                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       IO3

vaardige  tech weer  het Ieven  van zijn beest. Gods kind           THE WOMAN  WIIO WAS A SINNER
zal dan ook het dier niet mishandelen, het niet vervloe-
ken en slaan als het niet aanstonds zijn wil volbrengt,                          (Luke 7 :36-50)
maar het veeleer verzorgen, als priester-koning der
schepping, en in zijn gebed ook dat dier opdragen  aan          Coming as it does in the narrative of St. Luke (the
den Heer des heelals. Dat is zijne roeping.  God schiep only Evangelist which records it) immediately after
Zevende  zielen, toen Hij de. dieren formeerde.              that discourse which'closed with the invitation,  "Come
   In de tweede pIaats  trekt het de aandacht, dat de unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I
dferen geformeerd zijn, of op Gods machtwoord zijn will give you rest," how natural the thought that here,
voortgebracht uit het element, waarin ze leven en zich in what is told of the woman who was a sinner, we
bewegen. Er wordt hier onderscheid gemaakt tusschen have one instance - perhaps the first that followed its
de dieren, die in het water en in het luchtruim zich         delivery - of that invitation being accepted, - of one
bewegen aan den .eenen  kant, en de dieren der aarde wearied and heavy laden coming to Jesus, and enter-
aan den anderen kant. De eerste zijn geschapen op ing into the promised rest. Multitudes had already
den vijfden dag en werden uit het water genomen. come to Him to get their bodily ailments cured ; she
Zeer waarschijnlijk geldt dit ook van `het gevogelte, may have been the first who came under the pressure
van het pluimgedierte. Net firmament  tech, zoo zagen of a purely spiritual impulse  - grieving, desiring,
we, werd waarschijnlijk uit de  wateren  geformeerd. hoping, loving, to get all the more than all she sought.
De vogelen  en visschen zijn uit dat oogpunt dus aan
elkander verwant en worden  door Gods machtwoord                Jesus had accepted the invitation of a Pharisee, and
uit de  wateren  voortgebracht. De landdieren  echter        reclines leaning upon His left arm, His head towards
worden  op den zesden dag in het aanzijn geroepen, en the table, His unsandalled feet stretched outwards.
dat we1 uit de aarde. Zij staan dichter bij den mensch, Through the crowd of guests, and servants and spec-
die ook op dien dag schapen werd, en behooren bij de tators, a woman well known to the city for the profli-
aarde uit dewelke ze genomen zijn. Bovendien wordt gate life she had been leading, glides nearer and
ook hier weer nadruk gelegd op het feit, dat de ver-         nearer, till she stands behind Him. As she stands,
schihende  diersoorten geschapen werden  naar hunnen she weeps. The tears fall thickly upon His feet. She
aard, en dat er dus geen vermenging van soorten kan has nothing else with which to do it, so she stoops to
plaats hebben. Deze soorten worden in breede klassen wipe the tears away with her loose dishevelled hair.
ingedeeld, al naarmate ze dichter bij den mensch of She gently grasps the feet of Jesus to kiss them, and
verder van hem verwijderd staan.  Eerst   worden de now she remembers the box she had brought, in hope,
visschen  en de vogelen  geschapen, die in hun leven het perhaps to  find some fitting opportunity of pouring its
verst  van den mensch verwijderd staan. En ook de contents upon His head ; but she can make no nearer
landdieren worden uit dit oogpunt ingedeeld in drie approach, and so she sheds the precious perfumed  oint-
groote  soorten. Daar is het kruipend dier,  dat het ment on those feet which she had washed with her
minst vrij is, het dichtst bij het stof leeft en daardoor tears, wiped with the hairs of her head, and covered
onder de landdieren ook het verst van den mensch af with the kisses of her lips.
staat;  het Wilde dier, waaronder niet te verstaan is           What had brought this woman here? What moves
het verscheurend dier, zooals het door de zonde ge- her to act in this way to Jesus? Somewhere, somehow,
worden  is, maar het dier des velds en des wouds, dat Jesus had recently crossed her path. She had heard
zich van den mensch verwijdert en zijn hulp en  be- His call to repentance, His offers of forgiveness, His
scherming en verzorging niet zoekt; en eindelijk het promises of peace and rest. The arrow had entered
vee, of liever alle dieren, die dicht bij den mensch leven into her soul. She stood ashamed and confounded.
en zelfs tot in zijn eigen woning onder zijn dak ver- Her iniquities took hold of her so that she was not able
keeren. Ook spreekt de Heere bier voor het eerst Zijn to look up, yet deep within her heart new hopes were
schepsel zegenend toe, dat is, in overeenstemming met rising, dimly before her eyes new prospects dawned.
zijn aard als levende ziel, leg-t  Hij sprekend in het dier All the penitence she experienced, all the new desires,
den wil en de neiging en de kracht om zich te vermenig-      expectations, resolutions, that were filling her breast
vuldigen. Zijt vruchtbaar en vermenigvuldigt ! Zoo she owed to Him - to the gentle and loving yet reso-
is dus in de zesdaagsche scheppingsarbeid Gods het lute and truthful spirits in which Jesus had spoken.
rijke heelal  gestadig opgeklommen uit het stof tot in       She had looked at Him, had listened to Him, had fol-
de levende ziel, en wacht het alles nog op den mensch, lowed Him as He opened those arms of His mercy so
een beelddrager Gods, waarin geheel de schepping  als widely, and invited the penitent to come to Him. And
het ware kan  worden samengevat en in gemeenschap what He so fully promised - the peace of forgiveness,
kan staan met den God des Verbonds.                          the blessedness of meekness and lowliness, of poverty
                                                   H. H.     of spirit, of purity of heart - these are what she now, -
                                                             above all things desires to have. Believing that she
                                                             can get them alone from Him, an irresistible attraction
                                                             draws her to Him. Jewish women were wont to honor,

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

by one or other mark of favor shown, the Rabbi or mitting her to wash and wipe and anoint His feet.
teacher to whom they felt most attached or indebted.       For the woman he had nothing but indignation and
But what shall she render unto One who has already contempt. He thinks only of what she had been,-not
quickened her to a  new life of hope and love? She of what she is ; and his only wonder as to her is, how
hears of His going to dine with the Pharisee. Too well she could have presumed to enter here and act as she
she knows how this man and his guests will look upon had been doing. But he wonders also at  ,Jesus.  He
her, what an act of effrontery on her part it will ap-     cannot be the prophet that so many take Him to be,
pear -that she should obtrude her presence into such a or He wouId  have known what kind of woman this
dwelling at such a time. But faith makes her bold, was ; for He could not have known that and yet allow
love triumphs over fear. She presses in and.on,  till at Himself to be defiled with her touch. Whatever re-
last she finds herself bending over the feet of Jesus, spect he had been prepared to show to Jesus begins to
with the costliest thing she has, the alabaster box of suffer loss, as he sees Him allowing such familiarities
ointment, in her hand. As she stands behind that to be practiced by such hands. Not that this respect
form, as she stoops to embrace those feet,  al1 the had ever been very spiritual or very profound. The
thoughtlessness, the recklessness, the unrestrained omissions that our Lord notices - notices not so much
self-indulgence of the by-past years, the ties she had in the way of complaint as for the purpose of bringing
broken, the injuries she had done, the reproached she out the contrast between the treatment given by the
had incurred, the sins she had committed, flash upon two  - Simon and the woman - would seem rather to
her memory. Who is she that she should come so imply that he had not been careful to show any partic-
near and touch so familiarly the pure and the holy ular regard to his guest. Perhaps he thought that he
Jesus ? She cannot meet His eyes, she does not press was paying such a compliment to Jesus inviting Him
herself upon His notice. But is He not the meek and to his house that he need be the less attentive to the
the compassionate, as well as the pure and the holy        courtesies of his reception. It was a rare thing for a
One? While others-had frawned upon her, treated her man like him - a Pharisee -. to do such a thing.
as an outcast, had He not shown a deep and tender Simon, however, was not one of the strict and rigid,
interest in her, a yearning over her to take her in His    the religious devotees of his order; he was more a
hand and lead her back to the paths of purity and          moralist  -than a pietist ; and seeing much' in Jesus to
peace? It was this kindly treatment that had broken approve, and even admire, he was quite ready to ask
down all power to resist upon. her part, which had Him to his house, in the hope, perhaps, that in the easy
given Him such a hold on her, which had brought her freedom of social intercourse, he might test the pre-
to the house of the Pharisee to see Him, which had tensions of this new teacher, and see further than
drawn her so close to Him. But the very thought of other into His true character and claims. One mark
all the love and pity that He had shown her open or token of his order is deeply stamped upon' this
afresh the fountains of shame and self-reproach, and       Simon - pride - a pride it may have been, a little
the tears of a true and deep repentance flow forth;        different from that of the Pharisee whom Jesus repre-
not the tears of bare self-condemnation - a stinging sents in the parable as praising himself before God for
remorse, goading the spirit to dispair. Along with a his fasting twice in the week and giving tithes of all
true sense of her sin there is an apprehension of divine that he possessed, yet quite akin to his in comparing
mercy - that mercy revealed to her in Jesus. She himseIf  with and despising others. He, too, `might
sorrows not over her sins as one who has no hope : a       have-stood and prayed thus to himself: God, I thank
trust in Christ's readiness and power to pardon and to thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, un-
save her has already entered into her heart. The very just, adulterers, or as this woman here. Anything like
sense, however, of His ,exceeding  graciousness quickens contact, concert, familiar intercourse with such a low
the sense of her exceeding sinfulness. The faith and abandoned woman, no man who had any proper  self-
hope to which she had been begotten work her peni-         respect, he thinks, could practice or endure. And now
tence, and that penitence intensifies her love ; so that that he sees Jesus consenting to be touched and han-
as we look upon her - first standing silently weeping,     dled by her, his only explanation of it is that He cannot
then bending down and bathing those feet with her know what kind of woman she is. "Now when the
tears, then clasping and kissing them and pouring the Pharisee which had bidden Him saw it, he spake with-
ointment aver them  - she presents herself to our eye in himself saying, This man, if He was a prophet,
as the most striking picture of a loving, humble peni- would have known who and what manner of woman
tent at the feet of Jesus which the Gospels present.       this is that touched Him."
   It was with a very different sentiment from that           In thinking and feeling so, he entirely overlooks
with which we are disposed to look at her that she was     the change that had taken place - the evidence which
looked at by the Pharisee who presided at the feast.       appeared in the very manner of the woman's present
He had noticed her  entance,  watched her movements,       conduct, and above `all the nature and strength of the
seen that, though not turning round to speak to her,       tie which that change created between her and Jesus.
Jesus was not unconscious of her presence, was per- It was to lift him out of the deep abyss of pride, and


                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                    105

       if possible to show him how much closer, deeper, ten- whom a11 their debts were due none other than he who
       derer a relationship it was. in which this penitent stood was sitting at his table, what a wonderful revolution
       to Him, than that in which  .he, Simon, stood, that Jesus in his estimate of Jesus must have taken place; for
       stated the case of the two debtors. "And Jesus an- nothing in this whole narrative strikes so much as the
       swering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to simple, natural, easy, unostentatious manner in which
.      say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There Jesus assumes to himself the position, of that -Being to
       was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one whom'all  spiritual debts are owing, and by whom they
       owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And           are forgiven.
       when they had nothing to pay; he frankly forgave them          "Her sins," said Jesus of the woman to Simon,
       both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him "which are many are forgiven, for she loveth much.?
       most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to So to interpret this saying of the Saviour as to make
       whom he forgave most. And He said unto him, Thou the loving the ground of the forgiveness would be to
       hast rightly judged.",                                      contradict both the letter and the spirit of the pre-
          As Iittle as David saw the drift of Nathan's parable ceding parable, in which the love is represented as
      * of the little ewe lamb, so little did Simon first perceive Aowing  out of the forgiveness and not the forgiveness
       the drift of the one now addressed to himself, and so as flowing out of the love - Jesus point to the love,
       he promptly answers, I suppose that it would  behe to not as the spring but as the evidence of the forgive-
       whom he forgave most. Out of his own mouth he               ness  - to the strength of the one as indicating the
       stands convicted. It would be straining the short par- extent of the other.
       able in this instance spoken by. our Lord if we took it        When Christ said so emphatically to the Pharisee,
       as strictly and literally representing the relative posi- "Simon, I have somewhat to say to thee," the attention
       tions before God in which Simon and the woman stood, of the woman must have been for the moment diverted
       or as intimating that both had been actually forgiven,      from her own case, directed to the colloquy that fol-
       the one as much more than the other as five hundred lowed, the more so as it seemed- at first to have no
       exceed fifty pence.                                         reference to her. But when He turned and looked on
          It is not so much the amount actually owed as that her for the first time, said, "See&  thou this woman?"
       known and felt by the debtors to be owing, and their into what a strange tumult of emotion must she have
       conscious inability to meet in any way the payment, been thrown, all eyes on her  - the contrast between
       that supplies the ground-work of our Lord's applica- her attentions and love to Jesus and those of Simon
       tion of the suppositious case. "And He turned to the drawn out in particular by our Lord Himself, all closed
       woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? by .her hearing Him declare, "Wherefore I say unto
       I entered into thy house, thou gavest me no water for thee, her sins,  \Ghich are many are forgiven." The
       my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and desire, the hope of pardon, had already dawned upon
       wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest her heart. She had trusted in the  Divine  mercy as
     ' me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in         revealed to her in Jesus, and already experienced the
       hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil relief and comfort this trust was-fitted to impart. Her
       thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed faith, however, was yet imperfect, her sense, her assur-
       my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, ance of forgiveness not relieved from uncertainty and
       Her sins, which are many, are forgiven ; for she loved doubt; but now, from the lips of the Lord Himself, she
       much; but to whom little is forgiven, loveth little." hears the fact announced that her sins had been for-
     . Thou hast been watching, Simon, all that this woman         given, and, as if that were not enough  - as if He
       has been doing, but what is the true explanation of her would do everything that word of His could do, to seal
       conduct, the explanation that vindicates at once her the assurance on her heart  - Jesus turns to her and
       conduct to me and my conduct to her? Why is it that a says, "Thy sins are forgiven." Fear takes wings and
       she has been showing Me marks of respect, and strong flies away; doubt can find no more room within, the
       personal attachment contrasting so with those that you sins without number of all her bygone life rush out of
       have shown, or rather have omitted to show ? She has sight into the depths of that sea into which Jesus cast
       done so, because she loves so much ; and she loves so them. Not ceasing to be penitent, more penitent than
       much because she has been so much forgiven. It is ever, the bowed-down spirit is lifted up as the full
       but IittIe compared with her that you feel you owe, but blessedness enters and possesses it of one whose  trans-
       little that you can be forgiven ; but little, therefore, gression is all forgiven, whose sin is altogether cov-
       that you love.                                              ered.
          In speaking to him thus, how forbearingly, how              "Thy sins are forgiven thee." Was it in wonder
       leniently did the Lord deal with Simon, how much and in awe like'that of men who feel themselves in the
       more leniently and forbearingly we may be apt to presence of One in whom. the most peculiar prerogative
       think than he had deserved, or than his case `warranted.    of the Divinity resided, or was it in hatred and con-
       If Simon's eyes were opened to discern in the two tempt of Him as an arrogant, presumptuous  blas-
       debtors himself and the woman, and in the credit to         phemer, that those around the table began to say to
                                                           .


 106                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   .BEARER

themselves, "Who is this that forgiveth sins also?" is as willing to bestow it upon every penitent as ever
Whatever their state of mind was as to Himself, Jesus He  wis, to bestow it on her. The manner of our pos-
 does not lay it bear, nor stop to expose or correct it. session and enjoyment of this gift depends upon the
 But there was one mistake that they might make as to manner in w-hich we deal with the tender of it made to
the forgiveness He had pronounced. They might imag- us by Him. We may keep it forever hanging at a dis-
 ined it to have been capriciously or arbitrarily dis- tance out before us. But we ought to have this blessed-
 pensed ; they might fail to trace its connection with the ness now in our hand .as our present full secure peace-
 spiritual condition of her upon whom it was bestowed ; giving possession. And not till it thus be ours, not till
 if not dissevering it from its source in Him, they might the hand of faith shall-grasp and hold it as ours in
 dissociate it from her faith in Christ. Therefore His Christ, ours through our oneness with Him in whom
 last word as He dismisses her, is, "Thy faith hath saved we have redemption through His blood, even this very
 thee, go  .in peace." In peace she goes, silently as she forgiveness of our sins;.not  until we humbly trust, will
 had entered ; not a single word throughout escaping we love our Saviour. It is when we know how much it
 from her lips, her heart at first too full of humiliation, is that we owned, and how much it is that we have
grief and shame, now too full of joy and gratitude. In been forgiven, that the bond gets closest that binds us
 peace she goes, light forever after on her heart the to Him  - a complex ever-growing, ever-tightening
reproach that man might cast against her - the Christ bond, the more that is forgiven ever revealing more
given peace the keeper of her mind and heart. She that needs forgiveness ; with us as with this woman, as
goes to hide herself from our view, her name and all with all true believers, the humility, the penitence, the
her after-history unknown. The faith and tradition faith, the love, the peace, that all  flow forth from
of Western Christendom have indeed identified her Christ, all intensifying' each other, all leading us more
with Mary of Magdala, and assigned to her a place simply, more entirely, more habitually, more con-
among those woman who ministered to the Lord of fidently to Christ, for mercy to pardon and grace to
their substance, who were admitted to close and help us in every time of need.*
familiar intercourse with Him in Galilee, and who were
privileged to be the last attendants on the cross and                                                             G. M. 0.
the first visitors to the sepulchre.                                                            -
    We will not presume to say how far the former life
of the penitent woman would have interfered with her
occupying such a position ; we will not allude to the                                   BEDE
difficulty that will occur as you try to imagine what
substance she could have had, or whence derived, out                     Eigen krachten te verachten
of which she could minister to Jesus. Neither shall we                   Wordt op Jezus' school  geleerd.
dwell upon the fact that out of Mary of Magdala seven                    Lust en zinnen te overwinnen
 devils had been cast, a possession not necessarly  im-                  Past een ziel die daar verkeert.
plying any former criminality of life, yet apparently                    Zich om schatten af te matten,            _
 quite inconsistent with the kind of life this woman                     Wordt van Jezus afgekeurd,
 had been leading. Enough, that when Mary, called                        `t Zondig haken  na'ar vermaken
 Magdalene, is first mentioned, as she is in the opening                 Wordt in deze school betreurd.
 verses of the next chapter in St. Luke's Gospel, she is
 introduced as a new person, not amid scenes then, nor
 at any time thereafter, that in any way connect her                     Nauw te letten  op de wetten
 with the woman that had been a sinner. It is true that,                 Die Hij aan zijn posten sloeg,
 whilst there is the absence of all evidence in favor of.                Alle dagen `t kruis te dragen
 their identification, there is the absence also of evi-                 Achter  Hem, die `t zwaarste droeg;
 dence sufficient positively to disprove it. In these cir-               Door gelooven `t hart naar boven
 cumstances it may be grateful to many to trace in the                   Te verheffen uit het stof,
 narrative now before- us, the early history of one so                   En door  hopen blij te ldopen       '
 loved and honored afterwards by Jesus, as was Mary                      `t Enge pad naar `t hemelhof.
 of Magdala. Much more grateful we own to us is the                 '
 belief that this penitent, whose broken heart was so                    Hem in `t sterven  aan te kleven,
 tenderly  upbound - having got the healing from His                     Zoo in vreugd als droefenis,
, gentle loving hands  - from that notoriety into which                  Wordt  bevolen  in de scholen
 her sin had raised her, retired voluntarily into an           '         Waar de Heere Jezus is.
 obscurity so deep that her name and her dwelling                        Dierbre Heiland, leer mij sterven
 place, and all her after-story, lie hidden from our sight.              Aan mijn eigen zin en lust,
    The forgiveness so graciously conveyed to this                       Dat ik tech uw heil niet derve,
 nameless penitent is equally needed by all of us, Christ                Maar blijmoedig in U rust!.


                                          T H E   STANDAR,D   B E A R E R                                             107

            SKETCHES                                              saved. Thus theologians taught and preached generally
                            ON  THE DEVELOPMENT                   in the Eastern or Greek Church. In the West the
                           OF DOCTRINE                            influence of the fall of our first parents was empha-
                                                S'                sized more strongly than in the East, yet, even there
                                III ,      -                      the natural man was not denied a certain freedom of
                AUGUSTINE ON  SIN AND  GRACE                      the will, a certain power to co-operate with God in the
                                                                  matter of salvation.
        Our views of sin and grace are inseparably con-              No,  these views had not developed as yet into
     nected and interdependent.                                   definite doctrines of the Church. But such were the
        If we hold, that the natural man is actually dead in views generally prevailing and they were incorporated
     sin and incapable of performing any good, so. that he in the sermons.
     cannot even will to be delivered from the power of sin
     nor to seek or ask for the grace that is in Christ Jesus,       Then God raised Augustine and through that deep
     we must necessarily maintain that the salvation of a way of his led him on to his conversion. From the
     soul is not of him that willeth, nor of- him that run- very start he reflected seriously upon the state and
     neth, but of God that showeth mercy. We then leave condition of the natural man and upon the relation of
     the entire work of salvation as well as the choice of the sin of the individual to the fall of Adam. He
     those in whom it is to be wrought and to whom it is to taught that God had placed man originally in a very
     be applied to God, Who is sovereign and free in the lofty position in Paradise and endowed him with
     bestowal of His grace.                                       righteousness,  hoIiness  and freedom. The highest free-
        But if, on the other hand, we deny that man by dom he had not attained to, for it consists of the state
     nature is dead in  sin;. corrupt and totally incapable of of which the will of man can never more be induced to
     even willing his own salvation; if we attribute to him will sin. But Adam possessed the power, the freedom
     some power, be it ever so limited and weak, to will and of contrary choice. He was not neutral. His condition
     to seek his salvation and to co-operate with the grace was not one of spiritual and moral indifference. , No,
     of God, we must then naturally limit accordingly the he was positively holy. But he was free to choose the
     power of God's sovereignty and leave the determining good or not to choose it. He could turn himself away
     power, the choice as to whether he shall be saved or from the living God and follow after sin and darkness.
     lost, with man.  4                                           Besides, Adam was the very principle, the root and be-
        This is very evident with,Augustine.                      ginning of the  whoIe  human race. The human race
        He believed in predestination, in the absolute sov- was literally in Adam. Very strongly Augustine em-
     ereignty of God to determine who should be and who phasized this view, for on it depended for him the pos-
     should not be saved. In the matter of salvation he sibility of the common corruption through the fall and
     attributed nothing to the sinner; he left him wholly in disobedience of the one man Adam. All men were really
     the hand of the Most High.                                   created in Adam as a seminal principle, for they came
        But he did not start with this doctrine of absolute forth from him. For the same reason Augustine could
     predestination in order to have it determine his con- never quite induce himself to embrace the view of the
     ception of the natural man.                                  Creatianists regarding the origin of the individual
        It was exactly the reverse.                               SOUL Although he could find no full satisfaction in the
         His conception of the sinner, of `man as he is by conception of the Traducianists, that the soul with the
     nature, was developed first. Before the time of August- body is propagated and born from the parents, yet he
     ine the subject had been given but passing attention. complains, that if he would have to accept the view
     In the East theologians had not given the matter much that every individual soul is created separately, he
     thought. Generally, however, a certain power for the would not be able to account for the common guilt and
     good was ascribed to man. He had become sinful and corruption.
     corrupt, to be sure, but he had not lost all his power to       Through his disobedience Adam was corrupted.
     will and do the good. God required something of man For he was smitten with mortality, corruption of the
     if he should be saved and some measure of meeting whole nature, darkening of the mind and slavery of the
     this divine requirement was quite generally ascribed will. His freedom of contrary choice he lost, and he
     to him. His state was one of moral weakness rather retained only the freedom to sin. He was incapable
     than of radical corruption. He was not well, neither         of willing that which was good, totally dead and de-
     was he spiritually dead, he was characterized by a gen- praved.
     eral infirmity of mind and heart. He needs divine               But all men sinned in Adam. By this Augustine
     grace to assist him in choosing and keeping the way of did not mean that the sin of the first man was imputed
     righteousness and life, but, provided this divine grace to all his descendants. No, the judicial line was not
     aid him, he is able of himself to lay hold of the prof-      drawn by this Church-father. He emphasized the
     fered salvation. And some maintained, that if any organic line. All men were in Adam when he sinned.
     infant should die in early infancy, he would be un-          And, therefore, when Adam violates the commandment
     worthy of punishment, free from guilt, and, therefore,       of God all men did in him. They became,guilty  by that
I


                 108           -     I                 7x-m  STANDARD   B E A R E R

               first sin, because it was very really theirs. And, there- upon this important doctrine seem to have been rather
               fore, it is. but strictest justice that all the punishment vague. Strange as it may seem to us, in view of the
               that was inflicted upon Adam also comes upon all his rest of his teachings regarding the sovereign grace of
               posterity. Hence, they are all born corrupt and totally God bestowed without the co-operation or consent even
               depraved of original righteousness, physically and of the sinner, it is a fact nevertheless, that before the
               morally in the power of death. No man is born with Pelagian ,controversy  Augustine taught that predes-
               the original freedom of the will. The mind is-darkened tination was based on foreknowledge. God chose those
               and the will is enslaved. The natural man can only whom He foreknew  would believe and persevere to the
               will to sin.                                                  end. But after his struggle with Pelagius he wrote
                   Naturally, this conception of the state of natural his Retractations.            In this work he  .also corrected his
               man determined his view of the operation of God's conception of predestination and developed the true
               grace.                                                        conception that both election and reprobation are sov-
                   How is a man, that is by nature dead in sin and ereignly free. Foreseen faith is not the basis of elec-
               misery, saved? If you would ask Augustine he would tion but the fruit of it. We are not elected because of,
               answer unconditionally: only by grace. And when but unto faith.
               Augustine spoke of grace he referred to the almighty             There is another weakness in the system as devel-
               power of God's Spirit, by Whose operation in our oped by Augustine. Predestination is hardly developed
               hearts we are liberated.from  the law of sin and death. on the side of reprobation by this Church-father. His
               Salvation with Augustine meant above all  dehverance          concern was rather the salvation of the elect. How a
               from the power of sin and corruption, sanctification, sinner, who is dead in sin and corruption, is restored
               the actual cleansing and purifying of the soul, whereby and exalted to the highest freedom was the dominating
               the soul ultimately attains to the highest conceivable question with him. How the reprobate is brought to
               freedom: not to be able to. sin. The judicial line falls eternal damnation is a question that does not receive
               in the background, justification is not emphasized with proper treatment in the writings of Augustine. The
               I this Church-father. And, therefore, when he speaks          fall of man he gives no place in God's decrees. Pre-
          ;    of grace he usually refers to the inner operation of the destination is from fallen mankind. And when he does
     1         Spirit whereby we are delivered from death and cor- speak of the relation between the decree of God and
               ruption and made partakers of life incorruptible and          the fall of the first man, he declares that God merely
               holiness and freedom.                                         permitted it.
     ,             This grace Augustine would distinguish into pre-             This is, no doubt a weakness.
               ceding and accompanying grace. By the former man                 But even so, though in his lifetime the Church in .
               receives saving faith, whereby he can  will and do the general might listen to this profound child of God, and
                                                                             councils might formulate their decisions according to
     /         good. By the latter he  ,is made to persevere unto. the
     i         end. For the believer; taught Augustine, can do noth- his teachings, and the Pelagian error  was  condemned,
     1         ing without this grace. He needs the grace of Christ          not  only~ by the Latin Church; but also by the Church
j              for the performance of every good work.                       in the East in 431, it would not be long before his view
                                                                             would be opposed, and, even by those who  xlaimed  to
     1             It is very strange, indeed, that Augustine taught be his followers, distorted so as to bring it more in
     i         that no believer can in this life be assured of his  elec-    harmony with the errors of Pelagius.
     /         tion, or, in other words, no Christian knows whether             Sinful man is not inclined to adhere to the truth of
`I'            he will persevere to the end. The grace of regenera-          God's' absolute sovereignty for any length of time.
     ;         tion, he held, one may lose, and whether he will receive         This is also evident today. Predestination is con-
     '         the grace to persevere unto the end he can never know sidered a hard doctrine.
j              .till the end is reached. Strange, we say, because it is         Thus it was then. But about this in a later article.
1.             quite impossible to find a logical place for this error in                                                   H .   H .
!              the system of truth as developed by Augustine.
I                  If you would ask this Church-father, whether man
I              co-operated in any way with God in his regeneration,
               whether, in other words, the sinner could attribute                                     ZOO  GIJ
               anything whatever to his own salvation, he would an-
E  - swer with an unequivocal : No ! The grace of God is
rr                                                                                    Zoo Gij het huis niet bouwt, o Heer,
almighty and irresistible. Without it man can do                                        kan `t nimmermeer beklijven ;
1              nothing good. Neither can he do anything against it,                   maar zijt Gij er de Bouwheer van,
1              when it pleases the ,Lord to bestow it upon him and to                   zoo zal het staande blijven:
               work it in his heart.                                                          Gij legt een eeuwig fundament;
                   And so, finally, Augustine came to the Scriptural                          Gij hecht de  steenen met cement
`"             conclusion, that this grace is bestowed only upon                              Waar Gij alleen `t geheim van kent.
               whomever God chooses to bestow it, that is, upon the                   Wie  `t huis door U, Heer, bouwen laat,
               elect. Before his controversy with Pelagius his views                    weet dat zijn huis onwrikbaar staat.
I'


                                      T H E S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                 113

niet waar ? A. Ja, mijnheer.                                   *Over de rest van de Absolutie-kwestie een volgende
   VT. Was dat besIuit der Synode van 1920 bindend           keer.
voor alle leden  der Kerk? A. Ja, mijnheer.                                                                     H. H.
   Vr. Wel,  ik  wil u vragen, doctor, of, nadat de
Synode dat besluit genomen had, gij en sommige ande-
ren der professoren niet een brochure uitgaven, waarin                   SULPHUR IN THE INCENSE
geprotesteerd werd tegen dat besluit der Synode van
1920? A.  Wij protesteerden  niet.                                          WOW often do we mingle sulphur  with our in-
   Vr. Wat deed ge dan  wel? A.  - aIs ge dat                            cense!"                                 Th. M.
nu neemt in den technischen zin van het  woord.                 A strong expression, but most sadly true. When
 Vr. Wel, wat deedt ge in dat pamphlet? A. Wij               we offer prayer, is there not at times a sorrowful
Iegden de zaak bloat, daar ze tot zoover  zich had' ont-     mixture of self-will, petulance, and impatience? Does
wikkeld voor de kerk in het algemeen.                        not unbelief, which is quite as obnoxious as brimstone,
   Vr. Becritiseerdet ge de handelingen der Synode too often spoil the sweet odor of our supplications?
van 1920 in deze zaak? A. Wij spraken onze gedach-           When we offer praise, it is all pure spices after the
ten uit over dat  .besluit, ja, mijnheer.                    art of the heavenly apothecary? Do not self-laudation
   Vr. Gij spraakt uit, dat het besluit der Synode.in and pride frequently spoil the holy frank incense  and.
1920 niet juist was? A.  3a, mijnheer.                       myrth?     Alas, we fear that the charge must lie
   Vr. Was dat dan een zich onderwerpen aan het be- against us, and force us to a sorrowful confession.
sl.uit der Synode? A. Ja, mijnheer." (Als  `t niet zoo          As the priests of God; our whole life should be
ellendig  was, zouden we zeggen: koddig h6? Wat  heb, the presentation of holy incense unto God, and yet -
ben de vier professoren zich ootmoedig onderworpen it is not so. The earthly ambitions and carnal Iust-
aan de besiuiten van de Synode van 1920 inzake Dr. ings of our nature- deteriorate and adulterate the
Janssen !)                                                   spices of our lives, and Satan, with the  sulphur  of
   Even later wordt- Dr. Volbeda ondervraagd over pride, ruins the delicate perfume of perfect consecra-
The  Wit&s,  het blad, dat destijds begonnen werd, om t i o n .
tegen de  Synodace  besluiten in de Janssen-zaak te  re-        What grace the Lord displays in accepting our
ageeren. Dienaangaande deze  6&e aanhaling nog :             poor, imperfect offerings ! What rich merits abides
   "Vr. Witless, dit blad, hield het gedeeltelijk of in in our Lord Jesus Christ! What sweet savor beyond
gedeelten van zijn leesstof ook kritiek en bezwaar in expression dwells in Him, to drown and destroy our
tegen de besluiten der Synode in de Janssen-zaak? -ill-savors, and to make us accepted in the Beloved.
A. Ik zou dit niet bepaald kunnen zeggen zonder het . Glory be unto our `glorious High Priest, whose
na te zien."                                             w perfect life and sin-atoning death is so sweet before
                                                             the Divine Majesty that the Lord is well pleased for
   Misschien Ban Ds. Haan met deze dingen  winste His righteousness: sake, and accepts us in Him with
doen. Wij willen  hem heel gaarne helpen in zijn strijd. our sweet savor.                        -_
voor zijn  goed   recht.   Doch nog eens  willen wij hem                                               C. H. Spurgeon.
er op wijzen, dat hij ook deze allerlaatste bladzijde der
geschiedenis zijner kerken heeft mede helpen  schrij-
ven. Daarom  zal  hij.e+ijkheidshalve dit  alles eerst
moeten terugroepen en naar Ds. Danhof moeten gaan                          VOOR HET ALBUM
met een hartgrondige belijdenis voor zijn aandeel in
de afzetting van dezen collega  en buurman. Ook zal                    Wilt gij wijs'verstandig hand'len
hij alles moeten  doen, wat in zijn vermogen is, om die                  Van uw eeuwig heil gewis,
afzetting van Ds. Danhof ongedaan te  maken. Hij  zal                  Leer in `s Heeren wegen wand'len
tegen die afzetting op zijn kerkeraad een bezwaar moe-                   Onder vreugd en droefenis,
ten. indienen, daarmede moeten gaan naar Classis  en                   Zoek uw  heil bij Jezus kruis
Synode. En indien dit  a&s niet helpt, zal hij  zich                     `t Is de weg naar `t Vaderhuis.
moeten afscheiden van de kerken, die zoo het recht  met
voeten treden.                                                         Zoek den Heer en gij zult vinden,
   Natuurlijk-zullen  wij overigens met belangstelling                   Zoek Hem met uw gansche hart,
afwachten, wat Classis West (die nog we1 een speciale                  Wilt u aan Zijn dienst verbinden
opdracht van de &node  heeft, om te zien, dat de Abso-                   Onder vreugd en onder smart.
lutie door de Kerkeraden wordt ingevoerd) in  de.zaak-                 Wat de wereld,niet  kan geven,
Ds. Haan zal doen.                                                       Daar zij `t harte ledig Iaat,
    En voorts zullen we er ook op letten of, bijaldien de              Schenkt de Heer, wie voor Hem leven
CIassis  hetzelfde standpunt nog inneemt, dat ze tegen-                  En in Zijne wegen gaat.
over Ds. H. Danhof innam, Ds. Haan ook op zijn stuk                    In der heom'len  heerlijkheid
zal blijven staan en niet in mijn schulp zal kruipen.                    Heeft Hij voor hun een plaats bereid.


114 -                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R - E R
                                                     .
                                                              ofice  - to wit the office of eldership - saying. . . . "
              THE PiCULIAR OFFICE                             The Form has it, then, that the terms governments,
   In our previous article we presented our view re- ministerings and the expression,  "he that  showeth
specting the relation those clothed with the peculiar ,mercy"  signify respectively the elder, the minister of
office sustain to the congregation. It was maintained the Gospel and the deacon.
that the tasks constituting this office must be thought          Wit this the speech of the other Forms agree. At-
of as affixed  to or residing in the congregation; that       tend to the following. "Therefore Paul saith, that the
those selected to perform these tasks are at once organs Lord Jesus Christ hath given some apostles and some
of Christ and of the brotherhood. `Such, so we dis- prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and
covered, is the plain teaching of Scripture. Let us ministers ; for the perfecting of the saints,  ,for the
examine once more those scriptures sanctioning this work of the ministry; for the edifying of the body of
view, and the steps in the argument leading to the Christ.  .Here  we see that the holy apostle among
aforesaid conclusions.     "Having then gifts," so we other things saith, that the pastoral office is an institu-
read, "different according to the grace that is given to tion  of  Christ"  (Form  of  Ordination  of  the Ministers
us, whether prophesy, let us prophesy according to the of God's Word) .,
proportion of faith; or ministering, let us wait on our          So,  too, the  Form  of  Ordination  of  Missionaries.
ministering ; or he that teacheth on teaching; or he We quote the following: "Since our God, according to
that exhorteth on exhortation: he that giveth, let him His infinite mercy, has chosen a church unto everlast-
do it with simplicity; he that ruleth with diligence ; he ing life, and gathers it by His blessed Gospel, out of
that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness" (Rom.  12;             every nation, and of all tribes and peoples and tongues,
6-8). "Now God hath set some in the church. . . . . .         unto the fellowship of His Son, in unity of the true
helps; governments, diversities of tongues" (Rom. 12 :        faith, therefore our risen Saviour has ordained an
28). "And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, office and has called men, to carry the message of
and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers" salvation to all peoples, commanding His apostles, and
(Ephesians 4  :ll)  ;     These scriptures make  men-         in them all lawful ministers of His Word: `Go ye into
.tion of several kinds of offices. Let us single all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature'
out the pastors, the rulers and those who give                (Mark  16:15). For He that ascended far above all
and show mercy and inquire whether these names the heavens, that He might fulfill all things, gave some
signify such as were vested with the peculiar to be apostles ; and some prophets ; and some evangel-
office (that of minister of the Gospel, deacon and ists ; and some pastors and teachers ; for the perfect-
elder). It seems to have been the conviction of the ing of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto
composers of the Forms of Ordination of Elders, Dea- the building up of the body of Christ."
cons and Ministers of the Gospel that such is indeed *           According to this Form, too, the names pastor and
the case. We present the following selections. "Of teacher of Eph. 4, signify those vested with the pecu-
the elders is to be observed, that the word elder or liar office.
eldest (which is taken from the Old ,Testament,  and             Such was also the conviction of John Calvin. We
signifies a person who is  palced  in an honorable office quote: "Hierbij komt nog, dat niets bekwamer was om
of government over others), is applied to two sorts of de onderlinge liefde  aan te kweeken, dan dat de  men-
persons who minister in the church of Jesus Christ. . . schen door deze band onderling  aan elkander  verbon-
Hence it is evident that there were two sorts of elders den worden,  t.w., dat er een aangesteld wordt tot her-
in the apostolic church, the former whereof did labor der om al de anderen te Znderwijzen;  en dat zij die
in the Word and doctrine and the latter did not. The leerlingen moeten zijn, de gemeene leer uit eenen mend
first were the ministers of the Word and pastors, who ontvangen  . . . . Hierop heeft Paulus het oog gehad, als
preached the Gospel and administered the sacraments; h.ij aan die van Efeze s&reef: Gij zijt een lichaam, een
but the others who did not labor in the Word, and still       geest, gelijk gij ook geroepen zijt tot eene hoop uwer
did serve in the church, bore a particular office, namely,    roeping;.... Daarom zegt hij : Als Hij opgevaren is
they had the oversight of the church, and ruled the           in de hoogte, heeft Hij de gevangenis gevangen  ge-
same with the ministers of the Word. For PauL, nom.,          voerd, en de menschen gaven gegeven. Die nederge-
chapter  B!, having spoken  of  the  nzinistery  of the daald is, is Dezelfde Die opgevaren is, opdat Hij alle
Word, and also of the ofice of distribution of deacon-        dingen  vervullen zou ; en Dezelfde heeft  sommigen  ge-
ship, speaketh afterwards particularly of this  ofice, geven tot Apostelen, sommigen tot Profeten, sommigen
saying, `he that  ruLeth Let him do it with diligence'; tot Evangelisten,  sommigen  tot  Herders  en  Leer-
Likewise in another place he counts government among am-s....> (Calvijn, I,n.stitutie, boek 4, p. 56).
the gifts and ofices which God hath #instituted in the           Finally, on page 7 of Joh. Jansen's 
church, I Cor. 21."                                                                                      Korte VerkLa-
                                                              ring van de Rerkenordening  one may read: "Christus
   Let it not escape our attention that the Form liter- heeft drie ambten ingesteld, geen vier: le. De opzie-
ally asserts that in Rom. 12 Paul speaks of the of&e          ners (presbyters) die spoedig in alle gemeenten uit
of deaconship  .and "afterwards particularly of  this Joden en Heidenen werden aangesteld,  Hand. 14 :23 ;


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          115

Hebr.  13 :7, X7, 24; Jac. 5:24,  en van huis uit geen           Gospel or to the professor of theology but to the
leer- maar een regeerambt bekleeden, want zij  worden            church; that it is in the first instance the task of the
opzieners . . . . voorstanders . . . . regeeringen, I Cor. 12    church in- distinction from the minister of the Gospel
:28; voorgangers, Hebr. 13:7,  17, 24; en herders, Ef. to proclaim the Word of God, to  co1lect from the Word
4 :24 genoemd . . . : " By Jansen also the herders men- of God her standards of faith and to study theoIogy.
tioned in Eph. 4 :24 are thought of as such vested with The church consequently, in distinction from the min- "
the peculiar office. Who would care to maintain the ister of the Gospel-and the professors of theology estab-
contrary? If the terms  pastor  and  government  do not lishes a theological school and calls capable persons to
denote  the" peculiar office, what may then be the office devote their talents to this school.  In behalf of the
they signify?                                                    church,  finally, the curators charge the brethren to in-
    Let us now once more face the question whether struct the students.. . .
the teachers and pastors of Romans 12, of I Car. 12                 With this the speech of the Form of Ordination of
and of Eph. 4  :ll are in their capacity of teachers and Missionaries is in agreement. We quote : "And-besides
pastors members or organs of the body of Christ - all this it is evident that the work of missions is the
the church. And the answer is ready: According to task of the church since the Lord Jesus himself calls
the presentation of the apostle, they are that exactly. the church the salt of the earth, and says: `Ye are the
The believers, many, are one body in Christ, and every light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hid.
one members of one another. They have gifts differ-              Neither do men light a  Iamp, and put in under the
ing according to the grace that is given them, whether bushel, but on the stand,' Matt. 5. That unto the dis-
prophesy, according to the proportion of faith ; or persed also these glad tidings must be brought is
ministry, on ministering; or he that teacheth, on teach- plainly inferred from what God says in Ezekiel 34:
i n g ; . . . . Rom. 12 : 5-7.                                   11-16 : `For thus saith the Lord God : Behold, I myself,
    In I Cor. 12, the church is likened unto a human even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them
body. The latter is constituted of members -the eye, out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day
the ear, the foot, the hand. So, too, the church. It is          that he is among his sheep; and I will deliver them out
a body composed of members  - the teacher, the of al1 places whither they have been scattered in the'
pastor, the one governing, the prophet. . . . The min- cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from
ister of the Gospel, the deacon and the elder are, then, the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and
according to the plain statements of Paul, members, will bring them in their own Iand ; and I will feed them
that is, organs of the body of Christ.                           upon the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and
    In that those vested with the special office function        in al1 the inhabited places of the country. I will feed
as the organs of the body of Christ, it follows, as was them with good pasture, and upon the mountains of
before said, that this office belongs in the first instance the height of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they
not to the organ but to this body. That is to say, this Iie down in good fold, and on fat pasture shall they
special. office is in the first instance that of the body        feed upon the mountains of Israel.. .  .'
and not that of him inducted into it. Such, too, are                "That the Lord does this by means of His servants,
the plain teachings of the aforesaid Forms. We quote is clear1y  shown by the way wherein God, in the same
the following: "Since, however, Paul in Rom. 3 :2 ex- chapter, rebukes the.unfaithful  shepherds . . . .
pressly declares that the church of the Old Dispensa-                "The same also follows from the fact that Jesus
tion, and therefore also the church of the New Dis- who Himself was sent `to the lost sheep of the house of
pensation, was given the special prerogative that to             Israel,' calIs the church the salt of the earth, whi1e be-
her were entrusted the oracles of God, it follows, there- sides all this, the example of the Apostle Paul teaches
fore, that the church has a divine mission to proclaim           us plainly that it is our (the church) high calling to
the Word of God, to collect from the Word of God her bring the Word of life to our dispersed brethren after
standards of faith, to study theology according to these the flesh everywhere, and therefore certainly first of
words, and further to advance what is in direct con>             all in our own country, to gather them, if possible, as
nection  with this study.                                        the congregation of our Lord."
     "Conscious of this calling our church has also  estab-          It is, then, the plain teachings of these Forms that
lished a Theological School and called the reverent the tasks constituting the particular office belong `in
brother N. N, to devote his talents to this school.              the first instance to the body of Christ. The contents
     "In behalf of the church the curators charge thee, of these  Forms  were taken from Scripture. "And has
esteemed brother, with the task of instructing and put," so wrote Paul, "all things under his feet, and
establishing in the knowledge of God's  Woid,  the stu- gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
dents who hope once to minister in the church. . . . " which is his body, the fulness of him.that  filleih  all in
 (Form for  the  Installation  of  Professors  of  Theology). a16  (Eph.  1:22,25). In the body of Christ, then, was
     It should not escape our attention that the church deposited the  fulness.  If so, those inducted in the
is placed side by side with the professors of theology.          particular office  do not have a thing not belonging in
The Form asserts that the oracles of God were en-                the  fnst instance to this body.
trusted in the first instance not to the minister of the             Notwithstanding one may' read in Prof. Heyns'

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

Kybernetiek that the aforesaid view of the particular                      May I, with all who sing his praise,
office is novelty of our day. Says he: "In nieuweren                         Join in with  gIad  acclaim,      -
tijd heeft men zeer algemeen de leer verkondigd, dat in                   And may all heaven and' nature raise
de Gereformeerde kerken de Ouderlingen de beteekenis                         Glad anthems to his name !
hebben van representanten der Gemeente, en daarin                                                 ---Christian World.
het eigenlijke van hun ambt gezocht . . . . Op deze
theorie de aandacht te vestigen is te noodiger, omdat
zij zelfs onder ons verdedigd is. !Ambtsdragers  zijn de                   STEMMEN  UIT HET  WESTEN
organen der kerk, de oogen, ooren, enz., van `t lichaam
der kerk.`, `De kerkeraad is representant der  gemeen-              `t Is klaarlichten dag, hoor! Mijn vorig schrijven
te.' `Deputaten naar Classes of  Synoden  worden  afge-         liet telkens den indruk achter  alsof ik zoo'n  soort nacht-
vaardigd om kerken te vertegenwoordigen.' . . Zij bezit-        uil was, die alleen  in `t holste van den nacht rusteloos
ten hun macht als organen van het lichaam aan het- zijn taak verricht. Een was er die met een eigenaardig
welk  Christus  macht gaf. De macht zelve is den geloo- lachje vroeg, of ik soms altijd "v&r, zeer  v&r na  mid-
vige van Christuswege geschonken.' Zoo is ook onder dernacht" zat te hijgen van ingespannen arbeid ; een
ons beweerd."                                                   ander vroeg leukweg : "Zeg, is jouw wereldje altijd
       With the aforesaid notices of scripture and of the klein?" Ik was  tech blij deze opmerkingen te hooren,
Forms we quoted in our eye, the conviction cannot be want het toonde  dat'ze mijn ontboezemingen gelezen
escaped that not the view we present but that which hadden.  Een enkele  broeder uit Grand Rapi& schreef :
Prof. Heyns  places over against it is an innovation of "Keep it up." Dat zijn er al drie. `t Wordt beter. In-
a recent day, that is to say, a view developed by the           middels, (men moet vrede houden met  -alle menschen,
Roman Catholic Church and rather recently finding its zoo veel in u is) ik zal "nu maar eens op tijd naar bed
way into Reformed circles.                                      gaan en den nachtuil niet gelijk worden.
                                                   G. M. 0.         Voor ik er nu toe overga om eenige gerijpte over-
                                                                peinzingen'ne&  te schrijven, moet me iets van `t hart.
                                                                `k Heb, namelijk, medelijden met dien vriend van Ds.
                                                                Hoeksema. Eertijds was hij hem getrouw;  `s&reef
                        GETHSEtiANE                             hem gedurig een moed-insprekend briefje. En, over
                                                                zijn schouder  glurend,   stalen ook wij den inhoud. Ja,
                     By  SAMUEL  Z. BEAM                        z66 trotsch was hij op dien vriend, dat hij boven dien
               There, in Gethsemane, behold                     brief met dikke letters liet drukken : "Aan mijn Vriend
                 The suffering Son of God !                     in het Westen."     Elk mocht het zien; `t ging de Pro-
               He kneels in agony untold,                       testantsche  Gereformeerde wereId door ; een ieder wist
                 In tears and sweat and blood.                  het: daar was een hechte band gelegd tusschen Oost
                                                                en West. Hij heette hem met een paar vreemde woor-
               With broken heart and weeping.eyes               den  (amice   fraterque)  : vriend en broeder.  Edoch,
                 He- falls upon his knees ;             *       zoo zachtjes  aan, bijna onmerkbaar verdween dat
               And, "Father," unto God He cries,                briefje en de vriend zit te wachten tusschen de "corn
                 "Remove this cup from Me."                     stalks"; werpt een  melankol~eken  blik tot over de
                                                                Mississippi ; overpeinst de veranderlijkheid des  men-
               But, then, in sweet submission still,            schen; en reciteert zachtkens:  "Niet  altijd is de liefde
                 He modifies his tone,                          even bestendig van'duur  . . . . !"
               And says to God, "Yet not My will,                   Nu weet ik het wel, Ds. Hoeksema is de zeer drukke
                 But  Thine'alone  be done."                     man in ons  midden. Maar hij heeft  tech zijn vriend
                                                                 in den steek gelaten. Indien hij hem niet langer kan
               And then an angel strengthens Him                 schrijven, dan was het gepast geweest zulks `in een
                 With power from on high ;                       soort afscheids-episteltje te laten weten.         Nu  denkt
          - And with new courage given Him,                      ieder het zijne er van. Feit is, dat hij hem zoo zachtjes
                 He hurries forth to die.                        aan liet zakken. Het wil er-echter bij mij nog niet in,
                                                                 dat er geen tijd is om dien stakkerd zoo nu en dan eens
               And thus the Saviour yielded up                   te schrijven. Op de plaats waar dat briefje zou komen
                 To God his own free will ;                      te staan, daar kan hij tech niets anders schrijven? Of
               Resolved to drink the bitter cup,                 anders, daar is nog een half uurje.ergens verscholen in
          \      God's purpose to fulfil.                        een lange maand van 30 of 31 dagen (en nachten) . Ik
                                                                 wou om een lief ding dat ik wist wie die vriend is. Tk
               0 that I coul& with rapture, tell _               had hem allang  opgezocht en aangeraden u een kern-
                 The matchless sacrifice,                        achtig woord te schrijven. Daarom, omdat ik hem niet
               Of Jesus, our Immanuel,                           ken, schrijf ik dit u in het openbaar. `t Is een publieke
                 Who paid the countless price !                  z%& en daarom  teeken  ik publiek verzet  aan. Ziezoo,


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                              119

         GELOOVEN ZONDER ZIEN                                         `s Heeren trouw zal  nimmer  falen
                                                                        Voor hem  .die Zijn hulp verwacht.
       Zalig, zalig te gelooven!                                      Uwe kracht  ligt in  `t gelooven
         In den Heer schoon  ongezien                                   Op Zijn heilbeloftenis.
       Zalig, zalig Hem  te  loven,                                   Eenmaal schouwt uw ziel hierboven
         Hem d' Onzichtbre hulde bien.                                  Dat Zijn trouwe zeker is.
       Op `t onfeilbaar woord te bouwen
         Hem  zich gansch'lijk toevertrouwen                          Gelooven wisselt in aanschouwen
       Die onpeilbaar in Zijn trouw,                                    In des hemels heerlijkheid
         Geen verand'ring kent noch rouw.                             Blijf geloovig daarop bouwen
                                                                        God  heeft het u toegezeid.
       Zich met zond' en schuld beladen                               Daar is `t eind van alle lijden
         Neer te werpen aan Zijn voet                            *      Eeuwig zult gij hulde bien
       Laten leiden op de  paden                                      Hem, die door `t geloof deed strijden
         Die Hij noodig keurt  en goed.                                 Doet  u  eenmaal  zalig zien.
       In het duister te vertrouwen                                                                      N. Holland.
         Op den Heer alleen te bouwen
       Op Zijn Naam, zoo groot en goed
         Dat: is zalig voor `t gemoed.
                                                                 CALVIN IN THE LIGHT OF  THE
       Op Zijn heilsbeloftenissen
         Die door Zijne trouw en macht                                         THREE POINTS
       Nimmer haar vervulling  missen                      Calvin states in the third place : "But here we ought
         Bouwen ook in storm en nacht,                  to remember that amidst this corruption of nature  _
       Aan Zijn hand zich laten leiden                  there is some room for Divine~grace,  not to purify it,
         In woestijn en dorre weiden                    but internally to restrain its operation." As you have
       Stil te hopen op Zijn macht,                     noticed, Calvin does speak of some room for Divine
         Geeft in  alle zwakheid kracht.                grace to restrain "sin/ We ask, is that, too, Synod's
                                                        contention? To be G-we,  a positive untruth. If Synod
       Bij het woelen  van de zonde,                    desires to make of  d&in's statements say what suits
         Bij des  levens  pijn en strijd,               its purpose, it must be done by - inlegkunde - and
       Schuilen in des Heilands  wonden                 not by a scientific interpretation and  .research.  We
         `t Harte  aan Hem toegewijd.         .         wonder what method of reasoning the  Synodical  com-
       Dat geeft moed en kracht tot strijden,           mittee used to warrant its conclusion, and then to call
         En vertroosting in het lijden  ;               upon  I"he  Pn&Xutes  for support. Neither the inductive
       Willig rusten in Zijn wil,                       nor the deductive method will ever warrant such an
         Maakt de ziel ootmoedig  stil.                 erroneous conception of the truth. Nowhere does Cal-
                                                        vin maintain, a$ Synod claims he does, that God re-
       Aan Zijn trouwe hand te wand&m                   strains sin by the general working of the Holy Spirit.
         Ook in leed en droefenis,                      Calvin speaks of the possibility that there is some
       Naar Zijn heil'gen wil te hand'len               room for Divine grace. Does this then mean that there
         Schoon  het duister om u is.                   is present -an operation of the Holy Spirit? "Some room
       Op Zijn almacht te vert'rouwen                   for Divine grace" has something explicit about it. You
         Schoon  het al verloren schijn,                can never infer from this positively that Calvin here
       Doet des Heeren heil aanschouwen,                states that there  is Divine grace present. To say that
         Van Zijn hulpe zeker zijn.                     there  is some room for Divine grace, is not saying that
                                                        there  is Divine grace. We would positively disown
       Als de Satan aan moog vechten                    such a statement: that there is Divine grace, even
         Zijne pijlen op u schiet,                      though Calvin should have misrepresented the matter
       God zal uwe zaak beslechten                      as Synod did, since such a conception is not based
         Schoon  gij nog Zijn hulp niet ziet,.          upon scriptural  versity.  But outside of that, do you
       `t Zij in sterven of in leven                    wish more proof that Calvin does not maintain such
         Elk die op Zijn macht betrouwt                 a point of view as Synod makes him state? Read the
       Zal Hij eeuwig niet .begeven                     last sentence of this same paragraph Book II, Chapter `.
         Zeker wordt Zijn  heil aanschouwd.              III, 3. There you read:
                                                            "Thus God by His providence restrains the per-
       Ga het ook door donk're dalen                    verseness of our nature, from breaking out ihto ex-
          Door des levens storm en nacht                 ternal acts, but does not purify it within." Besides,
                                                                                                           . a
"..


                                                                                                                 `.
                                                                ;               ,'              I


     129                                       THE'STANDARD'   B E A R E R

     in the same paragraph: "Hence, some by shame, and                                        CORRIGENDA
     some by fear of the laws, are prevented from running
     into many kinds of pollutions, though they cannot in                 On page 95 of the issue of November 15, 1928, in
     any degree dissemble their impurity ; others, because the last column you read: "For, why it is impossible
     they think that a virtuous course of life is advan- for Synod to conceive of the truth of `lumen naturalis,'
     tageous, entertain some languid desire after it, others etc." This should read: "For, why  as  il: impossible for
     go further, and display more than common excellence, Synod," etc.
     that by their majesty they may confine the vulgar to                 Page 96, first column, "by virtues of this natural
     their duty." Such language repudiates the whole mat- light." This should be: "by  zG-tue  of this natural
     ter of Point  II. And any honest scholar will admit' light."  ~
     such. We think it not unreformed to say: that the                    Page 96, first column, "from its instinctive biss."
     external manifestations of sin are checked by a natural This. should be : "from its instinctive 1)ia.s."
     desire to have a virtuous life. But this has nothing to              Page, 96, last column, "For Synod contends with
     do with a'general working of the Holy Spirit. Besides, the is a general working of the Spirit," etc. This
     it  is. admitted that God has provided  ways and means should read : "For Synod contends  tholt there is a gen-
     in His providence which will prevent men from com- eral working of the Spirit."                                ' 1
     mitting heinous sins. In His providence, God provided                Page 96, last column, "Calvin makes no definite
     for authority and government, which in turn means statemnt," etc. This should read: "Calvin makes no
     the institution of laws and bylaws, etc. The presence definite statement," etc. .                              s      .
     of a man in authority may prevent the manifestation                  Page 96, last column, "Whoever, Calvin makes no
     of serious crimes, although the sin'itself has already definite statement as to -claim Institutes is reading
     been committeed be it then in thought. But all this something," etc. This should read: "Synod is reading
     has nothing to do with Synod's conception of  themat- something in the Institutes," etc.
     ter.                                                            *    Page 96, last  oolumn, "Here you will find that Cal-
             In, regard Point III, in which Synod contends that vin substantiates his co'nviction  that men is totally cor-
     the reprobate is able to perform and does perform rupted." This should read: "Here you will find that
     acts-which are in themselves good - civil'righteous,  - Calvin substantiates his convictions that man is totally
     we can be brief. The acts wh&&.-a&  called good, are corrupted."
     such because God influences  t,tt$rn  in some way                    Page 96, last column, "Says he: `But the soul im-
     (Synod's conception). The  scrj$%ral and the confes- morsed in this gulf of iniquity," etc. This should read:
     sional  p,roofs  for this declaration are wanting. We "Says he: `But the soul immersed in this gulf of ini-
     marvel not therefore that Synod is unable to quote quity,' " etc.
     Calvin,.in  order to substantiate this Point. It is cer-                                              A .   C .  BbERKOEL  '
     tain that the argument of this Third Point is. aninnb-
     vation of the late Dr. A. Kuyper. Perhaps this  whoIe
     idea `of the Third Point was rather premature for the
     .Reformed  theologian of Geneve. In as much as Synod                       AMEN, JA, KOM, HEERE JEZUS!
     failed to quote Calvin it is of no use, at the present,
     for us to further illucidate the material in question.                    Jezus komt ! 0 dag van glorie,
     What we were concerned about was to prove that  Caf-                             Dag van schrik ook en geween,
     vin's conception of the material contained in the Three                   Jezus komt ! En in'victorie
     Points is not that of the Synod. We are justified then                           Drijft Hij. alle wolken heen.
     to state that -Synod  misrepresented the truth about                       `t  Licht zal onbelemmerd schijnen,
     Calvin. It is not a question, whether we agree with                              Schijnen in het groot  Heelal ;  '
     Calvin in every detail as to his conception of all Re-                     `t Rijk des  Satans moet verdwijnen
     formed truth. We may say, without any hesitation                                 Waar Zijn vaandel waaien zaI.
     that we are not a hundred per cent Calvinist, or if                        Waar Zijn standerd opgericht is
     .you will, Calvin is not in every detail in perfect har-                         In het  midden van de schaar,
     mony with Reformed truth. If any one would state                           Waar het Lam het  held're  Iicht is
     it differently, he would deny at the same time the de-                           Blinkend  op den Kandelaar.
     velopment of truth; or if you will, he would  spurn                        Waar het lied uit duizend'harten                .
     the development in God's revelation.                                             Tot den Troon zal opwaarts gaan,
             Certain it is that Synod in 1924 is entirely out of                Waar de Heiland  alle smarten,
     harmony with the general truth of Calvin's writings.                             Ied're traan heeft weggedaan.
-     It is all the more deplorable that Calvin's ideas have                    Worde ons aller harte Uw woning,
     been so misconstrued.                                                            Heel deez' aard Uw heiligdom !  ..
                                                                                Amen !, Jezuq onze -Koning  I
                                            `A. C. BOERKOEL.                          Amen ! Heere 3ezus,  Kom ?
                                       _


                            A REFORMED SEMI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE  published  by
                   THE REFORMED FREE PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION, GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN


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Vol. V, No. 6                                                DECEMBER 15,  1928                              Subscription Price, $2.50

                                                                              join in with our songs of praise and gladness? If re-
         MEDITATLQN                                                           joicing in things were thanksgiving, gratitude must
                                                                              needs increase according as wealth and riches are mul-
                                                                              tiplied and the indigent that must satisfy his hunger
                                                                              with a dry crust of bread may grumble in his
                     THANKSGIVING                                             poverty....                                       -
                                                                                 Or. we may, perhaps, at the sight of all our pos-
                          Bless  the Lord, 0 my soul! and ail. that is
                   within me, bless His holy name.                            sessions, of the prosperity of our business, of the in-
                          Bless the Lord, 0 my sou1,  and forget not          crease of our cattle, of the fruit of the field, acknowl-
                   all his benefits.                - P s .   103:1,   2 .    edge that Providence did His part to co-operate with
                                                                              our honest efforts, so that, while we diligently plowed
   Bless Jehovah!                                                             and sowed, toiled and labored from morning till night,
   Beautifully the Hebrew poet expressed himself in He sent His rain and sunshine from above and blessed.
his picturesque original: Kneel down in praise, 0 my our labors. And we will remember our own goodness
soul, before Jehovah!                                                         and Wisdom,, our  own labors and toil together  prith the
   Praise and thanksgiving are not common deeds of co-operation of the Most High God. And we will stami
mankind, neither are they national performances, in mer the thanksgiving of the Pharisee in the parable,
which `all alike are able to participate, for they are pre- looking down on the poor and miserable  Publican  and
eminently the expression of the humble and contrite crying out : I thank thee Lord, that I am not as he? . . .
heart and soul.      '                                                           But remembrance of self and celebration of our
   How shall I, how shall you, how-shall anyone, as he own worthiness is the very opposite of praise and
is by nature, truly praise the Lord, render unto Him                          thanksgiving and an abomination  in the sight of the
that thanksgiving which is acceptable to Him and Lord.
pleasing in His sight? True, we may have many pos-                               To bless the Lord is, in deepest root, to kneel be-
sessions and be surrounded with the increase of the fore Him.
earth, with the gold and silver of the world, with fat-                          To kneel, not merely with the body, but to come
ness and plenty. And our heart may rejoice in the before Him with our soul bowed down in humiliation. .
abundance of our wealth. At the sight of our corn Praise and thanksgiving proceed from the conscious-
and wheat, of our cattle and sheep, of our oil and our ness of our own insignificance, from the feeling, that
wine, we may banish care and anxiety from our'hearts we are nothing and He is all ; that He only is the
and sing songs of gladness and joy. . . .                                     Source, the Fount of all good, and that we must always
   But joy and gladness in the possession of mere be filled with Him ; that He always overflows with
things is no praise and thanksgiving.                                         goodness and that we can never remunerate Him in the
   If it were, pray, how could thanksgiving ever be least; from the feeling moreover that we are totally
anything but a work for the rich and for them that unworthy, that we are children of corruption and
may rejoice in health and strength? How could the wrath by nature, `who defiled their way a thousand
thousands upon thousands that  suffer   affliction  and times and who are deeply conscious of the fact, that
poverty, that labor and toil every day to earn their they could not stand before the Lord of heaven and
measure of wheat for a penny, who behold the bottom earth and appear in His sanctuary, if He should mark
of their breadbasket every night; or how could they, transgressions.  - It arises, furthermore, from the
who seem to be born to be aacted,  whose chastise- knowledge, not that we possess many things and are
ment is there every.morning, who groan in pain and surrounded with plenty, but that He is our God and
agony or are overwhelmed with deep sorrow of heart, that we are His people, who are called by Him out of

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

darkness into His marveIous  light that we should de- of all creation in heaven and earth has been fixed on
clare His praises, whose sins He forgives, whose dis- His blessed name and mighty works and till all that
eases He heals, whose life He delivers from destruction, breathes' has been summoned to extol the wondrous
whose youth He renews like the eagle's, in order that        name of Jehovah. But it does not commence there. It
they might dwell in His communion, know Him, Iove            starts with self. It does not turn to other first, neither
Him, walk with Him, be led by His hand. Not in does it commence by glorifying the holy name of
things, but in the possession of the Lord Himself, Who       Jehovah before the brethren on earth and the holy
causes all things to work together for good to them angels in heaven. It knows of a keen desire to be
that love Him, true praise rejoices . . . .                  alone with God, to pour itself out before Him, to tell of
       And thus, humbly kneeling in a sense of our shame     His wonders before His face, to address itself to Him
and unworthiness and of the goodness and grace of and express what it has tasted, what- it still does taste
Jehovah, we feel ourselves in the presence of the Lord of the goodness of the Lord.
of glory and address Him, adore Him, extol His glori-           Bless the Lord, 0, my soul! And till my own soul
ous wonders and virtues, express it with all our heart,      did bless Him, I cannot call on others to join in out-
that He is good!....                                         pourings of praise.
       That is why He appears before the grateful soul as       It is, moreover, a matter of the inner man.
Jehovah !                                                       Not first of all of the lips, or of the bended knee.
       Jehovah is His holy name !                            Truly, that too. The truly  greatful heart cannot keep
       For in that name He stands before the worship-        silence. It is constrained to pour itself out in thank-
ping soul in all the glory of His goodness. It expresses ful adoration. But firstly and chiefly it is a matter of
that He is the everlasting God, the Absolute and Un- the soul, never a mere external formality in which
changeable, the Uncaused Cause of all, the Source of there throbs no living soul. For the Lord has respect
all that has no deeper source than Himself, the faith- not to the face but to the heart; all empty form is vain
ful, the true, the glorious God. But it also expresses       and abominable in His sight. He desires truth in the
that He is all that He is for His people, whom He loved      inward parts. The soul, the seat of life, the living
and Ioves and shall love and will never forsake, but man, must be busy in the praise of the Lord. And
bless `unto all eternity with His own friendship and such with all that is within that soul. He who would
communion.                                                   acceptably praise and bless Jehovah, must adore Him
       It is the name He revealed in His only begotten with mind and will, with thoughts and desires, with
Son, Jesus, Jehovah our salvation I                          inclination and longing and all his emotion ; the praise
       Him He gave in everlasting love. In Him He of the Lord must captivate the most secret recesses of
stands before us in  all the power of His boundless his inner life. He must consciously, knowingly, will-
g r a c e .                                                  ingly, lovingly, fervently, ardently, with all his powers
       How shall He not with Him freely give us all sing the praises of Him Who is worthy to be praised
things ?                                                     forever and ever, Amen.. . .
       Bless, 0, bIess the Lord !                               All that is within me, bIess His holy Name !
       Jehovah, my God!                                         It is the self-address of the heart, that knows of a
                                                             strong desire, of a fervent longing of the inner man to
       0, my souI !                                          glorify its God. It is the regenerated man, possessing
       Bless Jehovah !                                       a beginning of the new obedience, having tasted that
       The beauty of this psalm is that it is a thanksgiv- the Lord is gracious, who is here speaking to himself.
ing-proclamation that begins and ends with self. The But he is addressing himself, inciting all-that is within
poet addresses self, his own soul, inciting himself *to him to praise and adoration of Jehovah, because he is
praise and bless Jehovah, then turns to the creatures conscious of his imperfection, of the power of sin, that
round about him, calling on heaven and earth to join is within him and that is loath to break out in praise
in with his adoration and glad thanksgiving-song, in for the living God. It is the soul, that on the one hand
order to return to self once more and close as he be- is conscious of a delight in the law of God according to
gan : Bless the Lord, 0, my soul!                            the inner man, but on the other hand knows of another
       Thus it is but proper.                                law in his members, warring against the law of the
       Thanksgiving is primarily a personal matter, in mind. How often is he slow to acknowledge the good-
which the soul exercises personal fellowship, stands all ness and glory of the Lord ! How often has he been
alone before the Lord and bows down in humble adora- surrounded with the manifestations of Jehovah's holy
tion. To be sure, it does not end there. The truly name and he never knew it, never took notice, never
thankful heart, rejoicing in the possession of the Lord broke forth in glad thanksgiving notes! 0, my soul,
its God, overwhelmed with the sense of His goodness how ashamed oughtest thou to be, because of thy  un:
and lovingkindness over His children, will point to the grateful attitude so frequently assumed over against
many benefits which it received from His hand, will          Him, whose lovingkindness and mercy is from ever-
calI attention to them as manifestations of His holy         lasting to everlasting over thee ! Therefore, 0 my
name, cannot rest till the attention of all the brethren, soul, bless thou the Lord ! . . . .


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D -   B E A R E R                                          123

   Kneel  down before Him in shame and humiliation               Then, thou wilt behold in all these His holy name,
because of thy laxity and lukewarmness, because of thy which surrounds thee, accompanies thee every step, is
oft indifference? And awake, 0 my soul, to the praises thy everlasting good and protection, holds thy hand
of thy Benefactor!                                           and leads thee, through darkness and light, over moun-
   Taste that the Lord is good and gracious!                 tains and through vales, when the way is `steep and
   Behold His holy name !                                    rough as well as over paved and level roads, in order
   And tell Him! Bless Him!                                  to lead thee to gIory . . . .
   0, my soul!                                                   Forget not all His benefits!
                                                                 Count them one by one!
 Bless Him!                                                      Exercise thyself to- keep them constantly before
   Bless His holy name!                                      thy mind, dwell on them, make them thy meditation,
   Forget not all His benefits!                              day and night, in cheer and in gloom, in joy and in sor-
   These three constitute an unbreakable chain, link- row, in the midst of the fat of the earth or with the
ing my soul to the living God and inducing her to dry crust between thy teeth. For in them thou  be-
praise and adore the Lord Jehovah.                           holdest His holy name, Jehovah, the faithful and un-
   Forget not all His benefits! A Hebrew way of say- changeable God of thy salvation!
ing : forget none of them, remember them all ! .                 And in that -name thou ascendest up to Him, whom
   God's benefits are all His deeds, all His acts with no eye hath ever seen but whom His people love and
respect to His children. The root-meaning of the orig- know.
inal word is simply: deeds. Forget not all His deeds             Then, 0 my soul, thou never needest be expelled
toward thee, 0 my soul! And, indeed, all His acts are from the company of those that praise the Lord !
benefits unto His children, whom, He loved with un-              All things are benefits. For all must work together
fathomable compassion from before the world was. for thy salvation.
He never harms them. Whether the way is light or                 Thou wilt see Him in thy prosperity.
dark, bright or gloomy, whether it is smooth and level           Thou wilt taste His goodness over thee in affliction
or rough and steep, whether it leads through dark and sorrow!
ravines or over mountain-heights bathing in the bright           Forget not all His benefits !
gold of cheering sunlight, whether He sends prosperity           Bless, 0 my soul, bless all that is within me !
or adversity, health or sickness, joy or sorrow, our life        Bless His name !
in its entire course and in all its vicissitudes is His          Bless Him !  *
deed, and the various stretches and curves in the road           Hallelujah!
are His acts.. . .                                                                                           H. H.
   And because they are His acts with respect toward
His children, they must be benefits.
   For the great central deed is the benefit of all bene-             GOD'S GRACE TO THE REDEEMED
fits : the gift of His only begotten Son. From that one              Grace is the sweetest sound
gift flow all other gifts. That one deed is at once the I               That ever reached our ears;
source and the great sample of all His other deeds.                  When conscience charged and justice frowned,
For from it flows the benefit that He forgives all our                  `Twas grace removed our fears.
transgressions, swallowed up as they are in His preci-
ous blood ; that He heals all our diseases, borne as they            `Tis freedom to the slave,
are by His stripes ; that he delivers our life from de-                `Tis light and liberty,;
struction, seeing that He entered into our deepest woe               It takes its'terror from the grave,
and brought life from death, heaven from hell; that He                  From death its victory.
renews our youth like the eagles, for eternal youth and
glory He carried from the grave with Him into heaven                 Grace is a mine of -wealth
to bestow upon His people. These spiritual benefits are                 Laid open to the poor;
first, because they are basic. He who cannot rejoice in              Grace is the sov'reign spring of health ;
them, cannot rejoice in Jehovah, cannot praise `Him                     `Tis LIFE for EVERMORE.
and break forth into glad thanksgiving. For without
these benefits nothing avails ; with them all is good.               Of grace, then, let us sing!
For He who forgives all our iniquities and washes us                    (A joyful, wondrous theme!)
in the blood of His Beloved, Who heals our diseases                  Who grace has brought shall glory bring,
and delivers us to crown our lives with everlasting                     And we shall reign with Him.
glory and blessedness, will surely make all' things sub-
servient to our salvation . . . .                                    Then shall we see His face
   Forget not all His deeds!                                            With all the saints above,
   Remember that all His deeds are benefits  to thee,                And sing forever of His grace,
my soul!                                                                Forever of His love.


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                   127

heid en ten voile Gods raad  verwezenlijkt,  om ons den                   TFIE  VISIT OF'  TIfE MAGI
Beelde Zijns Zoons gelijkvormig te maken. H. H.                               f Matthew 11: 1-12)     +
                                                               It is impossible to determine the date of the visit
                                                            of the wise men. It must have occurred not long after
                   OP  DEN  OLIJFBERG                ~      the birth, while Joseph and Mary still lingered in Beth-
       Halleluja  ! De Heer? vaart op :                     lehem, and it is of little moment whether we place it
       Van des Olijfbergs groenen top                       before or after the presentation in the temple at Jeru-
         Naar `t heerlijk, Hemelsch  Eden!                  salem. The epithet by which Matthew describes to us
      Zijn jong'ren  zien verbaasd omhoog,                  these Eastern strangers is not so vague and indefinite
      ,. Nu zij hun' Heiland voor hun oog                   as it seems in our translation. He calls them Magi
         Zijn Rijk zien binnentreden!                       from the East. The birthplace and the natural home
                                                            of the magian  worship was in Persia. And there the
       Een wolk verbergt Hem voor `t gezicht:               Magi had a place and power such as the Chaldeans bad
       Doch ziet: daar straalt opeens een licht             in Babylon, the Hierophants in Egypt, the Dtuids  in
         Verblindend hun in de oogen !                      Gaul, and the Brahmans' still have in India. They
       "Zijt niet vervuld met droefenis,                    formed a tribe or caste, priestly in office, princely in
       Maar weet, dat Jezus, o gewis !                      rank. They  were  the depositories of nearly  all the
         Eens weerkomt uit den Hoogen  !"                   knowledge or science existing in the country where
                                                            they lived ; they were the first professors and prac-
      Zoo sprak der Eng'len heilige mond                    ticers of astrology, worshippers . of the sun and the
       Tot  allen,  die daar in dien stond                  heavenly bodies, from whose appearance and move-
         Hun' Heere zagen  kronen!                          ments they drew their divination as to earthly events
       Hij kwam als mensch op aarde neer;                   - all illustrious births below, being indicated as they
       Hij steeg ten troon ; der heeren Heer :              deemed, by certain peculiar conjunctions of the stars
         Hij doe ons bij Hem wonen  !                       above. Both as priests and diviners they had great
                                                            power. They formed in fact the most influential sec-
       Men heff' Hem blijde psalmen aan!                    tion of the community. In political affairs their in-
       Moog' ieder  nu Zijn roem voortaan                   fluence was predominent. The education of royalty
         Verkonden en verbreiden !                          was in their hands; they filled all the chief offices of
       Hij troont thans in Zijn Heerlijkheid,              . the state; they constituted the supreme council of
       Waar Hij de Zijnen plaats bereidt,                   the realm.    As originally applied to the Median
         En Hij ons eens zal weiden !                       priest-cast, the term Magi was one of dignity and
                                                            honor. Afterwards, when transferred to other coun-
       0, Christen ! waak  en wacht Hem weer !              tries, and employed to designate not that peculiar
       Eens zal  uw Koning en  uw Heer'                     sacerdotal order, but all persons of whatever descrip-
         Opnieuw  aan d' aard verschijnen!                  tion who were professors of astrology and practicers
       Dan zal de Rechter van `t Heelal,                    of divination, as those astrologers and diviners sunk
       Die is, Die was, Die  wezen zal,                     in character, and had recourse to all kinds of mean
         Zijn vijand doen verdwijnen!                       imposture, the name Magi was turned into one of dis-
                                                            honor and reproach. There seems no reason, however,
       Maar al Zijn volk, dat Hem verbeidt,                 to doubt that it was in its earlier and honorable mean-
      Zal dan, door Zijn gerechtigheid         .            ing that it is used in the Gospel narrative.
         Den  Hemel zien ontsloten ;                           RemarkabIe  passages from both Greek and Roman
       Zij gaan dan, met gejuich begroet,                   writers have been quoted which inform us that at the
       Hun' Heer' en Koning tegemoet,                       period of our Saviour's birth there prevailed  generdly
         Met al Zijn gunstgenooten,!                        over the East, in regions remote from Palestine, a
                                                            vague but strong belief that one born in  Judea  was to
                                                            arise. and rule the world. Popularly this expectation  *
                                                            was confined to the appearance of some warrior chief
           Klagen betaamt mij met,                          who, by the might of his victorious arms, was to sub-
                 Op weg naar huis,                          due the nations under him. But, there were many then
           Kwelt mij ook hier verdriet,                     in every land, whose faith in their own hereditary
                 `k Kom zeker thuis.
          `2                                                religions had been undermind ; who, from those Jews
                k Voel daar geen pijn of schand',           now scattered everywhere abroad, had learned some of
                 In `t hemelsch Vaderland ;                 the chief elements of the pure Israelitish faith ; and.
           God leidt mij aan Zijn hand,.                    half embracing it, had risen to a desire and hope which
                 Veilig naar huis.                          took a higher ground, and who, in this expected king


  `128                                  THB  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

 that was to spring out of Judah, were ready to hail a about the appearance of this star must be taken as
 spiritual guide and deliverer. Such, we believe, were supernatural, and we must regard it as some star-like
 the Magi of Matthew's narrative. Balaam, a man of meteor shining in our power atmosphere. But be it
 their own or kindred tribe, in their own or in a neigh- what it might, however kindled, whatever curiosity
 boring country, had centuries before foretold that a its strange appearance might excite, - though the
 star should come out of Jacob, and a sceptre rise out Magi, penetrated by the popular belief, might naturally
 of Israel (Numb. 24 : 17). This and other of these old have regarded it as an omen of the great expected
 Jewish prophecies which pointed to the same event birth, - the star could of itself tell nothing. How-
 may in some form or other have reached their ears, ever, miraculous its appearance, if left without an
 preparing them for the birth of one who in the first interpreter, it was but a dumb witness after all. The
 instance was to be the king of the Jews, but whose conviction is almost forced upon us that, in addition to
 kingdom was to connect itself with other than mere the external sign, there was some divine communica-
 earthly interests, to have intimate relationships with tion made to these Magi, informing them of the errand
 man's highest hopes and his eternal destiny. Sharing which the star was commissioned to discharge. But
 the general hope, but with that hope purified and why the double indication of the birth, - the star with-
 exalted, let us believe that these Magi were earnestly, out, the revelation made within? Why but as an
 devoutly, waiting the coming of this new king of the evidence and illustration of the care and gracious  con-
 Jews and of mankind. Their office and occupation led descention  of Him Who not only to the spiritual com-
 them to the nightly study of the starry heavens; but munication added the external sign, to be a help to the
 still as they gazed and speculated and divined, they weak, infant staggering faith, but Who, in the very
 felt that it was not from that glittering broad-spread shaping of that outward sign, was pleased to accom-
 page of wonders hung above their heads that any clear modate Himself to these men's earthly calling; and
 or satisfying information as to the divine character while to Mary and the shepherds - Jews living in a
 and purpose was to be derived. Much as they fancied land where stories of angelic manifestation were cur-
 they could glean from them as to man's earthly for- rent  - angels were sent to make announcements of the
 tunes, what could the bright mute stars tell them of the    Redeemer's birth, to those astroIogers  of the East He
 eternal destinies of those unnumbered human spirits sends a star, meeting them in their own familiar walks,
 which beneath their light were, generation after gen- showing itself among the divinities of their erring wor-
 eration, passing away into the world beyond the grave? ship, gently to lead them into %Iis presence to Whom
 How often may the deep sigh of disappointment have the world's true worship was to be given.
 risen from the depths of these hearts, as not a word           But when this star appeared, and after they under-
 of distant response was given, and the heavens they stood.what  its presence betokened, was it a spontane-
 gazed on kept the secret locked in their bosom. But ous impulse on their part to go and do homage to the
 the sigh of the earnest seeker after truth, like the sigh new-born King, or did He Who revealed the birth
 of the lowly, penitent, and contrite heart, never rises enjoin the journey? Whatever the prompting on which
 to the throne in heaven in vain. God met in mercy the they acted, it does not appear that in the first instance
 truth-seeking spirit in the midst of its errors, and anything beyond the general information was com-
 made its very superstition pave the way to faith.           municated, that somewhere in  Judea the birth had
    One night as those Magi stood watching their taken place. The star, it would appear, did not go
 cloudless skies, their practiced eye detected a new-come before them all the way, for in that case they would
 stranger among the stars. The appearance of new not have needed to institute any further inquiry. Its
 stars is no novelty to the astronomer. We have authen- first- office discharged, the star disappeared, leaving
 tic records of stars of first magnitude, rivalling in their them to have recourse to such common sources of in-
 brilliance the brightest of our old familiar planets, formation as lay open to them. It was at Jerusalem, in
 shining out suddenly in places where no star had been the capital of the country over which the new-born
 seen before, and after a season vanishing away. King was to reign; it was there, if anywhere, the
 Singular conjunctions of the planets have also been needed intelligence was to be obtained. To Jerusalem,
 occasionally observed, some of which are known to therefore, they repair. Entering the holy city, they
- have occurred about the time of the Redeemer's birth. put eagerly and expectantly the question, "Where is he
It may  possibIy  have been some such strange appear- that is born king of the Jews? for-we have seen his
ance in the heavens that attracted the eyes of the wise star in the East, and are come to worship him."
men. It is said, however, in the narrative that the             The question takes the city by surprise. No one
star went before them till it came and stood over where here has seen the star, no orie here has heard about this
the young child was. It went, lantern-like, before them king. The tidings of the arrival of those distinguished
on their way, and indicated in some way, as by a finger strangers, and of the question which they asked, are
of pointing light, the very. spot where they were  to. carried quickly to the palace, and circulate rapidly
find the child. As no such function could be disc~rged       through the city.  `Herod is troubled. The usurper
by any of the ordinary inhabitants of the heavens, all trembles on his throne. Has a new claimant with bet-


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          129

ter title to that throne, indeed been born? Has treach- been deceived? Perhaps it was a delusion they had
ery already been busy at its work ; have they been con- listened to ; a deceitful appearance they had seen in
cealing from him this event? Have the enemies of their own land. Had these Magi been men of a weak
himself and of his family been cloaking thus their faith or an infirm purpose, they might, instead of
projects, waiting only for the fit time to strike the going on to Bethlehem, have gone forth despondingly
blow, and hurl him from his seat? The blood he had and distrustfully from Jerusalem, and taken their way
already shed to reach that height begins to cry for back to their own homes.
vengeance, and spectres of the slaughtered dead shake          But strange and perplexing as all this is, it neither
their terrors in his face. Herod's troubles at the tidings shakes their faith nor effects their conduct. They had
we can well understand, but why was it that all Jeru- good reason to believe that the communication first
salem was troubled along with him? Was it the simple made to them came to them from God, and once satis-
fear of change, the terror of another revolution; the fied of this, no conduct on the part of others, however
knowledge of  Herod's  jealous temper and blood-thirsty unaccountable or inconsistent, moves them away from
disposition ; the alarm that his vindictive spirit might the beginning of their confidence. Though all the
prompt to some new deed of cruelty, in order to cut off dwellers in Jerusalem be troubled at tidings which
this rival? If so, how low beneath the yoke of tyranny should have been to them tidings of great joy ; though
must the spirit of those citizens of Jerusalem have not a Jew be ready to join them, or to bid them God-
sunk ; how completely for the time, must the selfish speed ere they leave the city's gates, to Bethlehem
have  obsorbed.the  patriotic sentiment in their breast. they go.
   But whatever alarm he felt, whatever dark pur-
poses were brooding in his heart, Herod at first con-          But a new perplexity arises. Somewhere in that
cealed them. He must know more about this affair,           village the birth has taken place, but who shall tell
get some information before he acts. He calls together them where? .If the inhabitants of the capital knew
the chief -priests  and the scribes, and at no loss, ap-    and cared so Iittle about the matter, what help will
parently, to identify the King of the Jews that the         the? get from the villagers at Bethlehem? They may
.Magi  asked about, with the Christ the Messiah of an- require to search diligently, as  Herod  bade them, and
cient prophesy, he demands of them where Christ yet, after all, the search may be vain. Just then, in
should be born. As little at a loss, they lay their hands the midst of their perplexity, the star which they had
at once upon the prophesy of Micah, which pointed to seen in the East once more shone out above their heads
Bethlehem as the birthplace. Furnished with this in- to go before them till it stood over where the young
formation, the king invites the Magi to a private inter- child lay. No wonder that when they saw that star,
view, conveys to them the information he had himself they rejoiced with an exceeding great joy. It dis-
received, and concealing his sinister designs, sends pelled all doubt, it relieved from all perplexity. When
them off to Bethlehem to search diligently for the          first they saw it in the East, it wore the face of a
child, and when they had found him, to bring him word stranger among old friends ; now it wears the face of
again, that he, too, as he falsely said, might go and       an old friend among strangers, and they hail it as we
worship him.                                                hail a friend we thought was lost, but who comes to us
   Let us pause a moment here to reflect upon the im- the very time we need him most. The Magi knew that
pression which this visit to Jerusalem, and the state somewhere in Bethlehem the object of their search is
of things discovered there, was fitted to make upon to be found, and if they fail in finding him, it will be
these Eastern visitors. It must surely have surprised in Bethlehem that the failure shall take place. Nor is
them to come among the very people over whom the            it till they are on their way to the village, that the star
new-born King was to rule, to enter the capital of their of heavenly guidance once more appears ; but then it
country, the city of the chief priests and scribes by       does appear, and sends gladness into their hearts.
whom, if by any, an event so signal should have been           And have we not all, as followers of the Crucified,
shown, and to find there no notice, no knowledge of another and higher journey to perform  ; a journey,
the birth; to  find instead, that they, coming from a not to the place of the Saviour's earthly birth, but
strange land, professors of another faith, are the first that of His heavenly dwelling? And if; on that jour-
to tell these Jews of the event of their own king. It ney, we act as those men did, God will deal with us as
must have done more than surprise them; they, too, in He dealt with them. The path before us may be often
their turn must have been troubled and perplexed, to hidden in the obscurity ; our lights may go-out  by the
see how the announcement, when it was made, was way ; we may know as little what the next stage is to
received ; to see such jealousy, such alarm; and, at the reveal, as those men knew at Jerusalem what awaited.
least, so great incredulity or indifference, that near as them in their path to Bethlehem ; but if, like them, we
Bethlehem was, and interesting as was the. object of hold on our course, unmoved by the example of others ;
their visit to it, there was none among those inhab- if we follow the light given us to the farthest point to
itants of Jerusalem who cared to accompany them. which that light can carry us, then on us, too, when
Was there nothing here to awaken doubt, for such light all fail, and we seem about to be left in utter
 faith as theirs to stagger at? Might they not have darkness, some star of heavenly guidance will arise,


130                                    T H E   Srl'ANDARD   B&ARER

at sight of which we shall rejoice with an exceeding far to see and worship? Had they known all about
great joy.                                                  that infant which they know now; had they known
       But look, now, at the Chief Priests and Scribes of that an angelic choir had already sung his birth, lading
the holy city, into whose hands the ancient oracles of the night breezes with a richer freight of melody than
God had been committed. They could tell at once, from they had ever wafted through the skies ; had they
the prophesies of Micah, the place of the Messiah's known that in that little hand which lay folded there
birth ; and they could almost as readily' and as aecu-      in feebleness, in the gentle breath which was heaving
rately from the prophesy of Daniel have known the that infant bosom, the power of omnipotence lay slum-
time of His event. To them, as furnished already with bering - that at the touch of the one, the blind eye
sufficient means of. information, no supernatural com- was to open, and the tied tongue to be unloosed,  - that
munication of any kind is made ; to them `no angel at the bidding of the other, the wildest elements of
comes ; no star appears, no sign is given. They should nature in their stormiest march were to stand still,
have been waiting for the coming of the Lord, with devils were to be driven out of their usurped bodies,
ears all open to catch the first faint rumors, which and the dead to come forth from the sepulchre; had
must have reached Jerusalem from a village not more they known that at the death of this Son of Mary, the
than six miles off, of what the shepherds saw and sun was to be darkened, the rocks were to be rent, the
heard ; they should have been out to Bethlehem before graves to give up their old inhabitants, - that He
these Magi came, ready to welcome those visitors from Himself was to burst the barriers of the tomb, and rise
a far country, and to conduct them into the presence in triumph, attended by angel escort, to take His place
of the new-born King. But they neglected, they abused at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens, - we
the privileges they possessed ; and now as the proper should not have wondered at the ready homage which
fruit of their own doings, not only is the same kind they rendered Him. But they knew nothing of all this.
of information supplied to others denied by them, but What they did know, we cannot tell. We only know
the very way in which they are fu-st informed works that instantly, in absence of all outward warrant for
disastrously, and excites hostile prejudices in their the act, in spite of the most unpromising appearance,
breast. "Where is he," these strangers say to them, they bow the knee before that undistinguished infant,,
"who is born King of the Jews?" Has an event like lower than it bent before the haughty  Herod  at Jeru-
this occurred - occurred within  a  few miles of the salem; bow in adoration such as they never rendered
metropolis  - and they, the heads and rulers of the to any earthly sovereign. And that act of worship
Jewish people, not know of it? For their first knowl- over, they open their treasures and present to Him
edge of it must they be indebted to these foreigners, their gifts: the gold, the frankincense, and the myrrh,
men ignorant of  Judea, unread in their sacred books? the rarest products of the East. It was an offering
A star, forsooth, these men said had appeared to them such as any monarch might have had presented to him
in the East ; was it to be believed that for them in their by the ambassadors from any foreign prince. When
Iand of heathen darkness and superstition such a fresh we take the whole course of these men's conduct into
light should be kindled in the heavens, whilst to God's account; when we remember that they had none of the
own appointed priesthood, no discovery of any kind advantages of a Jewish birth or education, of an early
had been made? We discern thus in its very earliest acquaintance with the Jewish scriptures ; when we
stage, that antipathy to the Son of Mary which, be- think of their starting on their long and perilous jour-
ginning in incredulity, and fostered by pride, grew ney with no other object than the making of this single
into malignant hatred, and issued in the nailing of obeisance to the infant Redeemer of mankind ; when
Jesus to the cross. And even in the first stages of the we look at them standing unmoved, amid all the dis-
course they followed, they appear before us, reaping couragements of the Jewish metropolis; when we at-
the fruit of their former doings, and sowing the seeds tend them on their solitary way to Bethlehem; when
of their after crimes. What a singular spectacle does we stand by their side, as beneath that lowly roof they
the proud and jealous priesthood of Judea thus pre- silently worship, and spread out their costly gifts,  -
sent, learned in the letter of their own scriptures but we cannot but regard their faith as in many of its fea-
wholly ignorant of their Spirit; pointing the way to tures unparalleled in the Gospel narrative ; we cannot
others, not taking a single step in it themselves ; types but place them in the front rank of that goodly com-
of the nation they belonged to, of the function which pany in whose acts the power and the triumph of a
the Jews have so largely since discharged - the open- simple faith shine forth.
ers of the door to Gentile inquirers, while that same          That single act of homage rendered, they return to
door was closed upon themselves.                            their own country, and we hear of them no more. They
       We rejoin the Magi at Bethlehem. They enter the come like spirits, casting no shadow before them; and
indicated house, and stand before a mother and her like spirits they depart ; passing away into that ob-
child ; a mother of very humble appearance ; a child scurity from which they had emerged. But our affection
clad in simplest attire. Can this, they think, as they follows them to their native land,  - would fain pene-
look around, be the roof beneath which infant royalty trate the secret of their after lives and deaths. Did
lies cradled? Can that be the child they have come so
                          *                                 these men see, and hear, and know no more of Jesus?


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D -   B E A R E R                                           131
  ._

 Were they living, when - after thirty years of pro-                    DS-. G.  J.  HAAN EN DE ABSOLUTIE
 foundest silence,. not a rumor of His name going  any:
 where abroad  - tidings came at last of the words He               Wij zijn het dus goed  met Ds. G. J. Haan eens, als '
 spake, the deeds He did, the death He died? `We would hij beweert en verdedigt, dat hij we1 het recht heeft
 fain believe, so far, the quaint old legend of the middle       om zijn bezwaren te openbaren, zonder den weg van
 ages, that connects itself with the fancied resting place een gravamen te bewandelen, tegen synodale  besluiten,
 of the relics in the Cathedral of Cologne ; we would            al zijn  ze nog zoo  bindend.  Maar wat we op  zijn'
 fain believe that they lived to converse with one of the sch$jven  met betrekking tot dit punt tegen hebben, is
 apostles of the Lord, and to receive Christian baptism dat hij vergeet, welk standpunt hij zelf innam  tegen-
 at his hands. However it may have been, we can over zijn collega,  Ds. H. Dar&of,  die ook bezwaar had
 scarcely believe that He whose star carried them from tegen  synodale  besluiten en daarom mede door Ds.
 their eastern homes to -Bethlehem, and whose Spirit G. J.  Haan werd vervolgd en afgezet. Voor zijn  aan-
 prompted the worship they then rendered, left them to deel in die verschrikkelijke en nog altijd ten  hemel
 die in heathen ignorance and unbelief. Let us cherish schreiende ongerechtigheid had  hij eerst hartgrondige
 rather the belief that they who bowed so reverently en ootmoedige belijdenis  moeten   doen.  Dan was de
 before the earthly cradle, are now worshipping with a weg effen geweest en had,Ds. Haan  weer rechte paden
 profounder reverence before the heavenly throne.                voor zijne voeten gebaand. Indien wij in dezen mis-
        But what special significance has this incident in tasten  tikke Ds.  Haan   ens maar op de  vingers. Als
 the early life of our Redeemer? Why were these men hij ook daarvoor geen plaats kan vinden in De wach-,
  summoned from their distant homes to come so far, to ter openbare  hij zich maar in ens blad. Hij kan bij ons.
  pay that single act of homage to the infant Jesus, and wel. terecht. Want  THE  STAND-   BEARER  is  niet  be-
                                                                                                                   ,'
  then retire forever from our sight? Why, but that krompen en nauw in de ingewanden.,
  even with the first weak beginnings of the Saviour's              Maar laat ens nu nagaan, welke bezwaren Ds. Haan
  earthly life, there might be a  foretokemng  of the wide heeft tegen bet invoeren van de Absolutie zelf. Als wij
  embrace of that kingdom He came to establish ; a first hem  goed begrepen hebben, dan wil Ds.  Haan  het zoo
  fulfilling of those ancient prophecies which had fore- verstaan hebben, dat hij slechts bezwaar heeft tegen
  told that the Gentiles should come to this light, and' het  bindende van dat besluit der Synode, dat  op de
  kings to the brightness of its rising; that all they from Absolutie betrekking  heeft. Willen  andere gemeenten
  Sheba should come, bringing gold and incense. These deze Absolutie invoeren,  dat is haar zaak en dat is hem
  eastern Magi were the earliest ambassadors from goed. Hij zal daartegen  niet protesteeren. Maar hij,
  heathen lands, the first shadowy precursors of that Ds: G. J. Haan, heeft gewetensbezwaar om haar in den
  great company to be gathered in from. the east and eeredienst in te voeren. Hij zou het niet kunnen doen.
  from the west, and from the north, and from the south, Hij wil daarin vrij blijven. En daarom heeft bij het
  to sit down  with Abraham in the kingdom of the just. vooral tegen op het  bindende  van dat besluit., Daarom
  In these persons, and in their act, the Gentile world, of wijdt hij dan ook nog een hoofdstuk  aan de vraag,
  which they formed a part, gave an early welcome to the wanneer  een Synode we1 en  wannecr zij  niet een be-
  Redeemer, and hastened to lay its tiibute at His feet.         sluit  bindend   maken mag. Hij  .maakt daarin de  op-
  They were in fact, - and this should bind them the merking, dat een besluit dan bindend   msg. worden ge-
  closer to our hearts - they were our representatives maakt, als het een zaak betreft, `die door Gods Woord
  at Bethlehem, making for us Gentiles the first expres- wordt  ge&cht, dat het  echter  nimmer  bindend  mag
  sion of our faith, the first offer of our allegiance, Let heeten, als het slechts door Gods Woord wordt toege-
  us rightly follow what they did in our name. First, ,Eaten.
  they  worshipped,  and then they gave the best and                 Het wil ens voorkomen, dat Ds. Haan  zijn positie
  richest things they had. The gold, the frankincense, door deze argumentatie  heel wat verzwzkt. Hij  stemt
  the myrrh, had been of little worth had the worship daardoor  tech eigenlijk toe, dat de zaak der Absolutie
. of the heart not gone before and sanctified the gift.          door Gods Woord wordt toegelaten. En indien dat zijn
  But the gift most appropriately followed the worship. overtuiging ware, dan is het onverklaarbaar, dat hij
  First, then, let us give ourselves to the Lord, our heart zelf zooveel stof opjaagt over deze zaak en zooveel  be-
  the first oblation that we proffer; for the heart once zwaar heeft om de Absolutie in te voeren. Zijn' wij
  given the hand will neither be empty nor `idle, nor will eenmaal zoover, dat we overtuigd zijn, dat Gods Woord-
  it grudge the richest thing that it can hold, nor the          een zekere zaak  we1 niet beslist en met zoovele  woor-
  best service it can render.                                    den eischt, maar tech we1 toelaat, dan zou het zeer ge-
                                              G. M. ;O.          makkelijk zijn, om ens er aan te onderwerpen. Eigen-
                                                                 lijk  staat  de zaak dan ook  niet zoo. Zooals uit het
                                                     %           volgende hoofdstuk van zijn boekje wel duidelijk blijkt,
                                                                - acht Ds. Haan de Absolutie een zaak te zijn, die niet
                                                                 alleen  hiet door Gods Woord wordt  geeischt,  maar die-
                                                                 lijmecht  tegen den Woorde Gods indruischt. De Synode
                                                           -                                `  f  _


 136                                        T H E   STANDARD   B E A R E R ,

,maar  een vorm, wakin de geloovige gemeente  liaren                              THE PECULIAR OFFICE
 God dient op den Sabbat. En dit veronderstelt juist
een krachtig geloof. Om de belijdenis der zonden mede                  The office-bearer is an organ of the congregation ;
te prevelen in -oprechtheid en waarheid, moet de ge-                the  kk~ constituting it are in the  first instance those
meente niet zwak staan in het geloof, maar in.de blijde of the brotherhood. These views; it was found, have
verzekering reeds leven, dat ze vergeving van God ont- the  firm  support  of Scripture and of the Forms of the
vangt. Want die  belijdenis  is een gebed. En het  ge- ordination of office-bearers. Before proceeding to a
bed, oak. om de vergeving der zonden, is het hoogste new phase of our subject, we wish to establish that the
stuk.der  dankbaarheid. Wie twijfelt als hij bidt pnt-
vangt  niet. Hij kan ook eigenlijk  niet meedoen  aan views we present were those of John Calvin. We
 dezen eeredienst. De' commissie heeft  zichzelf in een quote : "Dit bepaalt de regeering der kerk op aarde.
doolhof van verwarring ingewerkt,  waaruit geen ont- Christus regeert zelf van uit den hemel  zijn kerk, maar
koming mogelijk is. En de invoering dezer Belijdenis Hij wil mede gebruik maken van den dienst van men-
en dezer Absolutie, zal, afgedacht ook van alle andere schen, waardoor de geloovigen met elkander tot een
bezwaren, allerlei  vormendienst  in de hand werken,. En lichaam verbonden worden,  en zonder welke de kerk
die vormendienst zal dan de plaats moeten vervullen niet. gaaf en ongeschonden kan bewaard worden.  Daar-
van een verschrikkelijke leegte en armoede in het gees-             om zoo wie deze vorm van regeering wegneemt, ver-
telijk leven. Daar gaat het heen.                                   kleint of tegenstaat die zoekt niet anders dan de ver-
        Doch  daarover nog een volgende-keer.                       strooii'ng, of veeleer de val of het verderf van de kerk.
                                                  H .   H .         Christus  heeft zelf de ambten verordend. Doch de,dra-
                                                                    gem .van het ambt zijn geen hoogheden, die zelf kun-
                                                                    nen en  mogen'heerschen.  Zij zijn en blijven  altoos
                                                                    dienaren van  Christus  die de gemeente naar Gods
                              AI?1                                  Woord  Ieiden; verzorgen en regeeren.  Deze   .&en&en
                                                                    iconten uit de gemeente op, omdat Christus  am,  de ge-
           *`De wereld is een speeltooneel,"                        meente  .macht  ,gegeven heeft, en de gemeente  kic.& cfi?
             Zong men in vroeger jaar,                              persone? voor het  ambt,  opdat dexe  Christus   xauden
           "Elk speelt zijn rol en krijgt zijn deel!" .             dienen in,de leiding  qn verzorging der gemeente" (Inst.
             Maar - is dat nog niet waar?                           IV:. 3, 2, 1.5; 4, 10-12). This is plain speech the force
                                                                    of which Prof. Heyns  would neutralize by some such
           Ik zeg het hog van harte mee:                            statements as this: "Op deze theorie de aandacht te
             Het leven is meest spel !                              vestigen  is des te noodiger, omdat zij zelfs onder ens
           Men speelt  met eeuwig we1 en wee,                       verdedigd is. `Ambtsdragers zijn de  organen  der kerk,
             Met Hemel en met He1 !                                 de oogen, ooren, enz., van het lichaam der kerk'. `De
                                                                    kerkeraad is representant der Gemeente . . . . Zij  be-
           Men speelt met eigen zonde en deugd                      zitten hun ma& als organen  van het Iichaam aan het-
             Met and'rer heil en smart ;                            welk Christus  macht gaf, De macht  zelve is van Chris-
           Met `s naasten leed en buurmans vreugd,                  tuswege  aan de geloovige geschonken.' Zoo is ook on-
             En  - met zijn eigen hart !                            der ens beweerd . . . . Zeker een heel under  idee  v&a
                                                                    hot  ambt  der  ouderlinge%  dan die van  Calvijn. Zij
           Elk kiest de rol, die hij vervult;                       heeft dan ook bij  ,de Gereformeerden geen  ingang  ge-
            . Costuums zijn niet heel dnur :                        vonden,   maar. wel bij de Lutherschen. (Heyns,  Iriyber-
           Het pakje, waar men zich in hult,-                       netiek, p. 114). The conviction cannot be escaped that
             Verwisselt vaak met  `t uur.                           the above comment was written in a state of ignorance
                                                                    respecting Calvin's` views on the matter in question,
           Geen,  die er tijd of plaats vergeet ! _                 and not only those of Calvin but those of the  Gerefor-
           E n - vraagt men bij geval                               meerden as well. For, as was before said, the views
           Hoe dat vermaak'lijk spel we1 beet ?                     we champion may be extracted from the  Forms for the
             Een groot . . . . gemaskerd bal !                      ordination of of&x-bearers. We wish to remark in
                                                                    passing that there is good enough reason why we call
           0, wilt ge voor uw hart wat vree,                        attention to the opposing views of  Hey-us. The reason
             Wat blijden  levenslust'-                              is that these views are not in agreement with truth  ;.
           Doe nooit dan aan dat spe1 tech mee!                     that the professor, nevertheless has, for many a year,
             `t Beneemt  u alle rust.                               been engaged in inculcating them upon his students ;
                                                                    that the seed sown took root and, as the history made
           De maskers af ! De maskers af !              _           by Classes Grand Rapids West and East show, bore
             Dra staan we in `t volle licht                         fruit; that, finally, these views are being defended and
           Aan de overiij van  `t donker graf                  .    lauded this day by such divines as Volbeda and G.
             Voor `t heilig Godsgericht.                            Hoeksema.


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          137

    Let us now proceed to another phase of our sub- to say the least, misleading. What is more, the state-
 ject. The view we present has another important side ment is in conflict with the topic sentence  which reads  :
 to it. Though an organ of the congregation the  office-        "Maar dit gezag van het ambt is niet een afha&&jk
 bearer is, nevertheless, as long as he holds  ofiice,          gezag . . . . " The point is that though the selection
 superior juridically to the congregation. The latter is makes mention of two kinds of gezag to-wit,  dit  gexag
 subordinate to him. To be sure, divested of his office, van het ambt and het gexag van Christus,  it asserts at
 the office-bearer is the equal of those ruled. The truth once that "Er in de kerk slechts een gezag is." One
 of the matter is that the particular office although of two, there is but one  gexag  in the church, and if so
 affixed,  so to say, to the body of the church, is never-      it will not do to speak of  het gexag  van het ambt. Or
 theless above it. This office, therefore, elevates him there is such a thing as het gezag van het ambt. But
 inducted into it to a position of superiority relative then it follows that there is more than one g&zag  in the
 the group supervised. That is to say, the right of rule church. The truth of the matter is that Scripture
 may not be thought of as adhering in the person of compels its earnest students to recognize two
 the office-holder (Roman Catholicism) but in the body such kinds of gezag. He maintaining the contrary
 ruled. Be this as it may, Holy Writ emphatically is, be it unwittingly, denying the peculiar office. How-
 asserts that the church has it rulers  - persons called ever, the thing to bear in mind is that het gezag van
 and capacitated by Christ to shepherd, lead, supervise, het ambt and het gexag  van Christus  constitute not a
: instruct, bless and comfort, as His authoritative am- duality but a unity. That is to say, the peculiar office
 bassadors, the brotherhood. Such, we saw, are the together with him inducted into it, is, in the absolute
 plain teachings of Scripture. "Let the elders that rule sense and in every conceivable respect the creation of
 well be counted worthy of double honor" (I Tim. 5 : 17).       Christ. He instituted this office, calls, qualifies and
 "Remember them that have the rule over you, who                inducts into it him selected to serve. The latter is re-
 have spoken unto you the Word of God.. . . " (Heb. sponsible to Christ, proclamates his Word and executes
 13 3). "Obey them that have the rule over you, and His mandates. He does so with gezag, that is, as an
 submit yourselves . . . . " (Heb. 13 :17).                     authoritative ambassador. `So it is and that of neces-
    It is evident that Holy Writ would have us think sity in that he (the office-bearer) is one called and sent
 of him vested with the peculiar office as one set over by Christ. Surely the right of rule and to preach is
 the church proclamating authoritatively the Word. given in the calling. It would be altogether proper, so,
 Hence, we could not subscribe to certain statements we are convinced, to speak of one Supreme  Authority
 occurring in the following selection. "Maar dit gezag in the church, to-wit, Christ who is the Creator, Source
 van het ambt is niet een onafhankelijk gezag, doch het and Institutor of all minor authorities. Less proper it
 is geboden aan Christus, wien alle macht gegeven is in is then to speak of but one authority. Certain it is,
 den hemel  en op aarde (Matth. 28 : 18)) die het hoofd however, that all authority is Christ's aIso that exer-
 is zijner gemeente (Ef.  1:22)  en die zelf ambten en cised by the- office-bearer.
 bedieningen heeft ingesteld  (Ef. 4 :ll) . Er is in de kerk       Further on in the paragraph the author literally
 slechts een gezag, en dat is het gezag van Christus. De asserts, or rather he lets the Second  Helvetic  Confes-
 regeering der kerk is monarchaal,  omdat Christus  is sion do so for him, that their are at least two kinds of
 het leven der gemeente, omdat Hij door den Vader is authorities in the church, namely, that of Christ and
 aangesteld tot Koning. Recht,  om te bevelen,  komt in that of the office. "Deze macht, zoo belijdt de Tweede
 de kerk  aan geen enkelen mensch toe. Er is in de kerk Helvetische confessie, behoudt de Heere voor  zichzel-
 geen ander souverein dan Christus. De gemeente heeft ven, en draagt Hij aan niemand anders over, zoodat
 maar een koning en wetgever, en naar het Woord des Hij vervolgens een`ledig toeschouwer is, terwijl zijne.
 Konings moet worden gepredikt en gehandeld, voor dat dienaars werken." "Want de regeering legt Hij niet
 Woord moet heel de gemeente buigen. Souvereine aan anderen op de schouders, maar Hij behoudt en ge-
 hoogheid in de kerk onder menschen te zoeken is  ont-          bruikt  tot nu toe zijne macht, doordat Hij alles regeert.
. kennen, dat  Jezus Koning is, of dat Hij nog inderdaad Eene andere macht is daarentegen die van het ambt, of
 macht op aarde rechtstreeks uitoefent. Om die reden de dienende macht, bepaald door Hem, die bet vol!e ge-
I is het ambt altoos dienend, en moet  bet uitvoeren, wat zag uitoefent."
 Christus  heeft verordend in zijn Woord" (Dr. H.                  This confession clearly distinguishes between bet
 Bouwman,  Gereformeerd Kerkrecht,  p. 347).                    gezag of the office and that of Christ. The  former-
     To be sure, with most of what` is asserted here we differs   from that of the latter. If so, the conviction
 agree. True it is that the authority peculiar to the           cannot be escaped that there are at least two kinds
 office is, as to its character, dependent, and we may of authorities in the church.
 adz derivative.      Certain it is that the church                Finally,  according to the author in question the
 knows of but one monarch or sovereign to-wit, Christ; proposition to the effect "dat er in de kerk slechts een
 that the Word proclamated by the office-bearer is that gezag is" yields the conclusion "dat om die reden het
 of this King. However, the assertion to the effectXtat         ambt altoos dienend is, en moet het uitvoeren, wat
 there is but one authority (gezag) in the church, is,          Christus heeft verordend in  zijn Woord." One  in-

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

variably asks if that is a correct presentation of the dische macht is de bevoegdheid,  om bepaalde kerkelijke
matter. That is to say, can it be that an office will diensten uit te oefenen. Zulk een macht  ontvangt
not serve its institutor in the event the latter aties           iemand door de kerkelijke zending,  en wordt iemand
to it authority? Fact is that the kings, princes and             geschonken door de beslissing van den paus of van den
magistrates governing the world, though holding an bisschop. De Catechismus  Romanus  zegt hiervan
office to which was affixed authority, are, nevertheless,        (p. 11) : `De kerkelijke macht is tweegrlei,  de wijdings-
and that according to Scripture, the ministers of God. macht en de juridische macht. De wijdingsmacht is
Rom. 13 :3, 4. The point is that authority and service betrekkelijk op het ware lichaam van  Christus den
are not mutually exclusive. In f?.ne,  gezug is one of the Heere in de hoogheilige  eucharistie.  De juridische
elements entering into the  make-`up of the peculiar macht evenwel bepaalt zich geheel tot het mystieke
office. This is plain enough. What is authority? The lichaam van Christus. Want zij beoogt het Christelijk
answer, given more than once in previous articles, is volk te regeeren en te besturen, en tot de hemelsche
ready: authority, in this case, is the Divinely conferred eeuwige zaligheid te  richten'  ~.(c.  II). `De potestas
right to rule, teach and bless. He inducted into the ordinis (wijdingsmacht) behelst niet alleen  de Yacht
peculiar office has this right in that, as was before en de macht om de  eucharistie  te wijden, maar zij be-.
said, he is one called, appointed and sent by Christ. reidt ook de zielen der menschen voor, om haar te ont-
He must be or he may not function. "How shall they vangen, en maakt hen geschikt en bevat ook alle ove-
call on him in whom they have not believed ? and how rige zaken, die op de een of andere wijze tot de eucha-
shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? ristie kunnen gerekend worden' (c. 12). De juridische
and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how macht is de grondslag van de kerkelijke machtsoefe-"
shall they preach,  except they be sent?"  (Ram.  10:            ning. Ofschoon de ordening of de wijding van een
14,15).                                                          geestelijke tot het ambt beslist noodig is, en zelfs als
       With a view to the unwarranted and misleading een sacrament wordt gerekend, is de uitoefening van
distinction usually made between  eMcal and  juridicnl           de macht geheel afhankelijk van de zending.  . . . Elk
authority, let us now face the question: what may be leerambt dat beoogt godsdienst of theologie te onder-
the  oharacter  of the authority attached to the peculiar wijzen;  vereischt een bisschoppelijke zending,  en dit
office? And the answer is ready: Its character is recht kan ten allen tijde den leeraar  ontnomen wor-
juridical by all means. Here again we seem to be at den" {Dr. H. Bouwman,  Gerefoymeerd   Kericrecht,
variance with the view presented by Prof. Dr. .  IX p. 346).
Bouwman (of Kampen, Netherlands) in his latest                      The above paragraph is important in that it sets
work. We present here his view. In doing so we at forth Rome's view respecting the church, the peculiar
once  place ourselves in a position to expose the errors office and the character of the power attached to it.
of Rome's conception of the matter at hand. We then Let us attend to this view and notice at once to what
quote :                                                          extent and in what respect it presents a departure from
'       "De macht van de kerk is geestelijk en zedelijk van the truth.
aard . . . .                                                        Rome asserts, and very  correctIy  so, that the church
        "De kerk is niet eene heilsinrichting, maar eene ge- as institution  must exhibit the kingdom idea. How-
meenschap der heiligen, in welke de Heilige  Geest               ever, Rome errs grievously in that it insists that when
woont  en  door welke  Christus mede zijn koningsmacht Christ returned to heaven He appointed the pope, in
op aarde openbaart.                                              whom He deposited His power, to take His place on
        "Dit laatste-heeft de Roomsch-katholieke kerk recht earth in His church to rule in His stead. In a former
verstaan, maar zij heeft de grenzen van het der kerk article we remarked that Christ together with His
toegewezen gebied  over&n-eden,  en het natuurlijk people constitute a kingdom of which Christ is king
leven geknecht onder de macht van de kerk . . . . Zoo as head, and that the kind of an institution in which
overschreed de macht in de Roomschetkerk  de grenzen a community of believers shall project themselves must
van het geestelijk en zedelijk terrein, kreeg weldra een be such as will exhibit that also of the church on earth
juridisch karakter, en wilde haar recht  doen  gelden op not the pope - a mere man  - but Christ is the
elk levensgebied.  _ Daartoe onderscheid de Roomsche Supreme Monarch. He is this in that He is at once
kerk tusschen twee zijden van de kerkelijke macht,, the omnipresent and the omnipotent God dwelling in
waarvan de eene werkt op het gebied van het inwen- His church as well as in the heart of the believer whom
dige (potestas ordinis of sacramentalis) en de andere He rules by His Spirit and His Word, and creating,
     (potestas jurisdictionis) op het gebied van het  inwen-     calling, appointing, sustaining and qualifying His
dige leven. De potestas ordinis of the wijdingsmacht             organs set by Him in the church as His under-shep-
wordt aan een priester door de kerkelijke wijding of herds. No one can take Christ's place for He is very
de ordening, waardoor iemand priester wordt,  overge-            God ; in Him all things and in particular the office-
     dragen  en stelt hem in staat bepaalde kerkelijke  han- bearer including the pope, move, live and have their
delingen te verrichten, de sacramenten te bedienen en being.
     te  leeren, enz. De potestas jurisdictionis of the juri-        Rome further knows of two kinds of power, to-wit,


                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          139

juridical and the so-called wijdingsmacht. This latter                                    VRAGFN
term (wijdingsmacht) is, in a sense, the signification
of a real and important enough matter. It was coined                    Broeder D. de B. van Byron Center,  Mich., schrijft
and made to signify the spiritual gifts or qualifications ons, dat hij met eenige broeders een gesprek gehad
necessary for the proper performance  of the duties heeft, dat het gesprek liep over den rijken jongeling,
constituting the particular office. To be sure, he dat ze het over dit onderwerp niet eens konden worden,
selected must be qualified for the office which calls for daar sommige broeders dachten,  dat de rijke jongeling
a, Spirit-filled man. So Scripture has it. Said Paul:                een uitverkoren vat was, die later toegebracht werd en
"Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven dat hij, broeder De B., gaarne  heeft dat THE STAND-
men of honest report, -full of the Holy Ghost and wis- ARD BEARER hen uit den droom wil helpen en licht ver-
dom, whom we may appoint over this business (of spreiden over deze zaak.
serving tables) " (Acts 6 :3). Rome errs, however, in                A N T W O O R D .
that it avers that these gifts are conferred upon the
candidate by the officiating bishop, whose very person                  Wij schreven aangaande deze zaak vroeger eens :
is thought of as a channel of grace. Apart from him                     "Wat eindelijk nog te zeggen van den rijken jonge-
it is taught, there can be no capacitation for office. ling, dien Jezus aanzag en beminde? We zouden het
He alone has the authority to dispense the needed qual- der moeite niet  waard  a&en, om hier een  speciaal
ifications.      Scripture, however, knows of no such woord aan te wijden, ware het niet, dat deze plaats zoo
channel. Christ qualifies His chosen organs by His dikwijls wordt aangehaald  als een bewijs voor de ge-
S p i r i t   d i r e c t l y .                                      meene  gratie. En tech zit er zulk een bewijs in deze
    As to juridical authority, it does indeed enter into plaats ganschelijk niet. In de eerste plaats omdat er
the make-up of the particular. office. According to niets gemeens is in dit voorval. Wet betreft een enkelen
Scripture, this power was atllxed  to the body of the jongeling. Hoe de  ,Heiland  kon donderen tegen de
church to be exercised by him inducted in office. ,4c- goddeloozen als zoodanig moogt ge lezen in Mattheus
cording to Rome, however, it was conferred upon the 23. Velerlei verklaring kan dan 6ok gegeven worden
pope and superimposed in him upon the church.                        van dit beminnen van den Heiland in betrekking tot
    According to Scripture the church shall exercise den rijken jongeling. In de eerste plaats last het zich
this power within the confines of its own domain - the verklaren,  dat de Heiland, zelf uit Israel  naar het
institution. Rome, in its pope, asserts itself as .the vleesch, dezen Israeliet, die naar het uitwendige in de
infallible authority in every department of life.                    paden des verbonds had gewandeld, als zoodanig be-
    In Holy Writ this authority is described as a right minde. Maar het wil ons nog altijd voorkomen, dat er
to function as a ruler in the church as institution and we1 degelijk eene andere verklaring mogelijk is van
to proclamate  to its members as the agent of Christ .dezen  rijken jongeling. Allereerst dienen we niet te
the Word He spoke by the mouth of the prophets and                   vergeten, dat deze jongeling, niet om te verzoeken,
 the apostles. According to Rome it is the pope's right maar in  allen  ernst der ziel tot Jezus komt met de
 to assert himself as lord supreme  in. all the world, to vraag om het eeuwige leven op de  lippen en in het
 impose his very own word upon all men and to project hart. In de tweede plaats gaat de' jongeling op dat
 it into their secular affairs. The word of the pope is oogenblik we1 niet het koninkrijk der hemelen in, maar
 placed in a-class with that of Christ.                              gaat .hij tech bedroefd weg. In de derde plaats geeft
                                                   G. M. 0.          Jezus een verklaring van dit geval als Hij  `eerst  tegen
                                                                     Zijne jongeren  zegt,   dat het  bezwaarlijk,  moeilijk is
                                                                     voor een rijke om in te gaan in het  Koninkrijk  der
                 LEZING  - DS. H. HOEKSEMA                           hemelen. Zoo moeilijk,  dat het  lichter is voor een
                                                                     kernel om te gaan door het oog van een  naald, Maar als
 Qnderwerp  : "De Vier Wereldrijken naar Daniel VII." de discipelen hierover verbaasd staan, zegt de Heiland,
                    Donder'dag, 20 December                          dat  wat niet bij de menschen mogelijk is,  tech  we1
               In de Fuller Ave. Prot. Ref. Church                   mogelijk is bij God. Als we dit alles in  verband  met
                                             Hollandsche  taal        elkander nemen, en we lezen dan nog eens weer, dat
                                                                      Jezus dezen jongeling beminde, zijn we geneigd, om die
                                                                      verklaring als de onze te nemen, die wil, dat deze
                         IN MEMORIAM                                 jongeling later teruggekeerd is, en het eeuwige leven,
    The Talitha  Societ of the First Protestant Reformed Church       waarom hij vroeg, deelachtig geworden is door het
 at Grand Rapids, Ml-cl., mourns  the loss of one of its members,     wonder van Gods genade. De kemel ging dan door het
                     MISS THERESA BUITEN,                             oog van den naald, en niet onmogelijk is het, dat wij
 whom the Lord took unto Himself Nov. 18, 1928, after a short
 illness, at the age of  18 years.                                    dezen jongeling later weervinden in een Jozef van
    We     ray that the God of mercy  mky  richly comfort the         Arimathea. In elk geval, eenig bewijs voor een  ge-
 bereave% family, and that we may learn to number our days
 that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.                            meene gratie over verworpenen is hier zeker niet."
                                      Christine Kuiper, Pres.            Zoo schreven we in Lavgs Zuivere  Banen, p. 49. 50.
                                      Hilda  Pastoor,  Secy.


