)

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

Who will we worship - God or man? The Christian preacher must be engaged in this battle, and in his preaching he should call his church to worship the one true God.

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Preaching and the Real Battle for Worship (1)

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

"Oh, what God is this?!" Won't it be wonderful if these are your words after hearing a sermon? Preaching should lead to worship similar to that of Revelation 4. The minister has a calling to behold God unto the church.

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Being the Hand of God

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  • Barrett L. Gritters
This article is about parenting. Topics that are discussed in this article is the unbelieving child, God as Father and our parenting, and the responsibility of parents. Lord's Day 39 of the Heidelberg Catechism is also mentioned.
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The Lawless Generation

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

This article is about lawlessness in the end times. The author looks at 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Matthew 24:11-13 and obedience in the church.

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Salvation and the Covenant Spirit

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

This article is about the place of the Holy Spirit in salvation, and specifically also about the relation between the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and the Father.

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Pornography - Part 1

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

These articles on pornography, are about the strategy of satan in pornography, and about the consequences of sin. This article also discusses the relation of sin and addiction, and of sin and the judgment of God. The author also looks at pornography and church discipline and the victory over addiction.

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Pornography - Part 3

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  • Barrett L. Gritters
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Pornography - Part 2

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  • Barrett L. Gritters
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Not Commanded, Not Forbidden

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

Should I do it? Or should I not? The Bible does not always give us direct answers about what we should do in all situations. It looks at how we should find the will of God in the so-called indifferent things (adiaphora).

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Every Work made Public

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

When we stand before the great white throne and the Lord asks us, "What have you done to Me in your life?" what will we say? This article is about the final judgment, election and reprobation, and the relation of our works and heaven and hell.

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Preaching to All Nations, Then the End

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

This article is about the preaching of the gospel to all the nations as a sign of the end times. The author also discusses Matthew 24:14, the coming of the kingdom of God, the health and wealth gospel, and the effectiveness and purpose of preaching.

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The Great Persecution

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

This article about the great persecution (the persecution of the church) in end times, is about the great tribulation and the antichrist. The perseverance of the believers is also discussed, as well as the text Matthew 24:15-35.

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World Calamaties

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

This article on the signs of the times before the return of Christ, is about world disasters. The author also discusses Matthew 24:6-8, disasters and our prayer, prosperity, and the antichrist.

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The Antichrist

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

At the end times we will see the rise and development of Antichrist. This article is about the Antichrist, his rule over the world (religious and political) and Revelation 13.

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The Sign of Divorcing the Truth

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

This article is about the signs of the times, and specifically about apostasy in the end times. The author also discusses truth and deception, and heretics in the church.

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Why catechism?

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

This article is about catechism and teaching the youth of the church. The author looks at the purpose of catechizing the youth.

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The Millennium

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

The author discusses the different views on the millennium: postmillennialism, premillennialism, and amillennialism.

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Participants, Not Spectators

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

This article is about the preparation for worship and the participation in worship.

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The Command We Love to Keep

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

If a denomination will survive as a true church of Christ, she will delight in keeping the Sabbath. A denomination may perish for other reasons, but refusal to keep the fourth commandment will ensure it. This article is about the rest on the Lord's Day and about Jesus Christ and the Sabbath.

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Beginning our Work in Hope

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  • Barrett L. Gritters

This article is about the calling, qualifications and the weaknesses of the elder (office-bearer). The author also looks at the instruction and warning of the elder and the life-experience of the elder. Romans 15:14 is also mentioned in this article.

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