I                                                                                                                                                               `~
                244                                                                  jrE:E  ST~YNDDRRD.   B E A R E R
                _II_ ,..    ._" . -_-." .-._____.  - ..__"..." ..." ..ll....___llll........................  ^ ._.. ^^ ._ ^".^ ..." .---__..... ..--_-__.__           -___
                                NIMROD, THE  MIGHTY  REBEL                                                                    nations, descendants from Ham. First of all we read:
                                                                                                                              "And the sons of Ham: Cush,  Mtzraim  and Put and
                       Genesis XI narrates an event that took place shortly Canaan," vs. 6. Thereupon  we are informed that the sons
                after the  i-load  and which, however briefly it is told in of Cush were Seba and Havillah and Sabtah and Raamah
                the Word of God, is nevertheless of great significance.                                                      and Sabteca. And the sons of Raamah we are told
                We refer, of course, to the history of  Shin&s valley, were Sheba and Dedan, vs. 7. And lastly we read in
                the attempt to establish a grand, all-embracing world                                                         vs. 8: "And Cush begat Nimrod; he  ,began to be a
                empire, with a strong centralized power at the head;                                                          mighty one in the earth."               Of him we read further:
          I'    the miraculous intervention of  the Most High, whereby "He was a mighty hunter before Jehovah: wherefore it
     I          He frustrated the undertaking of the sinful race, confus- is said:  ILike Nimrod, a mighty  huntei  before Jehovah.
                ing their language and separating them into various And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech
                tribes or nations. To the significance of this event we and Accad and Calneh in the land of Shinar. Out of that
                will have to call attention. Before we do so, however land he went forth into Assyria  (this is probably the best
                it will be important to consider first of all what we'read                                                   rendering of the original text) and builded  Nineveh and
                in the tenth chapter of the same book of Holy Scripture. Rehoboth-Ir and Calah and Resen between Nineveh and
                In that chapter we read of Nimrod, the mighty one, who Calah  (the same is the great city)."
                is called a hunter before Jehovah, whose might and power                                                           This record of Nimrod is certainly as full of interest
                became proverbial in his days, and of whom we are told                                                       as it is brief. Our attention is called  fii-st of all to the
                that he founded the beginning of his kingdom in the                                                          name itself. It is derived from a word that means to
                plain of Shinar, the very plain or valley >vhere took place                                                  disobey, to revolt, to rise in rebellion. The name  Nim-
                the building of the tower of Babel  a'nd the confusion                                                       rod, then, refers to one that rises in revolt, that rebels.
                of tongues. For, whatever view one may prefer of  *the                                                       If we may surmise that the name was given him by his
                relation between these two chapters, whether one con-. contemporaries in connection with what he revealed in
                siders the events of chapter ten as prior or posterior to                                                    his life,  pf his character and makeup, we may draw the
                those of chapter eleven, that there is relation between                                                      conclusion, that some event or events in his life  made
                Nimrod,, the Mighty One, and the events concentrating                                                        him worthy of the name he bore. In connection with
                around the building of the great city and tower cannot                                                       this name it is, indeed, noteworthy that in the narrative
                be a matter of doubt.                                                                                        of Scripture his name is mentioned separately, apart
                     This Nimrod is a very interesting figure. Scripture                                                     from his brethern, the  sons. of Cush. These latter are
                devotes but few sentences to him, but these are  preg'i                                                      mentioned first, but the name of Nimrod is not men-
                nant with significance and quite sufficient to character-                                                    tioned among them, though he also called Cush his
                ize him as a figure of universal significance. He appears father.                                                             Even the second generation is mentioned in
                to have been the first one, whose imagination seems to                                                       Sheba and Dedan before this last son of Cush, the mighty
                have been set  aiire by the ideal of world-power, and in                                                     Nimrod is recorded. Especially if we take this in con-
                a sense, all the mighty men of this world, aiming at                                                         nection with his name, and with the power and  fame
                universal power have copied after him. The attempt to                                                        that is ascribed to him, the conjecture is not too bold,
                reali'ze  some such ideal, to organize all the world, all the                                                that this Nimrod revolted against the authority of his
                nations of the world into one mighty empire, to unite father's house and tribe, and  deve!oped  a power and
                all the forces of the world and marshal1 all the means                                                       authority all his own. He probably refused to submit
                and talents, all the power and genuis of the whole world himself to patriarchal authority. Besides, for his person-
                &to  on& grand kingdom, is never entirely  absenl  from ality the limits of the family and the tribe were too nar-
                the stage of history. *It always appears and reappears ;ow for him. Within them he could not expand and
                in some form or another. Kow it is the attempt of men                                                        develop. He revolted. He arose in rebellion against the
                of personal genius and power, who are able by the mag-                                                      conventional relations that had heretofore subsisted and
                netism of their person to fascinate multitudes and bring left his father's house. And thus he, perhaps, did not
                them under the spell of their genius, to subdue and con-                                                    inherit with his brethren, and is not mentioned with them
                quer the world by main force ; now  ,it is the movement                                                     in the same connection. s He did not become the head of
                of federation that is in the air, and that aims at  practi-                                                 any particular tribe. And perhaps he would never have
           tally the same ideal, one grand world-power.                                                    And if been mentioned in the record at all, had it not been for
                to-day the world  stands  in the sign of universal federa-                                                  rhe fact,, that he originated something new in authority
                tion, it is oniy a proof that this Nimrod-spirit, though                                                    and power. He began to be a mighty one in the earth.
                hitherto it could never realize its ideal, stilt is not dead.                                               Heretofore there had been no mighty ones in the world.
                but ever striving to reach its objective, a glorious uni-                                                   There had been the common patriarchal and tribal
                versal world-empire.                                                                                        authority, but beyond these Iimits no one had distin-
                                                                                                                            guished himself. He gained great power and fame, which
                     Let us investigate what the word of God  reveal.5                                                      transgressed the boundaries of the tribe and the family,
                of this  Kimrod  of old..                                                                                   and became in a measure universal. Hjs nahe, tlierefore,
                     Gen.  X  oEers us a genealogy of various tribes and is mentioned separately. Revolting against the common


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      established order of things, he surpassed all his brethren    him in such a light. He thinks that Nimrod was "a furi-
     in power and became the Cushite par excellence.                ous man and approximated to beasts rather than to men.
         Calvin gives the following description of Nimrod: The expression `Eefore the Lord' seems to me to declare
     "Moses relates the singular history of his son (of  Gush)      that Nimrod attempted to raise himself above the order
      Nimrod, because he began to be eminent in an unusual          of men; just as proud men become transported by a vam
     degree. Moreover, I thus interpret the passage, that the       self-confidence, that they may look down from the clouds
     condition of men was at that time moderate; so that if         upon others." But it seems to me, that this picture  i:j
     some excelled others, yet they did not on that account         partly in error. It is true, that when we read in Scrip-
     domineer, nor assume  to-  themseIves  royal power; but        ture, that Nimrod was a mighty hunter before Jehovah,
     being content with  a degree of dignity, governed others       many commentators interpret this clause as referring to
     by civil laws, and had more of authority than power. For Nimrod's despotism over men.' He was, then, the terrible
     Justin, from Trogus Pompeius, declares this to have been       one, "de geweldige," who hunted men and shed much
     the most ancient condition of the world. Now Moses blood. And the last phrase of this sentence:  "before
     says, that Nimrod, as if forgetting that he was a man,         Jehovah" is then interpreted as meaning: against
     took possession of a higher post of honor. Noah was Jehovah. And, of course, if this is the proper interpreta-
     at that time yet living, and was certainly great and ven- tion we obtain a most terrible picture of  rhe man. The
     erable in the eyes of all. There were also other excellent whole clause may then be paraphrased in this manner:
     men; but such was their moderation that they cultivated        "Nimrod was a terrible hunter of men against the Lord."
     equality with their inferiors, who yielded them a spontan-     But it is also plain, that no such meaning is implied in
     eous rather than a forced reverence. The ambition of the text, neither is such an interpretation at all allowable.
     Nimrod disturbed and broke through the boundaries of As to the first part of this sentence, it ought to be per-
     this reverence.       Morever, since it sufficiently appears, fectly evident, that it expresses no man-hunting whatso-
     that, in this sentence of Moses, the tyrant is branded with    ever. It does not at all warrant the inference that  Nim-
     an eternal mark of infamy, we may hence conclude how           rod was a man of bloodshed, dreaded by his fellowmen,
     highly pleasing to God is a mild administration of affairs     before whom all the tribes of the earth trembled with
     among men. And truly, whosoever remembers that he              fear. Nor is such an  inferpretation  in harmony with
     is a man, will gladly cultivate the society of others."        what we know of those early and primitive times. On
      (Commentary on Genesis) With this description we              the contrary, everything is in favor of the interpretation
     substantially agree. Nimrod was a mighty man. He was           that Nimrod made it his task to protect human life by
     the mighty. He was known as such among his contem-             hunting wild animals. These were abounding. They often
     poraries, and his name and fame became proverbial. His constituted a real peril to human life and property. And
     might was something altogether peculiar and unique in          since the kings were looked upon as the protectors and
     the world of his day. His equal could not be found. He         benefactors of their people, they often became the mighty
     _ was a man, no doubt, of tremendous physical strength; hunters of these beasts, thus jeopardizing their lives in the
     so that no one could successfully oppose him in battle.        interest of humanity. Now if we take the text in its sim-
     He was also a person of great courage and his daring plest and most natural sense, we arrive at the conclusion
     exploits soon gained him a name among his fellowmen.           that Nimrod was the first of these great king-hunters,
     Neither is this all. Not only was he a person of great         perhaps even thus, that by his daring pursuits he gained
     strength and courage in the physical sense. He also his great kingdom and glorious crown. He was a man
     possessed no mean mental power. He was a genius. For of great strength. At the same time he was daring. `And
     he could organize and establish kingdoms. And although he began to employ his power for the benefit of humanity
     he revealed himself as a rebel among his brethern in the       by hunting and exterminating these wild animals, that
     family, because its boundaries were too narrow for his         were a danger to property and life.
     tremendous personality, yet he developed into the bene-           Nor, it seems to me, can the phrase "before Jehovah"
     factor of humanity in general in the worldly, humanistic       be interpreted as meaning "against Jehovah." The
     sense of the word. And thus he became a universally phrase in the original, one that very frequently occurs
     acknowleged genius, adored by all that came into contact       in the 0. T., means literally: before the face of the Lord.
      with him.                                                     Neither does it ever mean: in opposition to the  ILord.
         Nimrod, as we would say it today, was a humanist           Nor is it at all necessary to adopt such an interpretation
     of great power.                                                of the phrase here. True, we may believe that Nimrod
         In this latter respect we may perhaps draw Nimrod'T        was a man of the world, From a spiritual-ethical point
     picture somewhat different from the usual description          of view he was a godless man. He did not belong to the
     that is given of him. Especially the Dutch translation         seed of the woman. From all we read of him it becomes
     "de geweldige" tends to call before our imagination the        plain, that he is a real Cushite, a true spiritual son of
     picture of a terrible tyrant who by his overwhelming           Ham.       Hence, he did not intend to serve Jehovah in
     power and genius  lorded it over the rest of mankind,          spirit and in truth. But  even so it must be admitted, that
     groaning under his oppression. Even Calvin pictures            Nimrod was a servant of Jehovah, who could do nought


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     but fulfill  .God's: counsel. Cyrus and Nebuchadnezzar of                                           that calls itseif Christianity. It does not understand, that
     a later date are in this same sense servants of Jehovah                                             the world is guilty and condemned before the Most High,
     and called thus. In all that Nimrod did he lived and                                                and that upon the stage of rhe natural world the curse oi
     walked in the presence of, before the face of, under the                                            God is pronounced, On the contrary, it considers all
     supreme supervision of the Most High. Jehovah guarded                                               things in the light of a humanistic, evolutionary phiioso-
     his every step, controlled his every movement, decided                                              phy. It realizes, that the world as it now is, cannot be
     upon his every action. And although Nimrod may have                                                 called perfect or considered ideal. There is much imper-
     aimed at nothing but self-exaltation, and purposed to                                               fect&. There is a good deal of suffering and misery in
     make this a decent and safe world to live in, yet even SO                                           every way and in every sphere of life. There is physical
     he served God's purpose and fulfilled His counsel. In pain and social misery and national and political misery
     the second place, we  musk not forget, that, if Nimrod                                              of every kind. The very elements of nature often turn
     protected the lives of mere men and labored for the in                                              against man. Tiny' little creatures crawl into his very
     terest of humanity, by hunting these wild beasts, he at                                             body and destroy him. There is a multitude of diseases.-
     the same time served the people of God that were in the There is social wrong and poverty and want. There  is
     world. So did Cyrus serve God's purpose with respect                                                strife among the various classes of society, hatred and
     to His own chosen people, and so did Nebuchadnezzar                                                 jealousy among the nations, war and bloodshed. There
     fulfill the counsel of God with regard to Jerusalem and                                             is, indeed, also such a thing as sin, and crime often
     the people of God. Thus it always is. The chaff serves                                              abounds. Now, the modern humanist understands very
     the development of the wheat. The ungodly must work                                                 well, that these conditions are not ideal. He does not
      together, be it against their own will, for the salvation of agree with them. He does not in complacent self-satis-
     the godly. Reprobation serves election. Also in this re-                                            faction sit idle and look on without doing anything to
     spect, the mighty Nimrod was a mighty hunter before the                                             improve these conditions. On the contrary, like Nimrod
      Lord. And thus, in the third place, Nimrod was known                                               he is a mighty hunter before the Lord. He sets  himsc1.f
     among his feflowmen as a mighty hunter before Jehovah.                                              rhe task to improve the world, to right wrong relations,
     They called him thus. That this is true is established be-                                          to remove suffering and pain, to create righteousness .and
     yond all doubt by the fact that the phrase: a mighty                                                love among the nations, to abolish wars and bloodshed
     hunter before Jehovah became proverbial. We must not and create friendly relationships. He strives to improve
     forget that at this time there was a general knowledge                                              the world morally, to educate humanity, to teach men to
     of Jehovah among the descendants of Noah. It was only                                               love one another, to live.  ,4nd what it cannot attain by
      a comparatively short time ago, that the Lord had re-                                              teaching and persuasion it will realize by means of force
      vealed Himself in the terrible catastrophe of the deluge                                           and law. By means of the law of prohibition it will  de;
     The memory of the Name of Jehovah could not have died                                               liver man from the curse of drunkenness and will compel
      out so soon. Perhaps even the knowledge of the prom- him to live a decent life. By means of world-courts and
      ises of God's covenant, that the fear of man had been laid                                         a world-police it will redeem mankind from the bane of,
      upon the animal world, was still rather general. And,                                              war and force man to live in peace and harmony with his
      therefore, it is.not at all inconceivable, that when these neighbor nationally. Rut withal it is not Christian in the
      wild animals became a real peril to mankind, to the very                                           real. sense of the word. It looks upon the suffering of
      existence of the race, and Nimrod went forth to protect humanity as the growing pains of a normally developing
      human life and property and make the world safe, he was                                            child. It looks upon a11 the `imperfection of mankind as
      generally considered a servant ,of Jehovah for the benefit the normal remnants, in the process of evolution of  n
      of humanity. Even as in our own nominally Christian                                                former and lower state of development. It is oblivious
      world, there is sufficient knowledge of the name of God of and blind for the chief cause of all the misery in the
      and Christ left, to stamp mere humanistic efforts for the                                          world, namely, the guilt of sin and the state of condemna-
      uplift of humanity and the general betterment of the                                               tion before God of the natural man. And because of this
      world with the name of Christ and His service, so Nim- it will have nothing of the only remedy for all these evils,
      rod in his day, though there was no real fear of God be-                                           namely, Jesus Christ and Him crucified. It attempts to
      fore his eyes, nevertheless was called the servant of the adjust the wrong relations among  men without. caring
      Lord, the mighty hunter before Jehovah. Only in this                                               about the fundamentally wrong relation between man-
      light we can understand that similar benefactors of kind and God. It  sfri.ves  to remove the suffering of the
      humanity in later days were called mighty hunters before                                           world without removing the cause. It trusts in an arm
      Jehovah like Nimrod.                                                                               of flesh.and knows not that the arm of the Lord has been
                Viewed in this light, Nimrod does not present  such                                      revealed. It is merely human without being Christian.
      a remote picture after all. We can understand him. He                                              It is pure Nimrodism and strives to establish a  world-
      was, what we would call to-day a fullfledged humanist, kingdom that. is a mere humanistic imitation of the king-
      employing his great power and remarkable genius for dom of God. But all this work God will destroy and
      the uplift of humanity and the improvement of this world. bring to nought in order to realize His own counsel and
      For such is, indeed, also the ideal of modern humanism,                                            do all His good pleasure.
                                                                                                                                                           H. H.


       250                                     T H E   STAtiDARD   I3EARER                                              - -   .._._  2
                   THE TYPES OF SCRIPTURE                             that day on, the shadows of the old covenant spoke to the
                                                                      believers generally of .rhe realities of the Gospel. In
           The matter which engaged our attention in the fore.        other words, did the believers, with the aid of the illum-
*      going article was whether the believer of the old covenant inating words of the prophet Isaiah, discover in the rite
       perceived in the shadows any reference to future realities     of expiatory sacrifice any reference to the suffering Serv-
       of the Gospel. In attending to this matter we confined         ant of Jehovah? Whether the believers generally did so
       ourselves to the right of expiatory sacrifice. The question    is again a matter of uncertainty. The blunders of the
       was faced whether the believer of the old co-venant  re-       disciples of Christ do not favor the view that the church,
       garded  the  sa&ificial  victim as an image of the Christ from the days of Isaiah on, associated the sacrificial VIC-
       who by His suffering and death atoned for the sins of tim with the Christ. This must de admitted. Peter, it
       His people. In attending to this inquiry it was pointed. will be recalled, takes Christ aside and administers unto
       out that the shadows were accompanied by the word of           Him a stern rebuke for complying with the divine neces-
       prophesy. The following Scriptures were singled out:           sity to the effect that He, Jesus, go unto Jerusalem, and
       "And I will put enmity between  the'e and the woman,           suffer many things of the elders and the chief priests and
       and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy         scribes, and be killed and be raised up again the third
       ,head  and thou shalt bruise its heel" (Gen. 3  :15). "The     day. Further, the crucifixion of Christ greatly  perplexes
       scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from       certain disciples on their way to the village of Emmaus
       between his feet until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall         They were unmindful of the fact that Christ ought to
       the gathering of the people be" (Gen.  49:lO).      "And  :[ have suffered all these things. The fact that Jesus  ex-
       will make of thee (Abraham) a great nation, and  I  will       pounds  unrp them in all tl7e Scriptures concerning Him-
       blesti thee, and make thy name great; and the; shalt be        self, goes to show that they were very m&h in the dark.
       a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and            At the outSet  we averred that the shadows, being ac-
       curse them that curseth thee ; and in thee all families of     companied  by the word, spoke to the believers of the
       the earth shall be blessed" (Gen.  12:1,  2). "But He  waq     realities of the Gospel. "Our words must not be  .inter-
       wounded for om- trarisgressions. He was bruised for our        preted  to mean that the believers of the ofd covenant
       iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him:        associated in their minds the sacrificial animal with Him
       and wirh His strip&  we are healed"  (Isaiah 53 :5).           to whose,sufferings and triumphs the prophets often ap-
           Examining these Scriptures it appears that only the plied themselves in their songs and in their prayers. The
       last one quoted ascribes to the sufferings of Christ           prophetic word  - the promise of Him who should gain
       atoning. value.  It appears that Isaiah was the first `the  ascendency  over the malice of the devil  -  together
       prophet empowered by rhe Holy Spirit to associate the with the symbol, had the effect of focusing the mind of
       shedding of blood with Him whose sufferings were  pre-         the believers upon Jehovah. For the Shiloh was to be a
       dieted even at the dawn of history. For in the written         man of  *r  with Jehovah. Word and symbol plainly  de-
       record of the utterances of this prophet are found pass-       &red unto the contrite of heart that  Jehovah will redeem
       ages which assert that the Servant of Jehovah was              and be merciful unto His people. And the believer would
       bruised for our iniquities. Hence, the conclusion is war-      say  ,with  the poet: "Unto Thee, 0 Lord, do I lift up my
       ranted that this seer associated the shedding of blood of      soul. 0 my God, I trust in thee; let me not be ashamed,
     " the sacrificial victim with, Him to whose sufferings he at-    let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea,  Ret none
       tached meritorial value. This much cannot b'e said of the      that wait on Thee be ashamed : let them be ashamed that
       seers (Eve, Noah, Moses; David, etc.) of the periods  pre-     transgress without cause. . . . Remember, 0 Lord, Thy
       ceding the appearance of T&ah. For the written record of       tender mercies and Thy lovingkindnesses: for they have
       their utterances do not indicate that they perceived that      been  kver of old. Remember not the sins of my youth,
       He in whose triumphs they were wont to glory covered           nor my transgressions: according to Thy mercy  remem-
       their sins with His blood. Now the prophets were the in-       ber me for Thy goodness sake, 0 Lord. Good and  up-
       spired teachers of the church  - leaders in thought. It right is the Lord: therefore will He teach sinners in the
       caqnot very well be supposed that the  beli&vers.   sur-       way. The meek will He guide in judgment: and the
       passed them in their capacity to penetrate into the mys-       meek  mill  He teach His  way.  .X1 rhe paths of  th6 Lord
       teries of God. Hence, whether the church, in the epoch         are mercy and truth unto such as keep His covenant and
       preceding the prophetic activities of Isaiah, was told by      His testimonies. For Thy name's sake, 0 Lord, pardon
       Jehovah that the suffering Messiah was engaged in aton-        mine iniquity; for it is great" (Psalm 25).
     ing for  ?he sin of men and whether, consequently, the              Both symbol and word, applied by the Holy Spirit,
       sacrificial animal was being regarded as the figure of the     induced the saints of the old covenant to commir himself
       suffering Servant of Jehovah, will remain a matter of          to the tender mercies of Jehovah, who in His own good
       conjecture. Let it be repeated that the sacred record          and just way will redeem His people and take them  tf)
       throws no light upon the matter.                               His heart. Jehovah it was upon whom the expectations
          The nexr question which asserts itself is whether of the church were centered. Bnd Jesus Christ is none  -
       these particular utterances of rhe prophet Isaiah were         other than Jehovah, who in the fulness of time  cln1.e to
       embraced and understood by the church so that, from            redeem those whom, it appeared, He loved unto death.
                                                                                                               l


                                                T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                             251
  .._- ~ .-......-.                      .._...............  ~ _....                                                           -..-."-
  Only in this sense did the shadows, in conjunction with               stated that the shadows were  figures   fdr  the  t%me  the?;
  the prophetic word, lead the believer of the old ccv-enant            present.    Does not this assertion militate against the
  to Christ. On the basis of the testimony of Scripture we              view to the effect that rhe believers in general did  not+
  conclude that only in the above sense did the shadows,                succeed in associating the shadows of the old.  covenant
  in conjunction with the. spoken word, declare  unto the               with the realities which they prefigured? To this we
  believers the Messiah.                                                reply that, according to the view presented by us, the
        Thus we have set forth our view relative to the  Cap-           believers of the old dispensation were sensible of the fact
  abilities of the believers of old to decry the meaning of that the symbols were but shadows, figures and not real-
  the shadows. This view, `we admit, is at variance with ities. The Scripture quoted above, asserts this very thing
  that view which holds that faith in the blood of a beast but no more. It is not maintained by the author of the
  was  all that Jehovah required. On the basis of the teati-            above Scripture that  the believer clearly  perckved   the
  mony of Scripture we maintained that God trained His                  realities of which the shadows were but the picture or the
  people of old to look away from the blood of the sacri- image. We are, therefore, not at  \Tariance  with the
  ficial animal, and to cast themselves upon His mercy.                 author of this particular epistle.
        Finally, we also refuse to subscribe to that view which            NOW, then, if the believers of the old dispensation did
  insists that the saints of the old covenant clearly per-              not clearly perceive the realities and events of which the
  ceived and understood the realities of which the shadwws              shadows were images and if the shadows were neverthe-
  were pictures. On the basis of the testimony of Scrip- less pictures of corresponding realities and also meant to
  ture we can say no more than that the symbols with the                be, according to the purpose of God, can it be maintained
  aid of the spoken word had the effect of inducing the                 that the symbolical institutions of the old covenant were
  (true) church to  emfbrace Jehovah as the God of their actually a success? Needless to say, God is successful
  salvation, who provides for His people a just pardon and              in all His undertakings. And He also realized His pur-
  sanctification in His own good way and who  throu$r                   poses with the shadows of the old covenant. The sym-
  the instrumentality of His Servant, the Man of Jehovah. bolical events and transactions of the old dispensation
  will vanquish the forces of unrighteousness and deliver were made to appear nor only for the benefit of the saints
  His people and bring them in the promised rest.                       of the old dispensation.    According to the  pur&se of
        The saints of the Old Testament, then, were not                 God the. shadows also speak to the church of the new
  blessed -because they were covered by the blood of the covenant. We repeat, the symbols and types are vehicles
  beast.         And Jehovah could not permit His people to of much valuable instruction to the believers of the new
  entertain the view that it was the blood of a beast which             covena@ as well. The realities to which the shadows
  procured for them the favor of God. But, someone may refer are clearly perceived by them. The shadows greatly
  interpolate, is it not a fact that he who attended to the             aid the believers of the new covenant in grasping and
  prescriptions of the law was permitted to retain his place appreciating the different elements constituting the eco-
  in the commonwealth of Israel and attained to much nomy of redemption. The shadows set forth in unmis-
  good? There was, to be sure, a  causual relation between takable language the glories of God. In rhe believers of
  the observance of the precepts of. the law and the favor the new dispensation God realizes in full His high pur-
  of God. It may be expressed thus: In the  WY of obe-                  pose with the symbols of the old covenant. To `prove
  dience the believer  of the old covenant attained to peace            this we need but point to the writings of the apostles.
  and happiness. However, the practice of the law was The epistles ai-e interspersed wirh allusions to the sym-
  not the meritorial cause of the blessings of Jehovah, but bols of the Old Testament day. "Elect.. . . unto obe-
  Christ. The Scripture:  "And did all drink the same spir- dience and sprinkling the blood of Jesus Christ" {.I Peter
  itual drink: for they drank of that spiritual rock that 2). "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,
  followed them: and that rock was Christ"  - this Scrip- a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show
  ture applies to the church of both dispensations.                     forth the praises of Him who harh called you out of dark-
        In fine, the high purpose of the transaction prescribed ness into His marvelous light"  (I Pet.  2:9). "For Christ
  by the ceremonial law as well as o.f the types in general             hath also once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust,
  was to demonstrate unto the believer of the old covenant that He might bring us  ro God" (I Pet. 3  :9). "For the
  the rudiments of the Jehovah-religion and to picture unto law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but
 V the church the  ,realities  of the covenant of grace,  viz.:         the word of the oath, which was since the  law, maketh
  the kingdom of God and its righteousness.                             the Son, who is consecrated for evermore. Now of the
       There is one more matter to which we must attend                 things which we have spoken this is the sum: ke have
  before leaving this phase of our subject. Hebrews 99                  such a High priest, who is set on the right hand of the
  reads:  "Which was a figure for the time then present, in throne of the majesty in the heavens; A minister of the
  which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could              sanctuary,  and  of the true tabernacle, which the `Lord
  not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining pitched and not men. For every high priest is ordained
  to the conscience; which stood only in meats and drinks,              to offer gifts and  sacritiqes;  wherefore it is of necessity
  and divers *washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed upon             that this man have somewhat also to offer. For if he
thernuntil the time of reformation."' Here it is  clearly               were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there


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are priests which offer gifts according to the law; who                 perplexed by the things heard and seen. If on the other
serve unto the esample  and.  shadow of heavenly things,                hand, one is gradually led into that world and given
`as Moses was admonished by God when he was about                       fair time to familiarize himself with the objects which
to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith He, that thou                   present themselves to view, no distress will be experi-
make all things according to the pattern  shewed  to thee               enced. So it is with the realities of the Gospel. They
in the mount. But now hath he obtained a more  es-                      would have dazzled and greatly perplexed the church
cellent  ministry, by how much  also he is the mediator of              had they suddenly been presented ro it in all the fullness
a better covenant which was established on better prdm-                 of their splendor, majesty and power. Therefore the
ises. Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the taber-                  body was preceded by its shadow. With it the believers
nacle and all the vessels of the ministry. And almdst all               had to become familiar. In God's own good time the
things are by  the law purged with blood  ; and without body came.
shedding of blood is no remission. It was necessary that                    Further, let it be repeated, that the truths of the
the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified                economy  of.redemption were presented to man in con-
with these ; but the heavenly things themselves with bet-               crete form. The things which fill the world in which
ter sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into               man lives and moves were made the images of the reali-
the holy places made gy hands, which are the figures of                 ties of heaven. These realities, therefore, were placed
the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the                  within man's reach. Trurh. so presented, can easily be
presence of God for us : Nor yet that he should offer him-              laid hold on by the mind.
self often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place                 We now enter upon a  neiv  phase of our subject,
every year with blood of others; for then must he often                 namely, the extent of the typical field of the old dispensa-
have suffered since the fourrdation of the world : but now              tion.    Are the typical materials confined within the
once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put                    boundaries of the ceremonial law, or do they extend be-
way sin by the sacrifice of himself" (Hebrews 8, 9).                    yond these? Tn other words, do the terms  shadow  and
     It appears from the above  S"criptures that the New                figure apply to instituti0n.s  and prescriptions of the cere-
Testament church was indeed prepared by the shadows                     monial law only, or do these terms, according to Scrip-
for the events of the Gospe.1.                                          t&e, also signify events and personages. Every student
     It is plain that to the inspired writers of the New                of Scripture knows that the symbol  ,was not alone em-
Testament church, the symbols were images of truths ployed to prefigure the events of the Gospel but also many
brought into full view with the coming of Christ. Their                 circumstances and transactions in the province of sacred
writings bring to light that they were wont to set forth                history. The Scripture contains several indications that
the truth language which reflected the shadows of the                   historical events of the old dispensation may foreshadow
old covenant. Hence, the veiled meaning of the-shadows                  truths of a higher realm. In the first Epistle of Peter
they had grasped. The types and symbols serve them.                     is found this passage: "By which also he (Christ) went
thereupon, as so many moulds into which the truth was                   and-preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometimes
cast and  ~presented in concrete form. It `goes to show                 were disobedient, when once the  long suffering of God
that the method of training adopted by God has produced                 waited in the days of`Noah,  while the ark was a prepar-
the results contemplated upon by Jehovah.                               ing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
     Let us say a word at this juncture about God's                     The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now
method of instruction. It is the method of the gradual                  save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh,
unfolding of the truth. Not until the fullness of time                  but rhe answer of a good conscience toward God) by
were the realities of the Gospel brought into full view.                the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (I Pet. 3  :20!0,-  21). The
The truth possessed by the church in its infancy was                    apostle informs us that the flood stood in typical relation
but a bud. In this bud, however, were hidden the various                to baptism. The waters of the flood purged the earth
elements constituting the counsel of redemption, viz.,                  of a wicked generation and preserved Noah and his fam-
(1) God,  (2) the man wirh Jehovah or the seed and                      ily-the holy seed, the nucleus of a new race. For  thi+
(3) the blood. In subsequent ages that bud of truth was                 reason the deluge can serve as a figure of baptism which
gradually made to unfold. `It is the prerogative of the                 signifies the washing away of the filth of the carnal
church of the new dispensation to behold the truth in                   nature by the blood ?f Christ by which also the seed of
full bloqm.. Why must the Church in this epoch be con-                  new life is fostered.
tent with the bud? Man is a finite creature. He has his                    According to the apostle Paul, Hagar and Sarah to-
limitations and infirmities. These were multiplied by                   gether with their  offsp+ing  are figures  ; the former of
sin. Add to this that the church was in its infancy when                the false, the latter of the true church. The passage
it first came into the possession of the truth. Then, too,              reads as follows: "Tell  r& that ye desire to be under
the things which God had prepared for those that love                   the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written that
him, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard.  Neithel;  have                  PLbraham had two sons, rhe one by a bondmaid, the other
these things entered into the heart of man  (I Cor. 11).                by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman
He who is suddenly transported from a quiet environ-                    was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was
ment into a new, strange and ,busy world will be greatly                by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these


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                           -._ _... "-.- -... ----..-l----~_-                             _-                                   _---- -
        are two covenants ; the one from the mount Sinai, which               elements of truth and principles which were to appear
        gendered to bondage, which is  Agur. For this  Agur is                in the future  ; and in that  future anticipated a nobler
        mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which               exhibition of them than had been given in the past"  (Fair-
        now is, and is in bondage to her children.               But Jeru-    Bairn). So David connects rhe historical Melchizedek
        salem `which is above is free, which is the mother of  US             with Christ. The former is a type of the latter.
        all. For it is written, `Rejoice thou barren that bearest                    "The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right
        not ; break forth and cry, thou that travailest  not ; for the        hand until I make thine enemies  ,thy footstool. The
        desolate hath many more children than she which  hat,h                Lord shall send the rod of thy strength, out of Zion : rule
     a   h u s b a n d . ' Now we brethren as Isaac was, are the chil-        thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall
        dren of the promise. But as then he that was born after               be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of
        the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit,              holiness from rhe womb of the morning: thou hast  the
        even so it is now. Nevertheless, what saith the Scrip-                dew of thy youth. The Lord has sworn and will not
        ture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son                 repent, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Mel-
        of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the                chizedek.' The Lord through thy right hand shall strike
        freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of                  through kings in fhe day of his wrath" (Ps. 110.)
        the bondwoman, but of the free" (Gal. 4).                                    Elijah is presented by the prophet Malachi as an
            In the epistle to the Hebrews the carnal Israelites who           image or type of Christ, "Remember ye the law of Moses
        fell in the wilderness are referred to as a type of the un-           my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for
        believers of'the new dispensation who do not attain to                all Israel, wirh the statutes and judgments.  ,Behold,   I
        heaven. "But with whom  &as he grieved forty years?                   will send you the prophet Elijah before the coming of
        Was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses                 the great and -dreadful day of the  L&d: And he shall
        fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they                turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the
        should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed             heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and
        not? So we see that they could not enter in because of                smite the earth with a curse" (Mal. 4).
        undbelief.    Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left              The best proof is found in the prophetic writings of
        us of  .entering  inro his rest, any of you should seem to            Isaiah. "For Zion's sake will.1 not hold my peace, and
        come short of it. For unto us was rhe Gospel preached,                for Jerusalem's sake will I nor rest, until the righteous-
        as well as unto them: but the word preached did not                   ness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation
        prophet them, not being mixed  `with  faith in them that              thereof as a lamp that burneth. And the gentiles shall
        heard it. For we which have believed do enter  inro                   see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory,, and thou
        rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shalt `be called by a new name which the mouth of rhe
        shall enter into my rest: although the works were fin-                Lord shall name. Thou  shait also be a crown of glory
        ished from the foundation of the world. For he spake                  in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand
        in a certain place of the seventh  <day on this wise, And             of thy God" (Isaiah 62).
        God did rest on the sever&h day from all his works. And                      In the latter portions of Isaiah's writings we  find
        in this place, If they shall enter into my rest.              See-    the prophet intermingling so closely together rhe past
        ing, therefore, it remaineth that some must `enter therein,           and the future, that it is often difficult to tell of which
        and they to whom it was first preached entereth not in                he actually speaks. He passes from Israel to the Messiah,
        because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day,                and again from the Messiah ro Israel, as if the one were
        saying to David, Today after so long a time ; as it is said, but a new higher and nobler development of what be-
        Today if ye hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For longed to the other. And the church of the future is
        if Jesus had given them rest, then he would not have                  constantly represented under the relations of the past
        spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a only freed from the imperfections of former times, and
        resr for the people of God. For he that is entered into               rendered in every respect more blessed and glorious"
        his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God              (FairBairn).
        did from his. Let us labor therefore, to enter into that                     The very fact that the book of Psalms continued to
        rest, lest any man fall after the same example of un-                 have value for the church of the new covenant is only
        belief" (Hebrews 4). It will also be observed that in due to the fact that both dispensations, the old and the
        this scripture rhe land of Canaan is a figure of heaven.              new are pervaded by the sdme truths and principles. In
            These scriptures prove that one should look beyond                a sense it is true that the entire Old Testament dispensa-
        the boundaries of the ceremonial law when searching for tion stands in a typical relation to the new.
        typical materials. That, much of the historical material .                                                          G. M.  0.
        of the book of the old covenant has typical significance
        is also plain from the prophetical writings of the Old
        Testament. In depicting the better things to come the                   ,     Amid the busy city, thronged and gay,
        prophets often availed themselves of the characters and                                 But One I see,
        events of history. "But it could do so on rhe twofold                         Tasting sweet peace, as unobserved I pray
        ground that it perceived in these essentially the same                                  Alone with Thee!


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--."_.--  ___....                             " "l""-"...-  --...    _..-...- ..___. --.- .-.--

dingen  zoo geloopen zijn, dat ze ten slotte tot deze  uit-                                  Empty self out of me each day;
komst hebben geleid. Had het aan hen gelegen, dan had                                              Fill with Thy presence dearer,
de breuke er reeds drie maanden voor dezen geweest.                                          0 Thou who over prayer hast sway,
Zij hebben ten slotte zeer duidelijk bewezen, geen zaken                                           Be of my prayer the Hearer.
van  personen  te  kunnen  onderscheiden, hetwelk  tech,
zal het  goed zijn, een eerste vereischte is in een  ambts-                                 May faith in Thee my impulse prove,
drager.                                                                                            My inmost soul inspire;
      U, geachte redactie, nogmaals dankende voor de                                        Be Thou, 0 Christ, my joy, my love,
plaatsruimte en  u `s Heeren zegen toewenschende in                                                My passionate desire !
ulieder veelvuldigen arbeid,
                                                      6. LEMMERS
       Kalamazoo,  Mich.                                                         GATHERING WITH CHRIST OR SCATTERING

                                                                                                            He that is not with me is against me; and
                                                                                                          he that gathereth not with me scattereth
"HE MUST INCREASE BUT I MUST DECREASE"                                                                    abroad.                    --Matt.  12:30.

                                                                                   These, words of our Saviour imply that  ,a11 men are
                     Oh Jesus Christ, dwell Thou in me,                       gathering. Further,  the assertion permits of but two
                       And bid all else to vanish;                            possibilities and not a third. One is either gathering
                     Bring my heart daily nearer Thee,                        with Christ or  withour  Him and this latter is equal to
                       Its sinfulness to banish.                              scattering. To be neither gathering with or without Him
                                                                              is impossible. Every man is engaged in doing one or
                     Hover each day, in grace and might,                      the other. Such  is the thoughr embodied in this partic-
                     Above  .my weak presuming,                               ular assertion of our Saviour. Christ did not say,
                     Thy radiance swallowing up my night,                     He that gathereth not, scattereth, but, He that gathereth
                       Thy life my death consuming.                           not  r&h me scattereth.  .Hence,  it is presupposed that
                                                                              all men gather. The issue is whether one is gathering
                     Let Thy .pure sunlight on me shine,                      with Christ. It is no more possible not to be gathering
                       My soul from error freeing;                            than to be neither for or against' Christ. Hence every
                     Thine all, 0 Christ, and nothing mine                    man is either gathering with or without Christ  ,as well
                       My soul Thee only seeing.                              as he is either for or against the Lord.
                                                                                   Let it be repeated that all men are gathering. Accord-
                     I draw near, I cast myself away,                         ing to this particular assertion of Christ the sum total
                                                                        *
                       Weeping, on Thee I'm waiting,                          of gatherers is constituted of two distinct groups. This
                     Oh, let Thy holy will have sway,                         has already been noticed.. The one group gathers with
                       Thy will in mine creating:                             Christ, the other group gathers without Him and there-
 *                                                                            fore is engaged in scattering.
                     Look gloriously. forth from me,                               T,et us attend, first of all to the group gathering with
                       In wisdom, grace and gladness;                         Christ. We shall face the following questions and situa-
                     Let me Thy living image be,                              tions : (1) This group gathers with Christ ; (2) What
                       In happiness and sadness                               is the meaning of the term gathering?                  (3) Who are
                                                                              rhey being gathered?
                                                                                   They gather with Christ.  .Hence  Christ is also en-
                     Make all within me new, that so                          gaged in gathering. He is even the head and principal
                       No human weakness knowing,                             of the group so engaged. ,. Those committed to His cause
                     Thine own devoted, loving glow             +             gather, because He does so. They are active in Christ
                       May in my heart be growing.                            and He gathers in and through them.
                                                                                   Christ gathers. The activity signified by the term
                     Let pride retreat, and weakness flee,                    gathering, presupposes a scattered and. dintegrated
                       And folly find an ending,                              group. This scattered group is none other than Human-
                     When towards Thy kingdom and towards Thee                ity, the Human race. The group humanity is  scat,tered,
                       My earnest soul is tending.                            due to the  facr that the members of this group are by
                                                                              nature children of the devil, filled with malice and hating
                     -And may this vain and empty  I                          God and the neighbor. Their throat is an open  sepul-
                       .Be every day decreasing;                              chre ; with their tongues they have used deceit; the
                     And every day that passes by                             poison of asps is under their lips: their mouth is full of
                       Behold my faith increasing.                            cursing and bitterness. Destruction and misery are in


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      --."."     .._     -._                        ..-..-.-."".~.--___-"...-




      their ways : the way of peace have they not known : there                  so engaged are actually engaged in scattering. Through
      is no fear of God before their eyes (Rom. 3). Small won-                   their efforts the breach is widened. Educate" a sinner and
      der that the human race is scattered. Each member of                       you increase his capacities for sin. Develop his talents
      the group is repulsive to the other, and whenever inter-                   and he begins to glory in himself. He then begins to
      ests clash there is a display of hatred. There are  no                     look with disdain upon the so-called underdog. Men
      spiritual ties binding the members of this group together.                 thought to build a tower of Babel and the attempt ended
      These ties were dissolved when sin made its appearance.                    in their being scattered over the face of the world. While
         Humanity (chosen) must  ,be gathered. For that pur-                     peace palaces are under construction, the potentates con-
      pose Christ came. He gathers His sheep. Says He, "I                        template war.
      am the good shepherd, and -know my sheep, and am                              There is no real unity possible without Christ. He
      known  of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even  SO                         who joins a christless organization (be it a labor union)
      know I the Father: and I lay down my life for my sheep.                    is placing himself against Christ and engaged in making
      And other sheep have I, which are not of this fold: them                   wider the breach between God and man and between
      also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice ; and                      man and man.  The very surroundings of the above
      they shall be one fold and one shepherd" (John 10).                        scripture teach this, "When the unclean spirit is gone
         Christ gathers his sheep, those whom the Father gave                    out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking
      Him. Hence, He does not make it a point to gather all                      rest: and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my
      men. He gathers His sheep by His Spirit and His word.                      house whence I came out. And when he  cometh  he
      This He may do. because He loved his sheep unto death.                     findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he and
      Those who are gathered are grafted in Him, are known                       taketh seven other spirits more wicked than himself.
      as His body, the members of which are firmly united ,by                    Rnd they enter in and dwell there; and the last state  of that
      the binding ties of love and faith.                                        man is worse than the first."
         Now there are those who gather with Christ, those,                         The above Scripture relates the  outcoke  of a christ-
      with Him, Christ's sheep, the redeemed of God. They                        less conversion. The last state of the man is worse than
      must also gather, that is their high calling.  .They do                    the first. It also appears that the evil spirits were de-
      so by confessing Christ's name, by witnessing for the                      lighted when they discovered that the man had cleaned
      truth, by  deeEaring  the virtues of their God. That is                    house. The devil loves clean, noble, refined, educated,
      their only calling in this life.                                           cultured but christless people.                He loves to dwell in
         But there are also others who gather, besides Christ                    their hearts. Convert the Christian  schoo1  into institu-
      and those with him. Satan and his brood are also gather-                   tions of social. reform and you are helping the devil, and
      ing.  T.he devil has a kingdom, a house, constituted of                    scattering humanity.
      those spiritually and ethically related to  himseM.  Satan                                                                        G. M. 0.
      also delights in a well organized society. That humanity                                                -
      has fallen apart is not according to his liking. Hence,
      he is engaged in gathering. And in a sense and to a                                                 GOD IS  FOR ME
      degree he succeeds. He has a house, a kingdom. Even                                    I
      Jesus admitted this. He calls the devil the prince of                                                 "Wheti I cry unto Thee then shall mine
      darkness. And `this prince offered Christ his kingdoms,                                             enemies turn back: this I know; for God is
                                                                                                          for me."-Ps.  56.9
                                                                                                                          . .
      upon the condition, to be sure, that Christ would pay
      him homage. And Christ did not deny that the devil                                  Turn back, mine enemy, unmoved
      has. kingdoms. The groups of which he is the prince                                         Thy wiles, thy snares I see ;
      are the sworn antagonists of God. How does Satan                                    Turn back, for when I cry to God
      gather?              Directly and through the instrumentality of                            I know He is for me.
      his agents. Let-us name some of these agents. Satan
      gathers by means of the  christless  man and woman, by                              Thp day is over; I no more
      tneans of  the christless  philan_thropic  organizations, by                                Thy willing slave can be,
      means of the christless institutions of learning, by means                          For I have learned to cry to God;
      of the christless church, the christless preacher, the                                      I know He  is for me.
      christless league of nations, the christless public schools,
      the christless parent -- in short by means of any christ-                           Hence with thy strong delusions, hence,
      iess individual, movement, society or orenization.                                          I parley not with thee,
         The devil and the world is not adverse to unity; it                           I But mid thy temptings cry to God,
      loaths unity, order, and system in Christ.                                                  I know He is for me.
         By these various agents  satan is gathering. Is he
      actually gathering? Not according to Christ. In reality                             Ah, if thou knewest as I know
      says Christ, he is scattering. Every attempt on the part                                    The God to whom I flee,
      of the devil and man to organize the scattered forces                               Thou wouldst not think to gain mine ear;
      of humanity does not only end in a dismal failure; those                                    I know He is for me.


THES'IANDm.
                    A REFORMED SEMI-MONTHLY  MAGAZtNE   published by
                THE REFORMED FREE PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION;  [GRAND  RAPIDS.  MICHIGAN



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                                       Entered PS second  class m&U  matter St Grand Rapids,  Michigan

Vol. III, No. 12                                         MARCH 15,  1927.                                  Subscription Price,  $2.50
                                                                                                                          -            -

                                                                        send the Beloved, Thine only begotten Son, and didst
         M E D I T A T I O N                                            lay the iniquities of us all upon Him  ; that Thou didst
                                                                         make Him sin for us,' that we might be made righteous-
                                                                        ness of Thee in Him; that Thou didst bruise Him and
                                                                        cause Him to bear the full burden of Thy wrath and Gith
           THE CRY FOR  FO,RGIVENESS                                    it to enter into deepest death and shame and humiliation.
                       And forgive us our debts as we forgive our       And we feel assured that Thou, then and there, didst
                     debtors.                      --Matt.  6:12.       drown forever all our transgressiohs  in the heartblood of
                                                                        our-blessed Redeemer. We believe, that we `are righteous
    Our Father !                                                         before  Thee,  and that Thou didst in unspeakably rich
    Which art in heaven!                                                grace adopt us to be Thy children -and heirs, that Thou,
    hlerciful  art Thou and abundant in lovingkindness  and              even though our own consciences accuse us and we must
 forgiving grace over them that fear Thee.                               daily feel ashamed because of many transgressions, yet
  - Thou forgivest sin and removest the iniquity of Thy                  regardest us as if we never had committed any sin against
 children far from them, as far as the setting sun is from               Thee !
 the place where she arose ii; the morning. Thou  blotrest                   And, therefbre, Father, tie believe, as we bow our
 them, out in boundless grace and rememberest them                       heads before Thee in prayer at the close of day, that also
 nevermore !                                                             all the sins of this day were washed away, when the life-
    And we are Thy children. . . .                                       blood of otir,Saoiour  flowed from Calvary's tree.. . .
    In humble contrition  and,  sorrow after Thee we ap-                     We do not doubt Thy Word.. . .
 proach the throne of Thy grace, acknowledging our sins,                     We do not fear that Thy work is changeable . . . .
 penitent for our iniquities, and we pray: Forgive us our                    Nay, Father, but we believe and trust.
 debts, as we forgive our  deb_tors!  Forgive and forget,                    It is rather because by Thy grace we `a&confident.
 and deal with us as if we had never committed iniquity                  that Thou dost blot out all our transgressions, that with
 and our sins never testified against. us!                               Thee there is forgiveness, and that we never call in vain
    Father, it is not in dark doubt or chasing fear or ufion  Thy lovingkindness for the boon of remission, that
 frantic despair, that we approach Thee with this prayer                 gye have.the  boldness to approach Thee with this petition
 in our hearts and on our lips. It is not because we are                 in our hearts and upon our lips. -
* not assured of Thy forgiving mercy, or' because we are                     It is because we believe that Thou art faithful and
 afraid, that Thou, though Thou didst once blot out our                  true, that we have confidence.
 sin in the blood of the Lamb, wilt yet impute unto us the                    It is because we know, that with Thee-in the sanc-
 sin of this day.. . .                                                   tuary above there is our merciful High Priest, knowing
    Do we not know that Thou didst love us  first,  even                 our infirmities, praying forus,  that we dare come before
 when we were still dead in trespasses and sins? We do,                  Th,ee with fhe prayer:
 Father, for we have by faith beheld Thy boundless love,                      And forgive us our debts;
 when first we stood at the cross of our Lord, and beheld                     As we forgive those that trespassed against us?
 Him bearing our sins upon the accursed tree. We then                         Father, if Thou shouldest mark transgressions, who
 understood and experienced in our hearts,  thatThou didst,              could stand in Thy presence, even with this prayer?
 indeed, love us, with a love that knows no bounds, that                 Could our petitions persuade Thee to forgive?
 is as deep as Thine own  heart2  that is higher than the                     Rut with Thee there is forgiveness, that Thou mayest
 highest heavens, that is always greater than our sins and               he feared.
 our transgressions, great and terrible though they may be                    Hence, we pray, merciful Father!
 and appear before us. There we know, that Thou didst
                                 %                                          ' Forgive us our sins !


 266                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
 -----_  ".                                              -
    hbba, Father !                                               commit them again and again.  Scarce  have we rise?
        We pray, because we feel  that we must pray or  die!     from our bending knees in prayer, and humbly implored
        For we  can&t  live by bread alone. Thy presence is      Thy forgiving mercy, but we fall again, often into the
 our life, and we cannot be so far from-Thee. To be near         very same mire of sin from which Thou didst just
 unto Thee is the delight of our life.. . .                      cleanse us.. . .
    Are we not Thy children  ?                                       tZnd we know that they are the objects of Thy anger.
    And didst not Thou spread abroad in our  hearts Thy              We realize, how displeasing they must be to Thee,
 love ?                                                          Who art holy and righteous and  canst not have com-
    Surely, Thou didst not adopt us as Thy children, and         munion with sin.
give us  .children's  rights to live in Thy eternal house, in        And, our Father, they bar us from Thy presence, they
order then to leave us estranged from Thy heart. Within          estrange us from Thy heart, unless they  be forgiven and
 us Thou didst create a children's heart. By nature, we          blotteh  out, and unless we may receive the glad assurance
confess, we are children of `darkness, born in wrath and         in our hearts, that Thou rememberest them no more . . . .
 deat'h and condemnation, under the dominion of him that             And, therefore, we pray ; we must pray or die.. . .
held the power and fear of death. Slaves of sin we were,             Because we cannot live apart from Thee. Because
. and it was our desire to do  the'will of our father, the       we cannot bear the thought of having displeased Thee.
d e v i l ,
             We loved iniquity and hated Thee. And our           Because we are sorry for our sins and must have the
hearts, never yearning after Thee, never knew sorrow             knowledge that all is well between Thee and us.      I
over sin. We cared not,  loved  not, repented  no&prayed             Therefore we pray: Forgive, Father in heaven,  our
not.. . .                                                        sins !
    But Thou didst send into our hearts'the Spirit of Thy            Blot out, "in boundless grace, all our transgressions !
Son and by that Spirit Thou didst turn us unto Thyself.              Bring them nevermore before Thee!
,4 new life and a new love Thou didst create within us.              Loving Father !
 By the power of that  new life we love Thee and hate
 ieiquity,  and it is our deepest desire to walk not only            Forgive as we forgive!
according to some, but  accordink to all Thy command-                Thus, Father of perfect mercy, our Lord taught us to
ments. Our delight. is. in Thy law.                              P=Y 1
    Yet, Father, this new life within  us we know only as            And thus, realizing our weakness and the unwilling-        .
a small beginning of the new obedience.                          ness of our sinful heart, we stammer the petition as He
    We are still far from perfect  hoIiness.                     put it on our'lips : And forgive us our debts as we forgive
    Surely, there is, a principle of perfection within us,       our debtors.
pervading our whole life, creating within us an inward               Not' in sinful pride, forgetful of the deceitfulness of
&an, according to  which   xye have a yearning after Thy         our evil heart ir is, that we thus finish our petition. We
precepts and an inward delight to do Thy will.                   realize, Father, that our attitude toward one-another  can-
    But there is also another law in our members.. . .           npt be the criterion for Thy relation toward us, Thy chil-
    Warring _against  the law of our soul . . . .                dren. We feel that `the measure of our forgiveness can-
    Often taking us captive . . . .                              not compare wirh the marvelous depth of Thy mercy.
    An,d so, Father, we still sin !                                  Much more Thou must remit than we ever can for-
    We love Thee, Father, yet we often sin against Thee ; give one and other.
we hate sin, yet we often transgress Thy holy law. And,              What amount is the  little  farthing  in comparison to
oh, how great our trespasses appear; all the more so be-         the thousands of talents of our debt with Thee  ? Our
 cause we sin though we know Thy precepts and love               mutual debts dwindle into nothingness when mentioned
them. Floods of iniquities pass over our soul ; mountain-        in one breath with our sins against Thy holiness. They
high our transgressions rise before our consciousness  ;         are not worthy to be compared.
they are more than we can count. They appear from                    LMuch  more frequently Thou must  forghe. And even
 within, dark and evil thoughts, that creep upon us before       though we should forgive one and other seventy times
we ai-e aware of them ; sinful desires of the flesh stirring seven times, it would be naught in comparison with Thy
 within us and striving to gain dominion over us; fear of        continued mercy. For ceaselessly we sin against Thee
 the world; lust of the flesh; love of the things below and      and we would lack rhe boldness to approach Thee with
 the treasures that perish; conceit and pride and  self-         our prayer, did we not know, that Thou art always merci-
esaItation  : bitter hatred, sweet revenge, paIe  envy. They     ful, always ready to forgive the sins of Thy children, as
flow from our lips, in words that ought to have been  left       often as they cry unto Thee in true contrition.
unspoken. They reveal themselves in our lives, in the                Much more perfectly Thou must forgive.. . .
deeds of the body. . . .                                             Yet; Father, we feel, that unless we are able  rhus to
    Surely, Father, our  sitis rise up against us.               finish our prayer for the remission of our own sins with
    Prevailing day by day !                                      Thee, we cannot pray at all. We realize that we, cannot
    And. Father, there seems no end of them.                     be forgiven unless we forgive. As long as we count the
    Even though we confess  them.  they are repeated, we         hundred pence against the  brothe?  and harbor revenge


                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D  BEhRER                                                      267
             _._.^...... -_-_                                                                                             __ ---  ..-

  against him in our hearts, our prayer cannot rise as the                      MIDDELBUWG, DE SYNODE EN
  morning-incense to Thee in the sanctuary. It is choked                                    PUNT III
  in our deepest heart; our cry for mercy is stifled upon
  our lips. And vainly do we struggle to enter into Thy              ' Ook in betrekking tot het opstellen van het derde de:-
  presence and to seek Thy face as long as we do not from           drie befaamde Punten  had de kerkeraad van Middelburg
. the heart forgive the brethren. For Thou demandest                bezwaar ingediend bij de Synode van 1926. Het bezwaar
  truth in the inward parts. And Thou knowest our most              van den kerkeraad betrof  niet zoozeer den leerstelligen
  secret thoughts and our hidden desires.              Thou dost    inhoud van Punt III, maar we1 gaf hij de Synode te ken-
  scrutinize the darkest recesses of our lives. An open             nen als zijne gedachte, dat de uitspraak van de Synode
  book we are before Thee. And how could our love to                van 1924 betreffende de burgerlijke gerechtigheid met
  Thee be true as long as the love to the brethren is want-         meer volledigheid had kunnen en ook dienen te geschie-
  ing? And how could our sorrow over sin be sincere if              den. Gebrek  aan volledighid kenmerkte deze  Synodale
  our love to Thee be not true? And how could our cry               uitspraak en daardoor natuurlijk ook gebrek  aan duide-
  for forgiveness be from the heart if our repentance and           lijkheid. Hierop nu geeft de'Synode  van `26 het volgende
  sorrow be not sincere? And how  couldest  Thbu incline            ten antwoord :
  Thine ear to our prayers, if we cannot in sincerity and            " ( a )    Dat het niet op'den weg der Synode lag om in
  truth confess our sins before Thee? . . . .                       den breede te handelen  over de burgerlijke gerechtigheid.
        And, Father, we do love the brethren.  .`.  .               maai; dat het slechts haar taak was, tegenover de duide-
        Even though we must confess before Thee, that the           lijke uitspraken loochening  desbetreffende  door de  leer-
  exercise and manifestation of this love is oft imperfect; aren D. en H., te handhaven, dat er zulk een burgerlijke
  even though we acknowledge that even in this respect `we          gerechtigheid ook bij niet-uitverkorenen gevonden wordt.
  have sinned a thousand  times; yet in uprightness  qf gelijk de Synode dan ook deed.
  heart we may also joyously say, that the love  of- the               "(b)     Dat de  breedere  uitwerking van deze waarheid
  brethren is within our hearts, wrought there by Thine             ongetwijfeld door de studie van het leerstuk der  Ge-
  own grace.                                                        meene Gratie, welke studie door de Synode met aandrang
        Thy people are o.ur people !                                den leiders als taak werd voorgehouden  (Acta 1924, p.
        Thy children are our brethren and we- love them.            lSO), zal bevorderd  worden."  Acta 1926,  p. 119.
        The same  loire that urges us to appear  befote Thee           We hebben hier dus een dubbel antwoord. Het  eerste
  with the prayer that Thou mayest blot out all our sins            dient ter verdediging der Synode van `24 en spreekt uit,
  and transgressions iS within us the root  df another love, Xat die Synode geen leer te ontwikkelen had dcch slechts
  the love of one and other.                                        te handhaven, wat reeds vaststond, hetgeen ze dan ook
        And the deepest fount of it all is the love wherewith deed. Het tweede dient tot geruststelling van den kerke-
  Thou lovedst us. For Thou didst lovk us first.. . .               raad van Middelburg en spreekt uit, dat de leiders der
        That love of Thine became manifest as a great and           kerken, indien ze slechts hun taak, zooals die door de
  wondrous mercy, fathomless and boundless, strong to               Syndde van `24 werd omschreven in betrekking tot het
  forgive and to cleanse us from our sins, when Thou didst          leerstuk der Gemeene Gratie, verstaan en volbrengen, ook
  pour out the blood of Thy Beloved on Calvary's hill of meer  licht  sullen  werpen op deze burgerlijke  gerechtig-
  agony.                         .'                                 heid. Deze leiders zullen dit leerstuk zeker  we1 reeds  in-
          As such a great and strong and wondrous mercy we          ernstige studie  heb,ben  genomen. En als ze  straks met
  tasted that love of Thine, 0 Father!                              deze studie gereed zijn en hun pennevruchten zullen het
          And laying hold on that mercy of Thine by faith, and      licht  zien, dan iijdt het geen twijfel of er zal ook een be-
  experiencing its blessed sweetness in our own hearts, vredigende en meer volledige beschouwing van de  bur-
  there is kindled within us the desire, be it ever so imper-       gerlijke gerechtigheid worden  geboden en langs dien weg
  fect, to be kind and merciful to one and other.. . .              zal Middelburg we1 bevredigd worden.
          And to forgive, even as Thou in Christ has forgiven          We willen  ook dit tweeledig antwoord van de Synode
  us !                                                              een weinig nader beschouwen, om te beoordeelen hoqeel
          Hence, Father, we pray with  stanimering  lips, yet in    er van waar is. Om dit te kunnen, zal het zeker niet on-
  sincerity and truth, as Thou knowest our hearts:                  dienstig zijn, dat we het derde punt,  zooals  dat door de
          Forgive us our debts, as we  forgi7re  our debtors!       Synode van 1924 werd  geformuleerd,  eerst nog eens onder
          Abba, Father !                                            de- oogen te hebben, opdat we goed verstaan, welke leer
                                                         H. H.
                            #                                       die Synode daarin heeft "gehandhaafd." Bedoelde  uit-
                                                                    spraak luidt als volgt:
                                                                       "Aangaande het derde punt, rakende het  doen  van
                                                                    zoogenaamde burgerlijke gerechtigheid door de onweder-
             I  am so sorrowful, so sick and faint;                 geborenen,.  verklaart de Synode, dat volgens  S&rift en
                 Long so to feel Thee nigh;                         Confessie, onwedergeborenen, hoewel onbekwaam tot
   ,         `Have pity on me, tempted Son of God,                  eenig zaligmakend  goed (Dordtsche Leerregels III, IV,
                 And do not pass me by.                             3), zulk burgerlijk  goed kunnen  doen. Dit blijkt uit de


j
      270                                      T H E   S T A N D ' A R D   B E A R E R
      __ "--.".. ..-           ---_                    I__

      iets anders, dan te beweren, dat hij nu ook in het burger-           It cannot be that the above personages and events
      lijke het goede doet voor God. Dit laatste wordt hier             only should be regarded as prefigurative of similar events
      jtiist niet beweerd. De woordenkeus is zelfs zoo, dat dit         under the Gospel. It must not be supposed that the in-
      met opzet vermeden wordt.  Onz,e  vaderen   stemden  dit          spired writer meant to exhaust this particular typical
     nooit toe. En dat ze zulke dingen  als de Synod; van 1924          field when they projected the above transactions. It ap-
     .uitsprak ook werkelijk niet voor de  aandachr   hadden,           pears, on the other hand, that their materials were taken
      wordt ontegenzeggelijk bewezen, zooals de Synode ook from a storehouse where more is to be found. For the
      ongetwijfeld  we1 heeft gevoeld, door hetgeen verder in           materials brought into relief were selected and the selec-
      dit artikel volgt. We zullen daarom dan ook op de rest            tion  \+as determined by the character of the matters
      van dit artikel de aandacht  moeten vestigen, om een              elucidated. Now, a selected group of things necessarily
      zuivere voorstelling te erlangen van de zaak.                     implies  t'he presence of another group having been passed
             Doch   dit zullen we, D. V., in een volgende nummer by. Hence, the selection made in no wise signifies the
      doen.                                                             extent of the typical province under consideration.
                                                          H. H.            What then is the scope of this field? It is possible
                               -                -                       for one to discover its boundaries? This can be done by
                                                                        examining the examples introduced by the inspired
                        THE TYPES OF SCRIPTURE                          writers? Doing so, these materials soon yield the prin-
                                                                        ciples to which these writers adhered when making their
             In our previous article, attention was called to the       choice?
      fact that `the typical-symbolical materials are not confined         The first of these principles which forces itself upon
      within the boundaries of the ceremonial law. The utter-           our attention is rhat' there should be an'inner agreement
      ances of the prophets and the apostles indicate that events between two events or transactions if sustai;ning  to each
      and persons, other than those covered by the precepts of          other the relation of type and antitype, shadow and body.
      the ceremonial law, were caused to transpire and to ap-           To express it negatively, a transaction should not be
      pear for the purpose of  c;uhibiting  the realities of the        placed within the circle of the typical because it is out-
      kingdom of heaven. Adam and Elijah  w.ere,  according             wardly similar to the event which it is supposed to pre-  5
      to the testimony of Scripture, figures of Christ as well as       figure. Two events or personages must embody the same
      the priests. The symbolical-typical persons and trans-            ideas and truths in case the one is to be regarded as a
      actions lying within the circle- of the law may conven-           shadow of the other. To this should be added that the
      iently be denominated ritual - ritual types. To such per-         type necessarily exhibits the divine truth on a lower and
      sons and events, not covered l?y the law, the term, "his-         earthly scale.
      torical types," may be applied.                                      That this rule is a proper one is seen at once when
             In respect to this latter class of types the following applied to such typical events and persons, or characters,
      questions arise: (1) What is the extent: of this-particular which have the sanction of Scripture. According to the
      field? (2) What is its  scope? These questions, it will be        testimony of Paul, Adam is a figure of Christ. "Never-
      seen at once, need not be raised in respect to the ritual         theless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over
      shadows of the old. dispensation. For this province is them thar had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's
      clearly marked off by the law. Only concerning-some of transgression, who is the figure of Him that was to
      the historical types do we have Jehovah's word for it,            come." The point of convergence is expressed by the
      that they partake of this character. The following per-           following Scripture. `rFor if by one man's offense death
      sons or characters and transactions possess distinct reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance
      Scriptural authority: 1. Persons and characters: Adam             of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in
       (Rom.  5:11, 12; ICor.  1.5  :22)  ; Melchizedek (Heb. 7)  ;     life by one, Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5: 17). The relation
      .,Sarah  and Hagar, lshmael and Isaac, and by implication         which rhe first man sustained to the human race was
      Abraham (Gal.  4:22-35)   ; Moses (Gal. 3  :19; Acts  3:2-        that of head. So Christ is the principal of -redeemed
      26)  ; Jonah (Matt.  12%))   ; David (Ezek.  37:24; Luke          humanity. Hence, as Adam's  siti was imputed unto the
       1:32,  etc.) Solomon (II Sam. 7)  ; Zerubbabel and Joshua        entire race of humanity so the righteousness of Christ
       (Zech.  3, 4 ; Hag. 2 :23). 2. Transactions or events: the became the property of those whom He represented. The
       preservation of Noah and his family in the ark (I Peter          inner agreement between type and  antitype  is, in this
       3:20) ; the redemption from Egypt and its  passover-             case, the geadship.
       memorial (Luke 12:15,  16; I Cor. 5 :7) ; the exodus (Matt.         M'elchizedek prefigured Christ. "For that after  *te
       11:15)  ; the passage through the red sea, the giving of         similitude of Melchizedek there arises another priest"
       manna ; Moses" veiling  .of his face while the law was read ;    (Heb.  7). There are several points of convergence.
       the water flowing from the smitten rock; the serpent             Melchizedek was, as is Christ, priest of the most high
       lifted up for healing in the wilderness, and some other          God, king of righteousness, king of Salem, which is king
       things that befell the Israelites there (I Cor. 10 ; John        of peace. Both are wirhout father, without mother, with-
       3 :14 ; 5:33 ; Rev. 11:X). The above list was taken from         out descent, having neither beginning of days, rior end of
       Fairbairn's "The  Typology of Scripture."                        life. It appears that both Melchizedek and Christ exhibit,


!                                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                             271
              -.
              in their persons and in their work, the same great prin-      safety of those covered by the blood of Christ. There are
              ciples of truth. There is then that inner agreement which     corresponding elements throughout. The Passover, as
              must be there. From this it does not follow, however,         well as the cross of Christ, reveal the justice and mercy
              that Melchizedek and Christ were of equal rank and that       of God.
              one plane of action was common to both. The very terms,          &Let: us now apply the above principle of interpreta-
              "type" and "antitype," signify that such was not the case.    tion to some such events in sacred history which the in-
              Melchizedek was man, Christ was the Son of God. His           spired writers, in their search for suitable figures, passed
              priestly and kingly duties had a value and meaning of by. Let us do so for the purpose of ascertaining whether
              their own. The fact remains, however, that the life and       the above rule, if adhered to, aids one in making a proper
     *        work of both these personages display striking similari-      selection.
             ties. Each ispriest and king, truly devoted to the cause          Joseph is held to be a type of Christ by some  typol-
             of God. Hence, each is without beginning and without           ogists but not by others. We need not hesitate, however,
             end.                                                           to place. him in a class with the types. The events con-
                    For this reason he to whom Abraham gave a tenth is      stituting his life and the principles of truth which that
             referred to as a prefiguration of that great High Priest,      life of his exhibits are such as connect him with Christ.
             that is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God.        Here again there is that inner agreement. Joseph as  well
                    David prefigured the Christ. This is evident from       as Christ! was hated by his wicked brothers because of
             the written record of the utterances of Ezekiel.  "-4nd        his genuine piety. The sacred record asserts that the
              David, my servant, shall be king over them ; and they all     evil conduct of his brothers filled his soul with resent-
              shall have. one shepherd; they shall also walk in my          ment, that he was wont to bring unto his father their
             judgments and observe  mylstatutes,  and do them. And evil report. For this reason he was hated by his brothers
              they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob     who sold him to heathen merchantmen, who brought
             my servant, wherein. your fathers have dwelt; and they him to Egypt. There he was added to Potiphar's house-
              shall dwell therein, even they and their children, and        hold. He soon gains Potiphar's confidence with the result
             their children's children forever; and my servant, David,      that he, Joseph, is made overseer over his master's house.
             shall be their prince forever"  (Ezek.  3724,  26). David      His integrity is awarded by a prison term. Thereupon
             had been elevated to a position of theocratical king over he receives  ,insight into Pharaoh's dreams. Recognized
             the inheritance of Jehovah. He was the prime-minister by Pharaoh as one in whom the Spirit of God-was, he IS
             of God to whom had been assigned the task of ruling and        subsequently set over all the land of Egypt. Only in
             protecting, as the servant of Jehovah, the subjects of         the throne was Pharaoh greater than he. As the exalted
             that symbolical kingdom of heaven the real legislator and one Joseph now feeds those who had sought his ruin.
             judge of which `was no one less than God. David and his His brothers come to him for bread. By dint of circum-
             kingdom were types of that spiritual kingdom of heaven,        stances the entire land of Egypt with all its inhabitants
             the citizens of which are the redeemed, and the king of        becomes the personal property of the king  who,  through
             which was Jesus Christ. The former could very  well            Joseph, provides for his subjects as for his children.
             typify the latter in that both kingdoms together with             "Through suffering to high honor" is also applicable
             their kings exhibited, each in its own way and in its own      to Joseph, as well as to Christ. Joseph and Jesus were
             sphere the power, the sovereignty, the justice, holiness       made to pass through  rhe`valley of the shadow of death
             and mercy of God. Here again we are able to discover on their way to glory. The exalted Christ,  ha.ving  suf;
             that inner agreement between type and antitype.                fered for sin, feeds His brethren. He only has bread.
                    Again Ishmael and Isaac are named types by the in- He is the bread of life. To Him the sinner must turn
             spired writer Paul. The passage reads : "Now we, breth- would he live. Joseph, too, provides,, his brethren with
             ren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as bread. He only has bread. To him must men turn would
             then, he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that they nor perish. It is Joseph, then, who stands between
             was born after the spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless his brethren and death. That inner agreement is there.
             what saith the Scripture? Cast out the bond-woman and Hence, we may, feel assured that Joseph is a shadow of
             her son: for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir       Christ. .                                            ,:_
             with the son of the free-woman. So then brethren, we              A failure to adhere to the rule in question accounts
             are not children of the bond-woman but of the free"            for it that the stone, which Jacob used as  "a pillow, `is
              (Gal. 4). Ishmael is here presented as a type of the          looked upon by some as a type of Christ. But what con-
             world. The point of contact is his manner of behavior cord hath this particular stone with Christ? There is no
             toward Isaac, the child of the promise and a type of the       common principle connecting the two. True, as Christ is-
          c h u r c h .    Of Ishmael it is recorded that he persecuteth    rhe support of a redeemed people, so the. stone served.to
             Isaac. The world likewise assails the church. The inner        support the head of the slumbering Jacob. As  Fairbairn
             agreement between type and  antitype  is, so it appears,       points out,. however, "the use which Jacob made of the
             there.                                                         stone was quite different from that in respect to which
                    Let us now attend to the Passover-memorial.. The        Christ is exhibited as the stone laid `in Zion  - being laid,
             entire transaction is a, vivid picture of the peace  ,and      not for the repose or slumber, but for the stability and


  272                                     - T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   '
  -..- ..-. -.-"lll---_--.               _.^.._._  _...__ _ .__ ^..^^-__  .__-.           -      -                     -              --.--
  support of a ransomed people. For this the strength and                          How much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, A
  durability of a rock were absolutely indispensable; but                          hundred measures of oil. And he said unto  .him, Take
  rhey contribute nothing to the fitness of what Jacob's                           rhy  bill and sit down  quickly.and write fifty. Then said
  necessities drove him to employ as a temporary pillow.                           he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said,
  It was his misfortune, not his privilege, to be obliged to                       A hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him,
  resort to a stone for such a purpose."                                           Take thy bill, and write fourscore. And the Lord com-
         Let us now pass on to another important principle of                      mended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely:
  interpretation. Examining the above list of typical mate:                        for the children of this world are wiser in their genera-
' rials we discover that not one of the events, transactions tions than rhe children of light." Christ now lets follow
  or persons, used by the inspired writers as figures of the                       the application, "And I say unto you, Make unto your-
  good things under the Gospel is of a sinful nature. Hence,                       selves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that,
  we conclude that events or persons of a sinful nature                            when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting hab-
  may nor be regarded as figures of things sacred and holy.                        itations.    He that is faithful in that which is least, is
  This is never done neither by Christ nor by the inspired                         faithful also in much and he that is unjust in the least is
  writers in general.      Nevertheless, it is maintained by also unjust in the much. If, therefore, ye have been faith-
  some that this rule has its exceptions. it is claimed that ful unto the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to
  no one less than Christ violated it, that  He did so                             your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faith-
  when He uttered the parable of the unrighteous judge ful in that which is another man's, who shall give you  that-
  (Luke  18:3). Let us see. "There was in a city, so spake                         which is your own ? No servant can serve two masters:
  Christ, a judge which feared nor God nor regarded man;                           for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else
  And there was a widow in that city ; and she came unto                           he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot
  him, saying, avenge me of mine adversary. And he                                 serve God and mammon."
  would not for a while: but afterward he said within him-                            Now it is held by some that the unjust steward the
  self, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Set be-                             representative of the children of the world is, in this
  cause this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest                           particular parable set forth as an image or type of that
  by her continual coming she weary me, And the Lord                               child of the light who is wise and who is therefore en-
  said, Hear whar the unjust judge saith. And shall `not gaged in making to himself friends of the mammon of
  God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto                           unrighteousness.       Nothing is  furth'er  from the truth,
  Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that however. Before explaining the matter it is best thar we'
  He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the                             first attend to the rather obscure injunction of our Lord,
  Son of man  cometh shall He find faith upon the earth?"                          "Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of un-
     It is held by some that in this parable the unrighteous                       righteousness." The meaning is, that the children of the
  judge is represented as a figure or image of God. Noth-                          light should make their worldly goods bear them interest
  ing is further from the truth, however. This particular                          in heaven. This is done when these riches are placed in
  character is, in a spiritual-ethical sense, the very oppo-                       the service of heaven instead of in the service of self.
  site from God and may not, for that reason, be regarded                          Our..possessions  become our friends when we lay them
  as God's image or  figure. This unlikeness is one of rhe                         at the feet of Christ. This having been done, it is well,
  elements constituting the message of the parable. The                            for these riches are His property, not ours.
  ungodly  judge hearkens unto the pleadings of the widow.                            The unjust steward is the ungodly one who is very
  In doing so, he is being impelled by selfish motives. Since                      clever when it comes to safeguarding his own interests
  God is righteous and since those who turn to Him are the                         with God's riches. Hence, we may not regard this one
  elect, the beloved of God, rhe conviction cannot be                              as a image or figure of the child of light. He is not, for
  escaped from that'they do not turn unto God in vain. " I                         he is darkness and the children of the light are  .righc.
  tell you that He will avenge them speedily."                                     And what concord harh darkness with light? None,
     Another parable to which the critics of the rule under whatsoever.                               There are, therefore, no points of con-
  consideration might turn to for support is the parable of                        vergence between the two. The unjust steward is no
  the crafty steward (Luke 16). "And he said also unto                             figure, nor may he be taken as an example. Hearken
  His disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had                           then unto the message of the parable: The ungodly one
  a steward; and the same was accused unto him of wast-                            as a man of affairs is very wise. He knows how to make
  ing his goods. And he called him and said unto him,                              God's riches serve him to the very besr advantage. Be
  How is it that I hear this of thee? Give an account of                           ye wise as children of the light and see to it that your
  thy stewardship ; for thou mayest be no longer steward.                          riches bear you interest in heaven.
  Then the steward said within himself, what shall I do?                              Another leading principle of interpretation is that the
  for my lord taketh away from me my stewardship ; I                               type can have but one radical meaning. A self-evident
  cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. I am resolved what                              truth, we `would say. For the sum toral-of the typical
  to do,  that; when I am put out of the stewardship, they                         events, transactions and persons in sacred history con-
  may receive me into their Houses. So he called every                             stitute a language which God was pleased to use as a
t one of his lord% debtors unto him, and said unto the first,                      vehicle for transporting information from His own  c:on-


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER                                                       273
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                                                                                         .
sciousness into the consciousness of man. Now, every              There is a plain allusion in this Scripture to the
one is quite ready to admit that a language, constituted of    passage of the Israelites through the Red sea. Rivers
words with divers meaning, would occasion unheard of and seas are here represented as types of difficulties
confusion in that circle where  the- language was being        which stand between the elect sinner and salvation  -
spoken. The word, tree, let us say, would soon become          difficulties unsurmountable by man yet overcome by
obsolete if it were being used as a symbol of three or four    Jehovah. Of such distressing obstacles the Red sea was
dissimilar things. The type, then, as the word, can have       also a type. Classius erred, however, in maintaining that
but one meaning. In other words, a type cannot possibly a type may be a figure of two, or even contrary things,
be a figure of two or more dissimilar events, transactions     though in different respects. On the other hand, it ap-
or persons.                                                    pears that any thing or person in sacred history ma>' pre-
   The following criticism, rendered by Fairbairn, is in figure, in different respects, two dissimilar events under
a measure justifiable. "Classius makes the deluge to the Gospel. The Red sea, from the point of view of the
typify both the preservation of the faithful through bap-      cleansing properties of its waters, is a symbol of the
tism, and the destruction of the wicked in the day of the atoning blood of Christ. The event of the waters` of the
judgment; and the rule under which he adduces this             Red sea engulfing the obstinate Pharaoh and his hosts is
example is that `a type may be a figure of two, or even a figure of the Christ vanguishing the foes of His *king-
contrary things, though in different respects.' In like        dom. But. the Red sea would also have effectively ob-
manner, Taylor, taking the full liberty of such a canon,       structed Israel's path had not Jehovah intervened. As
when interpreting the passage of the Israelites through        such this sea is also a type of the difficulties encountered
the Red sea as a type of baptism, sees in that event, first by the pilgrim journeying to the celestial city - difficul-
the offering of Jesus Christ- to  their  faith, through the    ties which  ,are overcome in that the  Almighty God takes
Red sea, of whose death and passion they should find a a hand. God makes a path for His people. The Red sea,
sure and safe way to the celestial Canaan ; and then this      in these three respects, does serve as a figure of three
other truth, that by  His merit and mediation He would distinct events or series of events. Not that the one type
carry them through all difficulties and dangers as deep or figure has three meanings. Fact is, that we are con-
as the bottom of the sea, unto eternal rest. In this speci- fronted here with three types: (f) The  bapt?zing  of
men the Red rea is viewed as representing at the same          Israel by the waters of the sea ; (2) the drowning of
time, and in relation to the same persons, both the aton-      Pharaoh by these same waters; (3) the passage of the
ing blood of Christ and the outward trials of life.  The Israelites through rhis sea. On this one body of water
other example is not so palpably incorrect, nor does it        has  been  engraved, as it were, the images of three dis-.
in fact go to the entire length which the rule it is de-       tinct yet related events or series of events, The waters
signed to illustrate properly warrents; for the action of of the sea are indispensable to the three pictures.
the waters in the deluge is considered by it in reference         There is yet  *one rule remained  ro which we  shall
to different persons as well as in different respects. It is attend in a following article.
at fault, however, in making one event typical of two                                                            G.  M, 0.
diverse and unconnected results." So far Fairbairn.
   The above typical exegeses of Classius and Taylor is,
irrespective of the criticism brought to bear on it, cor-                              SO BE IT
rect. It has the sanction of Scripture. According to the
testimony of Holy Writ, the Red sea is at once a type                     So be it; `tis Thy plan not mine,
of the atoning blood of Christ and of the trials of life.                      And being Thine is good;
But to this must be added "in different respects." And                     My God, my will shall yield to Thine
the above authors did not fail to make this addition.                          Ere it is understood.
There is that familiar passage in the first epistle to the
Corinthians : "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye                     So be it;  I: a child of dust
be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the                           Will not oppose Thy way,
cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all bap-                   Move on, mysterious Will, I trust,
tized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea."  Tn. this                       I love, and will obey.
Scripture the waters of the Red sea are represented as a
symbol of the blood of Christ. The other Scripture is                      So be it J and do Thou, my heart,
found in Isaiah 10. "And the Lord shall utterly destroy                        No childish questions ask,
the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with His mighty                        Thou in God's counsels hast no part,
wind shall He shake His hand over the river, and shall                         Crave not so hard a task.
smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dry
shod. And there shall be, a highway for the remnant of                     So be it; yes so be it, Lord,
His people, which shall be left from Assyria; like as it                      , No word have  I to say  -
was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land                   0 be Thy gracious Name adored --
of Egypt."                                                                     I love and will obey.


                                               THEE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                 277
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           THE PARABLE OF THE CANDLESTICK                                t'en deze bezigde, dat van het uitschijnend licht en van
                          (Matt.  5:14, 15, 16)                          den zuurdeesem, niet inzien. (According to Kuyper,
                                                                         Jesus in the parable of the "zuurdeesem" is devoting him-
          According to Kuyper the wicked, the ungodly, be-               self to the subject of special grace.)    Ook de prediking
     holding the good works of the children of light, glorify            verzuimt bijna altoos beide te onderscheiden, gelijk het
     God. In "De Gemeene Gratie" one meets wirh assertions               een gemeen gebrek is dat juist over de grondgedachten
     such as these:  f'Behooren   nu de geestelijke  dingen,  die        door  Jezus  in de  Evangelicn  uitgesproken, zoo zelden
     rechtstreeks product van particuliere  genade  zijn, naar           diepingaande gepredikt  wordr." On the three parables
     allen erkennen, tot het koninkrijk Gods, zoo volgt hieruit          which are supposed t!o embody the idea of common grace
     rech.tstreeks,  dat met het laren schijnen van ons licht voor Kuyper comments  aS follows:  "Als' het koninkrijk der
     de wereld, zoodat de wereld het kan zien, niet kan bedoeld          hemelen vergeleken wordt bij een mosterdzaacl en straks
     zijn het geestelijk leven in het koninkrijk Gods.  Zullen           allerlei gevogelte nestelt in zijne takken, blijven al die
     de menschen het zien kunnen,  en zullen zij, omdat zij het          vogelkn vreemd  aan de natuur van den opgeschoten
     in  u  zien,  God in den  he.mel  aerheerlijken,  dan moet hier     boom. Het contact is bloor uitwendig (common grace).
     sprake zijn van dingen  die onder hun bereik vallen.`" And          Het zout doet niets anders din de bedervende ontwikke-
     again : "De tucht moet in die heirschare van den Christus           ling stuiten (common grace). En zoo nti ook is het met
     zoo uitstekend en zoo overvloedig zijn in vruchten, dat             het uitschijnend en in de wereld inschijnend licht. `Daar-
     de wereld bij al den  haat  dien  ze God en den  Christus           van heet het in Matrh.  5:14,  15, 16: `Gij  zijt het licht
'    toedraagt, tech onder de bekoring van zijn legcr komt, en           der wereld. Eene stad boven op eene berg liggende, kan
     haars ondanks  zich genoodzaakt  zier  de  acitnemendlaeid          niet verborgen zijn. Noch steekt men eene kaars aan, en
     van  dezen koning  te  eeren." And once more:  "Wat Jezus           zet die onder eene korenmaat, maar op eene kandelaar, en
     u vermaant : "Laat  uw  licht  schijnen voor de menschen,           zij schijnt allen die in het huis zijn. Laat uw licht alzoo
     opdar zij uw licht zien, en  uwen  Vader in de hemelen              schijnen voor de menschen' dat zij uwe goede werken mo-
     verheerlijken  mogen,   slaat dus en  niel-  en  menschkundig       gen zien, en uwen Vader die in de hemelen is  verheer-
     geheel   op  de wereld  zooals   me  is."  And finally:  "Dat is    lijken.'  Alzoo de wereld klimr niet op tot de stad, en de
     uw licht laten schijnen in de zaken des levens en op een            stad daalt niet naar de wereld af. Beide blijven onder-
     terrcin dat. de wereld beoordeelen kan. Op dat terrein              scheiden en gescheiden, maar het licht uit de stad schijnt
     moet ge haar eerbied afdwingen. En gestadig, rusteloos              in de wereld in. De kaars en zij die in huis zijn blijven
     moet de drang in u zijn, om op dit breede terrein van uw            twee, maar degenen die in huis zijn, vangen op het  net-
     leven zoo uit te komen, dat ge dan naam van uwen Heer vlies van hun oog het licht op. En zoo ook de geloovigen
     geen smaadheid aandoet, maar onwillekeurig de wereld                stralen licht uit voor de menschen, maar ook zoo  tech
     dwingt, om uw God en uw  Heiland'  te  verheerlijken"               blijven de geloovigen die her licht uitstralen, en de men-
     ("De Gemeene Gratie," vol. II, p.  337-8).                          schen die het opvangen, twee onderscheiden soorten van
        The scriptural passage which, according to Kuyper,               personen. De onderscheiding die we stelden blijkt alzoo
     asserts that the wicked, the ungodly, glorify God, is               niet willekeurig genomen te zijn, maar in de Schrift  `zelve
     Matt.  5 :14? 15, 16, "Ye are the light of the. world. A city       te zijn  gegrond"   ("De  Gemeene  Gratie," vol. II, p.
     that is set on a hill cannor  be hid. Neithe; do men light 677-8.)
     a candle and put,it  under a bushel;but  on a candlestick;             The above quotations indicate thar Kuyper regarded
     and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let the three parables, that of the mustard seed, that of the
     your light so shine before men that  rhey  may see your             salt and that of the candlestick  Bs three discourses on
     good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven."             common grace. However, when one studies the three
        According to Kuyper Jesus was speaking of common                 parables in the light of the entire organism of truth con:
     grace when He uttered these words. The ungodly see the              tained in God's Word, one discovers that the three par-'
     light and glorify God. According to Ruyper, at least ables are not so many discourses on common grace. Then
     three of the parables which Jesus uttered group them-               it becomes at once evident, that the parable of the candle-
     selves around the subject common grace. They are the                stick may not be quoted in support of the theomry.
     parable of the candlestick, the mustard seed and that                  We shall not now analyse Kuyper's exegesis of the
     parable in which Jesus compares the church tn the                   parable of the mustard seed and that of the salt, but con-
     salt of the earth. Kuyper reproves the ministers of                 fine ourself to his exposition of the parable of the candle-
     the gospel for not detecting that these three parables are          stick, which was regarded as a scriptural proof for the
     so many sermons on common grace.              He deplores -the      proposition that the wicked, rhe ungodly,  ,seeing  the light,
     fact that ministers of the word have thus far failed to             i. e., seeing the good works of the godly, glorify God.
     distinguish between those parables which group them-                   Kuyper's mistake in explaining the parable in  quesi
     selves around the subject special grace and those in                tion was that he failed to adhere to that most funda-
     which the Savior is applying himself to the subject com-            mental and most important exegetical rule, which says
     mon grace. Says Dr.  Ruyper: "Zelfs mag gezegd, dat                 that Scripture must be explained  .in the light of Scrip-
     de meesten het verschil van de twee beelden, die  Jezus             ture.
                                                                                                           .


278                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            - -
       Let us now view Kuyper's proposition in the light of     honor and adore Him, and declare His virtues? Net
Scripture and analyse his exegesis of the parable of the        Kuyper maintains that the wicked do this very thing.
candlestick.                                                    The true meaning and import of the parable having been
   The ungodly glorify God when they see the light              established, it will at once have become evident that
which God's people radiate, so Kuyper maintains. But            Kuyper's explanation is untenable. Let  US  proceed to
we ask immediately :' Can this be true? Do the ungodly          this.
and the wicked actually glorify God? Let us see.                    Jesus is addressing his followers, his people, and
   The saints and the angels do glorify God, for God is         assures them that they are the light of the world, which
glorious. In His power, might, wisdom, knowledge, wrath, implies that the people of God are themselves light. And
hatred, and anger in his justice, love and mercy He our         it could- not be otherwise for they are the children of
God is glorious and of infinite perfection. God is good.        God, and God is light, in Him there is no darkness.
That God is glorified implies that those glorifying Him            The term "light" is a figurative expression indicating
are willing and do recognize God to be what He is, a            what God is and what His people are according to the
being of infinite perfection. Now to recognize that God         new man. More precisely, the term light is a figure of
is what He is means to hold Him in high esteem, to              the wisdom, knowledge  and* holiness of God and His
                                                                              .
revere and adore Him. The heart of him who glorifies            people. The smner dead in trespasses and sin, is the very
God is filled with love and adoration for God and that opposite of light. His understanding is darkness. He is
one knows of an irrepressible desire  and,  longing to de-      alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that
clare and to sing of God's virtues. And so he does.             is in him, because of the blindness of his heart. "His heart
       But do the wicked recognize God to be what He is?        is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked and
Are they willing to do that? Do the ungodly hold God            out of his heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulter-
in high esteem? Do they revere and adore Him? Do                ies,  fornications,  thefts, false witness, blasphemies"
they love God? Do they know of that longing to declare          (Matt.  15 :19). "Naturalman  has gone aside and become
God's virtues? Do they sing of His glory?                       stinking" (Ps.  14:2,  3).
   Listen what Scripture says of the ungodly : "The kings          The term "light" stands for knowledge, wisdom, holi-
of the earth- set themselves, and the rulers take counsel       ness and perfection and stands opposed to the ignorance,
together, against the Lord and against his anointed, say-       blindness, corruption and pollution of the natural man.
ing, Let us brake their bands -asunder, and cast away              When man left God's hands he was light. For God
their cords from us" (Ps. 2 :2, 3). "For the imagination of     had created man after His image in the true knowledge,
man's heart is evil from his youth" (Gen.  8:21).  "The         righteousness and holiness. But man sinned and discon-
Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men nected  .from  God, he became  .darkness.             Being wise he,
to see if there were any that did understand and seek became a fool. The original beauty, holiness and perfec-
God. They are `all gone aside. They are altogether be-          tion with which the Father of lights had clothed him,
come stinking. There is none that doeth good, no not vanished and in their stead came death, decay and pollu-
one" (Ps.  14':3,  3). "The wicked are estranged from the       tion of soul and body.
womb; they go astray as soon as they are born" (Ps. 58:            However, the fall of man was no frustration of God's
4). "The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God"          plans. Man fell because God determined that he should.
(Ps.  13:l). "Therefore they say unto God, depart from          The fall of man forms an integral part of  ,God's eternal
us for we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways" (Job            counsel. In the silence of eternity God decreed to gather.
21:14). "Because when they knew God, they glorified defend and preserve to Himself out of the whole human
Him not as God, neither were thankful" (Rom.  1:X).             race a church, which He chose to everlasting life agree-
"But natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit ing in true faith. Hence, among the fallen race there are
`of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he      those whom God did foreknow, whom He did predes-
know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (I tinate to be conformed to the image of His Son. These
Cor. 2 :14). "Having the understanding darkened, being God now is calling, these the Lord God is transporting
alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that out of the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of His dear
is in them, because of the blindness of their heart" (Eph.      Son.     This having been accomplished they are light,
4:s). "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: they are children of the light and children of the day.
for  it,is not subject to the law of God, neither can it be"       Such Jesus is addressing when He said,  "Ye are the
(Rom.  8:4).     "Who (the wicked) have said, with our light of the world." The, Lord God having kindled within
tongues will we prevail, our lips are our own; who is lord      them light they are now themselves light and being light
over us?" (Ps. 12 :4). "For they proceed from evil to evil rhey  &-e the light of the world.
and they know not Me, saith the Lord" (Jer.  9:3).                 The children of God are not the source of that light
"Wherefore doth the wicked condemn God? he hath said burning within them, but Christ. With Him have they
in his heart, Thou wilt not require it" (Ps.  10:13).           been placed in a vital contact, therefore they themselves
       May anyone maintain in the presence of the above         are light.
scriptural passages that the wicked glorify God and love,          In rhis parable Christ makes ment:on  of two distinct


                                            T-HE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                279
  -...--.                                                                                                          -      -
  groups, which should not be confused. The world is not             That the term world has this meaning in the parable
  the children of light and the children of light are not the     of the candlestick is evident from rhe following: Jesus
  world.                                                          speaking of Himself said,  "I am the light of the world."
     The expression, "light of the world," is indicative of a The phrase-"of the world,' denotes a relation, nay more,
  relation. Nay more, it denotes bequeathment. The rela- possession.           The Father gave His Son a light unto the
  tion which the people of God sustain to the world is that       world. In respect to Christ the term "light', is synon-
  of light.                                                       ymous to the term "life." For  weread:   "In Him-was
   . What is the meaning and import of the term "world"?          life and the life was the .light of meti," (John 1:3). NOW
  The term world in Scripture has at least four meanings.         Christ is not the light and  ,life  of-the reprobate world.
  The term signifies creation, not as a chaos, which it is        Of that world Christ is not the property. I am. now
  not, but as a harmonious whole, as a cosmbs,  wirh man as       speaking of the Christ not of the "Logos." God did not
  its crown. This is  the meaning of the -term world in give His Son a light unto the reprobate world. In respect
  Heb. 2 :3 `where we read : "Through faith we understand         to that world God determined and wills that Christ' shall
  that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that be unto it darkness and death. We re8d:  "And the angel
  thin,? which are seen were not made of things which do          of God (which was Christ) which went before the camp
  appear."                                                        of Israel, removed and wenr behind them; and it came
     Further rhe term world is used to signify the world of between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of
  men. Rom. 3 :19 reads : " . . . . that every mouth may be       Israel: and it was a cloud and darkness unto them; but
  stopped,  and all the world may become guilty -before           gave light by night to these" (Ex. 14 :19,20). And again :
  God."                                                           "Behold I (God) lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock
     The term world has still another meaning in Scrip-           of offense" (Rom. 9  :23). And once more : "To the one
  ture. It is often used to denominate the ungodly and            we are a savor of death unro death,' (II Cor. 2:15).
  wicked people, conceived of an organic whole and stand-            It is plain that to the reprobate world Christ is dark-
  ing in opposition  ro God and His  people.  The word has        ness, an offense, a savor of death unto death. And the
  this meaning in I John 3: 1, "Therefore the world know-         Lord God determined that it should be thus. For God
  eth us not because it knew not Him."                            Himself said : Rehold I (God) lay in Zion.  a stumbling
     And finally the term world is often used to denote stone and a rock of offense.
  chosen humanity, the predestinated ones, foreknown by              Only in respect to the~chosen  ones did God determine
  God and which Kuyper in his  "Uit het Woord" calls "de          that Christ should be a light. Only for them is Christ
  innerlijke kern,  die  ,verborgen  kern, die verborgen kiem meant to be a light.  Plnd so it is in reality. Christ rhe
  die rot eene nieuwe wereld  zal opgebouwd  worden,  die         light is the property of the chosen race only. Only to
  eens glanzen zal in al de pracht des goddelijken levens.,'      the predestinated ones did God give Christ as a light.
  The term world has this meaning in John 4:42,  " . . . . For       To he sure, the cause of `Christ being to the reprobate
I we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this indeed          world darkness and death lies not in Christ. Christ is
  is the Christ, the Savior of the world." And again in John      light and in Him there is no darkness. The cause lies in
  3 :16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His pnly        the reprobate, in the moral  depravedness  of  ,his nature.
  begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should            To a sick man the odors of delicious food are nauseating.
  nor perish but have everlasting life."                          He must have nothing of it.
     What now is the meaning of the term world in the                Since Christ rhe light is the property of the chosen
  utterance, "Thou art the light of the world." According race only it follows that the church, the people of God,
  to Kuyper, the.author  of "De Gemeene Gratie," the term are that and nothing more. For the church is light in
  denotes rhe world of ungodly people, the reprobate as           Christ. He is the source of its light. The fire which He
  well as  tjle elect. This is evident from the `following: kindled in the hearts of His people He, Christ, maintains
  "Alzoo de wereld klimt niet op tot de stad, en de stad and feeds. Now if Christ as light was given unto the
 daalt  niet naar de  were14  af. Beide blijven onderscheiden     chosen race only it must follow that the same is true of
  en gescheiden, maar het  licht uit de stad schijnt in de        the church, of the people of God. It must be that the
  wereld in.,' ("De Gemeene Gratie," vol. II, p. 677). Ac-        church as light  wag given by God to the predestinated
 cording to Kuyper, the author of "Uit het Woord,!' the           ones only. It cannot be otherwise but that the church is
 term world denotes "de innerlijke kern, de. eigenlijke           meaiit to be a light unto the chosen ones only, i. e., unto
 kiem der wereld, die tot een nieuwe wereld wordt  op-            those who are still groping about in darkness. The
 gebotiwd.,'                                                      Bible plainly teaches that this is true.    Paul speaking of
     The term world in the parable of the candlestick             himself and the church says: To the one we are a savor
  denotes,. as the author of "Uit het Woord,' expresses it,       of life unto life, to the other a savor of death unto death'.
  "de innerlijke kern, de eigenlijke kiem  *der werefd" ("Uit     To the reprobate world the church is and  ,remains as
  her Woord," vol. I,  p; m-10). De eigenlijke kern der offensive as Christ Himself.
  wereld,  i. e., chosen humanity, the predestinated ones,           In the light of the  preceeding  it is plain that the
 those whom God did foreknow.                                     term "world," in the parable of the candlestick, denotes


2iy                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

choskn  humanity only and not the reprobate world.  TO                   AAN MIJN VRIEND IN HET  WESTEN
the chosen world still groping about in darkness, the                               "
church is meant to be and eventually does become the                                           Grand Rapids,  Maart   193'
light. The church as light is the property of that world
only, as is Christ Himself.                                               Amice fraterque !
         Kuyper,  therefore, is in  conflict with Scripture when       remand vroeg me laatst of het uit was met de vriend-
he maintains in his "Gemeene  Gratie"  that Christ and              schap  tusschen ons. Hij deed die vraag, omdat er nooit
His church is the light of the reprobate world.                     meer een  briefje van me aan jou uit de tasch van  onzen
         Someone may object that we approach the above              Bearer kwam. Wat iijn de menschen ook nieuwsgierig,
phrase with its term "world" with a mind biased by pre-             h6,  amice,  dat ze hun neus ook al steken in onze private
possessions.        True, but our prepossessions are taken          briefwisseling ! Overigens,  toen   .ik eens even nadacht,
from Scripture and are of such a nature that if we had              kon ik dien vriend tech ook weer geen schuld geven, want
failed to take account of them we would. have placed                ik rekende eens  uit, dat ik je al in eenige maanden niet
Scripture in conflict with itself in explaining the above           had geschreven. Nu is het gelukkig  diet uit tusschen
parable.                                                            ens.. Maar ik  dacht zoo bij mezelf: Ik zal me ook voor
 In the above parable, we repeat, the church is the                 den schijn des kwaads wachten. Er gaan al zooveel
light of the chosen world. The people of God must let               praatjes en men wdet al zooveel te vertellen, dat ik maar
their light shine in order that the predestinated ones,             geen aanleiding geven  zaI, om ook nog te vertellen, dat
living in darkness, may' be drawn out of darkness into              onze vriendschap verbroken is. En zoo nam ik me voor,
the light and glorify God.                                          om bij de eerste de beste gelegenheid. de pen maar eens
         In the following number we shall complete our expo-        weer  up te nemen en je eenige letteren te schrijven, ZOO-
sition of the parable of the candlestick.                           als men dat gewoonlijk zegt, als men nu eens een echten
                                                       G. M.  0.    brief schrijven wil.
                                                                       Er is veel vooreevallen  sedert ik je het laatst schreef.
                                                                    Niet  alleen  bij jullie in Hull, maar ook bij ons. Ik weet
                    IN GRIEF  AND SHAME                             bijna niet waar  `ik nu het begin moet zoeken met mijn
                                                                    verhsal. Ik  zal zoo voor de vuist weg maar eens iets
            I lie before Thee, Lord, just where  I'ought            vertellen. Als het dan niet  alles in juiste orde mij voor
                 In grief and shame to lie;                         de aandacht komt, dan moet je maar zien, dat je er een
            I am not worthy of a glance from Thee;                  beetje  orde in schept.
                 Yet do not pass me by.                                Allereerst  zal ik je dan  m5ar schrijven, dat het bij
                                                                    ons, onder den zegen  des Heeren, alles  &oed  is (vroeger
            I have forsaken Thee, an earthly spring,                liet men hierop  volgcn: "en  hopen  van  u hetzelfde";
                 Yet once again to try  ;                           (loch  dat-wcet je wel'van me, zoodat ik dat er maar niet
            It leaves me thirsty, may  1 come to Thee?              bijzet).  Je weet natuurlijk wel, dat we ons nieuwe kerk-
                 0 do not pass me by.                               gebouw in gebruik hebbcn genomcn. Het was juist op
                                                                    den'kop  af een jaar  geleden,  dat men ons in de sneeuw
            fn a sad hour, a false, yet glittering prize            zette. Je begrijpt, dat dit alles voorspocdig en zeer  ge-
                 Caught,  and enticed my eye:                       zegend is gegaan.  Toen was  er nog niets klaar.  ilre
            I sought, and lost it, in my grief and pain,            hadden,  als enkele private personen, we1 een stuk .grond
                 Lord, do not pass me by.                           gekocht, dat we, indien  nobdig,   wilden  afstaan voor een
. . .                                                               nieuw kerkgebouw en nieuwe pastoric. Maar overigens
                                                                    stonden we  a&n den dijk. De  plannen  voor het gebouw
                                                                    moesten nog gemaakt; de  gelden,  die nooclig  waren,
                Into my closet fleeing, as the dove                 moesten nog verzamelcl; de  getneente   morst nog  beslui-
                      Doth homeward flee,                           ten over het  hpe en wat van nieuwe  eigendommen.  In
                I hast away to ponder o'er thy love                 din  Woord,   alles  moest nog geschieden..  Er was niets
                      Alone with Thee !                             klaar. En zie thans eens. Ik zal maar niet  beginnen  ons
                                                                    gebouw te beschrijven. M aar het mag  zich  tech Iaten
                                                                    zien.  Her  ii  schoon  en  tech eenvoudig, groot en  tech
                                                                    gemakkelijk te bespreken, en zeer doelmatig ingericht.
               Something for Thee! Yet if for me                    En ofschoon we meer dan twee honderd zitplaatsen heb-
                 It is a useless, crippled hand,                    ben  clan in ons aude gebouw, is de kerk des  Zondags-
               Let perfect patience mark my way:                    avonds nog te klein en kunnen we nog niet van de klap-
               Since they who silently obey                         stoeltjes af.  Ik  meen,  dat ik  reden   heh,  om te zeggen,
                 Are doing as Thy wisdom planned,                   dat onze  gemeente bloeit. En dat niet  alleen  naar het
                        Something for Thee !                        uitwendige,  amice, want wat zou dat nog beteekenen?


