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                                                                                  according to the determinate counsel and foreknowledge
                   MEDITATION                                                     of God; that bore for us the curse of the law, let His
                                                                                  blessed body be nailed to the accursed tree. on Calvary
                                                                                  and with the awful outcry, ringing through the darkness
                         NOT OF OURSELVES                                         "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me  !"
                           "And that no man can say that Jesus is                 descends into the nethermost parts of the earth and
                          the Lord but by the Holy Ghost."                        seems swallowed up of death. It is He,  &o in all this
                                                         - 1   C o ; .   12b.     terrible agony takes your part before God, bears your
       Lord  Jesus  !                                                             guilt, rising mountain high and which you could only
       Did you, dear reader, ever learn to say that?                              increase daily, pays for you the penalty for sin, is your
       ,4nd is it your daily confession? Does that brief                          Jesus,  the.Saviour of His  peopIe . . . . .
exclamation, so full of significance, so scintillating with                             But it is He also who is the Lord of heaven. For `His
spiritual joy  and  ecstacy,  espress  what lives in your                         soul was not left in hell by the Father. He struggled
inmost soul, relative to Jesus, the Nazarene, the  P*Ian of                       and overcame. He entered into our captivity and took it
Calvary,  who was dead but liveth. who  was crucified but                         captive. He bore sin to remove it. He became sin to
raised,  who humbled Himself into the deepest shame and                           become our righteousness. He blotted out the hand-
agony of death and hell, but was  exaRec1   to the highest                        writing of our sin and procured perfect righteousness.
4orv
a  -  at the right hand of God? Is it rour only comfort                           He died to kill death. And He was raised to glory, with
in life and death, for time and eternity: for body and soul?                      new and eternal life. And He was exalted  ac the right
,1re you gladly willing to live with that confession on                           hand of the Father, receiving a name which is above all
J-our lips and in your heart, and presently to lay down the                       names, and becoming Lord over all, till He shall have
weary  head on death's pillow, relying solely on Him and                          subdued all His and His people's  enemies  under His
trustig that all is well?                                                         feet . . . . .
       Then you have learnt to speak a spiritual language,                             It is He that is Lord over your body and over your
-\I-hich carnal mind can never learn, carnal ear can never soul, Lord over your mind and over your will, over  all
understand, carnal mouth can never speak. And, there- your thoughts and plans and desires, over your wife  anii
fore, it is a language which mere man can never teach your children, your life and possessions, Lord, too, over
you. Then  your Instructor was none other than the                                the devil and all your enemies, your Lord for time and
Spirit of the Lord, for no one can say that Jesus is the                          eternity, in adversity and prosperity. in life and in death,
Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.                                                      who owns you, loves you, is responsible for you, cares
       However brief, the confession "Lord Jesus" brings                          for you, watches over you, protects you, prays for  you
the Saviour of your soul before you in all His precious-                          and fights for you, dwells in you and prepares for you a
ness and significance. It calls Him before your mind as place in the eternal inheritance . . . . . . .
the despised Nazarene, the Man of Sorrows, who hum-                                    Your Lord, because He purchased you by His own
bled Himself for those whom the Father hath given                                 precious blood.
Him as His own from before the foundation of the world.                                Glorious confession !
It is He that possessed no glory and no majesty, nothing                               Lord Jesus !
that we should have desired Him, no beauty and no
appearance and who, for that very reason could find no                                 Jesus is the Lord!
favor in the carnal eyes of the world, who was despised                                Oh, surely, men do repeat these words often without
and rejected of men. It is He that voluntarily descended being taught by the Holy Ghost.
into the vale of  suffering opening before Him through                                 How many there are that say Lord, Lord ! Yet, not
     the instrumentality of cruel and wicked enemies. yet every one that calleth Lord, Lord, shall enter into the


                                       T H  E    S T  A  N  D  .4  R D      .B E  ;`i  R E R

kingdom of heaven. And many even there be, who in               rection, then it cries out in joyful  ecstacy of faith, that
the day of His coming shall imagine to possess a right Jesus is the Lord.
to the inheritance because of all the wonderful things              There is,, then, in the confession the personal element
they have done in the world in the Name of the Lord             of the seeing eye and the hearing ear and the believing
and for `His cause  ; yet, they shall not be allowed to heart.
enter.      Far they shall call Jesus Lord and say: "Lord,          My  Jesus,   my Lord and my God!
Lord prophesied we have in Thy  .Name  ; devils we cast             Lord Jesus !
out for thee; many wonderful things we accomplished                                             ~..._I__
for the cause of Thy Kingdom in the world; and wilt                 Jesus is the Lord.
Thou not open unto us the gate of the Kingdom of                     No man can say this but by the Holy Ghost.
glory ?"      But the Lord will not  acknowledge them,              There is in the statement a most terrible condemna-
neither let the min. The terrible reply they will receive: tion of the natural man and a most precious comfort for
"Depart from me.  ye that work iniquity, I never knew            the people of God, that is never to be removed by a
you." :4nd really, though they call Him Lord they do             sinful generalization  df the gospel of the Lord.
not know Jesus. He is their Teacher they say, their                 The natural man cannot say, that Jesus is the Lord.
Hero, their Great  Mcidel,  and they imbibe His instruc-         Hi3 mind is enveloped in carnal darkness so that spirit-
tion, walk in  .His heroic ways, follow His example and          ually he cannot see; he is blind for his own darkness and
reform the world for Him. But they are strangers to poverty and nakedness and guilt and sin and corruption
the power of the cross and they do not know the Risen and condemnation; he is blind, too, for the fulness of
Redeemer. The Jesus of the Scriptures is not the Jesus salvation, of wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and
they call Lord. -1nd.  after all, the Jesus that cleanses        complete redemption there is in Jesus, the' Lord. Oh,
us from sin. and that would have  us come to Him, needy undoubtedly, he realizes that the world is not perfect,
and  poor  and naked and blind, sinful and condemned in that there is something wrong, that there is still much
ourselves, to be  sa\.cti  solely through grace.  they call      evil in the human heart and in  hunlan  society; and he
nccursed !                                                       also sees a certain Jesus. And he is willing sometimes to
    Or. it is not impossible for one to know  the  implicx-      improve upon himself and upon the world about him.
tion  <jf the  ccjnfession  that Jesus is the Lord merely in After reformation he will strive and for it he will sacri-
a natural  way.  He then possesses an intellectual knowl-        fice. Yet, withal, he is blind for his own sin and for
edge of Him and pretends to believe  c,m Him. i\ncl he           the  Saviour of the soul. He does not see the Kingdom
repeats it after the saints of all ages that Jesus is the of God. Neither is he willing to say that Jesus is Lord.
Lord.  Yer. it  is merely a confession of the lips, the          For his will is perverse and his heart is obdurate and
inmost heart is  not expressed in the words of the confes-       filled with enmity. He is in alliance, in spiritual alliance
sion. The living part with the Saviour is lacking.  :1ncl with another Lord, the Prince of Darkness, the Arch-
though  such  an  cjne professes outwardly that Jesus is enemy of God and His Christ. And though he may speak
the  Lurd.  in his heart  ~JE hearts he would call the Jesus ever  so sympathetically about the Good Jesus, the Man
of the Scriptures accursed.                                      of Galilee, who did  aIways  good to all men, and showed
    Rut the text does not refer to such sinful and outward       us how to improve life in the world, he refuses to be
repetition  cjf words, which is abominable in the sight of       clothed in garments that are washed in the blood of the
Jehol.ah.                                                        Redeemer, and principally he stands with the powers
    It refers to that confession of Jesus as Lord, that has      of darkness around the bloody tree and with them he
its deepest root in the faith  by which we are ingrafted         shouts : Jesus is Accursed !
into Him.                                                            The Spirit that is from below is his Lord. He is
    It is the confession of the heart that learnt to know        enthroned in his mind and heart. For the Prince of
its guilt and sin and abomination before God. that felt its      Darkness he thinks and wills and speaks. And never will
own powerlessness to fulfill the law of God or to break          or can he say that Jesus is the Lord.
the shackles of sin and death, that realized this one thing,         But how different that is, when by the Holy Ghost
that it could only daily increase the load of guilt and we are taught to speak !
invoke the terrible wrath of God. It is the confession                    He is the Spirit of God, the Third Person in the Holy
of the soul that has seen Jesus, in all the preciousness Trinity, proceeding from bofh the Father and the Son.
of His wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and complete In the Spirit Father and Son meet and the perfect coven-
 redemption. And when the human heart thus feels its              ant-life of divine friendship is in Him complete. And
 own emptiness and knows the fulness of Jesus; and when He is also the Spirit of the Lord, for when He, Jesus who
in the realization of this emptiness  c)f self and  of the was crucified and raised from the dead. had ascended  up
fulness of Him, that heart hungers and thirsts after Him;         into heaven,, taking captivity captive. and was exalted
 and when, thus hungering and thirsting, the comforting at the right hand of God, He received the promise of the
 testimony resounds within that this Jesus in all the  ful-       Holy Ghost, as Lord of all and Head of those whom the
 ness of His salvation, is its own  ; and that heart takes Father had given Him. And He is also the Spirit of the
 refuge to Him, appropriates Him, feels the glorious Church, for on the day of Pentecost, the exalted  T-ord
 power of His cleansing blood and His regenerating  resur-        Jesus poured forth His Spirit and in that Spirit returned


                                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   R E A R E R                                                                            3
_.----..........._.-.   -.."..I.  --, -....._- "-^ ..." . . . . . . ..-__.. .-__. ^_. ^_"..." ..-~- __-__  -..-"-". .._ "_l__                   ."-- -......." .-.....--
to His Church in the world, to live in them and dwell                                                 REERE!  D O E   D E N   GOEDEN  W E L
with them, to deliver them and sanctify them unto a                                                                           (Ps. 125  :4a)
living dwelling place of God. The Lord is the Spirit                                                                     De goede zal een welgevallen trekken van
and in the Spirit the Lord Jesus dwells in our hearts:                                                                den HEERE.  (Spr.  122a.)
"I in them and thou in me. that we may be perfect in                                                                     Kantt. (3) Dat is: die tot het goede ge-
                                                                                                                      negen is  en  hetzelve   &et.
one !"                                                                                                                  Voor "welgevallen trekken," zie hij Spr.
                                                                                                                     8:35.
    It is  He, that teaches us to say : Jesus is Lord !                                                                 Kant. (71)  Dat is: verkrijgt  gunst  en  ge-
    For through Him the Prince of Darkness is dethroned                                                               nade hij den Heere.
                                                                                                                         Immers is God Israel  goed,  ciengenen die
in our hearts and minds, and with His dethronement the                                                                rein van hart zijn. (Ps. 73:l.)
darkness is dissipated; and the Lord of  all is enthroned                                                               Kanft. (3) 14at is: den rechten Israel&en,
                                                                                                                      (niet  die zonder zonde zijn) maar die Hem
within us, and with the dawn of His reign and dominion                                                                met een oprecht geloof en ongeveinsde  God-
over us the true light shineth in our hearts. In that light                                                           zaligheid  dienen.
we see the horrible darkness of our natural existence, the "Zij hebben zichzelven een stroopop gemaakt
emptiness in our soul of all that is of God, of  righteous-                                  En  zijn nu dat ding  aan  `t bestrijden."  -
ness and holiness, our sin and condemnation. And  we -- Zoo schreef een Professor die. . . . . Waarheden
long to disavow the rule of our Lord in darkness. In                                                                                                       wraakt ! !
that light we see Jesus, as never we saw Him before, in                                   (:Was `t  schrift van  ":Jan-Karel" --  gewis, `t moest  ge-
all the preciousness of His saving grace and we long to                                                                                                        Iaakt,
belong to Him with body and soul, for time and eternity                                       Maar  - `t had "er-bij-door" kunnen glijden.
and to acknowledge Him as Lord. That Holy Ghost wit-  `-
nesses in our spirit, through our spirit, with our spirit?                                Doch  -  als wij die "pop" eens wat nader bezien.
and we witness only by Him, that Jesus is the Lord.                                          - Van  achter, van  voor en terzijden,
    Through Him we cry in complete surrender and with                                     Dan  blijkt  ens  aan al  haar'  gewrichten, door wien
true spiritual joy : "My Lord and my God" !                                                (Ge kunt  daar   op doorgaan. want `t  Iijdt geen  "mis-
     Lord Jesus !                                                                                                                                           schien")
                                 ___-  ..__-                                                  Dat "ding"  zich moest  laten bereiden.
     No one can say that Jesus is the Lord but by that
Spirit !                                                                                  `t  Scharminkel  (als blijkt) werd door `n  bout-man  ge-
     Tl'hat a blessed comfort to know all this!                                                                                                               maakt,
     For it assures all those that have learnt to say: "Lord                                  (Grsteund  door  een  schare  "trawanten")
Jesus" that this is not of themselves, but that they have rUs  "vogelverschrikker."  die d'  "Akker"  bewaakt.(:   ?>
been truly taught by the Spirit of God. For flesh and                                      En zoo is het "ding" ter bestemming geraakt !
blood could not reveal this unto  Them,  but  onlv their                                      (Ten  "afschrik" dier lastige klantcn  !)
Father which is in heaven. Xnd the Father which is in
heaven, through the Spirit of His Son, the Lord Jesus 0 zeker: die  bouwman  bedoelde dat  "Goed?"
Christ. reveals it unto those, whom He loved with  sover-                                     Want  - kreeg hij niet pas ter bewerking
eignly free love from before the foundation of the world                                   Een akker. die braak lag, en  "winst"  geven  moet . . . .  ?!
and to no other. He hides these things from the wise                                       (Wat   tech "om den Dollar" zoo'n boer al niet doet,
and the prudent and reveals them unto babes.  -And  thus                                      -  Z'n portemonnaie ter versterking . . . . !!),
we rise from the confession, that Jesus is the Lord, to We  willen nog nauwer dat  "standbeeld"  bezien,
the joyful assurance that the Father  foreknew  us and                                        ( Die oolijke "ketter'`-verjager),
adopted us as His children before the world was. And                                       En  - merken dat  `t ding wordt  "gestutt door  we1  Tien-
through the Spirit that teaches us we cry :  Abba, Father ! maal Tien Weleerwaarden. en nog bovendien
     How poor, how deadening, how depriving of all com-                                       Door menigen  "kctter'`-verklager  . . . . !!
fort is the gospel of those who becloud the confession that
grace is at all times only particular.                                                     "Uat  doen die Eerwaarden  tech niet  "voor-de-lol"?'
     And how blessed to know that our confession is His                                       (Verstoutt' ik me, iemand te  vragenj
work. For it assures us, that the Prince of Darkness                                       "Neen,  `t is wijl `t geen hersenen heeft in z'n bolt'
shall have dominion over  us  never again and that the                                     (Was `t antwoord) "en  `t ding niet  "massief" is,  doch hoi,
spiritual language taught us  b>- the Holy Spirit shall                                       Zoodat het geen "storm" kan verdragen." --
never be unlearned and forgotten.
     Once to  say : Lord Jesus ! is always to belong to Him.                               `t  Gevolg van dat  "stutten": zij vinden geen tijd
     It is to know that He is our Lord in life, our Lord in                                   Fen preek  "naar  de Schriften" te  maken,
the valley of the shadow of death, our Lord in the day                                     Want -- kome wat  wil  - al hun kracht en hun vlijt
of  judgment and in the eternal kingdom!                                                   IXent thans  aan dien  "vogelverschrikker"  gewijd . . . . !!
     Our Lord in  suRering for a while.                                                        (Die `t nochtans niet  lang meer  zal  "maken":
     Our Lord in glory forever and ever!                                                       We hoorden z'n botten reeds kraken . . . . !j
      Lord Jesus !                                                        -ET.   H.                                                                      (Observer.)


                                                                   hM Died 930





                                                                           Abel,killed.                  '                       .



                                                              II_-
                                                       CREATION
                 FEW THAT IS EIGHT                                 narrative.    With our eye on the diagram let us briefly
   In the diagram above we attempted to visualize review these matters.
before our readers the development of the human race                  The first fact that draws our attention is the imme-
in- the period before the deluge. Various matters of diate and very sharp division of the race into children of
great significance and deep interest to us are thus easily light and children of darkness. According to God's coun-
brought to our attention. The narrative of Scripture sel Adam is the bearer of two peoples, the elect and the
regarding this period is, indeed, very brief. After the reprobate, the righteous and the unrighteous, the seed
events  -that concentrate around creation and the fall of          of the woman and the seed of the serpent, the sons of God
man are related, only a few chapters are devoted to the            and the children of men. Sin and grace are the means
history of-the first world, including even the flood. Yet,         to realize this separation of the race. And after the fall
gathering  all the data offered in the Bible about this  earIy     and the announcement of redemption and grace in Para-
period and studying them somewhat closely, we  ,soon dise, the separation does not tarry but is immediately
discover- that all the elements,. necessary to give us a           realized, first in the antithesis between Cain and Abel,
clear understanding of that time from the viewpoint of and after the latter is killed between the race of the
the development of God's covenant, are present in the              former and that of Seth.
                                                        ."                                            _.  i
                                                 I.                                            . .


     8                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D  .BE:1RER                                                          .
           --.--"ll-_.-ll-.-                     ...""           -.-                -.
          In the second place it is evident that God  also  before ing headlong into the world, as it is this very day. These
     the flood establishes His covenant in the line of continued        facts, then, that God on the one hand establishes His
     generations. `Directly and explicitly this was as yet not covenant in the line of continued generations; yet on the
     revealed, though in the  first promise, predicting a two- other hand does not include all the children of the flesh
     fold seed, the seed of the woman and the seed of the ser-          in the generations of His people under the promise of
     pent, this plan was vaguely suggested. More clearly this that covenant, are very evident from the history of the
     truth is revealed in the days of Noah. when God estab-             race before the flood. In the generations of Seth are
     lishes His covenant of grace with him and his sons for the spiritual children of God in distinction from the line
     an everlasting covenant. But definitely and clearly it is          of Cain ; yet all the children of Seth are by no means
     not announced till the time of Abraham, when with him children of the promise.
     and his seed God establishes His covenant in the words                Thirdly, a glance at the diagram above will convince
     of Gen.  17:7, rightly quoted in our baptism-form: "I will         us of the fact that in that early period, when as yet there
     establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed was no written revelation, oral tradition must have been
     after thee in their generations for an everlasting coven- very strong and trustworthy, sufficiently so, indeed, to
     ant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee." take the place of the written word of God. Consider, that
     But although this historic fact is never  verbahy and Adam lived nine hundred and thirty years and Lamech,
     definitely revealed until the time of the father of believers,     the. father of Noah, was born in the year 874 after crea-
     this does not alter the fact, that from the earliest times,        tion, so that Adam's life extended into that of Noah's
     even in the predeluvian period God caused His covenant father for a period of almost sixty years  ; and that our
     to run in the line of continued generations. It is this            first father could tell the history of Paradise in the state
     fact, so plainly revealed throughout the Word of God of righteousness, the fall and the results of it directly to
     that constitutes the Scriptural basis for infant baptism in the father of him that was to be heir of the second world,
     the new dispensation as well as for circumcision in the and the significance of this oral tradition in that early
     da>-s   of the Old Testament. God gathers His Church               period will be felt immediately. Comparing this to the
     throughout the ages. He wills that His people shall be             times of the new dispensation it would mean, that the
     separate from the world that is in darkness and shall be           tradition of Christ could have been carried orally at sec-
     bearers of His grace over against the children of unright- ond hand into the times of the lieformation, and that in
     eousness in the midst of the world. His grace selects a            our own age we would receive that same tradition at
     certain race, certain generations, which are in the out-           third hand! Oral tradition therefore, was very  ,strong
     ward sense the generations of His people, the suns of in the predeluvian times, and was well capable to take
     God, Israel according to the flesh.  The>- are in an out- the place of written revelation.
     ward and historic sense His covenant-people, separated                But what, in the fourth place, especially draws our
     unto Him. And they must bear the sign and seal of that attention, is the fact that so few, that is, only eight per-
     covenant, the sign of circumcision in the old and that of          sons were saved in the ark. ,rit first sight, this small
     baptism in the new dispensation. It is, therefore, not a number is astounding, indeed, especially if we will con-
     supposed regeneration that constitutes the basis of infant-        sider the longevity of the predeluvian patriarchs.
     baptism. The supposition,  .that all the children of the              Under normal circumstances there must have been
I    covenant in the outward sense, according to the flesh, are a veritable multitude of the children of Seth living when
     also true covenant-children according to the promise not the flood came and destroyed the first world. Just con-
     only is without any support in the ?Vord of  God! but  is          sider again the diagram as presented above this essay.
     contradicted throughout. Later, in connection with the We find that Seth was born in the year 130 after creation.
     covenant as it was established with Noah and Abraham,              And when he was one hundred and tire years old Enos
     we shall have abundant occasion to call attention to this was born unto him.  -4fter the birth of  Enos, Seth still
     patent fact. It is sufficient now to remark that also from lived eight hundred and seven years during which time
     a study of the period before the flood, it is very plain that sons and daughters were born unto him. He died, nine
     the Word of God would have us understand that not all hundred and twelve years old, in the year 1042 after crea-
     the children according to the flesh are also children of the tion. Now, if we take all these facts into consideration,
     promise. On any other basis it would be quite difficult and remember, too, that the longevity of the prediluvian
     to account for the fact that the children of God and those race extended throughout the period until the flood, it is
     of men intermingled and that at the time of the deluge             easy to see, that under normal circumstances there must
     only few that is eight persons were saved in the ark. The          have been children of the first generation born from
     doctrine and maintenance of a supposed regeneration,               Seth that were still living at the time of the deluge.
     which would have us proceed from the supposition that Apply these same figures to the patriarchs after Seth, to
     all the children of believers are spiritual covenant-chil- Enos and  Cainan,  Mahalaleel and  Jared, Methusalah and
     dren is dangerous, because it leads to an external Christ-         Lamech, consider that all these men begat sons and
     endom? deceives those that have no spiritual part with daughters, these in turn had their children and their chil-
     Jerusalem's inheritance into thinking that they are true dren's children, and remember that the average length
     members of the church, and prepares the church for rush-           of life at that time was frotn seven hundred to more than


                                           T H E   STAND-4.5D   B E A R E R                                                     9
-._-                                                  _"._._I                      _.             ---.-
nine hundred years, and it is evident that there must have            that the sons of  C;od took them wives of all that they
been thousands and millions of the children  cjf Seth still           chose, an expression which plainly refers to  the  relation
living at the time of the flood, some of them of the second           of matrimony. And if the very fact that angels are spirits
and third generations. How, then, is it to be explained               would not be sufficient to rule out the thought of angels
that there were only eight in the ark? This is a signifi-             in this passage, the Lord assures us that angels do not
cant question, all the more interesting and significant marry neither are given in marriage. Besides vs. 4 of
because history surely repeats itself and one period of the same  chapter tells us that the daughters of  men bare
history is, according to Scripture, typical of another The children unto  t.he sons of God. Even, `therefore, if the
da?rs of Noah immediately before the flood are typical  of            possibility could be granted that angels should enter into
and shall repeat themselves in the days preceding the some sort of matrimonial relation with human beings, it
coming of the Son of Man. In that first world there is quite out of the question to also grant the possibility
were only few that were righteous when the  good came;                of the reproduction of the human race through such  COV-
at the coming of the Son of Man we must  espect no                    enanting of angels with the daughters of men. True,
different conditions. Then, in the days  uf Noah and  liis            Scripture tells us, Gen.  69 : "There were giants in the
family there were certain historical factors that naturally earth in those days; and also after that when the sons
were conducive to create the ultimate situation ; and thus of God came in unto the daughters of men, and bare
there will be and already are operative in our own time children unto them, the same became mighty men which
similar causes and circumstances. that will bring on the were of old, men of renown". But in the first place it
situation of the last hour as pictured by the Lord in His             may be remarked that these giants were not a special
Word. What were some of these factors in the period race of strange, inhuman beings at all, but mere men,
before the flood?                                                     though mighty.  And in the second place the text does
   In the first place there must be mentioned in this                 not give us any reason to infer that these giants were
cc.~nnection the movement of amalgamation of the chil-                merely the offspring of the sons of God and the daugh-
dren  of Seth and those of Cain. In modern terms we ters of men, but on the contrary, it gives us to understand
would say, that there was a gradually growing spirit of               that  these giants were in the earth before the intermar-
worldly-mindedness that took possession of the genera- riage of which the chapter speaks. And, therefore,  we
tions of the people of God in the line of the descendants             may conclude that also this interpretation may safely be
of Seth. Scripture indicates  th$ spirit of worldly-mind- eliminated as contrary to the text and to the teaching of
edness and amalgamation in  C'ien.   6  :I?  2 :  ".%nd   it  came    the Word of God in general. There remains the most
to pass when men began to multiply  on the face  of the               natural interpretation of the words, namely that which
ground and daughters were born unto them, that the                    explains the phrase "sons of God" as referring to. the
sons of  God  .caw the daughters of men that they  \vere              Sethites, the generations of the children of God's people.
fair; and they took them  wives  of all that they chose". while "daughters of men" signifies the  descendants of
Three different interpretations there are  otiered us of c ain. It is not necessary to quote Scripture in order to
this remarkable passage. The first of these explains that prove that the term "sons of God" is indeed employed
we must understand  the'phrase `isons of  God,"  as having in Scripture, not only in the N. T. but also in the  Old.
reference to men of higher rank and social standing, while            to refer to the people of God in the world, and also to
"daughters of men" must be understood as referring to the generations of the children of  God"s people from a
people of a lower social class. The text in that case                 mere outward point of view. Deut.  32:s; Ps. 73 : 15.
would mean that people of various social levels began to Neither is it strange to think that even  at that  early
intermingle by marriage and otherwise. This interpre- period the generations of the sons of Seth were known as
tation is now quite generally discarded as unscriptural               the children of God. As early as in the days of  Enos
and not warranted by the meaning of the terms. The                    they had begun to call upon the Name of the Lord, some-
second  s;iew of this passage holds that "sons of God"                thing which evidently refers to the fact that in his days
must be taken as referring to angels while "daughters of the Sethites publicly and unitedly confessed the name of
men" refers simply to human females. The meaning in                   the Lord their God in the midst of the world, and  wor-
that case would be that in the period before the flood shipped Jehovah. Thus understood the passage in Gen.
angels descended from heaven to have intercourse with 6:1,  2 simply refers to the intermarriage of the Sethites
human beings and that the result af this intercourse was              with the Cainites and to all the intermingling of the two
the wicked generations of mighty giants of which Scrip- races that is naturally presupposed by and follows from
ture speaks in the same context. It will, however, be such intermarriages. This is also at least suggested by
easily seen that also this interpretation must be regarded            the words of the Lord Jesus, when He compares the days
as untenable in the light of Scripture and as a matter before the flood with the days that shall precede His
of plain fact. It is true that the phrase "sons of God"               coming. Says He: "For as in those days which were
may refer to angels. But of these sons of God we are told before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying
that they sought and had intercourse with the daughters and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered
of  men? a statement which quite eliminates the thoughts into the ark, and they knew not until the flood came and
c>t' angels in this connection. Literally- the text informs us took them all away; so shall be the coming of the Son


 10                                    THE  STANDA'RD   BEARER
                 __-.-..- ._.-. "----...----"--                        ~...._
c.d rMail~~t IMatth.   24: 38. 39.  These words rather suggest ion. i1nd in some such way soothing their own con-
that in the days before the flood people intermarried           science. and attempting to justify their desired position,
,without  regard to their relation to Jehovah.  AS  it is in    they took the daughters of men that were fair, and went
the text: "they took them wives of all that they chose".        eating and drinking with the Cainites (surely, the natural
       We may notice too, that according to  the text, the      man can eat and drink) and enjoyed the pleasures and all
initiative in this general amalgamation was taken by the        the modern conveniences invented by the children of
 Sethites. It was the suns of God that took them wives  of      men. Their fair wives took them to  Jabal's banquets,
all that they chose.  ft is easy to infer that this amalga-     and to Jubal's operas. And thus it  is  plain that the
mation was begun at least as early as in the days of            arguments advanced cannot have differed materially
Jabal,  J'ubal  and Tubal-Cain. Neither is it, in the light from those that are employed nowadays to justify amal-
of modern times, at all  di&cult to conjecture what             gamation with the wicked world. Thus it is easily under-
attracted the children of Seth in the generations of Cain.      stood that many of the children of. Seth, living at the
 Lust of the flesh and worldly desires inspired them,  as       time of the flood, perished with the deluge.
is expressed in the text by saying that the sons of God            Neither must we forget that there were undoubtedly
 saw that the daughters of men were fair.         Outward,      fierce persecutions at the time. True, we have but few
worldly beauty was the only factor that entered into            indications of this in the Word of God, but it could not
 their consideration as  they selected for themselves their have been different. The first instance of it we have in
 wives. Besides, they must have been attracted by the the very dawn of history, when Cain kills his brother
 great achievements of the Cainites along various lines Abel because he is righteous while he, himself, is evil.
 of development. What a marvelous display of power And if we gather all the data of the Word of God  ab%t
 and genius ! How these Cainites developed in art and           the time of Enoch who was translated there can be little
 science and industry,  w?hat a wealth they possessed, what doubt that also his day was a time of persecution. He
 modern conveniences and pleasures  they enjoyed ! How was a contemporary of Lamech. the terrible, who sang
 much good they did for the human race, for the uplift of       before his wives: "Hear my voice,  ye wives of Lamech.
 human life in general and for the betterment of the hearken unto my speech; for I have  siain  a man to my
 world ! Mb, I do not suppose that the term "common wounding; and a young man to my hurt. If Cain shall
grace" had as yet been invented to blindfold the  peopie        he avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and seven-
 of God, and make  thein   believe that God also loves the fold." Gen. 4 :23-24. We read of him: "By faith Enoch
 workers of iniquity as long as they  are in this world.        was translated that he should not see death; and he was
 and that the  totally  corrupt man performs works that not found' because God had translated him; for before
 are pleasing in the sight  of God. But one can easily his translation  .he had this testimony that he pleased
 imagine that somewhat the same arguments were em-              God." Heb.  115 The expression "he  u-as translated that
 ployed that are used now-a-days to rush the people of          he should not see death" suggests at least that violent
 God headlong into the world and to obliterate the line death also threatened him, for he was but three hundred
 of demarcation between light and darkness. How could           and sixty-five years old at the time. And the words:
 all such remarkable, useful and beautiful things for the       "and he was not found" suggest that they looked for
 uplift af humanity be out of the devil? Who would con- him and that he also  suRered  persecution. Besides, how
 demn the harps and organs of  Jubal and who would not          could it be different? If from the days of Enos the  Seth-
 appreciate the useful implements invented by the won- ites began to  call'upon  the name of the Lord, what else
 derful Tubal-Cain? Surely, there was no denial of the          was to be expected in the light of all subsequent  histor);
 fact that  ail these things were good and for the benefit      than that they would be persecuted and killed as martyrs
 of society in general. And if these things were good, for the name of their God? And this persecution natur-
 and surely could not all be attributed to the work of  the, ally had a twofold effect. It caused many of the children
 Serpent, how could  anq` one have the sad courage to           of God to perish before the flood. And many more.
 maintain that all the thoughts and imaginations of a           driven by fear on the one hand and attracted by  the
 natural man's heart were at all times  onIy evil  ? Surely,    beauty of the world on the other were unfaithful and,
 only extremists, that refuse to acknowledge that they forsaking the generations of God's children, mixed with
 have been led to extremes by their own narrow-minded           the wicked generations of Cain. Thus it always is. And
 philosophy, could possibly assume and maintain such a          thus will also be the days before the coming of the Son
 position. It might perhaps be true, that these people          of Man. People shall love the world and the things of
 were totally depraved, but there must be some difference       the world they shall seek. Many shall be attracted  by.
 between total depravity.and absolute depravity. A man          the things of this present time. They shall forsake the
 that is absolutely depraved is not able to do any good,        Lord their God even though it be under a vain show
 but if a person is only totally depraved he is still able of godliness. The faithful shall be few, that openly call
 to perform much good.        ht any rate it could not be" upon the name of the Lord and condemn all that is of
 denied, that these Cainites did much good for humanity, the world and not of the Father. Being friends of the
 more than the Sethites. One can imagine from our own world people shall become enemies of the truth. And
 day that the sons of God  ar,gued  somewhat in this fash- false teachers shall make merchandise of the church. The


                                               T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A K E R                                                            11
     ___ -......__ --.--__--                            ..^ ---._^  -^-. ^^ --...-...........----.---.-- _____-_  .___.  --.-----..-_-  _-..
     faithful shall  suffer  persecution and when finally the  da>           \-an dc gedachte uit, dat het  verbond  tusschen God en
                                                                             mensch  geen eigenlijk,  maar  een zoogenaamd  gelijkvor-
     (Jf  the Lord is  there> the faithful people of God shall  bc
     few in the midst of the world. All the more urgent rea-                mig  verbond is; een soort verdrag, waardoor God  aan
     son  tx-hy we should not listen when professors of religion             den  mensch iets belooft, en ook iets van hem bedingt,
     build up theories of a common grace that lead us nat-                  b.v.: leven en  gehoorzaamheid.  Na den  \;a1 heeft God
     urally headlong into a world that is in  rlarkness.                    clan datzelfde  verbond herhaald, om ons onze  plicht te
                                                          H. H.             lccren, tot gehoorzaamheid te vermanen,  enz.  Natuur-
                                                                            lijk, bij die beschouwing, welke vrij algemeen is,  \:erliest
                                                                            men feitelijk het verbond. De verbondsgedachte drukt
       AAN DE VERBQNDSGEDACHTE ONTWEND                                      dan niet eigenlijk de relatie uit tusschen God en mensch,
        Dr.  Kuyper  heeft in een van zijne vroegere  we&en                 maar  slechts  vergelijkenderwijze.  Het verbond, waarvan
     zeer terecht de  opmerking gemaakt, dat de Christenheid cjns Fnrmulier spreekt. is dan niet  reEeI,  maar slechts
     zijner dagen ontwend was  aan de verbondsgedachte. Men incidentice  ; niet oorspronkelijk,  doch bijkomstig.  Fei-
     leefde niet bewust en  willens  uit de  idee van  verbonds-            telijk is  clan alles  schijn, en geene aanbiddelijke realiteit.
     gemeenschap met God. We1 werd er gehandeld over Die  voorstelling  biedt geene  bevrediging, en zij is o. i.
     allerlei godsdienstige begrippen, maar eene afgeronde ook geenszins in overeenstemming met de doorloopende
     beschouwing rakende de diepste verhouding  van God en spreeh-wijze  van  Formulier  en Confessie.
     het  x-olk Gods ontbrak  I-eelszins.  De eigenlijke  ver-                   Veei liever zeggen wij dan ook met Dr.  E. Wielenga,
     hondsgedachte werd niet gekend.  Daarom ging het, als "Ons Doopsformulier," bl. 64, dat het  verbond   geen
     in de dagen van Ho&a: Gods  volk was uitgeroeid, onidat schijn is, maar aanbiddelijke  realiteit; gecn zwakke  na-
     het zonder kennis was, zonder ware  verbondskennis.  Die bootsing  van een  menschelijk   verbond,   doch het  echte en
     kennis  werd  zelfs op onderscheidene wijzen  verworpen. c.xxspronkelijke   verbond,  dat reeds  in GCJ& eeuwig  raads-
     De  Iierk rergat de wet haars Gods, en  tengevolge   daar-             besiuit wortelt  : de hoogste werkelijkheid en waarheid,
     van  waren hare  kinderen  \-an den HEERE  vergeten. En die  voor alle menschelijk  doen het volmaakte  voorbecltl
     de zake van den Zone Gods vend  geen rechte  behartiging.              is.  Dat  komt o. i. ook  overeen  met de ervaring, en  ver-
        Daarin heeft  Kuyper  toen getracht  verandering  ten               klaart her feit, dat het schepsel Gods, vooral het  men-
     goede te brengen. Hij is begonnen met te  handelen  van                schenkind, zijn leven  formeel steeds inricht  naar de  idee
     de  verbonden. .Allereerst  heeft hij het Gereformeerde van Gods  verhond. Het verbond der genadc is dan  naar
     \-elk   \-an  Nederland   weer  in contact gesteld met de zijn  wezen   x-riendechap  tusschen  Gud en mensch. En de
     Reformatoren  van de zestiende eeuw. L)oor hem is er up geloo\-ige  draagt dan in den  dcJOp   het merk- en  veldtee-
     gewezen. dat de opstellers van onze Belijdenisschriften ken, zooals  onze  Helijdenis  zich uitdrukt, van  Koning
     en  Formulieren   verbondsmannen  waren.   Zeer bijzonder Jezus. Hij strijdt voor de zake van den Zone Gods. In
     kan  zuiks  worden  gezegd  van  Olerianus  en  `Ursinus.  de          `t strijdperk van  dit  leven is hij van Gods partij ; en  zulks
     hckende opstellers  Tan  onzen  Catechismus. En dezen bovenal, omdat hij is Gods vriend en bondgenoot.
     r;tonden  weer in de nauwste betrekking met de Zurichers.                   Die eigenlijke  -wortelidee van vriendschap is  echter
     de \-oorloopers van de \.erbonds-theologen  in engeren zin.            formeel  en confessioneel nog altijd niet sterk ontwikkeld.
     inzocxerre bij hen het  \-erbond de heerschende  idee  werd            De "Westminster Confession of Faith," die overigs  we1
e    voor de praktijk van het Christelijke  leven. Dat dit  van             sterker dan de meeste  andere Gereformeerde Confessies
     invloed is geweest up de samenstelling van het leerboek op de verbondsgedachte alszoodanig ingaat, volgt eene
     onzer  vaderen, lijdt geen twijfel. Formeel ruimt de  Hei- eenigszins andere lijn. In chapter VII, 14 heet het:
     delberger geen groote plaats in  aan het verbondsbegrip; "The distance between God and the creature is so great
     maar practisch is zijn onderwijs  geheel  van die idee   door-         that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience
     trokken. En  wij putter1 onze  verbondsbeschouwing   on- unto Him as their Creator, yet they could never have any
     getwijfeld nog altijd  grootendeels  u&den Catechismus. fruition of Him as their blessedness and reward, but by
        In ons Doopsformulier  lyinden we de  verbondsge- some voluntary condescension on God's part, which  He
     dachte  evenwei  nog schooner ontwikkeld. Volgens dit hath been pleased to express by the way of covenant.
     hebben de  geloovigen met hunne kinderen,  schoon zij                  The first covenant made with man was a covenant of
     in zonden  ontvangcn  en geboren, en  daarom   kinderen                works, wherein life was promised to Adam, and in him to
     des toorns zijn. uit genade een eeuwig verbond met God.                his posterity, upon condition of perfect and personal obe-
     Weshalve  ze dan  oak behooren gedoopt te  wezen.              En dience. Man by his fall having made himself incapable
     daarom ook hehben  ze gemeenschap met den DrieEenigen of life by that covenant, the Lord was pleased to make  A
     God, zijn zij geroepen tot een nieuwe gehoorzaamheid. second. commonly called the covenant of grace: wherein
     mogen ze tegen de zonde, den  duivel en  diens  gansche                He freely offered unto sinners life and salvation by  ,Jesus
     rijk  strijden  en  crverwinnen.  en den  God  des  \-erbonds          Christ, requiring of them faith in Him that they  may be
     loven en prijzen tot in eeuwigheid. Dat zijn inderdaad yaleed. and promising: to give unto all those that are
     kostelijke verbondsgedachten. Vooral als wij het  begrip clrdained  unto life his Holy Spirit, to make them willing
     verbond hier  opvatten in  re@elen  zin. Sommigen hebben and able  to.believe.  This covenant of grace is  frequentI?
     daarvan  nit-t  wiilen  weten.    Maccovius en anderen gaan bee forth in the Scripture by the name of  a testament, in


12                                                 *  THE      S T A  N D .A R D         B E  -4 R E R
___ _..__...........___.    - - - -                 -..^  --"-."-__11_---.-.-.-..--          -    -    -         _-                    _."    ..-.  -

reference to the death  cjf  -Jesus  Christ, the testator, and mand not to cat of the tree of knowledge of good  and
to the  c-verlasting  inheritance, with  a11 things belonging evil, God threatening that  Xdam would die in case he
to  it  1)eclueathcd."          Rakende de cigenlijkc  ,verbondsidee            broke this command. The elements  of this covenant,
liggen hier duidelijk twee gedachten dooreengestrengeld. therefore, were :
De eerste  volzin  omschrijft ons het verbond als middel                           `C 1. A condition expressed : perfect obedience.
van gemeenschap tusschen God cn mensch.                           D e   vcr-       "3     A promise implied: eternal life.
bondsgedachte is dan identisch met de religieuze  idee.                            ";I A penalty threatened: death.
Het volgende doet ons het verbond kennen als middel tot                            "What is the covenant of grace?
`s menschen hoogste geluk en zalighcid. Het  werkver-                              "It is the gracious agreement between God and his
bond client ter rerkrijging van iets,  dat de mensch in het                     people, whereby God promises them complete salvation
paradijs nog niet bezat. althans nog niet onveranderlijk in the way of faith, and they accept in faith."
bezat  ; en  bet genadeverbond is middel tot  `s menschen                          Hier is het verbond kennelijk oneigenlijk, middel tot
verlossing en zaligheid. Bij deze beschouwing wordt  bet des menschen hoogste geluk, en ter verlossing en  zalig-
reeele  karakter  \-an het verbond feitelijk ook  prijsgege-                    heid,, en ongeveer identisch met het proefgebod, en met
ven.  Eigenlijk is het verbond  clan een soort  voorwaarde- een soort van voorwaardelijke belofte. Deze voorstelling
lijke belofte.                                                                  is naar onze overtuiging eene afwijking van de oorspron-
       D e z e   voorstelling   w o r d t   o o k   g e g e v e n   CIOO~  d e kelijke beschouwing der Zurichers,, en past ook niet  rol-
"Shorter Catechism." Op de  twaalfde vraag wordt  ge- komen bij de  taal van  onzen Catechismus, van ons
antwoord : `When God had created man, He entered into Doopsformulier en de Nederlandsche Belijdenis.  Zij is
a covenant with him upon condition of perfect obedience, ontstaan onder Engelschen invloed,  na de opstelling van
forbidding him to eat of the tree of knowledge of good "The Westminster Confession of Faith,"  1648.
and evil, upon pain of death" ; en op de twintigste vraag,                         Bij  Rupper,  Bavinck, Wielenga,  JTos, en anderen,
handelende  `van het genadeverbond:  "God having out of vinden wij soms dan ook een andere beschouwing.
mere good  .pleasure,  from  all eternity elected some  to                         Soms stellen zij, zie Bavinck: "Geref.  Dogm.," bl.  Glt-
everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace,  !O 614 ; en Ruyper  : "Dictaten  Dogm.," Lot. de foedere, bl.
deliver thern out of the estate of sin and misery, and to 69 ; evenals "The Westminster Confession of Faith." de
bring  thrm into  an estate  of salvation by a `Redeemer."                      verbondsgedachte op  CCne lijn met de  idee  \-an  pod.s-
001~  hier  wordt het verbond  (JpgeVat   als  *nrddel tot  `S dienst. "De verbondsidee is niet  iets, dat bij de rciigie
menschcn hoogste  gdLl'K  cn ter  t-erwezenlijking  van de                      bij  komt, maar ze is daarmee identisch. Het is  (de  reli-
verkiezing.  Bij  deze  beschouwing verschilt  her:   \-erboncl                 gieuze   idee,"  001~  bij B.  Wielenga  en andcren  i-indcn
niet sterk van het proefgebod.                                                  bve de gedachte, dat het verbond is het  wezen  der  rcligie.
        "The  Irish  -\irticles   of Religion." 1615, spreken  e\cn-               Doch bij  1'0s cn  Kuyper en anderen  vinden  \sij  trek
eens van het verbond  31s van eene  \*oorwaardelijke   be-                      herhaaldeliik  de gedachte. dat het  lyezen des  \-crb:lnds
lofte Gods;  ter\?c-ijl   "De Walchersche  Artikelen,"   1693.  in schuilt in vriendschap. In zijn  `LC~lt~~pendium   ~:a11  de
Nederland.  de leer der  vcrbonden  aanwenden  ter  ><erkla-                    Systematische   "l'heologie."  zegt  I'os :  "\7riendschap   is  `t
ring _ ri-an  onzr  2%.erdnrvcnheid  in Adam en van  onze  ver- wezen  d e r   \;erbondsvcrhouding."                         E n   Kuyper  zcgt  i n
lossing in Christus.                   Sanr  deze   laatste   \.onrstelling     zijn "Dictatcn  .Dogmatiek,"  dat het  x-erbond naar  zijn
drukt de  x:erbondsgedachte  uit de relatie russchen  ens                       kvezen  is  cellc  alliantie tusschen God en mensch  tegen
en  -\dam  en tusschen  Christus on  vns, en niet nllereerst elke feitelijke en mogelijke vijandige  macht.  En  de  ver-
en fondamenteel de verhouding en de gemeenschap van hondsluiting is  volgens  hem.  "Gemeene   Gratie,>'  I.  287,
God en  zijn schepsel. den mensch.                                              eene  daad van  \.riendschap.          Of  nu  echter de eigenlijke
        Deze   onderscheidene  zienswijzen  z-inden wij ook bij                 verbondsidee moet gezocht  worden  in de  vriendschap.
mannen,  als: Hellenbroek, T. Bos en  M.  J.  Bosma.                            waaruit de alliantie opkomt.  dan wcl in de alliantie. waar-
        A. Hellenbroek, "Voorbeeld der Goddelijke  Waarhe-                      in  zich de vriendschap  tegcnover den  gemeenschappelij-
den," bl. 44, antwoordt op de  vraag,  ,vvat het  genadever- ken  lvijand  tocspitst, is bij hem minder duidelijk.  Oak
bond is: "`Het  genadeverbond is die weg, langs welken werkt  Ruyper  zijne  verbondsgedachte niet strikt  theolo-
God door  Christus het eigendom wordt van den zondaar, gisch uit.
en hij het eigendom Gods."                                                         Soortgelijke gedachten  \:indt  men tegenwoordig bij
        T.  BOS  geeft  op bl. 21 van zijn "Gcnadeverbond en schier alle  Gereformeerde  schrijlqers   \-an  naam.
Bondzegelen"  cene  gelijkluidende  definitie.                                     Blijkens dit overzicht heeft men historisch het  ver-
        M.  J.  Bosmat "Exposition of Reformed Doctrine.`"                      bond naar zijn  idee  opgevat   als:
pages  91 en 111, laat  zich  betreffende  bet, verbond aldus                      a. middel tot  `s menschen hoogste, geluk, verlossing
uit :                                                                           en zaligheid ;
       W'hat  was the covenant of works?                                          .b- wezcnlijk identisch met de religie, en  -
       "ii covenant is an agreement. The covenant of works                          . . alliantie uit  \-riendschap.
was an agreement between God and Adam, wherein God                                 ;ragen  we thans, hoe men tot  deze   drievoudige   ziens-
promised eternal life to  Adam  and  al1 his posterity upon                     wijze is gekomen.
condition of perfect obedience to the probationary  com-                           0 i.  op de volgende wijze:


oogen, van hem  wegneemt,  dan mag hij daarovcr niet ben;  dhn zal Ik gedenken  aan mijn verbond met  Jakob,
rouwklagen,  noch weenen ; hij mag zijne tranen niet Iaten      enz., en  aan het land zal Ik gedenken.  - Als zij in het
vloeien. Maar dan moet hij ter verklaring daarvan tot land hunner vijanden zullen zijn, zal Ik hen niet  vertver-
Israel zeggen:  "Alzoo  zegt de Heere HEERE: Ziet, Ik           pen,  noch van hen  walgen, om een einde van hen te
zal mijn heiligdom  ontheiligen, de heerlijkheid  uwer'         maken,  vernietigende mijn verbond met hen: want Ik
sterkte, de begeerte uwer oogen en de verschooning uwer ben  dk HEERE hun God! Maar Ik zal hun ten beste ge-
ziel; en uwe zonen en uwe dochteren, die gij verlaten           denken   aan het verbond der voorouderen,  -die  Ik uit
hebt, zullen door het zwaard vallen. Dan zult gijlieden         Egypteland voor de oogen der Heidenkn uitgevoerd heb ;
doen, gelijk ik gedaan heb: de bovenste  lippan   zult  gij     opdat  Ik hun tot een God ware: Ik ben de HEERE  !"
niet bewinden, en der  lieden  brood zult gij niet eten. En        Zij, die dus eene walging  aan zichzelven gekregen
uwe  hoeden  zullen op uwe  hoofden  zijn, en  uwe  schoe-      hebben, en hunne ongerechtigheden hebben  leeren  belij-
nen  aan uwe  yoeten; gij zult niet rouwklagen,  noch  wee-     den,  moeten nu niet zeggen gaan, dat er geen  mogelijk-
nen, maar gij  zult in uwe ongerechtigheid versmachten, heid van leven voor hen is. Ganschelijk niet, want God
en een- iegelijk tegen zijnen  .broeder  zuchten." En  daar- zal den  bekeerde goddelooze niet  laten omkomen. De
in hebben wij dan weer eene vervulling van hetgeen God          onboetvaardige zondaar  zal zekerlijk sterven , cat zweert
reeds van ouds  Israel `hooren deed in Leviticus  26':38 en de Heere. Maar daartegenover is het niet  mrnaer  waar,
39: "Maar  gij zult omkomen onder de Heidenen, en het zoo waarachtig als de Heere HEERE Ieeft, dat God geen
land uwer vijanden zal  u verteren. En de  overgebleve-         lust heeft om den bekeerde zondaar te verderven, Neen,
nen ondei  u zullen om hunne ongerechtigheid in de  lan-        het is den  HEERR  aangenaam, dat de zondaar  zich  be-
den uwer vijanden uitteren ; ja ook om de  ongerechtig-         keere van zijnen weg en leve. Dat moet  Ezechiel   uit-
heden  hunner  vaderen zullen zij met hen uitteren."            drukkelijk het huis  IsraEls toeroepen.  Doch dan moet
   Dat`alles  nu heeft  Ezechi21  op Gods bevel den  kinde- het huis  Israels  zich ook in de mogendheid des HEEREN
ren zijns volks in de ballingschap  klaarlijk voorgesteld, bekeeren. In den weg der bekeering is  leven,  gelijk er
met vermaning tot bekeering. De meesten  echter   sloe- in den weg der ongerechtigheid verderf en ondergang ge-
gen op die vermaning geen  acht, maar bleven den Heere          vonden wordt. Beide wordt in dit hoofdstuk door den
beschuldigen van onrecht. Dezulken stierven in hunne HEERE met een duren eed gezworen. En van beide
ongerechtigheden, en in de ongerechtigheden  hunner maakt het woord der profetie van oude dagen af gewag.
vaderen, in het land der  ballingschap, naar het woord En nu wordt in vers 11 den bekommerden vanwege hunne
des Heeren. Maar er  waren  tech ook anderen.  .Er was zonden, die juist met het oog op het eerste gedeelte van
een overblijfsel naar de verkiezing der genade.  ,Dat  over-    het woord der profetie, boven aangehaald,  bijna  aan de
blijfsel was  we1 bekommerd vanwege zijne zonden; maar mogelijkheid hunner  redding dreigden te  twijfelen.  de,
zag geen weg ter  ontkoming; En tot dat Israel moet nu verzekering gedaan, dat de God des verbonds den  be-
Ezechicl de woorden spreken van vers 10.  %ijlieden keerden zondaar niet zal laten ondergaan, maar zal  doen
spreekt aldus. zeggende: Dewijl  or& overtredingen en leven  in zijne gemeenschap.
or&e zonden op ons zijn, en wij in dezelve versmachten,            Dus spreekt ook C.  F;  Keil in zijn  Commentary on
hoe zouden wij dan leven?' Dat was hunne  redenee-              Ezekiel:    "As watchman over Israel, Ezekiel  is  to
ring. Die redeneering verstonden zij zelfs eigenlijk niet announce to those who are despairing of the mercy of.
goed; daarom moest  Ezechiel  hun eerst hun eigen  spre-        God, that the Lord will preserve from destruction who
ken  doen verstaan. Zij  moeten eerst zichzelven  recht  lee- turn from their sin, and lead them into life."  - "In vers.
ren kennen. Zij  moeten  zich zien in `t  licnt van Gods        10 and 11 the prophet's calling for the future is set be-
Woord. `t IS volkomen waar, wat zij  zegge:, het woord fore him, inasmuch as God instructs him to announce to
der profetie,  zooals-dat  gevonden wordt in plaatsen, als:     those who are in despair on account of their sins  the
Lev.  26:38, 39 en Deut. 28  :63, en vele andere  plaatsen,     gracious will of the Lord. The threat contained in the
wordt thans over het historisch volk van  IsraSl vervuld. law, Lev. 26:39, of which Ezekiel had repeatedly
En had de mond des Heeren nu nooit iets anders  gespro-         reminded the people  ivith warning,  and: last of all, when
ken, dan zou hunne klachte, dat zij in hunne ongerechtig-       predicting the conquest and destruction of Jerusalem by
heden  versmachten, en  dus geen uitzicht op  redding  heb-     the Chaldeans, had pressed heavily upon their heart,
ben, volkomen gepast zijn, Maar de  EIeere  heeft nog when the threatened judgment took place, so that they
meer gesproken. Zij  moeten maar eens verder lezen. In          quote the words, not `in self-defense," but in despair of
verzen  40-45  van datzelfde  26ste hoofdstuk van Leviticus an  ydeliverance. Ezekiel is to meet this despair of little
wordt gezegd : "Dan zullen zij hunne ongerechtigheid be- faith by the announcement that the Lord has no pleasure
lijden, en de ongerechtigheid hunner  vaderen met hunne in the death of the sinner, but desires his conversion and
overtredingen, waarmede zij tegen Mij overtreden  heb- his life. Ezekiel had already set this word of grace be-
ben, en ook dat zij met Mij in tegenheid gewandeld  heb- fore the people in ch.  18523,  32, accompanied with the  .,
ben. Dat Ik ook met hen in tegenheid gewandeld heb, summons to salvation for them to lay to heart.: there, it
en hen in het land hunner vijanden gebracht  zal hebben.        was done to overthrow the delusion that the present gen-
Zoo  clan hun onbesneden hart gebogen wordt, en zij dan eration had to atone for the sins of the fathers; but here,
aan de straf hunner ongerechtigheid een welgevallen  heb-       to  lift-up the hearts of those who were despairing of  sal-

    w


                                            T    H    E      STAND...RD   KE.ARER                                               19
~~..l".-._l"-l"." - -           -.-..--.                                              _-~._---_"--.
yation, and for this reason it is accompanied with the ja  cx~k  vm de  ongerechtigheid  hunner  vaderen  zullen zij
asseveration (wanting in ch.  18:X3 and 32)  `as truly as I         met hen uitteren. En de HEERE zal  zich  verblijden
live, saith the Lord,' and with the urgent appeal to repent         over  hen, hen  verdoende  cn hen  veidelgende. En de
and turn. But in order to preclude the abuse of this word           HEERE wilde niet vergeven, 2 Ken. 24 :3  cn 4 : maar  Hij
of consolation by making it a ground of false confidence            wilde Juda van zijn aangezicht  wcgdocn!  om de zondcn
in their own righteousness, Ezekiel repeats in  s-ers. 12-          van Manasse, naar  Ales wat hij gedaan had.  Als  oak  om
20 the principal thoughts contained in that  announce-              het onschuldig  hloed,   dat hij vergoten had, zoodat hij
men t."                                                             Jeruzalem met onschuldig  bleed   vervuld  had.  Daarom
   De Kantteekenaars  denken  er niet anders over. Men              zal God nu straffen in grimmigheid, zijn oog zal niet ver-
sla slechts op, wat zij aanteekenden op Ezech. 18 :23 (52) :        schoonen, en hij zal niet  sparen;  Ezech.  8:18,  hoewel  zij
"Ten andere is hier eigenlijk  gesprokcn van den dood van           voor zijne ooren met luider stem  roepen,  nochtans zal
den goddelooze, die  zich bekeert, en niet van degenen,             Hij hen niet hooren. Als Hij de pestilentie in het land
die  zich nimmer bekeeren, gelijk de voorgaande en de zal  zenden,  Ezech.  14:19, 20. en zijne grimmigheid  daar-
volgende woorden uitwijzen; alsof God zeide : Gijlieden             c.)ver met bloed uitgieten,  urn daarran menschen en  bees-
meent, dat Ik zoo  belust ben om te  vernielen en te  doo-          ten uit te roeien: "Ofschoon   Noach, Daniel en Job in het
den, dat Ik ook den goddelooze, die zich bekeert niet wil           midden  deszelven  waren, zoo waarachtig als Ik  leef,
sparen,  noch zijne bekeering voor aangenaam houden:                spreekt de Heere HEERE, zoo zij eene dochter zouden
maar dat is eene lastering, en verre van Mij. (5) Te                bevrijden! zij zouden  alleen  hunne ziel door hunne  ge-
weten, dat Ik lust en welgevallen hieraan heb?              Deze    rechtigheid bevrijden."     Neen,  toen de HEERE zijne
vraag verzekert sterk, dat de bekeering van den godde- grimmigheid volbracht over Jeruzalem, en de hittigheid
looze  aan God zoo aangenaam is, dat de bekeerde zeker zijns toorns uitstortte over Sion;  toen kleefde de tong
leven zal, en dat Hij geenszins lust heeft om den  bekeer-          van het zoogkind  aan zijn gehemelte van dorst; de  kin-
de goddelooze te dooden." En op Ezech. 33  :lO, 11  (op- derkens eischten brood, maar niemand deelde het hun
schrift) : "God  too+ den murmureerders en huichelaars mede.  Toen  waren de verslagenen van het zwaard  ge-
onder de gevangene  Joden, dat Hij  we1 en  recht liandelt lukkiger dan de  verslagenen van den  hanger? omdat er
met boetvaardigen en afvalligen  ;"  (15. 17 en 18) : "Hoe          geene vruchten der velden  waren. En  toen hebben de
zouden wij dan leven, gelijk Gij ons belooft (willcn zij            handen  der barmhartige vrouwen hare kinderen  gekookt ;
zeggen).  maar  wij ondervinden het tegendeel inderdaad  ; `%j zijn haar tot spijze geworden in de verbreking der
alzoo  murmureerden zij over Gods plagen, zonder te  let-           dochter mijns volks"  ;  Rlaagl. 4:4-11.  roen  heeft  de
ten op hunne  brkeering,  waarop de beloften van het                HEERE metterdaad met  Isra21 gesproken in zijnen
lrsen gingen. - Gij meent en klaagt, dat  Ik  belust ben toorn, en in zijne  Lgrimmigheid  heeft Hij hem verschrikt.
om  u te dooden, ofschoon  gij  u van uwe boosheid  be-             Toen gold, wat Salomo zegt in zijne spreuken,  1<24-28:
keerdet, alsof het evenwel bij Mij is, of gij  u bekeert of         "Dewijl ik geroepen heb, en gijlieden geweigerd hebt;
niet. hoe gij het ook  maakt,  we1 of  kwalijk: gij moet er         mijne hand uitgestrekt heb en er niemand was, die  op-
evenzeer   aan. gelijk goddelooze murmureerders en  hui-            merkte; en gij al mijnen raad verworpen. en mijne  be-
chelaars plegen te spreken.  -  Dat is de zaak, wil God             straffing niet gewild hebt; zoo zal  ik ook in ulieder  ver-
zeggen. daar schort het u, dat gij in al  uwe goddeloosheid derf  lachen, ik zal  spotten, wanneer uwe  vreeze  komt.
blijft, en evenwel tegen mijne plagen  murmureert. in               Wanneer  uwe vreeze komt gelijk eene verwoesting. en
plaats dat gij  u moest bekeeren."                                  uw verderf aankomt  als een wervelwind; wanneer  u  be-
                                                                    nauwdheid en angst overkomt ; dan zullen zij tot  mij roe-
   De zaak is derhalve, dat God geen lust heeft in den              pen, maar ik zal niet antwoorden;  zij  zuIlen mij vroeg
dood  \-an den goddelooze. die  zich bekeert, gelijk de zoeken, maar zullen mij niet  vinden." "Maar de godde-
onboetvaardige Joodsche balling huichelend en  murmu-               loozen zullen van de aarde uitgeroeid worden.  en de trou-
reerend beweerde, en gelijk  cle  we1 bekeerde, maar  voor-         weloozen  zullen  er van uitgerukt  worden"  ; 2  :2. "Want
alsnog zwak geloovige, zondaar bij wijlen vreesde.                  de afwijker is den HEERE een gruwel, maar zijne  ver-
   En nu moet men daar weer niet in  6Pn  adem  aan  toe-           borgenheid is met den oprechten. De  vloek des HEEREN
voegen, dat God dan tech in dit woord met de belofte van is het huis des goddeloozen; maar de woning  c:les  recht-
heil tot  allen komt, of dat  dk bekeering van sommigen             vaardigen zal Hij zegenen. Zekerlijk de spotters zal Hij
zou  hangen   aan den geheelen of half-vrijen wil des  men-         bespotten, maar de zachtmoedigen zal Hij genade  ge-
schen  ; want dat blijkt uit den samenhang gansch anders. x*en ;" 3 :32-34. "Want een  iegelijks wegen zijn roor de
Vooreerst  tech moet er op gelet  worden, dat deze  wocir- oogen des HEEREN, en Hij weegt al zijne  gangen. Den
den geenszins tot alle menschen gesproken  worden.  Het goddelooze zullen zijne ongerechtigheden vangen, en met
geldt hier de Joodsche ballingen. En de leidende  ge- de  banden  zijner zonde zal hij vastgehouden  worden,   Hij
dachte is hier, dat dezen zullen sterven, en niet leven. Zij        zal sterven, omdat hij zonder tucht geweest is, en in de
zullen omkomen onder de Heidenen, en het land hunner grootheid zijner dwaasheid zal hij verdwalen"; 5 :21-23.
vijanden  zal hen verteren. De overgeblevenen van de "`Des   boozen  gedachten  zijn den HEERE een gruwel;
algemeene slachting in het land Kanaan zullen om hunne              maar der  reinen  zijn liefelijke redenen.  - De HEERE is
ongerechtigheden  in het land hunner vijanden uitteren; ver van de goddeloozen ; maar het  gebed  der  rechtllaar-


  22                                            ` T H E   STAKDARD  B E A R E R
            __ .  ..__.        -__ -."..-"" ..--.                 ..^".^-"_--.-          ._-.-_-.-  -.-.                                -    -

 mean and embrace. Reprobation is a term which is found Himself. His own free sovereign will alone is the deter-
 in Scripture. In the second epistle to the Corinthians one mining factor. Said the Lord to Moses: "I will have
 discovers the following utterances: "Know ye not your mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have com-
 own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be passion on whom I will have compassion." So then con-
_ reprobates." The word reprobate means "disapproved tinues Paul it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that
 of, rejected." Paul's utterance "except ye be reprobate? runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. Rom.  9:15, 16.
 implies that there are those whom God disapproves of.                             In the scripture which follows, (verses 17-33) the
 rejects. Then the Scripture also makes mention of those apostle means to show how that God in the dispensation
 whom God hates. Paul declares that God hated Esau. of his wrath is as free and sovereign as in the disposal of
 And the apostle asserts that he is quoting  Scriptiu-e                   His mercy. Let us quote scripture, "For the scripture
 which indeed he is. Jehovah by the mouth of the prophet saith unto Pharaoh ; even for this same purpose have I
 says: "And I hated Esau and laid his mountains and his                   raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and
 heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. Where- that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
 as Edom saith, we are impoverished, but we will return                            Therefore hath He mercy on whom He will have
 and build the desolate places : this saith the Lord of hosts, mercy, and whom He will He hardeneth.
 They shall build but I will throw down and they shall                             Thou wilt say then unto me, why  .doth He find fault?
 call them the border of wickedness and the people ag%nst                 For who has resisted His will? Nay, but, 0 man, who
 whom the Lord hath indignation  f0rever.j' The passage art thou that  repliest against God? Shall the thing
 is, significant. Esau was one whom the Lord rejected. formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made
 The passage teaches that God's hatred is not mere dis- me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay ; of
 like, a less ardent love but a great indignation, a power the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and
 ef?ecting the reprobate in this life as well as in the life another unto dishonor?
 hereafter . The divine hatred was impoverishing and                               What if God willing to shew His wrath, and to make
 striking down the Edomites wasting their heritage. Fur- His power known, endureth with much'long suffering the
 ther, the prophet asserts that the Lord hath indignation                 vessels of wrath fitted to destruction; and that He might
 against Edom forever.                                                    make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of
        Now it is a matter of history that Esau showed  a mercy, which He hath  afore prepared unto glory.
  profane spirit. He sold his birthright. To the people                            Even us, whom He hath called, not of the Jews only,
 who sprung from Esau was assigned a dwelling place but also of the Gentiles," So Far scripture.
 outside of the promised land. They were submissive to                             The passage contains elements which should not
 Israel under David. In Malachi's day Edom was plunged escape our notice. Of Pharaoh it is asserted: Even for
 into desolation by eastern  conquerers and thereafter this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I tnight
 incorporated with the Jewish state under John Hyrcranus show my power in thee, and that my name might be
 and finally obliterated from the number of nations.                      declared throughout the earth.
        Now the apostle sees in what befalls Esau and Jacob                        What is the meaning of the term "raise up"? Some
 a type of election unto eternal life and of rejection claim that the  apostle  merely meant to say: I, God, pro-
  unto- eternal death.      The main topic of this and the longed Piiaraoh's life. I placed him on the throne, or  J
 preceeding chapter is election.                     The preceeding caused him to arise from a sick bed. However, if the
 .chapter  l e a v e s   n o   d o u b t   a s   t o   t h i s .   T h e r e   P a u l expression "raised up" has this meaning the objections
 asserts: For whom He did foreknow He also did predes- raised by the Pelagian in verses  19 and 20, namely, "who
 tinate to be conformed to the image of His Son. But the hath resisted his will" and "why hast thou made me
 rejection of Esau and the election of Jacob is at once a                 thus" do not follow logically.
  rejection to eternal death and an election to eternal life.                      The term  "raised,  up" refers to the .historical Pharaoh,
  Paul asserts in verse  8, that the children of the promise his station, his power, talents, character and evil conduct
 are the children of God, the seed. Whereas Jacob was and hard heart. God's providence is the primary neces-
  a promised child his election meant eternal life, for him,              sity of the historical Pharaoh. To this Calvin and Dr.
  Esau's rejection was a rejection unto eternal death. God G.  Vos of Princeton agree. Says Calvin : "Waaruit volgt
  loved Jacob for time and eternity. He hated Esau forever. dat men nu te vergeefs met Hem (namelijk God) kijft,
  However in verses 9-11 inclusive Paul is attending more gelijk of Hij verbonden ware rekenschap te geven, daar
  speciecally to the salvation of Jacob.  4nd the assertion zeggende (i. e. God says so) dat de  vertiorpenen  uit den
  "For the children being not yet born, neither having done verborgen  schat zijner voorzienigheid komen in dewelke
  any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to -Hij wil zijnen naam geprezen hebben." And Dr.  Vos
  election might stand, is significant. We learn that it was expresses himself as follows: "Dat God Farao op den
  not Jacob's superior virtue, which incited God to love him. troon gezet, of in het leven behouden, of van het ziekbed
  Nothing in Jacob induced God to prefer and to choose opgericht heeft, levert zulk  een  conclusie niet  (namely
  him. Jacob's virtue was not the determining factor. In why hast thou made me thus)  we1 dat Hij hem naar  ge-
  prefering, selecting, loving and predestining Jacob unto heel zijne persoonlijkheid verwekt heeft." And again, In
  eternal glory God was not moved by anything outside of elk  gevd is Farao er toe gewekt om een toonbeeld te zijn


                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D  BEL\RER
-_                --.-- -_.... ".-            ".--..                                                                       23
                                                                          .1_11.~-.--                                       --
van Gods macht. Hij is daarom  gesclzapen.  En dat was           wordt, dat hij het eene vat  maakt  ter  eerc, het andere tot
de hoofdbedoeling :  "Juist hiertoe."                            oneere. Dat  ziet op de bestemming die de  vaten hebben.
      "Raise up" means to erect, to make, according to Cal-      Het eene dient voor een edel, het andere voor een  schan-
vin and Vos. I repeat, God's providence, according to delijk gebruik. Zoo  worden  de menschen bestemd voor
Calvin ands Vos is the necessity of the entire historical een edel en voor een onedel gebruik. De apostel heeft
Pharaoh.                                                         dezcn trek zelfs overgebracht  op de menschen zooals zij
      God's purpose is raising up Pharaoh was to employ objecten  van de praedestinatie Gods zijn. Hij zegt dat
him as an instrument for displaying His (God's) power sommige menschen zijn:  `vaten des toorns' toebereid tot
and wrath and for making known His name.                         het verderf. Gelijk de pottenbakker praedestineerd tot
      The expression "and whom He will He hardeneth" is oneer,  zoo praedestineerd God tot verderf."                (G.  vos,
most important. Also the image contained in verse 21: Theologie, page 193.)
"Hath not the potter power over the clay ; of the same              Calvin and Vos are agreed that according to scripture
lump to make one vessel  unto honor, and another unto God determined, and predestined the destruction of the
dishonor." The illustration makes mention of "the vessel vessels of wrath.
made unto honor" and "the vessel made unto dishonor."               The question arises whether the inner corruption of
Now the following verse makes mention of "vessels of the vessels of wrath influenced God when He predestined
wrath fitted to destruction" and "vessels of mercy pre-          unto destruction. In other words, was it the corruption
pared unto glory." It is evident that the -`vessel made of the vessel of wrath which induced God to determine
unto honor" is representative of the "vessels of mercy to destroy him ? Not so. According to the apostle sin
prepared unto glory," and the "vessels made unto dis- was not the determining factor. He was moved by noth-
honor" is representative of the "vessels of wrath fitted to ing in man. "For the children being not yet born, neither
destruction."                                                    having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God
      Now the figure asserts that the potter determines the according to election might stand."  in determining man's
destiny of the vessel. The one vessel is to be made for destiny God was moved by no one or nothing outside of
dishonorable the other for honorable use. In the follow- himself. I repeat, God's free sovereign will is the only
ing verse the figure is dropped and the thought repeated. determining factor.
The vessels of wrath are fitted for destruction. The                .But the figure of the potter teaches even more.  It
vessels of mercy are prepared unto glory. Hence God, teaches that the Lord God not only assigned to men his
so the apostle teaches, predestines  unto destruction and place, appointed his lot, and determined his destiny, but
unto glory.      God, therefore, in the silence of eternity the figure also teaches that God determined man's con-
determined, willed the destruction of the vessels of wrath. dition. God, decided that the vessel of wrath should be
      Says Calvin : "Bovenal moet bij ons vast staan  het- a vessel of wrath. God decided and willed that there
geen Salomo zegt (Spr.  16:14)  dat God  alles gewrocht should be vessels of wrath. Therefore, these vessels say,
heeft om zijns zelfs wil, ja ook den goddelooze tot den          "why hast thou made  ml thus." And the utterance
dag des kwaads. Ziet hier, dewijl de beschikking van "vessels of wrath" implies that these vessels are depraved,
alle  dingen  in Gods hand is, naardien bij Hem de macht corrupt. God, therefore, determined the fall of the human
berust  ter zaligheid en ten  doode, zoo verordent Hij het race. Even more, God willed that they should be vessels
door Zijnen raad en wil zoo dat er onder de menschen of wrath, because He had fitted them for destruction.
geboren  worden die van den  schoot  af eenen gewissen           God, therefore, determined that the vessels of wrath
,dood zijn  toegegigend.   urn door hun verderf te dienen tot should be what they are. So Calvin understands God's
verheerlijking van Zijnen naam.          Zoo iemand hierop Word.
zegt, dat hun door de voorzienigheid Gods geene  nood-              Says Calvin : *`Zij ontkennen dat het met  uitdrukke-
zakelijkheid  wordt opgelegd, maar dat zij veeleer onder Iijke woorden staat uitgedrukt, dat het door God is  be-
die voorwaarde door Hem geschapen zijn, omdat  Ilij sloten geweest dat Adam door zijnen-afval zou omkomen.
hunne toekomstige boosheid voorzien heeft, zoo zegt hij          Alsof diezelfde God, van Wien de  Schrift getuigt, dat Hij
we1 iets, maar niet de zaak geheel. Indien God  alleen te        doet wat Hij wil, het edelste Zijner schepselen tot een
voren de uitkomsten zag van der menschen handel,  zon-           twijfelachtig einde geschapen had. Zij zeggen dat hij
der die naar Zijn goedvinden te besturen en te  regefen eenen vrijen wil had om  zich eenen  staat te verkrijgen,
dan zou niet zonder reden  de vraag in het midden  word&         zooals hij  goed vond ; maar dat God niet anders bepaald
gebracht, of zijne voorwetenschap iets vermocht tot de heeft dan met hem te  handelen  naar verdienste. Indien
noodzakelijkheid van denzelve. Maar naardien Hij de men zulk een smakeloos verdichtsel voor waar aanneemt,
toekomstige  dingen  om geene andere oorzaak te voren            waar  zal dan blijven die  Almacht  Gods waardoor Hij
.ziet, dan omdat Hij besloten heeft dat zij  alzoo   geschie-    naar Zijnen verborgen raad, die geene oorzaak buiten
den zouden, zoo is het te vergeefs dat men twist over de         Hem heeft, alle  dingen  bestuurt. De  Schrift roept luid
voorwetenschap, wanneer het bekend is dat alle  dingen,          dat alle menschen in den  persoon van eenen mensch  aan
veeleer volgens Zijne  bepaling en naar zijn believen den eeuwigen  dood zijn onderworpen, en daar dit  aan de
plaats  hebben. (Inst., Vol. II, p. 520.)                        natuur niet kan  worden toegeschreven, zoo is het  geens-
      Now Dr. Vos: "Waar van den pottenbakker gezegd zins duister  dat het  voortgekomen  is  .van den  wonder-


2-t                                                       THE  S T A N D A R D  BE.kR.ER
_.^ ..^-" .._-_- --. .--_- -.... - .-_... ___I  -.....                                                                              -.

lijken  raad Gods. Het is al te ongerijmd dat die goede by Moses. Then as ever the word was a savor of life unto
voorstanders van de  rcchtvaardigheid  Gods voor  ten life and a savor of death unto death.
strootje blijven steken, en nochtans over hooge balkcn
heenspringen. Ik vraag wederom: waardoor het geschied
is dat zoo vele volken met hunne onmondige  kinderen                        Let us now give a brief resumption of what we found.
door Adams val tot den eeuwigen  dood, vervallen zijn                       There are vessels of wrath fitted to destruction. They
zonder eenig  hulpmiddel,  zoo het niet is om dat  God are the result of God's counsel and come forth out of the
zulks  goedgevonden heeft .? Hier  moeten de anders  ZOO- womb of Providence. The Lord God determined their
veel praats hebbende  tongen verstommen. Het is  we1 destiny, yea even their condition. They are formed  b)
een vreeselijk besluit ik  beken het; nochtans  zal niemand Him.  `Eeing vessels of wrath fitted to destruction He
ontkennen, dat God te voren eer Hij den mensch schiep,                   hardens them through the preaching of His word and
geweten heeft welken uitgang hij hebben zal, en dat Hij                  by so doing is engaged in preparing them for destruction.
het  daarom  te voren heeft geweten dewijl Hij het' door                 In it all, God is motivated by a desire to display His vir-
Zijn besluit in dier voege bepaald had. Zoo iemand hier tues. And the determining factor is God's free sovereign  *
de voorwetenschap Gods vijandig aanvalt, zoo handelt will.
hij lichtvaardig en onberaden. Want welke  reden  is er,                    This is the God we preach because it is the God of
bid ik u, waarom de Hemelsche  Rechter zou  worden   be- Scripture. This is the God that Calvin believed in.
schuldigd, omdat Hij geweten heeft wat in het  toekom-                      Now there are those who object to the God of Scrip-
stige stond plaats te hebben? Zoo er eenige rechtmatige ture . . . . . Dr. Beets in particular and the adherents of
of schijnreden is om te klagen, dan komt die  alleen  ten                the theory of common grace in general. It is this God
opzichte van de voorverordineering te pas. Hetgeen ik  u which is being denounced by them as an oriental tyrant.
zeg, t. w., dat God niet alleen den val van den eersten                  Yet He is the God of Scripture. The apostle, too, had to
mensch, en daarin het  -\:crderf  zijner nakomelingen te                 do with those who were heaping ridicule upon God be-
voren gezien, maar volgens Zijn  weIbehagen  bepaald cause He insisted and succeeded in doing as He pleases
heeft, moet ook den schijn niet hebben ongerijmd te zijn.                without consulting the wishes of His creatures. Only
Hier nemen zij  nu hunne toevlucht tot de onderscheiding they expressed themselves a  trifle different. Their cry
van Gods wil en Zijne toelating, volgens welke  onder-                   was, God is unrighteous. Now to denounce the sovereign
scheiding zij  willen staande houdcn dat de goddeloozen                  God as an oriental tyrant because He reigns, is equal to
alleen door de toelating Gods verloren gaan, en niet door accusing Him of unrighteousness.                       The Pelagians  of
Zijnen wil. Doch waarom  zullen  wij zeggen dat Kij                      `Paul's day raised another objection. They asked, how
zulks   toelaat?  dan alleen omdat Hij dat zoo  wil? Schoon              can there be human responsibility if God's counsel is the
oak dit  op zichzelf niet aannemeiijk  is! dat de mensch                 necessity of the sinners condition and destiny? 11-h?
zich het verderf heeft op den  hals gehaald door de bloote               doth He (God) find fault? For who can resist His will?
toelating, en niet door de  beschikking  Gods. Even  alsof The exponents of common grace today are raising the
God niet bepaald had hoedanigen staat Hij  Wilde  dat de same objections.
soornaamste  van Zijne schepselen hcbben  zoude.   Tk zal                   Listen to the apostle's reply, Nay  but!  0 man, who art
dus niet  aarzelen eenvoudig met Augustinus te  behjden,                 thou that repliest against God? Shall the  thing'formed
dat de wil van God de noodzakelijkheid der  dingen  is, en say to him that formed it, why  hast thou made me thus?
dat hetgeen Hij wil noodzakelijk moet geschieden; gefijk Hath not the potter power over the clay; of the same
de  dingen,  die Hij te voren gezien heeft waarlijk  geschie-            lump to make one vessel unto honor and another unto
den  zullen."                                                            dishonor  ?
       The question arises, How is it possible for God to                   Dr. Beets and the adherents of common grace do not
realize His eternal plan with man, in particular with the                fancy a God who insists on doing as He pleases, who
reprobate? The ethical creature moves and has his being determines and rules absolutely, who insists on having
in God. God's almighty will envelopes and penetrates His own way. Such a God described as a cruel monster.
the will of the moral creature, sustaining, controlling and And to make God less cruel they ascribed to God love
governing that will. Man in desiring, willing, thinking for the reprobate. Their purpose is to neutralize the sup-
and acting is absolutely dependent upon his maker and posed severity of God. `However, common grace does not
sutainer. Thus the Lord God is capable of realizing His produce the desired result. He who objects to the God of
eternal degrees. Gods counsel and His providence are Scripture must deny the counsel and providence of God
the necessity of man's being, state, condition and destiny. with all the implications. There are only two ways, one
This was true af Pharaoh. Said the Lord:  "I have raised is either a Calvinist or a Pelagian. He who confesses
the up." And again : "And whom He will He hardenedth."                   Calvin's God, the God of Scripture, and then maintains
We need not  discusse,  at this juncture, whether God har-               that God shows grace to the vessels of wrath is involving
dens the heart by a positive or by a negative act. The                   God in numerous absurdities. These things will become
fact remains that God's will is the necessity for Pharaoh's              evident when we shall have defined the term grace.
hard heart. God hardened Pharaoh's heart and He did so                                                                 G. M.  0.
by means of His word which was preached to the king                                         ITo be Continued)


26                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   BE:lRER
                                         -           l"_.."^...--ll_l_..".--                           .-                   _..._. -^...-

dingen   antwoorden,  dat  je  mc juist het  tegrndecl had  ge-       :NLI,  is de overcenkomst niet  tretiend?   Maar  ik  zal je
schreven, dat alles  naar  wensch ging en dat  er  een zeer        met  dezc verhaaltjes niet langer  bezig houden.         Mijn
goede  geest heerschte onder de menschen. Je  ziet, hoe            brief wordt ook al weer lang genoeg en ik moet  maar
de menschen soms praten. Weet je wat die "goede  bran"             eindigen, want anders ben ik bang dat de Bearer hem
is waaruit gewoonlijk al dergelijke praatjes  voortkomen?          niet wil medenemen deze  keer.
Niets anders dan de wensch des hartcn  onzer  vijanden.               Heb je die drie preeken van Ds. H. J.  Griper al  aan-
Men wil gaarne, dat wij spoedig  mogen  stervcn.  Niet geschaft en gelezen? En ook de nieuwste pennevrucht
lang geleden  zeide iemand  tegen mij, dat heel de zaak wcl        van Prof.  L. Berkhof? Dat moet je vooral  doen.  fe
een einde zou hebben  als  ik-maar dood was. En  ik denk           kunt er veel uit leeren, vooral dat de waarheid niet zoo is,
dat de man het ook  we1  meende.                                   als zij die trachten voor te stellen. Schaf je dus die  uit-
      -41s men anders zoo nu en  clan eens hoort, wat de gaafjes  aan en maak er een beetje studie van. Dan hoop
menschen verhalen, staat men werkelijk verstomd.  Get              ik er de volgende maal nog eens op terug te komen en te
lang  geleden  was ik in Waupun, Wis. Ik heb daar  een             wijzen op al het leerzame van die werkjes.
avond  gepreekt en ook een avond  geaproken over de drie              Voorts,  amice,  houdt  goeden  moed. De Heere is met
punten.  Er was beide  malen een zeer goede opkomat.               ons en daarom hebben we niet te vreezen. En de Heere
En ik geloof, dat het niet lang zal duren, of we moeten in         kan niet zijn met eene  kerk, die  zoo  gruwelijk  alle  recht
die buurt ook een gemeente hebben. Doch wat ik zeggen vertrapt om hare getrouwe dienaren uit te werpen. De
wil,  toen ik over  de  drie  punten  had gesproken, en ik  op     naaste toekomst zal het  leeren.
punt  stand om weer te vertrekken, kwam er een man                    Mijne hartelijke groete  aan al de  breeders en zusters
naar  mij toe. Hij zeide, dat hij  Iezer was van de Stand- daar.
ard-Bearer, maar hij had een vraag. Men had hem daar
heel in Friesland, Wis., verteld, dat men in Eastern Ave.                                   Je broeder in Christus,
maar geen biddag gehouden had dit jaar, want ik had ge-                                                                H.  H.
zegd, dat alles  tech in Gods raad besloten was en dat we          - - -
                                                                      *) Leven  van H. De Cock, door H. DF Cock, p. 56.
dus niet meer behoefden te bidden ! Is `t niet kostelijk,
amice? Een ander vroeg mij niet lang  geleden,  of het
volgende  geval, dat men hem  als waar verteld had,  wer-          THE PELAGIAN VIEW OF FREE-WILL, SIN AND
kelijk had  plaats gehad. Pk was bij een vrouw op  kran-                                     GRACE
kenbezoek geweest. Er was daar ook een kind bij het bed                                         I V
der kranke, dat  toen ik met de vrouw sprak ondeugend                 In our previous articles we have discussed the  Pela-
was en daarom de slaapkamer uit werd gezonden. Toen                gian views of free-will and sin. In this article we pur-
ik met de kranke zou bidden, wilde  moeder het kind terug          pose to discuss the Pelagian view of grace.
roepen,   doch ik had gezegd:  "Och, vrouw,  dat zou ik               It has already been pointed out previously that the
maar niet doen, het kind is tech maar een verworpelinge."          Pelagian view of grace is indissolubly connected with
`Vele  van die praatjes en  vooral het laatste  verhaaltje         the  Pelagian view of free-will. Hence. `we are not real&
doen mij  denken   aan den tijd van  13. De Cock.  Neem            discussing an entirely new essential thing when we dis-
het  volgende  staaltje als een  voorbeeld ter vergelijking : cuss the Pelagian view of grace. The one is given with
"Men verhaalt dat voor eenige weken  zeker kandidaat, bij          the other.
den heer De Cock een bezoek  afleggende en gedurende                  We have found that Pelagius consented to repudiate
hetzelve, in een andere kamer, een klein kind zonder  op-          the seven points of Caelestius, by which act  Pelagius
houden erbarmelijk hoorende schreien, eindelijk vraagde :          repudiated points which belonged to his own  theologrcal
Maar miens kind is dat  tech. dat daar zoo  onophoudelijk          position. We wondered at this deed of Pelagius. For
schreit? En waarop De Cock ten antwoord zou gegeven                by repudiating points of his own theological position he
hebben  :                                                          revealed himself as a man who lacked moral integrity.
      "Dat is een van onze krnderen.  Maar laat het  schreeu-      We tried to answer the question: What induced  Pela-
wen ! Wij storen ons daar niet  aan: het is  tech een  ver-        gius to act in this manner with respect to points which
doemelinge."   *)                                                  he himself must have held dear? However, when we
      Of neem het  volgende  praatje, dat er van hem  rond-        compared this deed of Pelagius with the deeds of learned
ging.                                                              men living in the present day, our surprise  is  somewhat
      "De predikant De Cock eens een zijner leerlingen op          lessened. At least the act of Pelagius is rendered more
den  weg  cmtmoetende.   .\-raagde hem : maar  waarom  zijt        believable.
gij de laatste keer niet in de katechisatie geweest? Wel,             When we proceed to discuss `the idea of grace which,
Domine!  zeide de jongen, omdat het weer  aan de  prae-            Pelagius entertained, then we must be prepared to receive
destiuatie toe was, en ik dat tech niet begrijpen kan. Hoe,        a shock. The possibility exists that  Pelagius repudiated
hernam de Domine, kun je die nog niet begrijpen? Onze              fundamental points of his own  theologica1  position
lieve Heer handelt juist net zoo met de menschen als een           because he was not convinced of their truth. But with
boer met een nest  vol jonge honden; die de boer niet hou-         reference to his conception of grace, we must conclude
den wil verzuipt hij . . . . . " *)                                that he acted dishonestly. Pelagius assumes the  sem-


                                                            T H E   STAND.%RD   B E A R E R                                                                               27
I-~ ^__... I I.._....._....................,....      -        __L__  ._.. -...-_l-"-  ..-..--            -  .-....  --..-".ll__l-."".--  I-----.__  -----  ..-_............-
blance  of a coward and a cheat, the more we study him . will of man is prone to e\-ii onI\-. Sever willing to chonsc
and his theology. Historians which we have consulted for the good!
do not hesitate to affirm that Pelagius used the term                                                `We may admit that man has retained a formal free-
Grace in an ambiguous way. That he was decidedly                                                  will. That is, that man can will, and that man is respon-
dishonest in his use of the term. There is claimed to sible for his deeds. That man has a wfll with which to
be a two-fold ambiguity present in his use of the term.                                           will. That man can still will. But Pelagius has no
We quote one historian who says : There is an intentional                                         Scriptural grounds whatever for calling this ability  fo
ambiguity, resorted to by him as a method  of defense                                             will, Grace. If man no longer has a will with which he
in-,~,~q:e&&&e   .accusations of his opponents.                                                   can will, then we no longer have a man. It belongs  to
     `-X&s  tieed not surprise ! It  is surprising that a man                                     the being of man to have a will with which to will.  It
who earnestly preached the necessity and possibility of is wrong to believe that God would create a man without
an upright life should resort to such trickery. But it is                                         the ability to will. God would simply not create a  7nulz
not surprising to find that a man who has the wrong if He should create such a creature. That is to say. no
conception of grace which he vigorously tries to defend, human being.
should be forced to resort to an ambiguous use of the                                                But Pelagius called the gift of free-will, which does
term. History shows many a repetition of this occur- not exist in any human being after the fall of  Aclam into
rence. For God has taken care in revealing His will unto sin, Grace. He believed that every man, woman and
us that when man distorts His truths and attempts to child was endowed with a free-will, always able to choose
defend them, at the same time pretending to derive such                                           for the good or the evil. Pelagius' view of grace is never
distorted truths from the Bible. that men dig themselves a reality. For after sin entered this world, there has
a bigger mound of difficulties than they can ever hope been  n? human being who was endowed with such a
to remove by their thinking labors. Wrong views can free-will as Pelagius supposed to exist in the bosom of
never be maintained by honest means of defense! This every human being.
is certainly evident from the life of Pelagius. ,4nd if we                                           But how about the existence of the ability in man
had time and space this fact could also be shown from                                             whereby he still has a formal free-will? `Whereby he
other events in history.                                                                          still has a will with which to will? Is not that  formal
        Let us look at the Pelagian view of grace and then                                        free-will a gift of God's Grace?
make a comparison.                                                                                   Let it be remembered that with this  formal-free-wili
        Sometimes it appears as if Pelagius had very much man can only choose for the evil.  -4nd if God took this
the same conception of  Dil-ine Grace as Augustine.  .4 ability away from men there would bc no men left. Then
Divine Grace which is the sole working power for the                                              God would be destroying His own handiwork. That
salvation of man. PL Divine Grace thoroughly Biblical. God providentially provides man with those qualities
But upon closer scrutiny this is not the case. True.  Pela-                                       whereby he is man, you would perhaps call Grace. This
gius at times admitted that for the acceptance of the idea the exponents of the theory of common grace also
Gospel promise the aid of Divine Grace is necessary.                                              believe. The fact that God sustains human `beings  w
But his conception of grace is so elastic and so  many-                                           that they remain human beings they call evidence  of
sided that Pelagius could almost attribute anything to God's common grace.
grace and could permit that it receive almost  any imag-                                             Let us in this connection remember that according
inable thing for content.                           But all along the Pelagian to the Bible grace leads to salvation. "By grace are  ye
conception  of grace was essentially different from the saved through faith." The gracious gift of God is ever-
Augustinian idka of grace as well as the Biblical idea lasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Grace leads
of grace.  t2t times Augustine himself was baffled and                                            to eternal communion and friendship with the  .4lmighty
found it difficult to determine the Pelagian  view of Triune God. Out of pure grace God has included us
Grace. Sometimes he believed Pelagius to be quite ortho-                                          in His Own Son, who was sent to be a propitiation for
dox.  :But the more Pelagius wrote and spoke: and the all our sins.                                                And in Jesus Christ, the Head of the
more he opposed the Augustinian view of grace, the                                                Church, we are chosen from before the foundation of the
more it dawned upon Augustine that the Pelagian view world, so that we should be holy and unblamable before
of grace really had room for nothing else than the  so-                                           God in love. Through Jesus Christ we exist to "the
called `natural endowment of free-will. This free-will, praise of the glory of God's grace. All they who have
ability to choose for good or evil at any time and  under                                         been chosen in the Redeemer and  ;%dvocate  with the
any and all circumstances, was the free  g-ift of God to                                          Father. Out of pure grace the Father has given His
men. But affirming this gift of free-will to he grace, so                                         Son to be redemption and wisdom and sanctification for
Augustine means nothing at all.                                                                   all those for whom He laid down Ris life. By grace
        In the first place, it is not true that all men  have this the "promised redemption" is translated out of darkness
gift of free-will. +4t the most  -Adam  may be said to into the marvelous light.
have had the liberty  of choice. But  lfter  .4dam's fall                                            The fundamental notion of grace in the Bible is that
into sin, there is no man. except Jesus  Christ, who could it leads to salvation and to the blessed inheritance of  the
choose for the good. .?tfter   ;\dam's fall into sin, the saints. Something entirely different from the Pelagian


28         -._---                        T H E   STAKDelRD   H E A R E R

view of grace. Also something entirely  diRerent from of the biblical idea of grace. They are blasphemous.
the view of grace which the theory of common  -.$-ace             They rob one of his God.
brings to the foreground.                                            True, grace does have connection with the  natura1
       Never should  vve justify the Pelagian view of grace. endowments and privileges of mankind, but grace should
Nor the theory of common grace. It is erroneous  to never be  ident'ified   with the substance of natural and
say that there is a natural ambiguity in the term Grace,          human endowments  Or  gifts. Grace does work through
because of the different meanings of which the term is all the human qualities for the people of God. It, grace,
capable, and because of the different meanings which has those gifts and privileges to men as so many  means
Scripture gives to the term. This idea, that Scripture            through which it is working, but  graceliV~~of'?d'e~ti~dl
teaches more than one kind of Divine Grace is pregnant with these means. For the curse of God  likewis~iorks
with danger. And when the term grace is used in Scrip-            through the natural gifts and privileges of man unto  .the
ture, the meaning can always he ascertained from the              reprobation of men.
context. But never is it used to convey the same idea                The grace of God can even be given by means of
of Grace as the Pelagians held.  Kor is it ever used to privations.            By the removal of gifts and privileges.
designate a providential work of God whereby sin and              God's grace  is  not only active and imparted when it
Satan are restrained from robbing humanity of its essen- works through and goes accompanied with the natural
tial human qualities. The conception of the term Grace, endowments of men, but also when these natural gifts
n. 1. that the word or idea is capable of a multiplicity of and privileges are taken away. Thus when God takes
meanings is precisely too  pre,gnant  with danger to be away the frail bodies of His children, then they receive
entertained or taught. This whole idea lies at the foot the deprivation of the body as a token of the graciousness
of  Pelagianism.  This idea has played pranks with too of God. And Christians are not appointed only to enjoy
many men in history and the bitter fruits of these pranks in this world but also to suffer for the cause of Christ,
have been only too evident in the history of the Chris- and thereby to receive the gift of God's grace to the full.
tian Church.                                                      So it is with chastisements which God sends His people.
                                                                     I am always delighted with a certain old gentleman
       Neither is ambiguity with respect to the term grace        in this western country when he prays in the presence
to be considered excusable and unavoidable.           Nature      of his enemies:  "Lord,  show us Thy grace. Give us that
surely should never be regarded as grace. It is true that which we should be deprived of." Also do I remember
the formal free-will which man possesses is the gift of which we should be deprived of. "Also do I remember
God. But Satan also has a will and his will too, has              the quarrel which two members of the Christian Re-
been given him by God.          Otherwise Satan could and         formed Church had in Grand Rapids, Michigan, one day
would not be Satan. He would not exist as Satan. But last autumn. One said to the other: "This is the grace
surely no one would call Satan's ability to will the gift         of God when He not only gives me all that I need so
of God's grace. \t'hy then should we consider the ability         that I may serve Him, but also when He takes away
to will on man the gift of God's grace? Nature itself, and what hinders me in serving Him."
all the other powers and gifts received from God are not             But let us also remember that God brings and allows
necessarily the gifts of God's grace in the Biblical sense        His curse to  tvork in exactly the same way. God gives
of the term. Pharaoh was endowed with great riches, gifts to reprobates. They use them not to His glory.
and he must have been a man of undaunted courage                  Then they work His curse and condemnation. He also
when God visited his country with a variety of grewsome           sends them deprivations. They murmur because of these
plagues. But the gift of courage, granted by God to               deprivations. Thus they work God's curse and condem-
Pharaoh, which Pharaoh repeatedly revealed when one nation. Hence, the Grace or Curse of God does not as
plague followed another and he refused to let God's               such exist in the reception of various natural gifts or
people depart, was by no means grace to Pharaoh. On               privileges of God, nor as such in the deprivations which
the contrary ! It was the very gift of God by which               He sends, but in the attitude which God assumes with
Pharaoh's heart could be hardened.                                respect to His various creatures. To the one He is grac-
       Neither did the privilege of being priests in the times    ious `and allows His grace to work through-gifts and
of Malachi prove to be grace of God to those priests. through-deprivations. Another God hates, and He allows
This privilege was unquestionably the gift of God. Rut            His curse to work through-gifts and deprivations.
God  sends His prophets to these priests to tell them                In the final analysis, election and reprobation as de-
that these privileges will be accursed to them.  Tvould           crees with God, determine to whom God is gracious and
you dare to call gifts of God that work curse the gift to whom He sends His curse.
of  God's  Grace? Yet this is what Pelagians virtually               The Pelagian view that the gift of free-will  is  the
did. This is what the exponents of common grace must content of the term Grace is nonsense. xt is a very super-
come to. They must in the final  anaIysis come to a               ficial view. Just so it is with the theory of common
grace of God which curses. Can you find this idea of grace. It is sheer nonsense.
grace in Scripture anywhere? No, do not even try. For                Do not contend that I am unfair to Pelagians when
 these conceptions of grace are worse than a caricature 1 include other gifts, besides the  gift of free-will, in the


                                                                   T H E              S T A i`2 D _\ R D    I3 E  =f R E R                                                      29
                --- -_- ___^_.^  -- .._ - ----.--_---.  - ..-.....................                                            ^...._"    .._. -    --....  "--  ^          -     -
Pclagian   view  of grace. They did not contend that the Besides, the prophets did not hide what the future held
Grace  CJf  God was  chie;lfy  manifested in the gift of  frce-                                      in  store for the seed of  ;ibraham.                13y all these  \-Ltrious
will, but they did not exclude other natural endowments. `gifts the Israelites were singularly blessed and shared in
The Grace of Pelagians is capable of just  as much much grace from Jehovah. So the Pelagians  reasoned.
stretching as you desire.                        Not only were those gifts                              But God did not forget to be gracious unto the Gen-
included in the term Grace,  .by which men are human                                                 tiles. Nor did the Jews  have  to remain contented with
beings, in distinction from animals, but  they also included                                         their share of God's grace. Christ came to the Jews first
all other privileges which men have in this world in their of all. He walked amongst the Jews doing good, healing
conception  df Grace. Everything was Grace. The food the sick, restoring the blind and the maimed. `He kept
men eat, the water they drink, the books they read, the                                              the Law of God in every particular.  :!nd throughout
homes they live in. All is Grace. In this respect they                                               His life He intensified the stimulus given with the Law
were consistent enough. If the gift of free-will is Grace. of God. But He did not  r&t there. His grace also was
then the gift of sight, of hearing, etc., must also be                                               very abundant to the Jews in stimulating the consciences
Grace. "We would be unfair if we judged that  Pelagius                                               of men by allowing them to see the Grace of a Perfect
refused to recognize any gift  of Divine assistance orer man. Now the Jews certainly knew how to walk in the
and above the endowments of the moral nature as it                                                   ways of the Lord. iZnd having this Perfect Pattern
came from the Creator's hand."                                                                       before them they could the more easily choose for the
    But the Pelagians make some  very interesting dis- paths of Jehovah by exercising their free-wills.
tinctions which we should note in this connection. Pela-                                                In this great gift of Jesus to mankind the heathens
gians noticed that all men do not receive the same gifts.                                            also shared. They also received the Grace of a perfect
Some men  have one kind of culture. Others another.                                                  pattern in Jesus. For by the ministry of the apostles
One person revels in and enjoys his civilization. -4nother who travelled far and wide, the heathens likewise shared
rc\-els in and enjoys the civilization of  hG own making. in the blessed evangel of the Risen  Lor'd. All men that
Some people  have  the Law of God as  rel-ealed  through heard this Gospel certainly would find it easier to walk
Moses. Others do not.  Some  have read the prophets., after  God's Will. For witness the abundance and the
Others have  nnt. Some have heard the evangel of our richness of the gracious gift of God unto them.
blessed Lord Jesus. But many millions have not. The
Pelagians were almost forced to make some graceful dis-                                                 All who now hear the gospel receive the grace of
tinctions in their gracious Grace, when the human
                           .                                                                  eye    God. The preaching of the Risen and Glorified Redeemer
saw these differences amongst. men. All men were the and the salvation which there is in Him is God's grace
recipients of Grace. But some men had received more                                                  co them. Of course, if man do not heed this Gospel. with
than others.                                                                                         all its commands and demands, and with its stimulative
                                                                                                     force for the consciences, then men are to blame. They
    Hence. 1'~lagians   soon interested themselves in do not use their free-will  aright.  They do not choose
attempting  to determine just how much grace some peo- for the good. They abuse the'grace of God. They abuse
ple received, rrnd in the amount of grace that others                                                their free will. They abuse their stimulated consciences.
could receive. The Jews had received the Law of God They abuse all the  <gifts of grace.
by  l-e\-elation.  This the heathens had not received. Hence.
the Jews had received more grace than the surrounding                                                   It is absolutely left to man to be  saved.  No  &her
heathen nations living around Palestine. What good this way of salvation than  b>- the correct exercise of the grace
grace could be for the Jews the Pelagians also could say.                                            of God. Than by the correct exercise of the free-will of
The Jews were human beings with consciences having man. No, do not  try to inject the still higher grace of the
the gift of free-will. Now the grace which was imparted Spirit, at this point, to off-throw the force of the argu-
to them when God gave them the  .Law did not mean                                                    mentation here. It is true that the Pelagians admitted
\`er>- much if the Jews refused to exercise their so-called                                          the  elristence of a still higher grace which consisted
free-will in the right direction. But the gift of the  Law                                           therein that the Holy Spirit of God inspired men,  hring-
assisted  "t-he voice of conscience by the stimulus of oral                                          ing with His inspiration inward enlightenment and
instruction.`" There was one more thing in their life strength not only to the mind but to the heart, by the
nhich told them about the way in which God desired                                                   call not of law but of love. Yes, very true, indeed. But
to have people walk. This one more thing the heathens                                                this inspiring Holy Spirit, enlightening mind and heart
lacked, because they had not the Law of God through                                                  did not determine the action of the free-will of man.
34oses.                                                                                              Man's free-will is at all times supreme. Superior to all
                                                                                                     the forces of grace and superior to every Divine working
   But the Jews did not  only receive the Law. They                                                  Person or energy.
also received an explanation of that Law by the many
prophets which God sent to Israel with His Divine reve-                                                 In salvation, man takes the initial step. Man is the
lations.    ;ind the clearer the language in which the supreme initial motive force by which man acquires sal-
prophets spoke, the greater stimulus of oral instruction                                             vation. The initial step is always taken by man. The
which  assister  the consciences, did the Israelites receive.                                        Grace of God and even the highest Grace of God may


30                                      T H E   S T A N  D-4R.D                   CEAKER
--_._         -,..-_--.. _- .._ -                    -    -       -                    --.-.........-._ -"- .._-.....  "--- _II__

render stimulative energy here and there. but never in a               1-h-. Kuyper,  Sr. did.         Ail  belie\-et-s   i n   any kind  of  a
`way which deprives man of the  glory  of his  own saving              Grace that is supposed to be  common did. ,411 those
ambitions. By no means!                                                that believe in  a non-saving Grace which God is sup-
      However, Pelagius does not seem to have been                     posed to show unto His creatures in general did.  :iili
altogether certain concerning this last point.  His fol-               these belong to  one and the same family. There  ma?
lowers, however, knew very  ,well what they believed. be formal differences between them. But  essentiall!
They gave man all the credit of saving himself. This they  all hold to the same fundamental principle.  Please
is  very  evident from the propositions which later councils           read the following Dutch quotations carefully :  "Voor  ons
attributed to Pelagianism as a system.          `But Pelagius onderwerp is  vail  groote beteckenis,  welke   gedachte
himself, never cherished the idea of preaching the exist-              Pelagius huldigde ten opzichte  van de  genade.  Deze
ence of this higher Grace  of the Spirit. He deemed the kan hij niet in  schriftuurlijkfin.  met het welbehagen Gods
preaching of the higher Grace of the Spirit very  unwlsc overeenstemmenden, zin  verstaan, omdat hij de algeheele
and inadvisable. Thus, though Pelagius may have been verdorvenheid en  onmacht van den mensch  loochent: en
reticent with respect to the efficacy  of this higher Grace, de genade is dan ook voor hem iets geheel anders dan
in practice he proved to be a malicious perverter of the               wat de apostel bedoelt, las deze zegt: uit genade zijt gij
truth. Pelagius was inclined to keep the doctrine of the               zalig geworden. Volgens Pelagius bestaat de genade in
higher Grace of the Spirit in the background. He has                   niets anders  clan in de  ,mogelijkheid  van het goede te
affirmed this repeatedly.       He deemed the preaching willen  . . . . . . D a t   k u n n e n   is het  genadebewijs   Gods.
thereof inimical to the pursuit of practical and adequate, Die toerusting met den  vrijen  wil is `s Heeren gunst.
motives to righteous action, and as  encouragirqg  confi- waarbij dan  nug  komt, dat God  aan dat kunnen nog een ,
dence in a salvation bestowed without personal effort.                 steunsel heeft  toegel-oegd.  En dat steunsel bestaat in
"Conseyuentl?-  he thought it a  dut!. to  den>l the necessity         de zedewet en in de leer en in hct voorbeeld  van Christus,
of particular spiritual Grace in the observance  elf the waarin  de weg ten  leven  gewezen  wordt,   doch verder en
i)i\-ine  Law and in the practice of  virtue."                         dieper   reikt de genade niet.              Van een  ontferming  in
                                                                       Jezus  Christus  is  geen sprake. en heel de religie gaat bij
      One little quotation  w-e desire to insert here, "so, too, hem op in het volbrengen van de nieuwe  wet. die in  her:
he contended that the innate discernment between right N. T. is geopenbaard."
and wrong, the preaching  of the  Divine  Will. the remis-
sion of sins, and the model  of Christ's conduct, one as                   "Bij dit  slier  btjjt  cr  ~iroor  dr  praedestinatie   gcpn  plaats
well as the other were included in the idea of Grace.`"                over."'
                                                                           "Wie  op deze  wijze de genade  serzwnkt en ontzielt.
      Against this Pelagian  view of grace in general and en de vrijheid en  zelfstandigheid  ;.an den mensch  h,and-
especially against the last quotation our fathers at Dordt             haaft, kan niet  v-asthouden   aan den absoluten raad en
directed the following : "There remain, however, in man het eeuwig welbehagen Gods . . _ .  _ clan is er geen prae-
since the  fall: the glimmerings of natural light, whereby destinatie  meer."
he retains some knowledge  of God,  <If natural things.
and of the  difierence  betlvecn good and eril, and dis-                   "Dan beschikt (;od niet meer over  den mensch."
covers some regard for  virtue. gcod order in society. and                 "Dan ligt de beslissing in onze  handen,  en moet God
for maintaining an orderly external deportment. But so                 Zich regelen naar onze goede  daden.-En  zoo  Isalt alle
far is this light of nature from being sufficient to bring scmvereniteit  en  vrijmacht  weg."
him to a saving knowledge of  Go& and to true conver-                      "Zoo  verdraait Pelagius de Shrift."
sion! that he is incapable of using it  aright even in things
natural and civil.  Kay further, this light, such as it is.                "Hij  tracht  op alle manier  aan Gods welbehagen  tr
man in various  wa?-s  renders wholly polluted. and holds ontkomen. --~  Om  aan  `s menschen  I-rijheid   te kunncn
it in unrighteousness,  by doing  .yhich he becoines  inex-            blijven vasthouden. daat men de  I-olstrekte  vrijmacht  en
cusablc before  GML  " (Canons, III, IV,  3j                           souvereiniteit Gods over  alle  dingen  los, en  offert  013
                                                                       deze wijze God aan clen mensch op."
      Pelagians called this "natural light, such as it is"
Grace. The exponents of the  theor>:  of common grace,                     Exactly! To maintain the free-will theory of  Pela-
also call the gifts by which man is and remains man,                   gianism, it is necessary to deny the decree of election.
Grace. But  ?>ur Synod of Dordt was far from calling And with it goes the denial of the decree of reprobation.
this Grace. The Synod  of Dordt refused to call that God becomes dependent on man.
which tends to condemnation and everlasting punish-                        The Pelagians come to  still other difficulties.  Pela-
ment, Grace. .And  they had good biblical grounds for gians teach that God has decided to offer a certain  Graces
doing as they did. They realized that all the gifts of in the general offer of salvation to all  .fallen men. For
God to natural men, gifts  by which they are and remain                proof texts the Pelagians refer to such texts in which the
men, that all the external privileges. deeds of men, respect word  ail or the word  worM  appears. John  3:16 is often
for good order in society. discernment between right and referred to. For God so loved the world that He gave
wrong. were in themselves  nu mark of God's grace. Nor His only Begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in
of  God's gracious attitude  to thern. Rut  Felagius did. Him, should not perish but have everlasting life. Ezekiel


                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D  BE-"IRER
_-_, - ._ - .-.-- -."- ._.. -._--" .._                          . .._ -._,lll__  _._.                                                                37
                                                                                                    ____"-"-.-
33  :11 should not be forgotten in this connection. "Say forerunners of those men in history, who by their various
unto them.  ,4s  I live, saith the Lord God, I have no                 kinds  bf Grace have deceived the pious ones in the
pleasure in the death of the wicked  ; but that the wicked             Church of God. We, today, must battle for the Biblical
turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your                 doctrine of Grace because men assert the existence of
evil  .ways;  for why will ye die,  0 house of Israel?"                more than one kind of Grace.                     Pelagians made their
1 Tim.  2:4 is also referred to. "Who will have all men                mistake by giving the term a significance of their own.
to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of  tF%                    `They have not reckoned with the Scriptural use of the
truth."  1 John  52 is also often used.                                term. Giving the term Grace a meaning which caused
         In passing we should see that the Synod of Kalama-            the Pelagian preachers to preach the glories of the nat-
zoo also uses Ezekiel 33  :11 to prove the same thing ural man, thinking that by doing so, they were indeed
which the Pelagians attempt to prove with this text.                   praising the Grace of God. Pelagius often began his
Namely, that God reveals to all men that He desires to                 sermons with a praise of the gifts of natural man. True
save them. The Pelagians say that God has decided to                   13iblical Grace causes preachers  t? act entirely different.
offer  all men a sufficient preparatory grace whereby all              Man does not receive the glory. But God must receive
men can be  saved.                                                     the glory.
         But the Pelagians come to a very serious difficulty.               We end with a quotation from Bavinck.  "Veel  verder
Just as well as all parties do when they broach similar                dan een zijner voorgangers week Pelagius van de leer
ideas. It is simply not true that God has revealed His der genade af; hij  verliet den Christelijken grondslag,
will to save all men and to offer them all a preparatory               waarop zij  allen  nog stonden en vernieuwde het  zelfge-
Grace.  ReaIit>-  teaches a different thing. The Gospel                noegzaam  principe der Heidensche wijsbegeerte,  bepaar-
                                                                       delijk van de Stoa.  -
is known to a small portion of humanity. The prepara-                                                      Het Christendom verloor zijn
                                                                       absolute beteckenis."
tory Grace and the preaching of the Gospel are not held
in common by all men. Hence, the decision of God can-                       Pelagianism robs us of the theistic  view  of God.  Al1
not be known to all men.                                               Pelagians are Deists, because of their Rationalism.
         But Pelagians find a way out by stating that the law                                                                             B .   J.  D .
which is written in the heart of man, also has been given
as a  way unto salvation. And that men, by walking in
the precepts of this law in the hearts of  men?  can also              TER VERWELKOMING VAN DS. B.  J. DANHOF
come to true ex-erlasting  life. The light which the Gospel                    DOOR DE GEMEENTE TE HULL, IOWA
brings is a brighter presentation  cJf  the future  glor>-!  but                         `t  Is onze God, Die  "t al regeert,
also the natural light of man leads to heaven.                                           Die zijnen knecht, door  ens begeerd,
         But this distinction which the Pelagians make is no                               V o o r s p o e d i g   w i l d e   zenden.
way out of the  dift`iculty.  The question naturally arises:                             Hij kent het  doe1 van  onzen   wensch:
\VhJ- is it that some people must be satisfied with the                                  Dat hij den Christus, niet den mensch.
law of natural light and why may others receive the light                                  Gods volk hier  mocht  T-erkonden.
of the Gospel? The Gospel clearly reveals that salvation
 is  given by no other name under heaven than by the                                     Stel  daartoe, Vader. hem in  staat,
name of Jesus. Jesus alone is the Way, the Truth. and                                    Schenk hem  uw Geest in ruime  maat
the Life.                                                                                  En  krachten  om te werken.
         Pelagians have always affirmed that God comes with                              Geef hem  veel  ziels- en lichaamskracht,
His general                                                                              `t Geschreven Woord zij zijne  macht,
                   (:Jffer   of salvation unto all men, and that He
.-  f
gives to each and every man the ability to choose for                                      Doe hem uw' bijstand merken.
the good and to accept His grace. But God does no
mor in the salvation of men. It is up to each individual                                 En geef, dat hij een  langen tijd
to believe or not to believe. In this way the will of man                                Ons klein  getal verstandig leid',
determines whether the call of the Gospel shall bear fruit,                                En  uw  gebobn ons  leere.
yes or no. This is virtually a denial of the absolute                                    Dan  zullen  wij,  schoon thans miskend,
doctrines of predestination and reprobation.                                             Ras  aan  uw' dienst weer zijn  gewend,
         We would not go as far as some men who say that                                   Weer wand'len in  uw'  vreeze;
 Pelagians denied the existence of Grace. In a strict
sense this may be so. But historically this is not true.                                 T.n  Iiefd' en censgezindheid saam,
They did believe in a Grace of God. Pelagius affirmed                                    Ter eere uwes grooten Naams,
 the existence of Grace repeatedly. But it would have                                      Elkanders welzijn zoeken.
 been far better for him and his kind if fhey had denied                                 Dat ook de jeugd getrouw mag zijn, l
 the existence of Grace. For by asserting the existence of                               De jongens, meisjes, groot en  klein,
 Divine Grace in the way that they did, they became the                                    In  `t Woord te  onderzoeken.


