                                                                                                .           .
                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER                         . *                     199
 ~1__1_                                              ..-                                                         ..^"_^._
    In de derde plaats maakt het ook een  zetir slechten                     THE TYPES OF SCRIPTURE
 indruk op mij, dat hij feitelijk belijdenis doet van onze
beschouwing en voorstelling en daarover een beetje  kri-            In our previous article we were dwelling upon  the
 tiek uitoefent en daarvoor wat leelijke namen zoekt. Men function  of  the shadows of  the old  cov&tnr. Tt was
 krijgt zoo den indruk, dat hij het thans wil cloen  voor- asserted among other things, that the shadows exhibited
 komen, dat wij eigenlijk verantwoordelijk er voor  zijn,        to the believers of the old dispensation the fundamental
 dat hij ooit met ons gegaan is. Nu moet men B. J.  Dan- truths of the economy of redemption. It was pointed
 hof kennen.  =  MFn  moest hem vroeger eens gezegd  heb- out,  how that for this reason, the sum total of the shad-
 ben, dat hij Hoeksema en anderen gevolgd was! Och ows was the schoolmaster bringing the believers of that
 neen, lezer,  `alles  tezamen  ge;omen,  zeggen we nog eens, epoch to Christ. The law led the disquieted soul to
 dat zijn belijdenis voor  zijn rekening  ligt, maar dat ik Christ because, so it was explained, the  <gifts and sacri-
 er prijs op  stel, dat men het ook wete, dat  al die  dingen    fices could  not make him that did the service perfect as
 er bij mij niet in  willen.                                     pertaining to the conscience. The believer, bowed down
    En hoe  zullen  we. oordeelen over het besluit van by the weight of his sin, would turn to the sacrifice for
 Classis Grand Rapids West?                                      relief but found none. Having scrupulously attended to
    Do& neen, over haar  doen  willen  we geen  papier  vuil the prescriptions of the law the troubled one would dis-
 maken.                                                          cover that he was as ill at ease as ever. In his sorrow arid
    Ze was misschien verheugd, dat ze iets had, waarin ze anguish he would then cast himself upon the mercy of
 een  teeken meende te kunnen zien, dat het met onze zaak        Jehovah. The peace which he would experience,  there-
 tech niet  goed ging.                                           upbn, indicate8 that his sin had been pardoned. He had
    Welnu, wij van  onzen  kant kunnen de  Classis de  ver- learned that the blood of a beast cannot atone for sin.
zekering  geven?  dat we in het vertrek van  Ds. B. J.  Dan-     that faith in an animal brings no relief to a troubled soul.
 hof een  teeken zien, dat de  Heere,met ons is,  opdat  bij     `Yet the rite of  exp%tory sacrifice taught him that sin
..ons de  dingen  niet verder  worden  verwoest.      .          somehow must be atoned for. The shadows impressed
    Coopersville werd verwoest.                                  upon his soul that  the.mercy with which Jehovah feeds
    Hull werd verwoest.                                          him is permeated with justice. In a word, the believer
    Wie volgt  ?                                                 of the old covenant was taught and empowered to lay
    Zeker geen Protestantsch Gereformeerde Gemeente hold on what constitutes the very heart and  %ore of the
 door  `B. J. Danhof bediend.                                    economy of redemption, viz., Jehovah and blood. Having
    Zoo is de  Classis misschien blij.                           passed through the course of training insisted upon by
    En wij  *zeer  zeker.                                        Jehovah, the believer learned that Jehovah saves in con-
                                                     H. H.       junction with blood. His troubled soul,. together with the
                                                                 exhibition of the  fact'that  sin must be atoned for, were
                                                                 responsible for it that the devout entrusted themselves  to
                                                                 Jehovah to be fed by His mercy: We ended with the
                          THY  M A K E R                         assertion that Christ is God and blood, the latter repre-
                                                                 senting the Savior's human nature. in which he atoned
 Ah ! wonderful star-studded heavens, thou wonderful for the sin of His own.
     haven of blue,                                                 The shadows, then, were first of all exhibitions of
 -4s a canopy stretching above me, thy Maker.  0 heavens, such truths which the believer needed to know to be
     is who?                                                     saved. They were more than that. It was pointed out
 Has some human with diligence working, with plans that the shadows, according to the testimony of Scrip-
     m&t carefully laid,                                         ture, were' also  prefigurations or prophetic symbols of
 And with days of toil and labor, that. wonderful vista objects and events of a coming day. The question is now
     made?                                                       in order whether the believers of  ~the old covenant were
 Has he placed the stars in that  heaven!  has. he placed the able to  lay'hold of-the matters prefigured. Did the shad:
     planets there, too  ?                                       ows speak to them of better things to come? That is to
 Has he put the moon in its station, and painted the sky         say, did the beli'ever recognize thC shadows as  prefigilra-
     ether blue?                                                 tions of future events and objects or did he merely possess
 If he did, does he guide and direct them, does his hand them as symbols of the fundamental principles  of `re-
     pave the way for them?                                      demption? FairBairn insist that it must not be supposed
 Does he lead o'er that vaulted arena the moon in the that the shadows spoke to the believer of'the old covenant
     course it does run?                                         of things belonging to a higher and more spiritual  dis;
Then once more I looked  at the heavens, I awoke to the pensation yet to  cdme. We quote the following: "It
     answer anew :                                               was comparatively an easy thing for the Jewish worshiper
 No, this is the work of the Maker, a work no human can to understand how, from time to time, he stood related
     do.                                                         to a visible sanctuary and an earthly inheritance, or to
                                            -Contributed.        go through the process of an appointed purification by
                                                .


                                           s
       30                                                            S T A N D A R D   B E A K E R
       -       -          ___..._          _~"               ..-.
                                           ^.^ ..-_--.-`1. .IYIIE               - -   - - -
                                                                                     ._.._       ._..-.-     -----. ..__.."L---"------
                                                                                                                                  -  -....    -.-. II
       means  of' water and the blood of slain victims applied                  be it indirectly. that God adopted the ancient sacrifice as
       externally to the body  -..- much  more easy than for the                a temporary arrangement to warrant the Israelitish wor-
       Christian to apprehend distinctly his relation to a heav-                shiper to look for pardon and acceptance by complying
       enly sanctuary," and realize the cleansing of his conscience             with its enactments. Further, that this ancient sacrifice
       from all guilt by the inward application of the sacirifice of            was  suficient  for salvation if the one presenting it pos-
       Christ and the regenerating grace of the Holy Spirit. But                sessed faith to rhe extent of embracing the existing ar-
        for the Jewish worshiper to do both his own and the rangement. In other words, the view that comes to the
,.'    Christian part  - both to read the meaning of the symbol surface in the above &election is that faith in the ancient
       as expressive of what was already laid open to his view,                 sacrifice
                                                                                .                   was the  extent  of the requirements. In the first
       and to decry its concealed reference to the yet undiscov- of the above quotations  it-is maintained that t.he wor-
       ered realities of a better dispensation ---- would have re- shiper could not be expected to read the concealed refer-
       quired a reach of discernment and a strength of faith far                ence of the shadows to yet undiscovered realities of  a
       hey&d  what is now needed in the Christian. For this                     future dispensation. In other words, it is the view of the
       had  6een not like him to discern the heavenly, when the author that the ancient worshiper need not look beyond
       heavenly had come, but  to do it amid the obscurities and Fhe lamb to secure pardon and acceptance. Further, that
       imperfections of the earthly ; not simply to look with open the shadows did not necessarily direct him to objects
       eye into the deeper mysteries of God's kingdom, when and realities which were due  to appear in the fullness of
       these mysteries are fully  disclosed,.but to do  so while                time.
       they were still buried amid the thick folds of a cumbrous                              These views go well  toge&er.  ,If it be true that the
       and overshadowing drapery" ("The  Typdlogy of Scrip- worshiper could do no more than embrace the existing
       ture," p.  58).                                                          arrangement, it must  foIlow that he failed to discern in
             We also quote the following: "Such defects and im-                 them any reference whatever to realities of a future
       perfections inhering in the very nature of ancient sacri- epoch.  Tf,  on the other hand, the ancient believer was
       fice, it could not possibly have been introduced or sanc- taught and empowered to look beyond the sacrificial vic-
       tioned by  God as a satisfactory and ultimate arrange-                   tim to Jehovah it would follow that the shadows did
       ment. Nor could He have adopted it  .as a  `temporary                    speak to him of matters of a coming day.
       otie,  .so far as to warrant the Israelitish worshiper to look                         Now, it is according ro the testimony of Scripture
       for pardon and acceptance by complying with its enact-                   that the believer found no relief until he, looking away
       ments,  unIess  there had already been provided His from the lamb, had cast himself upon the mercy of his
       eternal counsels, to be in due time  manifeste-d in the                  God  (-see former  articlej. "The gifts and sacrifices could
       world, a  real.`and adequate sacrifice for human guilt. not make him performing'the service perfect as pertaining
       Such a sacrifice, we need scarcely add, is found in Christ  ;            to the conscience." Jehovah could not permit the  wor-
       who is therefore called emphatically `the Lamb of God' s&per to rest in  the,sacrificial  victim. The ancient sacri-
       . . . . `foreordained before the foundation of the world'  - fice brought him no peace. The blood of an animal could
       and, of whose precious blood it is written, that `it not atone for sin. Neither did Jehovah inaugurate this
       cleanseth from all sin'.       -                                         rite for that purpose. What was His purpose? A  ttio-
             "How far, however (so  th'e author continues), the fold one:  (1) the rite of expiatory sacrifice was  iristituted
       `Jewish worshipers themselves were  alive to the  necessity-             for the purpose of demonstrating to the believer of  thP
       of this alone adequate provision and realized the cer-                   old covenant that there cati be no fbrgiveness of sin with-
       tainty of its future exhibition, can only be a matter of                 out the shedding of blood, or speaking in general, the
       probable conjecture or reasonable inference. As the light shadows weie made to appear for the purpose of exhib-
       of the church, generally, differed at different times  .and              iting unto the believers the great truths of redemption.
       in different individuals. so undoubtedly would the appre- s In the second place, the shadows were made to appear
       hension of this portion of divine truth have its diversities             for the purpose of exhibiting to the believer matters of
       of comparative clearness and obscurity in the Jewish                     a future day.
       mind. :If there were faith  on.ly to the extent  bf embrac-                            It is to the last of these two purposes to which we
       ing and acting upon the existing arrangements  - faith desire to attend. How and why did Jehovah accomplish
       to present the appointed sacrifices for sin! and to believe this purpose with this particular rite? The answer is
       in humble confidence, that imperfect' and defective as                   ready: by bringing the believer under the conviction of
       these manifestly were, they would still be accepted as an                sin  and. by refusing to grant him relief until the wor-
       atonement, and that God Himself would know how to                        shiper had learned to expect nothing  fro& the ancient
       supply what His own provision needed  to.complete its sacrifice and absolutely all from Jehovah (see former
       efficacy -- if only such faith existed, we have no reason                article): But this alone was not sufficient to cause the
       to say it was insufficient for  sal\cstion;  it might be faith           believer to again turn to this particular rite and to the
       very much in the dark, but still it was faith in a revealed              shadows in general and discern in them a reference to
       word of God, implicitly following the path which that                    future and higher objects. Something more was needed
       word prescribed" (`Vol.  II, p.  268).                                   to accomplish this, namely the word. It is a fact that a
            In the first of the above selections the author asserts,            symbol or  a rite, without the word will never function

                               : .


                     I           *
                           `I
`t                         `d  .                       T H E   S T A N D A R D  UEr1RER                                                                                  201
        -.-..-.-.           -^  _,..  A--  .-..  ----.-  - - - -             __..........- ....._.__.....-I ~I,-                               " .._ "_l_--.llll_-.-l-.- _._-
        as a vehicle of instruction. The poet informs us that the              FairlBairn. it appears, deprives the New Testament
        heavens declare the glory of God: and the firmament                Scriptures of their  absoIute character. His  ,view  comhels
        sheweth His handiwork; that  I day unto day uttereth               him to do that. The author avers that the blood of the
        speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There              ancien) sacrificial victim was accepted by Jehovah as a
        is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard           covering for the sin of the worshiper. It  is his  view that
        (Psalm 19). However, if it were not for the word, that             the blood of the animal to a degree at least  cleansed  the
        is to  5ay, if it were not for the fact that God calls our         conscience. This view of his again comes to the surface
      - attention to these things and teaches man that day unto            in the following selections. "And the sprinkling of the
        day uttereth speech, man would never hear the declara-             blood of the atonement, whether upon the horns  of  the
        tion of the heavens. The symbol and the type need the              altar (as in the private sin offerings), or on the  mercy-
        word. The two elements of nature, bread and wine!                  seat (as in the day of atonement}, could  not  ha\-e  prop-
        siignify  the flesh and blood of our Christ. We know they erly met his case, if it had not furnished him with a
        do because our Savior  tells us  so,  ";2nd  as they did eat,      present deliverance from any burden of guilt under which
        Jesus took bread and blessed and break it, and gave to             he groaned. . . . to a  ceriain extent conscience had been
        them  and said,  Take,  eat, this is My body. And He took aggrieved by what was done, and must have been purged
        the cup and when He had given thanks, He gave it to                by the atonement presented" (Vol. II, p. 290).
        them: and they all drank of it. And He  said  unto them.               FairBairn, let it be said, is controverting the'view of
        This is My blood of the New Testament which is shed for            the higher critics who maintain that the  offering covered
        m a n y "   ( L u k e   2 4 ) .                                    such  acrs which violated the code of external jurisprud-
               Now,, the question is in order whether the shadows          ence. This  \-iew  places God on a level with an earthly
        of the old covenant were accompanied by the word ex-               judge. When a subject is found guilty by the state he
        plaining their function. Fact is, that this word was there. is made to serve time or pay a fine. This having been
      Let us quote  Scyipture. "For the life of the A&h is in the done the offender is set free. Whether the culprit re-
        blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make pented is a matter with which rhe state does not, concern
        an' atonement for your souls: for it is the blood rhat itself. Spenser reduced the rite of expiatory `sacrifice to
        maketh an atonement for the soul"  (2ev. 17  :ll). If this the level of a fine paid or a sentence served. The culprit,
        partcular  Scripture is interpreted to mean that the blood         having attended to the prescription of the law, was per-
        of the ancient sacrifice atoned for sin, it is in flagrant con-    mitted to resume his place in life.
        tradiction with a certain passage in the epistle to the                Such a view of the shadows must be denounced. I
        Hebrews (chapter'9  :14) which asserts that the sacrifices think we do well to permit God Himself to'instruct us as
        could  .not make him, that did the service, perfect as per-        to  the  nature and character  pf the rite of expiatory sacri-
        taining to the conscience.  One must never, however.               fice. He says that the shadows were symbols, images.
        place  Scr-ipture  in conflict with itself. Hence,  either*of parabolee (Heb.  9:9).  The passage  i,n  L;eviticus  must
        the two passages shall have to be interpreted in the  li&ht        be explained in the light of this piece of information.
        of the other.  FairBairn would remove rhe apparent con-            The blood of the sacrificial animal was but an image, a
        flict by making the passage in Hebrews apply only to the symbol. It could not cover sin nor cleanse the conscience.
        believer of the new covenant.  " `Thus it is said  by `Paul        God Himself compels the student of Scripture to insert
         (says  FairBairn):  that by Chris; all who believe are            in the passage from the book of Leviticus rhe  ,term sym-
       , justified from all things from which they could not be bol. "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have
        justified by the law of Moses' (Acts  13:39). And still            given it to you upon the altar to make a (symbolical)
        more strongly and expressly in Hebrews, it is declared atonement for your souls." And  I repeat, Jehovah pre-
        that the gifts and sacrifices of the law `could not make vented the believer from taking the blood as a covering
        him rhat did the service perfect as pertaining to the con-         for his soul in that He refused to grant him peace until
        science: (chap. 9  :9)  ; `that it was not possible the blood the worshiper had learned to expect all from Jehovah.
        of bulls and of goats could take away sins' (chap.  10:4)  :           Leviticus  17:ll is one of the words explaining to the
        `and that such blood of the heifer sprinkling the unclean.         devout of the old covenant rhe purpose and function of
        could but avail to the purifying of  the flesh, while the          the shadows. There are more such words. We shall
        blood of Christ and this alone can purge  the conscience           single them out in our next article.
        from dead works to serve the living God' (chap.  9:13.                                                                                          G. M. 0.
         14). If such passages were to be taken absolutely, they                                                    -_--_"..l   ._.  - - -
         would certainly deny any spiritual benefit whatever to
         the Old Testament worshiper from his legal sacrifices. . .                              Daar moet  veel strijd gestreden zijn.
         But in all the passages rhe apostle is speaking of what,                                Veel kruis en leed  geleden   zijn;
         in  the,proper  sense, and in the estimation of God, or of a                            Daar moeten heil'ge zedep zijn,                                    .
         soul fully enlightened by His truth, can afford a real and                               Een nauwen weg betreden zijn.
         valid satisfaction for the guilt of-sin, and not what might                              En veel gebedsgebeden  ziin ;
         or might not provide for it a present and accepted though                                Zgo  zal  `t hierna in vrede  zijn.
         inadeqlrate  atonement" (Vol. II, p.  330).                                                                                          ------Een  lnzender.


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       204                                      T H E   STllNDARD   UE,XRER-

                     ~BLESSING  AND  CURSING                             dent. He did not know the strength of the vine, and not
                                                                         being acquainted with the power of  tliis  nobiest of  fruit?
          History, in a `certain sense, repeats itself; and while        he drank too much and became intoxicated. Eut  there is
       in its successive stages and phases it repeats itself, it also    no reason thus to invent an excuse for the patriarch. In
       advances to an ever clearer realization of the purpose of         the first place, `the  \Yord of  God'holds before us worse
       Him, whose counsel shall stand and who shall do all His           sins of the most holy among the saints in  rhe old dis-
       pleasure. Thus we  may,.notice  a certain analogy between pensation than this sin of Noah. There is no reason to
       the history of the fall and what follows immediately after deny, ,that Noah being fully acquainted with the
       in Paradise, and that which follows soon upon the deluge. strength of the wine, drank sinfully and became drunken.
       For even as the first progenitor of the race falls into sin,      In the second place, it also presupposes too much to say
       so the first thing that is related to  us  of  Soah after he that the strength of the vine was not known at that  time,
       had settled down in the `"second world" is  .his debase- and that even before the flood Noah should not have been
       ment. And even as after the fall there is announced the           able to see  illusrrations of its power.  =\nd lastly this in-
       general development of the history of the world from the          terpretation is a mere conjecture `that finds no ground in
       viewpoint of  i';~cl's  covenant. along the antithetical lines    the sacred text of the  iVord of God. We take it, there-
       of grace and sin, of blessing and cursing, of victory and         fore, that Noah here fell into sin and was overpowered
       submission, of the seed of the woman  atid the seed of            by the strong  .temptation of intoxicating drink.  .%~l in
       the serpent: so also immediately after the flood- we  have        in the latter sense, the imperfection of the church became
      *the prediction in great lines of the future history  of the       manifest in the attitude of Ham with respect to his
       race from the aspect of the kingdom of God in the world.          father's shame. Scripture is very brief `in its account, yet
       The general prophecy, reaching far into the new dispen- the few words  in'which it tells us of Ham's action speak
       sation: and even to the end of all things in its deepest          -\v`orlds  of iniquity. We read: "And Ham, the father of
       significance, we have in the blessing and cursing Noah Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, an'd told his two
       pronounces upon his three sons not long after the flood.          brethren  witihout" (vs.  22). We do not know  h&v to
          -4lthough the church had been saved and purified by describe the sin of  Ham  in  langtiage more forceful and
       the water of the Hood and thru the means of the ark in            to the point than that of Calvin in his Commentary on
       the small family of Noah and his  sons.  i't  soon became         this passage. Says  he:
       manifest, that she had not reached perfection, and that              "This circumstance is added to augment the  so&w
       sin and imperfection still cleaved unto her. =\nd this of Noah, rhat  he is mocked by his own son. For we must
       became evident in a two-fold way, as is always the case           ever keep in memory. that this punishment was divinely
       in the church as she exists in the world. For, first it must      inflicted upon him; partly because his fault was not a
       be remembered, that although believers are saints in light one: partly, that God in his person might present a
       Christ, they, have as yet not been perfectly delivered.           lesson of temperance to all ages.  Drunkenaess  in itself
       Sin still cleaves unto them, fights against them from with- deserves as its reward,  &at they who deface the image
       in, often causes them to stumble and fall.  ;1nd secondly, of their heavenly Father in themselves, should become
       it must never be forgotten, that within the folds of the a laughing-stock to their own children. For certainly, as
       church visible there are always the seed of the serpent.          far as  .possible,  drunkards pervert their own  understancl-
       Where the Son of CIcld sows the good seed, there the devil ing,  and&i far deprive themselves of reason as to degen-
       plants his own, evil seed. Xnd no vigilence  and discipline erate into beasts. And let us remember that if the Lord
       on the part of the church will ever purify her completely so grievously avenged the single transgression of the holy
     of these children of darkness, appearing as children of man, he will prove an avenger no less severe against
       light for a time, of these wolves- in sheep's clothing. Yea, those who are daily intoxicated; and of this we have
       the very way in which it pleases the Lord to gather His           examples sufficiently numerous before our eyes. In the
       church in the world, namely, along the organic. line of meanwhile, Ham, by reproachfully laughing at his father
       generations, implies, that since all the children of the          betrays his own depraved and malignant disposition. We
       tlesh are not children according to the  pror&se, there know that parents, next  t? God, are most deeply to be
       must be  gatihered  in the outward, historic scope of God's reverenced  ; and if there were neither books nor sermons,
       covenant in the world, those that have no spiritual part          nature itself constantly inculcates this lesson upon us.
       with Israel's inheritance and life. In both these respects        It is received by common consent, that piety toward par-
       the  Iittle church. as it was represented in the family of ents is the mother of all virtues. This  Ham, therefore,
       Noah,  immedia&ly after the flood, revealed its imperfec- must have been of a wicked, perverse and crooked dis-
       tion. Jn  the.,$?;mer  sense it became  e\-ident in the position;  since he not only took pleasure in his father's
       drunkennes.+Z$%Joah.  For we read,  Cen.   920,  21 :  "&d        shame, but wished to expose him to his brethren. And
       Noah  begaIt< to be  an husbandman.  :tnd he planted a            this is no slight occasion of offense; first.  thar Noah, the
       vineyard. And he drank of the vine and was drunken;               minister of salvation to men, and the chief restorer  bf the
       and he was uncovered within his tent." Tt is generally world, should in extreme old age lie intoxicated in his
       supposed. that  we must not think in this case of any  wil-       home; and then, that  the ungodly and wicked Ham
       ful  sin on the part of the patriarch. but rather of an  acci-    should have proceeded from the sanctuary  cif God. (By


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                                                  `I' E-I E S T A N D A R D 1: E  A R E R                                         20.5
                                                                                                                                -..-_
           this Cal& refers to the ark in which the church was see their father's shame, they  dovered  him with a gar-
           saved.) God had selected eight  SOLIIS as a  sacfed  seecl?    ment  (~3.  2.3).
           thorpughly purged from all corruption, for the renovation          Kow, all this was more than a mere individual historic
           of the church; but-the son of Noah shows how tiecessary incident. It wa8 also a prophecy. In the spiritual nature
           it is for men to be held as-with the bridle trf God, however of these sons of Noah was fore-shadowed the character
           they may be exalted by  pr;ivilege.  The impiety of Ham and development of their descendants and their relation
           shows to  LIS  how deep is the root of wickedness in  tien:    to the kingdom and covenant of God. They were all
           and that it continually puts forth its shoots, except where progenitors of a new race. They stood as a three-folcl
           the power of the Spirit prevails over it. But  if? in the      root of  a new organism. And the Spirit of prophecy
           hallowedP   sarictuary of God, among so small a number,        revealed to' Noah, when he.  awoke from his drunken
           one fiend was preserved; let us not wonder, if at this day,    slumbers, that this one act of his sons was an indication
           in the church containing a much greater multitude of of the future of their children and their generations. And
           men,  t,he wicked are mingled with the good. Kor is there      thus the sin of Noah and the consequent acts of his sons
           any doubt, that the minds of Shem and  Japheth. were           with relation to his sin, became the occasion for the
           grievously wounded, when they perceived in their own           pronouncement of that blessing and cursing which in
           brother such a prodigy of scorn; and, on the other hand,       broad outlines predicted once more the entire develop-
           their father shamefully lying prostrate on the ground.         ment of the church and covenant of God in the world,
           Such  a debasing alienation of mind in the prince of the with relation to the different generations of the children
           new world, and the holy patriarch of the church,  cbuld        of men. For we read: "And Noah awoke from his wine
           not less astonish them, than if they had seen the ark and knew what his younger son had done unto him. And
           itself broken, dashed in pieces, cleft asunder and  de-        he said, Cursed be Canaan, a servant of servants shall he
           strayed. Yet this cause of offense they alike overcome, be unto his brethren. And he said, Blessed be  `the Lord
          " by their magnanimity, and conceal  b; their modesty.          God of Shem  ;' and Canaan shall be his servant. God
           Ham alone eagerly seizes the occasion of ridiculing  and       shall enlarge japheth, and he shall  dwell in the tents of
           inveighing against his father; just as perverse men are        Shem: and Canaan shall be his servant."
           wont to catch at occasions of  offense in others, which            With regard to this prophetic blessing and cursing.
           may serve as a pretext for indulgence in sin. And `his we must in the first-place remember, that we may never
           age renders him the less excusable; for he was not a           understand thetn in the individualistic sense of the word.
           lascivious youth, who by his thoughtless laughter be-
     *                                                                    Curses and blessings of this nature must always be taken
           trdyed  his own folly, seeing that he was already more         in the  c:jrganic  sense. Thus it is generally in Scripture.
           t,han one hundred years old. Therefore it is probable,         The generations according to the  flesh never enter with
           that he thus perversely insulted his father. for the -pur- all their individuals into the blessings of God's covenant.
           pose of acquiring for himself-the license of sinning with Thus it is also here. When Shem receives first of all rhe
           impunity. We see many such at this day, who most blessing of God's covenant? this by no means implies that
           studiously'pry into the faults of holy and pious men, in every individual-descendant in the generations of Shem
           order that without shame they may precipitate them- is heir of the cdvenant. Not only does all Scripture teach
           selves into all iniquity; they even make the faults of         the contrary, but history,  the history of God's covenant
           other men an occasion of hardening themselves into a also plainly instructs us in  tfhis respect. Tt is not long
           contempt for God."                                             after this that many? the majority even  df the  Shemites
              Thus it became evident, that the ark had carried, as fall outside of the sphere of the covenant of Jehovah, be-
           an outward member of the little church that was saved in come mixed with the Japhethites and partly even with
           it, one' who not only revealed a certain sinful tendency       the  children of- Ham. Soon, along the line of organic
           and  ,corruption  of heart and mind, but had already far development and by God's own dispensation of His grace, .
           developed in corruption, a worthy remnant  of  the old         which always remains free, the real  Shemites are limited
           world, that had perished in thk flood. `For not only did       to the family of Abraham and his seed. And even within
           Ham manifest himself as a child of the devil in the  dis- his generations all are  tiot children of the promise, Not
          respect and impiety he revealed towards his father, by aIl.is Israel that is called by Israel's name. Tt is. alwa.ys
           desiring to publish abroad his shame; and in the sensu- only the remnant according to election that remains. And
           ality of his nature,, that plainly showed itself in his specifically it is to them that the promise refers. And, on
           action ; but it was also true of him, what the Apostle the other hand, as-it is with the blessing, so it is with the
           Paul writes at the close of his long and terrible list of      cursing.    Not all the children of Shem are actually
           sins committed by the gentile world of his day and blessed by this promise; not all the children of Japheth
           recorded in his first chapter of *he epistle to the Romans : ever dwell in  tihe tents of Shem and enter into Israel's
           "Who. . . . not only do the same, but have pleasure in         inheritance: neither are all the children of Ham forever
           them that do them." On the other hand in  Shem. and excluded from the salvation of God's people. Only, in
           Japheth exactly the opposite became manifest. They  wer`e hroad~  organic lines, the blessing and cursing of Noah are
          ' shocked  nt their brother's devilish joy and their father's literally realized. When we look, not at individuals but
           shame. And walking backward, so as  noi- to be able to         at broad generations, it is true that Jehovah is  Shem's


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206                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

God. Salvation is, therefore, first.of  all of Shem.  ' It is wicked, that shall be destroyed from off the earth and
also true that the generations of Noah enter into Shem's shall not inherit with the righteous, who shall have  ever-
tents, generally  speakcng.  And, though it is true that lasting dominion. For a time it may seem as if the
individuals also of the  Hamites may enter into the cove-. wicked abound and are in great power, even as the
nant of God and in the new dispensation undoubtedly do Canaanites for  a while are in power in the land.  _ But
enter, the fact remains that  as'nations they remain out- principally they are slaves and the righteous shall have
side. The word of Noah with regard to them is true               the everlasting victory over them.
even today. It is, then, necessary that also this word of          As already mentioned,  the blessing of Shem is clothed
promise and cursing be taken in the  .organic,  not in the , in the form of a doxology: "Blessed be the Lord God of
individualistic sense of the word.                               Shem." This is nothing strange and easily explained.
       The particular meaning of  tl& prophecy is not We find the same language more often in Scripture. Thus
obscure, especially since we may look at it in the light of      the apostle writes in his epistle to the Ephesians,  1:3:
history. The heart of the prophecy is, no- doubt,  ex- "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
pressed in the words: "Blessed be the Lord God of  whd  ,hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in  heav-
Shem." For in these words it is announced in the form enly places in Christ." The tneaning is very plain.
of a doxology, that the Lord will be Shem's God, and that Blessed be God.. . . who hath blessed us. God blesses us
unspeakable blessing will follow for Shem's generations first and as a result we bless God. God. speaks well over
from this relationship. With relation to this central us, by the  -almighty Word of His grace in Christ Jesus,
blessing Ham is cursed, particularly in Canaan. Jehovah and  by that Word of blessing we are actually enriched
is riot Canaan's  cod,, neither is there any indication that with all spiritual blessings of His covenant. And thus
He ever will be. Unlike Japheth it is not said of Canaan, enriched we bless and glorify Him, we speak well of Him
that he also will dwell in rhe tents of  Shem. He will be - and extol His praises. Thus must be understood the word
in servitude. in slavery unto his brethren, both unto Shem of blessing Noah pronoun& upon, Shem. Jehovah is .
and unto Japheth. A difficulty we meet' here, because the Shem's God. That is the central blessing. And with
curse of Ham strikes Canaan, the youngest son of Ham. prophetic vision the old patriarch beholds what riches
Noah does not speak of Ham, but of Canaan. The latter, of grace and mercy there will follow from that central of
not the former is cursed. Neither do we think, that it is all' blessings for Shem in his generations. And behold-
exegetically allowable to solve the difficulty by saying, ing them, he is enraptured by the vision of the goodness
that Canaan  simpli stands for Ham and that the latter is of God over his seed and breaks forth immediately in
represented by the former. There certainly must be a praise and adoration : "Blessed be the Lord God of
reason. why Canaan is mentioned instead of Ham. On Shem." In the generations of Shem, therefore, God will
the other hand, it is probably incorrect to say,  -that only     establish His covenant immediately. For a time also
one of the tribes that would descend from Ham is cursed, Japheth will remain outside and will be lefr to himself.
while the other tribes are meant to partake in  the  tless-      Not  hs if this were  to be conceived as immediately real-
ings of Shem and Japheth. For, while the latter both             ized in Japheth and his families. No doubt  J&pheth   per:
receive a blessing, the patriarch bestows no blessing upon sonally participated in the covenant grace of Shem's God.
`Ham at all. Even if it is true, that in the expressed curs::    And we may easily conjecture that for a time,, there were
only Canaan is mentioned, the fact remains, that Noah is people of God among rhe descendants of Japheth. Shem
silent. as far as any blessing is concerned with regard to and-his descendants were not of a sudden the only people
Ha&. The explanation of this phenomenon in the text of God left in the world. But gradually it would appear,
most probably is. first, that even as Ham had ridiculed nevertheless, that the  .covenant  would be established in
his father, so he is punished personally in the curse upon       the line of Shem. Jehovah would be Shem's God. Shem's
his son; and, secondly, that. the curse, which in a gen-. would be the covenants, the revelations, rhhe promises, the
era1  way will fall upon the  Hamites  in general, yet most fathers  ; and out of Shem would Christ proceed according
emphatically will strike  Cagaari  and his generations. to the human nature. But it would not remain within the
Perhaps we may conjecture, that even  ar that moment, limits of Shem's generations. For Japheth would dwell
the nature, the wicked disposition of Ham became most in the tents of  Shem, something which does not refer to'
plainly manifest in Canaan, his youngest  son. However the fact that the  Remans  in the future would occupy the
this may be, Canaan is cursed, and he is condemned to            Holy  Land, but signifies, that the tribes of Japheth, en-
be a servant of servants unto his bretliren. He shall be a larged and multiplied, would enter into the salvation of
lowest slave. Subjection and servitude shall be his lot. Shem's God. For Shem presently culminates in Abra-
This is true in a natural and historical sense, as is plainly ham and his seed,' and the seed of Abraham i.s Israel.
evident from subsequent history. The Canaanites partic-          Within Israel God points out Judah and within Judah
ularly and the  Hamites  generally occupy a position bf He establishes His covenant with David, and from David
servitude and subjection in history. But it undoubtedly proceeds He Who shall sit upon David's throne forever.
also refers in last instance to the final subjection and And when the Great Son of Shem has appeared and ful-
eternal servitude of all the wicked. Ham is type of the          filled all things, He widens the tents bf Shem and spreads


                                                                     \


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                                                     FEBRUARY 15,  1927                                          Subscription Price, $2.50

                                                                        earthly  abundatice,  is death.. We do not first seek after
                                                                        bread. The things of the earth are not our chief desire.
                                                                             After Thee, the living God, our hearts yearn and
                                                                        long even as' the hart panteth after  waterbrooks.,  Thy
                                                                        Kingdom we seek, the glory and beauty of Thy Name
              A P R A Y E R F O R   B R E A D i                         we love, Thy will to do has, even though only in prin-
                     Give us this day our daily bread.                  ciple, be&me our meat. . . .               r
                                                Matt. 621                    And, thus taught by our Lord and faithful High
   Our Father !                                                         Priest, so ,we prayed:
   Which art in heaven!                                                      `Hallowed be Thy Name !
   Give us this day our daily bread !                                      Thy Kingdom  come  !             ,
   We know that Thou  carest for all  Tchy creatures.                        Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven.. . .
Thou hast made them and they depend on Thee. They                            But, our Father,  &still need bread.                  ,,*
all wait upon Thee and Thou sustainest them and  givest                      For we also are of the earth as long as we dwkll in
them their meat in due season. Thou openest Thy hand                    this present tabernacle. Even though our inmost life  is
and by Thy bounties they are' fed and their every need                  from above, spiritual, heavenly, eternal and can never be  -
is supplied. The lily of the field Thou dost array in a`satisfied with mere bread from below, but only by the
beauty that was never surpassed by human apparel, and                   Manna that is from heaven  ; yet, we are also earthy,
over the sparrow that is sold for  two farthings Thou                   natural. For  in,this  earthy tabernacle Thou willest that.
keepest  watch. To Thee do the young ravens  -cry and                   for a time, we dwell. Here we must dwell for a season.
Thdu feedest them; and from Thee do the young  .lions                   to show Thy grace in the world, to fight the battle, to
seek their meat: neither do they  seelr in vain.                        travel our pilgrim's journey  even  to the end, to manifest
   Father in heaven, Thy tinder  ,mercy   is. spread over ourselves as Thy children, as children of the light in the
ail the works of Thy hands!                                             midst of a world that lieth in darkness.
   And these creatures live by  breadealone,  which  ?%ou                . Even so, Father, it is Thy good pleasure. . . .
provide& for them in Thy lovingkindness. Merely from                         And, therefore, our heavenly Father, we need bread:
the earth they are, for out the earth Thou calledst them                we need food  .and drink and raiment and shelter, and
from the beginning. Their. soul `is in their blood  anJ                 many things earthly to sustain our earthy life.
they are wholly from below.  ,4nd being earthy, merely                       We do not live by bread alone.. . .
earthy, they are also sustained by the bread the earth                       But, for a season, we also live by bread.
produceth.  rind,`' Father, we are  aware that we cannot                      Hence, Father, we cry to Thee for bread.
live by bread alone. For Thou  did&  breathe into us                         Our daily bread !
Thine own breath and didst form us after Thine own
image. And after we sinned against Thee and wantonly                         Glorious Father !
prbposed  to live' by bread alone, apart from Thee and in                    Thee we acknowledge for our daily subsistence.
opposition to Thy Word and death spread its dark do-                        Thine only is all the bread!                     /I
minion over us, Thou didst again deliver us and implant                      Thitle is the pawer  to produce it,  nine  is the' fulness
within our hearts the life that is-from above, through our               from which  otir smallest needs must be supplied, Thine
Lord Jesus Christ. That life cannot be -nourished by                     is the food and drink, and Thine are the means  wher,eby
bread alone, it must have Thee, Thy  communiop,  Thy                     our daily bread is brought within our reach. The earth
lovingkindness  which is better than life, Thy Word.. .  ._ and its  fulness  belong unto Thee!
   Abba, Father, by Thy  &race our inmost hearts realize                     Thine is the seed the husbandman drops  into  the soft
that to live apart from Thee, even in the midst of richest               furrow of the soil, richly prepared; and Thou givest to


          215                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
          .--..._ - - --....-..-                        _ _ _ -        _....... - .._.-          - .._..........    - - - -       -    -    -_____-
          every seed its own body  .as Thou willest. Thine is the               depth, as Thou didst reveal it in the accursed tree of
          very soil into which it is buried. Thine are the abundant             Thine only begotten Son. We have tasted it, as Thou
          showers of springtime and summer, poured from bursting                didst pour Thy love abroad in our hearts, as Thou didst
          cloudvessels over the thirsty land  ; and Thine are  the              spread the wings of Thy grace over us and forgavcst all
          quickening shafts of warm sunlight causing the seed to                our sins. We feel assured, that love so deep, so high; so
          sprout and the grain to ripen in the ear.                             fathomless and endless, is surely ready to give us  a11
                 izll the trees of the earth belong unto Thee. Thou             things freely.. . .
          causest  them to bud and to be clothed witn new and fresh                        And, too, we know, that in the day of our Lord Jesus
          foliage when the gentle  spring;zephyrs  blow; Thou                   Christ Thou wilt surely make us heirs  of) all things. W e
          deckest them with blossoms of manifold beauty and rich                are assured that it is not Thy purpose forever to let Thy
          fragrance, presently ripening  into golden fruit for man              children walk about with bare necessities for soul and
          and beast.                                                            body. An unspeakably rich inheritance Thou didst pre-
                Thine  al'e all the beasts of the field and the cattle on       pare for them from before the foundation of the world.
          a thousand'hills.                                                     And when once it shall be revealed what  we shall be,
                All the riches of creation are Thine . . . .                    Thou shalt clothe Thy children with everlasting royal
                 For  Th& didsr cause them to be, and by Thy mig'hty            glory, with heavenly beauty and surround them with the
     ^ hand they are sustained.                 '                               luxuries of Thy everlasting Kingdom . . . .
                Thy bread we eat.
                Thy water quenches our thirst.                                             Yet, Father, tie now pray  fdr bread.
                Thy air we breathe.                                                        Nor is it because we feel as if to bread we have  .a
                Thy raiment covereth our frail bodies.                          right with Thee. For we confess that even this daily
                At Thy table we sit. . . .                                      bread we have forfeited because of our sins and trans-
                                                                                gressions, and that we could  bur be children of wrath in
                 Father, rich Father, Thy Name we wish to acknowl- ourselves; if Thou shouldest enter into judgment. And
          l
          edge, and to express that we are utterly dependant upon               still we know, that, though we forfeited all things, yet in
          Thee.               '                                                 Christ Jesus all things are ours and we are heirs of all
                And even though Thou shouldest freely give all these           things by Thy grace  .-. . .
          things'unto us, and place them within our easy reach:
          even though we should live in the midst of abundance and                         Still, Father, we pray for bread only.
          never know want of earthly things; though our bread,-                            Neither is it because we would diminish the beauty
          basket shduld always be well-supplied and our barns be               of Thy lovingkindness, which Thou dost display in all
          full of the fruit of the field, and our cellars be stocked            the works of Thy hand, or despise  Thy earthly boun-
          with oil and wine to gladden our hearts  ; yet, Father, we            ties . . . .
1         know that all these things are Thine and that Thou must                          But, Father, we are still pilgrims.
          give them unto us. We `do not care to  rouch them before                         And we do not seek the things that are below.
          we have  bowed  our heads in prayer and thankful                                 Our hearts, as Thou didst renew them by Thy grace
          acknowledgment, and honoring Thy proprietorship and in Christ Jesus our Lord,  are not filled with vain  cover-
          remembering Thy abundant lovingkindness, we humbly ousness, aspiring after the lust of the flesh  atid the pride
          ask of Thee :                                                        of life and .things  of.the world. Our treasure is' no more
                Father in heaven!                                              here below than our heart and we do not aspire after
                Give us this day our daily bread !                             riches for years to come. Our heart is in heaven. There
                Give it to us in Thy favor.                                    is our treasure by Thy grace, and thither we strive and
                As we eat Thy bread, let us also taste of Thy loving-          it we seek. . . .
          kindness !
     .                                                                                     And, Father, we do not know just  what is gbod for
               1 For it is better than life.                                   us on our pilgrims journey to the heavenly city.                 We
                Abba, Father !                                                  dread the sting of poverty  and want. We are afraid of the
                                                                               temptations of riches. We  often' know not what  we
                                                                               should pray for as we ought.. . .
                For  bread  we pray.                                                       Rut we pray for bread.
                Riches we do not desire. Luxuries we do not crave.                * And by  ir we mean, Father, all that is necessary for
          For abundance of earthly things we do not ask.                       our subsistence as we dwell in the earthly house of this
                Only for whatever Thou knowest is necessary for  our           tabernacle.
          earthly subsistence do we call upon Thy glorious Name.                           And to Thy wisdom and grace we leave' it  to deter-
                Not as if we do not feel assured that Thou art rich            mine just what we do need in the way.
          and willing to lavish all the abundance of Thy loving-                           If it be adversity, then make us patient.
          kindness upon Thy children. We know the greatness of                             If it be prosperity and plenty,, then make us strong
          Thy love and the riches of Thy grace toward us. We `that we may remember Thee.
          have seen its glory, we have stared into irs amazing                             Our Father, Thou knowest and Thou  carest.                  '


j                                      @
                                                      T H E   STANI?ARD   BEARER                                                                    219
                                                                 .- -._-...                                                               .-.l____--_-
     -                          ___- ..___ "_--_l_lll
          Pray, give Thou us bread!                                                          DR. HEPP WEER IN ZIJN  PROtiETEN-
                                                                                                                 MANTEL
                                  -         -    -
                                                                                           "De Rotterdammer" (Nederland) had  uit de  ,4meri-
          Abba, loving Father !                                                         kaansohe   ?Vachter"  die zoogenaamde  "Belijdenis'" van
          We do not wish to look anxiously into the distant                             B. J. Danhof overgenomen en voegde bij wijze van  toe-
     future.                                                                            lichting er nog het volgende paragraafje  aan toe: "Bij
          Not even about the morrow,  which will take care of                           de  actie.van Ds.  H. Hoeksema  sloten  zich o. m.  aan een
     itself, are our hearts filled with worry.                                          predikant Danhof en een Theol. candidaat  Dauhof. We
          This day, we pray, give Thou us bread.                               In the meenen, dat schrijver van bovengenoemde `belijdenis',  nu
     watches of the morning we bow before Thee, gratefully                              teruggekeerd tot de Chr. Geref. Kerk, de Theologische
     remembering Thy lovingkindness of the night, and pray-                             candidaat is.`,
     ing, that in the day before us, Thou wilt hold our hand                               Dir korte  berichltje   van' "De Rotterdammer" deed den
     and supply our need and give us bread, according to Thy profetischen gtest van Dr. Hepp  herleveti.  Sommigen
     wisdom and grace.                                                                  onzer  lezers  herinneren  zich  missohien,  hoe dezelfde  doc-
          One Step is enough ! . . . .                                                  tor,,professor   aan de Vrije Universiteit te Amsterdam in
          If only Thou holdest our hand.                    ~                           de plaats van wijlen Dr. H. Bavinck,  reeds  eerder in
          Pray, Father, for, we feel how weak we are, and how profetische vervoering geraakte over ons,  toen nameiijk
     inclined to be anxious about rhe morrow and about days de gebouwen der Eastern Ave. kerk door her wereldsche
     to come, fill our hearts with childlike trust that can                             gerecht  waren  toegekend geworden  aan onze  tegenstan-
     calmly leave the burden of another day to Thee and that                            ders. Toen zag Dr. Hepp in een profetisch vergezicht  de
     can free our hearts and minds from cares and troubles gemeente, die bij Ds. Hoeksema behoorde, als  verstrooi-'
     we need not carry now. . . .                                                       den  zonder  herder een tijdlang  ropddolen,  om ten slotte
                                                                                        weer naar de oude kooi zich te wenden  en zich onder het
          Only fill our hearts with zeal for Thy name, with love                        bekwame herderschap van Ds. Van Wijk eindelijk weer
     for Thy Kingdom, with obedience  TV Thy will and sub- thuis  te, gevoelen. En hij publiceerde dit vergezicht in
     mission to Thy wisdom, that we may be Thy friends and                              "De  Reformatie." Nu is er  van die  eerste poging van
     bf  Thy. party in the midst of the world. Only give us Dr. Hepp, om  zioh bij ons  aan te dienen als  profeet, niet
     grace, that we may seek Thy Kingdom and Thy right-                                 veel  terecht gekomen. Als het waar mag geacht  worden,
     eousness, first and last and always, and to believe that all                       <at we iemands profetische bekwaamheid of  waarzeg-
     things  shail be added unto us. And if then the evening gersgeest mogen beoordeelen naar de maatstaf van het
     shadows are falling and the end of this day should leave                           al of niet in vervulling gaan van zijn voorspellingen, dan
     us with an empty basket and we should not know whence                              was Dr. Hepp  toen een valsch  profeet en heeft hij door
     our bread for the morrow  must come.. . . .                                        die voorspelling feitelijk alle recht op her dragen  van den
          Then, Father, we shall not'worry  gut quietly rest in                         profetenmantel ten eenenmale verloren. Immers bedoelde
     sleep till the morning.                                                            sc.hapen  hebben nooit gedoold en ze zijn  .ook  niet in Ds.
          Dost not Thou live to-morrow?                                                 Van  ?$5jk's.kooi terecht gekomen. Wat Dr. Hepp  toen
          And shall not Thy love care for us on the morrow                              heeft aangezien voor een profetisoh visioen moet  een heel
     as today?                                                                          gCwone  menschelijke droom geweest zijn. Hij  zcig de
          Dost nor Thou know, if still the earthly way must be                          maan  schijnen en riep brand,
     traveled tomorrow,, that we need all these things? And                                 Dit alles  echter heeft den doctor niet ontmaedigd.
     art not Thou eternal, unchangeable, ever faithful, ever Hit schijnt wel, dat  &ij en  onze zaak, hier heelemaal uit
     near  ?                                                                            `t  verre Amerika een  eigenaardi,ge  betoovering voor Dr.
          Nay, Father, we ask not for the  m&-row;                                      Hepp hebben.  Als hij iets  van ons hoort of leest, dan
          This day is sufficient. The morrow we will leave to raakt hij in vervoering, dan wordt de waarzeggersgeest
     Thee, trusting that also then Thou wilt be near to care, weer in hem  wakker,  dan grijpt hij fluks naar den  profe-
     to lead, to hold our hand and to fulfill our smallest need.                        tenmantel en eer hij nog  goed over de vervoering is, ziet
     - Thus, Father, we commit our way to Thee; pray, ge hem reeds naar de pen grijpen, om den lezers van "De
     provide.                                                                           Reformatie" kond te  doen, wat hij in geestvervoering
      ' This day; day by day.                                                           weer heeft gezien over onze toekomst.
          And  wheti  life's journey comes to a ciose and we need                           Zoo ging bet hem ook thans weer.
     daily bread no more.. . .
          -                                                                                 Hij las dat kleine  nootje in "De Rotterdammer." Het
          Thin, Father, lead  us still, even rhrough the valley of was  voidoende  om hem in vuur en vlam te zetten. En het
     the shadow of death... .                                                           volgende staaltje vloeide uit des profeten pen.
                                                                                            "Op dit laatste kunnen we ietwat nauwkeuriger  in-
          And receive us into Thy glory.                                                lichting geven.                            .
          In everlasting abundance  !                  I                                    "Er,  waren  in de kerkengroepen van Ds. Hoeksema
                                                                         H. H.          twee predikanten Danhof. De een is Ds. H. Danhof van
                    . .
                                                 c


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1                                                              a

                                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                               225
                          -.                              ".-"---__111                         ---..--
                    Zeker, dat is genade. En ik sta  LI  berg,  dat die  hon-    Hij. Daarmede belooft Hij alleen  iets-aan geloovigen.
           gerige  zich  gccn twecmaal zal laten noodigen. Hij zal               Dat  geloof schenkt  H,ij Zelf. Ergo, Hij beloofr in de
           zeker eten. Maar is dat nu een beeld; dat dienen kan, on1 `roeping alleen iets  aan Zijn volk. God is waarachtig en
           een Gereformeerde voorstelling te geven van Gods werk                 alle mensch leugenachtig. Het is Hem aangenaam, dat
           met den zonciaar? Het  zij verre!  Oak dit beeld, hoe                 diegenen, die Hij  alzod roept, tot Hem komen. En  aan
           cliktiijls ook gebruikt en soms met de beste bedoelingen              wie zoo komen belooft  Hij* ook in  Goddelijken ernst de'
           misschien, is  tech puur Remonstrantsch. Wilt ge  dat- rust der  zielen  en het eeuwige leven.
           zelfde beeld gebruiken,  om de Gereformeerde waarheitl                   Zoo mag Gods kind, zoo mag `een iegelijk: die gelooft.
           e'enigszins  dragelijk voor te stellen, dan  meet ge geen             zoo mag ieder,  die de toevluchr nemen  wil tot den Heere,
           man teekcnen met een gezonde en hongerige maag, maar hopen en  zich vcrzekerd houden van de genade Gods.
           iemand die doodziek is, zoo ziek, dat hij ten eenenmale                  Zoo wordt het  Evangelic  den goddeloozen en  onge-
           wal,@ van  bet. allerheerlijkste eten. Zet ge hem spijzen             hoorzamen  een,oordeel,  en wordt God gerechtvaardigd id
           vbor,  clan  trapt hij  er in, dan walgt hij er van. Hij wil          Zijn werk.
           niet eten, etea  IS hem  ten gruwel, en hij kan  niet  willen            En zoo heeft  dan de  Synode van 1921 in  Canones  III,
           eten. Door hem spijze voor te zetten  brepgt ge alleen en IV, 8, geen greintje bewijs geleverd voor'hare stelling.
           tot openbaring hoe ziek de man is. En dan mbet  ge in de dat'  God genadig is  aan ieder, die het Evangelie hoort.
           tweede plaats hem, die de spijzen aanbiedt teekenen  als                 Een volgende keer iets over III en IV, 9, D. V.
           een machtig geneesheer, die dien zieke ook gezond maken                     -.                                         H.  II.
           kan en hem kan  doen hongeren en dorsten: Nu  doer  die
           geneesheer dat niet, hij laat de man zoo ziek als hij is.
           41s hij hem  nu  tech de spijzen voorzet, is dat dan  ge-
           nade? Natuurlijk niet.                                                              THE TYPES OF SCRIPTURE
               "Een harde leer," zeide de broeder en verliet ons.
               Het zij zoo. Zoo hebben alle Remonstranten altijd                    The matter to which we began to apply ourselves is
           over de Gereformeerden geoordeeld. Zoo oordcelt de zon-               whether the believers of the old covenant were taught
           dige mensch altijd over God.                                          and empowered to read in the shadows any reference to
               Maar duizcndmaal  gruwelijker  is de voorstelling, dat future  reali.ties.  It was averred that the shadows did in-
           God den zondaar zaligen moet en alleen zaligen kan en                 deed speak to the believers of good things to come. They
           dat Hij hem welmeenend  aanbiedt?  om hem te  zaligen  e!t            did so  i? that they (the shadows) were accompanied by
           het  tech niet doet.                                                  the word of prophecy. The events of the  ne+ dispensa-
               Dat is  spotten met God.                                          tion were declared, exhibited by means of the spoken
               En met den zondaar.                . .                            word as well as by means of the symbols. These two,
               Dan geven we nog zcer verre de voorkeur  aan de                   the symbol and rhe word, so it was pointed out,  muSt go
           &miniaansche  voorstelling, dat de  mensch van nature                 together. The symbol without the word is mute. The
           aannemen kan  eti  dat God  aan zulk een mensch, die de               former, shall it yield to us its meaning, must be  ex-
           zaligheid uit en van zichzelf  willen kan,  nu de genade in           plained  by the Iatter. That word was there.
           Ghristus aanbiedt. Deze voorstelling is tenminste eerlijk.               Wk shall now attend to the word of  Jehovah   - that
           Dan geven we iemand  wel.  Pelagiaansch  venijn, maar op              word which directed the attention of the believer of the
           het Aeschje, waarin we het hem. aanbieden,  staat dan tdch            bid covenant to future events and objects.  .Leviticus 17:
           tenminste met duidelijke letters : Arminiaansch Vergif  I             11( For the life of the flesh is in the blood : and I have
           Wien het dan  smaakt, neme het in.  Maar feitelijk  het- given  ir  to you upon the altar to make an atonement for
           zelfde vergif  aan te  bieden  in een fleschje, waarop  ge, your souls) has been singled out and commented upon.
           leest : Gereformeerd Versterkingsmiddel !, dat is  gruwe-             Passages such as these, being explanatory rather, than
           lijk.                                                                 predicative, shall be passed by. The Scripture was quoted
               I% elk geval: "Zoovelen  als er door  het'Evangelie  ge-          more in support of the contention that the symbols of the
           roepen   worden, die  worden   ernstiglijk geroepen. Want old dispensation were not without the word.
           God betoont ernstiglijk-en waarachtiglijk in Zijn Woord                  We call attention first of all to a passage in  Gen.-3.
           wat Hem aangenaam is, namelijk dat de geroepenen tot "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and
           H.em   kdmen.  Hij  belooft  ook met  ernst  allen, die' tot between thy seed and her seed: It shall bruise thy head,
           Hem komen en gelooven, de rust  d.e"r  zielen en het  eeu-            and thou  shaIt bruise its heel"  (Geti. 3  :15). We have
           wige  leven." Dat blijft waar. Ge kunt uitgaan van de here a mosr remarkable revelation of the course of events
           verklaring, waarvan we' thans uitgegaan zijn,  namelijk,              determined upon by Jehovah. There is the promise of.
          pat door deze velen, die geroepen  worden,   allen  worden             two kinds of seed. Roth the serpent and the woman shall
           bedoeld, tot wie het Evangelie komt in den uitwendigen have a spiritual posterity. Between  the two there will be
           zin des woords. We hebben daartegen geen bezwaar. perpetual strife. The seed of the woman, it is asserted,
           Mits ge er  nu ook maar'aan  toevoegt,  wat God in de roe-            Shall prevail. The serpent's brood shall be vanquished.
           ping zegt. Hij  zegt in het kort :  Een. iegelijk, die in den         It is the dawn of grace. For here is the  ,promise of a
           gekruisten  Christus  gelooft,   zal zalig  worden;' Zoo roept royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people who

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       shall set forth the  ,praises of Him who called it out of            whom thy mind is alienated ; . . . . I  will  do these things
       darkness into His marvelous light. This nation being unto  t/tee,  because thou hast gone a whoring after the
       holy, will of necessity be opposed to that which (in a               heathen, and because thou art polluted with their idols
       spiritual ethical sense) is  unlike*God. And the seed of             . . . . Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow,
       the serpent, being what it is, will assert itself as an enemy        with the cup of astonishment and desolation, wirh the cup
     `~ of  tlie seed of the woman. And it is no one less than              of thy sister  Samaria . . . . for I  h&e spoken it, saith' the
        God who is responsible for this state of affairs.  I  will Lord God"  (~Ezek.  23  :22-35f.  "But behold I will raise up
       set enmity.  `It is He who calls this seed into being and            against  you a  n&ion,   0 house of Israel, saith the Lord, the
      girds it on with strength from on high to assert itself as God of Hosts"  (-4mos   6:14).  " .  _I_  :For,  lo, I raise up the
       at one with God and a.s.at odds.with the seed of the devil.          ChuGdeans,   that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march
              However, the utterance, "I will set enmity,"  must also       through the breadth of the  land.to possess the dwelling
       -be made to apply to the animosity of the seed of the                places that are not theirs" (Hab.  1:6).
       serpent for that of the woman. For, to begin with, God's                 These Scriptures `assert time and again that as often
        will is the necessity for its appearance as a corrupt seed.         as an ancient oriental monarch set out on a military
        It comes forth, to express ourselves in the words of Cal-           expedition so. often was he raised up  and set in action by
       vin, out of the womb of the providence of the Almighty,              God to do the bidding of the Almighty. They. were but
        and moves, lives and has its being in His will. He must             tools or instruments in His hands. This is evident from
       supply this seed with the strengrh and energy which it               the following passage. "0 Assyrian, the rod of my anger
        needs to assail the holy seed. Every fresh exhibition of and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will
        hatred on the side'of  satan and his brood is due to the send him against a hypocritical nation, . . . . For he saith.
      _ fact that God hardens and stirs up this seed. Such are By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my
       the  plain teachings of Scripture. Said the Lord to Moses :          wisdom; . . . . Shall the ax boast itself  agrrinst  him that
        "And  I will  harden  Pharaoh's heart. . . . . and the Lord         heweth  therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against
        hardened  Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not Iet the ,hinr  th+ shaketh it? as if  the rod should shake itself against
        children of Israel go out of his land" (Exodus  7  :3 ; 10: him that lift it up, or  lzs if the  staff should lift up itself,  cs  if
        11). "And the Lord  strengthened  Eglon, the king of Moab, it were no wood?" (Isaiah  105, 13,  15). With as little
        against Israel" (Judges 3  :12). "And the Lord  stirred  up, propriety could the Assyrians exalt themselves against
        an adversary unto Solomon,  Hadad  the Edomite: he was the Almighty as the ax can boast itself against him  that
        of the king's seed in Edom" (I Kings  11:14). "And God useth it. He, the Assyrian, was but an instrument in
        sr&red  him up another adversary,  Rezon; the son of  Eli-          God's hand, devoid of all power as is the ax. :Xnd as tha
        adah,  which fled from his lord Hadadezer, king of Zobah" saw he was raised up and shaken to do the thing that was
     " (I Kings 1123). "In that day  I  rwill perform  against Eli          in God's heart.
        all things which I have spoken concerning his house"                   These Scriptures assert that it was God who arrayed
        (I Sam. 3 :12). "Thus saith the Lord. Behold,  I will  raise        this pagan monarch with his legions against Israel and
       up evil against thee out of thine own house'*  (II Sam. 12: in doing so He, the Almighty, was using him as a rod of
        11).  ". . . _ Behold,  I will stir up  the  -Medes  against them `His anger.  However7  the.  -Assyrian  kings did not rec-
       - the Assyrians" (Isaiah 13  :17). For low.  I  will  r&e ognize themselves as a scourge in the hand of God,  nor
        and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly  oi did they set out on their expeditions impelled by a desire
     great nations from the north country" (Jer.  .50:9). to execute His will. To the contrary, it was in their
        <`.I.. . Therefore, 0 Aholibab, thus saith the Lord; behold, heart to destroy and to cut off nations not a few. "How-
       I  w21  raise  up. thy lovers against thee, from whom thy beit  he  .meaneth not so,  ,neither  do$h his heart think  SO;
        mind is alienated, and  I will bring  them against thee  on but it is in his heart to destroy and to cut off nations not
        every side: the Babylonians, and all the Chaldeans. a few. For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings?
        Pekod. and Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with                Is not  Calno as Carchemesh? Is not  Hamath as Arpad?
        them: all of them desirable young men, captain and Is not  Samaria as Damascus? As my hand hath found
        rulers, great lords and renowned, all of them riding upon           the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did
       horses. And they shall come against thee with chariots, excel them of Jerusalem and of  Samaria;  Shall not I,  as
        wagons and wheels, and with an assembly of people, I have done unto  Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusa-
      " which shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet lem and her idols" (Isaiah  10  :7-l 1). Further, in laying
       round about:  and  I  will set judgment  before them, and low the nations, the Assyrian king is `being actuated by
       they shall judge thee according to their judgments.  14nd            stinking pride and a deep seated contempt for God. His
       I  will  set my jealousy  against thee,  and they shall deal         aim was to exalt his throne above the stars. He would
       furiously with thee: they shall take away thy nose and               be like the Most High. `That thou shalt take up this
       thy ears, and thy remnant shall fall by the sword: they proverb against the king of Babylon and say, How hast
       shall take thy sons and thy daughters; and thy residue the oppresser ceased. . . . For thou hast said in thy heart.
       shall be devoured by the fire.  1.. For thus saith the I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above
        Lord God:  Behold,  I  cw21  defiver thee  into the hand of         the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the
       them whom thou  hatest, into the hand of them from                   corqregatioq in the sides of the north; I will ascend


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           above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most           and the noise of thy viols : the worm is spread under thee,
           High" (Isaiah 14  :13,  14). Having made the earth to              and the worms cover thee. How art thou fallen from
           tremble and having shaken kingdoms this king would                 heaven, 0 Lucifer, son of the morning. How art thou cut
           thereupon glory in himself. He would say: "By the                  down to the ground which didst weaken  ihe nations.
           strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom:              For  t-hou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven,
           for I am prudent : and  1 have removed the bounds of the           . . . . I will be like the  mo'st High. Yet thou shalt be
           people, and have  ro.bbed   their' treasures, and I have put       brought down to hell,. to the sides of the pit" (Isaiah,
           down the inhabitants like a valiant man  ; and my hand             14 :ClS).
           hath found as a nest of  th`e riches of the people: and as              Yet, to quote the confession, God is neither the author
           one gathereth eggs that are left, have I  gather.eth'&  the        of, nor can be charged with the sins committed. For His
           earth ; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened          power and goodness are so great and incompre-
           the mouth or peeped" (Isaiah  12:13, 14).                          hensible, that He orders  &d executes His work in the
              It is a fact that Babylon is a type or image of the             most excellent and just manner, even then when devils
           world. And this boaster, the king of Babylon, must be              and wicked men act unjustly.
           regafded as a type or representative of the mystery of                  These, then, are the teachings of Gen.  3:15. This par-
           idiquity at work from the very beginning-the serpent               ticular scripture, needless to say, leaves no room, what-
          and his seed; that diabolical power in the world which              ever, for the theory of common grace.
           makes it its business to oppose the most High-the                       "And between thy seed and her seed" (Gen. 3  :15).
           sworn Antagonists of God, who rage and imagine vain                1Mention is made, let it be repeated, of two kinds of seed.
           things, who set themselves and take counsel together,              And it is  $he plain teachings of Scripture that the term
           against the Lord and against His annointed saying, Let             seed in both cases signifies an organism. Each organism,
           us break  theii-  bands asunder, and cast away their cords further, has its principal. In each case must the term seed
           from us (Psalm  Zj,-the serpent  and, his seed, the be made to apply first of all to this head.  "N,ow Christ is
           destroyers of Jehovah's heritage, who are glad and rejoice         the principal `of the seed of the woman." Now to Abra-
           (Jer.  5O:ll).                                                     ham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not,
              Yet the heritage of Jehovah need have  nb fear. For And to seeds, as of &any ; but as of one,  An'd to thy seed.
           it is the most  High.who  sets enmity. The antagonist is dzich is  Chid' (Gal. 3  :15).
           raised, stirred up and sustained by Him. He moves when                  But Christ has a body, which is the church and of
           the Almighty so wills. His  ,entire conduct is controlled which He is the life. He and the Church is the seed, The
           and directed by the most High. The Lord. then, has the             latter prevails in Him to whom has been assigned the
           situation well in hand. At every juncture He is the vic-           task of bruising the head of the serpent. To this end was
           tor. And the serpent and his brood is ever engaged in              given unto Him all power in heaven and on earth.
           doing the thing  thit is in God's heart. Such being the                 From this very passage under consideration it is plain
           case,  jehovah can put an end to the affair and vanquish           that the other principal is the serpent. He is ethically
           his foe whenever He sees fit. The outcome of  the strife           related to his seed. In Scripture he is called the father
           is, therefore, not a matter of conjecture. Such indeed is          of  those who commit sin. The latter are in his power. It
           the case in ordinary warfare. necessarily so since neither is he who from'the very beginning, fructifies the souls of
           of the contending parties derives its life and power from          the ungodly with his lies and influences them to yield to
           the other. The fact, then, that Jehovah sets  enmity-              the forces of unrighteousness. Said the apostle Paul  ti,
           raises, stirs up and sustains His antagonist-is the only           the Church : "Pur on the whole armor of God, that ye
     .     guarantee  that He; the most High will  prevsil, And He            may be  able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For
           shall prevail. So it is predicted. "And it shall demolish          we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against prin-
           thy head" (Gen. 3 :15).                                            cipalities, against powers, agahst  rule'rs  of the darkness
              An'd  again: "That thou shalt  &ke up this proverb              of the world, against spiritual wickedness of high places"
           against the king of Babylon, and  say, How hath the                (Eph.  6:11, 12).
           oppressor ceased, the golden city ceased. The Lord hath                 Here, then at the very dawn of history, is the promise
           broken the staff of the wicked, and the scepter  bf the of one who shall come to destroy the works of the devil.
           rulers. He that smote the people in wrath with a con-              And in Him shall those foreknown by God triumph over
           tinual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is per-         the forces of unrighteousness.
           secuted and none hindereth. The whole earth is at rest                  To what degree, now, were our first parents made to
           and quit: they brake forth into singing. . . . . . Since thou      feel the force of the divine announcement and to what
           art laid down no fellow is come up against us. Hell extent were they  made to  see its implications? At. the
           from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy com- birth of her firstborn Eve exclaimed, "I have gotten a
           ing; it stirred up the dead for thee, even  all the chief man with the Lord." It is clear how  E$e constrewed the
           o&es of the earth  ; it hath raised up. their thrones all the      words of God. The divine announcement had awakened
           kin@ of the nations. All they shall speak and say unto in her understanding heart the hope of one empowered
           thee, Art thou also become weak  as we?  PLrt thou become          to triumph over and to vanquish the seducer. It is also
           like unto us? Thy pomp is brought down to the grave,               plain that her expectations were centered. upon a man-a


228                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                    _..^ .._........ "~^ .._ _        __ll" _-.....-                                    .-_""---
man with Jehovah. She- erred, however, in that she                devoted to the cause of Jehovah. He who cursed Abra-
regarded  her firstborn as the promised seed. That Eve            ham cursed the Christ whom he displayed. But the mat-'
soon saw her mistake is evident from the fact that she            ter which interests us now is that the Church of the  Old
named her  s'econd born  Abel,  meaning,  breath., vanity.        Coven&t  was made to see, from the very beginning that
       ;inother important scripture is Gen. 12  :2, 3. Abraham the boundless ocean of God's grace was inseparately con-
is called and receives a revelation. God will make of him         nected with a seed, with a man of Jehovah-an  o&spring
a great nation and bless him. "And I will bless thee, and         of the holy race. What bearing, this has on our subject
make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And            will be made plain in the sequence.
I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that'              Let us pass on to Gen. 49%10. The passage reads
curseth  thee; and in thee shall all the families of the earth       Judah thou ! Thy brethren shall praise thee !
be blessed."                                                         Thy hand in  t&e neck of thine enemies,
       Abraham is blessed. Man had heard  God curse. The             Thy father's sons shall bow down before thee.  '
force and meaning of the divine curse was constantly                 A lion's whelp is Judah ;
being exhibited unto him. The essence of the curse, he,              From the prey, my son, thou art gone up:
saw, is a life lived apart from God. The one whom God                He stooped down, he crouches like a lion,
curses is expelled from the presence of the Father of                And-like a lioness-who shall rouse him?
lights. Such an one is  ordered.to  leave God's house, and           The scepter  shall not depart from  judah,
assigned to a place upon which the Almighty, in holy                 Nor the  rubr's  s$af from between his feet,
indignation, frowns--a place of utter darkness where men             Until  Shiloh  come,                               ~.
wail only and gnash their teeth.  !1nd the meaning of the            And to  .Him willing obedience `of the nations!
curse, I repeat, was incessantly being demonstrated unto             This passage  seenis to have baffled many a com-
man-in his expulsion from the garden of Eden, in the              mentator.     Lenthy  treatises- have been written .on the  ..
shame which he experienced upon the discovery of his `meaning of the term Shiloh. However, the very text in
nakedness, in the thorn and the thistle which grew, in which the name appears indicates that the term  signiiiei
the wanton ungodliness of the seed of the serpent.                a person and not a place. The passage yields no diffi-
       Ho$ever,  God promised to set enmity. And  so he did culties if explained in the light of previous revelation  and
and continued to do. Abram is called and ordered to get according to the spirit of prophecy as a whdle. Doing so,
him.out of his country, and from his kindred, and from            it will be seen at once that the term Shilah is a personal
his father's house unto a land that God will show him.            designation  of Him upon whom the Churcli, even at this
,:-\braham  is blessed. .igain it appears that the curse of juncture, had been -taught to center its hopes, viz.,  the
God does not mean the eclipse of the entire human race. man of Jehovah who, in this particular outburst of pro-
-4,braham  and his seed are blessed. The essence of the phetic vision, is named the Shiloh, i. e., the peacemaker.
divine blessing is a life permeated and enveloped by the. the prince of peace, unto whom  the gatherings of  the
light of God's countenance. Jehovah is the friend of hini         nations shall be. Thus it appears that the passage is per-
whpm  He blesses.  rZnd that one, being blessed, is made          meated with prophetic allusions.
to love God. This one dwells in God's presence and  is               This particular reference to the  &lessiah  was *later
happy because he may  kno\v the Holy One.                         taken up in the prophecy of Balaam. "Behold the people
       Abrahain is blessed and  he shall be a blessing. Furth-    shall rise up a% a great lion, and lift up himself as a young
er, whether one is blessed or cursed depends upon one's           lion: he shall not lie down till he eat of his prey" (Num.
attitude toward  -Abraham.  Those cursing him  ,will be 23 :24). And again : "He crouched, he lay down as a lion,
cursed, those blessing him will be blessed. And finally, and  as  a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he
in him will-all the families of the earth be blessed. That. that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth th'ee . . . .
is to say, the  racks of the earth are bessed because of          1 shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him,' but not
their oneness with him. On the other hand, he who is nigh: there shall  &me a star out of Jacob, and a Scepter
not in Abraham, that is connected with and related to             shall rise  "out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of
him  is cursed.                                                   jloab, and destroy  ~11 the, children of Sheth. And Edom
       These statements are pregnant with meaning..  \Ve ask shall be a possession, Seir shall also  be,a  possession.for
how can these things be? And  rhe answer is ready: The            his enemies  ; and Israel shall do valiantly. Out  oi Jacob
seed of  iibraham  is Christ. These statements must be shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy
made to apply to an organism, to that organism of which           him that remaineth of the city.,' (Num.  24:17-19).
Christ is the head and principal. Of that body this  j?atri-         `41~0  this  prophesy,,revolves about a person, namely,
arch is a member. He who curses him is cursing the body about him who shall gain the ascendency over rhe malice
and its head-the Christ. He who is joined to him is a of the devil. Here again he is presented in the image of
member of the organism. Such an one is at once in                 a lion. The church of the old covenant is made to see
Christ, and is blessed. Abraham was made a blessing in that the consolation of Israel is full of majesty and pow-
that he brought forth Christ. To this must be added tha! er, supremely strong, free and unhampered in his move-
the life of  :%braham  was  an exhibition of the Christ in ments, doing as he sees fit.
him. He, walked as a child of light, as one born of God,,            Finally, there is that matchless passage in Isaiah:
                                                                                                  .


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                                                        -
`                "Behold,  ky servant shall deal  prudently, he shall be    shall he not quench; he shall bring forth judgment unto
     exalted and extolled, and be very high. As  many  were                 truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged. till he have
     estonied at thee ; his visage was so marred more than any              set judgment in the earth; and the isles shall wait for
     other man, and his form more than the sons of men. So                  his laws" (Isaiah  12:1-4).
     shall'he sprinkle many nations  ; the kings shall shut their              It was not only revealed unto Isaiah that the man of
     mouths at him; for that which had not been told them Jehovah would be wounded for our transgressions and
      they see, and that which they had not heard they shall                bruised for our iniquities, but also that this suffering
      consider. Who hath believed our report? And to whom                   servant is God. "For unto us a child is born, unto us a
      is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up                 son is given ; and the government shall be upon his
     before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry               shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful,  Coun-
      ground; he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we                   sellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The
      shall  see him there is no beauty that we should desire               Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9  :6).
      him. He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sor-                   The words of Isaiah are, to be sure, interspersed with
      rows, and acquainted with grief, and we hid as it were                more Messianic allusions. Their sum  td'tal clearly reveal
      our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed                  that this seer saw more of the Christ than any of the
      him not. Surely, he hath born our griefs, and carried our             other prophets. All the Messianic revelations of the pre-
      sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God               ceding epochs were incorporated in his prophesies, and to
      and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgres-                  them is added elements for which one looks in vain in the
      sions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement            prophetic words of the others. The description of the
      of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are                suffering servant of Jehovah is peculiar to the utterance<
           healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have              of Isaiah.
           tiu-n&d every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid            Thus it appears that the shadows of the Old Covenant
      on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and he                were indeed accompanied by the spoken word  clescribing
           was`affiicted, yet he opened not his mouth  ; he is brought      the very objects and  everlts  prefigured by the shadows. It
      as a lamb to the  slaug-hter,  and as a sheep before -hi's            also appears  &at another rudiment of the Jehovah reli-
           shearers is dumb, so he opened not his  mourh. He was            gion was (and-is) that the coming is the man of Jehovah.
           taken from  prison and from judgment; and who shall              the servant of  Jeho\rah  whose task it shall be to gain  the
           declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the            ascendency over. the forces of unrighteousness and to
           land of the living; for the transgression of my people was       deliver the oppressed. It was also repeatedly stressed
           he stricken.      And he made his grave with the wicked,         that the coming deliverer is the son  of man, an offspring
           and with the rich with his death; because he had dons            of the holy `seed, the rod out of the stem of Jesse, a
           no violence, neither was any  deceir in his mouth. Yet  it- branch growing out of his roots. Upon this one  the
           pleased the.lord  to bruise him ; he hath put" him to grief;     expectations of the  saints.were  centered.    ,
           when thou shalt'make his soul an offering for sin, he shall
           see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and  the pleasure          There are two questions which may now  be raised.
           of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of Was it but an enlightened few who were expecting Him
           the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied; by his          who would demolish the head of the serpent, or was the
           knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for advent of the Man of Jehovah an event to which the be-
           he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him      lievers in general were looking  fonvard to. Another
           a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil          question  is? whether the believers of the old covenant
           with the strong; because h'e hath poured out his soul unto were empowered to detect in the shadows any reference
           death; and he was  numb&red  with the transgressors  ; and       to the One whose coming had been announced.
           he bare the sins of many, and made intercession for the             Our answer to the first question may be brief.
           transgressors" (Isaiah 53).                                      Althbugh the Scriptures `nowhere explicitly state rhat the
                 This seer, and he only is transported to rhose sublime     expectation of the promised Shiloh was the  portion of
           heights from where he can see in the distance, the spec-         the believers in general, yet ir must not be supposed that
           tacle of the suffering Saviour. Eve saw him as the man           it was but a select few who received the grace necessary
           of Jehovah who shall come to crush the serpent's head.           to enable them to glory in the triumph of truth and
           To Abraham, Jehovah spoke of him as the seed in whom             of righteousness over the forces of sin. Common to all
           the fulness of grace doth dwell. Jacob sees him as the           Gelievers  is that thirst for righteousness and the desire
           lion-hearted prince of peace, but to Isaiah he' appeared as      to be delivered from the body of this death. The  div'ind
           the suffering servant of Jehovah and ai the annointed one        announcement: "I will set enmity," and "It shall bruise,
           who comes in power and in love. "Behold my servant, thy head" was, we may feel assured, heavenly music in
           whom I shall uphold; mine elect in whom my soul                  the ears of every saint of the old covenant. . This and
           delighteth  ; I have put my-spirit upon him ; he shall bring     similar announcements must be regarded as so many
           forth  jud,gment  to the gentiles. He shall not cry nor lift     lifelines, thrown out, which those who realized that they
           up, nor cause his  .voice to  be heard' in the street. A         were lying in the midst of death, eagerly grasped. The
           bruised reed shall he not break,. and the  smoking flas          faith  *of  such.personages  as Eve, Noah, the patriarchs,
                                                                                          .


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D  EEARER  `.                                                        231

tures which assert that the Lord's Anointed shall smite            This does not mean, however, that faith in Christ was
the earth with the rod of His mouth, that the wicked shall      no requirement in the days of the old covenant. Let us
perish and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the  fat of      quote from a  former.article:  "The salvation of the elect
lambs. To the believer, however, who has entered into           of  &d is perplexing to-many. Were the devout, so it is
the sanctuary of God, these psalms are precious. And asked, capable of looking beyond. the lamb to Christ?
that, not because  he.takes  delight in the misery and  woe     This is a matter of conjecture. Nevertheless, the salva-
of the wicked as such. Far from that. He knows the              tion of the just of the old covenant was altogether per-
sorrow of the Apostle Paul.     A  gi-ief  which comes to the missible. It was a contrite, broken-hearted sinner who
surface in the following Scripture:  "I say the truth in        was casting himself upon the mercy of Jehovah.  One
Christ, I lie not,  my conscience also bearing me witness       realizing that the mercy with which he desired to be satis-
in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and con- fieth, although unmerited, was nevertheless permeated
tinual sorrow in my heart.  ^For I could wish that myself with justice. What was there preventing God from grant-
were accursed from Christ `for my brethren, my kinsmen,         ing such an  ane the desires of his heart? God might show
according to the flesh" (Rom. 9 :l-3). For another reason       this one mercy and grant him pardon. He could do so
are such Scriptures a source of great comfort to him. For without lowering Himself in the eyes of His moral
they assure him that not the Ioathsome forces of darkness creature. For He had taken care to demonstrate unto
but that God, light, truth, justice and  righteousnes`s  shall him that sin somehow must be atoned for, and His mercy
gain the  ascendency.    The wicked shall perish. The merited. There was a reason why blood played so prom-
prophets of that day, we notice, had not yet succeeded          inent a part in the typical transactions of the old dis-
in making it appear as if it  ,was the sin of the wicked        pensation. Ey means of the blood Jehovah trained His
which Jehovah hated but not the wicked. This, by the peqple  to expect all from Him - salvation and the means.
way, is an accomplishment of the exponents of the theory        Having passed rhrough the course of training insisted
of common grace of the twentieth century A. D.                  upon by Jehovah, tlie believer perceived that Jehovah
   The theme then to which the prophets of the, first alone can save. He saves, however, in conjunction with
period of the old dispensation `often, appiied themselves blood, not the blood of the animal but the blood which
was the  stru,&es  or the  .sufferings and the triumph of       Jehovah would provide. Now; Christ is God and blood,
the Messiah.  '                                                 the latter signifying the human nature in which- God
   Now, once more the question: Were the prophets of suffered and died for His own. In fine, the believer was
the old covenant wont to associate the blood of the sac&-       empowered  ro  Iay hold on that which constitutes the very
@al- victim with the Messiah? Did the church of the             heart-and soul of redemption, Jehovah and blood."
old dispensation perceive that the sufferings of the  serv-        In this sense did the shadows direct the believer to
and  of- Jehovah, the bruising of His  hee1,  had atoning       Christ.                                               G. M. 0.
value? Did they read in the rite of expiatory sacrifice
any reference to the Man of Jehovah, whose griefs and
triumphs they depicted?                                                               J E S U S   B E   A L L
                               Were they able to link to-
gether- prophesy and symbol? Did they recognize the                 0 Lord, I know rhat Thou wilt give to me
sacrificial victim as an image or symbol of the suffering                  a  AI1 that I really want;
Messiah?                                                            :$nd yet with heart insatiate and  athirst   ~
   Fact is that the only book of the Old Testament-which                     For more of Thee I pant.            t
ascribes to the  sufferirigs  of the Messiah's atoning value
is the book of the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah-was the  only              `Bid me long on ; help to strive and pray
prophet who asserted that  `(He was wounded for our                           For  L would rather kneel
transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the             Rent by conflicting wants, than never thirst
chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with  Hi5                        For `thee, my Lord, to feel.
stripes we were healed. . .  : and the Lord hath  *laid upon
Him the iniquities of us all." In  vain, do we search the            Give me the prayer of faith that must prevail.
psalms for any such statements. This means that we                            Dictate what my poor heart
have no objective proof for asserting that the church in            Shall say to thee, and how it shall be said,
the first periods of the old dispensation. associated the                    Jesus, till mine thou art.
shedding of the blood of the sacrificial animal with the
suffering Messiah. In other words, there is no objective            Come to me with my earliest:  waking thought,
proof for the assertion that the church  at least in the                      Be with me where I go;
first epochs ascribed to the sufferings of the  Messiahis          , Be my last thought at night, and in my dreams
btoning value. The church, then, for at least many cen-                       Thy blessed presence show.
turies did not detect in the rite of expiatory sacrifice a
reference to Christ. It was Isaiah who was taught by                 I am so weak, so helpless, Thou so strong ;
the Holy Spirit to link together (1 j God, (2) the Servant                    Oh, do not let me fall.
of Jehovah, and (3) the blood. This, to be sure, may  bk             My self-despair alone must plead my cause
regarded as the grand triumph of prophesy.                                    Jesus, be thou mine all.


  230                                  T H E   S T A N . D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                                       ll---^-_l..^---                                ---_
  Moses did not differ, essentially from the faith of thk          was aware of the spiritual and moral ties binding him to.
 believers in general. As these prayed, praised, hoped, re-        the proinised seed. The promised Shiloh was to be a man
 joiced and struggled, so did they all. They were all look-        according to God's heart, devoted to the cause of Jehovah,
 ing for a city which hath foundations whose maker and             dreaded and hated, therefore by the antagonists of God.
 builder is God. And such words of Jehovah as "The                 Ordinarily the experiences of one follower of Christ  is the
 scepter shall nor  dep&t from Judah nor a lawgiver from           experience of every follower. They all share a common
 between his feet until Shiloh comes and unto Him shall            lot in this world,  Chri& and His body. The lyric poet,
 the gatherings of the nations be"  - such words became            stationing `himself upon his own experiences, beheld,
 the property of the- church and served as a course of com-        from this elevation, the suffering Christ placed within his
  fort to every saint.     `j                                      range of vision by Jehovah. Ar the dawn of grace it had
     The other  questio'n was whether the believers of the         been revealed unto the  ch&ch, that the serpent would
  old covenant were wont to read in the shadows any                bruise the heel of the seed. This became the favorite
 reference to Him whose coming they were expecting.                theme of the prophets of Jehovah.  *
 To confine ourselves to the rite of expiratory. sac-               . It had also been revealed unto the woman that her
 rifice, did the believers regard this rite as a prophetic         seed should bruise rhe head of the serpent. This also is
 sym,bol  of the sufferings and death of him upon whom             a theme  which, the prophets of the Lord delighted to           *
 they were focusing their hopes. In answering this ques-           elucidate. Prompted by the Spirit they often engaged
 tion we shall set our by stating the three rudiments of           in depicting the triumph of the Messiah. "Why do the
 the Jehovah religion thus far brought into relief. They           heathen  iage and rhe people imagine a' vain thing? The
 are: (1) Our help standeth in the name of Jehovah;                kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take
  (2) There can be no remission of sin without the shed-           counsel together against the Lord and against His
 ding of blood; (3) The Man of Jehovah, the Shiloh will            .?inoinred, saying, Let us break their bonds  asunde;  and
 prevail over the malice of the  serpent. The question is,         cast their cords away from us: He that sitteth in the
 whether rhe aricient believer regarded the sacrificial vic- heavens shall laugh : . . I. Then shall He speak unto them
  tim as prophetic symbol of the  sufferin& and  d&h of            in His wrath . . . . yet have I set my King upon my holy
  the Messiah. In other words, was the believer of the old         hill in Zion.  I will declare the decree: the Lord  bath  .
 covenant taught to associate the shedding of blood with           said unto me, Thou art my Son, rhis day have 1 begotten
 the promised Shiloh? Was he made to see  that*  accord- thee. Ask of me and I shall give thee the heathen for
 ing to the arrangement of God, the Man of Jehovah must            thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for
 bear the iniquities of His people? It is a fact that in the       thy possession. Thou shalt brake him with a rod of
  very first revelation made unto man concerning the iron ; rhou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel"
  Messiah is found a reference to His sufferings. It was           (Ps. 2 :3-9). "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at
 asserted that the serpent-should bruise the heel of the my right  hand,.until I make  tl&e enemies thy footstool.
 seed. Then, too, the book of Psalms are interspersed The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion:
 with lively descriptions of the ill treatment afforded-Him        rule thou' in the midst of thine enemies . . . . The Lord
 by the antagonist. Psalm 23 is exclusively Messianic.             hath sworn and will not repent, Thou art a priest for
 The distress to which the poet in this lyric gives express- ever after the order of  Melchizedek.  The Lord at thy
  ion shall also be the portion of the' Messiah. "Be not           right hand shall strike through kings in the days of His
  far from me; for trouble is near and there is none to            wrath. He shall judge among-the nations, he shall fill
  help. Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of              the places with the dead bodies  ; he shall wound the
  Bashon  have beset me round. They gasped upon  me- heads over many countries. qtid He shall smite the earth
 with their mourhs, as a ravening and a roaring lion.         C    with rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips
 am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of             shall He slay the wicked" (Isaiah  11:4).
 joint  ; my heart is like wax  ; it is melted in the "midst of       The Messiah shall set Himself against rhe opponents
 my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and           of God. It indicates that He loves truth and righteous-
 Thou hast brought me in the dust of death."- Ps.  -22:            ness. Such being the case He will judge the poor with
  11-13). Some of the details of the psalm are applicable          righteousness and argue their case. "And `He shall not
  to Christ only.     "For dogs  have  compassed me: the judge after  the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the             :
 assembly of the wicked have  inclosed me: they pierced            hearing  .of his ears: But with righteousness  shail He
 my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of
look and stare upon me. They part  my,garments  among' the earth:.... And righteousness shall be the girdle of
 them, and cast lots upon my vesture" (Verses 16, 17).             His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins" (Is. ,
         In respect to such Scriptures the question arises         11:3, 4).
  whether the poet was aware of the fact that he was being            I.,et  us say a word,about  rhe Scriptures quoted above.
 used by the Spirit to describe the sufferings of Him              It is a well known fact that  +e rationalist looks down
whose kingdom Jehovah would establish forever. It  can-            with disdain upon the God of  tile Old Testament. This
 nor be otherwise- but that the poet knew that his utter-          God, so he avers, is a monstrosity,  -an unnatural pro-
 ances applied to this particular offspring of his.  David         duction. His opinion is based chiefly on rhose Scrip
                                                                                                   ._
                                                                         .,


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                                                               .     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                        235
           .._"__ _......_. - -_-_ -"" .--.--..-.......  -.         - _____-..  "^..-^".lll_--                        -__-....__  -         -_ -~-.--  -..-

                                                RELATIVE GOOD                                            "Who could improve upon the moral excellence of
                                                                                                  gems like these from the Analects: `Learning without  ..
                 We wish to write one more article on  J. C. De Korne's                           rhought is labor lost; thought without learning is
           "Chinese Altars to the Unknown God." In his work,  SO                                  perilous'," etc.
           it was pointed out, the author lavishes  ,praise upon  non-                                   Now, it may be that the Chinese contain an  abudance
           Christian religions. Let us attend once more to the fol-                               of moral `truth. However, if that truth is not written
           lowing selection : "With such a two-fold approach he can                               upon the tables of the heart ir is no matter of religion.
           aHord to picture in glowing colors the beautiful elements                              Such truth-is merely possessed in the form of  informa-
           that do exist in non-Christian religions; he can unhesi- "tion. The devil, no doubt knows the ten commandments.
           tatingly share the enthusiasm that extols the unmistak-                                But would the author, wish to maintain thar the devil's
           able benefits which these systems  hake   brought to their                             religion contains many beautiful elements?
           devotees; and  he need not withhold rightful praise for                                       And then this: "A Christian and a pagan can do the
           those noble aspirations of the human soul."                                            same thing and yet it does not  ctiunt  for rhe same thing
                 It was pointed out that according to Scripture the before God, because the motive is different. One does it
           gods of the heathen are idols, they do not exist, rhey are out of faith according to God's law and unto God's glory
           a lie, they are devils. Then, too, the Scripture asserts                               and it is good in the sight of God. The other does  it for
           that the heathen world is in darkness, that the heathen                                reasons of expediency,  thus it does not satisfy God's
           are ignorant, that the wisdom of the heathen is vanity,                                requirements and cannot be called absolute good, even
           that Jew and-Gentiles  are  all under sin.                               I             though the deed itself conforms to the law of God.  At
                 The author maintains that the  propositiOn  to the effect                        that point we can take refuge to the distinction thar it is
           that there are good elements present in non-Christian                                  relatively good:  But you cannot draw such a distinction
           religions has rhe support of Scripture. He maintains                                   regarding truth. You have to come down on one side
           that the he&hen, according to Scripture, are in the pos-                               of' the fence or the orher."
           session of truth. We, to be sure, agree. Paul states that                                     The author speaks of  relative good.  This is the good
           that which may be known of God is manifest in them.                                    which the unregenerate perform,  Cenfucius performed
          I  .Hut the apostle also insists that `the truth which the                              this kind of good. The Lord Jesus Christ on the other
           heathen possess is no part of their religion. Truth, so it                             hand was one  whs performed absolute good. Hence
           was pointed out, is religion when it is recognized, loved                              there is no essential difference between the good which
           and cherished by  man? and when it dwells in his heart.                                Christ performed and that good performed by Confucius.
           On the other hand, if truth does not dwell in man it is                                Th,e difference is bur a relative one.
           merely possessed as a piece. of information  and in no                                        This, to be sure, is the idea pervading the entire work.
           wise constitutes religion. The heathen, says the apostle, The difference between the Christian and the  non-
           hold the truth in unrighteousness,  change it into a lie. Christian  religidn is but relative. Christ and  Confuciui
           This is done because the truth is hated by  &em: Who                                   differ but relatively, so the good which both perform.
            change the truth of God unto a lie and worship and serve                                     The principles permeating De Korne's book are  thor-
           the creature more than the creator (Rom. 1).                                           ough,ly  modern. See former article.
                 Tlie author also informs his readers that there is much                                 Yet one may read this : "Hearty acknowledgments are
            ethical truth present in the religion of the Chinese. One                             due to.. . . Prof. Louis  B'erkhof  for help in working out
            happens upon the following paragraph: "But it is espe-                                the problems faced  iti chapter  22."" The title of this chap-
           cially in the field of pure ethical teaching rhat Confucius                            ter reads, "How can we account for rhe presence of truth
           `stands out as one of the world's greatest men, and Con-                               in non-Christian religions?"
     .      fucianism endures as one of the world's great systems of                                                                                  G. M. 0.
            ethics. The Confucian'injunction to honor father and
            mother differs from our fifth  cpmmandment  only in rhe
            matter of the authority with which it was given.  Con:                                                               FORGIVE
            fucians insist just as vigorously as Paul did iri Roman+                                             Dear Lord, forgive
            thirteen that every soul should be sabject  unto rhe higher                                    The evil passions that within me live,
            powers ; and they even agree regarding the motive for                                                Make my whole heart
            the ordinance : `for there is no power but of God ; the                                              Of Thine a part,
           `powers that be are ordained by God'. That principle has                                        And let Thy spirit rule and reign in me
            so dominated official thinking that it  end&es in the                                          That I may perfect be, complete in Thee.
            terminology down to the present day; when the Manchu
            dynasty was forced to make way for the republic of 1911.                                             I do hate sin
            the Chinese explanation of it was that the Manghus had                                         And all the wretched work it does within;
          exhausted the mandate of Heaven. In her reaching out                                                   I cannot  rest
            after the perfect person, the princely man of the  con-                                              When in my breast,
            fucian classics, China has kept her face toward the                                            I see its motions and its mad desires,
            heights, the device upon her banner has been Excelsior.                                ,,      Oh purge me, Lord, e'en though it be through fires.


