s                           ._           ?I?!4  S'rANbARb  BBARER                                                    .._. _._
            ."-.--_ ~-.^
                                                                 he has no fear, for to him  the grave is the gateway to
                    Jacob and Joseph                             heaven. His dying request is therefore a swan song,
                                                                 through which circulates the same living hope that
       "And .Pacob,"  so the sacred record informs, "dwelt animates from the last melody of faith of Paul: "For
in the land of E,gypt, in the country of Goshen. Here, I am now ready to be oRered,  and the time of my de-
too, the Lord prospered him. "They had possessions parture is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have
therein, and grew and multiplied exceedingly." This tinished my course, I has-e kept the faith: henceforth
growth was of significance. It was the beginning of there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which
the fuiflment of the promise of a prodigious posterity the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that
and the sign that in this strange  land Jacob  walked in clay: and not to me only, but unto all them also that
the light of Jehovah's countenance, that the mercy and love His appearing."
goodness of the Lord had followed him to E,gypt and                  Let us work our way into the mind of this dying
that also here he .iwelt in the covert of God's wing.            hero of faith. This can be done  by considering first of
It, this miraculous increase. was to this dying patri- all that the earthly Canaan was made to appear for the
arch the sign that the God of his fathers was of a mind purpose of doing service as a prophetic type or picture
to keep covenant trust.                                           of a heavenly reality. So, too, a11 the Old Testament
       In Egypt Jacob lived some seventeen years? so that institutions such as the sacrifice, Old Testament places,
the whole span of his iife was an hundred forty and such as the city of Jerusalem, Old Testament events
seven years. Feeling that the hour of his death is such as the bringing up of Israel out of the land of
about to strike. he summons Joseph in his presence Egypt, the lives of Old Testament saints, such as the
and says to him, "If now I have found grace in thy life of King David. Especially to us, all these things
sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and are so many objects of sense in which we behold as in
deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray a glass a whoie world of heavenly realities that only
thee, in Egypt: But I  w-ii1 lie with my fathers, and the giorified  eye of the saint made perfect can have as
thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in the direct object of vision.  Knomledge  of these real-
their burying place." Joseph  replies that he will do ities must begin with sensuous perception of things
as bidden. But  .Jacob is not satisfied and therefore typical. Hence these earthy things are necessary to
says unto his son, "Swear unto me. And he sware faith. Nan is so constituted that he needs the sign as
unto him. Xnd Israel bowed himself upon the bed's                 well as the word. It means that only with these typical
head."                                                            things before its eye will faith flower.
        It is far from being a matter of indifference to              As to Jacob, he understood, as did his fathers, that
Jacob where they will bury him. He insists that his the promised earthly Canaan was but the type, an un-
remains be entrusted to the soil of Canaan. He will substantial representation, of a heavenly country: for
lie with his fathers. How is this resolution to be this country he was expecting. His request therefore
harmonized with his confession that he is a stranger amounted to a  deciaration  that he was about to be
and pilgrim on the earth. seeking another, that is, a joined to the heavenly commonwealth above and thus
heavenly country? Surely, a man so heavenly minded, enter the society of the just men made perfect.
for whom the things unshakable, the heavenly inherit-                 It must not be supposed, however, that in these
ance, have taken on form and substance, should not final hours the earthly replica faded from his view as
trouble himself about the place of his burial. What a thing with which he had done forever. Well must he
 mattereth it where this place will turn out to be, in            have understood that the earthly was but a shadow
 Egypt or in Canaan? Was  Jacob not of the convic- cast by the heavenly and that the failure of the shadow
 tion that in death he will be with his God, and that the to make its appearance would needs indicate that after
vacated house of his earthly tabernacle tvill be com- all his hope was vain. There had been but one promise
     pletely broken down and reduced to dust? Why then expressive of both shadow and body. And this promise,
     hxve  .Joseph arrxx~*  :h:tt  they c:lrry his remains out of he knew., must  t:llce effect as to the whole of its content
     E.wpt'!                                                      would it be well with him. His insistence that they
     Surely, these are reasonable questions. And the bury him in this shadow-land sprang from the con-
     answers given must not be such as would cast the viction that Jehovah would keep covenant fidelity, that
     faintest shadow across Jacob's faith.' His faith is his kin would surely be brought out of Egypt, a people
     living  and reaches out  for things eternal  ~iso when he redeemed, ready to enter into the typical rest of
     has his son swear. The request, rightly considered, is Canaan in token that he and his own wbuld enter the
     but so much more evidence that in the best moments of rest that remaineth  for  the people of God. As buried
     his life his thoughts are of God and that what has            in Canaan, therefore, he continues to speak to his
     captured his sanctified imagination is the city that posterity in Egypt, yea, to us all, - to speak of the
     hath foundations. He is now in the late evening of his joyful expectation of those who put their trust in God.
     life. Does his faith falter? Nay!  As his life ebbs,              So, then, from that grave of  Jacob  in Canaan rises
     his faith takes on new strength. Though death beacons, a definite speech. As converted into an admonition


i0                                   THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                 .-
-_1                  -    -           .I____   --_ ..-. ".".-..-.- -.-- .___ -____ -..-_.-  .-.........  -_ ___ _ _ _ _   .._.._-............   -.-
      Consider that the supreme moment of his life has and to refuse to be comforted. However, with these
                                                                      >
arrived. He  xiii now be seen  as a man  In  \vilorn  enc          eVll   ixuciencie~   ui  IiiAtliL'e. .inc:r)ij   iiaii  in  i%ci'~   sicength
Lord has wonderfully wrought. True, his eye is dim sucessfully  coped. From the conflict he had emerged .
of age so that he cannot see: but how clear and pene-              with earthly members crucified, with a paternal love
srating his spiritual vision.1 How firm his hold on the purged' from its carnal admixtures, with a developed
promise now! In times past his faith might often be                power for self-denial, with a confidence in God alto-
jeen as mixed with a kind of unbelief that gained for gether childlike, with a faith greatly strengthened, a
him the reputation of being crafty, cooly-calculating,             hope enlivened, with a mouth that will praise the
deceitful.    Indeed, how often his flesh had been his mercy and goodness of God. with a vision clarified, and
arm. The Lord, however, had burned the dross out with an insight into the purposes of God deepened.
of him. The trying of his faith had worked patience Indeed, he is now meet, 8 for the Naster's  use, able
and patience had her perfect work sp that he arrived and altogether willing to properly distribute the rights
at the close of his earthly career a saint prepared for of the first-born.
this very hour. He now desires and will proclaim un-                       But must Joseph be altogether excluded from the
tiinchingly  the counsel of God. And  with that holy vights of the first-born. - Joseph, who nt the tender
elation he dwells upon those features of his prophesy age of Seventeen had come to the fore as the one
that turn on the future bliss of  lriis seed. And his joy champion of righteousness in Jacob's family, Joseph,
is God-centered.                                                    the prophet of the most High God, the friend of
      Joseph now stands before him - Joseph, his be-                Jehovah with whom the secrets of the Lord had been,
ioved child. Jacob thinks he is alone  r.yith him so that .Joseph.  who for his confession had been hated and
there is now opportunity for some intimate conversa- despised by his brethren, misunderstood by his father,
tion. The aged patriarch again speaks. Fixing his and finally delivered by wicked brethren to the heathen
dimmed eye upon his son, he says: "And now thy two because he had rebuked evil and prophesied? In dis-
sons. Ephraim and  Xanasseh  . . . . are mine; as                   tinction from his brethren, in distinction from the
Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine." There `per- first-born in his father's house, this son had all along
haps had been a time when he would fain have said to been fighting the good  fight of faith,  - in his father's
this son, "Joseph, thou art he whom thy brethren shall house, as a slave set over the estate of Potiphar, in
praise : thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies ; prison, as vicegerent in  E,gypt at the court of the
thy father's children shall bow  dam before thee." For heathen king.
his soul had all his life cloven unto this son. The pre-                   Had not the Lord some special blessing for him?
ferred child was he. Before his mind he may have set Is' righteousness not rewarded? It is. It was in the
him as the very one from whom the scepter  %-ould not case of Joseph. Let it be known, however, that the
depart. And apparently his  ima&inings  rested on solid reward is one of grace. Though it goes hand in hand
ground. Had not this son dreamed dreams in which with righteousness, its sole source is the sovereign
he had stood out as one appointed to have the domin- mercy of God. Its meritorial cause is Christ and not
ion? There had been a time, then, when Jacob perhaps this righteousness which iise!f is a gift of God's SOV-
would have been constitutionally unable to declare the ereign mercy, a gift gendered in a man by nature alto-
 purposes of God; for with these purposes his cherished gether vile and ill-deserving, a man whose unright-
 imaginings had been somewhat at variance. And the eousness is just punishment and to whom therefore the
one point on which these imaginings, as upon a pivot Lord in. His sovereign mercy first imputes righteous-
 had turned was the person of Joseph. And what had n&s before reclaiming him from death and making
 been this love for Joseph but the reappearance of his him pure within. There is then a reward. The tvages
 great preference for Rachel? There was a reason, of sin are death; but righteousness exalteth a man, the
 then, why for a season the Lord had removed Joseph just walk in the light of  Xis countenance and come to
 through the wickedness or` men and had made it appear              eternal bliss: for God is holy and just. Joseph in times
 as ii he had perished on the way. `The reason was past had shown himself r:p as a man of outstanding
 Jacob himself; that love of his, rendered inordinate by             piety. The Lord, therefore,  orders his servant Jacob
 the admixtures of the flesh. This love, therefore, as to bestow upon him a special blessing in order that he
 well as its object had stood in God's way, which is the. in subsequent ages may rise before the mind of his
 same as saying that in Jacob's strivings the flesh was posterity as a living  examplification of the established
 3i; tirst to much of a deciding factor, and therefore had principle that the just are the blessed of the Lord.
 to be denied and brought into submission. Thus it                          So, then, Joseph is indeed to be peculiarly blessed.
 had come about that with the exit of this beloved son, Attend once more to Jacob's speech : "And now thy two
 Jacob with somewhat of a blasted hope and a great                   sons are mine; as Reuben and Simeon they shall be
 hurt in his soul had entered upon a period of spiritual             mine."       What is the  fqrce of this announcement?
 conflict.    The inclinations of his flesh had been to "These two sons shall not be two branches mereiy, of
 demur, to denounce the wsys  of ~~ocl  with him, to nurse one tribe, but tw-n fully rxo,gnized  tribes of dncob  and
 his grief, to pity self instead of weeping for his sins, Israel, equal in this respect to the first-born Reuben


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            9

and as cast into the mold of a New Testament phrase-           These sons were now twenty years old, as they were
ology, it reads : "Gird up the loins of your mind, be already born when Jacob took up his seventeen-year
sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be         residence in E,gypt. Weak  and faint `Jacob strengthens
brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as himself and sits upon his bed in anticipation of
obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according Joseph's coming. Fixing his gaze upon his beloved
to the former lusts in your ignorance: bzt as He who           son, who has now arrived, he addresses him thus:
has called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of         "God almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of
your conversation . . . , "                                    Canaan and blessed me. And said to me, Behold, I
   What, then, may be the real significance of Jacob's will make thee fruitful and multiply thee, and I will
burial in Canaan? And the answer: Jacob as trans- make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this
fered after his decease from Egypt to Canaan is a              land unto thy seed after thee for an everlasting pos-
figure of the ascending Christ. And this figure must session. And now thy  tTvo sons, Ephraim and Man-
have spoken to the church that remained behind in              asseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt
Egypt in much the same way as the event of the exait-          before I came unto thee into  E,gypt,  are mine; as
ation of the living Christ speaks to the church of the         Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.  And thy
Xew Testament dispensation. Jacob, rightly consid- issue which thou begetteth after them, shall be  thine,
ered, had not died. For, whosoever liveth and believeth and shail be called after the name of their brethren
in me, said  Christ, shall never die. The church in in their inheritance. And as for me, when I came
Egypt must have said, "Our  flesh  is in Canaan as a           from  Padan, Rachel  died by me in the land of Canaan
sure pIedge that our God will in His good time take            in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come
us to Himself in that very Iand to tabernacle with us          unto Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem."
forever."                                                         Let us examine this speech  send see the connection
   Joseph having promised, Israel bowed himself upon between its parts. He first mentions the vision he
the bed's head. A similar and more complete notice had received at Luz. At this place he had seen, set
is found in the Hebrews: "And worshipped leaning upon the earth and reaching to heaven, a ladder
upon the top of his staff." Both these notices speak peopled with angels. Above that stairway, all bright
of a kind of posture indicating prayer or worship. with heavenly glory, the Lord had stood and blessed
According to the writer qf the Hebrews, Jacob actually him, the exile, fleeing from the results of his sin, with
did worship. The Genesis record, however, associates the blessing of Abraham. This was  some*  hundred
this worship with the request to be buried .in Canaan, years ago. He is an old man now, enfeebled by age,
while the Hebrews has it that Jacob worshipped  affer dying. But the immortal speech he had heard there
having blessed Joseph's sons. There is no discrepancy is still in his ears: "I am the Lord God of Abraham
here. Jacob worshipped twice and not only twice but thy  ,father, and the God of Isaac, the land wherein
surely after every engagement in which his mind had thou liest, to thee will I give it . . . . . .And behold I
been occupied with the  gocdness  and mercy of God as am with thee and will keep thee in  ~11 places whither
shown forth by the covenant. The land of Canaan thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land;
stood for all the promised blessings. While making for I will not leave thee . . . " How could he forget.
arrangements for his burial, all these blessings had The very staff of life these  words had been to him, the
again risen before his eye. Besides how graciously weary pilgrim. Death beacons now. He is about to
Cod had dealt with him in Canaan. In this land he had          TO down into shoal. But before he departs he must
been overtaken by many evils; but from them all the            tell his sons "that which shall befall them in the last
Angel had redeemed him. What evidence that he, an dap." Let them hear him. For is he not a prophet
ill-deserving sinner, walked in the iight of -Jehovah's of God, one in communication with heaven, a friend td
countenance! What unmistakable proof that God was whom the Lord reveals His secrets, Jacob, the bearer
his friend forever  and that the everlasting arms of and transmitter of the Xbrahamatic blessing and of
the  Almighty   svere  about him  and his seed! With  th-c?    the oracles of God, the very one to whom the Lord had
txngible  exhibitions of the marvelous love of  God, said that of him He would make a multitude of people
Jacob's mind had again &en  pre-occupied. Is it to be and that to h,im and his Feed after him he would give
marveled  at that he  finally worshipped, broke forth in this land for an everlasting possession? Indeed, he is
praise unto his God? This urge to praise when be- the one man by whom these sons can be blessed, and
holding the love of God is characteristic of every saint.      from whom they can learn the word of God. Besides
                                                               they are Lois sons. To them pertaineth the promise,
                                                               Let them hear indeed - him who will now proclaim to
   "And it came to pass after these things," so the            them the very word  of God received direct from the
sacred narrator continues, "that one told Joseph, Be- throne. For God appeared unto him at Luz in the
hold thy father is sick." Feeling that this sickness land of Canaan.                What a fitting prologue to the
WLS unto death. Joseph  tvith  his two sons, ?/Tanasseh        prophesies the dying prophet is about to utter this
and Ephraim hastens to the bedside of his father. announcement is !


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                      11

and Simeon. The sons afterward born shall belong to portion is God's gracious reward, the unmistakable
Joseph. not  .forming  3 third tribe. but included in token of His favor toward you. But as for me, I, too,
Ephraim and Manasseh; for Joseph is represented in am glad for her sake. Her desire for seed is  t;o be
a twofold way by these." Consider, that the right of fulfilled indeed.         Or must it be supposed  fhat  this
the first-born was comprised of three parts : the priest- notice was given merely as a piece of information, that
hood,  ~ the princehood, and the double inheritance. Jacob here for the first time is telling Joseph how his
Joseph receives the third part, to wit, the double in- mother came to her end and when and where he had
heritance.    Judrih  receives the second part, and Levi buried her? This is not very likely.
the first. So we read in I Chron. 5 (verse 1 and 2) :           Jacob now for the first time becomes aware that
"Xow the sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel, for besides Joseph there are others with him in the room.
he tvxs the first-born: bc$ Ccrasmuch  as he detiIed  his    Beholding Joseph's sons, he said, "Who are these ?"
father:s  bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph replies, "They are my sons, whom God hath
Joseph the son of Israel . . . . For Judah prevailed         given me in this place." "Bring them, I pray thee,
above his brethren, and of him came. the chief ruler  ; unto me and I 611 bless them."
but the birthright was  .Joseph's."                             .Joseph  leads his sons to his father, who takes
   "But forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed. . .  "     them in his arms and kisses them. The emotion of
There was, accordinS  to the sacred historian, a most        the grandfather grows strong as it occurs to him that
vital connection between the predictions Jacob made God had given him joy beyond his anticipation. He
respecting his several sons and their past doings. It had not thought  toxee  Joseph's face: and lo, God hath
was indeed in conjunction with Jacob's  obs&vation           ihowed him also his seed. Jacob had taken the lads
and study of these doings and of the individualization to his bosom and therefore had drawn them between
of the respective natures of these sons in their past his knees. It seems that he was reluctant to let them
lives that God revealed uinto Jacob the direction in go, for Joseph finds it necessary to bring them out
which His finger pointed.              Reuben had sinned from between his knees that they might be blessed. To
,grievously  and lost his birthright. Joseph had car- bIess was a religious act so that they blessed must
ried on exceptionally well as a saint, and he received assume a befitting posture. So Joseph takes them both,
what Reuben lost. How evident that the wicked come "Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand,
to grief: but that the righteous, whose delight is in the and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right
iaw of God, axe blessed.                                     hand, and brought them near unto him." Now he, and
   Having claimed Joseph's tbo sons, Jacob goes on in all likelihood his two sons, although no mention is
to say: "And as for me, when I came from Pndan, made of it, bows himself, that is, kneels, with his face
Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan . . . .  " to the earth. And Israel stretches out his right hand,
What may be the connection between this last section and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger,
of Jacob's discourse and the parts preceding? Why and his left hand upon Xanasseh's head, guiding his
at this juncture does he go back in his mind and in his      hands wittingly ; for Manasseh was the first-born. The
speech to one of the saddest events of kis Iife? Rachel      position of these hands indicate that Ephraim the
is Joseph's mother and the preferred wife of Jacob.          younger upon whose head the right hand of Jacob
It is not strange that father and son once more take         rested, was to be the greater of the two sons.
their stand beside her grave. But there still must be           There is speech in these crossed hands that we must
another reason for this sudden and unexpected refer-         not fail to hear. Ordinarily the first-born had the pre-
ence  to her decease. Consider the cause of her death,, eminence from time memorial. God, however, would
and her great desire for seed, and the place she occu- sometimes prefer the younger to remind his people
 pied in the affections of Jacob. Her sister had already that in dispensing His mercy He is bound by absolutely
 given birth to several sons when she bore her first         nothing but His own sovereign decree. He hath mercy
chiic!. How her unfruitfulness had vexed her. "Give not on the first-born necessarily, but on whom  He  will
 me children," she had said, "or I die," She did die in have mercy, and whom He will, He hardeneth. God is
giving birth to her second man-child. Represented but free to do as He pleases. And it sometimes would ap-
 by two sons, her descendents  would be inferior as to pear that by Himself He had sovereignly decided to
 number to those of Leah.       The thought  must have exalt the younger and to debase the elder as in the
 been painfui to her, painful to Jacob  for her sake. case of Jacob and Esau, or to give to the younger the
 How, therefore, the revelation that one of these sons        first place in the economy of grace.
 of this wife, namely. him with whom he now con-                 Though the younger was to be the greater, and
 versed, was to branch out in two fully recognized though each was to be the head of a distinct tribe, it
 tribes of Jacob, must have  filled his soul with joy. The is to be noticed that both were blessed at once and
 import of his speech, then, must have been this: `The that one blessing was bestowed upon them both. It
 divine arrangement, revea!ed  to me and which I now meant that though distinct they were nevertheless to
 make known to you, gladdens your heart. Your double constitute in their generation a unity in Israel. And


~~                                      T H E   STANDBRD   B E A R E R
                ..__-..  ____                                                                                       .1_1.-
                                                                of faith, another song of praise, as well as a prediction.
                                                                The God to bless -Joseph  is He before whose face his
      Then Jacob blessed Joseph (blessed his two sons           fathers did walk.         In this testimony Abraham and
.nd thus Joseph), and said, "God, before whom my                Isaac appear as personages who feared the Lord,
`:&her  Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God <vhich              walked in the light of His countenance and were
.ed me all my life long unto this day, the angel which          blessed with His friendship. They walked uprightly
,edeemed  me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my and therefore had nothing to hide. The thought that
Lame  be named on them, and the name of my fathers God's eye was upon them, filled their soul with peace
"Abraham and Isaac: and let them grow into.a multi- and joy. It is the wicked who go out from before His
;lde in the midst of the earth."                                face, eject Him from their lives and thought and say
      The blessing here bestowed upon Joseph is as to           that He does not see.            '
ts essence identical to the promise as it first came to            As to Jacob, all his life long God fed, that is, shep-
l.braham.  The elements comprising this promise are:            herded him. And from ai! evil the angel, the Gael, had
Xy covenant is with thee: 1 will make thee exceedingly          redeemed him, that is, rescued him and avenged his
`ruitful and 1 will make nations of thee; I will give           wrongs. How Jacob extols the virtues of his God and
.into thee and to thy  seed after thee all the land of blesses the memory  of his fathers in the presence of
,`anaan for an everlasting possession: I will be their his son and grandsons. They must know how great a
.;od and they shall be my peopie.                               privilege it is to be blessed by his God, and how blessed
                                                                the man whom He claims as His own.
      This blessing was transmitted by father to son. It            "The God, the  Angel  bless the lads; and let my
5 now to be bestowed by the last of the three major name be named on them, and the name of my father
Tatriarchs  not upon one but upon a corporate body of Abraham and Isaac." These names are the signification
::velve  children. It It-a-as  upon this body and not upon of what the persons to whom these names respectively
::xch  son separately that the blessing was laid. The belonged had by the grace of God become: -Abraham,
,tead and representative of this family was the first-          the father of  muItitudes;  Isaac, one rejoicing in the
:orn son, or rather they who came to stand in his room.         God of his salvation; Jacob, the holy  mrestIer-con-
Zhe others wil1 be blessed, if they bless him, dwell in queror. "Let them grow into a multitude in the
3s tent, so to say, and receive him as their channel of earth.!'
pace.      This is plain.        Reuben, to illustrate, was         When Joseph perceived that his father's right hand
:ightly considered, not blessed by himself. Instead he rested upon the head of Ephraim, the younger child,
clears his father lay bare his character, expose his sin he was displeased. Thinking that his father, whose
i he went up to his father's bed) and declare that he eyes were dim of age, had unwittingly erred, Joseph
will not excel. And as to Simeon, after cursing his held up his father's right hand to remove it unto
:;nger,  Jacob predicts that in his generations he will be Nanasseh's  head, and at the same time said, 
xattered  in Israel. These sons, will they live, must                                                                      "Not  so
                                                                my father: for  `ihis is the first-born; put thy right
:Aess Chose of their number whom the Lord biesses. hand upon his head. And his father refused and said,
:;-ho thus receive the rights of the first-born. As was I know it my son, I know it: he aIso shall become a
,;aid,  the prerogatives  Reuben lost were distributed people and he  `also shall become great : but truly his
?.mong  Judah, Joseph and Levi. Judah appears in younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed
xbsequent  israelitish  history as the king, Levi as the shall become a multitude of nations. And he blessed
Jriesi, and Joseph as the bough of miraculous fertility. them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, say-
The other sons, as to their elect ofspring,  shall live. ing, God make thee as Ephraim and as IManasseh: and
For this offspring will "bless in Joseph snying  (verse         he set Ephraim before Manasseh."
31) , God make thee as  Ephrairr! and  Nxxsseh:  it,                                                                  G. $1. 0.
,:his offspring, shall praise Judah (chapter 49:s) and
.e sprinkled by the blood of the officintili.: [priest.
      .Joseph  is a fruitful  P,ouph.  Xoi of an:; of the
#chers but of him it is aaid that he will grow into a
.nultitude in the midst of the earth and  hecome   a                Donderdagmorgen, tlen &ten September, ontsliep zacht en
tnultitude of nations, (chapter 48 :19). The promise kaim,  in den Heere, onze geliefde Man en Vader,
$P a prodigious seed, first made to Abraham, devolves
upon him, Joseph, only. Questions arise here to which                                      JXN  JONKER,
xnswers will be given in a following article. Suflice it in den ouderdom van $7 jaar  er. 3 maanden.
to say that this seed, rightly considereci, is the sum-            `Zwaar ralt ons zijn heengann, mnar wij verblijden ons in de
:otal of elect springing from Christ. `Chtis was the hope, dat wij mogen gelooven  dat hij is ingegaan in de rust die
                                                                er  overblijft  voor  Ale Gods  icinderen.
iord training His people to associate their szvation                                                    Xrs. Jan Jonker
with a single personage.                                                                                 Kinderen  en  KIeinkinderen.
      `The blessing as it left Jacob's lips was a confession        Grand Rapids, Mich.


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         15
- - .               -                       - -
                                                              Consistory refused. At its meeting of Jan. 23, 1925
   A Catechism On the History of the                          Classis Grand Rapids West deposed the Consistory and
           Protestant Reformed Churches                       the pastor of the First Christian Reformed Church of
                                                              Kalamazoo,  Nich.
                              XV                                   4. Which were the  alleged  grounds of this deposi-
                                                               tion ?
                   TZXPORXRY   ORGANIZATION                        Classis declared Rev.  H. Danhof and his Consistory
         1. Were there, besides the Eastern Ave. Chris- guilty of "insubordination and public schism."
tian Reformed Church of Grand Rapids,  Mich., no                   .7. How must this deposition be regarded  ?
other churches  ncd individuals involved in the con-               On the one hand it was a very plain and direct case
troversy  3.bout "Common  Grace"?                              of Classical Hierarchy, even more so than the action of
         Yes;  from  the beginning of the controversy the      Classis Grand Rapids East against the Eastern Ave.
Rev. H. Danhof had taken an active part in the con- Church and its pastor. The latter made at least an
troversy and the Church he served, Kalamazoo I, and            attempt to hide its hierarchical spirit behind a mask
its Consistory stood with him. Besides. during the time of Reformed Church Polity when it declared that the
of the controversy the Rev. C. M. Ophoff of the Hope Consistory and pastor of Eastern `Ave. had broken the
Christian Reformed Church, Riverbend,  Nich.,   re-            ecclesiastical bond; the former openly and directly
cealecl himse!f  ns of the ::xme convictions as the Revs.      vindicated and acted upon the hierarchical principle
Danhof and Hoeksema and loyally and fearlessly cham- that a  Classis is authorized to depose  a Consistory.
pioned the cause of the truth of the Word of God. sup-             On the other hand, however, it also assumed a
ported by part of his Consistory and of the Church he power higher than that of Synod. For, the case of Rev.
served. Finally, there were Cand. B. J. Danhof,  pastor-       H. Danhof had been brought to the attention of Synod
e!ect of the Coopersville Christian Reformed Church.           in the way of appeal by several protestants and Synod
and his brother, R. Danhof, at that time still a Theo- had finally expressed itself in the matter. And, although
logical student at the Calvin Seminary, both of whom before Synod, in a written protest, the Rev. Danhof
appeared to be very strong supporters of the cause of had openly and clearly declared that he could not agree
Soverei,T  Grace and championed the cause in season with the three points of doctrine adopted by that body
and out of season.                                             and .that he would use every means in his power to
         `3I. ?%%at is, in brief, the history of the Church of oppose their doctrine publicly, yet, Synod had not asked
 Kalamazoo I with its pastor  atid Consistory?                 the Rev. Danhof a single question, neither advised to
         Virtually the same as that of the Eastern Ave. discipiinary measures. What, therefore, Synod did not
 Church and its Consistory. The P.eT?.  8. Danhof had do and, evidently never intended to do, Classis  assumed
 always collaborated with  rhe Rev.  H. Hoeksema in the power to do.
 development of and stand for the truth of God's cove-             6. But did not the Rev. Danhof become guilty of
 nant and particular grace. Together they had also "public schism" when he  cpenly declared his intention
 written and published books and pamphlets in which to oppose the "three points"?
 they defended their attitude in the controversy about             Evidently not; "schism" must certainly be char-
 `icommon grace". His case was connected with that acterized by opposition to the Confessions of the
 of the Rev. H. Hoeksema and treated as one by the Church to which one belongs. Synod, however? had de-
 Synod of 1924. And that later they were treated clared, that although the Rev. H. Dar&of  did 2ot agree
 separately has its cause solely in the fact, that he and with the "three points," yet; he was  funclarmentaily
 his Church, as also the Church served by Rev. G. M.            Reformed when judged in the light of the ReSormed
  Ophoff, were connected with a different Classis,  that Confessions. When, therefore, he declared his inten-
  of Grand Rapids West. And although the mode of tion to defend the Confessions over against the false
  procedure  folIowed   by  Classis  Grand Rapids West doctrine declared in the "three points", he could not
  against Rev. Danhof and his Consistory differed some- possibly be deemed guilty of "public schism"' the very
  what from that followed by  Classis Grand Rapids East decisions of Synod of 1924 being his judge!
  in its case against the Consistory of Eastern  Ave.? yet          7. But how about his aIleged "insubordination" ?
  principally there was no difference.                              The term is really militaristic. It is only a retiec-
          3. What was, briefly, the procedure of  Classis       tion of the hierarchical spirit that wholly dominated
  Grand Rapids West against Kalamazoo  I and its the Classis.
  pastor  `?                                                        8.. What action did  Classis Grand Rapids West
          Objections were raised against Rev. Danhof,  occn- take with regard to the Rev. G.  &I. Ophoff?
  sioned by an article in the S. B. in which the former             At the same meeting of Jan. 23, 1925 he also was
  had openly declared his intended opposition against the deposed together with that part of the Consistory of
  "Three Points" adopted b,y the Synod of 1921. This led Hope that maintained him.
  the  Classis  to demand of the Consistory of Kalamazoo            9. What guilt did Classis  find in this man ?
  to ;?lace its pastor before certain questions, which the          As has been said, from the beginning of the con-

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

troversy in its officiai, ecclesiastical form, he had de-                It here folIows:
clared himself in open agreement with  the views of
the Revs. Danhof and Hoeksema. He had joined the                                     "ACT OF AGREEMENT
staff of the Standard Bearer, which aione was suffi-                     "Whereas the Synod of 1924, assembled in Kala-
cient reason for his deposition, and he had defended mazoo,  Mich., adopted three points of doctrine which,
the Rev. Danhof before the meeting of Classis Grand according to our most sacred conviction, are in direct
Rapids West.           ,411 of which, under the hierarchical conflict with our Reformed Confessions and principles;
re,gime  of Classis Grand Rapids West, led to his down-                  C`r>d. Whereas. by the actions of  Classis Grand
fall.                                                                 Rapids East and Classis  Grand Rapids West, we are
         10. How did Candidate B. J. Dar&of  become in- denied the right to discuss  and interpret said three
volved ?                                                              points of doctrine of said Synod  ;
      He had r&eived  and accepted a call from the Chris-                "3. Whereas, by the actions of said Classes, the
tian Reformed Church of Coopersville, Mich.,  which                   pastors, eiders and deacons of Kalamazoo I, Hope and
beionged  to the group of churches that formed Classis                Eastern  .%ve.,  together with their congregations are
Grand Rapids West. He, therefore, must be examined actually expelled from the fellowship of the Christian
by that Classis befor'e he could be, installed as minister.           Reformed Churches  ;
However, since the  cand.idate  had already gained                       -4. Whereas it follows  necessariIy from the action
notoriety in the churches as an opponent of the. doc-
trine of common grace.  Classis decided, before it would              of said Classes, that said ofice-bearers  and their con-
                                                                      gregations cannot simply submit themselves to the
proceed with the examination, to demand of the  exam-                 action of said Classes until such time as Synod shall
inandus a declaration of agreement with the Yhree                     have considered their appeal, which they made in a
points" adopted by the Synod of 192%. When this re- legal way to Synod, but were forced by circumstances
quest was refused by the candidate,  CIassis simply re- to continue to function in their respective offices as
fused to proceed with the examination. He was, there- pastors, elders and deacons of their respective congre-
fore, without formal accusation or condemnation, with- gations ;
out any form of a trial, automaticalIy  barred from be-                  `L-
ing  instalIed  as minister of the Coopersville Church.                   3. Whereas they are informed and  hxow posi-
         11. Did the different churches, thus expelled from           tively, that hundreds of our people outside of our own
the bond of Christian Reformed Churches and their congregations share our convictions and with us cannot
fellowship, at once form a confederation for the pur- acquiesce in the actions of Classis and Synod, neither
pose of combined action?                                              from a doctrinal nor from a Church-political viewpoint.
         Their Consistories first assembled together in a                75. Whereas the above mentioned matters concern
meeting that was held in the basement of the Eastern us as appealing churches in common, and demand our
Ave. Church on Jan. 29, 1925.                                         co-operation and united action;
         1"d. What was decided. at this meeting ?  .                     "Therefore, be it resolved by the Combined Con-
         The  prevairing  opinion of the majority proved              sistories of Kalamazoo I, Hope and Eastern Ave., as-
                                                               to
be in favor of forming a union of combined consistories,              sembled March 6, 192.5 in She Eastern Ave. Church:
rather than organizing a  Classis, in order that the                     "a. That we adopt as our common basis the Three
Teveral consistories might maintain their right of ap- Forms of Unity and the Church Order of the Reformed
peal to the Synod of Christian Reformed Churches in                   Churches  ;
1926. The Kalamazoo Consistory and especially its                        "b. That at the same time we stand on the basis of
pastor, however, were opposed to this action. From                    our appeal and intend to address our appeal to the
the very beginning they evinced a spirit of suspicion,                Synod of 1926;
opposition and unwillingness to abide by the decisions                   iic. That we unite as Consistories for the follow-
QP the ma,jor!`ty. `Even thI*eats  of separation were soon            ing purposes:  (I) To  unitedl:;  bring our appeal from
ilcxi-ci   fi.~,LTl  their  Lips :vhunevPt'  their plans could not    the actions of Classes  Grand Rapids  East and West to
!ki favor kth the majority of the combined Consisto-                  the Synod of 1926. (2) To decide on such matters as
t?es. t3owever,  a committee was appointed to outline a have reference to the interests of our congregations in
plan for future action and to report at the next meet- common  ; (3) To decide in all matters that pertain to
ing  of the Consistot-ies.              -                             the furnishing of information and advice to others,
         1::.    When was this next meeting held?                     outside of our own congregations.
         On March 6, 1925.                                               "d. That whatever shall be decided by said com-
         II. What was decided at this meeting?                        bined Consistories by a majority-vote, shall be con-
         To organize  temporariIy  and pending our appeal to sidered firm and binding."
Synod of 1926 into a union of Combined Consistories                      With regard to the method of voting it was decided,
on the basis of an "-Act of Ag-reement"  as proposed by with a view to the considerable difference in the num-
the committee appointed for this purpose.                             ber of members of the different Consistories, that in
         15. What was this "Act of Agreement"?
                                 . .                                  case of friction the majority-vote of the members  pres-


ent plus the majority of at least two separate Consisto-           The field of labor in and around Chicago gradually
ries would be necessary to reach a decision.                    became centralized in Lansing, III. There a small but
    16.     Was anything else of importance decided by healthy and firm group of Reformed Christians became
this meeting ?                                                  organized as a Protesting Church. This Church is now
    Yes; from different parts of the Christian Re- the nourishing Protestant Reformed Church of South
formed Churches invitations had come to deliver lec- Holland, Ill.
tures about the controversy that had led to the depo-              Still later a faithful group in Oak Lawn requested
sition of so many oL%ce-bearers.  Requests of this nature to be organized, which request was granted and exe-
had come in from Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois. Hence,           cuted. It still is the Protestant Reformed Church of
the combined Consistories decided to delegate Rev. H. O a k   L a w n .
Hoeksema in order that: 1. He might inform the people              About this time also what is now the Protestant
that showed interest in the cause about the things that         Reformed Church of Byron, Center, Mich.t  was organ-
had taken place among us. 2. He might  explain to the ized, and, somewhat later, the Roosevelt Park Pro-
people the significance of the three points of doctrine testant Reformed Church of Grand Rapids and the
that had been adopted by the Christian Reformed Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Mich.
Churches. 2. He might inform those that were inter-                In Sioux County,  Ia., too, three more Protesting
ested about our own actions and the  Act of Agreement Churches sprang into existence, namely, those of Doon,
on the basis of which we had temporarily united.                Sioux Center and Rock Valley: while, at a later date
4. He might serve those that should declare their inten- the churches of Pella and Oskaloosa, Ia., were added
tion to organize as churches and join us on the basis           to our group. In 1929 the brethren and sisters in Hol-
of the Xct of Agreement, with guidance and advice.              land, Nich.,  that had been interested in the cause from
An oriicial copy of these decisions was given him and the very beginning of the controversy, took courage
he was given power to act according to circumst`ances           and organized as a Protestant Reformed Church, while
as he should  tid them.                                         recently the churches of Creston,  Grand Rapids, Nich.:
    17. What was the immediate fruit of this action? and of Redlands, Calif., were received into the feilow-
    That churches were organized in different parts of ship of the denomination. In the meantime it had also
the country.  "T?le first field of labor which the Lord proved necessary to organize a separate Protestant Re-
pointed out to the brethren was Sioux County,  Ia., formed Church in Kalamazoo,  Nich.
where soon after the above mentioned meeting of the                There is, therefore, abundant reason for gratitude,
combined Consistories the Rev. H. Hoeksema labored. because the Lord was with the brethren that were cast
He was accompanied by Mr. Wm.  Verhil, now minister out, prepared a field of labor for them and caused it to
of the Protestant Reformed Church at Kalamazoo, who bear fruit in the hearts of many. His alone be the
was to labor in the interest of the Standard Bearer.            glory and the thanksgiving!
Several meetings were held in the Town Hall of Hull,                19. What else became almost immediately neces-
Doon and Sioux Center, Ia. Always the "three points" sar:.-  in connection ltith this growth of the Protesting
were the chief topic of the lectures that were delivered.       Churches  ?
 On Sundays regular services were held in the same                  The Consistories realized from the beginning that,
 halls. And the interest shown in the cause at that time if the Lord should bless their labors and churches
 was above all expectations. The  brethren felt that the should have to be organized, these churches would have
 Lord was with them and  abundantIy blessed their to be shepherdized. They would need ministers of the
 labors. At the end of three weeks of labor a church Word. They also felt the need of a trained and well-
 was organized at Hull,  Ia., numbering aimost forty educated ministry. In short, they realized the need of
 families.          The brethren returned home rejoicing, be- a Theological School. And not only did they feel the
 cause the Lord had opened a door for them. and pre- need of such a school, but immediately took the  neces-
 pared a iield for the defense of the truth of His  sover-       sary steps to establish such an institution.     It was
 fJif,rn  tryace
 -00                -                                            opened as early as June, 192.5, with the Revs. H. Dan-
      13. In what other  tield did Rev. Hoeksema  labor'?        hof, G. ST. Ophoff and H. Hoekaema as instructors and
      In and in the vicinity of Chicago, Ill., as well as in     seven or eight students. It was decided to give in-
 Waupun,  Wis. The result was that in May,  1925,  a             struction in those subjects that were most necessary
 church was organized in Waupun, which, however, and practical for the training of the minister, such as,
 later seceded and was practically destroyed through Holland, English, Greek, Hebrew, Exegesis of the 0.
 the influence of a sickly element, that at first appeared and Lt'. T.. Biblical History, Dogmatics and the Art of
 to agree with the stand of the combined Consistories.           Preaching. Gradually other subjects were added.
 but afterwards proved incurably sick.  Especiaily   a              20. What was, at that time, the status of  E. J.
 certain H. Wildeman may  be mentioned as the leader Danhof and R. Danhof?
 of this sickly group. The secession of this congrega-              The former received and accepted a call from the
 tion was no loss to the cause that is now championed newly organized church of Hull, Ia. He was examined
  by the Protestant Reformed Churches.                           by the combined Cdnsistories and properly installed as


1s                            .              T H E   STANDSRD  B E A R E R
                                                                           .-~-_l___                          .-l___l_.___
the first minister of the Hull Church. The latter was
given license to preach in the churches and                                   Onbetaalde Rekeningen  (Zonder
                                                            Was   re-
ceived by the combined Consistories as candidate for                                            Interest)
the ministry.
      21. What was the  official name of the churches at                    Eigenlijk behooren deze bij  elkander.  Zoo doet men
that time ?                                                              het in het dagelijksch Ieven en :dd mag en moet het op
      In view of their protest and pending appeal they het gebied der kerk. Wie een ander iets schuldig is
temporarily adopted the name of Protesting Christian Iran zich redden door de schuld te verezenen  en aldus
Reformed Churches.                                                       den schuldenaar tevreden stellen.
      23. But was not all the action of the expelled                        Met de interest er bij.  Natuuriijk.   `iVat er  intus-
pastors.and  their Consistories plainly rooted in the con- schen verkeerds werd gedcan of bedreven  fusschen  rle
viction that they would never return to the  fellotvship                 betrokken partijen, wordt dan bij  het  voidoen   cler
of the Christian Reformed Churches?                                      schuld terzelfder tijd in orde gebracht. Zoo wordt het
       As a matter of fact it was. It is evident that the                pad weer vlak en verdere samenwerking  mogeiijk.
organization of separate churches, the examination and                      Zoo doet men het in de samenieving onderling  en
installation of ministers of the Word, the establish- ZOO doet men het op kerkeiijk terrein.  Eerst de reke-
ment of a Theological School, can hardly be temporary ning  vereRend,  omtrent de interest kan dan we1 later
measures. And it is equally evident, therefore, that gesproken worden,  en dan op dien ef?en grondslag weer
the expelled brethren did not expect to return to the samen verder gaan.
fellowshipsof  the Christian Reformed Churches.
      * 23. But why, then, did they still assume the atti-                   Xan iets van dien aard, dat het nldus en niet anders
tude of protest and ciaim a right of appeal to the Synod                 behoort  toe te  gaan,  werden  me herinnerd,  invamen
of the Christian Reformed Churches?                                      althans tot deze  conclusie, nadat we de srtikeienreeks
       For the simple reason that it had never been their ttnndachtig hadden  geleden,  van den schrijver van de
own desire to become separate churches and to form  a "Moeder  der Geloovigen." Hij  s&reef,  dat de Chris-
separate denomination. They never sought the breach. telijk Gereformeerde Kerk  (zal  we1 bedoeld hebben
They had done their utmost to prevent the schism. Kerken)  eigenlijk een soort moeder is, of mellicht  em
And they desired to show this same spirit to the very der moeders, deze karakteriseering ligt voor zijn reke-
last. It was for this reason, that they on their part ning (`t klinkt we1 meer teeder maar de Chr. Geref.
assumed the attitude of protest and maintained their Kerk kan  tech niet  uileen als moeder  worden  be-
tight or' appeal.                                                        schouwd)     onderscheidene     uithuizige, eigenzinnige,
      ::s".- Why, then, if they were desirous preventing beterwetende, martelaarspelende  kinderen  heeft  voort-
the final breach, did they not temporarily submit under gebracht, welke, namelijk de zoo pas omschreven  zonen,
proresr;,  instead of continuing their propaganda?                       weer door andere  kinderen worden gevolgd, hen mede-
       Because this Tvas practically impossible. it was a helpen,  om mocder over de schuld harer nalatigheid te
question of life or death for the group of brethren that bestraffen,  waarna moeder  door deze bestrafiingen wak-'
championed the truth over against the errors of the ker geschud, hare schulden gaat gevoelen en nu in alle
 three points. Synod would.not  meet till 1926. In the ootmoed weer gaat  doen datgene, wat deze eenzijdige
meantime thousands of people stood with the deposed en overdreven kinderen  haar voorhielden - en aldus
ofice-bearers  and must be cared for. Passive submis- worden  deze kinderen  moeder &n zenen.
sion and patient waiting under protest was impossible.                       Dat is ongeveer het  efFect  van de  secten  en scheur-
The Lord had left no other way open for the brethren kerken op de levenshouding en levensuiting van  `mne-
 than to remain to their office, fulfil their calling, to clew,  in dit geval van de  kerk (kerken)  :xaartoe  de
 labor and to pray and commit the rest to Him. And schrijver van "de moeder der geloovigen" behoort.
 He has made all things well!                          I                     Maar, en hier vragen we uwe andacht ten  voile,
                                                            H. H.        ge moet eerst kennis  maken met  zpie eigenlijk  tech  we1
                                                 ::                      deze  zoner, mogen zijn.
                                                                             Duidelijk mag dit blijken uit de definieering  van
                        -          -    -                                secte en scheurkerk. Een scheurkerk heeft behagen en
                                                                         zoekt haar vermaak in scheuren. Bij een scheurkerk
               0 Lord, how happy should we be                            is oogmerk en doel, scheurm,  naar een te voren vastge-
               If we could cast our care on Thee,                        steld plan. We1 geven zulke scheurkerken de voorstel-
                  If we from self could rest;                             ling alsof het hun alleen te doen is om de zuiverheid
                                                                          der leer,  doch dit betreft  alleen ondergeschikte  punten
               And feel at heart that One above,                          in leer, eeredienst en kerkregeering.  Neer  niet.
               In perfect wisdom, perfect love,                              Dat wat de scheurkerken aangaat.
                  Is working for the best.                                   Eenigszins anders staat het met de  secten.  En daar,


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                   21
-____            -.              - -             _ _ - -                                   _-I__               .__-_"____-^__

     Een Stem  Uit Het Verre  Westen                                                          A Eulogy
                                                                          "Permit me 
                       (Imx20N~m)                                                        to  offer  c? dozen reasons,"  wrote  the
                                                                       `Rev. P. A. Hoekstra in  The Bcbnner of September 23,
                          Redlands,  Calif.,   `i Sept. 1932.          "Why I am a member of the Christian Reformed
   Gaarne verzoeken wij onze  Standard Bearer om het Church."
volgende  te plaatsen.                                                    I. herewith present some five of the twelve reasons
   Labor Day is een Zendingsdag voor Redlands.                         enumerated by the Reverend:
                                                                 IS
het in Grand Rapids en omstreken den 4den Juii een                                                    I
Zendingsdag ; hier is het Labor Day. Wij zijn een jonge
gemeente en ons geestelijk  leven bloeit. Zoo hebben                      "I am aware of no good reason to leave the Chris-
                                                                       tian Reformed Church.
we dan jongstleden Labor Day voor het eerst  als Prot.                                              t do not claim that it is a per-
                                                                       fect church.
Geref. gemeente een  2endir;gsfeest  gevierd. `De  verga-                              I am not expecting to  lind a perfect
                                                                       church on this earth. As a matter of fact, I am by
dering werd geopend door den voorzitter van den  dag.                  no means perfect myself   and so I  n-ould  not at  all fit
br. S. Van Dalfsen, met te laten zingen van Ps. 19 :1 en into a perfect church. Eut the church to which I
,gebed  door  onzen  herder en  leeraar,  Ds. G.  Vos. De              beIong has been kept from great transgressions and
voormiddag  tverd  doorgebracht met  zingen en  voor-                  gross errors. It has its weaknesses, but why should I
drachten.  Er werden verscheidene nummers gezongen care to stress' them? What child cares to stress the
uit de Psalter  (Engelsch).  Daarna een voordracht van weaknesses of its mother? I prefer to emphasize the
br. F. Veenstra getiteld: De Moeder der Zeven Zonen. wonderful blessings it has mediated and still continues
Vervoigens merden twee  nummers uit de Psalter ge- to mediate to me. I would not like `to be untrue to the
zongen.  Toen kregen wij een voordracht van br.  G. sacred memory of those who have gone forth from it
Hoffman in het Friesch. Daarna zong een  vrouwen-                      to the church triumphant. I would not like to be dis-
quartet: Behoud, 0  Heere,  Uw Werk. Daarna werd loyal to the noble record of my church's past.
gezongen van Psalm 119:l en dankte Oud. Schuyi  en
vroeg den Heere om een zegen over het gemeenschappe-                                                 II
lijk  middagmaai.   Wel, wij  allen  hadden  daar  we1 zin                "My church continues to hold unwaveringly to
aan. want wij waren in een groot park, en in de vrije what may be called the fundamental, historical facts of
natuur. Xa het midda,maal  genoten te hebben, dankte the Christian religion. It rests on these fundamental
br. A. Van Meteren. Om 1:30 P. M. begonnen wij weer facts without being a `Fundamentalist' church. It
te  zingen,  want ,gezang verhoogt het leven. Een paar clings to such facts of redemptive revelation as the
nummers gezongen, en toen  hadden  wij een Zendings-                   creation of the worid,  the deity of Christ. the fall of
rede van onzen  Ds. G. Vos. Och, och, wat hebben wij                   man and the historical origin of sin in the world, the
daar genoten.  Zuik een kernachtige zendingsrede  had- virgin-birth of Christ, his vicarious, propitiatory
den wij zelden gehoord. Het sioeg er in en menigeen atonement on Calvary, the literal resurrection of
was we1 voldaan  en zeide dan ook: Hadden  wij maar                    Christ, and the assured hope of his personal return.
meer van zulke zendingsredenen.  Na de rede werd er `J'here are many churches that have sidetracked these
gezongen en een collecte opgenomen voor de Inwendige facts or have called them in question or have relegated
Zending  der  Prot. Geref. Kerk welke $26.10 opbracht.                 them to a very subordinate place.
Daarna nog enkele stukken gezongen en om  3:30 sloot                                                 III
Ouderling  -4. Porte met dankzegging. Daarna werd
een photo genomen van de gemeente, die nu  51  gezin-                      "My church maintains the sovereignty and suffi-
nen  telt en die nog steeds groeit. Daarna ging het ciency of the grace of God, which is the very heart of
jonge volk over tot de sport (ball game) en om 9 of 10 the Christian religion.                        It maintains unabated the
uur  p. m. gingen wij huiswaarts met dank in het hart sovereign election of grace, the limited atonement of
aan onzen  Heere. dat I3ij alles zoo R-e1 mankt. en  .~oe-             Christ, so far as the design of the atonement is con-
den moed voor de toekomst schenkt.                                     cerned, the total depravity of the sinner, the egcaci-
                                                                       ous and irresistable grace of Cod, the perseverance of
                                          S. Van Daifsen               saints, together with all the practical, comforting im-
1211 Washington St., Rediands, Caiif.                                  plications of this position. I love it for that, for by
                                                                       that grace of God I am what I am.
          So chance has brought this ill to me,                                                      IV
          `Tis God's sweet will, so let it be ;                            "My church applies spiritual tests for membership.
          tie sceth  what I cannot see.                                It requires  LL  vitui faith in Christ. So it strives to
          There is a need be for each pain,                            maintain the true character of the church as a gather-
          And He will make it one day plain                            ing of believers. To be J member of my church it is
          That earthly los:j is heavenly gain.                         not enough to be a good citizen, to display a good moral


22                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   BE,ARER
----..            _-.-_- -_I_                                  -     -
record together with a bit of interest in the Christian persuade those in charge to  ailow me sufficient space
religion. On the contrary, he is required to confess          in  The  Banner,  I would  piace in this magazine a series
personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, to give evi- of articles explaining and proving conclusively that
dence of being sound in doctrine, and to back up one's the dismal theories coming to the surface in these
profession with a consistent, Christian life. I like this "points" overturn every vital doctrine of the Chris-
test. It makes for thoroughness; it promotes a vigor- tian religion. These articles, I think, would make in-
ous virile church membership.                           .     teresting reading.
                              v                                     Under III: "&Iy church maintains the sovereignty
      "The Christian Reformed Church accepts and and sufiiciency of the grace of God, which is the very
strives to preach the whole Bible in all its  many-sided-     heart of the Christian  reiigion."
ness. It does not  foIIow  the easy path of reducing the            In explaining the first point the Rev. H.  .J. Kuiper
truth to some nice, little system, that has its day and wrote this : "He sends the wicked (the reprobate
ceases to be. It dares  t;o maintain such  seemingiy          w-icked,  Kuiper should have written; for the entire
illogical opposites as the sovereignty of God and the debate turns upon the reprobate wicked)  ewthly
responsibility of man. It strives to be as broad as the bIessings  as the fruit of his kindness, in order to con-
Bible is.  It is not sectarian. It rides no hobbies. It        vince them of his sincere willingness to bestow upon
wants to be fearlessly faithful to all the truth of them the greater gift of the salvation of Christ. God
Scripture.      It is the Church of the open Bible, the is just and stern, but He is not harsh and crue1. He
unfettered Bible, the whole Bible. I ,love it for that,        is not a God who reveals to a large part of humanity
too.                                                           nothing but his wrath. Even the reprobates are his
                              V-I                              creatures, the work of his hands; and in his goodness
                                                               and grace `He lavishes blessings upon them as long as
        "The Christian Reformed Church does not conceive they live, even though they perish in their sins. Thus
of an antithesis between nature and grace. It seeks            He magnifies his love as well as his wrath in the repro-
to behold God as still working in his world and to             bate . . . .    Neither can you maintain the sincere
follow him in his work. It holds to common grace and offer of salvation to all who hear the gospel, unless
appreciates the  vaIue of general revelation. It con- you except the truth which is formuJ?ted  in the first
demns the sinful perversion of the natural but it seeks        point of synod."  (The Three Points  of  Synod,  p. 15).
to recognize the hand of God in the natural. As over
`against a narrow, separatist&  anabaptist attitude, it             This excerpt asserts, as good as literally asserts,
likes to sing:                                                 that God in his love bestows earthly blessings updn
                                                               the reprobate wicked in order to convince them of His
           `This is my Father's world,                         sincere willingness to save them unto eternal life, or
            And to my list'ning ears                           in the words of Kuiper, in order to convince them of
            X11 nature sings, a.nd round me rings              His sincere willingness to bestow upon them the
            The music of the spheres.' "                       greater  gift of salvation in Christ.
        Let me comment on some of these statements, on              Has the Pelagian  ever said anything worse? Surely
those under I: "But the church to which I belong has no. If God is so willing to save the reprobate wicked,
been kept from great transgressions and gross errors.          why does He then not save them? The question per-
It has its weaknesses, but why should I care to stress         mits of but one answer: Because He cannot. What,
them?"                                                         then is there left of the sovereign mercy of God?
        H`as the reverend forgotten that the church, whose Absolutely  nothing.  The exponents of  comrnon  grace
 praises he sings, deposed faithful ministers of the do not, of course9  admit this. They say: though God
fiospel  for no other reason then that they adhered in         in His Iove wills to save the reprobate, it is at once
their preaching to the truth as expressed by the Re- true that He sovereignly rejected him and thus wills
formed Confession? What to the mind of the reverend not to save but to damn. If the question be asked : how
constitutes cc p-eczt tmn.s.r/ression  m- ~Y*OSS  em-m-?  Dare can this be, the answer is forthcoming: (I quote Kui-
 he say what he wrote while looking God in the face? per) "The fact that we, with our finite minds, cannot
 Perhaps fhe aforesaid sin the reverend thinks of as           fully harmonize these  txo truths should not make us
one of those weaknesses of his church he cares not hesitate to accept both.`" Fact is that no exponent of
 to stress. He need not stress it at all; but what he          common grace believes, can believe, may believe, both.
 and the church to which he belongs ought to do is to Only one of the two propositions is being believed. I
openly confess this gross sin.          Failing to do SO, this wonder if the reverend would have the courage to  ex-
church will come to grief.                                     pose the contradiction in which `his theory involves
        Under II we read: "Xy church continues to hold him as plainly  us this: "1 love my church because it
 unwaveringly to what may be called the fundamental.           holds unwavering to the doctrine that God by Himself,
 historical facts of  the. Christian religion." Has the without any consideration to sin, rejected some (the
 reverend ever heard of the three points? If he could reprobate) and wills that they perish; and that  He


I                                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                               23
           -.-__.                                   -.__I
           convinces these same persons by His gracious gifts                                   the doctrine of the antithesis to a mere abstraction, di-
           that I-Ie loves them and in love wills to save them."                                vorced from life,  and hanging in mid-air, so to say:
               Under III : "It maintains unabated . . . . the total                                The  1 exponents of common grace are not even
           c!epravity of the sinner." It can be proven from the agreed among themselves what common grace does to a
           Rev. H. J. Kuiper's very own reasoning that the theory sinner. Rev.  H. J. Kuiper `wrote in his brochure:
           of common grace is a denial of the doctrine of total                                 "Surely we  beIieve that there is a development of sin.
           depravity. I quote : "Even the sinner must acknowl- There can be a development of sin in the individual,
           edge : `:A11 I have and am I owe to the grace of God'.                               and in the human race as a whole, just because of
           in connection with this it is evident that we cannot                                 God's restraining grace!" Compare, with this what
           fully maintain the doctrine of total depravity unless                                Rev. Van  Baalen recently wrote in  The Banner (vol.
           we acknowledge the fact  cf common grace. For if the 67, p. 96.5) : "To call this (Esau's kindly disposition)
           sinner apart from the  grace of God, is able to perform an organic development of sin would be the silliest  es-
           civic righteousness, he cannot be totally depraved." cuse.  How can something that is  disorganic,  turning
           In other words,  th.e sinner (the reprobate sinner} does away from life, develop organically. Life can develop
           perform civic righteousness by  the  grace of God.  Hence organically, but not sin and death, which are the op-
           he is totally depraved.                   Here the reverend  un- posite of organic. And even if sin should develop or-
           mistn!;a@-  declares that  AS a result of the  oseratinn  of ganically, which is impossible,  how could this account
           common grace in him, the reprobate sinner is not for sin not developing in Esau, . . . -"
           ctctzlnlly totally depraved. He avers the same thing                                    According to Van Baalen it is impossible that sin
           in substance on page  32 of his brochure.                           1 quote:         develops organically. Rev. H. J. Kuiper, on the other
           "Those who deny common grace freely admit that haI:d, asserts : "Surely we beIieve  in an organical de-
           there is civic righteousness. But they deny that it is                               velopmeni,  of sin, just because of God's common grace."
           righteousness in God's sight. in God's sight they say,                                  According to Kuiper, then, the value of common
           it is sin and nothing but sin. Now that cannot be true grace consists in this that it makes possible an  organ-
           (the reverend continues) if God enables the sinner,  by. ical development of sin. Van Baaien  brands the idea
           the general operations of His Spirit, to perform such "Silliest excuse.`*
           righteousness. Whatever God works cannot be sinful.                                     What to think of this? What other impression does
           This then is the question: Is everything which the un- one receive than that the esponents of common graze
           regenerate does sin and nothing but sin in the sight                                 in spite of themselves engage in meaningless prattle,
           of God? Or can we say that this sinner is still able                                 when defending and elucidating their theory.
           to perform works which are relatively good - as a                                       Under I. "I am aware of no good reason to leave
           result of the general operations of God's grace? To the Christian Reformed Church . . . I would not like
           put the question still more pointedly: Does God in His to be untrue to the sacred memory of those who have
          Word ever speak of anyt,hing  which the sinner does as gone forth from it to the church triumphant."
           good? Our  ans\%*er is, yti."                                                           What nonsense is this'. According to this reasoning
                So, then, civic righteousness is not as to its core,                            one forever refrains from severing his connections
           sin. Everything which the unregenerate does is not with a church (a denomination of churches) because of
           sin and nothing but sin. The depraved sinner is able the pure state of this church in times past. On the basis
           to perform works which are relatively good.                                          of this argument we shoc!d all return to the Roman
                If the above reasoning is no overturning of the doc- Catholic Church, as this church in the days of the
           trine of total depravity, no reasoning is. Rightly con- apostles, was a pure church. From this church many
           sidered, there is not one actually depraved sinner on                                pious men (among others the apostles) have gone
           the face of the earth.                                                               forth to the church triumphant. This church (Roman
                For consider this: -1 sinner able to perform, and Catholic Church) made in the first epoch of its exist-
           actually performing, good works, works not  - sin, ence a noble record for itself.
            (and this is Kuiper's contention) cannot be, is not                                  , The question is not  :vhat a church (a church in-
           totally depraved.                                                                    stitution, or n denomination of churches) has been, but
                Reverend P. X. Hoekstra wrote (under VI> : "The what it is at the present time that determines whether
            Christian Reformed Church does not conceive of an we leave or remain. Our Confession bids us to join'our-
           antithesis between nature and grace." Just so. Neither
     .                                                                                          selves to the purest manifestation of Christ's body.
            do we. But let me ask: can the Christian Reformed                                       Once more : Reason  I1 or 12 (a reason I do not
            Church on the basis of the theory of common  *grace                                 quote above) praises the system of church government
            conceive of an antithesis between grace (the chi!d of of the Christian Reformed Church. However, the
            the light, the new man) and sin (the child of darkness,                             very fact that the reverend speaks of Citristenn  Re-
            destitute of holy life) ? It cannot. For according to formed  Ghurch  instead  of Christian Reformed
            the theory of common grace, there are actually no chil-                             Ghwches  is an indication that the system he lauds is
            dren of  darkness.             The  talc! man of sin is after  all  a               fraught with unsound principles.
            m21"  l..c  `:...5,-
                . .  1_  -.31.s. q-!-,x
                                    __&_   ;-..oq;  3:^  `,:!>y"-~L,o~   w;->.Cn   y~<Il~~~S        f'r?c!l?y   ITI. LcTf  mn:ntq;n<
                                                                                                                     A" .b_L .-.. s-...w  . . . . tInabated  the lim-


24                                                                                                                   -_
-..-."" ..._.-" ---_-----           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                _._---l-l_l              ---__                             ..--___
ited atonement of Christ, so far as the design of the                                                                        .;z$j
atonement is concerned . . . "                                  Ontvangst  V&n Ds. G. Vos en  Gezin
      if the reverend would have for the benefit, of his                    Door De Gemeente te                                  is
readers completed this reasoning, he  iirould  have writ-
ten : "But aside from  thi$ design or determinate will,                           Redlands,  Calif.
the atonement of Christ is unlimited. Not looking upon            Vrijdag, 19 Aug., arriveerden Ds. G. Vos en gezin
this design, we may preach, Christ died for all."              in Redlands,  Calif., na een voorspoedige reis per auto.
      Consider that the reverend overthrows the very De gemeente, die reeds eenige weken op dit feit was
doctrine (the limited atonement of Christ) he  first voorbereid en die met verlangen naar dit oogenblik had
maintains.                                                     uitgezien, had zooveel mogelijk  alles  in gereedheid  ge-
      Xyain under III. `"it maintains the efficacious and bracht om hen feestelijk te ontvangen. Ze kwamen te
irresistible grace of Cod . . .  If Does it? How can zamen in de First Christian Church, die ons voor deze
it with the three  PeIagian  points added to its Con- gelegenheid was afgestaan.
fession? I read in our Confession this: "We believe               Voor een goed  program was gezorgd. Onder leiding
that Jesus Christ is ordained with an oath to be an van den president des kerkeraads, werden door ver-
everlasting High Priest, after the order of  %lelchi-          schillende.  sprekers en spreeksters,  vertegenwoordi-
sedec;  and that he hath presented himself in our behalf gend den kerkeraad, de gemeente, de  Xannenvereeni-
before the Father, to appease his wrath by his full ging, de Vrouwenvereeniging en de Jongeliedenvereeni-
satisfaction, by offering himseif on the tree of the ging, tot Ds. Vos en gezin hartelijke woorden van wel-
cross, and pouring out his precious blood to purge kom gericht,  terwijl dit spreken werd afgewisseld door                            _
away our sins; as the prophet had foretold . . . "             muziek en zang. Ds. Vos sprak daarna een hartelijk
      According to the new doctrine of the Christian Re- woord van waardeering voor de vele wenschen en blij-
formed Churches, "Christ did not appease his (God's)
wrath by His full satisfaction." Consider that, accord- ken van liefde en toegenegenheid hem en zijn gezin be-
                                                               toond en sloot dit program met dankzegging aan den
ing to the exponents-of common grace, common  grace
genders real goodness in a depraved sinner. In other Heere. Daarna was ons nog een verrassing bereid in
                                                               de basement der kerk, alwaar tafels gedekt  waren  voor
words, common grace sanctifies him. Now there can
be no sanctification without regeneration and justiiica-       honderd vijf en zeventig personen. De tafels  waren               .
tion. and the latter means that sins have been removed met bloemen versierd en we1 voorzien door de zorg van                          -
and forgiven.      Fact is, then, that God apart from onze altijd dienende  Martha's. Verkwikt naar lichaam                           :
Christ removes and forgives sins. If so, Christ did en geest mochten we huiswaarts keeren met de  over-
not and needed not to make full satisfaction, and if He tuiging in het hart, dat de Heere aan ons heeft welge-
~,made no full satisfaction, He made no satisfaction at daan en wat de menschen ten kwade dachten voor ons
ail. Do I say too much when I say that common grace ten goede  heeft gekeerd.
is an overturning of the vital doctrines of the Chris-             Met verlangen in het hart mogen we thans van rust-           `-'
tian religion1 The theory (of common grace) raises dag tot rustdag opgaan naar het huis des gebeds, daar
nil kinds of questions. For example: (1) How can allen, jong en oud,  genieten  van  de prediking des
God forgive sins apart from Christ? (2j If God can Woords door  cmzen  leeraar. Geve de Heere bij den
forgive to CL'IL exte& apart from Christ why can He not voortduur  aan ons Zijne genade en onmisbaren zegen,
forgive to the full extent apart from Christ? (3) How opdat we met elkander meer en meer mogen worden
can God damn a justified sinner without denying Him-           gefundeerd in de waarheid tot eer Zijns Naams en tot
self? dnd so on.                                               heil onzer zielen.
      There are several more.,statements  upon which I                            Namens den Kerkeraad,
could comment. Let  me end, however, with a question :
 `"Vhat could have induced the reverend to laud his                                               J. Andriese,  Scriba
church to the heavens? Has this for some reason or
other becoming necessary ? If so, what may be that
 reason.7
      Tn fine, in view of what I wrote, the reverend                                 BEKENDiLLXEING
should, to express ourselves in the words of the                   Op een der laatste bestuursvergaderingen van de
 prophet, weep and howl and urge'.his  church to confess Reformed Free Publishing Association werd besloten,
 its sins and to repent.                                       om aan een ieder die een nieuw lid of een nieuwe lezer,
                                             G. 24. 0.         met contant  geld, aanbrengt 30 cent te schenken, en
                                                               den nieuwen lezer of het nieuwe lid een  bock, getiteld
                                                               "Strijd en Over-winning."
      I will place no value on anything I may have or may          Dus, broeders,  we1 verstaan voor een, nieuw lid zend
Dossess escept  in reiation to


                                  A   R e f o r m e d   S e m i - M o n t h l y   M a g a z i n e
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                                                                                          it breathes, to the rain and to the sunshine with which
             M E D I T A T I O N                                                          it is blessed from heaven; but the tree does not choose
N            -                                                                            life or death. Life is imposed upon it, live it must ; and
                                                                                          death for it is inevitable. Life there is in the beast of
                         The Choice Of Life                                               the field, in the fowl of the air, in the fish of the sea,
                                                                                          in the countless flying insects and creeping things. And
                                                                                          always life seems to consist of that same constant
                              Therefore choose life, that both thou and
                           thy seed may live.                  De&   30:19b.              movement that continuous adaptation of the living
                                                                                          thing to the outward reality of its own proper world,
     All-embracing choice !                                                              the water and the air, the height or the depth, food and
     Choose, therefore, life! But life . . . . what is it? drink. And always life seems inevitable and death in-
   With apology to a certain Dutch poet we may well escapable. Never are they an object of choice !
exclaim :                                                .                                      And shall a man choose life ? . . . .
                          Life! What is life? . . . .                                          I have set before you this day life and death, bless-
                          Heights of the heavens !                                        ing and cursing ! Choose, therefore, life !
                          Depths of the oceans !                                               What, then, is this life?
                                                                                                Is man, as a living creature, better than a sheep ?
                          Answer, 0, answer me !
                          What is life? . . . .                                           Is not he also taken from the dust? Is not his physical
                                                                                          organism similar to that of the beasts that roam in
   And what may life be as an object of my choice? the forest or the cattle that find their delight in green
Or is it, perhaps: mere folly to place before a man's pastures. Does he not live  ,by the product `of the soil
consciousness the alternative of life and death, then to as they ? Is not his breath in his nostrils as is theirs ?
admonish him to choose life?                                                              Is not life imposed upon him without the choice of his
   Or, again, granted the choice were possible, granted own will and, does not death pursue him mercilessly to
that life and death are put within man's reach, so that the grave? How, then, can a man be urged to choose
he is privileged or even compelled and obliged to ex- life, while die he must? . . . .
press his preference, is not the admonition to choose                                           Choose, therefore, life? And what, pray, is life? . . .
life utterly superfluous? Or . . . . will a man deliber-                                        Life is constant adaptation to that proper sphere of
ately choose death? Would he be so foolish? . . . . external reality that is in harmony with our very being
     If so, what, then, is life and how can I choose it? and nature !
What is its way and how can I attain it? And what                                               And the highest Reality, the Reality above all real-
may be death and what the way of death, that I should ities, the absolute reality is God. And He is the living
be inclined to prefer and seek it, rather than life?                                      God ! Be is life ! He is the Life! For, He is the Triune
     Life I see round about me; it reveals itself every- God, one in infinitely perfect Being, three in eternally
where in various forms and manifestations. There is perfect Persons, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. And
life. in the tree of the forest and to it life seems to be with Him life is eternal adaptation to Himself alone,
the constant adaptation of its inner self to the sphere the seeking and perfect finding of Himself in the  light
of external reality in which it exists, to the soil in of love, which is the bond of perfectness, vibrating in
which it is planted and from which it draws its life- infinite perfection from the Father, through the Son, in
strength, the substance of which it appears to trans- the Spirit, proceeding and returning, through eternal
form into its own form of subsistence; to the air which generation and procession ; the divine perfection of


26                                            T H E   STA~NDARD~   B E A R E R
               "-.."." ._....-_.....__ -~_       .._ __l_---l.-.-l_----                    -._-.. __I_ . . - -... -_
His covenant-fellowship, - that is the Life. ,And man bIessing and life ! But choose iniquity and inevitably
is, indeed, better than a sheep. For, he was made after you choose cursing and death !
the image of the living God. That image is his very               And choose between righteousness and unrighteous-
nature, the very idea of His being. He resembles the ness, between Iight and darkness, between God and
living God, though in a creaturely measure. And, there- IMammon,.  you must, you always and constantly do. You
fore, he cannot live by bread alone. For, life to him cannot say "Yes" to both ; you cannot say "No" to
: can `mean nothing less than that the very vibration of both  ; you cannot choose both ; you c'annot deny both ;
God's own covenant-love may so thrill through his you cannot simply say "Yes" to the one without an in-
whole being, through his heart and soul and will and evitable "No" to the other; you cannot deny the one
mind and strength, that he may constantly adapt  him- without accepting the other. Neither can you merely
,,self with his whole inner self to the living ,God, that disregard both. For, you are created after God's image
he may know Him and see Him, that he may taste His and God will not be ignored. Choose you must and
goodness and rejoice in His communion. This is life choose you do, constantly, every day and every night,
eternal that he may know God, the  onIy  true God, and with every breath you take, with every move you
Jesus Christ Whom He did send ! . . . .                        make, with every word you speak, with every wink of
      Choose, therefore, life !                                your eye, with every inclination of your will, with
      Man shah not live by bread alone. He must have every desire of your sou!, with every thought of your
the Word that proceeded from the mouth of God !                mind. Always you choose between righteousness and
      His Word of grace, of His infinite favor, the Word unrighteousness, between light and darkness ; you'
of  bIessing! Behold, I set before you this day life and prove them, you evaluate them, you distinguish be-
death, blessing and cursing!                                   tween them, you clearly manifest that you know them,
      For blessing, the  bIessing  of God is life; and the you express preferment of either of them, you approve
cursing, the curse of God is death ! The  reIation is of righteousness and loathe unrighteousness, or you
causal. For, man has no life in himself. He must live love the darkness and hate the light . . . .
by the Word of God, the word of divine blessing. God              Speak not, vain man, of free will, for, choose you
speaks His Word of love, of infinite lovingkindness and shall !
we live; He speaks His Word `of wrath and desolation              For, on the one hand, life and death, blessing and
and we sink into the desolation of death . . . .               cursing, righteousness and unrighteousness are set be-
      And His blessing is upon the righteous ! For, He fore you, this day, every day, always and everywhere.
is righteous and holy, eternally, unchangeably. With Of this all heaven and earth are witness, now and in
unrighteousness He can have no fellowship. The wicked the day of judgment. It was set before us in Paradise
His soul loatheth. In darkness He does not walk. His and we choose darkness rather than light. It is set
curse is in the sphere of iniquity and upon them that before us in sharper lines  of, antithesis in Christ and
love it  c . .  `.                                             BeliaL  For, Christ is the way and the truth and the
      But He loveth the righteous and blesseth them. And life! He gave, for all His own, the perfect answer to
blessing them  .He  zauses  them to live before His face. God's: "Thou shalt love Me," and He gained for them
      The way of righteousness is the way of life, for it the perfect righteousness, to be attained in the way of
is the way of blessing.                                        faith. And; in- the midst of the darkness of sin and
      In that way God speaks His word of life !                death, He is evidently set forth among you, carried on
   Behold, I set before you life and death !                   the wings of the everlasting gospel in all the beauty
      Blessing and cursing!                                    of His light and righteousness, before your conscious-
      Choose, therefore, life !                                ness. And again, life and death, blessing and cursing,
                                                               righteousness and unrighteousness are set before you.
                                                               And, on the other hand, while the Word is nigh unto
                                                               you and is in `your mouth, you cannot disregard it, you
                                                               must understand, distinguish, approve and disapprove,
 Inevitable choice !                                           reveal your inmost heart and all the thoughts of it by
  f For, strange though it may seem, impossible though expressing your preferment for light or for darkness,
it may at first appear, man always does and always for blessing or cursing, for life or for death ! . . . .
must make the choice, either of life or of death!                 Stupendous necessity!
      For, life and blessing, life and God's favor are in-,       Speak not of free will, vain man, dead in sin and
separably connected ; -and God's favor and righteous- misery !
ness, a walk in the light, can never be severed from              Ridicule not the urgent admonition as if it were
each other.                                                    wholly superfluous to induce man to choose life, seeing
 I And, on the other hand, death and cursing can he would never choose death !
never be divorced ; and God's curse is always in dark-            For, death, astounding though it may sound, and
ness ! For, God is  ,good!                                     terrible though it may be, man chooses always by
      Choose, therefore, righteousness and you choose nature ! For, he is darkness and he loves darkness


                                         THE   STA'NDARD   %%EAI?ER                                                         27
                                                                                                            -         ^^^__
     rather than light. He did choose death once and he choice. Never it is vain and ending in disappointment!
     died and in the sphere of death he moves. Enmity                He that chooses life shall surely live! And the
     against God is his carnal mind and iniquity he chooses Church that chooses life shall live with her children, in
     as his life's sphere. He may imagine, he often does the line of generations !
     imagine, not knowing and willing to acknowledge his             Not, indeed, because of any merit of our own, for
     own foolishness, that he would choose life, for it would we had forfeited all claim to life and glory and are, by
     appear so unspeakably foolish to prefer death to life, nature; righteously under the condemnation of death.
     hell to heaven. Yet, so it is. With all his mind and We sinned and are sinners, guilty from the moment of
     heart and soul he prefers darkness to light, Mammon our entrance into the world and increasing our guilt
     to God, .unrighteousness  to righteousness, cursing to daily.
     blessing, death to life! For, the way of life is right-
     eousness, and the way of righteousness is Christ, and                    "Our sins rise up against us,
     the way of Christ is faith, and the way of faith he will                   Prevailing day by day !"
     not, he cannot, he cannot will to walk ! . . . .            And, rising up against us, and witnessing against us,
         Terrible plight !                                       they demand our death, according to God's unchange-
         Behold, I set before you life and death, blessing and able justice.
     cursing! What will ye? . . . .                                 Neither could there be any claim on life, any merit
         And constantly, persistently, with his heart and        before God, in the mere fact, that we choose life and
*    mind as well as in all the directions of his walk the long for deliverance from death !
     natural man replies : I will death ! . . . .                   Yet, they that choose life shall live!
         Choose, therefore, life !                                  For, their choice'of life is rooted in God's sovereign
         Only by grace will the admonition be heeded!            election, whereby He chose them first, chose them to
         For, God's everlasting choice, His sovereign choice eternal life and righteousness and glory. And, accord-
     to love His people and to shed abroad His life into their ing to that sovereign grace, whereby He loved them
     hearts, is eternally first. And this eternal choice of and chose them for His own name's sake, He prepared
     His sovereign grace reveals itself in His own, when He, life for them and the way of life in Christ Jesus their
     by  ,His almighty Word speaks to them: choose, there- Lord. When there was no one among them to deliver
     fore, life! . .  i  .                                       them, when their case seemed hopeless and the way of
         And when He speaks, He calls them out of darkness life was closed to them forever, when there was no
     into His marvelous light!                                   mediator among them, no intercessor that could pos-
         When  His Word of power thrills into our inmost sibly plead their cause, His own arm brought salvation
     being, our eyes are opened and we see the darkness to His people! He took all their guilt and death upon
     that envelops us and we abhor it! We see our sin and Himself, He entered into their deepest woe, into their
     death and sorrow, unspeakable sorrow after the living darkest death, in order that He might bring to light
     -God fills our heart.                                       life out of death ! . . . .
         We would, then, live and we know that we are dead !        The Life was manifested !
         And He reveals His Son. in us, the way and the             Manifested in eternal  glory  in Immanuel, God with
     truth and the life! And He creates within our hearts us, Who died and rose again !
     the living faith.                                              Choose life, therefore, that ye may live!
         And He leads us by His grace to the cross and to           Choose it, Church of Christ, in His Name, in His
     His resurrection !                                          blood and resurrection, in His righteousness and glory!
         And He teaches us to cling by that living faith to         Choose it for yourselves !' Choose it in the line of
     Him, Who is our righteousness and wisdom, our sancti- your generations !
     fication and our complete redemption, our eternal life,        That the Church  may walk the way of life in the
     and to believe in Him, Who raised Him from the dead! midst of the world!
         He inclines our hearts to heed the urgent admoni-          And, presently, enter into His glory!
     tion : Choose, therefore, life !                      '                                                     ' H. H.
         And by faith we respond:
         Life, Lord, I will choose!
         Eternal life!                                                      Perfect Love has pow'r to soften
                                                                            Cares that might our peace destroy,
                                                                            Nay, does more-transforms them often,
                                                                       .    Changing sorrow into joy.
         Choose life!                                                       Sov"reign  Love appoints the measure,
         That you may live !                                                And the number of our pains ;
         That you and your children may have life forever!                  ,And is pleased when we find pleasure
         Ever effective, ever sure of attainment is this                    In the trials He ordains.

                                                                                                                 _    .   .


                                                                                                              ./-  _  -.-

      The Examination of Prospective                        therefore in this first period the aforesaid churches
                                                            allowed persons looking forward to a ministerial career
             Ministers of the Gospel                        to preach in public worship and to consider and ,accept
                                                            a call, without first ascertaining by a preparatory ex-
    Let me remind those who follow me in these essays amination their fitness. As a consequence, any seceding
on the Church Order, that article 4  - the article that priest or monk, any self-styled prophet or school-
deals with the lawful calling to the of?ice  of ministers teacher, or persons privately trained (proponenten)
of the gospel - has four sections to it, each of which      for the ministry by  some  pastor, would go forth to'
has to do with one of the four elements comprising preach their trial-sermons if successful in securing pul-
the lawful calling; the first with the election, the second pits. If giving satisfaction, they were called. " After
with the examination, the third with the approbation, accepting, they were examined for the first and or-
and the fourth with the ordination. The first section dained.
is a paragraph comprised of several clauses each. of.          This failure to  first ascertain the fitness of the
which must be treated separately. So also the second, aspirants to the office, before allowing them to preach
the~third, and the fourth. It will be recalled that the and to consider a call bore the evil result that'many
article under consideration sets out with the declara- persons, who ought to have' been prohibited. from
tion: The lawful calling of those who have not been preaching, gained admittance to  1 pulpits and offended
previously in office, consists: . . . . Then follows the    by their uncouth manners and palpable distortions of
first section which reads: "First in the election  by the the Word.` It therefore did not take long for the
Consistory and the Deacons, after preceding prayers, churches to realize the necessity'of a preparatory  -ex-
with due observance of the regulations established by amination. So in 1568 the Synod of `s-Gravenhage
the consistory  for this purpose, and of the ecclesiastical ruled that only they examined and pronounced fit by
ordinance in use in any given place or established by the  classis or by the university might preach in public
the  consistorjr,  and of the ecclesiastical ordinance, that worship. Some  33 years had to go by before this
only those can for the first time be called to the min- ruling received a general acceptation. In. the province
istry of the word, who have been preparatively exam- of Friesland, however, the preparatory examination
ined by t.he classis in which they dwell ; and further- was now the only one taken. The aspirant to the office
more with the advice of classis or of the  counsellor  ap- was examined and., if found able; allowed to  breach  in
pointed for this purpose by the classis."                   public worship and to receive calls. Having received
    The second section of article 4 reads: "Secondly in and accepted a call, he was ordained without a. second
the Examination both of doctrine and life . . . .  " examination ; but in the other provinces the churches
It is to be noticed that this article makes mention of insisted upon the two aforesaid examinations, the pre-
two distinct examinations, the so-called preparatory paratory and the  peremhtory.
and the examination of the second section, known as            In the province of Zeeland  the Reformed churches
peremptory.' Let us now direct our attention to both met in Synod - the Synod of Veere 1610  - even de-
of these.                                                   cided to inaugurate three examinations: two  grepara-
    With us, the word preparatory denotes an examina- tory and a  fmal peremptory. In case of successful
tion to which seminary students, who have completed issue, the first of these `procured for the aspirant the
the prescribed course of study, submit. It is an ex- -privilege of speaking  unto'edification  in the meetings
amination that, in case of successful issue, allows the of public worship; the second, also preparatory, ren-
churches through the custodian of our school, to wit, dered the eLximanee  eligible to a call ; and the third,
the `Curatorium, to declare the persons examined elig- taken after a call had been received and accepted, ad-
ible to a call or, which amounts to the same thing, to mitted to the office.        i
pronounce them candidates for the ministry of the              Not always in this early period were these examina-
gospel. On the other hand, the word peremptory, tions conducted with  aroper care, earnestness, and
meaning decisive, designates an examination candi- acuteness. By the rabble in the church they  .were  re-
dates, who  halve received and accepted a call, undergo. garded as mere formalities that could be dispensed
There is then this difference to be noticed between the with. Whenever this element predominated in the
two : The former proceeds the call and renders; in case body of examiners (the  &assis) the  ,examinations  were
of successful issue, eligible to a call ; the latter follows made light of and persons unfit for service inducted
the call and lawfully admits to the office.                 into office. On the other, hand, when pious and serious
   Both  these examinations have a history which may men in the church succeeded in having their way, these
be of some interest. In the first period of their exist- examinations would take on a marked stri&ness  and
ence (1568-1586) the Reformed churches were accus- last two and in some cases eight and even thirty days
tomed to examining those who aspired to the office but with necessary pauses.
once, namely, after they had received and accepted a           In the  hrst period of Reformed Protestantism
call. It means that the pczrompto?y  examination was        (1568-1568)  the aspirants to the office and prospective
the only one required for induction into the office, that ministers were examined by the con&tories. How-

                 -.


                                        THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        83
-    -    -      ..-...
                _l_l_ ....-..." -___                         __ll_____,.-._^_-_                   . . . ..-.__-_  "I_
ever as soon as the territory over which this protest-       stitution there was no nt*d.    As a denomination of
antism had spread, was divided into classes, the afoore- churches we are still comparatively small. Our broadest
said task was appropriated by the bodies last named. ecclesiastical assembly is the  classis. The members of
But when, soon after, the Reformed university of  Lei- this  body consist of  two delegates elected by each  con-
den was founded, the synod `of Dordt, delighted by sistory. Our curatorium is a body whose members con-
what it considered to be a signal gain, and craving to sist of one delegate nominated by each consistory and
furnish the state  .with some token of its great appre- elected by classis. Both bodies therefore are the direct
ciation, decreed that persons the aforesaid university representative of all consistories. What is more, the
and any other university of Reformed persuation, ex- delegates to our curatorium are the delegates to classis
amined and as to their intellectual attainments pro- so that the members of the former body are at once
nounced competent, would not anew be examined as to members of the latter. The two, therefore, come
doctrine. Dordt's decision was anything but wise ; for pretty close to being one and the same body of ex-
these Nether-land universities,' though Reformed, at aminers directly representative of the consistorie;.
least nominally so, were institutions controlled and There was no good reason whatever for retaining the
supervised exclusively by the state. In the government peremptory examination as a distinct ordeal. However,
of these institutions the state stubbornly and persist- when the members of the curatorium consist of two
ently refused to give the churches a share. Even to delegates nominated by each classis and elected by" the
the request that no person without their consent be synod, the peremptory `examination ceases to be a
appointed professor in theology the state turned a superfluous addition in the above sense. For the  cura-
deaf ear. When therefore the activities of the Remon- torium  and  elassis  are then two distinct and disparate
strants made it clear that the decision of Dordt was bodies. The former as a committee of synod is repre-
designed to work the ruin of Reformed Protestantism, sentative of all churches and directly responsible not
the provincial synods, one after another, decided to to  classis but to synod, while the latter is the creation
desist from acknowledging the examinations conducted and the direct representative of those churches only
by the professors of the universities, and the business over  which it has jurisdiction. But irrespective of this
of placing by examination the office beyond the reach difference, the curatorium even as a committee of
of the unworthy was again taken over by the classis. synod is, as well as the classis, a body whose members
     As to the after history of these examination, both consist of office-bearers in the churches. And whereas
of them were taken over by the "Christelijke  Gerefor- all the consistories jointly through there respective
meerde" and later by the "Gereformeerde" churches of delegates create this body and determine its constitu-
the Netherlands and also by .the Christian Reformed ency, it is the instrument through which the churches
Churches of America. Among us, too, both these ex- do function' as the exclusive custodian of their school.
aminations are deemed necessary. With us, the steps For this reason some are of the conviction that a
that lead to the office are, strictly speaking, three in classis engages in a useless business as often as it
number. As soon as, according to the judgment of the peremptorily esamines an aspirant found competent
faculty of our school, students show themselves up as by curatorium even when this body functions as the
reasonably able to preach, they receive the right to arm of synod;- Consider, however, that especially in a
speak a word of edification in public worship. This is large denomination of churches, the curatorium as a
the first step. When the students have done with suc- committee of synod may deteriorate into a tool of a
cessfully pursuing the studies at our school, they are delinquent clique and thus cease to function as the
examined by the Curatorium through the faculty and, actual instrument of the churches. This happened to
if found intellectually and spiritually competent, de- the curatorium of the seminary of the Christian Re-
clared eligible for a call. This is the preparatory ex- formed churches as a result of the followers of Prof.
amination.        The peremptory examination, the  pne Janssen having gained the ascendency.
last held and the one that admits to the office, follows        A delinquent curatorium is one of the greatest con-
shortly after a call has been received and accepted.         ceivable menaces. Such a body is in league with in-
     Recently we as churches decided to fuse together structors who corrupt the word; it pronounces com-
the peremptory and the rJIqELratOry  examination or, petent the  unft and turns them over to the churches.
better said perhaps, to regard the latter as being equal Especially when the state of affairs is such, the
to the former so that in submitting to the one, the          peremptory  examination meets a real need as an in-
aspirant submits to the other. What we now have strument by which the calling churches may learn to
therefore is a two-in-one affair. We did not then dis- know what is in the products of the school. As armed
pense with the peremptory examination. What we with this <knowledge, they can mark the unfit and
managed to do is to dispense with this examination as n-&.se  to vest them with the office.
a. distinct institution standing by itself. We are there-       It is a fact that when a denomination of churches
fore as a result not under the necessity of erasing the grows, the difficulty of maintaining purity of doctrine
second section of article  4 of the Church Order.            in the pulpits increases. There is always the carnal
     For the peremptory examination as a distinct in- seed, multiplying. It is from the ranks of this seed


34                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
__l-.._.___l_l          -...- -._____.-.             -..... ^--                 l_"---_ll-__l.-                                -._ .._-. -
                                                                                                                          /
that the devil recruits his potential false prophets. into the makeup of the body originally examining. In
Dressed in sheep clothing, they occupy church pews, a word, the denomination must examine. It does so,
aspire to and train for the office. For the detection of even when the churches because of their number meet
these two thorough examinations on vital doctrines in synod. Consider that every classical examination
and personal integrity by two different bodies of ex- is then attended by three of the delegates of adjacent
aminers is surely not one too many, especially not if. cIasses,  called Delegates for Examination, and ap-
unbelief begins to raise its foul head in such high pointed by synod, one from each classis. It is through
places  as a school that, having turned scientific, en- these delegates that the churches other than those
gages in a so-called scientific cultivation of theology ; found within the boundaries of the examining classis
and as a curatorium at  one  with this school and there- may be said to have a share in the examination. For
fore unwilling to discipline the delinquents.                      these delegates at the conclusion of the examination
      But aside from this, consider that whereas, as was have the right to cross-question the candidate and to
said, the members of a curatorium that functions as a advise the  classis. If the vote of the  classis is con-
committee of synod consists of but two delegates nom- trary to their advice and no agreement can be reached,
inated by each  classis, it, the curatorium, directly rep- the question of admission of the candidate to the office
resents but a very few consistories; that, further, the must be decided by synod. Until such time the ordina-
curatorium as an examining body does its work in tion of the candidate shall be postponed,, and in the
private behind closed doors and thus outside the range meanwhile no congregation of another  classis shall
of hearing and observation of the churches. What does have the right to extend a call to him and no classis
it mean? That the calling churches not peremptorily be permitted to examine him. These delegates submit
examining do without a first-hand knowledge of the a report of all their activities to synod.
fitness of the aspirant called, that these churches                   The branches covered by the peremptory examina-
simply take the curatorium's word for it that he is a tion are: "Dogmatics. Practical branches covering :
safe man. This surely is not wise. For the matter of personal godliness. Motives for seeking `the ministry.
admitting to the office is too vital to be entrusted to a Test of insight into the  practica of pastoral work.
single comparatively small body of examiners, The Knowledge of the Bible, specifically touching  :` The
calling church itself should have the right to directly character of the Holy Scriptures. The content of Holy
examine the aspirant. It should be in the possession Scriptures in the above named sense. Knowledge of
of an- instrument for ascertaining directly by itself our Standards, touching: Knowledge of meaning and
through  classis whether the one by whom it expects to purpose of the Standards. Knowledge of the applica-
be shepherded is competent. And this instrument is tion of the Standard of our Church to life. Contro-
the peremptory examination. Therefore, if the num- versy. The distinctive spiritual currents of our time
ber of our churches become so large as to necessitate in contrast with the Reformed or Calvinistic life- and .
the holding of synods, and thus the division of the ter- world-view.             Test of Gospel preaching, including:
ritory over which our movement has spread into Preaching before the church in the. hearing of Classis.
classes, we will, of course, revive the peremptory ex- Critical discussion of that sermon." "At the conclusion
amination as a distinct institution.                               of the examination and after proper deliberation on it,
      In the first period of Reformed Protestantism the one of the brethren leads in prayer for the-guidance of--~
peremptory examination was, as before  said, conducted the Holy Spirit, before the secret ballot is cast. If the
by the consistory and thereupon, when the territory examination is sustained, the candidate signs the
over which this Protestantism in the Netherlands had Formula of Subscription.                      A   c e r t i f i c a t e   ( C l a s s i c a l
spread was apportioned into classis, by the body last Diploma) signed by the president and clerk of classis
named. But it follows from the very nature of things is then given the candidate, authorizing him in the
that the right and duty to conduct the aforesaid ex- name of the Lord to engage in the work of the min-
amination belongs in the first instance- to the  con- istry." It will be noticed that the above examination
sistory of the calling brotherhood. For to this brother- is designed to bring out not merely what the aspirant
hood the examinee is to be joined in the capacity of knows but also what he is.
shepherd and teacher. However, it is permissible and
proper that the calling church in recognition of the
denominational tie examine through the classis. This
latter body, too, has an interest in the matter and a                 Another usage  up for consideration in connection
duty to perform here.        It must approbate the call. with article 4, is the so-called hand-opening. Here we
Will it do so, it, too, must examine and appraise. What have to do with an institution that had its inception in
is more if in due time any of the churches comprising a mandate of the state. In divers places in the Nether-
the denomination will have the right to call the  ex-              lands the civil government stipulated that the churches
aminee anew without being under the necessity of ask permission of the civil magistrate to call. In 1834
again examining in the event a call is actually extended the Netherland churches of the secession resolved to
and accepted, all the churches must be made to enter ignore the state in the above matter and to direct a

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

  similar petition to the classis. The rule among us is elected by a Reformed brotherhood called if, as a result
  that the consistory of the vacant church requests hand-        of his having shown himself up in the examination as
  opening of classis when calling for the first time. This addicted to Pelagianism, he cannot be ordained? Surely
  rule is needed as the guarantee that churches lawfully no.
  call and as an instrument for preventing the rising of            The view presented above is not shared by all. Joh.
  financial  difficulties between the congregation and the Jansen maintains that  "Het wezen van de  roeping ligt
  prospective pastor. It may happen that a congrega- in de verkiezing." Consider, however, that an unsuc-
  tion, unable to support a minister calls believing that cessful issue of the examination renders the election
  somehow the necessary support will be forthcoming. void, so that what gives to the latter the absoluteness
  Such a brotherhood should not refrain from calling and finality it needs but by itself lacks is the success-
 *but should apply to classis for the necessary aid.             ful issue  of  the examination. As standing alone, then,
      Another rule among us is that the  classis appoint a the election reposes upon a condition. It is not there-
  counsellor for vacant churches to advise the church in fore the sole essence of the calling.
  eventual difficulties and to represent classis at the call-       One happens upon a peculiar reasoning in Prof.
  ing of a minister. The last clause of the first section Heyn's  Kybernetiek.  After. correctly affirming that
  of article 4 reads: "And furthermore with the advise "Verkiezing en roeping door een gemeente geven nog
  of the counsellor appointed for the purpose by the volstrekt geen ambsbevoegdheid" the professor con-
  class%. So, then, the lawful calling consists in the tinues : "maar deze wordt eerst verkregen door de
  election with the advise of the counsellor, who repre- zending  der  classis, en de  classis geeft geen  zending
  sents the classis. His task is to appraise and appro- dan na examinatie en op voorwaarde van  bevesti-
  bate the nomination. Only a nomination approved by ging . . . . Roeping  is het eerste .noodzakelijke ele-
  him may be announced. His task is further to lead ment. Geen  classis kan  zending  geven dan  aan wie
  and to supervise the voting, to make sure that the con- vooraf een kerkelijke  roeping ontving. Het ontvangen
  gregation calls in agreement with the regulation estab- van ambtsbevoegdheid echter ligt in de zending,  en
  lished for this purpose, and to sign the call-letter in deze geschied door de kerk die haar aan de classis heeft
  token that he approves of the selection made. He has opgedragen, en waarvan  zij in haar diploma bewijs
  the right to refuse to sign this letter and report to afgeeft. Daarom moet de examinatie geschieden door
  classis in the event the congregation rejects his advice. de  classis, want eer zij  zending  geven kan,  moet  zij
  The counsellor is no member of the consistory. His beproefd, en daarom geschied ook de bevestiging door
  vote is advisory and not decisive. Such are his tasks. de classis, nl., door den consulent als haar deputaat.
  In practice, however, many more tasks are assigned De roeping geschied dus als regel door de gemeente,
  to him, such as the. ordination of office-bearers ; the maar het eigenlijke in het ambt stellen door de  classis
  administration of the sacraments ; officiating at namens de kerk."
` funerals, the visiting of the sick, house visiting, etc.          This reasoning, to begin with, is at variance' with
     We may now pass on to the fourth and  fmal                  art. 4 of the Church Order, according to which the
  section of article 4, the section that deals with the Ordination  (bet in het ambt stellen) is one of the ele-
  ordination. The section reads: "Finally, in the public ments comprising the calling. In the above reasoning,
  Ordinations  in the presence- of the congregation, which however, they appear as two disparate institutions.
  shall take place with appropriate stipulations and  in Further, statements appear averring that instead of
  terrogations, admonitions  and'prayers  and imposition the local brotherhood through its organ, the denonzirza-
  of hands by the officiating minister (and by other tion  sends, vests with the authority of and ordains to
  ministers who are present) agreeably to the Form for the office. This `view surely will not do at all. It
  that purpose."                                                 springs from the idea that the aggregate of churches
      What is the importance of the Ordination? Is it a comprising a denomination is  the church. Fact is that
  superfluous addition that could  as  well be  omitted? no individual or corporate body of individuals in the
  And the answer: Article four literally asserts that the church  enn vest another with the authority of the
  Ordination is one of the elements comprising the law- office. And such is the view. A statement occurs that
  ful calling to the office. I quote: "The lawful calling reads : "Het. ontvangen van ambtsbevoegdheid echter
  of those who have not been previously in office, con- ligt in de zending,  en deze geschiedt door de kerk" (the
  sists: First in the Election, secondly, in the Examina- denomination of churches). The truth of the matter
  tion, thirdly in the Approbation, finally, in the public is this: the office of ministers of the gospel is an insti-
  Ordination." If this view is correct, and it is correct, tution of Christ in His church and must be defined as
  the  Ordinatio7L  could no more be omitted than the the right and duty (authority) to administer the word
  Election, so that strictly speaking anyone not ordained to the flock. And this right the minister of the gospel
  is not called, though he be elected and examined, and has in virtue of his having been called, elected for and
  though his election be approbated by the congregation. ordained to or inducted in, this office by Christ through
  Forsooth, the Ordination, too, belongs to the very the local brotherhood. The  classis examines indeed.
  essence of the calling. We ought to feel this. Is one, The reason for this has already been given. And the


                                                                                                       _,    .,.. __ ___.__. - ~_.


  :: -J
    c                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

 c,ounsellor  appointed by the classis ordains not as the denomination) of one church has a  &~?zt to administer
 organ of an ordaining denomination, but as the organ the Word to another flock in virtue of the laying on of
 of the local church. Our Church Order knows nothing hands? I think not. The plain truth of the matter is:
' of an opposite view. A church with two ministers A pastor ministers the Word to a flock other than his
 would have no use for the counsellor in the event one own, when the consisto7y  of that flock so requests. And
 of the pastors left. The Church Order allows the one the right to mount this other pulpit arises solely from
 remaining to function as counsellor and that as the this request: The request may be made and accepted
 organ of his flock.                                               in virtue of the denominational tie. If accepted, the
           The Ordination, then, belongs to the calling. It is minister functions as the pastor of the other flock for
 the induction into office and the acceptance of the the one day. But he remains the pastor of his own
 duties belonging to the office on the part of the one flock. There is no office inhering in the denomination.
 ordained.                                                         Finally, is the view actually tennable that the office of
           In the case of those not. before having been in office elder and that of deacon inhere in the local church and
 a ceremony is used called the imposition of hands. that of ministers of the gospel in the denomination?
 With his hands upon the head of the one being or- What is the denomination but a confederation of
 dained, the officiating minister says : "God our heaven- c h u r c h e s .
 ly Father, who called thee to this holy ministry, en-                                                         G. M. 0.
' lighten thee with His Holy Spirit, strengthen thee with                                                            `r.
 His hand, and so govern thee in thy ministry, that
 thou mayest decently and fruitfully walk therein, to
 the glory of  His name, and the propagation of the
 kingdom of His Son Jesus Christ. Amen."                                               EEN IIUCAAT
           This laying on of hands is a symbolical act signify-       AU~LISL   Herman. Francke, de trouwe weesvader te
 ing that Christ anoints His servants whom He truly Halle, verhaalt, dat hij eens zeer bizonder getroffen
 calls with the Holy Spirit and thus capacitates them was door den nood en ellende eener arme weduwe, maar
 for the office. The officiating minister, of course, does in twijfei  geweest was, of hij haar we1 een ondersteu-
 not mysteriously transmit the Spirit to the one or- ning mocht zenden,  daar zij buiten de gemeente woon-
 dained. Nor does the Spirit so bind himself to this de, en hij juist zoo groote behoefte had aan hulp voor
 ceremony that without any exception all those in zijn arbeid te Halle.
 whose case it has been used are actually in the posses-              Eindelijk besloot hij er tech toe en zond haar een
 sion of the capacitating Spirit. One may have been ducaat.
 ordained with such laying on of hands and still be                   In roerende woorden schreef zij hem een brief om
 without the anointing.                                            hem te bedanken, zeide o. a. dat zij terstond God ge-
           Some attach undue significance to this ceremony in beden had, dat Hij daarvoor den armen weezen een ge-
 another way. So Prof. Heyns  : "De met handoplegging heelen hoop ducaten mocht schenken.
 bevestigde is van dat oogenblik af officieel ambtsdrager             Nog denzelfden dag ontving Francke van een dame
 in de kerk  ;  hi.j heeft de bevoegdheid ontvangen tot de twaalf  ducaten, een vriend uit Zweden zond twee duca-
 bediening des Woords en der sacramenten, niet maar ten en een onbekende zelfs yijf en twintig voor het
 in een bepaalde plaatselijke kerk, maar in heel de kerk weeshuis.
 en in al de kerken . . . . zijn bevoegdheid als dienaar              Maar het heerlijkste ,van alles nog was, dat er bij
 des Woords hem door de kerk verleend voor heel zijn den dood van Prins Lodewijk van Wurtemburg, die
 leven kan hij gebruiken in al de gemeenten van heel de Francke zeer genegen was, een klein zakje van rood
 kerk . . . . zij kleeft niet in de plaatselijke kerk maar atlas gevonden werd met een briefje waarop stond:
 in de kerk als zoodanig . . . " The view here broached               "Voor het weeshuis te Halle."
 comes down to this: as a result of the laying on of                  En toen Franeke  het opende, vond hij er vijf hon-
 hands, the one ordained is pastor of all the churches derd ducaten in goud in..
 comprising the denomination. He is also elder in the                 Wanneer  hij later deze geschiedenis verhaalde,
 local church that called him, "maar die regeermacht is voegde hij er telkens bij : - Toen ik dezen stapel duca-
 gebonden  aan de gemeente welker dienaar hij is . . .  " ten vbor mij zag, moest ik aan het gebed van die vrouw
 not so the  ofhce of ministers of the gospel.                     denken,  die den Heere gebeden had, om mijn weesjes
           Questions arise here. If the ordination with the voor dien eenen ducaat een geheelen hoop goudstukken
 laying on of hands inducts into an office inhering in the te bezorgen. Hij had die bede rijkelijk verhoord.
 denomination so that he vested with it is the pastor of              Wie denkt  ,hierbij niet  aan Lukas 6  :38, waar we
 all the churches, how is it to be explained that this deze woorden lezen: "Geeft,  en u zal gegeven worden:
 same pastor when accepting a new charge must be een goede, neergedrukte, en geschudde, en  overloopen-
 ordained anew. Further, is not the local brotherhood de maat zal men in uwen schoot  geven; want met de-
 necessarily incomplete if the office inheres in the de- zelfde  maat,  waarmede  gijlieden meet,  zal ulieden
 nomination? Is it true that a minister (of the same weder gemeten  worden."


   En  juistomdat  het een geestelijke noodzakelijkheid         Welcome Speech to Rev. M. Gritters
is, mogen noch kunnen we laksch worden.  Weliswaar
hebben we met vele moeilijkheden te worstelen op den Mr. President, Consistory Members, Rev. and Mrs.
weg. De tijden waarin wij leven brengen dit mede.                Critters and all dear Brothers and Sisters in
Inzonderheid  op financieel gebied. Vijf dollars zijn van-       Christ :
daag moeilijker te vinden dan vijf en twintig dollars            At this meeting I am to read an essay appropriate
vier jaar.geleden. Doch juist daarom begint men meer for the present occasion and I thought it not out of
en meer te beseffen, dat de zaak onzes Gods, ook de place to base it on the topic "Rejoicing." The psalms
zaak van onze Standard Bearer, allereerst een zaak is of the Old Testament are not only beautiful but are
van het geloof. De waarheid Gods is geestelij k-inwen- also of immense value for the Church of God of all
dig, en niet natuurlijk-uitwendig. Dus is de allereers-le ages. The New Testament Church still sings the psalms
vereischte, niet dollars en centen, maar geloof en liefde. of old and never, no never, should we tire of them for
En als het voor ons een zaak is van geloof, dan kan die they are not only the expression of the soul of the Old
zaak onmogelijk ten onder gaan, maar moet zij victo- Testament saint but are also even now the expression
rieus zijn, naar luid der gansche Schrift. De moeilijk- of the New Testament saint. It is with this in  view
heden zij?z te overkomen. Daar is geen kwestie van. that we also wish to center our attention in this essay,
Maar dan zeggen we weer, met het oog op al deze moei- on one of the psalms appropriate for the occasion.
lijkheden, is de eisch niet allereerst  een  vermeerdering       On tile evening of this day we see. realized the an-
van het geloof, maar alleenlijk hetzelfde geloof dat we swer to our many prayers. For the past three years
vroeger  hadden.  Immers ook meenden de discipelen and several months we have been without a shepherd,
van Jezus vroeger dat om te voldoen aan de eischen but now our hearts sing . . . . and what is the song?
van  he-t koninkrijk  Gods (zij het dan ook in een ietwat Listen : "Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a
ander  verband) zij meerder geloof moesten hebben. joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Take a psalm, and
"Heere, vermeerder ons geloof." Doch wij zien hoe de bring hither the timbre&  the pleasant harp with the
Opperste Leidsman en Voleinder van datzelfde geloof psaltery"  (Ps.  SI:l,  2 ) . Is it not true, dear friends,
dit vragen naar meerder geloof afwijst, door het ant- that at this occasion we have cause and reasons to thus
woord : Indien gij het geloof hadt van een mosterdzaad, rejoice? God has heard our prayers and given us the
(hoe klein dat ook mag  wezen)  hebt ge in dat  aher-         privilege to express our joy since He has sent us one
kleinste beginsel, indien het zuiver is, genoegzaam of HIS servants to be our shepherd. And him, with
kracht om tot een moerbezien  boom (een der diepstge-         his family-, we at this occasion welcome. I said, shall
wortelde boomen  in Palestina) te zeggen: "Word ont-          we not cry out as the psalmist of old : "Sing aloud unto
worteld en in de zee geplant," en hij zou u gehoorza-         God our Strength"? For, first of all, it is God Who is
men. Niet slechts zou deze boom verplant  worden; our Strength. He is our Rock, our Refuge, our Joy -
maar hij zou in gehoorzaamheid  aan dat geloofswoord now therefore, take a psalm, bring hither the harp and
zijn taak volbrengen. Daarom zouden we in conclusie           the timbre1 and let us rejoice. For "the Lord has done
op het hart van een ieder onzer willen drukken van great things for us, therefore we are glad."
avond, dat we niet  meerdsr  geloof behoeven te hebben           My time is limited therefore I shall not attempt to
dan in 1924, maar datzelfde geloof handhaven en in give a complete history of our church, I will therefore
praktijk brengen. Z&5 zal ons blad blijven tot in lengte only touch upon the main and the outstanding events.
van dagen, de drager van de standaard aller waarheid. Since 1924 a few brethren felt the great need of sepa-
   Geve de Heere ons getrouwheid tot het einde toe, rating themselves from the Christian Reformed
opdat niemand onze kroon neme.                                Churches on account of false doctrines which had crept
   Wij  danken u.                                             into the churches, and which were formulated by the
                                       L. VEBMEER             Synod  o,E 192`2 in the notorious Three Points. Many
                                                              a meeting was held and, sad to say, many who ap-
                                                              parently were first with us are for some reason or the
                   'CONSECRATION                              other not with us today. And although it seemed to
                                                              many of us as if our desire to organize a Protestant
           Humbly, Lord, I come to thee,                      Reformed Church could not be realized, God has never-
           Hoping thou wilt hear my plea.                     theless given us cause for rejoicing. Even though we
           This, 0 God, I ask thee now,                       one time looked up to men of abihty,  men whom we
           As before thy throne I bow:                        held in esteem as leaders, to join us and lead us and
           That my life may truly be                          have been sorely disgusted, God has proven to us that
           Less for self and more for thee ;                  He is not in need of man-power for He has given unto
           That I might thy grace make known                  us again this assurance that He, our Jehovah, can
           Thinking, God, of thee aione ;                     cause our hearts to trust in Him. So He has opened
           Live for thee and only thee  -                     the way unto the meek and the poor, and has made
           This, 0 Lord, my humble plea.                      known unto `us His great strength by organizing this

                                                                                          ,.              ~- --    -----


                                                       T H E   S T A N D ' A R D   B E A R E R                                           45
 II.......-............               ^.^.^ -.-..-.... ---"_-l-l-lllll-."-"~--      --__l__
little group on July 3, 1929, into a church which should has begun the good  wor.k  in us finish  it? We have
stand as a testimony of the truth revealed to us in His nothing to fear for when God is for us who can then
Word. He has not forsaken nor left us, bet has greatly be against us? And we may believe that all things
blessed us in various ways.                                                       shall work together for good for those whom God has
        Small as we were (counting only eleven families)                          called with an eternal calling according to His good
we had our first service the following Sabbath and purpose, for those who love God. For love is the bond
every Sabbath day thereafter. Soon a Sunday School of perfect+  and if we have that love which is the
was organized, then a Men's Society, a Ladies' Aid and bond of perfection we shall seek each other's welfare,
a Girl's Society. Regular Catechism classes were held we shall forget all our filthy differences and sins `(we
for the children. Above this the Lord has added nine have many of these, we are all sinners) and we shall
families to the church. Have we not reasons for re- strive for brotherly communion. And with that love
joicing? Did not the Lord on our solemn feast-day of God in our hearts we look forward. `I'he more so
provide us with the preaching of the Gospel? Very now whereas God has given us a Pastor. The empty
few Sabbath days that sermon reading was necessary place has been filled. God has given us a shepherd to
and even then we rejoiced for it was the Word of our lead and feed us according to our individual needs. Let
Covenant God. Much labor was performed by the us therefore lay aside all that is of darkness, let us
con&story and by the members of the various societies. forbear one another in love for then only can we fight
Did I say much? . . . . I mean very much. 0 yes,                                  the good fight of faith. We are not to fight among
the  ,labors  were difficult, and we all confess that they ourselves, but to fight together the warfare of faith,
were weighty since we all felt the serious responsibility shoulder t,o shoulder fighting with the armour  of the
connected with them. We also confess that they were Word of God the enemy within and without the gate.
done in much weakness, but God uses the weaknesses Then and then only are we good soldiers of the Lord
of men and crowns them with His blessing. He has Jesus Christ. Using the slogan: "united we stand,
been our Shepherd, and still is for He loves His people divided we fall," let us stand united, knit together by
`with an eternal love. Have we then not reasons to                                the bond of love, seeking one another's welfare in all
rejoice.                   Yes, rejoice . . . shout aloud for God has circumstances of life. Let us carry each other's burden
done great things for us.                                                         and thus  fuifil the law of Christ. Then we have no
       Looking back over the three years which have gone doubts about the futul'e of our church, and even if it
by, did we always rejoice? Ah, not always. We were does not please the Lord to add any more families to
also sad, for the Lord took out of our midst a dear our Protestant Reformed Church at Holland, we shall
husband, father, grandfather and consistory member still go forward in the fear of the Lord, knowing that
of our small flock. Can we then yet rejoice? Yes, for we have the open door. Even as the Lord has said unto
our loss was his gain, for although we are feasting the church at Philadelphia: "I know thy works, and I
here in principie,  the brother is feasting in the eternal have given unto thee the open door." That door must
perfection. Shall we look back? Nay, we shall look be kept pure. In the first place thru the pure preach-
forward to that which lieth before us unto the day ing of the doctrine of God's Word, but in the second
when also we shall be perfected in that eternal glory. place through a godly walk among each other, such a
Shall- we not rejoice?                                                            walk that the world may see it and say: behold, how
       And as the years went by we felt more and more they love one another! Then we have peace with God
the need of a Pastor who might lead us and our chil- and with one another and the Lord will bless us.
dren into the green pastures of God's Word, one who                                  So we can go forward in faith, believing as the
would be a shepherd unto us.                                                      Apostle Paul tells the church at Rome in chapter 8 32,
       Dear friends, this is indeed a day of great rejoicing. "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him
The prayers of the congregation have been heard, also up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely.
the prayer of our pastor, the prayer, namely, that the give us all things"?
Lord might give unto him a field in which he might                                   Dear friends, we have tried to give you a short
work, to go in and out with the congregation of our glimpse of the history of our church. We certainly
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and be a shepherd unto are glad to have the opportunity of meeting one an-
it. Are not these great things? Is there not suffcient                            other in this evening as Pastor and Congregation. May
cause for rejoicing in this evening hour? There cer- the Lord bless us together, that love may prevail and
tainly is, the Lord has joined us together as Pastor and that the Name of our God may receive all honor and
Congregation. The Lord has kept us in the palm of glory. We must conclude our essay, but our prayer,
His hand, the Lord has given us a Pastor. It is the from the Men's Society as well as from all here
Lord Who has thus brought us together that we might present, for you as our pastor and family is expressed
dedicate this day to His honor and glory, for of Him in the words of Ps. 20 :5, "We will rejoice in Thy salva-
and through Him and unto Him are all things. There- tion, the Lord  fulfil all thy petitions." And ye Daugh-
fore, "Soli  Deo Gloria," God alone the glory.                                    ter of Zion, rejoice for the Lord has done great things
       As for the future we may say, shall not God Who for us, therefore we are glad !                                   M. Casimier.


46                                          T H E   STA~NDARD   B E A R E R
-__I~                                  ___-^_"                    _--                                         - -._..

                 THE  F&&OF THE  LORD                                                         Jacob and His Sons
      The fear of the Lord our days will proIong;                              "And Jacob  calIed  his sons and said, "Gather your-
      In trouble afford a confidence strong;                                selves together, that I `may tell you that which shall be-
      Will keep us  .from  sinning, will prosper our ways,                  fall you in the last days. Gather yourselves together
      And is the beginning of wisdom and grace.                             and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel,
                                                                            y o u r   f a t h e r . "   `;

      The fear of the Lord preserves  us from- death,                       After this introductory speech, Jacob immediately
      Enforces his Word, enlivens our faith  ;                      utters his predictions. A remark  or two in general is
      It regulates passion, and helps us to quell                   in place here. As I already remarked in the preceding
      The dread of damnation  and terrors of hell.                  essay, the Abrahamitic blessing is now to be bestowed
                                                                    by the last of the three major patriarchs not upon one
                                                                    but upon a corporate body of twelve sons. It was upon
      The fear of the Lord is soundness and health ;                this body and not upon each son separately that this
      A treasure well stored with heavenly wealth ;                      blessing was laid. The head and representative of this
      `A fence against evil, by which. we resist                    family was the first-born son, or rather they who came
      World, flesh,  .and the devil, and imitate Christ.            to stand in his room. The others will be blessed, if
                                                             I      they bless him, dwell in his tent, so to say, and receive
      The fear of the Lord is clean and approved ;                       him as their channel of grace. Thus was the Lord
      Makes Satan abhorr'd and Jesus beloved ;                      training His people  ,to associate their salvation with a
      It  conquers  in weakness, is proof against strife,           single personage.
      A cordial in siclmess, a fountain of life.                            The rights of the first-born were distributed among
                                                                    three sons. Judah receives the princehood, Levi the
      The fear of the Lord is lowly and meek,           '           priesthood and Joseph the double inheritance.
      The happy reward of all that Him seek ;                               Further,  the corruption that broke out in the past
      They only that fear Him the truth can discern,                lives of some of* these sons, lurked in the bosom of the
      For, living so near Him, his secrets they learn.              best of them. That in the case of some this corruption
                                                                    took on hidious forms, was to bring out how ill-deserv-
      The fear of the Lord his mercy inakes dear,                   ing and condemnable this family by itself was. When
      His judgment adored, his righteousness clear,                 Jacob turns away in horror and disgust, from
      Without its fresh flavor, in knowledge there's Simeon and Levi, he turns away from them all. When
             fault;                                                 he  fmes his gaze upon Judah and jubilantly exclaims,
      In doctrines no savor, in duties no salt.                     Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise, it
                                                                    is not because this son from an ethical point of view,
      The fear,  of the Lord' confirms a good hope ;                was superior to any of the others, but because from
      By this a?e restored the senses that droop ;                  him was to come the Christ.
      The deeper it reaches, the more the soul thrives ;                    Finally, as was said, it was in conjunction with
      It gives what it teaches, and guards what it gives. dacob's observation and study of the past doings of
                                                                    these sons and of the individualization of their respec-
      The fear of the Lord forbids us to yield,                     tive natures in their past lives that God revealed unto
      It sharpens our sword and strengthens our shield. Jacob the direction in which His finger pointed.
      Then cry we to heaven with one loud accord,                           Let us now attend to the utterances of this prophet
      That to us be given the fear of the Lord.                     of the Lord. To his first-born he said, Reuben thou art
                                                                    my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my
                                                                    strength, the excellency of dignity ; and the excellency
                                                                    of power; unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; be-
                                                                    cause thou wentest up to thy father's bed ; then de-
                                                                    filedst thou it: he went up to my couch.
                             DE BIJBEL                                      Reuben is the first-born, the beginning of his vigor
                       Lees mij vrij zevenmaal,                     both physical and spiritual. Dignity and power are
                 Ja, zeventig  maal  zeven,                         Reuben's, that is, `the priesthood and the double in-
                       Nog vat `t verstand niet al                  heritance and kingship. But he is unstable as water;
       "         Wat in mij is geschreven:                          literally, the bubbling of boiling water, such is the
       :.                                                           signification of the verb used here. The figure brings
                       `Hoe meer gij in mij  lee&,                  Reuben into relief as a man of violent and abnormal,
                       Hoe meer gij mij bemint,                     unnatural and unbridled passions. Swayed by passion,
                       Hoe meer gij in mij zoekt,                   he was as a result unstable, fickle, rash, and impulsive.
                       Hoe meer gij in mij vindt.                   It was under the impulse of uncontrolable  lust that he

                                                                                                                            -.-           .-.-  --


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEA'RER                                             47

defiled his father's bed. Tinerefore he shall not excell.    spoiled even all that was in the house. Thus the Lord
He will not stand at the head of his family. His rights had delivered .Jacob  out of' the hand of Shechem for
go  to another, yet he is not excluded from the bless-       the sake of  His, covenant..
ing. But he must attach himself to them who come                 As coming from the Lord, the judgment that over-.
to stand in his room. In his generations he will do took these men was deserved. For in their attempt to
this very thing by the grace of God. In his elect seed induce the Israelites to blend themselves with them and
he will praise  *Judah and live. Moses, the mediator of become one people, they were plotting against the
,the Old Testament covenant, and as such the type of Lord.
Christ, declared, let Reuben live, and not die, and let          But the wrath of Jacob's' sons and especially the
not his men be few.                                          leaders of the attack, Simeon and Levi, was wicked
    Reuben's irrational impulsiveness shows itself in and cruel. They had been actuated not by a love for
his after-career, and in ,the career of his generation. God's covenant, but by family pride. Repeatedly had
We think now of the, rash offer of his two.' sons as they said, Shall he deal with our sister as with a
hostages. The insurrection of Dathan and Abiram, harlot? What weighed heavily on their minds is that
who aspired to the priesthood, was an act in full agree- this prince had brought disgrace on their family by            .
ment with the character of Reuben. In a latter period defiling their sister. Hence their wrath had been
the tribe of Reuben and Gad request that they be given thoroughly carnal and cruel as the grave. Thev should
their inheritance together in the conquered territory have considered that they and their father were at
on the other side of Jordan. The request is granted on fault. Knowing that these neighbors of theirs were
the condition that they help their brethren bring .the unprincipled people, they should have kept their sister
war to a successful issue.     One more rash act is at home. What is more, Jacob' should have been on his
recorded of this tribe in Johua 22. The Reubenites way to Bethel long ago.
erect an altar at the Jordan, which act might have              In his dying hour, Jacob, under the urge of the
resulted in civil war.                                       Spirit curses their wrath as cruel. They had even cut
   Let Reuben live and not `die. He` had deserved to the sinews of the hinder foot of the cattle in order to
die. So had they all. Yet he will live. With his destroy them. Jacob clears himself of their fanaticism.
passionate impulsiveness regenerated and sanctified, His soul will not come into their secret. There is no
and thus converted into a holy zeal, he will be meet, fit    communion between his soul and their wicked zeal that
for the Master's use.                                        centered in self.
   As to Simeon and Levi they are brethren ; instru-            I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in
ments of cruelty all in their habitations. 0 my soul, Israel. This scattering was a preventive against their
come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly wrath. They will not dwell together with others as
mine honour, be not thou united for in'their  anger they tribes. They will be broken up and scattered. This
slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a prophesy was fulfilled. Simeon held town within the
wall.                                                        territory of Judah in which it seemed to have become
   Here Jacob describes the treacherous dealings of absorbed.            In the blessing of Moses Simeon is not
these two sons with the Shechemites. The attending named. Levi, too, had only cities. Levi's scattering,
.circumstances  are--well known. Hamor had kidnapped however, was turned into a blessing. His tribe was
and outraged Dinah. The lust of this prince had been selected to perform the priestly service.
as a consuming fire. On the altar of this lust he had
stood ready to sacrifice all: wealth, position, religion,                                              G. i&O.
yea, even his racial identity. He had agreed to receive
in his flesh the sign of circumcision. What were these
things to him if the prize he coveted be lost to him.
   Apparently, these sons of Jacob had agreed to the            When it is the one ruling, never-ceasing desire of
consolidation of the two families, on the condition that. our hearts, that God may be the beginning and end,
the men of Shechem be circumcised. To this Hamor,            the reason and motive, the rule and measure, of our
the prince, agrees, and the Shechemites had hearkened doing or not doing, from morning to night; then every-
unto Hamor. Every male of Shechem was circumcised, where, whether speaking or silent, whether inwardly
all that went out of the gate of the city. And on the or outwardly.  empIoyed,  we are equally offered up to the
third day Simeon and Levi thought it time to strike. eternal Spirit, have our life in Him and from Him, and
So each man took his sword, and came upon the city are united to .Him by that Spirit of Prayer which is
boldly, and slew all the males. And they slew Hamor          the comfort, the support, the strength and security of
and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and          the soul, traveling, by the help of God, through  the
took Dinah out of Shechem's house and went out. They vanity of time into the riches of eternity. Let us have
thereupon spoiled the city. They took all that was in no thought or care, but how to be wholly His devoted
the city and in the -field: sheep, oxen, asses, all the instruments ; everywhere, and in everything, His ador-
wealth, and all the little ones and their wives. They ing, joyful, and thankful servants.

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

                       BEKENDMAKING                                       PORTION OF CHRISTIANS
       Op de Iaatstgehouden Saarvergadering van de  Re-               pise, my soul ! and stretch thy wings,
, formed Free Publishing Association werden gedachten                    Thy better portion trace ;
geopperd, om te trachten onderafdeelingen van onze                    Rise from transitory things
vereeniging te krijgen waar  immer mogelijk; de rede-                    Towards heaven, thy native place:
nen hiervoor zijn om meer belangstelling  en voordeel                 Sun and moon and stars decay ;
voor onze Standard Bearer op te wekken.                                 Time shall soon this earth remove ;
       Aan het bestuur werd opgedragen om hiervoor een                Rise, my soul, and haste away
plan te ontwerpen en dit in November voor de vereeni-                    To seats prepared above.
ging te brengen ; de gedachte om afdeelingen in het
Ieven te  roepen komt het bestuur niet wenschelijk voor               Rivers to the oceanrun,
om de volgende redenen:                                                  Nor stay in all their course ;
          le. Zulke  afdeehngen  houdt in, dat we                     Fire, ascending, seeks the sun ;
        een  centraal  bestuur  moeten hebben, bestaan-                  Both speed them to their source:
                                                                      So a soul that's born of God,
        de uit bestuursleden der verschillende  afdee-                   Pants to view His glorious face,
        lingen en dat zou groote onkosten met  zi?h                   Upwards tends to His abode,
        brengen vanwege de groote afstanden;                             To rest in His embrace.
          2e.. dat het veel  moeite  zou veroorzaken
        om voorkomende zaken in verband  met de uit-                  Fly me, riches, fly me, cares,
        gave van ons blad op tijd te beslissen, daar  bet                Whilst I that coast explore ;
        voor het bestuur nu uoodig is eens per maand                  Flattering world, with all thy snares
                                                                         Solicit me no more !
        te vergaderen.                                                Pilgrims fix not here their home ;
       Daarom komt het bestuur met het voorstel om  aan                  Strangers tarry but a night;
de leden  te adviseeren hulpvereenigingen op te richten,              When the last dear mourn is come,
 daar deze opzichzelf staande lichamen zijn met eigen                    They'll rise to joyful light.
 gekozen bestuur en hun dan adviseerende stem te  ge-
 ven in zaken van de 12. F. P. A.                                     Cease, ye pilgrims, cease to mourn,
       Het  doe1 dezer vereenigingen is:                                 Press onward to the prize;
                                                                      Soon our Saviour will return
          a. Onze beginselen te verspreiden  binnen                      Triumphant in the skies:
        en buiten onze kringen ;                                      Yet a season, and you know
          b. Niet  alleen   leden  der Standard Bearer                   Happy entrance will be given
                                                                      All our sorrows left below,
        maar zooveel mogelijk leden  der R. F. P. A. te               And earth-exchanged for heaven.
        krijgen, daar de koatende  prijs van ons blad
        $3.50 per jaar bedraagt en het leesgeld slechts
        $2.50 is ;
          c. Om gelden te verzamelen.                                           THE CREATION
       Ieder lid heeft het recht hierop aanmerkingen te             `Twas  God who made this world so fair,
maken of verbeteringen aan te brengen en,  Mien men                 The shining sun, the sky, the air;
niet op de vergadering kan komen, dit te zenden  aan                `Twas God who made the sea, the ground,.
ondergeteekende.                                                    And all the things we see around.
                      Uit naam der board,
                                    Frank Vander Laan,              When He began this world to make,
                                                                   These are the mighty words He spake:
                      1019 Dunham St., Grand Rapids,  Mich.         "Let there be light!" His voice was heard,
                                                                    And then the light of day appeared.
       Deze  speciale ledenvergadering van de Reformed
Free Publishing Association zal gehouden  worden,  zoo              The angels saw the light arise,
de Heere  wil, Donderdagavond,  7:45,  November 10,                 And with their praises  filled the skies: '
1932, in de basement van de Fuller Ave. Protestant                  "How great our God ! How wise ! How strong !"
Ref. Church.                                                        Such is the never ending song.


