316                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R `
                      -                                                                            --__-..               ----.
                 BLESSING OR CURSING?                          at last for the declaration of His justice, to condemn
                                                               and punish them forever, not only on account of their
                                                               unbelief, but  tilso for all  their,other sins.' And this is
    The final question that remains to be considered in        the decree of reprobation which by no means makes God
connection with the subject of God's  ~relation  to the        the author of sin (the very thought of which is  blas-
wicked in this present time is: what is God's attitude         phemy),but  declares him to be an awful, irreprehensible
toward the ungodly and what is His divine purpose              and- righteous judge and avenger thereof."
regarding them, when He bestows upon them all the
things of this present time?                                       The above is an article of the faith of every Reformed
   That we are employing the language of Scripture when man.  It offers,  therefoke,  common ground for the dis-
we prefer to speak definitely of the wicked and the            cussion of our problem. It certainly is a fundamental
ungodly, rather than referring to them vaguely and             article of our faith, as all will admit. And it is plainly
ambiguously as the unconverted, we have abundantly             related to the question we are now considering, for it
proved by the testimony of Holy  Writ itself. And-we           speaks of God's attitude relative to the wicked. Neither
have also. shown in Scripture's own language that it is        is it possible to allege that this language is too severe or
perfectly biblical to  aBirm  that God hates the workers       extreme.           For not only is it a literal quotation from the
of iniquity while it is unscriptural to allege, that He        Canons to which all true reformed people subscribe, but
loves their persons though He hates their works.               the form of expression in it is infralapsarian without any
   Wut still the question remains: how much we con-            doubt. And-for our present purpose this is entirely suffi-
ceive, then, of God's mind and heart and His relation to       cient. qot infrequently it is alleged that denial of com-
these same ungodly, whom He hates, when nevertheless           mon grace follows inevitably from our supralapsarian
He sends unto them His good things from above? The             tendencies, while the C<,nfession  assumes the infra stand-
things of this present time are, to a certain extent, at       point. There is, we maintain, no truth  -in that allega-
least, common to all, the godly and, the ungodly. Are          tion whatsoever.            For the sake of argument we will,
they, then, not the clear proof of the patent fact, that as    the!efore, for the present be content with the  infralap-
long as the ungodly live in this world, they are with the      sanan-  basis, in order that we may. have a common
godly the objects of God's lovingkindness and tender           ground on which to stand and a common standpoint from
mercies? Is the undeniable fact that they receive these which to start. Rut notice, that even so, the confession  *
things not sufficient proof that in this world God is          declares :                           ._.I
gracious in a certain sense of the word to all, and that          a) That the reprobate wicked (and of them we are
the covenant He established with Noah and his seed is          speaking mhen we deal with the question of common
a relation of friendship for the time being  between God       grace) are by God's &changeable decree passed by as
and every man? That is the question of common grace. far as His saving grace is concerned. ,-It is His unchange-
   Now, before  w?e turn to the pages of Holy Writ for         able will and council not to save them, to leave them in
an `answer to this question,  it- may not be improper to       their sin and  `&:nnmon  misery,  an_cl to permit them to
show that an affirmative answer to it certainly cannot         walk in their-own way, that is, the way of sin to the very
be defended before the,  bar of our Reformed Confession.       end.          _
The confusion that resulted on the floor of the, last synod       b) That God's purpose  in this irreprehensible counsel
of the Christian Reformed Churches in Kalamazoo, when          is the declaration of His justice in the punishment and
the attempt was made to bring the idea of a common eternal destruction of these wicked, thus passed by and
grace into harmony with these confessions, is proof suffi- left to their own ways, because of their unbelief and all
cient of the hopelessness of the case. The entire line         their other sins.
that is followed in the Reformed Standards is opposed
to any idea of a common grace. Let us -try to make                We are all agreed, therefore, that the ehd of these
this evident.                                Y                 reprobate wicked is firmly decreed and fixed as far as
                                                               God's eternal mind and will. are concerned. That end
   Standing on the common basis of our Reformed Creed is  eternal destruction and punishment as a declaration
we all believe in the doctrine of reprobation according        of God's justice. There is  tie dispute about this. We
to the Canons of Dordt, I, A, 15:                              are also agreed, that the way of sin and wickedness,
   "What peculiarly tends to illustrate and recommend          in which they, according to God's decree over them, are
the eternal and unmerited grace of election, is the express    left to walk, is the means by which they are led to this
testimony of sacred Scripture, that not all, but some only     destruction and eternal punishment. It is the means
are elected, while others are passed by in the eternal
                                                       *       whereby God leads them on to their just punishment,
decree; whom God out of His sovereign,  most just, irrep-      and it is also the means whereby they themselves, as                  _
rehensible and unchangeable good pleasure, bath decreed        willing, moral agents run to that final and eternal
to leave in the common misery into which they have wil-        destruction.          For this sin, in which they are permitted
fully plunged themselves, and not  to bestow upon them         to walk and from which God  wilk not save them by
saving faith and the grace of conversion; but permitting His grace, becomes the ground for their just- condemna-
them in His just judgment to follow their own ways,            tion.                                                     .


                                               T H E   STAND-%RD   B E A R E R                                                    3t7
             -^."-.. ..^--
   X'ow-, it is also plain that this way in which they are               Thus far we must  all agree on any Reformed basis.              I
permitted to  waik is prepared for them through the  = The things of the present work eternal desolation for the
things they receive in this present life. Never could the)           wicked.  -. :\nd things that in a little while -work eternal
walk in their sinful way, never could they, therefore. run           desolation are not good but evil to us. They do not bless
`to eternal desolation, unless they received these means.            us but  they  curse us. They are not to be desired but
\;ea,  more, but for these things there would be no way              rather to be dreaded.
for them to walk. From God they receive their. present                   But, I hear our opponents interject, the case is thus,
existence, and they are born under the condemnation of               that the wicked turns the good things of God into a curse
the first Adam; from God they receive their body and                 for himself. The things are in themselves good-, but the
their soul, their mind and their natural light, their  knowl- wicked employs them in his sinful way. And because
edge.of God and of the difference between good and evil,             he  cloes so, he changes all things into- a curse for him-
their will and all their power of soul and body; their               self.  Wilfully  he runs with all things into that eternal
eyes to see and their ears to hear and their mouth to destruction.  Very well. We agree. He does so change
speak.     From Him they also receive all the things of all things into  a curse for  himsklf.  For he is a  mbral
this world, rain and sunshine, their houses. and their agent.  He  chases for himself the way of the ungodly.
wealth, their wives and their children and all that belongs          ,\nd in that  way of the ungodly he uses all the things
to the things of this present life. For all these things             God gives him in this present life as a means to destruc-
they are morally responsible before God as conscious                 tion. He works out his own condemnation. For it is
and willing agents.              For man is accountable to walk      this moral action on his own part that fixes his responsi-
before his God in love. He must love the Lord his  God               bility.    To this we have no objection whatsoever. But
with all his heart and mind and soul and strength and our opponent, standing& the basis of our Reformed con-
serre Him with every means God provides for him. He                  fession must also admit, that God also employs these
must know Him  >vith his mind and speak for  Him with                same things for that purpose 01 the .wicked's  eternal  deso-
his mouth; he must will Him with his will and obey Him               laticn. To  say,  that God intends to be gracious to that  I
with all his strength, work for  Him and walk in His                 wicked man in the things of this present life, but that
ways. That  is-his sacred obligation. For all this he is             the wicked apart from God and contrary to His purpose
responsible. Not to do this, to employ his talents and               c5ange this grace into a curse,  is  neither reformed nor           l
means in the service of darkness is sin and brings nothing scriptural, but is essentially Pelagian and against Holy
but wrath and condemnation. And the greater his power                Writ. For if the things of this  present  time are to be-
and talents and the abundance of means he receives from come-a blessing instead of a curse, the wicked man must
his God the greater becomes also his responsibility. NOII~!          be delivered from his wickedness and must be set right
the subjects of which we are speaking,  the reprobate                in relation to God. But we have stared from the  com-
sinners, certainly employ all these powers and means in              non confession, that God in His eternal counsel decreed
the service of sin. For them they are a means to sin.                rhat He would leave these reprobate wicked in  their  sin,
.4ncl thus they increase their guilt daily and heap  up              that  He would not give them  the saving faith and the
treasures of wrath for the day of righteous judgment.                grace whereby they are- converted, that_ He would per                    `.
They daily work.out  their own condemnation in the way               mit them `to walk in their own sinful ways, in which --
of sin and ungodliness in which they walk.  .\nd the                 all things, whatsoever God  Inay give them lead to their
greater their name is in this world and their  pow,er  and           eternal destruction. Hence, that the things they receive
wealth and prosperity, the more abundant become the                  in time are means to their destruction and, therefore,
treasures of wrath they are storing for the day of clestruc-         evils  and not good things, is according to God's eternal
$011.     i\nd therefore. we conclude, that the ungodly              mind.      He curses and He leads to destruction. And,
surely never receive anything else than means to their therefore, whatever the wicked may receive, he receives
destruction and final condemnation. The things  of this              no grace.     God does  nbt assume an  atritude  of grace
present time are to them not a good but an  evil.           How- toward them. neither bless them. For He simply exe-
ever good and pleasant anything may appear in itself cutes. His, counsel  with regard ro the ungodly, namely,
and actually may be, as soon as it becomes only a means that they shall be everlasting manifestations of His just
to destruction  it.certainly is itself an evil.  .4 little while wrath and righteous indignation ,over sin.
of earthly existence, of prosperity and wealth and power
and enjoyment according to the flesh is for the wicked                   We conclude, therefore, that God sends the things
a means whereby they run and are led to eternal woe of rhis present time, to the reprobate ungodly in His
and desolation.               Certainly, that passing and fleeting righteous judgment and His wrath over the workers of
 show of this earthly life cannot be called a good. no iniquity, to lead them to eternal punishment and prepare
matter  .if it implies the possession of the whole world, if         them for the day of slaughter.  '
 it must become instrumental  to'leacl  us  to an eternity               This is entirely in harmony with the Reformed line
of damnation and wrath. To the wicked all things are                 of thoughr  as expressed in the confessions.
 evil because they are wicked.              And it certainly were        .4nd that this is also the plain teaching of Holy Writ
better for them had they never been born and seen the                we hope to show in the future.
 light of the sun.                                                                                                     H.  II.


                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D  BEXRER                                                              33c,
                                                                                                                                        I_
                                                 --........  "_                      .._                                -.- _.__._ --_-
 overeenkomstig  Zijn Woord en  .ziende  .op Hem als den                thus excluding themselves from the kingdom of God.
 Oppersten Herder gaan wij  moedig  voort.                   Moedig?' The fall of Jerusalein  fulfilled only too literally the male-
 Hebben  wij  adan een sterke gemeente met een groot  zie-              dictions to which  Jesus  gave utterance on that  svlcmn
'  lental?  Neen, dat juist niet. Wij zijn integendeel als              day.  - The plcen,  exce;bt,   o&y, which we ca"n only  render
 gemeente zelfs  zeer klein.  Maar,-  waar twee of drie in              by hut (verse  23):  nrcrkes the persons here  designazted  an
 Mijnen Naam vergaderen, daar ben  Ik in het  `midden,                  exception as regards the preceding beatitudes.  -  The term
 heeft onze Heiland immers  geze$l.  Ziet, dat maakt ons                rich refers to social position,  full to mode of living. The
 sterk, want dan  zullen zelfs de  poorten  der  he1 ons niet           expression you  tti  laugh,  describes a personal disposition.
 `-overweldigen.                                                        All these outward conditions are considered as associates
     En  nu zijt  .ge  we1  nieuwsgierig  of onze gemecnte ook          with an avaricious spirit, wirh injustice, proud self-satis-
 vatbaar is voor groei? Naar wij gelooven wel. Er zijn                  faction, and a profane levity, which did indeed attach to
 tenminste nog al onderscheidene huisgezinnen in de Chr.                them at that tme. It was to the Pharisees and  the  Sad-
 Geref. Kerk, die ons beloofd hebben om ter gelegener tijd              ducees more particularly that these threatenings were
 tot ons over te  komen. En dat is ook onze stellige ver-               addressed.-" And now this from Godet:  "Th.e  terlns
 wachting.          Reeds nu  kerken  onderscheidene gezinnen           hunger and weeping were literally realized  ,in. the great
 getrouw bij ons. Wat de  toekomst  in dezen zal  baren?                national  catastrophy   twhjch  followed  soon  ifter  this male-
 Wel, die is veilig in Gods hand.          `-                           diction;  but they also  ccmtain   an  allusion to the  +vatio;rzs
     Ja, ik zou jelui nog vertellen, dat wij een mooi  en doel-         and sufferings which await, after. death, those who  ha%?
 matig kerkgeboum hebben  aan East  Main Street in het                  found their happiness in this world.-  In verse 26 it is more
 lommer der boomen.  Ruime  stof hebben we dus om onzen                 particularly the Pharisees and Scribes, who were so gen-
 -God  te  danken.  Geve Hij ons genade,  zoodat'wij altijd             earlly honored in Israel, that Jesus points out as continu-
 allen   te  zamen  Zijne eer bcdoelen. Later hoort gij, zoo            ilig the work of the false prophets.  nest four woes
 de Heere wil, nag we1 eens van ons.                                    would be incompatible  wirh  the  spir,itual  sense of the
                                                        C&RR.           terms-poor,  hungiy,  etc., in the beatitudes." So far Godet.
                                                                            Anybody approaching these verses (Luke  6:23, 25,
                                                                        26) with an unbiased mind will be ready to endorse the
                                                                        above exposition.  .Upon those laughing ones Christ pro-
                    BERKHOF AS EXEGETE                                  nounces four woes. Upon. them-rests God's curse.  Rcp-
                                                                        rebated  are they. And subsequent history proves that
     We desire to complete our criticism of Berkhof's expo-             God's curse rested upon them even before they were
 sition of  -Matt.   5  94, 4.5 and Luke  6:35,  36.  * Berkhof         transported into hell. For this curse began to be real-
 asserted that the near surroundings. of these Scriptures               ized, in a very marked degree, in the great national catas-
 do not indicate that the terms unjust and unthunkful indi-             trophy,  n&hely.   rhe.  destructioti  of Jerusalem.        These
 cate the elect only. Wrote the professor:  `<Het  is niets             laughing ones were not members of that group
 dan een uitvlucht om-te'zeggen, dat deze plaatsen slechts              pronounced blessed by Christ. Our Savior excludes  from
 bedoelen, dat God zijn  uitverkoren  vijanden zegent. Er this group these scorners which prove to be reprobated.
 is in dit  verband  geen enkel woord dat daarop wijst,"                Upon them God empties the vials of His wrath. And
  Brochure, p. 27. Fact is, however, that the near sur- this means, thar He  sh'ows  them no mercy. To them God
 roundings of these texts do contain data compelling the                is not kind. In respect to these He is not compassionate.
 expositor to apply these terms to the elect only. Luke 6 It follotis, therefore, that the terms unjust, unthankful and
 contains passages such as these: "But woe unto you that                evil do not signify the reprobate. .Why do rhe exponents
 are rich  for ye. have received your consolation. Woe                  of the theory of common grace pronounce the reprobate
  unto you that are full for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you blessed when Jesus singles him out and announces that
 that laugh now for ye shall mourn and weep."                           he is cursed? And this they do. For they, Berkhof and
     Godet's commentary on these utterances of Jesus reads his  fdlows, insist that these unthankful ones of  Matt.
 thus : "Jesus here contemplates in spirit those adversaries 5  :45 are the reprobate as ,u-ell as the elect. If so, God
 who were sharpening against Him only just before (verse                shows  mer'cy unto the, reprobate.           They are blessed,
 11) the sword of persecution: the rich and powerful at                 therefore, since the terms kindness, mercy, compassion
 Jerusalem, whose emissaries surrounded Him in Galilee.                 and blessed are kindred terms. To be blessed by God
  Perhaps `at this very moment He perceives some of their means to experience His  `mercy, kindness  and love.
 spies in the outer ranks of the congregation. Certainly                    It is plain that Berkhof erred when he asserted that,
  it is not th+ rich, as such, that  He curses, any more than           the near  surroundin& of the texts in question  dq not
  He pronounced the poor, as such, blessed. A Nicodemus                 indicate that the unjust and the unthankful signify the
 atid a Joseph of ririmathea  will- be welcomed with open               elect unthankful only.
 arms as readily as the poorest man in Israel.  Jesus is                    We are well aware of it that Berkhof will not grant
 dealing here with historical facts? not with moral phi- that, since the r'eprobated  wicked are excluded from the
 losophy. He takes the fact as it presented itself to Him at            group  hlesst?d   by Christ  Himself,   rhe unthankful, whom
  that time. Were not the rich and powerful, as a class,                God shows mercy, can be the  ,elect onlp But the pro-
  already in open opposition to His mission? They were fessor is compelled to  ad&t that Christ cursed the  re-


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  jetted scorners of his day, that He excluded them from               heid voort tot het bitter e.inde. Het heil werd hun aangc-
  the group which He pronounced blessed, thar the terms                boden,  ,,doch  zij versmaden  bet." The Scripture,  tvhich
  blessed, kindness  and  compassion  are kindred terms. That          Berkhof quotes, reads thus : "Dewijl Ik  gcroepen  hcb, cn
  is to say, him whom God shows mercy, He blesses. Bless-              gijlieden  geweigerd hebt; mijne hand uitgestrekt  heb, en
  ing the sinner consists in showing him  mere>-. Accord-              er  nicmand  was die opmerkte; En gij al mijn raad  ver-
  ing to Berkhof. then, Christ informs his audience that               worpen, en `mijne  bestraffing niet gewild  hebt ; Zoo zal 11;
  the rejected wicked are not blessed. Instantly thereupon             ook in ulieder  verderf   lachen, Ik  zal  spotten  wanneer  uw
  He, Christ, asserts, so Berkhof would have it, that the              vreeze  komt," Proverbs  124.
  rejected unthankful are blessed by God. For He, God,                           It should be noticed that Berkhof added  to'the text.
  sends them rain and sunshine as tokens of His mercy.                 This : "Als om te wenken, te trekkcn, te helpen  . . . ." The
  According to Berkhof Christ is at variance with Himself.             two words "als  0712 denote purpose. `The professor inserts
         Berkhof, I know, will attempt to defend himself and           purhose  into the text. Berkhof makes the passage read
  his exposition of the sermon on  .the mount.           He will       thus: "Wisdom stretches forth her hand in  order to help,
k maintain that, since the curse follows the blessing, i.e.,           i.e., for the  purpose  of helping  the reprobate ungodly."
  since God first blesses and thereupon curses these laugh-            The text does not contain the idea of purpose. It is
  ing ones, Christ was not at variance with Himself when               merely asserted that wisdom stretches forth her hand
  He asserted that the Almighty  bless& and curses these               and that the (reprobate) ungodly refuse to  t,ake notice.
  scorners. Berkhof, in fact, has maintained all  aIong  that          It appears that Berkhof  ~was up to his old tricks again.
  the divine curse does not exclude the  di&e blessing,                The professor manufactured his proof for the proposition
  since the one follows the other.            Listen to Berkhof :      that God purposes and attempts to save the reprobate.
  "Nu kan de vraag nog gedaan  worden,  of dan t&h de                  Someone may ask whether the fact that Wisdom stretches
  algemeene  roeping door het Evangelie niet  geheel   nutte-          forth her hand to the reprobate ungodly does not imply
  loos is en ijdel, waar het  tech  vaststaat,'  dat  slechts de a willingness and a purpose on the part of Wisdom  to
  uitverkorenen haar  zullen opvolgen?           Daarmede staan        help and to save the- rejected ungodly. My answer is,
  we feitelijk voor de vraag naar de beteekenis en het doe1            that this is exactly the issue in this present controversy.
  van het algemeen aanbod des heils. Wij zien in dit alge-             namely, whether the outward calling implies a willingness
  meen  aanbod der genade vooral  drie&lei.                            and a purpose on the part of God to help and to restore
      "Zij is in de-eerste  plaats  een openbaring van Gods            the reprobated sinner. Not one of those arrayed against
 liefde tot zondaren, van zijn rijke  gunsi zelfs  o;er  dege-         us dare face the issue. What they ought to prove  the!
  nen, die Hem tegenstaan, en van Zijn behagen in hunne                take for granted. Berkhof does so. Nay, worse,  "hat
 redding  van den dood.       Zij is dit voor  alle zondaren,          Berkhof should prove he takes for granted and inserts in
 ook voor  de verworpenen. Dit wordt in den laatsten tijd              those Scriptures which he then quotes in support of his
 ontkend door hen, die de algemeene genade Ioochenen.                  theory. Berkhof is constantly begging the question.'  So
_ Zij zien in de prediking des woords voor de verworpenen,             they all do. Are they aware of it? Indeed, they are.
 die er onder verkeeren  ,)aiets  dun  vloek.  God  haat hen,          Berkhof is, likewise men like Volbeda and H, J. Kuiper.
  Hij wil hen niet redden,  gij heeft geen lust in hun  red-           .         It is plain that, according to Berkhof, God's original
  ding ; Hij zoekt hen door de prediking slechts  dieper               purpose is to spare the rejected sinner. But, so Berkhof
 neer  te storten in het verderf.  Hij  h.eeft daarmede,  wcrt         will have it,  God's_  ultimate purpose is to destroy him.
  bun betreft,  geen  enkel ander doel. Dit is echter   we1 zeker      According to the professor, the sinner unwilling to grasp
 een onschriftuurlijke voorstelling die tekort doet  aan               the hand extended to him, frustrates God's original-pur-
  Gods zondaarsmin.. God Zelf getuigt bij Ezechiel, dat                pose. The infuriated God now  pui-poses  to destroy the
  bet zijn lust is, om zondaren te  redden  van den                    unyielding sinner.  ~ Let us hear Berkhof on  rhe matter:
  tlood  . . ." "Reformed Herald,`" Vol. I, No.  7, p. 113.            "De opperste Wijsheid heeft dus geroepen, en hare han-
      The assertion: "Hij heeft daarmede wat hun betreft,              den uitgestrekt,  a&  pm  te  ewenken, te  helpen, te  trekken
 gecn  enkel ander  doel," implies an admission on the part            (purpose)  ;  doch  de geroepenen  gingen  in hunne  godde-
 of Berkhof, that God purposes to destroy the rejected                loosheid roort tot het bitter einde. Waar deze  echter
  sinner by means of the `preaching of the. word and by               volharden in het kwaad, en daardoor betoonden van een
 means of His good gifts in general.            However, so the        verkeerden geest te zijn, daar  zegr zij hun het oordeel
 professor reasons, God has yet another purpose,  namely,             aan in devolgende  ernstiie  woorden : Dewijl Ik geroepen
 ..to save and to restore the rejected one, to transport him          heb en gijlieden geweigerde hebt, . . . . zoo zal Ik onk in
 out of darkness into His light. The Almighty has two                  ulieder verderf  lachen; Ik  zal  spotten  wanneer ulieder
 purposes in respect to the reprobate, an original and an              vreeze komt" (ultimate purpose).
  ultimate purpose. According to this original purpose                           Plain how that Berkhof teaches two purposes on the
  God attempts to save the rejected sinner. In commenting              part of God. Gods original plans come to naught. The
 upon Proverbs  120, the professor expressed himself as                Almighry succeeds in realizing His ultimate plans be-
 follows : "De opperste Wijsheid heeft dus geroepen, en                cause He can do nothing else. In-this doctrine of two
 hare  handen  uitgestrekt.  als om te wenken,  te  helpen.  te        purposes or plans found in the Bible? It -is found in
 trekken; doch de geroepenen gingen in hunne goddeloos-                Berkhof's  Bible but not in the Bible which the prophets
                                                                            a


                                                   T H E   ST.ANDA$RD   BEAR.ER                                                           331
          -                                                 - - - - - - - - -                _-__II
          and the  apostles  gave to the-church. Is Berkhof's doc-               terug  te  keeren  tot het vaderhuis en tot het  vaderhart?
          trine of two purposes or plans reformed? It is not. The                Beluistert gij daarin ook maar eenigszins de stem der
          doctrine is &-minian,  Pelagian. Let us hear what Bavinck haat ?" According to Berkhof, God is begging the  rcp-
          has to  say. "Het  verschil," says Bavinck, "komt hierop               robate  sinner to return to His fatherheart. Berkhof also
          neer, dnt de Roomschen, Lutherschen, Remonstranten, claims to believe in absolute election. And this doctrine
          enz. uitgaan van de' voluntas signi (God's first or original           implies that God refuses to empower that reprobare sin-
          purpose).    Deze is de eigenlijke wil, daarin bestaande ner to come. God wills that he shall perish. Yet God
          dat God de zonde  niet wil, maar  alleen  wil  toelaten,   dat begs him to come to His heart. Can that begging  of
          Hij  aller  zaligheid   till,  e n   aan  allen  d e   genade   aanbiedt." God be sincere? Nobody but the Pelagian, says Bavinck,
          So far Bavinck. Let us pause here for a moment. Accord-                applies this Scripture to the reprobate sinner.
          ing to Bavinck it is the Catholics and the Remonstrants                 i Let us listen to Berkhof once again: "En wijst niet
          who reach that God wills to save and off&s His grace                   Jezus' weeklage over  Jeruzalem  in dezelfde  richting?
          (special grace) to  ~~11   men, to the reprobated sinners              Kunt gij iets  denken,  dat in roerenden weemoed deze
          therefore. This is Berkhof's doctrine also. God's orig-                klacht overtreft? `Jeruzalem,  Jeruzalem,.gij die de  pro-
          inal purpose is to save all men. Unto all, God offers spe-             feten doodt, en steenigt die tot u gezonden zijn, hoe
        cial  g r a c e . And now Bavinck : "De voluntas consequence             menigmaal heb Ik uwe kinderen  willen bijeenvergaderen,
          (.God's  ultimate purpose? Berkhofj volgt op de beslissing gelijkerwijs"eene  hen hare kiekens bijeenvergadert onder
          van den mensch." Bavinck, Dog., Vol. II, p. 245.                '      de vleugelen, en gijlieden hebt niet gewild.' Matt. 23:
               What is implied in Berkhof's Pelagian doctrine of two             37." So far Berkhof.
          purposes? Let us hear Bavinck on the matter.                Says          This utterance of Jesus, Berkhof applies to the repro-
E ,,      Bavinck: "Het Pelagianisme heeft deze lijn {de  Gerefor-               bate. He quotes this Scripture  in support of his doctrine
          meerde lijn) ten onrechte verlaten, en eene machtelooze                on the two purposes.     It is Berkhof's  view,  therefore,
          begeerte, een onvervulden  wensch  in God tot wil  ver-                that Christ, the God, greatly desires to save  J&usalem.
          heven.  Daarmede heeft het  aan heel `t  wezen,   aan alle             Bur the stubborn Jew will not be saved. The divine will
          cleugden Gods tekort gedaan. Want indien de voluntas and the human will clash. And the will of man prevails.
          signi (God's original will or purpose, Berkhof) de  eigen-             God is defeated. Let me say that I would'place my con-
          lijke en  wezenlijke  wil van God is, dan wordt Hij van                fidence in man rather than in Berkhof's God. Bavinck
                                                                                                     Let 
          zijn almacht, wijsheid, goedheid,  onveranderiijkheid,                 assures us that it is the Pelagian who is wont to appeal
          onafhankelijkheid, enz., beroofd; heel het wereldbestuur to this Scripture.                         ,no one object that the Pelagian
          wordt dan aan zijne voorzienigheid onttrokken;eenonver-                believes not in reprobation. He does. However, the
          zoenbaar dualisme wordt er geschapen tusschen Gods be-                 reprobation in which he believes is a product of his own
          doe.ling  en het  resultaat  der wereldgeschiedenis; de  uit-          imagination.
          komst is dan voor God een eeuwige teleurstelling ; het                    But what has this all to do with Berkhof's exposition
          wereldplan is mislukt en Satan  viert'-  aan het einde of Mat!.  5 :45 ? This : Berkhof can apply the terms un-
        triumph," Bavinck, Dog., Vol. II, p. 246.                                thankful, unjust and evil to the reprobate without in-
               According to Bavinck, Berkhof's doctrine of two pur-              volving Christ  ,in a contradiction, because, he, Berkhof,
          poses or wills is a pernicious doctrine. Its adoption believes i,n the Pelagian dbctrine of two wills or two pur-
          means the very destruction of God.  ,It is this doctrine               poses.
          which Berkhof defends in his brochure and in his articles                 We must conclude rhat the unthankful and the evil
          appearing in the "Reformed Herald," It is this doctrine                cannot be the reprobate sinner.
          which was added to our Standards by the Synod of 1924.                    There is another element of the Scripture in question.
               It is remarkable that Berkhof appeals to the same                 namely, Matt.  5:44,   45, to which we wish to attend.
          Scripture to which the  Peiagians  appeal. Says Bavinck: Jesus said, that God maketh His sun to rise on the evil
          `rHet (Pelagianisme) beroept  zich daarvoor op  verscfiil-             and sendeth rain on the unjust. The question cannot be
          lende teksten der Heilige Schrift, Ezech.  23 :32, 33 ; 33 :I1 ; suppressed as to whether the term unjust should be made
          Matth.  23:37," Bavinck, .Dog., Vol. II, p. 394. Berkhof,              to apply to the elect unjust only. For  ir is a fact that
          too, quotes these Scriptures.  "Er is," wrote Berkhof, God sends His rain on the t-ejekted  unjust as well. And
          "nog een  plaats  in de profetie van Ezechiel, waar de                 it is plain, that rain and sunshine are regarded by Jesus
          Heere dezelfde gedachte in nog sterker  taal uitspreekt, as tokens of God's good will.
          waarin Hij ze zelfs met een eed bevestigt, n.l., Ezech.  33:              The difficulty can easily be removed. It is plain, that
          11: `Zoo waarachtig  als Ik  leef,  spreekt de Heere                   Christ is speaking of rain and of sunshine  which  bless rhe
          HEERE, zoo Ik lust heb in den dood des goddeloozen.                    recipients. For the children of God are admonished to
          Maar daarin heb Ik lust, dat de goddelooze zich bekeere bless those that curse them. God, their Father, does so.
          van zijnen weg en leve. Bekeert  u, bekeert u van uwe                  He sends rain on the unthankful and makes His  sun to
          booze wegen, want waarom zoudt gij  sterven,  o huis                   rise on the unjust. This rain and this sunshine are rev-
          Tsraels?'  Zijn  dat," asks Berkhof,  "geen woorden van elations of God's love and of His compassion for these
          teedere  onrferming,  waarin een Vader zijne afwijkende                unthankful ones. This rain and this sunshine must be
          kindercn  (the reprobate wicked,  Yrerkhof)   smeekt,  urn             regarded as gifts which bless.      Our opponents. must


332                                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                 -........_   - -                                                                   .._            -           -    -

admit that rain and sunshine do not  alwaps bless. The                                 DE JONGSTE KERKELIJKE STRIJD
rain which fell in torrent&, after Noah had entered the
ark, did not bless but destroyed and cursed. Hence,  all                                           IV. Na de Synode
rain does not bless. Christ, we repeat, is speaking  of  a
beneficial rain and of a beneficial sunshine. When does                                   "De Twee en Negcntig"  (Vervolg)
rain bless? When is sunshine beneficial? Berkhof
should have faced these questions. He neglected doing                              Niet lang nadat de kerkeraad het verzoek des zes-en-
so, however. Holy Writ teaches me that rain and sun-                            tachtig om  ten speciale  classis had'ontvangen en  aan de
shine bless only those who are empowered by  God's                              classicale commissic had laten  weten, dat hij  zulk een
Spirit to respond with  ,heartful  praise. Rain is a curse                      speciale vergadering noodignoch wenschelijk achtte, vend
unto those who are not thankful. Says the Psalmist:                             iemand op straat  aan Eastern  Ave..een  gedrukt pamphlet,
"Surely thou didst set them in slippery places." These                          den inhoud  waarvan  we hier laten volgen:
slippery places are rain and sunshine given to the un-                          ".4an de Classicale Commissie van  Classis.
thankful. "Thou castedst them," says the prophet, "down                            Grand Rapids Oost der Chr. Geref.  Kerk.              ._
into destruction.  " How are they brought into desola-                          "Eerwaarde Broeders  :-
tion, as in a moment. They are utterly consumed with                               "Ondergeteekenden,  allen  belijdende ledcn van de
terrors, Ps. 73.                                                                Chr. Geref,  kerk van Eastern Ave., gevoelen dat wij in
   The elect unthankful, dead in sin, cannot praise God.                        onzt? onderhandelingen met den kerkeraad gekomen zij,n
Is the rain and sunshine they receive a blessing? They                          tot zulk een stadium, tot zulk een onhoudbaren toestand,
lack the power to respond with  heartful  praise. The                           dat alleen het  b&list  tusschenbeide  treden der  Classis
answer is ready: in due time God transports them from                           hierin verapdering en de  gewenschte  oplossing kan  aan-
the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of Christ. Then brengeri:   Daatiom  hebben wij ons dan ook tot den  kerkc-
the redeemed unthankful praise God for past, present and                        raad gericht *met het volgende verzoek :                .-
future favors. They praise God for the rain and the sun-                        `Waarde  Breeders  :-
shine they' received while yet dead in sin. Where sin                              `Ondergeteekenden,   ieden  van de  CRr. Geref.  kerk
abounded, grace did much more abound. -And we know, van Eastern Avenue, verzoeken bij dezen, dat de k&-ke-
that all  rhings work together for-good to them that love                       raad de noodige stappen neme tot het samenroepen van
God, to them who are the called, according to His pur-                          eene speciale vergadering der  Classis.     Reden  voor  dit
pose. Rom.  S. God doks not curse  the.elect unthankful. verzoek  is het  feit, dat samenwerking tusschen de  ge-
       Thus we have completed our criticism of Berkhof's                        trouwe   leden  van Eastern  Ave.  - die de eigenlijke  ge-
exposition of  Matt. 5  :45,  46 and of Luk.  6:35. Our own meente uitmaken - met den tegenwoordigen leeraar en
exegesis was substituted for his. The opponent rejects                          kerkeraad onmogelijk is geworden. Samenwerking met
our exegesis of these sayings of Jesus. Before doing so, den leeraar is onmogelijk omdat hij, volgens het eerste
Berkhof should prove that we have misinterpreted                                nummer van de `Standard Bearer,' het standpunt veroor-
Christ's utterances. We invite Berkhof to prove this and                        deeld door de Synode zal blijven handhaven.  Samen-
also that the author of "De Drie  Punten  in Alle  Deelen                       werking met den kerkeraad, omdat die  zich niet  wil
Gereformeerd" is not a Pelagian. `It is worth trying.                           onderwerpen  aan de  classis en, door  her samenroepen
For success on the part of Berkhof would mean the end                           van de gemeente oh bij haar steun te zoeken tegenover
of the controversy now disquieting the church.                         Prof.    de  classis, feitelijk het kerkverband heeft verbroken. Het
Berkhof, if you can prove that the author of the brochure,                      behoeft geen betoog, dat samenwerking onder de huidige
which we criticized is reformed and that the charges omstandigheden van de eigenlijke gemeente van Eastern
lodged against him are false, the editors of `Y+e Stand-                        -4venue  met zoo'n leeraar en kerkeraad  eenvoudig  on-
ard Bearer" will implore their followers to  ret&-n  to the                     mogelijk is.
church which they left. The attempt, you will agree, is                            `Wij  hopen dat ook de kerkeraad het noodzakelijke
worth while. Assisted by such eminent theologians as iran eene speciale  Classis-zal  jnzien. Is hij daartoe  ge-
Dr. Bouma, Dr. Beets, Rev.  G. Hoeksema, and not  .to                           negen, dan verwachten  .wij, dat hij  zich zal  wenden  tot
forget Rev. H.  1.  Kuiper,   you  ought to succeed, don't you                  de Classicale Commissie met verzqek om  .een  vergade-
t'hink?                                                                         ring samen  te roepen  niet later dan 18 November. Mocht
                                                               G. M. 0.         het echter  gebeuren dat binnen een week noch de Classi-
                                                                                tale  Commissie,   noch  een ander bericht heeft ontvangen
                    .'    - -                                                   dat de kerkeraad eene speciale vergadering der  Classis   '
                                                                                zoekt  te beleggen, zoo zullen wij ons  als de getrouwe
       159. Vijf stukken behooreri tot `een' Leeraar, zoo  als                  leden  der gemeente-  tot de Classicale Commissie en des-,
de wereld hem thans wil hebben:                                                 noods tot de andere gemeenten der  classis vervoegen,
       1. Dat hij geleerd zijn;                      I                          opdat wij langs dien weg eene speciale vergadering der
       2. - Dat hij eene fraaie uitspraak hebbe;                                Classis  mogen  verkrijgen, en opdat de  Gereformeerdc
       3. Dat  hij welsprekend  zrj;                                            leer en de beginselen van Gereformeerd Kerkrecht mogen
       4. Dat hij geen geld neme, maar toegeve f                                worden  gehandhaafd.'
       5. Dat hij spreke, wat men gaarne hoort.                                    "Dit verzoek was geteekend door 86  leden.
                                                                                                                            .._


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     Vol. II, No. 13                                                        JULY 15, 1926                                    Subscription Price, $2.50

                                                                                        the strength of manhood ; but the, burden of sixty, seventy
                  M E D I T A T I O N                                                   or eighty years soon proves too heavy for him to carry,
                                                                                        the strong hand of time bears down upon him and makes
                                                                                        him yield to the power  ?f death. Besides, our spiritual
                            A SURE FOUNDATION                                           nature is subject to the same mutations and fluctuations
                                                                                        due to many and various causes. What we love today we
                                 *i                                                     frequently despise tomorrow; our strong convictions of
                                         For I am the Lord, I change not; there-
                                       fore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.          the past are uprooted in the future  ; our hopes of yes-
                                                                      Mal.  1115.       terday are our fears today. All our thoughts and plans,
                           1.                                                           and aspirations are subject to the ever operative laws
         Jehovah,  1: AM!                                                               of change and decadence. . . . .
          I AM is God's name and He is the only one who can                                 In every respect it is true of us what the inspired                   '
     hear the name in truth. For He can stand in the  midsr psalmist teaches us to sing:
     and above the ever-changing flux of  al! things and say:
     z' am now;  T am yesterday and throughout the far reced-                                      "The flower is withered by the wind
     ing ages of the past even inta the unfathomable recesses                                        That smites with blighting breath;
     of eternity; I am tomorrow and in the ages to come;  I                                          So man is quickly swept away
     am forever . . . . .                   ^                                                        Before the blast of death."
          With us and all around us is constant mutation.                                   And whithersoever we turn or wheresoever we look
     ,I Time and change are busy ever.                                                  there is among all that is called creature nothing stable,
          .411 things once were not, they have a beginning and                          nothing abiding. . . . .
     appear on the stage of history for a while to be and to                                There is nothing among created things to which man
     play their part, they grow and develop, they fade  an'd                            can cling for refuge ; nothing in this ever changing flux            *
     decay and again they disappear from view and are no                                of time in which he can trust and say: Let me abide.
     more. . . .                                                                        Irresistibly he is carried on and on, ever changing, ever
         The flower  CJf the field springs forth from among the                         moving, ever decaying till time's stream bears him into
     grass, blooms a while in humble loveliness,  bu! with the                          eternity's ocean. The man that clings for abiding refiige
     setting of the evening sun it withers and fades so that to the things that are made is Iike the desperate wretch,
     even its place knows it no more. The light of day dawns                            hopelessly  st<uggling  against the pitiless current of the
     in the morning, when the king of day issues forth as a                             Niagara and drifting down to the falls, who would cling
     bridegroom from his chamber rejoicing, it shines and                               to a block of wood drifting down with him to rhe inevit-
     increases in strength for a few hours, but presently it able and rapidly approaching end. . . .
     dwindles into the gray of evening's twilight and soon is                               Is there, then, nothing that abides? Is there, nowhere,
     swallowed up by the black of night. All nature in beau- a rock to which our soul may cling in security?
     tiful springtime bursts forth with fresh life on all sides,                            There is. For behind all things fleeting is the One
     it displays its hopeful green and bears it through the                             Permanent. . . .
     summer but when summer's brightness fades into                                         Above rhe world of time and change stands He who
     November's mists, the leaves  drop,  the rich variety of changeth all, yet is Himself unchanging.
     colors disappears and the sting of death soon is mani-                                 The one point of rest amid universal unrest. . . . .
     f e s t   e v e r y w h e r e .   t                                                    Jehovah, I AM!
-        And as it is in nature so it is with us. . . .
          The babe  of today is the young man of tomorrow; a                                I am the Lord !
     brief moment he stands in the vigour of youth and in                                   1' change not ! I am the absolutely immutable !

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

     How  contrar-7  to all we know of finite and mortal        and the amazing depth of that love to them, that He
 being is this language of the Lord our God!                    would make them like unto the image of His- own dear
     Yet, how literally  true in application to our God!        Son, in order that they might be able to taste the divine
         He is in and by Himself unchangeable and His Being     sweetness of that love forever and ever. . . .
  is not subject to the mutations of our nature. He is             From that eternal source this river of God's wondrous
 underived and uncaused and there never was a moment            love flows on and on. We see it, when on its stream
 when He was not. No child of time as we are is He,             the Son .of God is borne into the world, sent into the flesh
 and the heavy hand of time does not bear Him down.             for our sin. We behold it, widening and deepening, as
  He was never young and He never grows old. There              the Son walks His way of humiliation and shame and
 is neither increase nor diminishing of His power and           suffering in the likeness of sinful flesh, till it rushes over
 knowledge and wisdom and glory and light and life.             Golgotha into the grave of the `Lord of glory and from
 :1nd with Himself, as the All-sufficient, Self-sufficient,     thence lifts Him as rhe Head of all the children of Jacob
  Self-dependent Triune  God?  He' lives an unchangeable into' everlasting exaltation. We feel it, when it reaches
 life of perfection. With Him is the fountain of unfading       us in the depths of sin and hell, lifts us aloft., bears us
 `light. The eternal Present is  He,.and He lives where it up into the light of God, where  `we also may behold the
is always day in undiminished splendor, where all things        wonders of His love. . . .
 always ARE, never WERE or SHALL- BE. His mind                     On and on it flows till the purpose of His will which'
 is an unchanging light, His heart an  .ever-flowing and        He purposeth in Himself is fulfilled. , . .
 never exhausted fountain of purest love. There is in              For He is the  Lord, He changeth not!
 Him no deliberation or hesitation, no weighing of evi-            Jehovah, I AM.
 dences or consequences; there are in Him no spasms
 of contending volitions and' motives. He is the one, con-         Jehovah is unchangeable !
 tinuously living God, never heginning  3 always being,            Immutable in Himself and in all the glorious virtues
 never ending always abiding, never bending `always en- of His adorable Being.
 during, never changing ever invariable. . . .                     Unchangeable, too, in His relation of eternal covenant-
    The Everlasting God !                                       love toward- the true children of Jacob.
    The Eternal I AM!                                              And this unchangeableness of Jehovah is at the same
    Jehovah is His Name !                                       .time the key to the solution of an otherwise insoluble
     But the truth of God's everlasting immutability            problem and most mysterious phenomenon.
 implies much more. For the name Jehovah  does, not                The children of Jacob are not consumed !
 only express that He is the unchangeable God in and               All thin& fade and die and lose their  beauty.  All
 by Himself, but that He is such also in His relation to        that is called creature passes away and is consumed. But
 His people, so that He becomes the sure foundation upon whatever may change and decay and disappear, the chil-
 which the children of Jacob may build, the one Rock            dren of Jacob are not consumed, they abide forever.
 to which they may cling and upon which they may safely            And, the wonder of it all is, that there are so many
 dwell as their everlasting abode.                              causes that would seem to result in their inevitable
    Jehovah is also God's covenant-name.                        destruction, that more quickly than anything else we
     When He says:  "1 am Jehovah," He reveals that His         would expect them to be consumed.
 relation to the children of Jacob is a covenant-relation          Thus it is with Israel of old . . . .
 and this covenant-relation is a relation of deepest: and          Did they not pass through the fire of Egypt's oppres-
 purest and most fervent love, according to which He is         sion and furious hatred? Why is  it? that when they are
 their everlasting Friend and Saviour and they are His          swallowed up in a strange land and the wrath  and envy
 friends and servants as beloved children and heirs: And        of the king raves against- them, the fire of persecution
 He reveals that this covenant-love of His toward the           is kindled against them, they groan in bondage and hzrd
 children of Jacob is not carried on the changing stream        labor and their children are choken  in death as soon as
 of time, does not arise from neith'er, is borne away by the    they see the light  of life, that they are not consumed?
 ever moving and altering flux of created things, but is as     How  is it, that when they pass through the waters  of
 eternal and unchangeable as Himself. . .  ~  .                 the sea in which their enemies perish, into that great
    The mighty stream of love divine toward the children        and terrible wilderness, in which there is neither water
 of Jacob does nbt have its origin in us but in Him, does       nor food, helpless and weak but always surrounded  by
 not spring from time's fountain but from eternity's deep,      hateful enemies, that plot their destruction, they are not
 is in no wise contingent upon anything that belongs to         swallowed up in death? And why is it, above all. that
 us poor creatures, but rises from the deep fountain of         the  chil&en of Jacob, so often rebellious and apostate
 God's  c~wri  heart and flows on and on, a river  of God       from Jehovah, turning their neck to the Lord and eagerly
 full of water. . . .                                           following after other gods, incurring Jehovah's wrath
    He knew the children of Jacob in a love that has  it5       and fierce anger, were not utterly destroyed? Jehovah's  '
 fountain in Him  aione.                                        anger is a consuming fire. And through rhat consuming
    And in that eternal love He purposed with an eternal        fire the nation passes again and again, because of its
 purpose in Himself, that He would reveal the greatness         terrible transgression. But never is it consumed. -4lways


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                    339
                                                ,..^--- ..-...-.                  -
it passes through. A remnant remains and abides no                                     PROTESTANTSCH-21  JN
tnatter how fiercely the fires of God's wrath burn and
consume many of them. . . . .                                                                    "Protestanten" "Protesteeren"
                                                                                               als Gods  Woorda.  verwaterd  wordt.
    And thus it is with the C:hurch   c,f the New Dispensa-                                      d'  And'rrn, die dat  nrct  h-an  dcren,
tion.                                                                                          Iaten   ` t   langs-humkoude-klecren"'
                                                                                                 zakken.  `Zulken  zijn  - -   in  k o r t  -
    She is the object of  enGy and hatred. Scaffolds are                                         nog door satan vastgcsjord. --
built tom kill her children. Prisons are erected to swallow
them up. Fires are kindled to burn them to death. The               P        Protcstantcn!  wetcn  w'  allen
devil raves and roars like a fierce lion, the world rages           R          Reeds: wat  `iProtestantsch-zijn" is  -  ?
in fury. . . . .                                                    0        "0, gewis  !"  - zoo hoor ik schallen.  -
    All in vain. The children of Jacob are not consumed!            T          Tech  verstaat een deel dat mis!
                                                                    E
    Or; consider the other aspect of the picture. How                        Enkl'en  (waarlijk Protestanten)
                                                                    S          Steken  slechts met kracht  "van  wal"
often does the Church assume the aspect of  .Babylon                T        Tegen  "deerlijk-faliekanten"
and apostatize from the living God! She forsakes the                I
truth, she follows after the gods of this world, she pro-                      In dit doodig-doorgangs-da1 . . . . !
                                                                    N
vokes Jehovah to anger, till God's people complain rhat                      Neen ! op duizend "Protestanten"(  ?)
the Church of Jesus Christ is hopelessly lost. . . .                G          Geven Twee nauw blijk, te  zijn:
   Yet, she is always there. The remnant remains, how-              C        "Christus'-ware-geestverwanten!"
ever the children of Jacob may pass through fire and                H          Heel de rest vertoont slechts "schijn"!
through water !                                                     R        "Religieusche  Protestanten:'
   And thus it is with each one of us individually. When            I          Ingewijd in `t woord van God,
we consider our sins and transgressions, rhe foul foun-             S        Scherpen `t oar naar alle kanten,
tain of our own heart and mind, our repeated apostasies             T          Telkens  31s men `t Woord  b.espot  !
from Jehovah, our iniquities without number, daily wit-             I        "Inactief"  kunt gij niet  wezen
nessing against us; and when we bring them in the light             A          1x1s gij Protestant wilt zijn!
of God's holiness and righteousness and remember that               N        Niets en niemand mood gij vreezen,
He is a consuming fire. . . . .                                     R          Rijk,  noch arm,  "-"- `t zij groot, of klein!
   Then, oh,  then it is an inscrutable mystery, that we            E        Echter   "- bij  zulk protesteeren
are not long ago consumed by the fire of God's wrath. . .           F          Feilt her dikwijls  aan "Gehoo?`;
   Until I look at the cross and there contemplate His              0        Obstinate-,  "Wijze"(   ?>  heeren
love, and retnember  that the love that eiected thar cross          R          "Renvoyeeren" `t Stuk, in-koor . . . . !!
for the only Begotten,  flows forth  frotn  the heart of an         M         "Machtsvertoon" van een Synode
unchangeable God.                                                   E          En van Classes,  - Protestant!
   Then I understand, why I have not been swept away                D        Doemt HET RECHT UWS GODS ten  doode!
and consumed by-His  wrath.
    It is because.1 have to do with an unchanging love,             c          Censureert ! Verdoemt ! Verbant.. . . !! -
with a faithfulness that never departs from its promise,            H        "Hoop doet leven" - luidde `t Spreekwoord
with an immutable purpose to bless me, that wili not be             U          Uir den "goeden-ouden-tijd"  ;
turned aside. . . .                                                 R        "Raak-niet  - smaak-niet,"  - is  nu `t Steekwoord ;
   To rhat cross, and over that cross to that love, E look          C        "Christus-en-de-wereld,"  -  `t Preekwoord !
backward in grateful adoration. From that cross I look              H          "Half-om-half" . . . naar  d' Eeuwigheid . . . ! ! -
forward, weak and sinful though I be, yet trusting myself                                                 B. A. HENDRIKSEN.
to that unchanging love and believing that I shall never
be consumed. To thar rock I will cling amid the floods
of sin rhat may pass over my soul  ; in the midst of hate-                                 AANKONDIGING
ful enemies that may wish and plot for my destruction;                   Op de Gecombineerde Kerkeraadsvergadering  ,van  4
amid a tempting world and through the schemes of a                  Mei,   1326,   wercl  besloten   ten oproeping te  -doen   voor
roaring devil. Presently I shall pass into the darkness             studenten aan onze School. Alle jonge mannen,  die daar-
of death and the grave, still clinging to Him, Who  is*             voor in aanmerking wenschen te  komen!  worden   ver-
immutable. And when in the end all things shall pass                zocht zich aan te bieden op- de volgende vergadering, die
away, and the elements shall burn and  melt.  1 will be             staat gehouden te worden  in de eerste week van Rugus-
confident in this, that I shall not be consumed, when He            tus in her kerkgebouw aan Fuller ?Lve.. hoek fan Frank-
is  the rock of my security. ~ . , .                                lin,*Grand  Rapids,  Mich. Een aanbeveling van hun  ker-
    For He, Jehovah, changes not. . . .                             keraacl wordt  verwacht.
    Therefore, the children of Jacob cannot be consumed.                   P, S. Datum nog niet bepaald.
   Jehovah, I AM!                                                                          p/r. VANDER VENNEN, Clerk,
    My Lord and my God!                                                                                   1211 Bemis St., S. E.,
                                                 H.  1-I.                                                         Grand Rapids, Mich.


                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                               333
                                              ---.           ----..---                                                        -_

    Aan  zulk eene taal zijn we hier we1 gewoon. Wie de de  Drie Formuliercn van Eenigheid en is nimmer door
laatste vijftien  a twintig  jaren  mecgcleefd heeft, weet,         mij  ingetrokken.   - Als man van eer ontzeg ik ieder het
hoe ondcrscheidene "jongeren" binnen den kring der recht om aan mijn goede trouw  oak maar te twijfelen, en
Christelijke Gereformeerden  herhaaldelijk  onomwonden              niemand krijgt een extra-betuiging van  rechtzinnigheid
en in de krachtigste bewoordingen uitdrukking hebben                van mij 10s."
gegeven  aan  soortgelijke gedachten ; en hoe ook zij  zich             Aan  dat woord bleef Geelkerken tot aan het einde toe
bij voorkeur voor hunne beschouwingen beriepen op getrouw ; tevens sterk staande op een iuivere toepassing
Bavinck, d. w.  z., op den  lateren  Bavinck,  - want zij           van het kerkrecht.
spraken in die dagen van twee Bavincks: van een  Ba-                   In een volgend nummer letten  we nader op het eigen-
vinck  v&r en een Bavinck  na 1911. Inzonderheid in de              lijke conflict.
werken van Bavinck, die  ni 1911 gepubliceerd werden,                                                                H. D.
vonden ze hun gevoelen weergegeven. Door hen zijn we
dan ook vertrouwd geraakt met de spreekwijze en termi-
nologie van Dr. Geelkerken.
   Geelkerken heeft dan, volgens zijn eigen zeggen, den                                NO GRACE BUT WRATH
strijd aangebonden tegen de  heilige   hutijes   swn  mens&+
Iijke opvattingen en  traditioneele,   populaire  meeningen.  &I                         Psalm  Seventy-Three
hij laat  zich niet dringen in den hoek van het  oud-
modernisme, dat op grond van gesloten natuurcausaliteit,               The superscription of psalm seventy-three informs us,
wonderen  uitsluit." Hij ontkent het wonder nieti laat de that Asaph was the human instrument through whom
Schrift  onaangetast, en strijdt ook niet tegen de  Gere-           the Spirit of God revealed to the Church of all ages the
formeerde Confessie. Evenmin laat hij zich bij de "Ethi-            profound and abounding wisdom contained in this beau-
schen" indeelen. Met sommige uitspraken van  Netelen-               tiful song. There are some, among whom also Calvin,
bos is hij het ook niet eens. Hij wil weten,  wat de Schrift        who prefer to think that it was not  Asaph,  but David
zegt. Die vraag wil hij ook gesteld zien bij de bestudee-           who composed this psalm and "that the name of Asaph
ring van Genesis 1 tot 3. In toepassing derhalve van was prefixed to it, because the charge of singing it was
hetgeen de Schrift  verhaalt van de slang in het Paradijs, committed to him, while the name of David, its author
is het  niet. de vraag of de slang heeft  kunnen  spreken, was omitted, just as is it usual for us, when things are
want zulks wordt in geen enkel  opzicht door hem in twij- well known of themselves, not to be at the trouble of
fel getrokken; maar of de Schrift  leert, dat de slang met- stating them". (Calvin.) But there' is no reason to accept
tardaad   sprak. Geelkerken wil onderscheiden tusschen de this view as true. For first, the ground adduced for this
gewone traditioneele opvatting en hetgeen, naar de leer opinion is a mere conjecture and not in harmony with
der  Schrift, feitelijk plaatsgreep. En voor zichzelf  acht         the,  facts, for many of the psalms in Scripture do  ,bear
hij het mogelijk, dat de gewone traditioneele  beschou- the name of David, from which it is evident that it -was
wing wijziging zou  moeten  ondergaan, indien men een by no means customary to leave the name off, when it
degelijk wetenschappelijk onderzoek zou instellen.                  was well known and a matter of fact that David wrote
   "Een aanrander van het gezag der Heilige  Schrift," a certain psalm. And, secondly, the Word of God intro-
zooals men hem den volke heeft  willen  afteekenen, wil duces Asaph to us, not only as a chief singer or precentor
Geelkerken geenszins zijn. Hij wil degdijke  weten-                 in the sanctuary, but also as an author of psalms. For
schappelijke studie.  Doch tegenover allerlei  verdacht-            in II Chron.  29:30  we read: "Moreover Hezekiah the
makingen  heeft hij terstond van. het begin  af geweigerd, king and the princes commanded the Levites  ro sing
om opzettelijk aan de Gereformeerde Kerken zijne liefde praise unto the Lord with the words of David and of
te verklaren  of  oak  eert extra-bduiging van  Gereformeerd-       Asaph the seer." Asaph, then, was not only a singer
heid   aan te bieden. "Zoodra in een huwelijk de  echtge- but also a seer. He not only directed the sacred music
nooten," merkt hij zeer terecht op,  "elkander  opzettelijk in the sanctuary  bur also was instrumental in the com-
verklaringen gaan afgeven, dat zij elkander nog  liefheb-           position of songs to be chanted there. And it was, ac-
ben, is er reeds iets niet in orde. En wie door het feit, cording to the superscription, through him that the Holy
dat ik met mijn  Imen de  Gereforineerde  Kerken dien, Spirit gave this beautiful gem of divine wisdom and con-
niet overtuigd is van mijne liefde voor haar, zal dit zeker         solation in suffering to the Church of Christ Jesus in the
niet door een nog zoo nadrukkelijke mondelinge of schrif-           world.
telijke  verkhing  mijnerzijds  worden."                               Asaph was a singer, a leader in music, one of the
   "Een man van eer zal dengene,  die hem voor een leu-             three precentors  that were appointed to direct the music
genaar uitmaakt, niet zijn waarheidszin gaan betoogen, accompanying divine worship in the sanctuary. We
maar vordert hem op het bewijs en ziet hem, zoo hij dit know from the Word of God (I  .Chron.   23:2-5)  that
schuldig blijft en niet onder aanbieding zijner  veront-            David, the king,, himself a singer and a lover of music,
schuldiging terugneemt, zelfs niet meer  aan.  -           Een and, besides, deeply concerned with the things that per-
extra-verklaring, dat ik heusch Gereformeerd ben, krijgt            tained to the house of God and the dwelling-place of
zoo iemand niet van mij. Mijn handteekening staat onder Jehovah, divided all the Levites into four groups or com-


 344                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                                              -..__-
 panies. To the smallest of these four divisions, a group       who in our day extol the view, that God is good to all
 consisting of four thousand  Levites,  was assagned the  * without distinction and that He is gracious over the
 music that accompanied divine worship. From this divi-         ungodly. To the poet the very  idea-is intolerable. It
 sion of four thousand was chosen again a smaller group         upsets him. It brings him trouble and conflict. He
 of two hundred and eighty-eight. These `were all select cannot conceive of his God favoring the wicked. Sec-
 singers. And these were once more subdivided into twen-        ondly, it must also be noted, that Asaph, even if he would
 ty-four classes, all of which were placed under the direc-     have to come to the conclusion, based upon an impartial
 tion of three  precentors,   Heman,  Asaph and Ethan or        observation of the facts in life, that God- is, indeed, good
 Jeduthun. This Asaph is at the same time the author of         to the ungodly, is incapable of noticing anything common
 some of the  psalms*of  Holy Writ, and he composed the         in this grace of God. In that case, if you will let the facts
 song we will now proceed to consider a little more closely     of life speak and draw your conclusion from them, you
 and in detail. I                                               will have to arrive at the view that  God  is.gracious  to
        A mere superficial perusal of the whole psalm will      the ungodly in preference to the godly. For it is the
 immediately make it plain why, in this connection, we          ungodly, nor the godly, that prosper in the world and
 consider it important to dwell more or less at length upon that for the most part triumph. They enjoy all things,
 the significance of this part of the Word of God. For          and that in spite of the fact that they seem to exerr them-
 the theme of the entire psalm may be expressed in the          selves to provoke the Most High to anger and to chal-
 one question : Is God good to the ungodly  ? And this is       lenge Him to take vengeance upon them for their iniquity.
 also the important question involved in the controversy        Would it not seem, then, that God takes pleasure in their
 concerning common grace. Still more. The author of wicked deeds  ? All the more this question urges itself
 psalm seventy-three does not deal with this question in        upon the mind and heart of the poet when he considers
 the abstract. On the contrary. It is to him a question         the lot and way of the righteous in the,world. They suf-
of profound practical significance. He was led to con- fer. They are "pinched with poverty, oppressed with
 sider the question by considering things as they appeared      many troubles, harassed with multiplied wrongs, and
 to him in the world. And he saw the wicked prosper covered  with shame and reproach" (Calvin). They groan
 in the world. This seeming good fortune and prosperity         and sigh and cry out ro the Almighty, but there seems
 of the ungodly in the light of God's all-overruling provi-     no God in Heaven that inclines His ear unto their lamen-
 dence and government is the problem with which the             tations, or is mercifully moved with their afflictions. Ef
 poet deals in this psalm. And this is the problem  .of         grace is for the wicked, there is nothing common in it,
 common grace. But we ought to notice from the out- for the righteous, according to the same basis of judg-
 set, that the spiritual attitude of As,aph  over against this,, ment, seem to be deprived of it, in proportion to the ser-
 problem is radically opposed to that of the protagonists       iousness of their effort to walk in the way of the Lord!
 of a common grace in our day. The latter glory in their           Such in general is the content of rhe first part of the
 view, Asaph is troubled in soul as long as he imagines         psalm, narrating the troubles and conflicts of heart and
there is such a thing as common grace. This is so plain         mind the poet experienced, and extending through verse
 from the first part of the psalm, that no.one  can deny it.    16. The author begins the psalm by stating from the
 If it should prove to be a fact, that God favors and is very outset the positive conclusion to which he had come,
 gracious to the ungodly Asaph will have no rest for his        however *painful and grievous his experience had been,
 soul, he cannot be comforted and it seems to him that          when his soul had been agitated by many doubts and
 he loses his God. For it has been well emphasized re-          temptations. He had gained rhe victory. He had not
 peatedly, that the question of common grace above all been overcome by these doubts and murmurings concern-                      .
 concerns our conception of God. So does the author of ing his God, but entering into the sanctuary and having
 psalm seventy-three conceive of the matter. But instead        been taught  -by his God to view all things in the lighr
 of teaching or even inferring, that a denial `of common of eternity, he had come out of the battle victorious and
_ grace is based upon a wrong conception of the Most            even encouraged in hope and confirmed in the faith.
 High, implies that God is cruel and even monstrous, as         What he had learned in rhat sanctuary he states first of
 our opponents would fain maintain, the  aurhor  of our         all, before he continues to speak of his doubts and con-
 psalm emphatically teaches, that the affirmation that God flicts. "Truly, God is good to Israel !" Such is the posi-
 is good to the ungodly and wicked implies a denial of tive theme of his song, and this he would impress upon
 the very holiness and righteousness of God as well as          every soul of the godly in trouble and affliction. It is the -
 a denial of His love `over His people. It is to Asaph a        outcome of all his temptations that he may now confi-
 denial of the very Godhead of God. To hold that God            dently state this. Surely, that is, however things may  5
 is gracious to the wicked and that He blesses them is          appear to the contrary, God is good to Israel. And we
 sufficient to lead him to the unhappy suggestion, that         may note that it is rhe intention of the poet to have the
 there is no knowledge in the Most High and that the            emphasis  placed.on   Israel.  To Israel God is good, not to
 affairs of this world roll on at random and are governed       the wicked. And, lest he should be misunderstood be-
 by chance rather than by the direction of a righteous and      cause of lack of definiteness, he adds immediately: "to
 just and almighty God. Such is the spiritual attitude of       such as are of a clean heart." For not all thar lay a claim
 Asaph over against the question in distinction from those      to the name of Israel belong to the true Israel of God.


                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            345
  -
  There are wicked even among them, the Israel according             in their own esteem as if they were aldermen of the New
  to the flesh. _ The poet, therefore, "with a view of blotring      Jerusalem; they wanr no other ornament than their own
  out from the catalogue of the godly all the degenerate             pomposity. No jeweler could sufficiently adorn them;
  children of Abraham, acknowledges none to belong to                they wear their own pride as a better ornament than a
  Israel but such as purely and uprightly worship God ; as           gold chain" (Spurgeon). Violence covereth them like a
  if he had said: `When I declare rhat God is good to Israel, garment. They seize and covet, they rob and plunder
  I do not mean all those who, resting contended with a              and in their greed and coverousness  they oppress whom-
  mere, external prof&sion, bear the name of Israelites, to          soever they will,  par&ularly  the righteous. "They brag
  which they have no jusr title; but I speak of the spiritual        and bully, bluster and browbeat, as if they had taken out
  children of Abraham, who consecrate themselves to God              a license to ride roughshod over all mankind"  (Spur-
  with sincere affection of heart'  " (Calvin).       To these, geon). They'wallow in wealth and prosperity and they
  then, God is good. To none other. This is now finally              feast and live sumptuously every day, so rhat their very
  established in the mind of the author, however he' may             eyes stand out with fatness; and their income and posses-
  have been troubled at firsr by things that seemed too deep sion even far exceed their own greedy expectations and
  for him to scrutinize.                                             imaginations, for they have more than heart could wish.
       But the author continues to narrate the soul-battle he        They are wicked and their heart is corrupt, neither do
  had fought before he had arrived at the conclusion, rhat           they take pains to dissemble their own ungodliness, for
  God is good to His people and not to the wicked. There proudly they speak of oppression and furiously they foam
  had been a time, when he had not possessed the comfort             at the poor and the righteous. Still more. As they do  -
  of that assurance, when his feet were almost gone and with men so they do wirh God. Also over against Him
  h;is steps had well-nigh slipped off rhe path of the godly. they assume an attitude of boastful pride and wicked
  He had been so  h,arassed  with doubts concerning the              haughtiness. Rebelliously they speak blasphemies against
  government of all things, he had been so filled with bitter the Most High, challenging Him as it were to take
  feelings and rebellious murmurings concerning his God, vengeance of their wicked deeds. And affecting that they
  that he had felt himself slip away from the way of the             are God they let their tongue wander through the whole
  righteous. For it is a fact, that doubts concerning our            e&-th as if they were masters of the universe. Such is
  God are of the most painful and serious doubts, and they the picture the psalmist draws. Thus he saw them.
  do, indeed, affect our whole life and  conducr.  And the           These were his observations. On the basis of these one
  author'goes on to describe the occasion for this bitter would seem to be bound to arrive at the conclusion that
  conflict. He had been' doing a bit of observation and              God is gracious to the wicked at least in this present time
  comparison. He had glanced about himself in the world and with respect to rhe things of the world.
  especially with a view to the way in which things were                In verse 10 the poet introduces another group of peo-
  governed. And he had become envious at the foolish.                ple and there is a difference of opinion among commenta-
  which is merely a generic term to designate the wicked.            tors with regard to their  ,identity.  Whom does he here
  The specific cause of rhis envy was that these foolish             intr,oduce  as saying : "How dorh God know and is there
  enjoyed continual prosperity in the world. He, there- knowledge in the Most High ?" According to some, these
  fore, really had a quarrel with God, who sent them this            are the followers of the most preeminent among the
  prosperity,  "for: says Calvin,  "we are ready to imagine,         ungodly, those who are not as elevated'in their positions
  that since God grants them so much of the good things in the world, but who spiritually assume the same atti-
  of this life,  they are the objects of His approbation and         tude and take the same stand with them, boasting with
  favor."* So did Asaph imagine.  .4nd he relates to us his          them against the Most High in their siriful pride. Others
  inner reasonings and disputes he had with the Most-High. are of the opinion rhat the poet here refers to God's peo-
  He noticed,  with regard to these foolish and ungodly, ple, their steps well-nigh gone, envying the foolish and
  that there are no bands in their death. They know no               feeling their feet slip away from under them. They begin
 *death-struggle2  and the pangs of death never seem to              to murmur and to have a quarrel with, God. In our
. `take hold of them.       During their whole life they are opinion this latter interpretation is  correcr. The author
  strong and vigorous, for their strength is firm. and at the        himself never slipped away as far & these people of God,
  end they quietly and peacefully seem to glide away into            whom he now introduces. But it is a fact, that many
  eternity. They are not in trouble as other men are,                children of God in the world, still imperfect and sinful,
  neither are they plagued like other men. They seem to limited in their understanding of the ways of the Lord,
  dwell in sweet repose and undisturbed luxury and pros- are tempted to charge God foolishly, when they see the
  perity, poverty and want they kndw not and fierce trials           prosperity of the wicked, while. they themselves are in
 do not seem to assail them. They appear  escmpt from                trouble and sorrow every day and their punishment is
  the common miseries of men in proportion to the measure            there every morning. It is then thar they return hither,
  of their wickedness, and especially are they exempt from           that all their attention is concentrated upon this seem-
  the many trials of the righteous. Now, because of this, ingly unequal and unjust government of God in respect
  pride compasseth them like a chain, they boast in their            to rhe things of this present time ; and they are tempted
  pride, they adorn themselves with it as with a chain of to say: How doth God know and is there knowledge in
  gold.  It  is  their  glory to be haughty. "They are  as  great    the Most High?  Like Jeremiah rhey espostulate: "Right-


316                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                               -~-                                                       -
eous  art thou,  0 Lord, when I plead with thee; yet, let       by offering an explanation the heart of which is that God
me talk with thee of thy judgments'; Wherefore doth the         is a friend of the wicked, even standing in covenant-rela-
way of the wicked prosper? Wherefore are all they happy         tion with them for the present!
that deal treacherously?'     And, tempted by their  own           But no, even here the psalmist cannot rest. He can-
sinful heart, though they do not break forth in open not live with this conflict raging in his own soul. He
rebellion against the Lord and in the blasphemies of the        must fight it out. And he turns in the proper direction
ungodly, yet within their inmost heart they fret and criti-     to finish the battle and come out as the victor. He goes
cize God and His dealings with men, accusing Him of             to the sanctuary of his God.
injustice in conniving at wickedness. They  Iike to com-         Various explanations have been offered of the psalm-
plain against Him, they reason and plead with Him and           ist's meaning when he tells us that he went into "the
actually imagine that they have a ground for their mur- sanctuary.`, Some, even among eminent Hebrew com-
murings gainst the Most High.         Xnd that ground is mentators, understand by this sanctuary a reference to
expressed in the words: "Behold, these are the ungodly,         Heaven, God's celestial abode and the dwelling-place of
who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.`" And        the angels and of rhe saints made perfect. The signifi-
when they turn away from the ungodly and toward their cance then is, that in-the spirit the poet entered Heaven,
own lot, they discover that their only reward for their         and from there, instead of contemplating the lot of the
righteousness is a daily scourging! For carefully they righteous and of the wicked from a mere earthy point of
walked, and they can wash their hands in  innocency.            view, he now takes, within the scope of his view also their
They have no part in the boastful pride of the wicked.          end. He looks at all things now, not merely from the
Yet their affliction is there every morning as sure as the      viewpoint of the world and things, present, but in the
light of the morning sun dissipates, the night's darkness lighr  of eternity. There is without doubt an element, a
and of their calamaties  there is no end ! Thus they wail iery important element of truth in this interpretation.
                                                                          rest 
and complain and murmur; and if it were not for the sus-        For this is exactly what the psalmist'does, at is evident
taining power of God's almighty grace, they would be from the                      of his song, and it alone becomes the end
swallowed up in this dark abyss of doubt and conflict.          of all his troubles and the cure of all his `conflicts and
                                                                                                   ro 
       But the psalmist now changes his tone. He will not       doubts. It is true, that one cannot understand the ways
speak thus. Even if the thought should for a moment `of God in this world with respect                    the godly and the
be entertained in his heart the expression of it will not       ungodly, if he refuses to widen the scope of his `vision
come over his lips. He realizes the deep sinfulness of so as to embrace eternity. The wisdom of the world is
such deliberations. And he is conscious of the danger` earthy and for that very reason also devilish. The fool
and of the evil such thoughts might work should they only it is who considers,things  earthy all by themselves,
ever be expressed by such a man as he. If a man like            divorcing them from things heavenly. Yet, this is exactly
the psalmist, a leader in Israel, should speak thus of a        what they must do, who would speak of a grace of God
grace of God over the ungodly, he realizes that he might        over the wicked in the things of this present time. They
probably  fmd support with some profane hypocrites, separate whar  pIainly  belongs together.                  They divide
whose heart is filled with the love of this world and who       earth and heaven, they separate the way from the des-
have no spiritual part with the inheritance of the true tination, the means  from the end. And having thus made
Israel of God ; but he would surely sin against the genera-     a division they foolishly call the way grace, no matter
t,ions of the true  spiritua1  children of God. The timid       whither it leads, they designate the means as favor, no
among them, in their sufferings and afflictions, would by matte,r  what they may work. Is a beautiful road grace,
such. speech be carried still deeper into their darkness        as long as it leads to sure destruction? Is a sweet poison
and into the distress of their soul. Surely, there would a good, because it affords a pleasant taste for a moment,
be no comfort in the thought for them ! And why carry afterward working sure death? No, indeed ! And the
the conflict of his own soul into the hearts of others-?        moment you look,at the way of the righteous and of the
No, somehow he realizes that his conclusion cannot be ungodly ia the light of eternity, which is the only proper
right. Even though he does not understand the ways of way of considering things, the talk of a common grace
God, he will not accept the conclusion that God loves becomes absurd. Well, then, this is exactly what the
the ungodly and that He is really good to them. He will         psalmist does now,-and we should keep that element in
hold his tongue. He refuses to offer as an explanation our interpretation, according to which the sanctuary is
for the apparent disorder in the government of the world        Heaven into which the poet enters in rhe spirit. Others,
by God, that the Most High is good to the wicked. And among whom also Calvin, have it that the sanctuary into
though the thing is still painful to him and he fails to which Asaph entered, must be explained as the oracles
see light in the deep ways of God, he will bury .his trouble    of God, God's testimony, celestial doctrine, the school of
in his own heart for the present, bear it alone and hold        God. According to this interpretation  ,Asaph  intends to
his peace, realizing that by acting otherwise he would tell us, that he was instructed by the Lord and that the
but sin against the generations of God's children. And          Lord Himself taught him to understand those things
would to God that Dr. Kuvper had followed the same              which were too painful for him. Submissively he allowed
course, and that he had held his tongue, rather than sin-, himself to be instructed by divine wisdom, and rhus
ning against the generation of the true children of God taught by God Himself and considering all things in the
                                                                     w


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                               347

light of divine wisdom; he was cured of his murmuring sible comfort out of it for their conception. Or, if  the,
unbelief. This interpretation is not excluded by, but         will admit that there is nothing IX support them in their
rather implied in the former explanation. Certainly' it       conception in this particular passage, I would ask them
was through instruction from above, that the poet learned     nevertheless to offer any interpretation of this verse in
to contemplate the government of God regarding the            its context, that is in harmony with sound rules of exe-
righteous and the wicked in the light of eternity and of      gesis, and yet does not radically contradict their  gntire
heavenly things. And  lastly,-  all this does not exclude     theory of a grace of God vver the ungodly with respect
but is rather supplemented by that interpretation which       to the things of this present time. They cannot offer
explains that Asaph went into rhe sanctuary in Jeru-          the explanation that God would bless these ungodly
salem in the literal sense. How proper it is to explain,      and does bless them, but that they frustrate His good
that Asaph, leader in the music that accompanied the          will by turning His bounties into slippery places on
worship of the sanctuary, literally turned to the sanc-       which they slide into eternal desolation.          That would
tuary, where he was wont to worship, there unburdened         be such a distortion of the poet's meaning as to take the
his troubled heart before his God, and there received         very heart out of the comfort contained in this psalm.
instruction and light from above !                            For the question that troubled the psalmist was not at
   In the sanctuary he understood the end of rhe wicked.      all, what rhe wicked did with the things of God, but con-
by tht: end the poet makes no reference to judgments exe-     cerned God's  dealing   w&z  the wicked.  His anxious query
cuted upon them in this world, whereby all their pros-        was: Must  I believe that God favors' the ungodly, when
perity is removed from them or all their plans and aspira-. He makes them increase in riches and walk in unbroken
tions fail. There are, indeed, many commentators, who,        prosperity? If so, He cannot be comforted for such a
guided by their evolutionary tendencies, according to         thing he cannot conceive. But with that question he goes
which they cannot grant that in that early age there was      into the sanctuary and he receives an answer. And what
a clear conception of eternal things, refuse  ro find any     is the  "&swer?  How does God instruct him? In brief
reference -here to the eternal retribution of the wicked.     this is what the Most High teaches him to see: God is
They, therefore, eliminate' the thought of eternity from      not graciously inclined to the ungodly when He makes  them
rhe otherwise so perfectly plain language of the psalm        to  p-rasper,   neither does He intend to bless them with this
and inter-ret that Asaph refers to temporal judgments         prosperity. But in doing so He deliberately sets them upon
of God upon the ungodly. After all,  the poet noticed,        slippery places  in  order to cast  them into deeper destruction.
that this temporal prosperity of the wicked does not en-      Calvin says, commenting on this verse: "God for a short
dure but soon and  suddenIy  comes to an end.. But it         period thus lifts them up, that when they fall their fall
is evident that such an explanation is in conflict with       may be the heavier." Spurgeon  comments as follows :
the central  rhought  of the whole psalm. For the chief       "Here, to meet the case, he sees that the divine hand
thought of the entire psalm is exactly that the wicked        purposely placed these men in prosperous and eminent
prosper with undisturbed peace even to the.very end of        circumstances, not wirh the intent to bless them but the
their earthly way. There are no bands in their death          very reverse." The poet now dwells on this thought a
and they are not in trouble as other men are.       With      bit. for it is sweet to him and it sets him at rest before
respect to this earthly prosperity of the wicked the view his God, to discover thar God does not favour the'wicked
of the poet is nor altered.. Besides, in the rest of the      but considers them even in this present time in His
psalm the poet certainly makes mention of the blessed         wrath, that He does not bless. them but set thern on
end of the righteous in glory. And, therefore, also the       slippery places for  iheir  final and terrible destruction.
contrast demands that by the end of the wicked we             For God also it is, Who does cast them into that destruc-
understand their eternal desolation.     Not their death      tion. He not only exalts them temporarily but He also
proper, but their state after death. The thought, there-      brings them low eternally. "The same hand that led
fore, is that he was cured of his foolish envying of the      them to their Tarpeian rock also hurled them down from
wicked and of his sinful murmuring against God, when          it. They were but elevated by judicial arrangement for
he watched the end of the way of the ungodly, when his        the fuller execution of their doom" (Spurgeon). Swiftly
attention was called to rhe final goal to which their way     their desolation comes upon  them  and that by means
of earthly prosperity was leading them.                       of their worldly prosperity and according to God's inten-
   How, then, was the conception of the psalmist              tion. What is seventy or eighty years of apparent joy,
changed when he viewed the earthly way of prosperity          if they must be means to an eternal woe and desolation?
of the ungodly in rhe light-of their end? What was the        The momentary glory of the graceless is in a moment
conclusion he reached with respect to that prosperity? effaced, their loftiness is in an instant consumed. They
And in what respect did he change his mind with regard        are to the Lord what a dream is to a dreamer when he
to the present government of God over the righteous and       a w a k e s .The latter realizes the vanity  of his  dream-
rhe unrighteous? The poet begins to tell us in vs. 18:        images and he despises them as a vain thing, and so shall
"Surely, thou didst set them in slippery places; thou         the Lord despise the image of rhe wicked when he awakes
castedst them'down into destruction." Here is the heart       to judgment. He will utterly consume them with terrors.
of the psalm. And arrived at this verse I would challenge        Thus, then, is the explanation we receive in the sanc-
the defenders of the cammon-grace faith to.elicit any pos-    tuary of God concerning the bestowal of prosperity and

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

the things of this present time upon the  ungodl'y on the                            BOEK-RECENSIE
 part of God. If we look about us in the world and see
 the things as they manifest themselves to our natural              De firma H. Veenman & Zonen, Wageningen., Neder-
 eye, and if, then, with our sinful mind we pass judgment       land, heeft ons onlangs ter bcspreking doen  toekomen een
 upon them, we may probably come to the conclusion              boekwerk van de hand van Prof. Dr. Th. L. Haitjema,
 that God is gracious to the ungodly even in preference to      hoogleeraar  aan de Rijks-Universiteit te Groningen,  Ne-
 the righteous. For God gives the wicked many things            derland, getiteld : "Kart Barth:"
 and He makes them very great in the world. But enter-             Dit boek, in `t  licht  gegeven "als een eenvoudige  bij-
 ing- into God's school and receiving instruction from          drage tot de kennis van een merkwaardige geestesbewe-
 above and considering all these things in their proper con-    ging van  onzen   tijd," handelt in zes voordrachten over
 nection with and relation to the end of the wicked, they Karl Barth  m de  jong-Zwitsersche  theologie.  T:>ezc   voor-
 change their  aspect  and we notice our mistake. It is         drachten zijn ontstaan uit  een reeks academische college's,
 not love but wrath that sets a person on slippery places,      voor predikanten gegeven  aan de Rijks-Universiteit te
 in order to cast him very low into eternal destruction.        Groningen gedurende het verloopen winter-halfjaar.
 Such is very plain. There was no reason, indeed, to envy           De auteur staat zelf sympathetisch tegenover de zoo-
 the wicked in their wealth and peace, no more than there       genaamde-"theologie  der crisis" vag Barth en zijne geest-
 is reason to be envious at the fattening of an ox that is      verwanten. De "Zwitsersche beweging" heeft hem reeds
 prepared for the day of slaughter. `And the poet ends          veel  geleerd.  En hij verwacht ook voor Nederland  vee1
 this part of his psalm by rebuking himself sharply for         van deze merkwaardige jong-Zwitsersche geestesbewe-
 his foolish murmurings and rebellious attitude over            ging. Daarom hoopt  hij dan ook van harte, dat door een
 against God. Foolish and ignorant he had been a great          voordrachtenbundel als deze de oprechte  belangstelling
 brute, without reason, when he envied the wicked be-           voor het werk van Barth moge toenemen.
 cause God prepared them for their final doom.
    In what follows the poet turns our attention to the             Dr. Haitjema is- van oordeel, dat ieder theoloog tot
 other side of the picture and sings of the blessed condi-      klaarheid dient te komen over zijn positie tegenover Karl
 tion and taste of the righteous. He is now completely          Barth en de jong-Zwitsersche theologie. Hij  acht deze
 reconciled with his own way even  th.ough  that be a way       beweging van zoo groote beteekenis, dat hij eene verge-
 of afflictions and tribulations. Does he not possess God? lijking zou willen  maken  tusschen.het  optreden  $an Karl
 And having God he has all, even as: "To live apart from        Barth en dat van Friedrich Schleiermacher ; m. a. w., hij
 God is death." Let afflictions come and suffering await . verwacht er groote verandering van in onze Godskennis
 him at every sunrise in this brief span of life. God is        en  Evangelic-prediking.
 his portion. Let the way be steep and rough. What                 Om ons dit waardeerings-oordeel  aannemelijk  te ma-
 of it as long as the Almighty holds his right  ,hand in        ken, begint hij dan met  "Karl  Barth czls openbaringr-getui-
 paternal love? He is confident now that all is well and        ge" ons te schilderen. Hij wil Karl Barth nemen, zooals
that his God shall lead him by His counsel in order to          deze wil genomen zijn. bm in den gedachtenkring van
 take him to everlasting glory afterward. Though all else       een auteur door te dringen,  zegt Haitjema, "is er ook
 fail. even his own heart and flesh, yet God shall be his       voor den wetenschappelijken onderzoeker geen andere
 portion forever.  No* longer shall he foolishly murmur;        weg, om  aan  alles verduisterende misverstanden te  ont-
 no more will he give himself to brutish criticism of his       komen, dan door den schrijver zeIf  te laten  getuigen van
 Father's government of things. He is assured now that          wat hij wil en bedoelt." Daarom zoekt hij Barth niet te
 God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean          verkIaren,  zooals zoovelen  doen,  uit de stemmingen van
 heart. Henceforth he will put his trust in the Lord God        den  na-oorlogschen  crisis-tijd; ook maakt hij hem niet
                                                                                  Kant; 
 in order to tell of all his wondrous works.                    eenvoudig een product van de  invloeden,  die verschillende
    Clearly, then, psalm seventy-three teaches, that it is      gee&en,   als               Kierkegaard, Kutter,  Overbeck en
 sinful and brutish to teach that God is gracious to the        Dostojewski, op hem  geoefend  hebben. Hij plaatst  zich
 wicked, even in bestowing upon them the things of this ,met Barth op diens eigen standpunt, namelijk op dat des
 present time.  c Entering into the sanctuary of God will       geloofs. Barth treedt eerst voor ons  op'als  openbarings-
 cure  US  of the folly of believing in  a theory of common     getuige; want zelf wil deze niets anders zijn.
 grace.                       s                                    Vervolgens schetsr de schrijver ons de  theologie van
                                                H.  %I.         Karl  Barth,  We1 concentreert, hij allermeest onze  aan-
                                                                dacht op het spontaan getuigenis bij Barth, voorzoover
                                                                het conscienties opschrikken wil; maar hij poogt  tech
    "He who learns not the wisdom of God under the              tevens, om de beschouwingen van Barth naar den kbnt
Cross, turns to evil whatsoever is good.,,                      van haar positieven inhoud  aan  geloofsvoorstelling'   te
                                              -Luther.          grijpen.
                          *  *  *  "                               Verder handelt hij over  Karl  Barth  als kind  van  zijn
    "The law calls forth God's anger: slays,  ac,curses,        tijd. "Karl Barth staat met zijn getuigenis op de schou-
judges, and condemns whatsoever is not in Christ."              deren van anderen, en is niet als hemelgezant regelrecht
                                                -Luther.        in  verticale  lijn neergedaald in deze zwoele aardsche sfeer


