                                                                                                                                                                        .





          VOLUME  XXVIII                                      SEPTEMBER 1, 1952  - G~ND RAPIDS. MICHIGAN                                           N U M B E R   2 1

                                                                                            the vine and gladly eat of `the clusters of grapes-that
         MEDITAT1Q.N                                                                        fill its `brantihes, however, they do &it see one whit
                                -                                                          of the true heavenly picture of a God Who rejoices
                                                                           ~          ' in the fact  <that. a man  briligs  fdrth fruit unto His.
                       The &irable of the Sower .                                           glory and  .honor.
                               . .                                                             I would- take jrou all to witness <that everyone has
                      "Behold, a sower went forth to SOW; and when he                       seen the earthly picture of my text. We may have
                    &we&  some seeds fell by the way  ,si,de,  and  the                     advanced  in agriculture  atid horticulture, but  -the
                    fowls came and devoured them up: some fell `upon                        plain fact repains that man entrusts'the  seed and th'e
                    stony places, where they had. not much ea&h: and
                    forthwith  they sprang up, because they  had no                         seedlings `to the earth in, order to look f,or fruit later
                    ,deepne,ss  of earth:  a.nd when the sun was  up, they                  on. In every age and under every climate we see this
                    were scorched; and because  they had no  roqt,  they                    `parable. It is enacted before our eyes from earliest
                    withered away. And some  fell-  among thorns; and
                    the  thorns  sprung up, ,and choked  ,them:  but-others                 infancy to our old age upon the earth.
                    fell into good ground,- and broyght  forth fruit, some                     But attend to this: every time you have seen the
                    an  `hundredfoId,  some sixtyfold, some  th&tyfold.                     the sower at work, 
                   - Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."                                                           you  have seen the things of the
                                          _    . .          --Mat.th.   13:3b-9.            Kingdom of' God. But it makes a terrible diff&ence
                                                                                            1:o  :u  ~JOU   .Saw  !. If  yo_u_  &%  #these things  happen'ing
          .The Holy Bible tells us in Mark 4:ll and 12, t.hat
       ihe~ t,hings  of the Kingdom of *God                                                 with your  ti&$  .earthljr  vision,  ~011 saw but the re-
                                                            are done in pay-                flection of the things of the Kingdom, while if 
       able@!            .,                            c                            _-.                                                                    you saw
                                                                                            with `spiritual insight the same things, 
          I take f,or gianted that you know ~what a parable                                                                                        you  beheld the
                                                                                            real entities of that Kingdom, and you rejoiced ex-
       is? In `a few words : a parable is an  earthlji' story                               ceedingly.
     with a heavenly meaning.
          If we. make a careful Study of th& parables which
       were spoken by OUT Lord Jesus Christ while He so-                                                              x2  f?  -*  *
                                                                                                                     -.
       journed among us, and when we listen to His explana-
       tions of them;we come to the conclusion th,at the my-                                    The sower is' Jesus Christ'. `That is, in the strict
     steries  of the Kingdom of God are done in  parabLes! sense of the word. Mark 4 :13, where Jesus explains ~.
       The earth and its fulness is, as it were, a mirror in                                this p&able, tells  US that, "The sower  soweth the
       which we see reflected the things and relationships                                  Word !" We must `emphasize that last word of this,
       that shall abide until the sun and the moon shill shine                              quot,ation : The Word ! And that Word is the voice
       no more.                                                                             .of .Jesus Himself, At another occasion He said : My
         ~ For example. : eve?y vine on  earth is a  sermon                                 sheep hear My voice, and they follow Me! And that
       which loudly proclaims that Jesus Christ is the true                                 Word of Jestis  is recorded for `LIS  in the .Holy Bible.
     - Vine in W;hpm. the Christians are the branches, bring-                               And eve0 today it iS real.ly Jesus and Jesus alone who
     ing forth the clusters of the grapes  of~,th& praise of                                is able to sow the seed'??? His own Worcl,in  the hearts
                                                      _'
       Jehovah.                                                                             of the  peoile of  ,God.  `. :     _       _     `.
          But the sad thing is that while the vine, agd every                                  -Oh, I agree that in the instrumental sense `of the
       vine, loudly'proclaims that Je&s is the true Vine and sword,  also men ar,e `nsed by Him to sow the Word of
       that  ,God is the great Husbandnian, `the  yorld does                                IGod, bLrt we must remember that they are mere in-
       not hear that sermon, that is, not really. They see. &ruinents-  in' the' hand of Christ Jesus. First, the



I                                                                                                                                                                            1


 482                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARE,R

 preachers' who are real preachers are chosen by Je-           to church and which also hear the preaching of ~the
 Sus and called by Him ; second, it is Jesus Who de-           Word of Christ. It even comes into `tihheir heart, that
 termines their audience; third, it is Jesus Who gives         is, they do consider it to some extent. Intellectually
 them the message they must speak ; and, finally, it is        they know what you are talki_ng about. But the last
 .Jesus Who preaches to the .hearts  while His servants        wdrds df the human preacher have hardly died away,
 stand on the pulpit. He it is that goeth from ear ?o          and they are the prey-of Satan, who comes and takes
 ear and from heart to heart, arid He preaches to His          away the Word that was preached. The Word of God
 people in the full and real sense of the w,ord.               went in one ,ear and out `the other, and they are not
  This brings us to `the second idea under the sub-            changed for the good one whi.t. Notice, the seed is
 head of sowing. -:The  seed is the Word of -Jesus, ,as we     taken away by Satan, so it is entirely proper to infer
 have seen. This bmrings up the interesting question $Fat `they let go of' the Word of ,God with wicked de-
 of the  .word  of. the preacher, Attend to this,. dear        liberation, such as: Well, why should we worry? Th.o
 reader: every word which the human preachers  utlber          sun is shining and all is well. .I.t will be time a-plenty
 is not the Word of Christ. Oh no, there is much con- .to think of these things when I am old and grey. Let's
traband in this respect, and you must always  che&             enjoy the world ; let us eat and drink and be merry;
 the sermons you hear with the-infallible record  which        for tomorrow we die ! And they continue  on. their
-Jesus has left us in `the Holy Bible.                         foolish pathway.
         A<d the third matter is the field.                       IQf course, there is no fruit. .That is, there is no
        The field is not the world. I agree that ultimately    prai,se  and. honor of God in their heart or in their
 this will become the field, but as long as the're  are large mouth.
&acts on this' sorry earfh where the Gospel has not               The second kind of people are pictured in the seed
been preached as yet, so long you cannot say that the which fel! in stony places where it had no deepness
 field is  .the world. The field is the  place where the       of earth.
preachqr brings the Word of Christ. And therefore it              They are the superficial people.
 is the sphere of the Kingdom of <God on- earth. It is            ,Of tliem  Jesus said, and I quote: But he that re-
the realm of the church'of Jesus Christ in the broadest        ceived the seed into stony places, the same is he that
sense of  *he word.  ..                                        heareth the word, and afioti with joy receiveth .it ; yet
  ' So there you have the fitting introduction to the          hath he. not root in hiq@,f, ,but dureth for a while ;,
process of the sowing of the  word  of God and its             for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because
fruit, or flack' of fruit. Jesus ,Chri& sows (the Word         of the Word, by and by he. is offended.
of God through His servants in the church at large.               You see the picture.
And in as far as the hunian preachers bring that Word             T41.e seed fell into a sle&er layer of soil. Under-
which they preach He either applies it- to the hearts          neat,h, the  groutid is  a&  hard as the rock. The sun
of His elect children, or He hardens the reprobates            ariseth, and because of the excessive warmth, the seed
unto their eternal condemnation. Such is the pic-              sprouts at once and there you have the rich foliage.
ture we see.                      2:
                 -                                             But no, we rejoiced too- easily. When the heat of mid-
                                                               day comes and burns upon this foliage, it is withered
                                                                                            . .
                           *  *  *  *                          and dies away.
                                  :;                              And so it is with superficial people.  ,They hear
        There  a?e three kinds of people which are  por-       the Word of the Kingdom of `God and at once they are
strayed here in this parable.                                  moved in the superficial and shallow region of their
        There are first those who are likened unto seed        feelings. They shout for joy:  Halleiujah! I have
which is sown by the way `side.                                received the Word.
        Let me call your attention first to the fact that         But wait! Persecution  and  tribtilation because of
in the instance of- this parable, we have the explana-         the Word Comes. You see, the Word of Jesus Christ
tion by Jesus Himself. And we will, of. course, follow         is entirely contrary to the thoughts, the imagination,
His exegesis of `the parable.                                  the purposes and the enjoyments of ?he flesh, and of
        And here is what' Jesus says about the people that the world. So natural.ly, when yen harbour  the Christ
aie likened to the seed which falls by the w,aysidei and       and live  tile. Christ, you run counter to the whole
I quote: "When anyone hear&h the Word of the King-             world of man 2nd of f?esh, of the sinful and corrupt
dom, and unders'tandeth it not then bometh'the wick- practice of the children of the world.
ed one, and catcheth awaj, that which was sown in                 And in such a  fi::ht the superficial singer of  t3e
. his heart."                                                  songs of Jesus' Gospel of the Kingdom canriot stand.
        These are the bardhearted  people which also come
  7.                                                           He is at o&e ofl"ended,  and dies away. Hs falls back


                                               jt'fiE     sZ'~&j'j-,Ai,D        ,BfiABEB  !                                   483

 into his former life, and there is no fruit unto  :I:e            nice to go to heaven, but it is nicer to have a good. time          .
 praises of the name of  :,God.                                    now. Therefore, comk on: we are going to enjoy the
         I am afraid that the+ are many sown in stony plar         kingdom `of men which `is round abouit ~7s and within
 ces todsly. It is ijh? sd'easy to attend a revival meeting        us while w,e may. I like to have a thrill and enjoy my-
 and to shou,t hallelujah. But it is not easy to-live the          self. The parable of the rich fool is a wondrous corn-.
 life of  :the Kingdom in  self-dbnial and  self-tiacrifice.       merxtary ,on these. kind of people.
 It is very difficult t6 sing the halle~,ujah's  of the king-          But there is no fruit unto the praising of the
 dom while they hate you and persecute and say all                 name of God.
 manner of things against you falsely for Jesus' sake.
 It is oh so difficult to crucify your own nature and                                     *-*  7-c  *
 do  :the things that are against you. It i,s difficult  t,o
 `serve Jesus in the heat of the day, when hatred and                  Finally  there is the sowing with fruit! abundant
 m&e are your daily portion.                                       fruit.
         Remember, if you desire to walk with Jesus, you               And of those people the Lord said : Butt he that re-
 -must bear the reproach of Jesus. And w.e reproach ceived into  the good ground is he that heareth the
 a thing when we abhor it, and throw it from us. And
 tha;t. is the way in which the real Christians are                word, and underst&deth it; which, also beareth fruit,
                                                                   and bringeth for;th, some an hundredfold, some sixty-:
treated. For the sake of the `fact that Jesus is in
 their heart, t.heir walk and conversation, they=are kill-         and some thinty. I also like to call your attention to
                                                                   Luke where we find the s&tie parable. `There Jesus
ed all the day long, they are accounted as sheep for
 the slaughter.                                                    says of these people:  Bu.t that on  :the good ground
                                                                   are they, which in an honest and good heart, having
         In order to stand the heat of day, you rriust  have       heard the word, keep it, and bring forth frui;t ,~~~~~
 deepness of earth.                                                patience.
         In order to walk with  -Jesus in the midst of an              Those people are very blessed. Th@P hearit $ call-
 hostile world, you must have the seed of Jesus'. Word             ,ed good and hoeest.  It is likened un.to soil that is well
 down deep within your inner heart and soul.                       cultivated, soft and- ready f.or tthe seed.-               ..  '
                                                                       You will note that the whole `parable iturns.,on  the
    _                      *  a  *  *                              question : wha.t sort of heart have you got?
                                                                       These people have a good heart. It is a heart
         The third kind of people are those that are sown          which is mad& fit rto hear the Word of ,God and to re-
 in thorny places. .Jesus says of them: He also that re-           ceive it in the depths of that hear.t so that they un:
 ceived seed among the thorns is he that heareth the               derstand it. Oh  n?, they  .do  no;t at  ohce joyfully ac-
 word: and the care of thi.s world, and the deceitful-             cept it. Far from it. When  .the Word of God in  $1
 ness-of riches, choke the word, and he becometh un-               its sharpness of condemnation of sin comes to them,
 fruitful.                                                         they -are first of all sorry. They weep in the very
         Can you not see them?                                     .depths  of them, and they turn to God for redemption.
         They are the nominal Christians who love `them-           Then they are led to the cross of Jesus, and in that
  selves rather than  IGod. They  are-  the people who             Jesus and in that cross they see all the medicine for
 are very deliberate. They do not jump before they                 their ills, all the redemption for their load of sin and
 look. _ They weigh Jesus, God, and the eternal salva-             guilt, all the mea-ns for a happy life and' a blessed
 tion very carefully overagainst the things of this                eternity. They see in that Jesus the only way to the
 world, the  pleasur.es  ,and the treasures which this Father in heaven. He is the Mouth through which
 world can give them.They like a good time now,                    they can praise and glorify God in `heaven; and this
 rather than presently in heayenl              1                   laslt is-the very purpose of cyeation.
         ,Oh yes, they have gone  :to church.  They gave               0 yes, it Is a question sf Ithe utmost importance:
 Jesus a hearing.  And- they went into the matter                  with what kind of a heart `do I listen to the Word of
 rather thoroughly. They are deeper people than the                *God !
 first two categories. But while -they are considering                 And they bring  fdr.th  fruit. Some more than o-
 the Word of God, the thorns and the thistles of the               thers, but those which by the grace of God through
 other things which I  mentioeed  also grow up.  That              regeneraiion and conversion, have received a new
 is,  they-will consider the things of  Jesus Christ  in-          heart, they  al! bring forth  fpuit. And  this fruit  is~
 deed, bu.t they will also consider the things and the lthe praising-of the name of God, in their heart, their                              I
 pleasures of this world.                                          mout,h,  and their life! That is the life that counts !
   Atid  the' inevitable result is that  they.  say:. It  is                                                       G. Vos.
                                         _.               '


 484                                         I                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R


                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                                                                                .-  EDITORIA-LS
           Semi-monthly, except monthly in July and  Augnst
          Published by the  I$e$rmed  Free Publishing Association
                  %x 124, Station C., Grand Rapids 6, Michigan                                                                                                     The Promise Accord+ to thi Confessiens
                           EDITOR  - Rev. Herman Hoeksema
          Communications relative to contents should be addressed                                                                                                    We are still discussing the conce& promise as it'
          to Rev. H. Hoeksema, 1.139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand
          Rapids 7, Michigan.                                                                                                                                    so  freqeently occurs in the Reformed Confessions.
          All  matter  relative to subscription should be addressed                                                                                              In order to obitain a true idea of the promise, accord-
          to Mr. J. Bouwman,  .1350.-  Giddings Ave., S. E., Grand                                                                                               ing to the Reformed conception, we must not limit our-
          Rapids 7, Michigan. Announcements and Obituaries must                                                                                                  selves ,to Canons II, 5, but consult the whole of 
          be mailed to the above address and will be published at a                                                                                                                                                         0~71
          fee of $1.00 for each. notifce.                                                                                                                        Three For-ms  of Unity.
          Renewals :- Unless a definite request for discontinuance                                                                                                   Let us recall -that in `the Heidelb& Catechism,
          is received,, ~itcis  assunied  that the subscriber wishes the
          subscription to continue without the  formality  of a re-                                                                                              y. 66, it is stated that sacraments,,$re  h@, visible
          newal order,                                                                                                                                           signs and seals, appointed ,of God, 1 for thei end that
                            Subscription Price: $3.00  per year                                                                                     -            by  th& use thereof God may  mope  fully  d,eclare  and
          Entered as Second Class mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan t                                                                                               seal ito us the promise ,of the gospel.
                                                                                                                                                                     In the light of this sbatement, let, us further con-
                                                                                                                                                                 sult the Netherland Confe.Fsio&.  In Article 35, which
                                                                                                                                                                 speaks of the Holy Sipper of oui Lord. Jesus Christ,
                                          CONTEti~TS                                                                                                             we read: "We believe and confess,  !that our Savior
                                                                                                                                                                 Jesus. Christ  did ordain and institute the sacrament
MEDITATION-
            The Parable_  of tk:e Sower                                          ._
                                                       . . . .,; . . * . . . . . . . . . . ,. . * . . . . . :. . . . . , 481                                     of the holy supper, to nqurish and support those whom
                                                                          ..?                                         .
                Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                      he hath already regenerated, and incorporated into
E                                                                                                                                                                .his  fam&, which is his  Church." Now, if  `the sacra-
     DITORIALS-                                                  : . .                 ^
            The Promise According to' the Confessions  . .&. .                                                                                           484     ment of the Lord's Supper, as well as the sacrament
                                                                                              I     *     .     .     .:
                                                                                                                            .     .     .     .     .
                Rev.. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                of  bapltism,  is  oardained by God to seal unto us his
THE TRIPLE  KNOWLBDGE-                                                                                                                                           promise, it ought to be plain from these words that
            An Exposition of the Heidelberg Catechism . . . ............ 486
                 Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                the promise of God is not for all, but only fbr the e-
                                                                                                                                                                 lect. This- iS plainly stated here, becaus'e the sacra-
IN HIS  FEAR:                        '
            An Interesting Answer to a Vital Question . . . .                                                                                                    menlt of the Lord's Supper is ordained for those whom
                                                                                             . . . . . . . ;: . . . 490 .
                Rev. H. C. Hoeksema                                                                                                                              he  bath already regenerated. And according to the
&ON'S  ZANGEN-                                                                                                                                                   same article, this life of r,egeneration  is peculiar .only
            Gods Groote Goedertierenheid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 492                                                                   to God's elect.
                Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                                                                           r-
                                                                                                                                                                    Moreover, as to the con,tents of the promise which
`COWRIBUTION-
            Logical Truth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                                                    is sealed in the supper of the Lord, we read: "Now, as
                                                                                                                                                         495
               Rev. B. Kok                                                                                                                                       it ig certain and beyond all doubt l:hat Jesus Christ
                                                                                                                                                                 hath not enjoin&d to 
F                                                                                                                                                                                         us the use of his sacraments in
     ROM HOLY  WRIT-
            Where the Holy  Spirit  Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496                                                            vain, so he works in us all that he represents to ~7s
               Rev. J. Blankesp-or                                                                                                                               by these holy @gns, though `the manner surpasses our
            My Statements on` Essu .1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .`. . . . . . 498                                                               understanding, and cannot be comprehended by us,
            Strange Reasonings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501
     I                                                                                                                                                           as the oper?ations  of the Holy Glriost are hidden and
            Samsofi,  a True Servant of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 504                                                                     `incomprehensible.    In the meantime we err not, when
                Rev. G. M. Ophoff                        ,                                                                                                       we say, that what-is eaten and drunk by  ~7s  is the
                                                                                                                                                                 proper and natural body, and the proper blood of
                                                                                                                                                                 Christ. But the mariner'of our partaking of the same,
                                                                                                                                                                 is nolt by the mouth1 but by `the spirit through faith.
                         SlJBSCRIBER$! PLliASE NOTE                                                                                                              Thus then, though Christ aIways sits at the right hand
     Due to a `considerable increase in the cost of print-, of his Father in the heavens, yet dot,h he not therefore
ing and also due to the facet .that postal rates have                                                                                                            cease to make tis partaker.s of himself by faith. This
-doubled during the past year the -Board has decided                                                                                                             fzeast is a spiritual table, ,at which Christ cbmmuni-
that effective-October 1st the subscription price of The                                                                                                         cates himself with all his >benefits  `to us, and gives us
Standard B:ea+er Will be $4.00 per year.                                                                                                                        there to enjoy both himself and the-  merits  .of his
                   -.                                   The Board of the R.F.P.A.`                                                                               euffering-  and  deat&  nouri&ing,   stren&hening and


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       485
                                                                                I

 comforting our poor comfortless souls by the eating            minds wres't to their dwn destruction, yet to holy and
 of ilis fle&, quickening and `refreshing them by the           pious souls affords unspeakable consolation."
 drinking bf his blood." This is the contents of the             . One  of  the arguments  *against the  Declaration  of
 promise of the gospel. It includes the application of- Prin,ciples  adduced by Dir. Schilder is that it is supra-
 a!1 the  meri+s of Christ to us, the  .nourishing  and         lapsarian. Now even if this were the case, we have
 strengthening and comforting of our souls, and the             nothing to be ashamed of. Nevertheless, we here slate
 (quickening and refreshing of them.                            that Dr. Schilder is mistaken. The confessions,  cs-
    And that the promise of the gospel, as signified            pecially the Canons of Dbrdreeht, are based upon the
 and sealed in the sacrament, is not received-by all that       infralapsarian view of election. And the Declaration
 partake of the sacrament in the outward sense of the- is based foursquarely upon those con$essions.                This
 word is also evident from the rest of thk article. For         does not niean ,that personially we do not liesitate to
 there we read: "Further, though the sacraments are go beyond this infrralapsarian  conception, but it does
 connected with the thing signified, nevertheless bo&th         lnean that the Declaration of Principles is according
 are not received by all men: the ungodly indeed re-            to the Reformed Confessibns as we have them pure
 ceives the sacrament to his condemnation, but he do%h          and simple.     The  Guotation which I made  a;bove
 not receive ,the trtijth of the sacrament." `The ungodly, spe'aks  of "the righteous discrimination between men,
 certainly receives the 0utwar.d sign. This is true not         equally involved in ruin." This is infra. But this
 only of the Lord's Supper, but, of course, also of the         does not  ,affect whatsoever  the presentation of the
 sacramen;t of holy baptism. But he never receives' the         promise  of God as it is in the Declaration of Princi-
 thing signified. Just as .in the preaching of~~,the-q;pspel    ple,s.  Supra and infra have nothing to do with this
 the ungodly may hear with the natural, external `ear           question. Faith is a gift of God according to His own
 the promise of God, but receives it to his condemna-           decree, and it is flowing from .His decree that H,e be-
 tion, so also in the Lord's Supper the yngodly receives stows faith upon some, ,and not upon others. It cer-
 the bread and the wine, but tiot the essen@$ thing, ,tainly is not Reformed to' present the matter as if the
 the realization of the promise  of God to him. He cer-         promise  were conditioned by faith. For, in the first
 tainly does, not receive the promise of the Holy Ghost.        p@ce,  as has been said repeatedly, faith is included in
 Nor is that promise of the Holy (Ghost meanlt for him.         the promise. And that promise of faith God bestows
 The promise is mea& by God only for the elect..                only upon the elect, And if we say  &ha% the rest do
    New let us turn to the Canons of Dordrecht. As              not receive the promise because they reject it in
 we have stated repeatedly, Canons II, 5, does not              unbelief, we certainly speak the truth, but we do not
 mean to be a definition of the complete promise of             c:-esk all `the truth. For we must add that they can-
 God, Nor, in fact, does this part of the Canons speak          not believe because they are not of `Christ's sheep. And
 of a conditional promis'e.                                     the ultimate cause of their unbelief, although the ap-
    The fujl promise includes the whole of ,salvation,          proximate Cause is in their own sin, is nevertheless in
objective and subjective. It includes the gift of the           the fact that #God,--to  speak in infralapsarian langu-
 Holy Spirit:  Ii; includes faith. And it includes  ,the        a g e , -passed them by, according to' His decree, with
 application of- all the blessings of salvation in Christ       the gift- of faith.~ The promise, which includes the
 to the elect.                                                  promise of faith, is not for all, but for the elect only.
                                                                And tha% promise is not conditional, but strictly un-
     All this is plainly' emphasized in Canons I, 6, `7.        conditional.
 In Al?ticle 6 we read: "That some receive .the gift of
 faith from God, and others do not receive. it, pro-                The same is true of Article 7 of the same chapter
 ceeds from God's eternal decree, `Fqr known unto               of  th'e  ;Canons.  There we read: "Election is the  un-
 God are all his works from the beginning`of the world,' changeabsle  purpose of God, whereby, before the foun-
 Acts 15 :18. `Who worketh all things after the coun-           dation of the wdrld, he hath out, of m&e grace, accord-
 sel of his will,' Eph. 1  :ll. According to which  d+          ing  `to the sovereign good pleasure of his own will,
 eree, he graciously  sofitens  the hearts of the elect,        chosen, from the whole human pace,  which had fal-
 however obstinate, and inclines them to believe  ;             len-through their own fault, from their primitive state
 while he leaves the non-elect in his just judgment to          of rectitude, into sin and destruction; a certain num-
 their own wickedness and  obdurlacy. And herein is             ber of persons to redemption in Christ, whom he from
 especially displayed `the profound, the merciful, and          eternity appointed the Mediator and Head of the elect,
 at -the  same time the righteous discrimination be-            and the foundstion of salvation." Here toq we have
 tween men, equally involved in ruin ; or that deoree  of       the presentation of  .the infralapsarian view of the
 election and reprobation, revealed in the Word of God,         counsel of God. God chose His elect from the human
 which though men of perverse, impure and unstable              race "which had fallen through- their mown fault, from


   486                                   T H E   S T A - N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                   -
   their primitive state of rectitude,  i&o sin and de-
   struction." That is pure infralapsarian language.
   And to it we have no objection whatsoever as. far as               THE  TRIPLE KNOWLEDGE
   the Declaration of Principles is concerned. For even
   that  infr,alapsarian language expresses very plainly           An Exposition Of. The Heidelberg
   that the promise is an oath of God for the elect only,
and that it is unconditional. This ought  <to be very                                   Catechism
   plain from the rest of this article, which reads: "This                                P A R T   I I I
   elect  number, though by nature  -neither  be'cter nor
   more deserving' than others, but with them involved                            OF  THANK.F~LNE,SS
   in one common misery, God hlath decreed `to give to                                  Lord's Day 32
   Chri,st, to be saved by him, and effectulally to call and                                    4
   draw them to his communion by his Word and Spirit,                             The Fruits of Good Works
  to bestow upon them trus faith, justifi&tion and sanc-
   tification ; and having powerfully. preserved them in               Besides the praise and glory of God, the Heidelberg
   the fellowship of his Son, finally: to glorify them for         ,Catechism still mentions another twofold purpose of
   the demonstration of his mercy, and $or the praise of           good works. The first is "that everyone may be as-
his glorious  grace.~" Now, mark you well, that all this : sured in himself of his fa+th,  by the fruits thereof ."
  is the promise of God according to th+ decree. The And the second, "fihat by our godly` conversation, -o-
  promis'e  in the decree. includes thk effectual calling,         thers may be gained to Christ." Rather than  co-
   drawing'int'o the fellowship of Christ by His Word              ordinatg  -thi%  twofold `added  p+pose of good works
  and Spiri't,  true faith, justification, sanctification, pre-    with that ,of th'e' glofy and p.rai& of ,God; which after
  s&rvation and glorification. All this is contained in            all  is the sole purpose of all our life and walk and
   t,he promise of God as that promise  appears in God's .cpnversation in the midst of the world, we would pre-
  decree. And as it is in God% decree, so it is and must fer to- view These two, the assurance of faith and the
  be in reality. For what (God decrees Ee also Himself             gaining of others to Christ, under the aspect of fruits
  performs. And therefore, the. promise  in the  decree            of good- works.
  is the same 8s the: promise in its execution. If  th.e            The Heidelberg Zateehism here teaches, in the first
  promise in the decree is absolutely free and sovereign,          place, that goqd works are the fruits of faith; and
  only-founded upon God's own sovereign will., it must secondly, that by these fruits one may be assured of
  be the same in its execution. If `the promise in the'de- his fai;th.  IOf the fir&,' namely, that good works are
  cree is for the elect only,, it is also for the elect only the fruits of faith, we'(must  speak in connection with
 ~.`in reality. If the promise in'the decree is absolutely         Questidn  and Answer 91 of the next Lord's Day: Be
  ,unconditional,  as it appears frdm this article, it mu&         it sufficient in this connect+on  once more to emphasize
  be unconditional in its Iapplication. For what God <de- jthe fact that these fruits of faith are inevitable. For
  crees He  alSo fulfills. And He-fulfills it in the very          ,as we were taught in Question and Answer 64 of the
  manner that He has de`creed it.                                  Catechism, -"it is impossible that those, Gho are im-
      This is exrictly our difference with the Arminians.          planted i&o Clirist by a true faith, should not. bring
  The Arminians also speak of election, aor they cannot            fdrth fruits of thankfulness. " It is important to em-
  deny that the Word of God emphlasizes  this doctrine             phasize this  -truth  es&cially  in this connection, be-
  throughout.     They  also teach that election  is the           cause it serves to show why one may be and actually
  source of all our salvation and that only the elect are          is assured of his faith by the fruits thereof. It is
  saved. But,-and this is the difference between Re-               quite impossible that one who liyes a life of sin can
  formed truth and the  Arminian heresy,-according                 possibly have the .assurance that he is a believer. As
  ,to the Armlinians  electsion  is conditiona!: they speak of .the. Heidelberg Catechism has it in Question and Ans-
  a conditional election. And because they speak of a `we? 87, "no unchaste person, idolater, adulterer, thief,
  conditional election, they also speak of a conditional           covetous man, drunkard, slanderer, robber, or any
 promise. And .this error our fathers emphatically con-            such like, shall inherit the kingddm of God." Atid the
  demned and-repudiated in the same Canons.                        Lord .Jesus teaches us: "Ye shall know them by their
                                                                   fruits. , Do mkn gather grapes of  tharns, or figs of
      But  tjo this we must call your attention next thistles?  Eveli so every good tree bringeth forth
  time, D.V.                                                       good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil
                                                       H.H.        fruit.    A good tree cannot bring forth  eiril fruit,
                                                                   neither can a , corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
    1  i:             -:-:- -  .;A_                                Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn


                                    THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          487

down, and cast into  t&e fire. Wherefore by their              and all His benefits. He is the only ground of  our
 fru'its ye shall  know- them." Matt. 7 :16-20. And in         assurance, and through Him we know that God has
 James  2:14-17 we are  tiaught: "What doth it pro-            chosen us in Him befdre  ihe foundation of `the world
 fit, iny brethren, though a man say he bath -faith, and       and that He :blesses us with -all spiritaal  blessings in
 have not works?  ICan faith  save him? If a brother           heavenly  pla,ces. It certainly is not our good works,
 or sister be naked, `and destituf&i,of  daily food, And ,but the promis;  of God in Christ, and back of that.
 one of you say  unt,o them,, Depart in peace, be ye promise the eternal and unchangeable election of ,God
 warmed and filled ; notwithstanding ye give them not that  can possibly be the ground of our assurance.
 those things which are needful to  the body;  whath              Besides, if any. believer would attempt -to view his
 doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hat+--not works is       good. works as the ground of his assurance, he would
 dead, b&ing alone."' It is certainly Scriptural, there- no doubt presently .fall into the slough of doubt and
 fore, to teach that f#aith can be known by the fruits         despondency.    It is true that  -fa?th produces good
 thereof.                                .`I                   works, and that therefore the believer will certainly
     Nevertheless, we must  guird o&elves against              observe the fruits of that faith in his life. But it is
 misunderst,anding of this truth.                              also true that he still performs many works th,at `do
     Wahen the Catechism teaches here that everyone            not appear to be the fruit of faith whatsoever. Not
 may be assured by good works of his faith, we must            only are his best works always polluted tiith sin and
 not change this into  thl: statement `that good works as-     does he have but a small beginning -of the new obed-
 sure faith. - True and saving f.aith does not require         ience, but he also pergorms maiy works which he can-
 any props, or external supports. It can and does in-          not possilbly classify as good works. He s&s ; he' sins
 deed stand alone. For  fa,i:th is itself assurance.  Ai       repeatedly. He still trangresses all the commandments
 we have been' taught in Lord's Day 7, Qti. 21, of the         of God. And to be sure, he  r&pe;nts.  But even `after  _
 Heidelberg Catechism, faith  is in the  first  pl,ace, a he repents, he commits the'sam? off,ense  again and
 cerl&n knowledge. It is a firm assurance <f all that          again. : His whole l.ife `is characterized by what the
 God-has revealed to us-in His Word. Faith, theref,ore,        apo,s$le  Pau-1 confesses concerning himself as he 5s led
is spirit.ual assurance of the gospel of our Lord Jesus        by, the Holy Spirit to write as follows: "For we know
 Christ. And again,  accor,ding to the  s&me question that the law is spiritual ; but I am carnal, sold under
 and  _answer~of  the Heidel,berg   Cate'chibm, faith is an    sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I
 assured confidence that we have the forgiveness of            would, that I do not; but what I hate, that do I. If
 sin, everl'ast,ing  righteousness, and salvation only for then I do that which I would not, I consent to the law
 the sake of J&us Christ our Lord. -We must there-             that it is good.* -N,ow then it is no more.1 that do it,
 f&e never say  th,at faith  i,s assured by good works.        but sin th$t dwelleth in me. For I know that in me '
 For faith is itself. assurance.                               (athat is, in my,flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for $0
     Nor must we ever attempt to make our good works           will is present with me  ; but how to  preform that
 ,&e ground of .our assurance of .f'aith. In the deepest       which is good I find rid%. For thti good that I would
 sense of the word the ground of our assurance -is `al-        I do .not : but the evil which I would not., that I do.
 ways .God's gracious and unchangeable election. Only          Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do
 this gracious election ,of (God must never be viewed          it, but sin  that  dwell&h  in me. I find then a law,
 as an abstract doctrin,e,~ upon which we lay hold apart       that, when I .would do good, evil is present with me.
 from <Christ. It is in Christ that we are chosen from         For I delight in the law of ,God after the inward man:
 before the foundation of the-`yorld. And therefore it         But I see another law `in my members, warring a-
 is only in Chlrist that we can possibly lay hold upon         gainst the law of my mind, and bringing me into
 the assurance and comfort of eternal elect@. Chyisist         captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
 as He is revealed in the gospel is the ground- of all         0 wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me
 the assurance of our 3aith. It is in His cro.ss that we from the body of this death? I thank God  through
 behold the everlasting love of God, and that too, in <the     Jesus  IChrist our Lord.  80 then with the mind I
 midst of the darkness of sin and dtiath. It is in His         myself serve the law of `God ; but with the flesh the
 cross and through His resurrection from  the dead             law of sin." Surely, if we look upon our good works
 that we are assured of perfect righteousness, of the          in or.der  to find `assurance of f,aibh, we are bound to
 forgiveness of sin, and of the everlasting adoption unto      sink into the pit of despair.
 children of  ,God.    Faith is after all nothing but a          -But although faith is assured in itself, and al-
 means, or instrument, whereby we alre ingrafted into          though it is in itself a  heai%y confidence that I be-
 Christ and are made one plant with Him. And it, is            long to Christ and that I am partaker of all His bene-
 by that  ,God-$en  faith that we lay hold  -upon Christ       fits of righteousness and eternal life,, I can neverthe-


             4    8    8                    :     THE.STANDARD  B E A R E R   .-
           iess be assured froni Athe fruits of good works of the .or even of the Syner,gists,  as if w; walk in the way
           fact of my faith, or rather, of the blessed fact that          of sanctification and then receive the testimony of the
           I am in  t,he faith. This is  extictly  what' th,e  Heidel-    Holy Spirit, th& we aye the  ,children of God. But it
a..._      ber,g Catechism teaches in the 86th answer of the `must rathe'r be understood thus, that both faith and'
           thiriy-second  Lord's Day. It does ndt teach us that           sanctification are the work of the Holy Spirit. He
           faith is assured by good  wqrks,  but--that "everyone          makes u's walk in the way of God's precepts, and we
           may be assured in himself of his faith by the fruits           walk. He gives us the faith, and we believe. God
           thereof ." As the  ,German has it: "Darnach  such,             works within us to will and to do of His good pleasure ;
           dasz wir bei uns selbst unsers Glaubens ausi seinen            and as the fruit of His work we work out our salva-
           Fruchten gewisz sein." Just as a walk in sin can ne-           tion with fear and trembling. He gives us the stt*ength
           ver produce in him that continues in sin the assurance         to fight, and we fi>ght. Iit is all of God, nothing of us.
           of faith, so a walk in sanctification produces in him          The Spirit is the author of our faith. He is also the
           @at walks in a new an'd holy life the glad assurance           author of the fruits OB our failth, though we bear those
           of faith that he belongs to Christ. -And this assurance        fruits. And thus He is the author of the assurance
           of f,aith,  which is the assurance ithat he is a member        of our faith in the way of  sanctificait.ion. Christ is
           of Christ .Jesus, and in the deepest sense the assurance       zthe vine, and by faith we are ingrafted into  Christ
           of God's unchangeable election, is produced in the             by His Holy Spirit. I& is Christ that bears the fruit
           believer not by a sort of logical syllogism, or yea&n-         in us and through  us. And when He does bear ihat
          ing, but is  wroG.ght  spontaneously in his heart. by           fruit, we may glorify and praise the God of our sal-
           the Holy Spirit as he walks in the way of sanctifida-          vation in  thankfuiness of heart  Ithat we may walk
           tion. Never forget that the Holy Spirit is ,the author         in the way of sanctification and that thus we may be
           of our faith. And He .is also the author- of tihe assuy-       assured of our faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.
         ~  ante of our faith. Faith.  and the well-being of  faitl!         It is in this way  :that we make our calling and
           both are the work of the Holy Spirit of God in, ,Christ.       elect ion sure. For thus we read in II Peter  1:lO:
           It is .He that, according to the Heidelberg Cal-echism         `"Wher'efore the rather, brethren, give diligence to
   h       works faith in our hearts and strengthens-the .faith           make your calling and election sure : fcvr if ye do these
           by the preaching of the gospel and the administration          things, ye shall never fail." Notice that the Word of
           of the sacraments. I3e is the authoir also of.the assur-       God here exhorts the believers to give  diligence  to.
           ance of our faith. By the Spirit we are sealed both            make their own calling and election sure. That is,
           objectively and subjectively unto the. d&y of redemp-          by the power of the Holy Spirit, and exhorted by the
           tion. It is the Spirit that testifies with our spirit that     Word of God, they must and they do fight the good
         . we are children ,of God. Ancl without  that Spir-it we         fight of faith. And only by. fighting that go'od fight
           canilot -have that  ble.ssed testimony in our  heants.         can they make t,heir calling Andy election sure. This
           Ttiat assurance and that testimony of the Holy Spirit          is plain from the  co&e&. For  we-re8d in vss. 4ff:
           is wrought in  OUY hearts  thqugh the Word of God              `-Whereby  are given unto us exceeding great and pre-
           through the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. But               cious promises : that by. these ye might be partakers
           H,e works that assurance of faith in our hearts, so            of the divine nature, having escaped the corruptSon
           that we are Ctinfident that we are in the f.aith,  not in -that  is in the world through lust. And beside this,
           the way of sin but in the way -of sanctification only.         giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue ; and to
           For thus  WI? read in Rom.  8:12-1'6:  "Theref,ore,   bre-     virtue  knowl,edge   ; And to knowledge  %emperance   ;
         1  thren, we are debtors, not  to the flesh, to  l&e -after      and to temperance patience  ; and to patience godliness ;.
          the flesh. For if ye live after .the flesh, ye shall die:       And to godliness br,othejrly  kindness ; and to brotherly
           but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of           kindness charity. For if these things .be in you, and
           the body, y'e shall live. For as many as are led by            abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren
           the Spirit of God, they are the sons of IGod. For ye           nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus
           have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear;         Christ.    But he that lacketh these things is blind,
           but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whelreby          and cannot see afar off, and hath folrgotten that he
           we cry, Abba, Father. `The .Spirit  itself beareth wit-        was purged fr.om his old sins.". It is in this connec-
           ness-with our spirit, that we Ire `the children of God." ti~on that we read the exhortation: "`Wherefore the
           From this it is very plain that the testimoliy  of the         rather, brethr.en, give diligence to make your calling
           Holy Spirit, and therefore the  atisu~ance  of faith,          and election sure."
           cannot possibly be our experience, unless we walk                 This is also the teaching of our Confessions. In
           in the way of sanctificat`ion, not living after the flesh,     Canons I, 12 we read : -"The elect in due time, though
            but mortifying the deeds of-the body. This, of course,        in various degrees and in different measures, attain
            may never be understood in [the sense 91 an Arminian, the  asBupance  of this their eternal and  unchangable


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D - .   B E A R E R                                      489

  election, not by iniquisitively prying into the secret       these spiritual ~fruits of f,aith,  owe spontatieously have
  and deep things  ,of God, but by  ob,se&in,g in them-        the testimony of the Holy Spirit in our hearts that we
  selves with spiritual joy` and holy pleasure, *the in-       are children of ,God.
  fallible fruit8 of election point,ed  out in the Word of      A word must be said here about  anoeher  fruit of
  God,-such as  a'true faith -in Christ, filial fear, a        good  works which the Catechism  &entions  in  ihis
  godly soryow fog sin, a hungering and thirsting after        eighty-sixth answer. It is this, `"that by our  g'oclly
  righteousness." And to  ,this we may add  Aricle 14 conversation other.s may ;be gained for Christ." The
  of the same chapter of the Canons : "The sense and' texts that `are usu.ally quoted ,in this connection are
  cert,ainty of this election afford to the children of God    especially Matthew 5  :16:  `%et your  light, so shine
  additional matter for daily humiliation before him, f,or     before men; that they may see your good works, and
  adoring the depth of his mercies, for cleansi?ig them-       glorify your Father which is in heaven." And also
 selves, and renderin'g grateful returns of ardent love        I Peter 3 :I,2 : "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection
  to him, who first manifested so great love towards           to your own husbands ; that,- if any obey not ;the word, -
 them. The  considerati,on  of this doctrine of election       they also m.ay without the word be woq by the con-
  is so far from encouraging remissness in the obser-.
                                              .                versation of the wives; While they behold your chaste
  Vance of the divine commands, br from smking men             conversation coupled with fear." Iti  conneckion  with  '
  in carnal security, that these, in the just jl;dgemint       these passages we wish to make a few remarks.
  of  %od, are the  usual effects of rash presumption,            In the first place, it must be  plainly  understood-
  or of idle and wanton trifling with the grace gf elec-
  tion, in those who refuse te w,alk in the ways of the        that no man can gain anyone for Christ. Even if
  elect."                                                      God is pleased to use qur godly conversati&  or our
                                                               good works as a means.to  bring the unconverted into
     These Scriptural passages, as we11 as the ql,zotat-       the kingdom of SGod, it is never mqre than a. means,
  tions from the  Canohs given  &bove, alsq inform us          and all boasting on oul' part is .absolutely  excluded.
  as to the nature of the fruits of faith whereby one may      When men see our good works, they certainly glorify
  be assured of his sonship; These fruits are not to be        our FatheP which is `in heaven. This may mean th_at
- found in great, outward works,  .although it stands          God uses our good  works to bring the  un,godly to
  to reason `chit the external `manif+tati,on  of a h:Ce in    Christ, the result of which is that they glorify our Fa-
  sanctification results also in these. It is indeed true      ther which is in heaven in true faith and thankfulness.
  that we must show our gratitu,de  to God in the :vhole       But it may also mean that they glorify the work of _
  of our conduct, in every phase and department of life.       grace which our Father in heaven performs in them
  But it is not true that external works alone arc ncc- illat  .are chosen in Christ, without themselves ever
  essarily the fruits of faith. That this is snot. true is     being brought to the faith in Christ Jesus. It may
  -evident from all Scripture, but we will quote jdst one      even mean .that -they h.ate the li.ght and hate ,&he works
  passage to prove that an'outtiarcl show of works is          of the light as manifested by .the believers in Christ,
  by no means evidence of faith. In  &+att.  7:21-23  we       that they persecute them because they l&e the dark-
  read: "N'ot everyone th.at saith unto me, Lord, Lord,        ness rather than the light. Even so, they must and
  shall enter into the kingdom of heqven ; but he that         shall gloEify our Father which is in. heaven, both .in
  doe&h the will of my Fathe;& which is in heaven.. Many       this world and in the  day of judgement. However
  will say to me in that. day, Zord, Lord, have w$ not         this may be, it must be plainly understood that the
  prophesied in  thy name? and in thy name hare cast           walk  ,of believers may be indeed a means to  g&in o-  '
  out clevils?~and in thy name have done many wonder-          thers for IChrist, but it is never more than a means
  ful works? And  &en will I profess unto  th?m., I            in the hands of God -unto the salvation of the uncon-
  never knew you: depart from me, ye that work ini:            verted. Secondly, from this it follows that those who
  qtiity." And therefore, although the outward mani-           are gained unt,o Ch'rist by our godly walk and conver-
  festation of the Christian must  ce'rtainly   show  thi?     sation can only be the elect. As has already been sta-
  fruits of faith, these fruits must nevertheless first        ted,  the darkness. hates the light. In the world. we
  of all be illward. They -are the fruits of filial -fear,     shall have tribulation, because  the> world hates  US.
  a godly sorrow for sin, a hungering and thirsting            And that reprobate world surely will never be gained
  after  righteou,sness,  a true love of the brethren, an      unto Christ. It is only the elect that by the grace-of
  attending  coiztantly to the Word of God and to the          God, even through our godly  oonVersation,  shall be
  preaching of the- gospel, a willingness to suffer f,or' conyerted.  And  finally,_.especially in  tionnection  with
  Christ's sake and to bear His reproach. These and            I Peter 3 :l, this gaining f?r -Christ can never take 0
  similar fruits of faith' are the indubitable evidence        place without the preaching of the gospel in the strict
-'  .of the fact that we are in Christ. And manifesting        and  absolute'sense  of the word. When we read in I


`490                              j  T H E   S T A N D A R D .   B E A R E R
   9                              -
Peter 8 :l that unbelieving husbiba;nds may be gained
to Christ by the godly conversation of  athe  worn&                    1N:MIS  F E A R
without the Word, this must not be  und:erstood  as
if it were possible to bring anyone to Christ without
the preaching of the Word pr witliout the gospel .wh&t-        An Interest& Answer to i V&J Qu&tion
soever. No dopbt, when without a word on the part
,of the wives the husb%nds  are brought to Christ by             Diverting your attention for the present from the
the grace of God, it presupposes either that there was        particular  sulbject with which we have busied our-
some knowledge of the gospel in the husbands before           selves in the, past- several articles under this rubric,
they came to Christ, 0; that by.t@ ,godly conversation        we take note of a very interesting and nicely written.
of the wives they were induced to seek IChrist and the        article appearing in the Reform&e of June 21, 1952,
knowledge of the gospel. But is stands to reason that         under the rubric  Olrvoecling en  ~Onile?+wijs   (Training
no p_ne is ever brought .to Chr$t by a mere silent walk       and Instruction), from the pen of J. L. Struik. The
in godly fear without  the testimony of the gospel of         article  .asks a question in which we  &re vitally in-
Jesus Christ.                                                 terested, namely : "What Now Is Really Christian In-
Finally, a word  may  be-  said about  &.e second             struction ?" And because of the pertinenc'e  of much
                                                              that the author writes, we reproduce and translate
-question and answer of the- Catechism in this Lord's         the entire article below. Mr.. Struik writes as follows
Day: `"Cannot they then be saved, who; continuing             in answey  to tne question of his :fitle:
in their wicked-and ungrateful liv&, are not convert,ed
to God? By no means;. for  -the Holy Scripture de-               "About the  ques&n a.. to what gives to the in-
clares that no unchaste pei-son,,  idolater, `adulterer,      struction in the Christian school the right to bear the
thie?,   cove.tous  man,  ,drunkard, slanderer, robber, or    name Christian,- there still `is always misunderstand-
any such like, shall inherit the kingdom of God." ing.
This is simply the antithesis of all that we have writ-        "That the instruction in our schools should be
ten before in this chapter. The neidelberg.Catechism          Christian all along  tihe line; and not only when in-
here speaks of those that are not converted and that          struction is given during the hours set apart for Bi,ble
colisequently do not convert thems(?lves. For  conver-        History, is indeed immediately granted, but if one
$ion is first of all the work of God, never of  man,          must giSe account af what really must be understood
And only when God converts, when He regenerates by -Christian arithmetic, Christian language, Chris-
the heart of the sinner and ingrifts  him by a true and       tian reading, Christian geography, etc.,. etc., then
living faith into .Christ  Jesus ,our Lord, can he convert many fail to azive at clarity.
himself and depart from iniquity. Hence,. they ihat              "IS, for example, ari arithmetic book at once Chris-
are not converted to.,God  continue in their wicked and       tian when- in..3 there appear problems dealing in the
ungrateful lives. Principally they are  ,a11 unchaste         disbursements and receipts of  .the church and mission?
persons, idolaters,  adult&ers,  thieves, covetous men,          "Is, for example, an atlas and textbook chrlytian
drunkards, slanderers, robbers. Yet, not so that all          if in it the information is divulged ,that ,in Kampen is
commit the same sins ; but each walks`in that sin which       the `Theological School of our churches, in  Witten-
is in accordance with his inclinafion; nature, power,         berg Luther  Gorked  for the welfare of the church,
circumstances; occasions, talents, and abilities. For         in-Worms Luthei: made the good confession before the
in the organism of the human race every man so bears          authdrities, in Heidelberg the Catechism viec written,
the fruit ~of the original sin in Adam that altogether        on Soemba in Borneo our -Mission labors, etc. . . . ?
they fill the measure-of iniquity. The emphasis here             "Is a language book  Christian'--if  in it are given
is, of course, on the words "con&uing in their wick-          names from the Bible for copying, and portions olut of
ed and ungr,ateful  lives." That means that they walk Scripture and the` Confessions are treated ?               '
in their sin, that they love theip sin, that they love the       "Is a- reader, `eused in the first grade, Christian by
darknes,s  rather than the light. They are not conver-        reason .of this, that-in it our little chiidren are taught
ted by ,God, but neither do they want to be converted,        to `read the name of their -God?
because their mind is enmity against God. . They never           "To all these questions. I would not dare to say yes.
reperit of their sin. Their heart is  never  f.illed with        `(Surely, I believe that this all indeed belongs to
sorrow after God. And hence, they `cannot see the             Christian instruction.
kingdom of `God, neither do they seek it; but with all           "Why should there  appeslr in  ati  ar%nietic  book
their heart and mind and soul and strength they pur-          zc problems concerning ecclesiastiral' disbursements
sue after the  kingdom  of darkness,        They  cannot      while  there are problems dealing with all kinds  0;
inherit the kingdom of God,                      H.H.         other disbursements ?


                                              PHI3  STAND ARD  .BEAB'ER                                                         491

     "Why should our.children hear about a cigar fac-                  eludes also that the children are taught that the earth
  tory in Kampen, and not about ,pur Seminary?                         is the Lord's, that God loved the nations (the Old Tes-
     "Why should it be diirizilged i$ a certain. atlas that           tament teaches  that already heathen nations they were
  the Passion Piay i_s giv@n in Oberanimergau, and not at that time !), that the earth is the floor upon which
  that the Catechism, which our boys `and girls hear                   God executes. the great work of the gathering of &he
  from the pulpit; was written in Heidellberg?                         church, and that therefore our children must know
     "But neverthelkss ?ve must not say that this now where.,Geneva,,   Wibtenberg,  Heidellberg,  etc., are.
  makes the instruction Christian.                                         "The ordinance f,or language-instruction implies
  ' "In order to  answkr   the question: `What is now                  also- that our children are taught the language of
  really Christian educatioli?' I. ask another question:               Scripture and the: language of the church  ,(in the
  What is `Christian bicycling. from Capelle  ,t-o D.9. (in            confessions).
  Rotterdam) ? Is that bicycling  fr,om  Cape116 to  D;P.                  "IGood instruation;  instruction that does J'ustice  to
  ,&ristian  by reason .of this, -that, sitting on my, bi-             the ordinahces  "of -`God, implies consequently, what is
  cycle, I am busy religiously,  f.or example,  meditake               customarily called `the specifically Christian'.
  about the Word of the Lord?  1s;that'bicycle  riding                     "$uch good instruction, that does justice to all lthe
  Christian if in the .busy traffic of the Hofplkin I pray             ordinallees of God,  can"cm!y be given by . . . faith,
  the Lord to guard me against accidents? Of course                    and that,~fa?th  is .only to. be found with Christians.
  not.                                                                    "Certainly nondbelievers,  non-Christians, can well
    -"My prayer `in that busy traffic snarl could even                 perform  `works   o_f the law`, works-in-harmony-with
-be sinful, and is indeed sin  if. by it I am  div&rtecl- God's-ordinances, but the  p'eKformance  of God's or-
  from careful observation of the traffic-situatiqn-here-              dinances is impossizble  for the?:    (See in this connec-
  and-now.                                                            .tion the  Heid.  Cat. of Professor  !Schilder).   -
     "Anoth& illustrative question of the same sort:                       "Qf  course;~  they can `bicycle well', but also  &is
  What  iS  Chrisitian cooking?                                       `bicycle riding is not good, because  ilt does not take
     "Is it such cooking in which the  .housewife, for                 place in faith-that-the-Lord-is-the-one-who-gives-them
 example, thinks  about the  ,church? No.                              power-and-from-moment-to-mom&t-must-keepathem-
     "It is  pos.sible,   thl&t by that thinking she allows            from-accidents.
  the food bto burn, and then her `pioug' cooking is sin?                 "The arilthmetic-method  of -Bouman and Van Zelm
     "We answer to the question: `What is Christian                    in many ways teaches the children `good arithmetic',
  cooking?' Christian -cooking is first of all good cook-              but'it is not good, for it teaches. at least the instrucbors
  ing, that is, cooking according to the rules, ordinances,            that .the numbers are logical thought-structures, which
  which apply thereto.                                                 the sov&eign man can conceive of, and not, that the
     "And we say too: Christian bicycle riding is be-                  numbers are divine givens, God-given quantities.
  for.e  all -else bicycle riding sccording  to the rules, or-             `(Christian bicycle riding is therefore good bicycle
  dinances, which are pertinent the_reto.                             riding by Christians thrdugh Eaith.
     "Christian arithmetic is before all. else arithmetid                 -"Chrstian instruction is therefore good instruc-
  according to the `laws which  hold  fo&  it:,,  `_                   tion by Christians through faith.
     ."Ch$istian  instructon`  is' first of all  -g&cl  instrqc-           "From-this definition not a w,ord can be omitted.
  tion, Ithat Is, instruction givevi according, to the,, laws              "It is sometimes said : IChristian art is art of Chris-
  which hold for it.                                    :              tians.
     "The ordinance for an addition-problem .tiu.st be                     `$30 it could be said: Christian instruction is in-
  observed by the children, the  ordinaice for the in-                 struction of Christians., But this  is a mistake.
  struction in addition must be observed by .the teacher.                  "Christians can do very  un4hristian  work.
     "Then lthe child does his ayithmetic v6ell.             , . .        "Christians dan give very  un4hristian  arithmetic
     "Then the teacher does his arithmetic (`rekent', instruction ; can give very un-Christ.ian  geography les-
  reckons) well with his pupils.                                       sons, for example, by neglecting all that speaks about
     "The ordinances for instruction in the science of                 the place where God did His church-work, and to brag
  arithmetic includes also that `ithe children are taught' exceedingly of the places where man performs his
  that #the numbers are of God, t&at God estaiblished  the work-in4he  technic.
  `laws' ,of arithmetical science. That belongs thus also                 "We can also not be satisfied with saying: Chris-
  to Christian arithmetic instruction,  as the method of              tian instruction  ia good instruction.
  Messrs. A. Janse and Jager teaches the  childreri  this                 "Then  we` would allow  rpom for those who say:
  also, only in a,simple  word.          .                             The arithmetic of a heathen is just as good as that
     "The  ordinances~ for instruc$ion in' geography in-               of a Christian. And t&at; is not true.              I


   492                                    I'HE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                -_-
          "We cannot say either:  ,Christian  instruction is
   good instruction by (or: of) Christians. For then                           SION'S  Z A N G E N
 someone,  %&o for example does a problem  well and
   is a Christian, but who beholds this good' reckon&g
   apart from his faith, would do arithmetic in a Chris-                       Gods Groote Goedmtierenheid
   tian way, and that is not so.
       "Even as the Christian, who bicycles wsll, in mo-                            (Psalm 118 ; tweede  deel)
   ments when he believes, that is, excerises faith, also
.- must behold his bicycle  with God's revelatory-light,              Deze psalm- bezingt de groote.  goedertierenheid
   must the Christian who does arithmetic well, in mo-            G o d s .
   ments when he believes, that is, exercises faith, -also            Eenmaal stonden we bij die gedachte stil, ep kwa-
   behold his arithmetic with `God's revelat,ory4ight. He men tot de bespreking van het zesde vers:,  "D% Heere
   must recognize God's hand in it, that He gave him the          is bij mij, ik zal niet vreezen: wat zal mij een mensch
                                                                                                                   .
   ability to do arithmetic, that He created the mimbers          doen ?"
                                                            _.
   and the number-relationships.                                      De Heere  4s bij mij! .Onui,tsprelijke  zaligheid !
       `Y3o we maintain therefore the  de,finition that               De Heere is bij mij! Wat kan de wereld  daar
   Christian instruction is good instruction by Chris-            tegenover stellen ? Zij hebben geld en  goed,  e6r en
   tians through faith..                                          positie ; ze hebben have en goeq ook een beetje tijd,
    1"Who is sufficient  unto the giving of it? No one.           een weinig gezondheid en  wellust;  Maar zelfs  bun
      "And even the very  holie& do not come farther beste dagkn zijn niets dan ellende. Want ze missen den
   than  tQ a small beginning of the new  obedi.ence in           Heere.       Ze beseffen niet,  dat. zij op God  aangelegd
   this."                                                         zijn,  en niet  kuneen  rusten tenzij ze  rusten in  Go4.
                                             -.                   Een mensch kan  nb. eenmaal niet zijn  ziel en  gecet
                            *  *  i  *                            voeden met de dingen cler aarde. Die dingen zijn go.9.
                                                                  met dankzegging genoten, doch a$ we ze moeten  heb-
      A complementary article from the same' pen on the           ben zonder God, dan veroorzaken ze niets dan ellende
   question, "Is .&ri&ian Instruction Different in Every-. en smart. Dat is ook Waar als zij te midden van die
   thing ?" we hope to tP&nslate  in the next issue, and dingen staan te l&hen. Zelfs temidden van hun vroo-
   then, D.V., also offer some comments.                          lijkheid zullen .ze nog ,sn%art hebben, zegt de Heilige
                                          H. C. Hoeksema          Schrift. Neen, de wereld kan hier niets tegenover
                                                                  stellen.
                                                                      Maar de zanger jubelt: de Heere is bij mij ! Dat
                                                                  is zijn verheuging na 0. zoo bangen tegenspoed. Hij
                         -:-:`                                    was in de ruimte gebracht,  en zag den Onzienlijke .aan
                                                                  zijne  yechterhand.  _
                                                                      En clan volgt de conclusie:  ik zal niet vreezen. In
                                                                  vers drie  sprak  hij ook  pan een vreezen,  doch  toen
                            -NOTICE!                              was het een vreezen van den Heere, en clat is goecl.
      Classis West of the Protestant Reformed Chur- Die vrees is rein,' zagen we. En zij is het beginsel
                                                                  van wijsheid,  en wordt geboren  in de sfeer  der liefde
   ches will meet in  .Doon,   Iowa, the first Wednesday          Gods.  Doch hier bedoelt hij de sbafsche vrees. Als
   in September.                                                  men bewust is van de aanwezigheicl Gods, dan wordt
                                M.  Gritters,  Statecl  Glerk     al de slaafsche vrees buiten gedreven. Zegt de Heili,ge
                                                                  Schrift niet elders, dat de liefde alle vrees buiten
                                                                  drijft?
                        -:-:-                                         En de verdere  conclusie volgt: wat zal mij een
                                                                  mensch  doen?  En  bet antwoord i's: niets!  ,O  ja, ze
                                                                  `kunnen het vleesch aantasten en mij ielfs dooden,
                                                                  doch' zelfs dan  doen zij mij geen  kwaad,  want  :da!-
                        CLASSIS                    WElST          overkomt mij dan van mijn God, naar Zijn be&cl, en
                                                                  tot mijn eeuwig heil. - Neen, ze kunnen mij niets
     All delegate; in  nee?l  of lodging during the  Sei-         kwaads doen.- . Alles wat immers met mij geschiedt
   tember me@.ting,of  !Classis West, please write tti Mr.        hier op dit 0ndermaansch.e  werkt mij mede ten goede.
   J. Vander Top, Doon, Iowa.                                         "De Heere is bij n$j onder degenen die mij helpeh,


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B 'E A R E R                                    493

  daarom zal ik mijnen lust zien aan degenen die mij              -Daarvodr moet men naar ,God, om op Hem te ver-
  haten."                                                      trouwen. Dat wordt hier genoemd: tot den Heere de
     Dat gaat een s-tap verder. Eerst zag hij den Heere        toevlucht te nemen. Let op het beeld: toevlucht ne-
  bij  zich. Nu ziet hij God in het  midden van gelijk-        men. , Dan zit de vijand ons op de hielen. We waren
  gezinden. Hij ziet God temidden van de ware kerk,            niet tegen hem opgewassen. We, moesten het onder-
  en hij verblijdt  zitih. Hij strijdt niet alleen.. Neen,     spit  delven:   Toen  wenden we ons  .tot den Heere. En
  er zijn duizenden bij ,hem. Soms schijnt het alsof we        dat wenden tot den Heere w&cl een rennen tot Hem
  alleen overgebleven zijn, en dat men ons als de zeer         die,alleen hulp kan schenken. Toevlucht nemen tot
  eenzame zoekt, zooals Elia. D&h-de Heere openbaar-           <God  staat zoo ongeveer gelijk  aan het smeeken tot
 `-de hem dat er altijd .de zeven duizend zijn diet van        Hem. ,Gods volk gaat steeds tot .God. Doch somtijds
  dezelfde partij zijn. En tezamen trekken zij op tegen. zit er groote haast achter. Dan `is er een groote nood,
  bet volk, dat de kerk haat. Ja, het is moeilijk te ver-      en .dan rent men tot onzen God. En dat is goed. Dat
  staan, maar het is zoo: men haat de kerk van God en          zegt de dicheter  eigenlijk. Hij zegt: het is  beter tot
  van Christus. Jezus zeide het: ze hebben Mij  ge-            den Heere de toevlucht te nemen, dan met al zijn el-
  haat, en ze zullen U haten. En de reden voor die haat        lende en vreeze tot den mensch te gaan. Hij kan
  is  gruwelij,k.  .Ze  haten de kerk omdat zij  goed is.      tech niet  helpen.   ,Maar God wel.  Hij-is de  Almach-
  Neen,  da.t zeggen ze niet, maar het is desniettegen- ,tige,-en.Hij helpt Zijn volk gaarne. Hij beloofde het:
  staande tech waar. Leest he&maar  in den brief van           werp alle uwe bekommernissen op Mij ! En Ik zal
  Johannes. Hi j vr.oeg : waarom sloeg Kain -Abel dood ?       U uithelpen en gij  zult  Mij eeren! En Hij doet Zijn
 -En het antwoord is tweeerlei:  omdat Abel's werken           Woord gestand..
  rechtvaardig waren, en zijn eigen werken boos. Doch             "Het.  is beter tot den Heere `de toevlucht te nemen
  de Christen  staat in zijn Strijd niet alleen.  Er  zijn.. dan op Prinsen te vertrouwen." Hoe kenschetsend!
  er die hem helpen zullen, en God gaat voorop. Neen,          We zijn geneigd om te buigen en te bukken voor het
  deze strijd is geen strijd tegen vleesch en bloed, doch      grootsche, het krachtige, het majestieuze -onder de
  tegen de ,geestelijke  machten en krachten, t,egen aller-    menschen. Een koning, een groot generaal, een krach-
  lei booze  gee&en die  woelen onder de  menschenkin-         tige held ! Die zullen ons helpen en uitredden. Doch,
  deren. Onze strijd is een geestelijke strijd. En onze        och arme ! wat kunnen die Prinsen tech doen. Zij,
  wapenen zijn geestelijke wapenen. We strijden voor           zoowel als wij en alle menschen,' ontvangen al onze
  de waarheid en tegen de leugen. En anze wapenen              krachten van God. Hoe dwaas dan om tot het groote
  zijn het geloof waarmede we de waarheid hanteeren.           en verhevene ondec de- menschen te gaan om hulp. en
  Ge` moogt  zeggen, dat ons wapen het geloof is en. de        heil. Dat de Heere het ons afleer,e !
  ammunitie is de waarheid  ,Gods. En de kracht is                Wat dan?
  door den Heiligen (Geest  van den verhoogden Christus.          iOp den Heere vertrouwen ! Want Hij is de Rots
  Eigenlijk is het Jezus Christus die door ons strijdt.        die van, geen wankelen weet. Zoo openbaarde Hij
     En we hebben de overwinning.  `Men. kan niets             Zich, en zoo hebben we het immers mogen zien in de
doen tegen de waarheid.  80, we  weten het  :. soms            eeuwen die achter ons liggen? Als Israel op God ver-
lijkt het  we1 alsof de vijand de overwinning  heeft.          trouwde, dan ging het  goed. Dan  waren ze soms
  Maar meer dan schijn is- het niet. Zij werken met            slechts met drie honderd mannen tegenover de dui-
  natuurlijke krachten en meten  met'natuurlijke maten.        zenden der God-haters, doch ze hadden de overhand,
  En dan gaan we schijnbaar onder.  Denkt  aan  Ste-           want God streed voor hen. En dan zal `t gaan. Denk
  fanus. Maar meer dan schijn is het  n&t,. Men, kan           aan David en Goliath. Hij ging  t,egenover  dien man
  eenvoudig niets beginnen tegen de waarheid. De               ten strijde met niets da-n zijn geloof op God. En wat
  waarheid overwint  altijd. Want de waarheid is ~GOD!         was de utkomst? IGe we& het.
     En zoo zien we,:goed bezien, altijd onzen lust aan          De zanger zal ons een voorbeeld uit zijn eigen
  degenen die ons haten. Evenwel, het neemt o zooveel          geschiedenis geven : "Alle heidenen  hadden  .mij  om-
  geduld.                                                      ringd: het is in den naam mdes Heeren dat ik .ze ver-
     "Het isbeter tot den Heere de toevlucht te nemen,         houwen heb." En dan komt hij.. met zijn refreinen:
  dan op den mensch te vertrouwen."                            "Zij hadden mij omringd, ja zij hadden mij omringd:
     `Op den mensch vertr,ouwen,  ja, dat zit in ons van       het is in den naam des Heeren dat ik ze verhouwen
  nature. Als wij het niet meer aankunnen, dan zoe-            heb. Zij  hadden mij omringd als bijen, zij zijn uit-
  ken we'eerst.heil bij den mensch. Maar dat is dwaas.         gebluscht als een doornenvuur : het is in >den naam des
  De mensch is niets dan  ij,delheid. Zijn  adem  is in        Heeren dat ik ze verhouwen heb."-
  zijne neusgaten. En hij valt altijd tegen. Hij kan              Onder Israel heeft David zoo gestreden en de over-
  daarom niet tot fundamsnt;  diesem.                 _  _     winning  behaald over de  Heidenen.. En  hoewel die


        494                      -.                T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

        strij:d een echte geestelijke strijd was van Gods volk           over voor ons. 0, zeker, ik weet wel, dat ,Gods sterkte
        tegen de God-haters, tech had die strijd ook een na-             door ons  heen  gaat,  maar  ,dat beteekent niet, dat er
        tuurlijke zijde, en hanteerde men zeer natuurlijke en            iets van die sterkte van ons is. Wij brengen  letter-
        stoffelijke, aardsche wapenen. Dat is nu niet meer               lijk niets toe in den strijd tegen den vijand. Mozes
        zoo. Toentertijd was dat een type van den  geeste-               leerde dat. Hij zeide tot Israel: Gij zult  stille zijn,
      lijken  strij'd die  Christus  met'Zijn. officieren strijdt en de Heere zal voor U strij,den.  ,En Jesaja zegt: In
        door alle eeuwen heen. En die strijd is puur gee&e: stilheid en in vertrouwen  zal Uwe  sterkte zijn. Als
      : lijk.    Ik denk  aan Luther  `die alleen de' geheele            we straks aan het einde gekomen zijn van den langen
        Roomsch  Catholieke kerk aanviel, en versloeg;  D'och            bangen.strijd,  dan zullen we zien, dat al het heil des
-       waarom  zou  ik slechts  aan  Lu,ther   denken,?  Ik had         Heeren geweest is. (God bouwt Zijn Huis, en wij niet.
        direct  moeten  denken   aan Jesus  Christus die geheel          Hij-heeft  ons gemaakt, en niet wij, tot schapen Zijner
        alleen alle duivelen en de geheele wereld aanviel. `En           weide ! De  Heere onze gerechtigheid. Hij werkt in
        ge weet de einduitkomst van dien st.rij,d. De duivel             ons diepste hart het willen en `het. werken naar Zijn
        en zijn engelen moesten het onderspit delven: zijn               welbehagen. Wat blijft er dan voor ons over?  IGe
        kop is vermorzeld op Golgotha. En de wereld werd                 zegt: ons  danken. Neen. Dat is ook van God. Ziet
        veroordeeld door Hem. -En wij gaan gedurig in die                het maar in dezen psalm. De zanger zegt : De Heere
        over-winning in. Wij zijn meer dan overwinnaars                  is mijn sterkte en mijn psalm. IGod is ook de psalm
        door Hem ,die ons beminde.                                       van Zijn volk. David zeide elders: God, die psalmen
            Laten ze ons dan maar qmringen als bijen: strijdt geeft in den nacht. Alle goede werken, ook de dank,
        den goeden strijd des geloofs en ge overwint de werel,d.         zijn. van voor de grondlegging der wereld -~voorbereicl-
        Ge zult ze verhouwen.               En dat gesehiedt door den    voor ons, opdat wij daarin zouden wandelen.
     Naam des Heeren. De Naam ziet het  Wezen.   IGe                        horn dat  te kunnen  zingen neemt  Chrisftelijke   ne-
        moet God hanteeren in den strij,d. En `dan zal 3, gaan.          derigheid.
        Dan hebt ge steeds de  victorie.                                    Erkent het maar : we zijn hoogmoedig van nature.
            `(Gij hadt mij zeer hard gestooten, tot vallens toe,         Wet is gemakkelijk om te zeggen en .te zingen: Soli
        maar de Heere heeft mij geholpen."                               Deo gloria ! Ma& .om het van harte te gelooven, ja,
            Hier beluisteren we een verpersoonlijking van  ,d.e          dat neernt  Goddelijke genade.
        vijanden. Het waren eerst  de vijanden die als- bijen               Ik vraag U: hoe komt het  to&,  dat we  als Pro-
        hem omringden, doch'nu ziet hij den vijand als een testants&e Gereformeerde kerken zoo klein blijven?
        eenling. Had hij misschien het oog  -op Satan? Of                Dat komt omdat wij juist die waarheid leeren waar ik
        spreekt hij hier in het- enkelvoud om aan te toonen,             bet nu over heb. God doet alles in allen ! Neen, dat
        dat er slechts &n motief en doe1 schuilt onder al zijn           is  te vernederend voor het vleesch.        Daar wil de
        belagers? Hoe het zij: die  .vijand stootte `hem  zeer. mensch van nature,niet  aan. En de zwakke geloovige
        hard. Er wordt  e'en construetie gebruikt in het He-             ook.niet. Er moet wat overblijven voor het hoogmoe-
        breeuwsch die nadruk legt op het vreeselijke van dien            dige hart. .De natuurlijke mensch moet wat te pochen
        aanval op #Gods volk. Letterlijk zoudt ge mogen ver-             hebben tegenover zijn naaste. Ik ben beter dan hij!
        talen : "Stootende  debt  .ge  op mij  gestooten!" Het Ik doe des  Heeren wil. Gij niet. `Dat is in mij te .
        ging er hard naar toe. Maar, Goddank,  hij werd ge-              prijzen en in U te-laken. En God toornt.
        holpen. De Heere heeft mij geholpen. In die weinige               In  plaats van al  fdat geknoei,  zing-t  tech: De Heer
       woorden beluisteren we het Evangelie "De Heer be-                 is mij tot hulp -en sterkte ! .Hij is mijn lied, mijn
       waart Zijn gunstgenooten; de  Heer heeft  -Zelf mij               psalmgezang ! Hij was het, die mijn heil bewerkte!
        uitgerukt !"                                                     Dies  loof ik hem mijn leven lang! .
            "De Heere is mijne sterkte en psalm, want Hij is                Hij is mij tot heil  gew.eest.
       mij tot heil geweest."          .                                    Heil is  als ge  bij God  uitkomt,-  als ge bij Hem
           .Daar hebt ge een der fundamenteele waarheden                 moogt  wonen, als ge Hem moogt aanschouwen in ge-
        dex Heilige Schrift. Het is heilzaam om dezen tekst              reehtigheid, als ge verzadigd moogt worden  met Zijn
       in Uw hart te graveeren. Och, of wij  tech  mochten               lieflijk bee1.d ! Dat is heil; dat is zaligheid.
       leeren om Gode al de eer toe te brengen. Amen! zegt                  Hoe zou het ook anders kunnen? Wij waren dood
        de geheele Christelijke wereld. Maar `t is niet waar.            in zonden en misdaden. Wij keerden ,ons een iegelijk
       4Getuige al het pelagiaansche geknoei:  Getuige al het            naar zijnen- weg, En na ontvangene genade zija we
       synergisme  der dwazen. God veel,  maar..de  mensch               nog geneigd tot alle kwaad, en o zoo traag tot het
       ook wat. De Heilige Geest leer%  het ons we1 anders.              goede. Blijft God dan bij  `ens met Zijn Woord en
       ,God is den zanger tot sterkte en tot zijn psalm. "De             `Geest,  dan -gaat het door struikelen, vallen .en weder
        Heer is mij tot hulp en &e&e." Dan blijft er niets               opstaan naar den hemel  toe. Laat God ons voor tijd
                                                                                                                              I


                                       T    H    E       STANDARD  ICEARER   j                                           495

 -en wijle aan ons lot over, <clan gaat bet weer verkeerd.    and from his father's house, unlto the land that the
 De voorbeeldenzijn zoo maar voor `t grijpen. Denkt           Lord would show him . . . He did so, and the Lord
 aan Hiskia. Er staat immers, dat ,God hem' verliet?          made- of him a great nation, blessed him and made
  En- wat geschiedde er?  Hi;' toonde al zijn  schoon-- his name great . . .           Certainly, if Abraham would
 heden en al zijn schatten .aan de afgevaardigden der         have cleaved to his father's house ancl contirxued as a
  God-haters. En de profeet kwam die hem bestrafte.           resicZent  in the land of his nativitij, he wodd not have
  Denkt aan David, aan Simson,  aan Petrus. -Maar wat heen  blesied." So far the Rev. G. M 0. Now if this
  hazel ik toeh:  zet U voor des Heeren aangezicht en         is not conditional according to all the 1aw.s of gram-                      *
 wordt `rood van schaamte! Wat heeft Uw leven U te            mar, logic, and common sense, I ask you, what is it?
  zeggen?  Zegt me,  wait hebt ge gedaan? Wat hkb ik          Even a child could tell you. But, does the Rev. G.M>O.
  gedaan ?                  . .                               here mean to teach us that the fulfilment of this pro-
     0 God ! Als het niet was oin Uwe groote -goeder-         mise of aGod was dependent upon man, and not on ,God,
 tierenheid, dan waren we al lang vergaan!             .,     as the godless -"condition theory" of the Arminians
     (Ontferm  U onzer !                                      would have us believe.  :God forbid ! The Rev.  `G.
     Om Jezus' .wil !                                         M.O. is Reformed, and if any one should accuse him of
                                                              such abominable heresies I would defend him with
                                             _ G. Vos
              1                                               my dying breath. -`He emphatically maintains with
                                                              me, and with every believer, that without the opera-
                                                              tion of the Holy Spirit in our heart we can never ful-
                                                              fill any conditions whatsoever. It was Gocl who work-
                                                              ed in Abraham both lto will and to do when he'chose
                                                              to leave his fathers house and kindred. Bearing this
                                                              in mind, there is no one who would dare to maintain
              CONTRIBUiION-S                                  that ,God ever promises salvation unconditionally to
                                                              any one, no more than He did to Abraham, the father
                   QLO~GICAL  TRUTH"                          of believers. (3) . Hence the Lord Jesus warns LIS "Ex-
                                                              cept a man hate his father, and mother, and wife, and -
     In the August 1 issue of the St~rzcl~rcl  B,earer the children,- and brethren, and sisters, yea and his own
  Rev. G Lnbbers states that `(Our ioins must be girt life also, he cawxot by my disciple. And let me adcl
 up, in logical as well as ethical truth. -In this we         that no one can or will fulfill this  conclitio   sine  qua
 whole-heartedly  bagree.  He deplores the  fact that I       non  except the Lord put this- enmity in his heart,
  seek to show that Rev. ;G. M. Ophoff once employed          which he certainly does in the hearts of his elect, and
_ the term condition. Let me assure him that that is          that unconditionally. (4)
 not my purpose at all. In my series of articles on the                                                        B. K.
  `Conditio Sine Qua Non? I am seeking to show that
  we as Protestant  Ref.ormed Churches have always                               -:::-                             -.
  maintained that there are con&ions  in the Reformed
  sense of the term. It is true that in the first two or      Note by the editor:  ..  `.
  three articles I happened to *quote  the Rev. G.MNI:O.,         (1) .- It were more to the point; and also more pro-
 but in this series I shall also extensively quote from per, before the Rev Kok proceeds to attempt to read                     .
  the  writings of Rev.. H. H., and of others. My sole, "the blue print", to offer an honest apology to the                          .
  purpose is to read -the `blue print' so that we as Pro-     Rev. Ophoff, and to admit that what he offers to his
  testant Reformed Churches are not led into a `blind         readers is not the `<blue print" .but his own falsifica-
  alley' of false passivism, but that we may continue to      tion of it.
 build in the line of our Reformed Fathers. (1)                   (2). These are nothing but big words, as ~untrue
     To deny that conditional element as it is so clearly     as they ,are meaningless. Moreover, they have been
  revealed to us in the Word of God would be a catas-         repeatedly refuted, something which the Rev. Kok
.I ltrophe  indeed. It would be fatal to all preaching of     may well know if he will only consult the true "blue
  the gospel, and would lead our churches -astray. (2)        print".
    `Certainly the Rev. ,Lubbers will agree with me that
  in the following quotation the Rev. G. M. 0. does not           (3) This statement is positively unreformed. On                    _
  insist that a `foot is ten inches' ,but is firmly build-    its .basis he must deny the validity of infant baptism.
  ing on the foundation of truth. Here follows- the               (4). The Rev. Kok must define the term "condi-
  quotation, (I underscore) : "Abraham was commanded          tion" before he continues to play with it.
  to get him out of his country, and from :his kindred,                                                          H.H..'
                                                                5 .

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

                                                               Israel went out to fight the Canaanites when the ,Sni-
 FROM  H,OLP WRIT rit came upon him. Think further of Samson, old
                                                               Simeon in the temple, Zaeharia  and others who were
                                                               filled with the Spirit. On Pentecost day the Spirit
           WLere the Holy Spitit Works                         was poured out into .the church. Blessed is the peo-
                                                               ple who receive the Spirit in such a measure. What
     Much has been written, in the theological field,:a-       a peace, comfort, holiness and joy it affords them.
 bout the work  ,of  ,the Holy Spirit. To those who do         With this Spirit in our hearts we can sing and are en-
 a little studying of Scripture this is readily under-         abled to gladly suffer for the name of Jesus. Words
 stood since this is a rather difficult and complex sub-       cannot express the blessedness of the work of the
ject.  -  ,One can ask many questions about  .the work         Spirit in the hearts of floundering and hopelessly lost
 of the -Spirit. What place does it have in the one            sinners.
 Divine scheme of redemption? How did the Spirit
 work in the O.T.? Isn't it logical to conclude that           Where He wodcs.
 the church of the N.T. should be-much holier than that          This is, of course, for us the question.  .-In whose
 of the m0.T. since today the Spirit is being poure,d out?     heart does He operate ? Naturally, on the basis of Re-
 Why didn't Pentecost come shortly after the fall in           formed doctrine and t-he Scriptures He works only in
 Paradise  .instead of four. thousand years later ? These      the hearts of iGod's chosen people. `To them only the
 and many other questions enter our minds. At this gifts of salvation are given. And He does this irre-
 time, however, I will try to answer only one of these         sistibly, i.e., in no way is He ever dependent upon the
 questions, namely, where the Holy Spirit works.               works of man, or the will of man. He it is who works
    Scripture emphasizes throughout that-the Spirit,           salvation in their heart from beginning to end.
                                                                  _
 as the third Person of the Trinity, gives life, and that         However, Scripture also tells .LZS how He works,
 in abundance. -Where the `Spirit is and works, there          and. how He approaches us through the Word, for it
 is life. This is true from the natural viewpoint re?          is through the Word that He comes to the christian.
 garding creation. The' Spirit by brooding upon the            If we consult this Word concerning the work of the
 face of the waters gave life to God's earthly creation.       Spirit we soon discover that one general truth is em-
 It was by the Spirit that God breathed into man's             phasized, namely, that where sin is the Holy Spirit
 nostrils the breath of life. This is above all true of        does not work. These. two never agree. He is the
 the spiritual, heavenly life. The Spirit of Pentecost         Hblz~ Spirit, and holiness is the very opposite of sin.
 day gives to `God's Church, as mortals, the life of IGod. -If sinners, then, are to receive this blessed Spirit sin
 In IGod there is fulness of life, of all that is good. He must first be removed. .And sin can be removed on-
 is the ,God of perfections. In Him there is joy, peace,       ly where there is payment. And this is possible, ne- -
 life, and eternal bliss, and it is through the Spirit that    ver through .man, but only through ,God's  own grace in
 He gives of this life to His sinful church.                   Jesus Christ. To show that it is never' possible
    This life of  `God the Spirit gives in abundance.          through man, but only in `Christ `God' gives all kinds
 The Word abounds in texts. to emphasize this truth.           of examples and teachings in the Old Testament.
 In `God there are infinite perfections and blessings,         Hence, where does the-Holy  Spirit work? Only where
`and when He gives them to His church she, too, ex-            God's mercy in Jesus Christ is! -
periences this overflow of heavenly bliss. Enjoying              Let us take notice of a few examples of this truth
these blessings the church can do marvelous things and         in the O.T. In the above I stated that it often is a
experiences a wonderful peace. Isaiah speaks of water question why Pentecost didn't come soon after
being poured ont upon him that is thirsty and floods           the fall. The answer surely is that His church must
upon the dry ground.-Is. 44:3. Luke speaks in Acts             learn, throughout a period of centuries, that as far
of becoming empowered with the Spirit. Literally in as man is concerned the matter is utterly hopeless.
the original it speaks of receiving the dynamite of the        Possible it is only in IGod's love in Christ. Notice that
Spirit. Men's souls which were dry and thirsty be-             God first of all gave the promise to Abraham and his
come like well-watered gardens. John says that the             believing seed. This assured Abraham that God will =~
wicked are by Him convinced of sin, etc. The" word             surely save His church. Thereupon God gave the law,
convince here is principally the same as the word-con-         confronting Israel with the words: do this and thou
vict, which denotes, being-seized, captured. With the          shalt live. In other words, by keeping the law Israel
rock which Moses struck the water gushed out, per-             would receive these marvelous gifts of the Spirit.
haps something like the gushing waters -out of a fire          But what happened? Israel of course didn't keep the
hydrant. -Remember how IOthniel, the `first judge of           law, it couldn't, due `to sin. In this way it learned


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       497

  that as far as man is concerned he would never re-          there the Spirit pouFs,;out God's blessings. The pro-
  ceive the Spirit and salvation ;* sin must be removed       phet Ezekiel speatis of .the same promises of God, that
  first, and this he can't do. Then Israel *fell back upon    He will through Christ change their hearts of stone in-
  the promises of `God, th& He would save His church          to hearts of flesh.  Ch.  11:16-21.  Space is  lackicg to
  in Jesus Christ. The law was not given. first, and          speak of ot,hers,  such as John the Baptist, etc. Plain
  when it became evident that Israel could not keep the       it is, however, throughout the entire O.T. that where
  law and receive the Spirit; then the promises. No,          sin is the Spirit cann.ot  work, and that God according
  the promises of Christ  fir`st; thereupon the  lath in      to His merciful promises sends His Son to take away
  order that Israel through this way  and its own sin the si,ns of, pis people.
  would learn that salvation is only through and be-           . . How `Christ Himself emphasized this! In His dis-
  cause of the promises. The.end of the law, i.e., the        course with Nicodemus He teaches that `it is through
  goal, is Christ.-Rom.  10:4.,                               Him, t.he antitype of the brazen serpent, that there is
    I repeat, this truth is emphasized in hundreds of         regeneration from above. To the Samaritan woman
  different ways and methods of pedagogy in the 0.T;          He says that the fear of God is something spiritual,
  Notice, for example David and Saul. It may seem             for God is a spirit, and that it is through Him that
. that David was a much more wicked man than Saul.            men can receive spiritual living waters. In John 6 we
  Of Saul we read of only a few great sins. He dis-           are told that Christ is the living spiritual bread. John
  obeyed the .command of the Lord  regirding the slay7        7, vss. 37-39 speak of the Spirit as rivers of waters .
  ing of the Amalekites, and he function,ed  in the office    that flow out of the belly of the believer, by which is
  of the priestihood  at Gilgal when the Philistines were     meant .the Holy Spirit which all, those who believe in
  threatening them and Samuel tarried in -coming. But Him receive.
  David, what horrible sins he, committed! Try to                As soon as Christ did remove `our sifis P.entecost
  imagine a member of one of our churches guilty of           day came.- Sin had been removed; `the sins of all His
  such deeds today, of murder and such adultery. It's         people forever. Pentecost day couldti't possibly pre-
  well-nigh unheard of. And yet, David was blessed_,          cede the crdss or the,incarnation. Akid it is P&tei who
  yes  ,was a man after God's heart. Why?  [Saul de-          emphasizes that this wondrous working of the Spirit
  spised the Christ. `This was the essence of his sin at Ion Pentecost day took place through Him who had died
  Gilgal ; he walked in the way of disobedience in his        on the cross, removing the sins of #God's people.
  own sinful pride. He transgressed the law and not              The  Nelw  Test.am&nt  continues with this same           _
  only failed but refused to confess. But David? Read         truth, emphasizing that also as far as the conscious '
  Psalm 51. He sought the Christ as a vile and abomin-        enjoyment of the Spirit is concerned, this is possible
  able sinner in ,God's  sight.           -                   only where there is no sin. And in the measure that
    The book of Jeremiah teaches us the same thing.           <God's people, through this same Holy Spirit flee from
  How Israel has apostacized by this time. This grieves       sin do they receive these blessings. What does Peter
  beyond measure. As the weeping prophet he taught `say on that first Pentecost to those who are pricked in
  them the law and the Word. How he interceded for            their hearts? Repent, and be baptized and ye shall
 0 God's people before the. throne of grace. In  chaqter      receive the remission of sins and t&e gift of the Holy
 -14 we are told how he prayed for the Lord's blessmg tip&&.  Wher.e  there is repentance and  mortification
  and the Spirit. Finally the Lord tells him not to pray      of the old man, there the Holy Spirit works. And what
  for this people anymore. But Jeremiah continues to          is repentance, essentially ? A change of the mind and
  pray. He can't let them go. He acknowledges the             will, which surely implies a change of walk, etc; But  -
  sin of the people and beseeches God for a blessing.         first of all it is contrition of sin. Repentance
  Again the Lord tells him not to pray for Israel. Yea,       first of ail signifies confession upon our knees at the ,
  though  M,oses and Samuel would intercede He would          foot of the cross. Repentance essentially means that
  not hear. So rebellious and carnal Israel has become.       we look away from self, from.sinful self, and seek our
  For such a sinful people there surely are no blessings      all in God's everlasting mercies and promises in Jesus
  in the Spirit. Then, in chaptelr  31 you read the most      Christ our-Lord. Doing this we shall also bring forth
  unexpected thing. In spite of all their sins He is still fruits meet for repentance, i.,e.  good works. John the
  merciful. He will make a new covenant with Israel           Baptist taught the same thing. He baptized the peni-
  and write His law in their hearts. Then they will tent with water, but He who would ctime after him
  serve Him and receive the Spirit. But how is this p?s-      would baptize `them (again the penitent) with the
  sible?  H,e will forgive, their iniquity and remember       Holy Ghost and with fire. In John 7 where Christ
  their- sin no more, vs. 34. He -will send the Christ,       speaks of rivers of living waters flowing out of our
  who will r.emove  the sin, And where sin is removed bellies He teaches that this is given only to those who


       -498                                  93-m  $TANDARD  BEARER

      believe. And active faith is exactly a seeking of our
       all in Christ Jesus, the gift of `God's mercy.         Paul                        MY Statements On Esau
      later speaks of grieving and quenching  the Spirit.                                     REPLY To REV. B. K~K
       Also here the idea is that where .sin is these things          i
       take place and the chr&tian does not enjoy the bless-                  Let us now examine Rev.' Kok's latest installment
       ings of the Spirit,                                                 (Concordia for July 17) of his series.
                                Why, in this light, is it that the                                                    In this writing
       church so often, yea usually lives at-such a spiritually       he directs the attention of his readers to my criticism
       low ebb? Why iS it that we often don't know by ex-             of the covenant theology of the Liberated. From
      ' perience whlat "showers of blessings" are?, Why don't          The Standaml Bearer of August .l, 1949 he quotes the
       Christians experience oftener those streams (water following from my pen :
     gushing forth) of living waters through the Spirit?                            "But the  cov;?nant theology of  .the  Liber-
       The answer to all these questions is very simple.        It             ated is false doctrine . . . I shall now limit
       is because she lives so little in repentance and the way -              myself to presenting its. principal tenents,
       of faith. Which individual Christian would want to                      which are two in number:
       deny thi:s ?                                                                 1) The promise of the covenant iS unto all
               Of course, also this repentance and faith is of the             the baptized, reprobate and elect  .alike. It
       Lord. It is all the work of the  ;Spirit"Himself..   Btit               c$n also be stated this way : All have a legal
.      working with and in rational, moral. creatures the                      right. to Christ  and all His  benejfits.  Now
       Holy Spirit corn& to us with the Word of Christ, show- . ..`.           what have we. here ? The Arminian doctrine
       ing us what God did and does according to His pro-                      of. universal atonement pure and simple, the
       mises in Christ. Further, He confronts us with the-                     teaching that God called all men, reprobate
       word of repentance and faith, and to.flee from sin and                  and elect alike, His sons and reconciled them
       evil, for with them we cannot enjoy the blessings of                    to Himself throught Christ's cross . . . Be-
       the Spirit. Those who give heed to this word must ee-                   ing children of the covenant they, the repro-
       ver fbrget to thank God that they can do this only by                   bated, have the right-mark you, the  righi
       that same Spirit. Those *ho so live in faith may also                   -to the blessings of the kingdom  . . . . This
       be assured concerning the future, namely, that God's                    is  Heynsianism  through and through. It is
       sure promises c,oncerning  the future are also for them.                AGminianism.       It is the covenant theology
       He will keep them. Where sin is the Spirit does not                    Of  %`?  Lilber?ed."  _
     * work. Therefore all sin must be removed, we must                      The section of my writing that Rev.  Kok here
       have new bodies on a new heaven and' earth. There .quotes may be found in the Standad  Beater for Au-
     we shall be filled wit.h the Spirit in a perfect way, be-        gust 1, 1949, Vol. XXV, pages 469-473 .and bearing
       cause according to ,God's  eternal love Christ removed         the title, "Revs. DeJong and Kok in the Netherlands."
       all our sins.                                                         From the Acts of Synod 1949 Rev. Kok quotes the
                                                  J.  Blankespoor     following from my pen :
                                   .pJ                        1'
                                                                      .             "Their (the Liberated) -heretical line of
                                                                               thought is set forth in the f0llowing two pro-        *
        -                   ACTS OF SYNOD                       :              postioins :
             The Acts of the Synod of 1951, including the r&                        1) The reprobated in the covenant as well
       visions made on the Declaration of Principles, are no&                  as the elect objectively possess Christ and all
       available.      Please address your. requests to Rev. J.               things with Him. They, too, have the legal
       Howerzyl, Stated Clerk of Synod, 515 Third Ave., E.,                    right to this spiritual good. This right is
     *  IOskaloosa,  Iowa. Enclose $1.00. for each  copy or-                   g&en them of God in the promise and seal-
       dered. Please send a!1 remittances for copiks received                  ed unto them, the reprobated -by baptism.
       to the above address.                                                        2). The promise of the  ,Gospel  is always
                                                                               conditional+f  you believe you will be saved.
                           -:::-                                               This conditional promise comes to all, elect
                                                                               and reprobated. The .Scriptures  do not con-
      THE ,OPENI?\TG OF OUR THEiOLOlGICAL  SCHO'OL                             tain an unconditional promise to the elect
             The-Theological School will open Tuesday mornin-g,                only."
                                                                              .i
       September 16, at 9:00 o'clock.                                      Rev. Kok next tells his readers in effect that
             All students are expected to be present at that twenty-one years ago.-1 was addicted in my writing
       time.                                                          and thinking and belief to this same covenant the-
                                               The  Rectar            `ology of `the Limberated, Here ape his words:


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D .   B E A R E R ,   "                                 499
                            --~                                          -A
         "That which I mean `to emphasize is that             of the Scriptures," this, namely that l&au, the repro-
       in the opinion of the Rev. ,G. M. Ophoff we            bate  had a right  to the fellowship of God, to His
       may charge that the Li'berated  teach a dam-           covenant, promises and salvation. In a word twenty
       nable heresy when they speak of certain                one_ years ago I was holding the same views that
       rights which also the reprobated have in the           I now  den&nce  in the Liberated. But, of course,
       covenant,  and  wikhout  our carefully ascer-          Bev. Kok  knows  bel&er. That same volume of  The
       taining just what they mean when they speak            Standard  Bear,er  (Vol. VII) in which he found those
       of these rights. Let us see what place Rev.            statements of mine on Esau contains  ,articles from
       lOphoff himself in the past has given to the           my pen in  iYhich I appear before the readers with
       reprobate in the covenant, and the rights the          the v&y covenant theology that I hold and defend to-
       reprobated have by virtue of their place in            day. One such article bears the title: "Why not come
       .the covenant.  In the past the Rev. Ophoff            Out with the Truth". It begins on page 477 of Vol.
      did not hesitate to say that also  the repro-           VII, which indicates that it was printed approximate-
       bate has certain rights by virtue of his place         ly eight weeks after the- printing of the article that
       in the covenant. He says of Esau the re-               contains those statements on Esau. If Rev. Kok should
       probate, that he had. the right to the bles-.          tell me that he didn't see this article, I should have
      sings of the kingdom, the right to share in             to tell him that this is difficult for me to belietie. For
       the blessings of the promise, had -the right           it is too evident that he has literally combed the
       to  fellowshi@ with  God, yea even the right           volumes  6f The Standard Bearer  for anything and
       to become a progenitor of Christ."                     everything that they may contain from my pen.
      In substantiation  of his contention Rev. Kok quotes        That article reads in part as follows :
 from the seventh volume of -The Standard Bearer the                  "Fact is then, that only in the event the
 follbwing from my pen:          _                                 individual child baptized @an elect may it
         "The response of Jacob, `Sell me thi`s day                be said tkat it has the promise (italics now
       thy birthright,' seems perposterous. If he                  supplied-O) . . . . The  ,C&ons  of Dordt do
       though it proper to- .set a price on a morsel               assert,  .a.s the writer whom we quote (the
       of food desired-by a fainting, starving bro-                writer whom I quoted was the late Dr. Beets
       ther, how dare-d  he set the price so high . .` .           whom I was, controverting at the time) in-
       How is .it to be explained that Esau could                  forms his readers: `godly parents have no
      barter away his grants? . . . Esau- must                     reason to  -dou'bt the election and  salvati>n
       have. knQwn that what he gave away in ex-                   of their children who& it pleas&h God to call
       change for pottage was not merely  land but                 out of this life in their infancy.' But what
       the right to the fellowship of  Go_d (I under:              Dr. Beets failed to tell his readers is that
       score-that is, Rev. Kok underscores)`,  the                 this assurance is purely subjective in that
       right to a land where Jehovah would tuber-,.              there  .is no word of God of which  `it can
       nacle with his offspring, ths privilege final-              catch- hold. He (Dr. Beets) even  expostu-
       ly, to become the progenitor of a seed in                   lates on the,matter at hand in such a way
       whom all the families of the earth would b,e                as to leave the impression that there is such
       blessed.  The Lord in the past had  spoken-                 a word. Attend to the following from Dr.
       plainly enough, `And I will establish my cove-              Beet's pen, and I quote:          <God's cove-
       nant between me and thee and thy seed af-                   nant is not a mere form, it is a saving cdve-
       ter thee in their generati.ons  for an ever&t- '            tiant, and God can give regeneration to a
      .- ing covenant, to be a God unto thee and. thy              child equally as well as to an adult. God has
       seed after thee in their' generations. for an               declared, He is the God of the covenant chil-
       everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee               dren; if He takes them away, we believe He
 -     and to thy seed after thee.' It was this pro-               take them to Himself, not because they are
       mise Esau despised . . .  .`)                               without sin, -but in virtue of -the covenant
                                                                   of grace.'
      The  Standard Bearer,  Vol. VII, p. 222. Title:                 "True it is," so I continued, "that if the
 Esau and ,Jacob.           '                                      child  khat dies in its infancy, is  .saved,  it
      Having done quoting me, Rev. Kok makes also                  has the promise . . . and God declared that
 this remark : "Whatever the Rev. Ophoff may nqw                   He is its G'od. But the point is that it can-
say concerning  .what he wrote then, I am  convince'd              not  be established on objective ground whe-         -
 that at the time he considered this to be the truth               ther the child is regenerated and-saved. The


  5ob                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

    assertion (of Dr. Beets) that the child is .                 Definitely, the birthright concerned the rights of
          saved because it `was born in the covenant,         the firstborn son as heir. These rights were two in
          was baptized, and is the offspring of believ-       number: 1) the right to a double portion of all the
          ing parents, is untrue. Wrote the apostle,          parent father's (and ' mother's) material substance
          `Neither because they are in the seed of A-          Deut. 21:15,16; 2) the  headship over the family,
          braham, are they all children: but in Isaac         that is, the added right and duty of the firstborn to
          shall thy seed be called. That is, they which       take the family-the brothers and sisters and the
          are the children of the flesh, these are not the    widowed mother-under his wing and care for it after
          children of God: but the children of the pro-       the father's passing. (Gen. 49 :8 etc.).
          mise are counted for the seed'. (Rom. 9 :7,8)          It was not correct for me to say that (in the fami-
            "Some may say that this view is hard, that-       lies of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) the "birthright"
          it leaves the parent mourning the loss of an        included the right to the  Abr.ahamatic blessing-the
          infant. child  w:holly  wi.thout comfort. iouy      right to the' covenant and its promises. For the wri-
          reply is that this does not follow. The `Lord       ter of the Hebrews excludes this blessing by the re-
          has a balm for every wound that He inflicts         mark that when Esau would have inherited the bless-
          But the question is not first of all whe,ther       ing, after having sold his birthright, he was rejected
          a doctrine is hard but whether it is true.          (Heb. 12  :1'7). Even  ~Esau knew how to distinguish  _
          Nothing is gained and much is always lo.&           between the two, as is evident from his complaint:
          by concealing the truth. The dire results of        "Is he not rightly called Jacob? for he hath sup-
          keeping silence respecting the truth and            planted me these two times: he took away my birth-
          placing in the room of the truth the untruth        right; and, behold, now he hath taken away my bles-
          is seen on every hand . . . Both Dr. Beets          sing"  (Gen. 27: 36).     Yet in the families of the
          and Rev. H. J. Kuiper have deplored the fact        three great patriarchs the birthright of necessity.in-
          that so many from Reformed circles join             volved the blessing. It did so for E.sau, so thatin de-
          themselves to the kind of brotherhood (of           spising and selling his birthright he thereby despised
          which) Dr. De  Haan is pastor. Let them             the blessing, the covenant and its promises and all
          consider that the reason lies with them-            that they hold forth to the believers. For the "birth-'
          selves.    They. do not come out with the           right". involved Esau in a definite duty and respon-
          truth."                                             sibility. As the ruler of his elan and as living by the
         Let. Rev. Kok take notice of the theme of the a-     promises he must carry on in Isaac's stead the sac-
  bove quotation. It is this: .that the promises and the      red traditions .of his fathers.by living out his life in
  covenant are only unto the elect. This excludes .the        Canaan a pilgrim and stranger ins the earth, seeking
  reprobated, doesn't it? It is equivalent to saying,         the city that hath foundations, whose maker and
  isn't it, that the latter have no right, no objective       builder is IGod. -But being a profane man, Esau cared
  right, no God-given right, to the covenant and the pro-     nothing for these  things, and so in his extremity he
  mises, to the fellowship of God. The contrary view-         despised and sold his birthright, the calling in which
  the view that the reprobated do have the right to the       it involved him and with it the blessing, all that it in-
  covenant and the promises- is Heynsianism. And              cludes-the heavenly, the heavenly city, the salvation
  this is the very error for which, rather than  su@-         of Christ.
  scribe it as wrapped up in the Three Points-we                 Afterward therefore, when he would inherit the
  cho.se to be cast out. Is it possible then, that I was      blessing, he was rejected. What he would inherit is
 holding and proclaiming this very error seven- years         not the heavenly but the earthy things of which this
after our expulsion? Well I wasn't. As I just proved, I       blessing in the first instance spake. But he was re- '
  was fighting, as I still do, that very error by opposing    jetted.  And not long afterwards, he forsook Canaan
  to it the truth that the promises. of God are for the       and fixed himself down in `the mountains of Seir. It
  elect only, that they alone have the right to all that      was the earth that Esau wanted and not heaven. ._
  Scripture indicates by such expressions as the redemp-         Esau despised things that were not his and to
  tion of Christ.                                             which he had no right. Being reprobated, he had no
         Now my statements on Esau.                           right to the blessing. Yet  ,being the first born ac-
         First the statement : "The birthright! It was the    cording to the flesh, he believed -it to be his nonet.he:
  headship over the brothers of the tribe, the right of       less, as is evident from his own words. He took it ill
  priesthood, and a share in the blessings of the pro-        of Jacob for having taken away not alone his birth-
  mise . .  ." etc..                                          right- but "my blessing" as well. (,Gcn.  217 :36). This
         This is not stating the matter correctly.            belief was shared by Isaac,  who refused to read  a-


                                          T H E .   .STANDARD  B E A R E R                                              501

 right the word of God and the signs -hat accompanied they be responsible? They  can't says  t'he Arminian.  I
 it. He agreed with Esau that "Jacob . . . hath taken           Hen@e, according to the Arminian, Christ died also for
 away thzJ .blessing." To Jacob's mind the blessing was         the reprobated. They, too, are included in- the cove-
 likewise .Esau's because of his being the firstborn. It        nant, and God loves them too. But t.he Arminian is
 explains Jacob's inducing Esau to make him the first-          mistaken. Though Christ died for them not, repro-
`born legally by selling him his birthright.                    bated men can and do despise and reject Christ, spurn
     Yet in reality the "birthright" was no more Esau's         God's, love and trample the covenant. And they are
 than .the "blessing". For Esau being reprobated, had           responsible. And the reason is -obvious. Even though
 no rights, except the right to perish in his sins.- Yet        they were elect and would learn of their election e-
 the Scriptures still speak of it as Esau's birthright          ven by a voice from heaven, they would still despise
 in saying, `And he sold his birthright to Jacob.`. This        and reject Christ as long as they were unregenerated.
 can be explained. The fact of Esau's being the first- Esau believed that the birthright and the Abrahama-
 born accord-ing to the flesh was not undone by his re-         tie blessing with all that it included-redemption and _
 probation. He therefore had with men the name of               fellowship with God, were his and that to these things
 po.ssessing the birthright. But in reality the birth-          he had the right. Yet he despised them in his heart
 right as well as the "blessing" was Jacob's. And               and gave them all away for a morsel of bread.
 therefore, unless we want to pit the  ,Scriptures  a-             ,This takes care of my statements on Esau.
 gainst the Scriptures, we shall have to interpret here:                                              G. M. Ophoff
 Esau sold to Jacob rights that according to the flesh
 and in name were his `but that in reality were already                         Strange  Reasonings
 J a c o b 's .   -.                                                     (Reply to Rev. B. Kok-Conclusion)               "
     And now my statements: "Esau must have known
 that what he gave away'in exchange for pottage was               Let us now with proper care  analyses Rev. Kok's
 not merely  1,and  #but the right to the fellowship of         article- as such. Rev Kok writes:
 God . ._ ." etc.,-"the  right," and not  "his  right".                "Whatever Rev. Ophoff may say now con-
 So I wrote. My doctrine-it limited the promise to                 . cerning `what he wrote then, I am convinced
 the elect-must have prevented me from writing "his                  that at the time he considered this to be the
 right". This is the only explanation. But I am go-                  truth of Scripture."
 ing to pronounce those sentences wrong on account
 of - their ambiguity.    It would have been better to             Rev. Kok has reference here to my statements on
 have written as follows: Esau must have real-                  Esau. Whatever. I now may say about these state-
 ized  .that his selling his birthright involved him            ments-and Rev. Kok expects me to condemn t.hem-
 in the sin of despising  the@ blessing-the heavenly he is. firmly convinced that at the time I wrote these
 riches-his only in name of course. Actually Esau               statements I believed that the ideas that I was setting
 had no right to the blessing, he being reprobated. All. f.orth were the truth-the truth of the Scriptures. And
 right can be Christ's only and that people included in         what were these ideas, according to Rev. Kok? This:
 Him, He being the firstborn of creation and the first-         :t,hat  Esau in redity had a God-given right to thebless-
 born from the dead ,and therefore also the firstborn           sing, to the covenant and its promises and to all that
 among many brethren: `That the firstborn in Israel by          the promises hold forth to the elect.    -
.- themselves had no right except the right to be damned           That this is the idea that I -believed to be the truth
 is clear from this: .that they had to ,be redeemed by          of the Scriptures., according to Rev. Kok, is clear from
 the blood of the sacrifices by blood.. As thus redeem-         the following from his pen.:.
 ed they typified in their totality the church of the first-           "Let us see what place the. Rev. iophoff
 born.                                                               himself -in- the past has given to the repro-
     And now we could still ask: How could Esau `sell                bate in the Covenant,' and the rights the re-
 and despise things that in reality were not his and                 probated have by virtue of this place in the
 to which he had no right-the birthright and the A-                  Covenant. In the past (twenty-one years,
 .brahamatic  blessing? This question is identical as to             ago, Rev. Kok means). the Rev. Ophoff did
 its thrust to all such questions as the following: How             not hesitate to say that -also the reprobate
can unbelieving men-reprobated men-despise and                       has -certain rights by virtue of his place in
 reject Christ, if Christ did not die also for them?                 the covenant. He says of Esau the repro-
 How can they spurn God's love as revealed i,n Christ,-              bate, that he had the right to the blessings of
 if God doesnot love them? How can they trample the                the kingdom, the right to share in the bles-
 coyenant, if they are not included in .it ? And how can             sings of the promise, had the right, to, fellow-


        502                                THYE  S T A N D A R D   BEAk$R                      ,  ;*v..!  ri  /  i    .,     L     I'

               ship with IGod, yea even had the right to be-.             "And even -though I- am not sure that I could sub-
               come a progenitor of Christ I . . This is e-           scribe to all that he (Oplioff) expresses here . .  ."
               vident from the following quotations found             Let us pause here for a remark. The implication of
               in the Stan&& Beazeri"                                 this sentence certainly is that Rev. Kok subscribes
           Then Rev. Kok quotes those statements of mine on           to most of this Liberated covenant theology (that he
       Esau. First I want. to say that if Rev. Kok will once          calls mine but that is not mine) and perhaps to all'
       more carefully read that  section of my article on             of it. Well, if he subscribes to mo.st  of it, he may feel
       Esau that he quoted, he will discover that it does not         assured that he emibraces the whole of it. For it con-
       say what he here says it does. It does not say: 1)             stitutes one thought-structure held together by one
       The reprobates have a  place! in the  covenad; 2) the          unifying idea.
       reprobate.d.have  rights Iby virtue of their place'& the          Speaking of this Liberated covenant theology (not
_  covevaunt;  3)  Esau had the right to  the blessings of            my doctrine) Rev. Kok continues: "I am certain of
 the kingdom; 4)  Emu had a right to share in the                     this that he (Ophoff) was not making himself guilty
 . blessings  of  the  promise;- 5)  Es&u had the right to            of introducing into the church a damnable heresy.
       fellowship with Go&                                            Neither was he advocating Heynsianism or Arminian-
 e         What we deal with here are unwarranted deduc-              ism."
       tions of Rev. Kqk.  - What is more, if he had been                [Certainly Rev. Kok does not mean to say here that
       willing to interpret this article .of mine on Esau in          I was introducing even a worse  ,is& than the  isms
       the light of the doctrine with which I appeared be-            that he names. For, he says that.he embraces most
       fore the readers of -the Standard Bearer; in that other        of this theology and perhaps all of it. Besides, he
 article of mine .-a thing that he--was in duty bound tells us that it is not a damnable heresy. _
 I to do, but refused to do-he would have kept these
       -deductions of his in his pen. (Certainly, we interpret           So what Rev. Kok is really telling us here is that
       the Scriptures in the light of the Scriptures, don't we?       this covenant theology of the Liberated is good re-
       Are we not then also under the moral necessity of in-          formed doctrine. And this tells us how we are to un-
       terpreting any man's writings in the light of his              derstand Rev. Kok's statement a-few lines down-this
       writings ? @ert_ainly  we are. But Rev. Kok refuses statement. "If, it was the truth then, why isn't it
,. to be bound by this exegetical rule.                               the truth today.    Truths certainly do not change."
                                                                      Rev. Kok means: it was the truth indeed then (twenty
           But what I wanted to bring ou.t is the kind of doc-        years ago). Hence, it is still the truth-is this cove-
       trine that Rev. Kok wants me now to confess that I             nant doctrine of Rev. Ophoff (should be: is this cove-
       believed twenty-one years ago. We see now what                 nant theology of the Liberated). -For truths do not
       that doctrine is. The above cited propositions under           c h a n g e .
       1) to 5) is that ,do&rine. What is necessarily implied
       in these propositions is that the promise is unto all             Rev Kok also piles argument on argument in the
       .the.baptized  head for head in the sense that- it promises    attempt to drive. home the point that this covenant
       to all the good things that it holds forth so that these       doctrine of Ophoff (should be : covenant doctrine of
       things become the objective possession .of all, and last- the Liberated) is the true doctrine. He writes:
       ly that this promised good is imparted through faith                    "We should remember that  Rev: Ophoff
as a  condition,  and that therefore the reason that                       wrote these statements (statements on Esau)
       many perish is that they do not-`believe.                           at the time when we as Protestant Reformed
          Now what have we here? Liberated covenant theo-.                 churches were .taking a firm stand against
       logy, Heynsianism pure and simple. And so I must                    Heynsianism and Arminianism and our con-
       inform Rev. Kok that I cannot possibly admit that                  troversy with the Christian Refor$med  chur-
  this was the doctrine `that had the love of my heart                  ,  ehes was at its very zenith. `It was at the
       twenty-one years ago. This .I have proved.                          very  .time that Heyns was writing his ar-
 `_       But there is now this question. `Why" does Rev.                  ticles on the promise of the `Gospel, in de-            `
       Kok insist that this was the doctrine that twenty-one           -  fence of the  Three  Poin$s,  and Keegstra
       years age I believed to be the truth of the Scriptures?            was defending the heretical doctrine of the
       .Because he wants me a heretic twenty-one years ago?            general well-meaning offer of salvtaion. It
       IOn `the contrary, according to Rev. Kok I was soundly             was at  .the time when both the Rev.
       reformed at that time just  beccmie I held that doc-                Hoeksema and the Rev. Qphoff were in their
       trine. For according to Rev. Kok, that doctrine, the               full strength. It was in the golden era- (take
       covenant theology of the Liberated, is the truth. Here             notice-golden era.' Here Rev.  .Kok stands
       are  &s words:  :            "                                    onthe verge of. bursting into poetry) of the  :


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       503 --          *

     development of -our distinctive Reformed                   d&ion, and that therefore the reason so many perish
     truth . . . "                                              is that they will not believe.
   What Rev. Kok really `does here is to  put  up  a               We must now take notice af Rev. Kolf's co&luding
plea as strong as he can make it for the Liberated remark. It reads:
covenant theology.        But: he  `ddes it in a deceptive
way. He does it  .under the  prefence  of  b&ing op-                   "If it was truth then, why isn't it true to-
posed to the very error that he advocates and de-                    day. . . 8hould this not serve as a warning to
                                                                     us not to be too hasty in accusing others of
fends.                                                               damqble  heresies because they maintain
,--Let no one now say that I am accusing Rev. Kok'                   that from a  cezain point of view also the
of advocating and defending in his article Liberated                 reprobate have certain rights in  :the cove-
covenant theology.  I  am' not accusing, him. I am                   nant; for -which they shall be held account-
simply judging him out of his own mouth, by the                      able to `Gdd."
very words that came from his own pen.            The ac-
cuser here of Rev. Kok is Rev. Kok himself.              Did       This should have been made to read: "It was
he not virtually say that he .could  agree `_with most          truth then, it  is  truth today.  iShould  this not serve
my statemenits  (as he interprets them), and- perhaps           as a warning to us not to be too hasty in condemning
with all of them? Didn't he in a negative way pro-              &hers-the  lirberated-for maintaining the same
nounce the ILiberated covenant doctrine that he `put truths that we do?"
into these statements or imagined. that he found in                But, of course, this not make sense. ,So Rev. Kok_
these statements reformed doctrine? Did he. not say             should have made his concluding remark to read sim-
of this dootrine that twenty one years ago it was               ply as fbllows: The covenant theology of the @be-
the truth and that it therefore is still the truth? So          rated is, according to our belief, the true doctrine of
who  i_s really accusing  R&v.  K&? Not I, certainly,           the Scriptures. This is the only statement that can be
but Rev. Kok himself. "And neither should we for-               fairly deduced from Rev. Kok's preceding reasonings.
get," says Rev. Kok, "that khis writing of Rev. Ophoff             In his reply to Mr. Van den Top in -the Concoda
has gone unchallenged for twenty years," meaning for .July 1'7, Rev. Kok writes that it is his hope and .
to say that for all that length of time we all held             prayer that the readers. do not get the impression
the same  truths  (?).                                          that he is not the same staunch defender pf our Pro-
    That Rev. Kok is also at one with the Liberated -testant  Reformed truth that he always has been,
that the promise is unto all head for head in the               even though he feels it his God-given  dutjr to  pro-
sense that it promises to all the, things t.hat it holds %ect our churches from the error of denying "con-
forth is  cel%ain.      First, this thought is nesessarily      ditions" in  tthe Reformed sense of the word. But if
implied in his teaching that all head for head have - in the past Rev: Kok hasn't been defending our Pro-
a right to. the promises. Second, that Rev. Kok's testant Reformed truth any more staunchly than he
covenant theology includes also this thought-element,           does in that article, it `is a r&al pity. For in' that ar-
is clear from the following.  From that writing of              ticle he is not defending our Protestant Reformed
mine on Esau he qtiolted  also these lines:                     truth ,at all. On the contrary, in that article he puts       _
          "The Lord in the past had spoken plainly              up a defenc&-and a defence  as .strong as he can pos-
      enough, `And -1 will establish my covenant                sibly make it-for the covenant theology of the Libe-
      between me and thee and thy seed,after.thee               rated, which is Arminian. He thinks to make  con-'
      in their generations for an eirerlasting  cove-           verts for this theology with my  irticles.      And this
      nant, to be a ~God unto thee, and to thy seed             under the pretence  of protecting our churches from
      after  ithee." It is this promise  that Esau'             the error of denying "conditions" in the, so-called rel
      despis~ed."                                               for.med  sense.
                                                                   But I have not yet done with thais article of Rev.
$0  I   w r o t e .    The sentence in Italics-it is this Kok (July 17, Conco~~clin). In this article he, unwit-
promise  .that  `Esau despised-Rev. Kok had printed tingly it must be, disproves, and truly disproves, and
in bold type letters, indicating that to his mind +he           this absolutely, what he thinks .to be establishing by
sentence is identical to t#he statement: the promise his series,-namely that  twenty one years ago and
was also unto Esau. And as thus interpreted he sub-             since tfiat time, we were really liberated in our cove-       .
scribes also this statement. And necessarily implied nant theology. But this is a matte? for $he next issue
in it is also that other basic tenet. of -liberated cove-       of  The  8ta$ad B,earer.
nant doctrine that what all objectively possess-the
promised salvation-is imparted by faith  a~ a  coyn-                                                     iG. M. Ophoff


                                 j
                                 1





                                                        --~ .-* _~. -                                              I
-g4---;---m--`_.--                               -in                     .._
                                                        THE'STANDARD   B E A R E R '  `.
    r                                   .-..-                                                             -                -

            `Samson, a---T&e Servant of God- "- - by which we, of the New  Te&ament  Dispensation,
                                                                                are encompassed through the medium-- of the Scrip-
         It" requires som`e thought to set forth Samson in                      tures.. "And what shall I say mdk'e?" says the wri:er.
  a' right, ligh f ethically.                                                   "For time would fail me to `tell of  Gedeon,  and of
                                      CeYtainly; he was a- true be-
  liever. .The Scriptures make this unmistakably clear.                         Barak,  and of  6amson,  and of  `Jel<hthall~;  and  of Da-
  But was he, as a -believer, a man with st'rong spiritual                      vid also, and Sanluel, and the prophets." Mark you,
  impulses and with a flowering faith or must he be :t.he list of names includes also that of Samson. Atic1
  classified with unspiritual Christians? Was he, des- the writer concludes, "`All these," thus also Sa&ilj
  pite his  .sensuality,  a man passionately' devoted  to                       `~although having received  tesiimony  by means of
  the cause of Israel's God? - How some interpreters                            their faith, did not `bring `off. the promise, since; God
  judge about the man is clear from the following ex- had in view as pertaining to us something better,
  cerpt of one of their number. I quote: "Nobody could                          namely, that `not apart from us should they be
  be  less like the ordinary idea of on  :Old Testament                         brought to completeness? #So. then, in common with
  saint than Samson. His gifts from the Spirit of the                           all the saints of -the  .Old Testament Dispensation,
  Lord was simply physical  sztrength, and it was as-                           Samson received testimony by means of his fait.h. `Of
  sociated with the defects of his qualities.  .His  pas-                       what did he -receive  .test+nony  1. According to the
  ssions  were strong  and apparently  unco&rolled.  He                         context, he received testimony that he pleased God
  had no- moral  .elevation  ar religious fervor. He led                        (ver. 5 of chapter  ll), and further, that he was
  no army tigainst the  XPhilistines,' nor seems to have                        righteous (ver. 4) thus received  te.stimony  that his
  had any fix&d design of resisting them ; . . Wheh he                          sins were forgiven for Christ's sake and that he was
  does attack them it is because he is stung by personal                        an  he@ of life everlasting. But says the writer, he,
  injuries  ; and it is  only with his own arm that he                          Stimson, no more- thin- the -other& received, brought
  strikes. His exploits have .a9 mixture of grim humor                          off the promise, that is, did not receive its final and
  and fierce hatred quite' unlike anything else in Scrip-                       supreme fulfilment. Reference here is to the  con-
  ture and more resembling the horse-play of Homeric                            sulmatiofi  at the second appearing. of Christ, to wit,
  and Norse. heroes thal? the stern purpose and righ(te-                        the appearing of- the dhurch of the redeemed in glory
  ous wrath of a sp!dier who felt that he was God's in- with Christ.                            That exalted thing Samson no more
  strument."                                                                    than others received ; for it was not God's will that
         Now, certainly; this appraisal bf Samson is untrue.                    samson  and the others should be brought :io cdmplete-
  It proceeds  eithe? from an unwillingness or an in-, ness apart from us.
  ability  to read  aright all that is reported of  him in                      Verily,  Sanison was a  abeliever. Not only that,
  the` Scriptures.     If the above appraisal of  Samson                        but he was one  .of the  most. remarkable believers.
  is tr.ue, he was a thoroughly wicked man, devoid of                           And therefore the-sacred writer ranks him with Jeph-
  the life of regeneration, and as-such the  object of                          thah, David and Samuel. Single-handed he  warted
God's  hatred, and thus a man cursed of  ,God. Let us                           God's -warfare and wrought deliverance  in.  Ispael.
  see what the Scriptures say of him. T,he first .state-                        And w.hat was the secret of `his amazing-achievement?
  ment of which notice -must be taken is the one ;t;hat                         Precisely his faith iri -God.
  reads; (quote) "And the woman bear a son, and call-
 -ed his name Samson: and the child grew and the                                                                          LG. M.. Ophoff
  Lord blessed him." (unquote). Now the Lord does
  not `bless  the wicked. Such is not the teaching of the                                           El  q   El  El  !I
  Script&es. But ,God blessed the lad Samson. He `a&
  sumed  toward him an -attitude of favor: and in His
  love He prepar&him  not only physically and mental-                                    NI&ICE  *OF ANNUAL MEETING
  ly,  but, also spiritual& for his life's calling by shed-                       The. Annual Meeting of the Reformed Free P;b'l.
  ding abroad in Samson's heart His love ; and in that Association will be held at the First Church, Thursday
  @ye. and under the impulse of a living faith in. ;God                         evening, Sept. 25,  tit 8 o'clock. Reports are to be given
San&$ assumed the  responsibility  of his  Naiarite-                            snd three board members are to be chosen from the
  ship and, when come to years, went forth -to ..deliser                        following nomination : Glarepee  Schipper,  Gerard .Byl-
  IGod's .people. That Samson was a true believer who                           sma, Henry Velthouse, (First Church) ; J. King (C?es-
  lived and. wrought by God's promise, we know from                             tori; K. Ezinga (Fourth) ; and H. Brands, Jr.  (Sec-
  what is stated of him in the epistle to the Hebrews.                          Qnd) . Please reserve this date and plan to attend.
  In this--epistle  he is included in the cloud of witnesses -                                                            -THE BOARD
              -.


