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

en alle  dingen  zullen nieuw  gemaakt   worden.  En de highest families of the priesthood among them, erected
tabernakel Gods zal bij de menscben  zijn. Gods Ver-            a rival temple on Mount Gerizim, and set up there a
bond zal zijn verwezenlijkt  in hemelsche heerlijkheid ritual of worship in accordance with the Mosaic insti-
en het gebouw van Zijne gunstbewijzen  zal eeuwiglijk           tute.    Their history from this time to the time of
schitteren in nooit  gekenden  glans.                           Christ is a very checkered one. Their territory was
                                                  H. II.        invaded by John Hyrcanus, one of the families of the
                                                                Maccabees, who plundered their capital, and razing
                                                                the stately temple on Mount Gerizim from its founda-
                                                                tions, left it a heap of ruins, so that when Jesus passed
              THE SAMARITAN  WOlMAN                             that way, an altar reared on these ruins was all that
                                                                Gerizim could boast.
   Forseeing the peril to which He might be exposed,               Notwithstanding all these vicissitudes, and all the
Jesus, "when He knew how the Pharisees had heard harsh hostilities to which they were exposed, the Sam-
`that He made and baptized more disciples then John, aritans became purer and purer in their faith till all
left  Judea  and departed again unto Galilee." His              relics of their Medo-Persian idolatries had disap-
nearest and most direct route lay through the central peared. They received, as of Divine authority, the five
district of Samaria. This district was inhabited by a books of Moses, the Pentateuch, but they rejected all
people of a foreign origin, and with a somewhat curi- the books of history and prophecies which followed, and
ous history. When the king of Assyria carried the which were full, as the Jews believed, of intimations
ten tribes into captivity, it is said that, in order to  nil    of the future subjection of the whole world of Israel-
the void which their exile created, he brought "men itish sway, and the establishment of Jerusalem, as the
from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and central place of worship, and the seat of universal
from'Hamath,  and from Sepharvaim, and placed them empire.
in the cities of  Samaria  instead of the children of              But though the Jews despised the Samaritans as a
Israel ; and they possessed Samaria  and dwelt in the people of mixed origin and a mutilated faith, and the
cities thereof" (II Kings  1'7:24).  These certainly Samaritans repaid the contempt, we are not to think
were idolators, worshippers of strange divinities, and that the two communities lived so much apart that
brought with them their old faiths to the new home.             there was no  trafhc  or intercourse between them.
Shortly after their settlement, a frightful plague vis- There was little or no interchange of kindly or social
ited them, and it occurred to themselves, or was sug- feeling; but it was quite within the limits of the com-
gested by the  neighboring.Israeli&s,  that it had fallen mon usage for the disciples to go into a Samaritan
upon them because of their not worshipping the old town, to buy bread for themselves and their Master by
divinity of the place. In their alarm they sent an em- the way.
bassay to their monarch, who, either humoring or shar-             Their morning's walk had carried Jesus and His
ing their fears, sent one of the captive Jewish priests disciples across or along the plain of Mukhna to the
to instruct them in the Israelitish faith. This faith entrance of that narrow valley which lies between
they at once accepted and professed, combining it with Mounts Ebel and Gerizim. Here, upon a spur of the
their old idolatries : "They feared the Lord," we are latter height, which runs out into the plain, was Jacob's
told, "and served their graven images" (II Kings 17:            well, - the town of Sychar, the ancient Shechem, ly-
33). Gradually, however, they were weaned from their ing about a mile and a half away, up in the valley, at
ancient superstitions When, under the decree of the base of Gerizim. It was the sixth hour.  - our
Cyrus, the captives of Judah and  Benjamin,,returning           twelve o'clock - and the Syrian sun glared hotly upon
from Babylon, set about rebuilding the temple at Jeru- the travelers. Wearied with the heat of the day and
salem, the Samaritans proposed to `join them in their the toil of the morning, Jesus sat down by the well-
work. The proposal was rejected, and that rejection side while His disciples went on to Sychar to make
was the first of a long series of disputes. A fresh their necessary purchases. As Jesus is sitting by the
ground of offence  arose when Manasseh, a grandson well alone, a woman of Samaria  approached. He fixed
of one, and brother of another high priest, had, con-           His eye upon her as she comes near; watches her as
trary to the laws and customs of the Jews, married a she proceeds to draw the water, waiting till the full
daughter of Sanballat, the governor of the province of pitcher is upon the well-mouth, and then says to her,
Samaria.  Called upon to renounce this alliance and             "Give me to drink." He is a Jew; she knows it by
repudiate his wife, Manasseh, rather than do so, fled           His dress and speech. Yet, as one willing to be in-
from Jerusalem, and put himself under the protection debted to her, He asks a favo.r  at her hands ; a favor
of his father-in-law. A  bonsiderable  number of Jews           for which, if His looks do not belie Him, He will be
who were dissatisfied with the great strictness with grateful. Not as one unwilling to grant the favor, but
which  Nehemiah was administering affairs at Jerusa- surprised at its being asked, her answer is: "How is
lem, followed him. The Samaritans, thus strengthened it that thou, being a Jew, asketh drink of me, who
in numbers, and having now a member of one of the               am a woman of Samaria?" He will answer this  ques-


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                      393

  tion, but not in the way that she expects. The manner as having some great benefit in His hand which He is
  of the dispensation of the great gift He came from not unwilling to bestow. Through a figurative descrip-
  heaven to bestow stands embodied in the words : "Thou tion of what this benefit is, He will not carry her at
  wouldst have asked, and I would have given thee the present. Abruptly breaking the conversation off at
  living water."  f                                         this point, He says to her: "Go, call thy husband, and
     The woman had taken Him to be a common Jew,            come hither." With great frankness she says, "I have
  an ordinary wayfarer, whom thirst and the fatigue of no husband." Jesus said to her, "Thou hast well said,
  travel have overcome, forcing Him unwillingly per- thou hast no husband, for thou hast had five husbands,
  haps to ask for water to drink. He will fix her atten- and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband ; in
  tion upon Himself; He will stir up .her feminine curi- that saidst thou truly." In the past domestic history
  osity by telling that He who asks has something on His of this woman there had been much that was peculiar,
  part to give ; that if she only knew who He was, and      though up to the last connection she had formed there
 what that living water was which He had at command,        may not have been anything that was sinful. Christ's
  instead of stopping to inquire why He had asked water     object, however, was not so much to convict her of by-
  of her, she would be asking it of Him, and what she gone or existing guilt, as to convince her that He was
  asked He without question would have given. Living in full possession of all the secrets of her past life, and
  water! - better water than that which she has in her so to create within her a belief in His more than
  pitcher. Could it be by going deeper down, and get- human insight. Not so much as one  overwelmed  with
  ting nearer to the bubbling spring beneath, that He       a sense of shame, but rather as one surprised into a
  could get such water, or was it water of superior qual- new belief as to the character and the capabilities of
  ity from some other well than this of Jacob. Sir, ,she the stranger who addresses her, she replies, "Sir, I
  says, addressing Him with awakening interest and an perceive that thou art a prophet." If she had been a
  increasing respect: "Sir," she says in her ignorance woman of an utterly abandoned character, whose whole
  and confusion, "thou hast nothing to draw with, and bygone life had been one series of flagrant offences,
  the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that liv- whose conscience, long seared with iniquity, Christ
  ing water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, was now trying to quicken, - very curious would it
  who gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and appear that so soon as the quickening came, waiving all
  his children, and his cattle." Her thoughts are wan- questions about her own character, she should so in-
  dering away back to the first drinkers of this well, stantly have put the question about the true place of
  when its waters first burst out in their freshness, religious worship, whether here at Gerizim, or there
  imagining that it must be of them, or of the water of at Jerusalem.
  some other neighboring well, that this stranger had          There may have been an attempt to ward off con-
  been speaking. Again, waiving as before all direct viction, and to turn aside the hand of the convincer,
  reply to her question, Jesus, with increased solemnity by raising questions about places and forms of wor-'
  says : "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst ship; but I cannot think, had this been the spirit and
  again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I motive of the woman's inquiries, that Jesus would
  shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I have dealt with them as He did ; for, treating them
, shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing evidently as the earnest .inquiries  of one wishing to
  up into everlasting life." It is not this water, then ; be instructed, assuming all the dignity of that office
  it is no common water; it is water that this man alone which  had been attributed to Him, He says to her:
  can give ; water which is not to be taken in draughts,    "Woman, believe me, the hour cometh - (I speak as
  with which you may quench your thirst now, and then one before whose eye the whole history of the future
  wait till the thirst comes back again ere another stands revealed, the hour cometh, - I came Myself
  draught be taken ; but water of which a man should into the worId  to bring it on) - when ye shaI1 neither
  constantly be drinking, and if he did so would be con- in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem worship the
  stantly satisfied, so that there would be no recurring Father. Ye worship, ye know not what: we know
  intervals of desire and gratification,  - this water as what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But
  received turning into a well within the man himself, the hour cometh and now is, when the true worship-
  springing up unto everlasting life. Beginning to un- pers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth:
  derstand a little, seeing this at least, that it was of for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is
  some element altogether different from any water that a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him
  she had ever tasted, yet still clinging to the notion in spirit and in truth." "Woman believe me, the hour
  that it must be some kind of material water that He       cometh, stripped of all the restraints that have hither-
  means, - she says: "Sir, give me this water, that I to confined it to a single peopIe,  a single country, a
  thirst not, neither come hither to draw."                 singIe city ; reheved  of all the supports that were re-
   One part of Christ's object has now  been   gained   ; quired by it in its weak and tottering childhood, -
  He has awakened not an idle, but a very eager curi- the spirit of a true piety shall be made to go forth in
  osity; He has forced the woman's attention on Himself freedom over the globe and, laying hold on those  fore-


i
i: 394                                     THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

       known before the foundations of the earth, render interest which Jesus took in each ; the singular care He
       such the true worshippers of the Father." The new- bestowed in testing and bringing out to view the sim-
       ness, the breadth, the sublimity, if not also the truth plicity and strength of the desire towards Him, that
       of His teaching, at once suggested to the mind of the were displayed; the fullness of the revelation of Him-
       listener the thought of that Messiah for whom every self that He made, and of that satisfaction and delight
       Samaritan and Jew alike were looking. I know, she with which He contemplated the issue. It was the
       said, that Messiah  cometh. When He is come He will great and good Shepherd, stretching out His hand
       tell us all things. Jesus saith to her:  "X that speak to across the fence, and gathering in a lamb or two from
       thee am He."                                             the outfields, in token of the truth that there were
          Why was it that that which He so Iong and other sheep which were out of the Jewish fold, whom
      studiously concealed from the Jewish people, that which alsa He was in due  time to bring in, so that there
       He so strictly enjoined His disciples not to make should be one fold and one Shepherd.
       known unto them, was thus so simply, clearly and             Our idea, that it was the circumstance,  - her Sam-
       directly told? In the woman herself to whom the aritan nationality,  - which lent such interest, in our
       wonderful revelation was made, there may have been Saviour's own regard, to His interview with this
       much to draw it forth. The gentle surprise with which woman by the well-side, is confirmed by casting a
       she meets the request of the Jewish stranger; the ex- glance at the result. Jesus at their entreaty turned
       pression of respect she uses as soon as He begins to aside, and abode two days with the Sycharites. You
       speak of God, and some gift of His she might enjoy;       read of no sign of wonder wrought, no miracle per-
     , her guileless confession when once she found she was formed, save that miracle of knowledge which won the
       actually in a prophet's presence ; her instant readiness woman's faith. Though no part of it is recorded, His
       to believe that Jew though He was - apparently of no teachings for those few days in Sychar was, in its gen-
       note or mark among His brethren  - He was yet a eral character, like to `His teachings by the  well-
       prophet ; her eager questions about the most acceptable mouth, and on the ground alone of the truthfulness,
       way of worshipping the Most High; the quick occur- the simplicity, the purity, the spirituality, and the
       rence of the coming Messiah to her thoughts ; the full, sublimity of that teaching, many believed on Him, de-
       confiding faith, that she once reposed in Him when He claring they knew this was indeed the Christ, the
       said, I that speak to thee am He: her forgetfulness of Saviour of the worId.
       her individual errand to the well; her Ieaving her           The phrase is so familiar to the Christian ear, that
       pitcher there behind her; her running into the city to we may fail to mark its singularity as coming from the
       call all the men of Sychar, saying, Come, see a man lips of those rude Samaritans. No Saviour this for
       who told me all things  I ever did, is not this the Jew alone, or Samaritan alone ; for any one age or
       Christ ?---all conspire to convince us that, sinful though country. Not His the work of delivering from mere
       she was, she was hungering and thirsting after righte- outward thralldom, to establish either in Jerusalem or
       ousness. waiting for the consolation of Israel, we trust elsewhere any temporal kingdom: His the wider and
       prepared to hail the Saviour when He stood revealed. more glorious office to emancipate the human spirit,
          But besides her individual character, there was also and be its guide to the Father of the spirit of all flesh.
       the circumstance that she was a Samaritan. It is the The notions which these simple villagers had of the
       first time that Jesus comes into close, private, per- Messiah, they derived from the Pentateuch alone, the
       sonal contact with one who is not of the seed of Israel ; five books of Moses. When you turn to these books
       for though she claimed Jacob as her father, neither and look at the prophecies of Christ which they con-
       this woman nor any of the tribe she belonged to, were tain, you will find that the two things about Him to
       of Jewish descent. "I am not come," said Jesus, after- which they point, - that He should be a prophet sent
       wards  defining  the general boundaries of His personal from God, and that His office should have respect to
       ministry, "but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." all mankind, that to Him should the gathering of the
       When He sent out the seventy, His instructions to people be, and that in Him should all the families of
       them were: "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and the earth be blessed, - were the very two things that
       into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not." And the faith of these Samaritans embraced when they
       yet there were a few occasions, and this is the first of said, "We know that this is indeed the Christ, the
       them, in which Christ broke through the restraints Saviour of the zvo~ld.)~
       under which it pleased Him ordinarily to act.  1  be-        The conversation by the well, the two fruitful days
       Iieve there are just four instances of this kind recorded at Sychar, what is the general lesson they convey?
       in the Saviour's life: that of the woman of  Samaria, of That Christ is ready to pour glad tidings into every
       the Roman Centurian, of the Canaanitish woman, of open listening ear; that He has living  .waters  with
       the Greeks who came up to Jerusalem. All these were which He delights to quench the thirst of every thirst-
       instances of our Lord's dealings with those who stood ing soul; that to  ail who truly seek Him, He drops
       without the pale of Judaism, and as we come upon          disguise, and says, "Behold, even I that speak unto
       them in the narrative, we are struck with the singular you am He"; that hearts and minds longing after a


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       395

revelation of the Father, receive from Him the revela- year also to sluggish inaction. Persius sneers at the
tion longed for. Had you but stood by Jacob's well,         voiceless prayers, and the Sabbaths of the circumcised.
and seen the look of Jesus, and listened to the tones of When, it may be asked, this antipathy to Jewish sacred
His voice ; or had you been in Sychar during those two      days? These writers were familiar with seasons of
bright and happy days, hearing the instruction so rest and worship as observed by their own countrymen
freely given, so gratefully received, you would have in a manner not unlike those of the Jews. Plato ex-
had the evidence of sense to tell you with what abound- tols festivals as a gift of the `gods as a relief of toil-
ing joy to all who are waiting, Jesus breaks the bread doomed man. Cicero, though he stigmatizes the reli-
and pours out the water of everlasting life. Multi- gion of the Jews as abhorrent from the ancestral ordi-
plied a thousandfold is the evidence to the same effect nances of Rome, commends festival days. And Seneca,
now offered to the eye and ear of faith. Still from the while he sees nothing but damage and loss of time in
lips of the Saviour of the world, over all the world the the Sabbaths of Moses, applauds the holidays of heath-
words are sounding forth: "If any man thirst, let him endom as the wise appointments of legislators, for the
come to Me and drink." Still the manner of His dis- necessary attempering of human labor. The reason,
pensation of the great gift stands embodied in the therefore, of dislike to the former must be sought for
words : "Thou wouldst  have asked, and I would have in prejudice, not in calm consideration and rational
given thee the living water." And still these other conviction. The sanctity and unworldliness which are
voices are heard catching up and re-echoing our Lord's repulsive to human depravity now, were equally ob-
own gracious call: "And the Spirit and the bride say,       noxious then. It s true that some of the heathen, sur-
Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let mounting this obstacle, embraced Judaism, and that
him that is athirst  come. And whosoever will, let him many of the Jews had spread themselves over the Em-
take the water of life freely."                             pire, and had been admitted to the privileges of citi-
                                           G. M. 0.         zenship. But the prevalence of the system and its
                                                            friends only served to exasperate the aversion of others
                                                            into a great bitterness of feeling.
                                                                                                       G. M. 0.
            PAGAN'S ENMITY AGAINST
                   THE SABBATH
   While kindred observances are discovered in pagan                     ANTWOORD VAN MARNIK
countries from the remotest times, it appears from a           Wij ontvingen in  De  Groninger   Kerkbode  het vol-
few scattered notices in history, that the true Sabbath,
as observed by the Patriarchs and the Jews,~was  the gende antwoord van Marnix,  dat we hier in zijn geheel
                                                            plaatsen, omdat we eenige nummers terug hem ook in
object of bitter and even most violent hostility to those een open brief aanvielen op een zijner brieven in bo-
heathen men who were brought into intercourse with vengenoemd blad.
its friends. In Cain and Faraoh, we see types  - the
one of a class who deliberately abandon scenes and Amice fmter!
seasons of worship uncongenial to their hearts, and so          Een enkele maal  ontvang ik een brief uit do Ver-
leave to their descendants a legacy of atheism and          eenigde Staten van Amerika, waaruit mij blijkt, dat
moral death ; the other, of persons in power who refuse daar nog altijd belangstellende lezers wonen  van De
to their subjects or servants the rest from labor de- G+roningcr   Kwkbode.   Dat doet mij zeer veel  genoe-
manded by the necessities of body and soul. The anti- gen. Eenigen tijd  geleden was het een brief met niets
Sabbatic spirit comes out subsequently in the conduct dan instemming.            Thans kwam er een particulier
of the Babylonian "adversaries of  aerusalem"  who not schrijven uit Grand Rapids, dat ik mij voornam ook
only mocked at her Sabbaths, but compelled her people particulier  te beantwoorden, hoe slechte briefschrijver
to labor without  any rest. And in the cruel edict of ik ook ben. Een in de week voor u is mij al meer dan
Antiochus Epiphanes, who proclaimed the keeping of genoeg. De strikt particuliere moeten gewoonlijk wor-
their Sabbath to be a capital offence. A similar feel- den afgewerkt, als al het andere werk is verricht en
ing is betrayed in another form by the Greek and            dan is men  we1 eens moe. - Maar nu werd mij even
Roman writers at various times. Ovid brands the Sab- later een "open brief" - zal ik nu maar zeggen, - toe-
bath as foreign and as unsuited for business, and iit to gezonden. Daar kwam een kloek theologisch  tijd-
be ranked with seasons of calamity and gloom. Ac- schrift: The Standard Bearer - een tijdschrift, dat er
cording to Augustine, Seneca, in eensuring the rites of wezen mag, want dit moet gezegd, men weet in Ame-
Judaism charges its Sabbaths in particular with caus- rika van aanpakken en men durft wat aan ook. En in
ing the neglect and obstruction of urgent affairs, and dat tijdschrift vond ik een omhaald artikel aan Mar-
dooming to idleness and waste the seventh part of life. nix van Groningen.
 Tacitus  affirms that the Jews so enjoyed the repose           Ik moet zeggen, dat het zeer vriendelijk was. En
 from labor which every seventh day afforded as to be dit waardeer ik temeer omdat de schrijver meende
Ied by the caresses of idleness to give up every seventh reden te hebben verstoord op mij te zijn.


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                 397

zelfs geen bespreking der  dingen,  die ons, welk  stand-    hebben dat gedaan. Wij hebben ook getracht een
punt we ook mogen innemen, tech zeker allen ter harte andere beschouwing er voor in de plaats te geven. Kan
gaan, kan plaats hebben, dan staat het er treurig bij.       daar nu niet over worden  gesproken? Is het dan zoo
Dan kunnen we ook nooit verder komen. En tech dit in Nederland, dat wat Kuyper geschreven heeft aan
laatste moeten  we, willen we ook, als we de Gerefor-        eritiek  noch revisie mag  worden  onderworpen? Wat
meerde waarheid liefhebben. Willen  we dat niet meer, is er nu in dat werk over De GerrLeene Gn~tie,  dat zoo
dan vervallen we in een dood en koud conservatisme.          machtig is? Wij hebben het gelezen en weer gelezen
Daarom lokken we gaarne bespreking der dingen uit. en ten slotte aan onze critiek onderworpen. En, eer-
Hoe hoog we ook de theologen der Nederlandsche  Gere-        lijk gezegd, ook het machtige en geniale van dat werk
formeerde Kerken der laatste halve eeuw achten, wij          van Kuyper hebben we niet kunnen zien. Maar dit nu
kunnen niet het standpunt aanvaarden, dat zij het  laat-     daargelaten, kunnen we werkelijk niet eens over die
ste woord gezegd hebben over de Gereformeerde  waar-         theorie spreken en schrijven? Ten onzent heeft men
heid en evenmin, dat ze op sommige punten  niet heb-         het niet aangedurfd. Men heeft ons de Chr. Geref.
hen misgetast. Daarom meenen wij ook hun werk nooit Kerk uitgeworpen, zonder zelfs een kans te geven ons
anders dan critisch te mogen aanvaarden, om dan zelf te verdedigen of ooit een  lans met ons te breken. En
voort te bouwen naar Gereformeerd bestek. Wij zijn in den laatsten tijd ontwikkelt men in die kerken  let-
dan ook reeds dankbaar, dat we zelfs een antwoord            terlijk niets meer. Moet het dan zoo?
ontvingen in De Gronhger  h'erkborle.  Moge het niet            Please, bespreek die dingen eens met ons. Ge zegt
het eenigste zijn.                                           dat ge uzelf daartoe niet bepaald geroepen  acht en de
    Ten tweede gelooven we gaarne van Marnix,  dat           hulp der theologen zult moeten inroepen. Wel, maar
hij met het beeld van den dronken boer niet bedoelde doe dat dan. Beweeg eens wat predikanten om die
ons te grieven. Wij trokken het ons dan ook niet  per-       zaak eens eerlijk en openhartig met ons te bespreken.
soonlijk   aan. Maar  we1 verstonden we, dat  Marnix Dat zou vruchten kunnen afwerpen. En gevaar steekt
eenvoudig bedoelde te zeggen, dat wij door  reactie ook er zeker niet in.
weer eenzijdig waren  geworden en de lijn der waar-                                                               H. H.
heid in dien zin verloren hadden. En dat juist wilden
we ontkennen. Wij  wilden  juist, dat  Marnix de  din-
gen eens onderzocht eer bij tot een oordeelvelling over-
ging over 011s. Daartoe boden we hem aan en bieden
we hem nog  aan, om hem al hetgeen we over de zaak                      THE ANTEDILUVIAN WORLD
ten beste gaven toe te zenden, mits hij er belang  in
stelt.                                                                           And God saw that the wickedness of man
                                                                              was great  in the earth and that every imag-
    Ten. derde zijn we dankbaar voor het waardeerend                           ination of the thought of his heart was only
oordeel, dat Marnix uitspreekt over den inhoud van                            evil continually . . . . And the Lord said.
                                                                              I will destroy man whom I have created
ons blad, in weerwil van het feit, dat hij meent van ons                      from the face of the earth.- 
te  moeten verschillen  op het stuk der Gemeene Gratie.                                                        Gen. G:LXn.
Het .is we1 eens aardig te vernemen  wat indruk ons             Apparently the exponents of the theory of common
blad maakt bij lezers, die er over kunnen oordeelen.         grace may marshal the above selection to the defense of
:Hier hooren we er zeer weinig van, vooral van de zijde the proposition to the effect that natural man's heart is
der Christelijke Gereformeerde kerkleiders.          Men not a haven of exclusively evil imaginations and pur-
schijnt zelfs bevreesd te zijn ons blad te noemen, of- poses. For as man's wholIy evil imagination was `re-
schoon we met zekerheid weten,  dat het we1 gelezen lated to the flood as cause and effect, and whereas the
wordt. Destemeer zijn we dankbaar, dat er uit Neder-         deluge was an event occurring some two thousand
land een oordee1 over de S. B. tot ons kwam en dat dit years after the fall, the  concluson  seemingly cannot be
zoo gunstig uitviel.                                         escaped that previous to the above-cited divine observa-
    Eindelijk zijn we  tech teleurgesteld, omdat  Marnix tion the imaginations of the thought of man's heart
op het eigenlijke punt niet wil ingaan. Het gaat over was not wholly wicked but at least in part good. Fact
de Gemeene Gratie. Daarover ging het in den brief is, however, that a conclusion of this kind is unwar-
van  Marnix, waarop wij de vorige  maal ingingen. ranted as is evident from the divine appraisal of man-
Daarover gaat het nog. En nu schrijft Marnix feite- kind after the flood. It again reads: "For the imagin-
lijk, dat hij daarover niet met ons wil correspondeeren. ations of man's heart is evil from youth" (Gen. 8 :
Zelfs krijgen we weer dat welbekende einde van alle 21b). Some commentators intimate that of t+he two
tegenspreken: Als  Kuyper's Gcmeene  Gratie u niet scriptures  -Gen. 6 5, 6 and Gen. 8 :21b - the latter
overtuigen kan, dan, nu ja, dan is het hopeloos! Maar is a less severe description of man's depravity. Says
daarover gaat het juist! Ret is juist onze overtuiging, Lang: "Moreover it is called here (Gen. 21b) simply
dat Dr. Kuyper in  De  Gemeene   Gratie is afgeweken the involuntary unconscious sense and imaginations,
van de Gereformeerde Ievensbeschouwing en dat,  zul- but there (Gen. 6  :6) it was the imagination of the
len we ooit in zuiver Gereformeerde lijn verder komen, thoughts of his heart, and therefore a matter of con-
die gemeene genade-leer dient te worden  herzien. Wij sciousness ; here it is wickedness throughout. nothing

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

     else but wickedness, wickedness throughout and con- apply to this race at the outset of its career. The term
     tinually."                                                   mm2   in the phrase wickedness  of  men  signifies the en-
            it seems to us, however, that the two scriptures in tire race in its organic capacity. The wickedness of
     question. permit a more simple and direct  interpretn-       this race was great in the earth - great in more than
     tion. Both passages assert the total depravity of man one respect. It was great as to the degree of its in-
     with this difference that Gen. 6 :6 is a statement to the    tensity, as to its scope, as to its diversity and as to
     effect that the sin of the antediluvian race had as- its quantity. Great `was sin as to the degree of its
     sumed enormous proportions, while Gen.  8:2lb defines intensity. As this race advanced in years its defiance
     sin as a hereditary disease, the seeds of which lie deep,    of heaven and its abhorrence of things holy became
     away back in infancy.                                        more pronounced and severe. This phase of the mat-
            That Gen. 8:21b is, as well as Gen. 6:6, is a de- ter was dealt with in a previous article. `Having mur-
     scription of the total depravity of man was also the dered his brother, Cain, instead of showing repentance,
     conviction of Calvin. His commentary on this verse went out from the presence of the Lord to take up his
     reads in part as follows: "And it is not to be doubted, residence in a region far removed from the society of
     that the Lord declares the very mind of man to be de- the saints and of the emblems of God's mercy. No-
     praved, and altogether infected with sin ; so that all where do we read of him again bringing of the fruit of
     the thoughts which proceeds thence are evil., If such the ground as an offering to the Lord. He has done
     be the defect in the fountain itself, it follows, that all with God and His people. As soon as he discovers
     man's effections are evil, and his works covered with that God refused to condescend to his sinful level, he
     the same pollution, since of necessity they must savour      leaves. He and his-posterity now will show God that
I    of their original. For God does not merely say that          they can do very well without Him, that they are suf-
     men sometimes think evil; but the language is unlim- ficient unto themselves. The high point of defiance is
     ited, comprising the tree with its fruit. Nor is it any reached by Lamech who as his "Ode to the Sword" in-
     proof to the contrary, that carnal and profane men dicates, trampled under foot, as seemed good to him,
     often excel in generosity of disposition, undertake de- the authority of heaven and the rights of men and by
     signs apparently honorable, and put forth certain evi- deeds of violence attempted to bring heaven and earth
     dences of virtue. For since their mind is corrupted alike under his sway.
     with contempt for God, with pride, self-love, ambition,         As was before said, the prophetic labors of such
     hypocrisy and fraud; it cannot be but that all their outstanding figures as Enoch and Noah, through whom
     thoughts are contaminated with the same vices. Again, the Spirit strove with man, awakened in the hearts of
     they cannot tend toward a right end: whence. it hap- the disobedient a fierce resentment. Instead of .falling
     pens that they are judged to be what they really are, in with God's Yes they placed over against it their No,
     crooked and perverse.       For all things in such men and loved and lived their lie. To these scoffers the
     which please us under the colour of virtue, are like word was a savor of death unto death, the defiance of
     wine spoiIed by the odour of the cask. For the very this race became more pronounced as the speech of
     effections of nature, which in themselves are laudable,      God grew in distinctness. For a complete elucidation
     are yet vitiated by original sin, and on account of their of this phase of our subject, see former article, In
     irregularity, have degenerated from their proper fine, sin at the close of this epoch was seen to be great
     nature ; such are the mutual love of married persons, as to the degree of its intensity.
     the love of parents for their children and the like.           Further, sin was great as to its scope including
     And the clause which is added," from youth, "more every member of the then existing race with the excep-
     fully declares that men are born evil; in order to show tion of the eight souls that entered the ark. What had
     that, as soon as they are of an age to begin to form         brought on this state of affairs was the coming to-
     thoughts, they have radical corruption of mind. Phil- gether in marriage of the Sethites and the Cainites.
     osophers, by transferring to habit, what God here The appellations sons of God and  duughters  of men
     ascribes to nature, betray their own nature . . . . "        are  -expressive  of the religious and moral antecedents'
            Bearing in mind that Gen. 8:21b  is descriptive of of the groups they signify.         The apostate Sethites
     the universal corruption of mankind and must be made were the offspring of a pious posterity, while the
     to apply, therefore, to the world before as well as to father of the daughters of men was the obdurate Cain.
     the world after the flood, and the conclusion is well The sons of God are reported to have taken the initia-
     drawn that the clause, "Every imagination of the             tive. The mainspring of this their conduct was a de-
     thought of his heart was only evil continually," cannot sire to satisfy a lust incited by sensual beauty. They
     imply that at the outset of the epoch ending with the saw that the daughters of men were fair, and took
     flood, the thought of the heart of natural man was in them wives as they chose. In their choice they let
     part good.                                                   themselves be swayed solely by physical charms and
            Gen. 6:6 does, however, describe sin at its high- thus formed connections which indicated that the wall
     point of development. And this stage was gradually of pious temper, hitherto protecting the Sethites from
     reached so that the clause, "And God saw that the corruptive contagion, had crumpled. So the Sethites
     ~~~~~~n~~a  nf  mm  WSI.S   m-eat  in  t;he earth."  does not entered the society of the Cainites: lived their lives,


r
                                        T H E   STANDAR D   B E A R E R                                               399

     attended their banquets, took parts in their dances, they chose. As in the days of Noah, so this day. The
     sang their songs, worshipped their art, praised their sons of God are heard singing Cain's songs, kneeling
     genius, knelt before their heroes, applauded their         before Cain's heroes, worshipping Cain's art, attend-
     achievements, reveled in their luxury and with them ing Cain's banquets. Finally, sin today is great as to
     went to hell. And why not? the exponents of the            its quantity and diversity. For it is an age of inven-
     theory of common grace should ask in surprise if con- tions and great achievements. Faith, however, is be-
     sistent. Was not, Cain's organ a gift of God ; his in-     coming rare in agreement with Christ prophesy,
     ventions a boon to mankind ; his art divine ; and his      "When the Son of man returns shall He find faith?"
     heroes (giants in Scripture) sublime?                                                                   G. M. 0.
        True enough, Cain's organ was a gift of God ; the
     inception of the incorporated idea in the mind of its
     inventor, a matter of divine revelation ; its very in-
     vention and fabrication the work of the Spirit of God                            ONS BLAD
     operative in the race of Cain. But the songs which
     these organs were made to accompany were out of the                                   VII
     ,devil. And the sons of God and the daughters of men          Sinds de uittreding van hen die vroeger redacteurs
     sang these songs until silenced by the waters of the       of medehelpers waren,  kunnen we feitelijk niet meer
     flool. In fine, this race `had corrupted itself in all its spreken van inwendige troebelen. Ons blad bleef ge-
     ranks and in every tile so that every imagination of regeld komen en alhoewel er van een uitbreiding, van
     the thoughts of man's heart (taking the term men `as lezers, geen sprake was, althans niet op groote schaal,
     the signification of this race in its organic capacity)    tech werd er door de "Board" op aangestuurd om
     were only evil continually.                                meerdere lezers aan te werven. Zoo lezen we in de
        Finally, sin was great as to its quantity or amount.    notulen van 29 Oct. 1926, dat het bestuur besloot : "To
     Let us make our meaning clear. The ages immediately have a drive for more members in different places."
     preceding the flood were ages of great inventians,         Terwijl de notulen van 28 Jan. 1927 melden,  dat: "A
     which had revolutionized life. Cities were being built;    motion was made and accepted to have a drive amongst
     the settled land-owner and the rancher had made his our readers belonging to the Prot. Ref. Churches to
     appearance. The harp and the organ had been in-            make them members of our Association and also have
     vented as also the sword. Tubal-Cain was an instructor a 100 percent reading church of our paper."
     of every artifier in iron and brass. Inventions make it       Deze besluiten  hadden  tweeerlei  doel, het eerste
     possible for man to sin on a much larger scale than        hield in om de  6nancien  te versterken, terwijl het  an-
     would otherwise be possible.       Cain, according to      dere besluit diende om het  getal  lezers uit te breiden.
     Lamech's Ode to the sword, "shall be avenged seven         In hoeverre deze besluiten aan het voorgestelde doe1
     times."      Lamech, however, having made himself a        beantwoord hebben is ons niet bekend, omdat we in
     sword, shall be avenged seventy and sevenfold. Let de notulen er niets van konden vinden.
     us take an example or two from our own day. The               Het neemt  echter  niet weg, dat in al onze  gemeen-
     Sabbath has been desecrated from time memorial. The ten voor zooiets we1 plaats is. We gelooven met het
     automobile, however, is making possible a dessecration     bestuur, dat al ons volk op zijn allerminst  lezer behoort
     of the Sabbath on a scale unknown to preceding gen- te zijn  v&i onze "Standard Bearer." Op de financieele
     erations.                                                  zijde wezen we alreeds in een der vorige artikelen, en
        Finally. sin was great as to its varied forms, - we  hopen dat het voor onze persvereeniging tot  resul-
     also a phenomenon for which man's achievements of taten mag leiden.
     that day were responsible. The organ had been in-             Door het aleerder genoemde bedanken van  sommi-
     vented. The Cainites might now incorporate the dia- ge schrijvers, besloot het bestuur om Ds. Jonker te
     bolical spirit of that age in music, express it in their verzoeken mede ons met zijn pennevruchten te dienen.
     art as they worshipped it in their heroes. And yet the Ds. Jonker schreef destijds de geschiedenis in verband
     exponents of common grace insist that the organ and met zijn afzetting en die van een zijner ouderlingen,
     the automobile and the like are God's gifts of grace to toen  hij nog leeraar was in de  Chr.' Geref. Kerk te
     the reprobate wicked, and a blessing to rejected man- Rusk, Mich. Voor verder schrijven was hij, gelijk de
     kind.                                                      bestuursnotulen  melden, nog niet klaar, en we hebben
        According to Christ, the age before the flood was tot dusver niets meer van zijne hand in ons blad gezien.
     typical of the age immediately preceding His return.          Vervolgens besloot het bestuur eene commissie te
     If so, this age is upon us. Sin, today, is great in the benoemen om samenspreking te houden met Mr. G.
     earth,  - great as to the degree of its intensity. The Van Beek en er bij hem op aan te dringen om de pen
     authority of heaven is being defied today in a start-      weer op te nemen en zijn begonnen werk verder voort
     ingly bold and severe manner by every rank of society. te zetten.
     Sin is great as to its scope. As in the days before the       Het bleek al spoedig, dat broeder Van Beek ver-
     flood, so today, the sons of God see the daughters of keerd was ingelicht aangaande de onder ons destijds
     men that they are fair and take them wives of all that aanhangige zaken. Het mocht het bestuur gelukken


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          401

_- ontbrak. Hebben  we de waarheid niet getrouw weer-        is related in chapter 20 must chronologically follow the
  gegeven, men levere bewijs in ons blad en we zullen        realization of the contents of chapter 19. But in the
  openlijk oiize  fouten bekennen. Zoo niet, men zwijge.     first place we would remark, that this  :makes the
                                                w. v.        "proof" far less simple than it pretended to be. The
                                                             proof as given states, that in Rev. 20 :  1-3 we read, that
                                                             the Lord will return before the binding of the devil,
                                                             that the devil will be bound at His coming. That is
             THE LAST THREE "PROOFS"                         not true. The three verses quoted do not state this.
     The fifth of the so-called "simple proofs" from the And if the argument must rest upon the connection of
  Bible that the coming of the  %ord must be Premillen- chapters 19 and  20, the proof becomes at any rate far
  nial, quoted by the Rev. H. Bultema in Grace  cml less simple than it appeared at first blush. The other
  Glory, Jan. 1929, reads as follows:                        question must be answered first: Do the chapters :19
     "At our Lord's return Satan is to he bound and and 20 intend to present us with a chronological narra-
  kept so during the millennium. Rev. 20:1-X If so, His tive of events as they actually shall take place? We
  coming must be PRE."                                       deny this. And we deny that the book of Revelation
     SimpIe,  indeed ! The logic is very clear. It may can be properly interpreted on that basis. According
  be presented in the following form:                        to that interpretation we must accept that we have
     1. Satan is to be bound at the Lord's return.           the end of all earthly things, of all history, in chapter
     2. Satan is to be bound before  th.e millennium.        6. There we read that the sun becomes black, and the
     3. The Lord will return before the millennium.          moon as blood, that the stars fall out of heaven, that
     But it is a logical proposition that rests on the truth the very heavens departed as a scroll when it is rolled
  of the first statement for its validity.    :If the first together, that all the mountains and islands were
  proposition is true we may grant the rest. If it shouId    moved out of their places and that the great day of
  prove to be without ground the entire reasoning falls the Lord's wrath is come. Yet the book of Revelation
  flat. The yuestion, therefore, is: Does Rev.  20:1-3       continues to speak of many things that will take place
  teach, indeed, that the devil is to be bound at the re- in this earth in the chapters that follow. A plain in-
  turn of the Lord? We claim that there is no item of dication that the order of the visions is not the chron-
  proof for such a statement. But let us read:               ological order of the events revealed. But where then,
     "And I saw an angel come down from heaven,. is the proof that this chronological order must, never-
  having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain theless, be maintained with respect to chapters 19 and
  in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old %O? We deny that there is any.  And, we deny that
  serpent, which is the devil and satan, and bound him Rev. 20 teaches the doctrine of a millennium following
  a thousand years. And cast him into the bottomless the coming of the Lord.
  pit, and shut him up and set a seal upon him, that he         But, surely, the proof is not in Rev. 20 :l-3. And if
  should deceive the nations no more till the thousand these verses do not prove that Satan shal1 be bound at
  years should be fulfilled; and after that he must be the coming of the Lord, they do not prove that the
  loosed a  littIe season."                                  coming of the Lord must be premillennial. As it was
     That is all.                                            with the other "simple proofs" so it is with this. It
     It is not necessary now to enter into a  detaiIed       simply falls flat.
  interpretation of these verses. The question before us         Proof the Sixth is neither simple nor convincing.
  is, whether there is in these verses any indication as The writer again tacitly assumes that one who does not
  to when the devil shall be bound as here described.        believe in Pre must be Post, a false assumption, as we
  And the answer must be negative. There is in these showed in former issues; and  ,from  the other  false
  verses nothing to inform us, when this binding of assumption that the kingdom mentioned in Matt. 13:
  Satan shall take place, did take place, or is taking place. 40-43 is the Millennium. We quote the "proof" as
  It does not express with one  syllabIe that this binding given :
  of the devil shall take place at the Lord's return. If         "At Christ's coming the wheat and the tares are
  there is to be read into these verses any time element to be separated because the millennium is to be a reign
  at all, it is that of John's present. He does not say of universal peace, Matt. 13 :40-43  and the 72nd Psalm:
  that the devil shall be bound, but that he was bound       If so, His coming must be Pre."
  before his very eyes. Of course, we do not mean to             The only truth in the above statement is that at
  intimate that this is any indication of the time when the coming of Christ the wheat and the tares are to
  the binding of Satan shaIl actually take place. But we be separated. The author of the "proof" adds quite
  do mean to emphasize that there is no item of proof arbitrarily and without any proof in Scripture: "Be-
  for the statement that he shall be bound at the return cause the millennium is to be a reign of universal
  of the Lord.                                               peace." In other words, he assumes that the separa-
      We  understand, the Premillennialist might argue tion of the wheat and the tares will not take place ,just
  that in the preceding chapter we find the narrative of before the ushering in of the eternal state, but to pre-
  the return of the Lord, and that, therefore, that which pare for a millennium. The whole proof of the  pre-

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

millennial coming in this instance rests on this as- era1 interpretation of  phophecy,  for which see  Ram.
sumption. And this assumption is supposed to be 9  :24-26. The same holds true of  Zech.  14-:16.  Yes,
proven by Matt. 13 :40-43  and the 72nd Psalm. But is the apostles shall sit on twelve thrones, but the author
it? We read in Matt. 13 :40-43:                                  forgets that this will be in the "regeneration" (of all
       "As therefore the tares are gathered and burned things) and not in the millennium. And the saints
in the fire, so shall it be in the end of the world. The shall reign in the earth, to be sure, but there is no
Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall           reference in Rev. 5  :lO to the millennium. They shall
gather out of his kingdom all things that offend,. and           reign with Christ forever in the eternal kingdom of
them which do iniquity ; and shall cast them into a glory and not for a thousand years only. But, again,
furnace of fire ; there shall be wailing and gnashing of if this texts do not speak of,.? millennium, also this
teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun "simple proof' is without strength to prove anything
in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to                 with regard to the alleged Premillennial coming of the
hear, let him hear."                                             Lord.
       So, then, this kingdom of their Father in which              How, then, let me remark in conclusion, can the
the righteous shall shine forth is the millennium, ac- Rev. H. Bultema write:
cording to the writer of the "proofs." But let us add               "It does appear to the unsophisticated believer that
immediately, that is merely his notion. His mind is these seven proofs are conclusive. Why then should
apparently so full of the millennium, that when Scrip- any preacher be on the fence in regard to this mat-
ture speaks of the kingdom of heaven, and of the per- ter"?
fecting of that kingdom at the coming of the Lord, he                It seems to me, that in view of the utter weakness
must needs assume that this kingdom is the millen-               of the so-called proofs such strong language is alto-
nium. But with such proofs the Premillennial breth- gether unwarranted, to say the least. It is easy for
ren surely do not improve their own case. It is evident him ta use big words. It seems to be habitual with
from the text, that there is no mention of, nor any              the millennialists to think that all are sophisticated
reference to the millinnium at all'. We must read it             that do not agree with them. But it also appears to
into it. And it is equally evident to any mind that is me, that they are so sophisticated and biased with re-
not prepossessed with millennial notions, that the gard to Scripture, that they can hardly read the Word
reference is to the eternal and heavenly Kingdom of of God without reading "MILLENNIUM."
glory, which surely shall be ushered in at the coming                Will the Rev. Bultema, please, answer to save his
of the Lord. But then the whole proof is enervated               seven proofs? We have asked him personally to do so,
and the conclusion is, that the coming of the Lord must          as he well knows, before we began to write on this
be A-millennial. At the end of this world He will simply matter. Whatever he writes in  Grace  und  Glory  in
establish the eternal kingdom of glory. Such is the ans,wer to us, we promise to reprint faithfully in THE
simple and plain meaning of the words. There is no               STANDARD  BEARER.
room left for any millennim,n  whatever.                                                                               H. H.
   The same interpretation applies to the 72nd Psalm.
One must surely read that psalm with the millennium                                    JIN MEMORIAM
in his mind in order to get the teaching of a millen-               The Ladies' Aid Society of the First Protestant Reformed
nium out of it.                                                  Church at Fuller  Ave., again mourns  the loss of one of its mem-
   The last of the seven simple proofs proceeds en-              bers. The Lord took unto Himself on May 10, at the age of
tirely on the presupposition, that one must choose be-           51 years
tween Pre and Post. It runs as follows:                                            MRS. ALBERT WESTRA.
   "The millennial+ reign will be a literal reign of                However, we sorrow not as those who have no hope, for we
Christ on the earth, and not simply a spiritual exalta- believe that she is now rejoicing in the mansions above, we as
                                                                 a Society wish hereby to express our sincere sympathy, pray-
tion of the Church. `A King shall reign in righteous- ing that the Lord will comfort, the husband and children, and
ness,' Isa. 32 :1 ; Jer. 23  :l-6 ; `Upon the throne a%          grant them  His sustaining grace.
David,' Isa. 9 :7 ; in Jerusalem, Jer. 3 :1'7 ; Zech. 14 :16.                                   Mrs. F. Bergman, President
The apostles shall sit upon the twelve. thrones, Matt.                                         Mrs. M.  Zuidema,  Secretary
X9:28, and the saints shall reign upon the earth, Rev.
5 : 10. If so, His coming must be Fre."                                   VELDDAG DER PROT. GEREF. HERHEN
   Yes, but Isa. 32:l surely does not refer to the mill- zal worden  gehouden op den dden Juli in Townsend
ennium, but first of all to the new dispensation, when Park, nabij Cannonsburg.
the Spirit shall have been poured out, see vs. 15 of                Dit park is te bereiken door over Plainfield Road
that chapter. And the same is true of Jer.  23:1-6.              en Bridge  te gaan, om dan nog de Cannonsburg Road
Isa.  9:7 surely does not speak of a thousand years' te volgen totdat men het groote signboard ziet, hetwelk
reign, but of His everlasting kingdom, just read the gemerkt is: TOWNSEND PARK.
text and you are compelled to agree. Jer. 3 :17 does                De afstand is slechts 11 mijl vanaf Grand Rapids,
not speak of a millennium whatever, and the view of Mich.
the author of the "proofs" rests upon a mistaken lit-                                                  DE COMMITTEE


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       $05

00g." Dan kan een kind Gods, wanneer een Titanic           Christ died and atoned for the elect only; the total
door God naar den bodem der zee wordt gedrukt,  zin- depravity of the natural man, the truth that sinful
gen : "Nearer, my God to Thee." Dan gaat de Chris- man is  whoIly incapable of doing any good, partic-
ten, als de pijl des daags hem doorboort, naar `t eeuwig ularly of contributing anything to his own salvation;
Vaderhuis. Dan, wanneer de goddelooze het zwaard salvation solely through grace, the confession that the
wet of den brand&ape1  stookt, zing-t de liefhebber Gods grace of God `only applies the salvation in Christ to us,
het Paulus jubelend na: "In dit alles zijn wij meer dan without the co-operation of the will of man; the per-
overwinnaars, door Hem die ons liefgehad heeft."           severance of the saints, the doctrine that one, who is
   Om dat te doen,  lezer, moet den Pelagiaan in ons once regenerated and translated out of darkness into
gedood en wij terug naar de kinderkamer. Kerel-zijn        the marvelous light of God, cannot fall from grace,
voor God gaat niet. Hij woont  all&&  bij den nederige. because the grace that saved him also sustains and
Jezus wees naar het kinderlijke kind en da&r ligt onze keeps him in the midst of the world until the day of
kracht. Kracht.  om gerust te leven ; kracht  o.m straks our Lord Jesus Christ. And because of this intimate
zalig te sterven; kracht om God in alles te eeren. Uit relation of these doctrines to the truth of predestina-
Hem en door Hem en tot, Hem zijn alle dingen.       Soli tion they were also at stake in the Arminian con-
Deo Gloria ! Hem all&n zij de eer !                        troversy and they were explained and defended in the
                                               G. V.       Canons of Dordt.
                                                              The Synod that composed these Canons was not
                                                           held till as late as 1618.  It, convened in the fall of
       SKETCHES ON THE DEVELOPMENT                         that year and it adjourned in the spring of the follow-
                    OF DOCTRINE                            ing year.
                                                              I say 0,s 
     THESYNODOFDORDRECHTANDTHECANONS                                        late as 1618.
                                                              For you will remember that Arminius had died
   Every faithful catechumen in our Reformed already in 1609 and that the "Remonstrantie," or five
Churches is acquainted with the fact that the stand-       articles in which the Arminians expressed their views
ards or creeds of these churches are called The Three and after which they were called Remonstrants, was
Formula~s   of  Unity. He will also know that they con-    composed as early as 1610. And the publication of
sist of the Heidelberg Catechism, the Netherland or these articles certainly did not contribute to the peace
Belgic Confession and the Canons of Dordrecht. If of the Reformed Churches and was not conducive to
you ask him, moreover, what may be the meaning of quiet the turbulent ecclesiastical waters. On the con-
the Canons, he will answer that it has nothing to do trary it was followed by a fierce and often bitter con-
with the implements of war known under that name in troversy. In view of this situation, then, we may well
our day, but that its real significance is rule and that say, that the Synod that  finally  settled the controversy
in the phrase Canons of Dordrecht it is used to signify was held at a late date. Neither was this due to hesi-
rules of faith, doctrinal rules. Further he will be able tation on the part of the Reformed fathers. They were
to inform you that these Canons were formulated by anxious to convoke a General Synod, that might test
the famous Synod of Dordrecht in 161%`19, and that the doctrines of the Remonstrants and they made re-
their composition was occasioned by the fierce con- peated attempts to have it summoned. But they were,
troversy our `Reformed fathers had about that time for such a convocation, dependent on the Lords
with the Arminians, of whom we wrote in a previous         Political, and without the consent of the States they
article, and that, for this very reason they deal with could do nothing. And for a long time these States, like
the subject of election and reprobation and those the Arminians, were opposed to the very idea of such a
points of doctrine that are most intimately related to     Synod. The Remonstrants, undoubtedly. aware that
the doctrine of Predestination.                            their views could not stand the test of an investigation
   And thus it is, indeed.                                 according to the principles of the Reformed Confes-
   The distinction of the Canons of Dordrecht is that sion, were averse to their being examined by such a
they focus the attention of the Church particularly on Synod. They wanted time for their doctrines to be
a single point of doctrine, the truth of divine election disseminated among and accepted by the masses. And
and reprobation. Of course, the truth concerning this the political lords favoured them in this. Thus it hap-
doctrine does not stand isolated but is most closely       pened, that the Synod did not convene before the fall
connected with the whole system of doctrine. Deny of 1618.
predestination in the Reformed sense  uf the term and         The famous Synod was, indeed, an illustrious body.
you must deny virtually the whole of the Reformed There were present, first of all the delegates of the
faith. Not without reason this doctrine was always various particular synods of the Netherlands, of  Zuid-
considered the COY ecclesit~,  the heart of the Church. and Noord-Holland,  Zeeland, Utrecht,  Gelderland,
But there are especially certain particular truths that Overijsel, Friesland, and of  "Stad en Lande"  (Gronin-
immediately stand or fall with the acceptance or denial gen and  Drente).            Then there were the theological
of the doctrine of sovereign election and reprobation. professors from the different theological schools of the
These are: particular atonement, the doctrine that NetherIands.  But there were also delegates that rep-

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

resented the Reformed Churches in other countries of           The Canons consist of five chapters or heads of
Europe, from England and Scotland, from Switserland doctrine. The first chapter deals with the doctrine of
and various parts of what is now Germany. The French divine election and reprobation ; the second treats of
theologians had also been invited, but were not pres- the death of Christ and the redemption of His people ;
ent. And, finally, there were present. at the sessions      the third and fourth heads of doctrine are combined in
of the Synod the representatives of the States, the one chapter and deal with the corruption of the natural
political commissaries. An august body, indeed, and man and his conversion by grace; the last chapter
we may add, well able to settle the problems it would expresses the principles implied in the doctrine of the
be called to solve.                                         perseverance of the saints. Each chapter is divided
       For a long time an earnest attempt was' made by into two main parts, the first of which sets forth the
the Synod to deal with the Remonstrants, who were truth of each point of doctrine positively, the second
cited to give account of their views, in order that they of which refutes the errors of the Arminians. And
might be judged from their own testimony. They were each of these parts is again subdivided into several
asked- to present their views and to bring their objec- articles. To obtain an impression of their contents let
tions to the accepted Reformed Faith before the Synod us quote an article or two from each head of doctrine.
as a body. But in this attempt the Synod failed, be-           On election and reprobation the Canons have the
cause of the unwillingness of the Arminians to state following :
their views explicitly. They continued to avoid the            I, A, `7. "Election is the unchangeable purpose of
issue. And on Jan. 14, 1619 they were  fmauy dis-           God, whereby before the foundation of the world He
missed.                                                     hath out of mere grace, according to the sovereign
       Synod then decided to judge the Arminians from good pleasure of His will, chosen from the whole
their own writings. The various groups of theologians human race, which had fallen through their own fault,
and delegates of which the Synod was composed met in from their primitive state of rectitude, into sin and
committees separately to make study of the doctrines destruction, a certain number of persons to redemp-
of the Arminians, especially as they were expressed in tion in Christ whom He from eternity ordained the
their Five Articles. After having studied them they Mediator and Head of the elect and the foundation of
delivered a written report of their findings and of salvation."
their opinion and judgment of these doctrines to               I, A. 9. "This election was not founded upon fore-
Synod. When all these reports were finished, Synod seen faith, and the obedience of faith, holiness or any
appointed another and general committee to draw up other good quality or disposition in man, as the pre-
a final declaration and judgment. They drew up our requisite, cause or condition on which it depended ; but
Canons, reported to Synod, and the various chapters men are chosen to faith and to obedience of faith, holi-
and articles were discussed and adopted seriatim. ness and the other gifts of salvation, and finally,
Thus, in brief is the history of the Canons of Dordt.       eteranl life itself, as its fruits and effects, according to
       We will not discuss these Canons in detail. In that of the apostle : He. hath chosen us (not because
general it may be said of them, that they do not draw we were) but that we  shouId  be holy and without
the most severe line of Reformed truth. They are blemish before Him in love."
without doubt infra-lapsarian in viewpoint and prin-            I, A. 15. "What peculiarly tends to illustrate and
ciple. The stronger supra-lapsarian conception was recommend to us the eternal and unmerited grace of
not condemned, was rather tolerated, but it was never election, is the express testimony of Holy Scripture,
adopted as the official belief of the Reformed Churches. that not all but some only are elected, while others are
Gomarus, the supra-lapsarian, certainly suffered de- passed. by in the eternal decree ; whom God, out of His
feat. It would be interesting to discuss the various sovereign, most just, irreprehensible  and unchangeable
factors that contributed to the adoption of this more good pleasure, hath decreed to leave in the common
gentle conception, but we will not eqter into this at misery, into which they have wilfully plunged them-
present.      Let us remember that seldom if ever an selves, and not to bestow upon them saving faith and
ecclesiastical gathering is purely motivated by the de- the grace of conversion ; . . . . "
sire to express the truth, no matter what may be the            Notice, that the sovereignty of divine election and
consequences.      Other factors enter in and  influence    reprobation is strongly emphasized and maintained.
such gatherings, especially in times of heated con- It is not on the basis of anything in man, but solely of
troversy. This was true also of the Synod of Dordt.         God's sovereign good pleasure. Not because of, but to
Certain parts might have been expressed more clearly faith, obedience and holiness. On the other hand, note
and explicitly, could, without doubt be improved upon. also the infra-lapsarian phraseology. God chose from
On the whole, however, the National Synod performed the human race as it had fallen through their own
a marvelous work and it is quite inconceivable that any fault. God passed others by in the decree, leaving them
Synod could be convocated today with the spiritual and in the common misery. This certainly is  infra-lap-
intellectual power to compose a document equal in sarian  language. We would be able to express this a
strength of faith and doctrine to the Canons of Dor- little differently. Let us be thankful, that the supra-
drecht.                                                     lapsarian view was, at least, not condemned by the


                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           407

      National Synod, though we must commiserate- with according to the testimony of the apostles in various
      Gomarus.                                                    places."
          On the death of Christ we quote the following from         We may notice that the Canons describe the
      the Canons :                                                natural depravity of the sinner as consisting, not only
          II, A. 8. "For this was the sovereign counsel and in this that he lost his original gifts of righteousness
      most gracious will and purpose of God the Father, that and holiness and knowledge of God; but' especially in
      the quickening and saving efficacy of the most precious this, that he entailed on himself the very opposite of
      death of His Son should extend to all the elect, for be- these excellent gifts. The sinner is not simply a crea-
      stowing upon them alone the gift of justifying faith, ture who lost something, but who turned into the very
      thereby to bring them infallibly to salvation; that is, opposite from what he was originally. His Iight be-
      it was the will of God that Christ, by the blood of the came darkness; his knowledge foolishness, his purity
      cross, whereby He confirmed the new covenant, should corruption, his righteousness rebellion in heart and
      effectually redeem out of every people, tribe, nation mind. And secondly, that they ascribe the conversion
      and language all those and those only, who were from of man wholly to God. Of himself man can only do
      eternity chosen unto salvation and given Him by the evil. With a view to the preaching of the gospel this
      Father . . . .  "                                           implies that he can only reject it. But God calls effica-
         There you have the Reformed confession of the ciously and then the sinner hears and is converted and
      particular nature of Christ's atonement. God pur- translated into the marvelous light of God. He con-
      posed to redeem by the blood of the cross the elect fers upon the sinner faith and repents and only then
      only. And the blood of Christ was shed for none other does the sinner believe and repent. And He does this
      than  those whom the Father gave to Christ. Irrecon- according to His own gracious election. There is noth-
      cilable, `we may add, with this confession is the doc- ing common in this calling of God. There is nothing
      trine that was officially adopted by the Christian Re- of man in the whole work of conversidn.
      formed Churches in 1924, that God well-meaningly               Finally, from the chapter on the doctrine of the
      offers salvation to all and, therefore, reveals His com- perseverance of the saints we quote the following:
      mon grace to all men in the preaching of the gospel.           V, 4. 3. "By reason of these remains of indwelling
      The one simply excludes the other. If Christ did not sin, and the temptations of sin and of the world, those
      die for all men, then the blood of the cross did not pur- who are converted could not persevere in a state of
      chase salvation for all men. And how should God who grace, if left to their own strength. But God is faith-
      is faithful and true offer to men that which does not ful, who having conferred grace, mercifully confirms,
      even exist ?                                                and powerfully preserves them therein, even to the
         On the doctrine of man's corruption through sin end."
      and his conversion by grace the Canons speak as fol-
      lows :                                                         The saint, according to the Canons, is not wholly
          III, IV,  ,4. 1. "Man was orginally formed after perfected in this life. There are remains of sin dwell-
      the image of God. His understanding was adorned ing within his heart. ,Besides  there are the powers of
      with a true and saving knowledge of his Creator, and the devil and of the world, through the midst of which
      of spiritual things; his heart and will were upright; he must go onward to perfection. With a view to these
      all his affections pure ; and the whole man was holy; facts they teach that the child of God would be unable
      but  revoIting from God by the instigation of the devil, to persevere, if he were left to his own strength. Yet,
      and abusing the freedom of his own will, he forfeited he perseveres and that through the same grace t.hat at
      these excellent gifts  ; and on the contrary entailed on the first called and converted him. God preserves him
      himself blindness of mind, horrible darkness, vanity in the state of grace. .And that is the sole reason, but
      and perverseness of judgment, became wicked, rebelli- also the ail-sufficient reason, why there cannot be a
      ous and obdurate in heart and will, and impure in all falling away from grace of those that have been once
      his affections."                                            been called. The work of salvation is of God even to
          III, IV, A. 10. "But that others who are called by the end.
      the gospel, obey the call, and are converted, is not to                                                    H. H.
      be ascribed to the proper exercise of freewill,  whereby
      one distinguishes himself above others, equally fur-                             -
      nished with grace sufficient for faith and conversion,
      as the proud heresy of Pelagius maintains; but it must
      be wholly ascribed to God, who as He has chosen His                     REV. HESSEL BOUMA ON JONAH
      own from eternity in Christ, so He confers upon them           In The Runner  of May 1'7 Rev. Bouma placed an
      faith and repentance, rescues them from the power of article in which he analyzes the conduct of the above
      darkness, and translates them into the kingdom of His named prophet. His article reads in part as follows:
I     own Son, that they may show forth the praises of Him           "Let us come to the more important question of the
      who called them out of darkness into His marvelous purpose of t.his book. This was undoubtedly to teach
I1    light; and may glory not in themselves, but in the Lord, t.hat God's gracious plans were not confined to the

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

heathen also. The very fact that Jonah saw this, but Hence, his patriotism induces him to hope and pray
did not approve of it explains his conduct. He  thor:gX for the destruction of every race of superior strength.
that God's ways with the other nations would be de- Nineveh must be destroyed. So the selfish, narrow-
trimental to the interests of, his people.                 minded, brutish Jonah would have it.
   "Jonah lived during the reign of Jeroboam II, and          The question arises whether  aonah's  conduct does
his early prophetic message to this king must have not permit of another interpretation, We think it does.
been very pleasing to the patriotic prophet. It was To begin with, Nineveh, according to the sacred record,
the promise of God that the boundaries of Israel would was a most wicked city. "Arise, go to Nineveh, that
be extended as in the days of Solomon. And we know great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is
how this was fulfilled; how during a short period great come up before Me." So spake the Lord to Jonah.
prosperity came to Israel and the surrounding smaller The prophet, then, desires the destruction of an ex-
nations were made tributary.         But this prosperous tremely wicked pagan commonwealth. However, this
people was indifferent to God and the call of the desire was common to every true prophet of the Lord.
prophets.                                                  Let us quote from the psalms. "Break thou the arm
   "There were two foreign powers looming on the of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wicked-
horizon which might seriously threaten the safety of ness till thou find none" (Ps. 10 :15). Let God arise,
Israel: the one was Egypt, the other Assyria. Israel let His enemies be scattered ; let them also that hate
had made an alliance with the first, but Assyria re- Him flee before Him. As smoke is driven away, so
mained a source of  ,danger. Jonah knew undoubtedly drive them away; as wax melteth before the fire, so
how God had threatened to punish or destroy His            let the wicked perish before the presence of God" (Ps.
people because of their sins. The most likely force 68 :l, 2). "Arise, 0 Lord, plead thine own cause: re-
that God could use according to the understanding of member how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.
the prophet was the Assyrian power. And behold, God Forget not the voice of t,hine enemies: the tumult of
calls him to go to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, to     those that rise up against thee increaseth daily" (Ps.
foretell that the Lord would overthrow Nineveh, be- 74 92, 23).
cause `of the sin of the people.                               In fine, the wicked taunt God, therefore the lovers
   "The prophet was intensely patriotic. But his love of God pray for their destruction. This same mind was
for Israel was so narrow that it excluded all consider-     in Jonah.
ation for other nations, If there was any danger that          Further, according to Rev. Bouma, Jonah's love
a nation might harm Israel, he would rather have that for Israel was so narrow that it excluded all consider-
nation perish from the earth. This narrow, selfish ation for other nations. Indeed. Fact is, however, that
nationalism explains his conduct.                           with a few exceptions, God's love as well enveloped in
       "If this is the true picture of Jonah, you might ex- that day but one people, to-wit, the people of IsraeI.
pect that he gladly would have gone to that great city The mind of Christ was as narrow as that of Jonah.
to pronounce his doom. But, although he seems in cer- "I am come," said Jesus, "but to the lost sheep of the
tain respects rather naive, for instance, when he imag-+ house of Israel." When He sent out the seventy, His
ined that he could flee from the presence of the Lord, instructions to them were, as we have before said: "Go
in respect to the matter of the announcement of doom not into the way of the gentiles, and into any city of
he understands God's purpose very well  - that it is a the Samaritans enter ye not." Not until Jesus had
last call to repentance d and if they did heed his call taken His seat at the Father's right hand did His office
the Lord would spare them. He said this himself in begin to have respect to all mankind. It appears, then,
the last chapter as he complained to the Lord that the that the same mind was in God that was in Jonah. This
threatened judgment had not come.                           prophet's only mistake was that he refused to recog-
       "His reasoning seems to be thus. If I go there and nize that respecting the inhabitants of Nineveh God
they should repent, then God will spare them and they       was making an exception. Hence, instead of obeying
may become the antagonists of my people and over- the voice of his divine Sender, the prophet boards a
throw their power. If I do not go, they will continue ship for Tarshish to flee from the presence of the Lord.
to increase in wickedness, and when this has reached This was his sin.
the climax, God will destroy them and another enemy
of Israel will be removed. So he tries to flee from his        Finally, this prophet's concern for the well-being
task and frustrate God's plan. But God brought him of his people was not a carnal patriotism but must be
where he had to go even if he had to use a great fish       thought of as pious ferver common to every Iover of
to bring him there." So far Bouma.                          Jehovah.     Israel and Jehovah were so closely asso-
       In offering our comment we set out with the re- ciated in every true prophet's mind that he assailing
mark that it is doubtful whether the above appraisal of the one assailed the other. Let me say in conclusion
the prophet's conduct is in agreement with truth. Ac- that to rail at Jonah as does Bouma only indicates a
cording to the reverend, the prophet's only and highest deplorable ignorance into the character  of'the state of
 people of Israel but were intended to include the affairs of the old dispensation.
concern is the well-being and security of his people.                                                  G. M. 0.


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Vol. V, No. 18                                                             JUNE 15, 1929                                                      Subscription Price, $2.50

                                                                                           Servant of the Lord, the agonizing hour of anticipa-
             bIEDITATION                                                                   tion! And He knew all that lay before Him, the full
                                                                                           apprehension of it filled His soul . . . .
                                                                                                 More than all He seemed to be in need of comfort !
                                                                                                 This remember ; and then read again : Let not your
        THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH WITHIN US                                                      heart be troubled !
                       Even the Spirit of truth; whom the worId                                  Surely, the hearts of the disciples were troubled
                     cannot  receive,   because  it  se&h  E%im  not
                     neither knoweth Him; but ye know Him,                                 too at this time, like the agitated sea, storm-swept,
                     for He dwelleth with you  and  shall be in                            seeking rest and finding none.
                     you.                                     -John   14:17.                     And they had reason for their anxiety. Somehow
   Let not your heart be troubled !                                                        they felt the shadows of the hour of darkness creeping
   Such is the theme of this entire beautiful and rich upon them and upon their beloved Lord. All they had
portion of the Word of God.                                                                experienced during the past few hours bad been cal-
   And the marvel of it is, that He, Who addressed culated to fill their hearts with care and sorrow. Their
these words of consolation to His disciples, to His Lord was to be taken away from them! This they
Church as represented in them, was Himself most realized. He was to be surrendered into the power of
deeply in trouble of all that sad company that, in the the enemy. So much they vaguely understood, though
night in which He was betrayed, made their way from they could not visualize its possibility. It was the last
the upper room in which the last passover  had been passover  they had eaten with their Master; at that last
eaten  to. the garden of olives.                                                           passover  strange things had happened, they still did
   Ah, for one who is not at all acquainted with trouble not understand their full significance.                                                                    Another
it may seem easy to direct words of cheer to those supper had been instituted, the signs of which all
steeped in grief of soul,  - his words of comfort must spoke of death, of the broken body and shed blood of
also needs sound superficial, not struck from the depth their Lord ; the spirit of the Lord had been troubled
of the heart ; and they are often meaningless and as and He had dismissed the traitor, urging him to make
they are not struck from the  ,heart  of him that would haste with the accomplishment of his dark work ; the
comfort so they do not reach the heart of those that Master had warned them that in that night they would
need consolation and cheer.                                                                all be offended on Him  ; and when Peter had assured
   Not so with the comfort the Lord leaves.                                                Him that he would never be offended, that he would
   Surely, He was acquainted with grief, most deeply be ready to go with Him into prison and into death,
at the very moment He would encourage His afflicted the Lord had forewarned him of a thrice repeated de-
disciples. For it was the very eve of His amazing suf- nial. No, they did not fully understand these things.
fering ; only a few hours separated Him from the cross ; Least of  all could they fit them into their own concep-
even now He was on the way to the dark garden,                                             tion of the Master and the purpose of His coming in
where the fierce agony of His soul, the dark oppres- the world. But  all the more reason they had to be
sion of His heart would lead Him to the very brink of sorely troubled and their earnest, grief-stricken faces
death, but where He would seek strength with the                                           that night bore testimony to the agitation of their
Father to travel the rest of His deep way of affliction,                                   minds . . . .
to the brethren that despised Him, to the world that                                             Yet: Iet not your heart be troubled !
hated Him, to the accursed tree and the shameful                                                 And the Lord could speak thus, for though He was
death of the cross, to the place of corruption. It was thoroughly acquainted with the dark way He would
the approach of the hour of darkness, when all the                                         have to travel, He could also look beyond the way to
powers of darkness would be let loose upon the faithful                                    the glory that must be the goal of all this darkness.

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

   Hence, His comfort is not vain. A threefold con-             And the Comforter is His Spirit. He is the Spirit
tent He gives to the comfort wherewith He would of the Son in the Trinity as well as the Spirit of the
bring rest to the troubled souls of the disciples.           Father, breathed forth, spirited forth by Him and by
   First of all, in this dark hour they must exercise the Father, in Whom the Father and the Son meet,
their faith. They must believe in God and in Him and the Spirit that cries: Abba, Father! As such He
in the engulfing flood of affliction they must cling to knows all that is in the Son for He is of Him. And as
the Almighty as seeing the Invisible.                        such He witnesses of the Son and brings the beauty of
   In that faith, secondly, they must have an eye for the Son, the reflection of the Father, to the First Per-
the ultimate goal of this way of sore affliction. For son of the blessed Trinity. But He is also the Spirit
through the cross and over the grave the Lord would of Christ, the Mediator, the Head of the Church. Out
go to the house of Father, there to prepare a place of Christ He proceeds into the Church. And He knows
also for them.                                               all the riches of Christ and never speaks of Himself
   Thirdly, in the way of this suffering the Com- but glorifies Christ and witnesses of Him. He testi-
forter would come, the Spirit of truth; and in Him the fies, spiritually, irresistibly, to the heart of every elect,
Lord would Himself return to the disciples in a way to all that are given to the Lord, so that they receive
far more blessed and glorious than they had hitherto the Lord Christ in all the fulness of His salvation and
known.                                                       grow in His grace and knowledge. Thus it is that
   Now He was with them ; then He would be in blessed Spirit of truth, the Spirit of God, of Christ,
them. And they would experience His fellowship as Who brings Christ into the heart of the Church ; or,
they had not yet tasted its blessedness.                     rather, it is in and through that Spirit that the Lord
   Let not your heart be troubled !                          Himself returned to His own . . . .
                                                                I will pray the Father . . . .
                         -       -                              He will send you . . . even the Spirit of truth !
                                                                Not so, therefore, that this sending or giving of
   1  will pray the Father.                                  t,he Comforter, of the Spirit of truth, is a blessing of
   And He will send you another Comforter . . . .            salvation that is bestowed upon, is outside of, apart
even the Spirit of truth.                                    from the Lord Christ, merely upon His petition. Nay,
       He is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit but so, that our Saviour prays the Father on the
of Christ, the Spirit of life, of grace, of prayer. And ground of His atoning sacrifice and meritorious work
He is called the Spirit of truth., because He is of and that in Him, as the Mediator and Head of His
Christ, because He knows all that is in Christ, be- pepple,  the promise of the Holy Spirit is realized in the
cause He speaks not of Himself but of Christ and thus first place. And Christ, having received the Spirit
carries the riches of Christ into the very heart and sends the promise of the Comforter into His Church. . .
consciousness of the Church.                                    And again, this prayer of the Lord and this giving
       Christ Jesus is the truth. He not only speaks the of the Spirit must not be conceived as merely the
truth, reveals the truth, defends the truth, but He per- act of one moment. On the contrary, the Saviour is
sonally is the truth He is such first of all absolutely, our Intercessor with the Father continuously, always
as the Son, the.Second  Person of the blessed Trinity, opening His own Mediator's heart to the living God,
co-essential with the Father and the Spirit. For He is always being filled with the Spirit of promise, and
the express image of the Father, the eternal Word, continuously causing that Spirit to dwell in the
the infinite expression of all that is in the Father, the Church His Body.
effulgence of the Father's glory, Who reflects the              Surely, there was reason for the Lord to comfort
Father with infinite perfection eternally. In Him is the hearts of His disciples with regard to His de-
all the knowledge of the Father. He is the truth. But parture from them for a little while. Let not your
He is such also as the Christ, the Son of God come in hearts be troubled !
the flesh, revealing the Father to us, entering into the        Now I dwell with you. But soon I shall be in you,
most intimate union with our nature, our body and after I shall have gone the dark way of my suffer-
soul, our mind and will, our heart and life, Immanuel, ing . . . .
God with us. And He is the truth with a double dis-             Gone through suffering to glory, the glory of my
tinction. For the law came by Moses, but grace and Father's house !
truth came by Jesus Christ. He is the truth over                Within you through the Spirit of truth!
against the shadows of the old dispensation. He is the
Body that cast the shadows, the reality to which all
the shadows pointed, the substance of the shadows, the
end of the law, the Truth. And He is also the truth in          He shall not be in the world.
antithesis to the lie of the devil, the power of the lie        For the world cannot receive that Spirit!
that is in the world, the denial of the truth, of God, of       The world in this instance, it is evident, is not the
Christ, of all that is real and true . . . .                 same world of which in this same gospel narrative it
       Thus Jesus could say: I am the truth . . . .          was said, that God so loved it that He gave His only


416                                      T I I E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                                                                                          3
                   AAN JEZUS' `VOET!                                     THE RAISING OF LAZARUS
                     Wijze : Psalm 42                           It is not likely that Mary understood in its full
         Heer en Heiland !  aan Uw voeten                    meaning what Christ had said about His being the
           Buig  ik mij aanbiddend neer,                     resurrection and the life. So far, however, as she did
         Om te bidden en te boeten,                          comprehend, she believed ; and so when Jesus said to
           Om te juichen tot Uw eer.                         her, "Believest thou this?"  - understanding that He
           Ach, waar elders zou ik gaan?                     had spoken of Himself, and wished from her some
           Dreigend blikt de wereld m' aan,                  expression of her faith  - she said to Him, "Yea, I be-
         En ik voel nog al de wonden                         lieve that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which
         Van haar zorgen, van haar zonden.                   should come into the world." With crude ideas of the
                                                             character of the offices they attributed to Him, many
         Maar Gij zaagt mij in de verte,                     were ready to call Jesus the Christ, to believe that He
           Dwalend schaap, die U niet zocht!                 was the Messiah spoken of by the prophets. Martha's
         Diep bewogen met mijn smarte,                       confession went much further than this; she believed
           Riep Gij, of ik volgen mocht.                     Him also to be the Son of God, to be that for claiming
           Trouwe Herder! met Uw bloed                       to be which the Jews had been ready to stone Him, as
           Hebt Gij al mijn schuld geboet,                   one making Himself equal with God. It may have
         Want Gij droeg me in stervende  armen               been, regarding Him to much as a mere man having
         Naar den  schoot  van Gods erbarmen.                power with God, that she had previously said, "But I
         Tot de wereld wederkeeren?                          know that even now whatsoever thou wilt ask of God,
           Neen, dat niet in eeuwigheid !                    God will give it thee"; but now that her thoughts are
         Sterk mij, goede Geest des Heeren,                  concentrated upon it, she tells out all the faith that is
           Die mij hiertoe hebt geleid !                     in her, and in so doing ranks herself beside Peter and
           Voed in mij een droefenis,                        the very few who at that time could have joined in
           Die aan God gevallig is,                          the confession, "I believe that thou art the Christ, the
         Die mij straks een vreugd zal geven,                Son of the living God."
         Boven alle vreugd verheven !                           Had Mary and Lazarus not been in His thoughts
                                                             Jesus might have pronounced over Martha the same
         Heer ! Uw arme Magdalene                            benediction that He did over Peter, and'said  to her,
           Vindt in U haar hoogste Goed.                     "Blessed art thou Martha, for flesh and blood hath not
         Niets begeert zij dan dit eene:                     revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in
           Laat mij blijven  aan Uw voet!                    heaven." As it is, He simply accepts the good con-
           Troost, vernieuw en heilig mij,                   fession and bids Martha go and call her sister.
           Tot ik gansch  gelouterd  zij.                       Mary had not heard at first of the Lord's coming,
         Tot ik, juichend voor Uw trone,                     or, if she had was to absorbed in her sorrow to heed
         Eeuwig boven bij U wone !                           it. But now when Martha whispers in her ear, "The
                                                             Master is come, and calleth for thee," she rises and
                                                             hastens out to where Jesus is outside the village. No
                         PETRUS                              one had followed Martha when she went out there.
       Een man, gewend aan het geweld der winden,            But there was such an unusual quickness, such a fresh
         Een argloos hart, beweeglijk als de zee,            and eager excitement in this movement of Mary, that
       EBn, die door niets of niemand zich liet binden,      those around her went with her and followed, saying,
         Een ruige gast, tot daden  altoos rec.              "She goeth to the grave to weep there." Thus did she
                                                             draw along with her the large company that was to
       Gij mind' in hem zijn openheid van wezen,             witness the great miracle.
         D'oprechtheid van zijn gulle zeemanshart ;             Once again in the Master's presence, Mary is over-
       Hij leerde moeizaam `t boek Uws levens lezen          whelmed with emotion. She falls weeping at His feet;
         En raakt in zijn geheimenis verward.                has nothing to say as she looks up at Him through her
       Zijn levensdrift weerstreefd' Uw hoogst bedoelen, tears but what Martha had said before: "Lord, if thou
         Uw levensplan kwam hem een dwaasheid voor; hadst been here, my brother would not have died."
       Uw weerloosheid moest hij als zwakheid voelen :       Her grief checks all further utterance. Nor has Jesus
         Hij was de Rotsman,  die de kracht verkoor !        anything to say. Mary is weeping at His feet, Martha
                                                             is weeping at His side, the Jews are weeping all
       Hij heeft U laf verloochend  in zijn vreezen,         around. This is what death had done desolating a once
         Werd door dien val zijn zwakheid  zich bewust. happy home, rending with bitter grief the two sisters'
       Toen hebt Gij tot den deemoed hem  genezen            hearts, melting into kindred sorrow the hearts of
         En stond hij sterk en hadt g' aan hem Uw lust. friends and neighbors. The calm that had its natural
                                             A.  WAPENAAR    home in the breast of the Redeemer is broken  up: He


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       411
                                                                                                                 "_
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should          And the work of that Spirit he will ascribe to
not perish but have everlasting life.                      Beelzebub !
   Equally lucid it is that "world" in this word of           Not in the world that Spirit shall be!
promise, the blessedness of which is denied to the
world, cannot signify the same thing as the term does
in the declaration of the apostle that God was in
Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imput-         But in you!
ing their trespasses unto them. For the world God             My disciples, and My Church respresented by you,
loved and reconciled unto Himself in the blood of His the Spirit shall be in you !
Son surely can and will receive the Spirit of truth.          For, when He is with you, ye know Him; there-
   But the world, that cannot receive the Spirit, is fore, ye are able to receive Him, when the time comes
the wicked world, the world that lies in darkness and that He shall take up His everlasting abode within
in the power of sin and death, the world whose Prince you !
is the Devil. It is the totality of wicked men as they        Not, indeed, as if the natural man, who is dead in
exist and live and develop in the world from the prin- trespasses and sins must prepare himself to an extent,
ciple of sin. They love the lie and hate the truth; they must improve upon himself, must make himself morally
love the darkness and hate the right because their works receptive for the indwelling of the Spirit, before that
are evil ; they love unrighteousness and hate righteous- Spirit will begin His blessed operation upon the heart
ness; they find the very sphere of their life in the mire to bring Christ into it, as is the proud heresy of  Pela-
of corruption and keep themselves far from all that is gius. The Spirit is with us, is with all men without
pure and good. They are enemies of God and children distinction, dwells with them in the gospel, so this
of their father the devil. Dead they are in trespasses heresy would have it. And this dwelling of the Spirit
and sins. And in all their walk and life they manifest with all offers all the opportunity to prepare them-
themselves as children of darkness. Their feet are selves and make themselves worthy of the indwelling
swift to shed blood ; poison of asps is under their of the Spirit in the hearts. Precisely this, the Lord
tongues ; their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness ; had just said it, the world cannot do . 1 . .
and the fear of God is not before their eyes. In that         No, the work of salvation is God's through Christ,
power of darkness they are bound, even though they from its first inception to its final consummation.
follow after corruption by the choice of their own will       But the disciples still were only on the threshold of
and mind. And from that power as a principle they the new dispensation. Hitherto the Spirit had been in
develop in the world until the measure of iniquity is the Church, but as the Spirit of shadows, not as the
filled and they are ripe for destruction . . . .           Spirit of the glorified Christ, as the Spirit of the truth
   That world does not see the Spirit, neither know over against these shadows. But He had been with
Him.                                                       them, tabernacled. among them, now for three years,
   For the Spirit of truth becomes manifest in the in the presence of the blessed Lord. The Lord had
world. He speaks and testifies of the Lord Christ; He been with them, and in the Lord the Spirit had dwelled
reveals Himself in the marvelous work of carrying with them, spoken to them, addressed Himself to them.
Christ into the heart of the Church and bringing the And they ,had known Him and had recognized that He
life of Christ into the hearts of all the believers.       had the words of eternal life. Not because they were
   But the,world does not see Him, neither know Him. in themselves better than other men, morally on a
It does not behold that Spirit with spiritual interest of higher level than the world, but soleIy  because they
heart and mind.         It does not know Him with the were not of the world but of the Church, by the grace
knowledge of experience and fellowship. It does not of God. Hence, they could long for the coming of the
love His appearance, but rather hate Him. Even in as Lord in that Spirit, open their hearts for Him, receive
far as it beholds with the natural eye the work of that Him . . . .
Spirit of truth, and hears with the natural ear the           And receive Him they would, for Christ would pray
testimony of the Comforter, the heart of the world and the Father would send Him.
does not go out to Him . . . .                                Then the Spirit, and in the Spirit the Lord, would
   Hence, it cannot receive Him.                           be in them . . . .
   Mark you, not as if almighty grace cannot over-            And abide with them, with the Church, forever!
come the power of the- world, should God choose to            Let not your hearts be troubled!
do so.                                                                                                   H:H.
   The viewpoint is not at all God's power, but the
world's receptivity.
   The world, the natural man, cannot open his heart
to the indwelling of the Spirit. He cannot long for           De belofte Gods staat vast en zeker, dat zaaien en
Him or pray for Him. He can, in wanton foolishness,
only bar and lock up the entrance of his heart to that oogsten, koude en hitte, zomer en winter, dag en  nacht,-
Spirit of truth . . . .                                    niet zullen  ophouden.


                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                    417
                                                                                                                    ".--""._
      grieves in spirit and is troubled. Too heavy in heart by His cutting the illness short, and going from  B&h-
      Himself, too troubled in spirit, as He stands with abara to cure. Little did the weeping sisters know
      hearts breaking and tears falling all around Him to what a place in the annals of redemption the death
      have any words of counsel or comfort for Mary such and `resurrection of their brother was to occupy. How
      as He addressed to Martha, He can only say, "Where earnestly in the course of illness did they pray for  l$s
      have ye laid him?" They say to Him, "Lord, come            recovery.    How eagerly did they dispatch their mes-
      and see." He can restrain no longer. He bursts into        senger to Jesus. A single beam of  ligfit fell on the
      tears.                                                     darkness when the messenger brought back as answer
         What shall we think or say of these tears of Jesus? the words he had heard Jesus utter, "This sickness is
      There were some among those who saw Him shed not unto death, but for the glory of `God, that the Son
      them, who, looking at them in the first and simplest of God might be glorified thereby." What other mean-
      aspect  - as tears shed over the grave of a departed       ing could they put upon these words, but that either
      friend - said one to another, "Behold, how He loved their brother was to recover, or Jesus was to interfere
      him." There were others, not sharing so much in the and heel him? Their brother `died, and ,$I the more
      sisters' grief, who were at leisure to say, "Could not     bitterly because of their disappointment did they be-
      this man who opened the eyes of the blind have caused moan his loss. But what thought they when they got
      that even this man should not have died?" "If He him back again - what thought they when they heard
      could have saved him why did He not do it? He may of Christ's own death and resurrection  - what
      weep now Himself; had it not been better that He had       thought they when they came to know, as they had
      saved these two poor sisters from weeping?" We take never done before, that Jesus was indeed the abolisher
      our station beside these men. With the first we say, of death, the bringer of life and immortality to light  1
      Behold how He pities. See in the tears He sheds what Would they then have wished that their brother had
     . a singular sympathy with human sorrow there is with- not died  - that they had been saved their tears, but
      in His heart  - a sympathy deeper and purer than we lost the hallowed resurrection-birth of their brbther
      have ever elsewhere seen expressed. To weep with to his Lord, lost to memory the  chiefest  treasure that
      others or for others is no unusual thing, and carries time gave to carry with them into eternity?
      with it no evidence of extraordinary tenderness of            Groaning again in spirit, Jesus came to the grave.
      spirit. It is what at some time or other of their lives    It was a cave, and a stone coveted the niche within
      all men have done. But there is a peculiarity in the       which the body of the dead was lying. Jesus said,
     tears of Jesus that separates them from all others  - "Take ye away the stone." The doing so would at once
     `that gives them a new meaning and a new power. For expose the dead, and let loose the foul effuvium of the
     where is Jesus when He weeps? A few paces from the advanced decomposition. The careful Martha, whose
     tomb of Lazarus; and what is He about immediately to active spirit ever busied itself with the outward and
      do? To raise the dead man from the grave, and give tangible side of things, at once perceives this, and
      him back to his sisters. Only imagine that, gifted hastens to interpose a check. Gently, but chidingly,
     with such power, you had gone on such an errand, and the Lord said unto her, "Said I not unto thee, that, if
     stood on the very edge of its execution, would not your     thou wouldst believe, thou should see the glory of
      whole soul be occupied with the great thing you were God?" Was it not told thee in the words brought back
      about to do, the great joy you were about *to cause? by the messenger that this sickness was to be for the
     You might see the sisters of the dead one weeping,          glory of God - a glory waiting yet to be revealed?
     but, knowing how very soon you were about to turn Have I not been trying to awaken thy faith in myself,
     their grief into gladness, the sight would only hasten as the resurrection and the life? Why think, then, of
     you forward on your way. But though knowing what the existing state of thy brother's body? Why not let
     a perfect balm He was so soon to lay upon all the  sor-     faith anticipate the future, and put all such lower
.    row, Jesus shows Himself so sensitive to the simple         thoughts and cares away? The rebuke was gently
     touch of grief, that even in such peculiar circum- given ; but given at such a time, and in such presence,
     stances He cannot see others weeping without weeping it must have fallen heavily upon Martha%  heart.
     along with them. How exquisitely tender the sym-               And now the order is obeyed. Taking a hasty
      pathy manifested in the tears that in such peculiar glance within, the removers of the stone withdraw.
     circumstances were shed.                                    Jesus stands before the open sepulchre. But all is not
         Again we take our station beside the onlookers, ready yet. There is to be a slowness, a solemnity in
     and to the second set of speakers we would say - He every step that shall wind up every spirit to the top-
     could have caused that this man had not died. But most point of expectation.              Jesus lifts his eyes to
     His are no false tears, though shed over a calamity He heaven and prayes, not to ask God to work the mir-
     could have prevented. He allowed Lazarus to die, He acle, or give Him power to do so. So might Moses or
     allowed his sisters to suffer all this woe, not that He     Elijah, or any other of the great miracle-workers of
     loved them less, but because He knew that for him, earlier times have done, proclaiming thereby in whose
     for them, for others, for. us all, higher ends were in name it was and by whose power they wrought. Jesus
     this way gained than could have been accomplished never did so. He stands alone in this respect. A11 that

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

  He did was done indeed in conjunction with the Father. and tender elder brother, than when He burst into
  He was careful to declare that the Son did nothing of tears before the grave of Lazarus. Nowhere, at no
  Himself nothing independently. It was in faith, with time, did He appear more divine than when with a
  prayer that all His mighty works were wrought, but loud voice He cried, "Lazarus come forth," and at the
  the faith was as peculiar as the prayer - both such as voice the dead arose and came forth. And it is just
  He alone could cherish and present. Ordinarily the because there meet in Him the richness and the tender-
  faith was hidden in His heart, the prayer was in ness of an altogether human pity and the fulness of a
  secret, muttered and unheard. But now He would have divine power, that He so exactly and so completely sat-
  it known how close was the union between Him and          isfies the deepest inward cravings of the human heart.
  the Father. He would turn the approaching miracle In our sins, in our sorrows, in our weaknesses, in opr
  into an bpen and incontrovertible evidence that He was doubts, in our fears, we need sympathy of others who
  the sent of the Father, the Son of God. And so in have passed through the same experience. We crave
  words of thanksgiving rather  than of petition, He it. When we get it, we bless the giver, for in truth, it
  says,  "Fat,her,  I thank thee that Thou bast heard me" does more than all things else. But there are many
  - the silent prayer had already been heard and an- barriers in the way of our obtaining it, and there are
  swered  - "And I know that thou hearest Me always," many limits which confine it when it is obtained. Many
  - that Thy hearing is not peculiar in this case, for as do not know us. They are so differently constituted,
  I am always praying, so Thou art always answering that what troubles us does not trouble them. They look
  - "but because of the people that stand by I said it,     upon all our inward struggles and vexations as need-
  that they may believe that thou hast sent Me." In no less and self-imposed, so that just in proportion to the
  more solemn manner could the fact of His mission speciality of our trial is the narrowness of the circle
  from the Father, and of the full consent and continued from which we can look for any true sympathy. But
  co-operation of the Father with Him in all He said        even were we to find the one in all, the earth by nature
  and did, be suspended upon the issue of the words that most qualified to enter into our feelings, how many
  next come from His lips: "And when He had thus are the chances that we should find his sympathy pre-
  spoken He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come occupied, to the full engaged, without time or without
  forth." The hour has come for the dead to hear and patience to make himself so master of all the circum-
  live. At once, and at that summons, the body lives, stances of our joy, and all the windings of our
  starts into life again, not as it had died, the life in- thoughts and our effections, as to enabIe him to feel
  jected into a worn and haggard frame. It gets back with us and for us, as he even might  have done. But
  in a moment all its healthful vigor. At once, too, and that which we may search the world for without find-
  at that summons, Lazarus rises and stands erect.          ing is our in Christ Jesus. All impediments removed,
     "Take ye away the stone, " "Loose him and let him all limitations lifted off  - how true, how tender, how
  go," Christ could easy by the word of His great power constant, how abiding is His brotherly sympathy -
  have removed the stone, untied the bandages. But He the sympathy of one who knows our frame, who re-
  does not do so. There is to be no idle expenditure of members we are dust, of one who knows all about  a11
  the Divine energy. What human hands are fit for, within us, and who is touched with a fellow-feeling
  human hands must do. The earthly and the heavenly, of our infirmities, "Having Himself been tempted in all
  as in all Christ's workings, blend harmoniously to- things like as we." It is not simply the pity of God ;
  gether; So is it still in that spiritual world in which with all its fuIness and tenderness ; it is the sympathy
  He still is working the wonder of His grace, raising of a brother-man that Jesus extends to us, free from
  dead souls to life, and nourishing the life that is so all the restrictions to which such sympathy !s ordin-
  begotten.                                                 arily subjected. But we need more than sympathy;
     It is not for us to quicken the spiritually dead. No we need succor. Besides the heart tender enough to
  human voice has power to pierce the closed ear, to pity, we need the hand strong enough to help, to save
  reach the dull cold heart. The voice of Jesus can alone' us. We not only want one to be with us and feel with
  do that. But there are stones we can remove. The          us in our hours of simple sorrow, we want one to be
  ignorant can be taught, the name of Jesus be made with us and aid us in our hours of temptation and
  known, the glad tidings of salvation published abroad. conflict, weakness and defeat  - one not only to be ever
  And when at the divine call the new life has entered at our side at all times and seasons of this our earthly
  into the soul, by how many bonds and ligaments, old pilgrimage, but to be near us then, and afterwards our
  holds of the  effection,  old habits of life, is it hampered portion forever. In all the universe there is but one
  and hindered. These we may help to untie and fling such. Therefore to Him, our own Ioving, compassion-
  away.                                                     ate, Almighty Saviour, let us cling, that softly in the
     But the crowning lesson of the great miracle is the bosom of His gentle pity we may repose, and safely,
  mingIed  exhibition  that it makes of the humanity and by His everlasting arms, may fore?-er be sustained.
  divinity of our Lord. Nowhere, at no time in all His                                                  G. M. 0.
, life, did He appear more perfectly human, show Him-
  self more openly or fully to be one with us, our true


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                      429     ;
                                                                  receive the blessings of the Lord and the righteousness
       LIBERTY TO ENTER THE. HOLIEST                              of the God of our salvation. Without Him, to accom-
                   Having, therefore, brethren, boldness to       plish the service, this house would remain closed to
                 enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,    us forever.
                 by a new and living wa       which he hath                        For  our  hands  are  unclean, our hearts
                 consecrated for us throug2 the veil, that is     impure. We have lifted up our souls unto vanity, and
                 to say, his flesh; and having a high priest      sworn deceitfully.
                 over the house of God. Let us draw near                                 We need this priest with His aton-
                 with a true heart in full assurance of faith,    ing blood. He is there, in the holiest. Therefore,
                 having our hearts sprinkled from an  evil
                 conscience,  and our bodies washed with pure     brethren, having liberty to enter the holiest . . . and
                 water.                                           having a high priest over the house of God, let us
                                         -Heb.  X0:19-21.         draw near . . . .
   The holiest is God's dwelling place. It is found                  Perusing the pages of Holy Writ, we happen upon
above as is evident from the surrounding of the above records of still other most holy places. There was the
selection. Verse 24 of the preceding chapter identifies holiest of the garden of Eden  - a region, where man
this place with heaven itself, entered by Christ. "For could enter the very presence of God. Man, however,
Christ is not entered into the holy places made with lifted up his soul to vanity and was, subsequently, for-
hands, the figures of the true, but into heaven itself,           ever expelled from these sacred regions. Had he ven-
now to appear in the presence of God for us."                     tured to enter this holy place, he would have been
   This house the believers are urged to enter. To do struck down by the cherub stationed at its entrance,
so is their high privilege. "Having, therefore, breth- and that for the reason that this house lacked the
ren, liberty to enter the holiest." The believers enter priest to accomplish the service. So, too, was the
the holiest because Christ, after He had offered  one holiest of the earthly tabernacle inaccessible to the
sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand            saint of the old dispensation. For the blood with which
of God. He, then, came to rest in that by one offering the priest appeared before the face- of God could. not
He perfected, forever, them that are sanctified. The take away sins. The saint, therefore, could proceed
priest, accomplishing the service in the earthly taber- no further than the door of the earthly house.
nacle, never came to rest, never ceased to offer sacri-                                 (To be continued)
fices, for "the law having a shadow of good things to
come, and not the very image of the things, can never                                                                G; M. 0.  :
with those sacrifices which they offered year by year
continually  make the corners thereunto perfect."
   The broken of heart should know, then, that the
holiest is open to them; that they may now satisfy `t En sijn de Joden niet, Heer Jesu, die u cruysten,'
their desire to see God, to behold His beauties and to            Noch die verraderlijck U  togen  voor `t gericht,
be satisfied by His glorious image. They should know, Noch die versmadelijck u spogen in `t gesicht,
further, that the holiest was rendered their permanent Noch die U knevelden en stieten U vol puysten;
abode. For when the fulness of time was come, God
sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the `t En sijn de crijchsluij niet die, met hun felle vuisten,
law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we Den rietstock hebben of den hamer opgelicht,
might receive the adoption of sons. "Being sons, we Of het vervloeckte hout op Golgotha gesticht,
shall abide in God's house, seat ourselves at His table           Of over uwen rock tsaem dobbelden en tuyschten ;  -
to quench our thirst with the' water from the rock, to
satisfy our hunger with the heavenly manna. And to I& ben `t o Heer ! ick ben `t die u dit heb gedaen,
allay the fears of those of these sons, who, repelled by Ick ben de sware boom, die u had overlaen,
the matchless purity and unrelenting rectitude of the Ick ben de taeye streng daerme ghy waert gebonden,
Holy One, stand afar off, the sacred writer adds, "and            De nagel en de speer, de geesel die u sloegh,
having a high priest over the house of God . . . .  "             De bloetbedropen croon, die uwe schedel droegh; -
This priest is our Christ who redeemed us not with Want dit is al geschiet, helaes, om mijne  sonden.  -
corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with His                                                                  REVIUS
own precious blood. This our Christ is the high priest
set over the house God, to appear in the presence of
God for us. Set over this house is He. Hence of this
house He is the Master. To Him was given the key                                 Lieve Heiland, -diep  verslagen,
of David. He openeth and no man shutteth and shut-                                 Leg ik m' aan Uw boezem neer ;
teth and no man openeth. Do those of little faith sup-                           Gij wilt in Uw arm mij dragen,
pose, however, that He would not admit those He loved                              Wilt mij troosten, dierb're Heer.
unto death and claim for them on the basis of His                                Wat  mij ooit op aard ontvall',
sacrifice the blessings of the kingdom? Only because                             Wie mij ook verlaten zal,
this house  has  this priest set over it, do we  ascend                          Wat mij bier ook ooit doe beven,
into the hill of the Lord and stand in His holy place to                         Jezus zal mij nooit begeven.


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       425
THE PLACE OF THE MINISTER OF THE WORD                       or perfected saint who lives separate from the congre-
                                                            gation, but bows to present the Word to that congre-
              IN THE CONGREGATION                           gation. He does not in the least feel the need of ap-
                                                            plying that Word to his own heart. Even the congre-
   The church of today is in a state of degradation.        gation will occasionally regard him as such. This can-
The tendency toward form and modernism and away not do otherwise than lead to disaster. The Word of
from the  :fundamentals  of Scripture manifests itself God must be a testimony also to the minister. He
on every hand. Development of sound dogma is un-            must feel the need for that same Word, must hunger
heard of, exegesis and study of the Word of God are         for it, and must be able to apply it to his own heart.
almost unknown. Topic preaching has found an estab- That Word must be a light upon his path, his only
lished place in the church. In some of the more mod- strength and comfort. So also must he be regarded
ernistic circles timely topics and current events are by the congregation. He does not stand above, but
discussed from sabbath to sabbath. These things in- under that Word.
stead of being explained in the light of the Scriptures        He is subservient to that Word in the second place,
are explained according to the fancies and philosophy in all his work and study. The Word is the full revela-
of man. In so far as the Scriptures seem to harmonize tion of God. It is God's Word written by pre-ordained
with these philosophies it is accepted. As for the rest holy authors who God inspired, moved and guided in
it is rejected. Therefore such topics as: "Can God writing infallibly. Therefore it can in no sense be sup-
stop wars?" and ",4 religion which your boy and girl plemented by the word of man. Man must regard it as
can take to college" make their appearance. The daily the infallible Word of God and may never seek to crit-
papers are full of them. Even the so-called Reformed icize or in any way change it. The minister's attitude
circles are adopting such topic preaching. The only must always be governed by this fundamental truth.
possible fruit it can have is a bringing to question of He must always in all humbleness devote his attention
the Word of God and finally a rejection of it. .Further-    to it, be anxious to listen to the message it bears, to
more, there is an attempt-  within the church, which is heed its revelation and to submit to it in trust. That
ever more and more successful, to push preaching aside Word reveals the divine author who comes to him
in order to give place to music, singing and  form.`The through the various human authors, and only by
introduction of song services and hymns necessitates humbly reverencing and meditating upon that Word
a shorter sermon. The increasing amount of forms,           will he be able to behold the beauty of its treasures.
such as absolution, to say nothing of their character, Fixing his eye upon the treasures of that revelation
places preaching of the Word in the background. The can he see and speak of the majesty of Him who has
minds of minister. and audience become more securely revealed Himself in that Word.
tied upon music and forms and preaching  becomes               He is called to bving  that Word to the congrega-
tiresome, cold and empty. This degradation leads to tion. His very title points to his high calling. He is
a third evil which has also become manifest in the Verbi Dei Minister, Minister of the Word of God. His
church. It is an exalting of the minister as man in- preaching is a manifestation that that is his calling.
stead of a respect for his office. Naturally since he has The *preaching  cannot be a discussion of the various
received such a high place in the church and leads in problems of life, such as politics, economics or philoso-
all the worship he gradually is regarded as infallible phy, but these things, and in fact all things without
and especially anointed. Therefore the question arises : any exception, must be explained in the light of Scrip-
What is the place of the minister of the Word in the        ture. Scripture must dominate all questions of life.
congregation`! Let us notice :                              He is not called to give an explanation of the confes-
                                                            sions of the church independent from the Word. His
     I. His relation to the Word.                           concregation  is not a class in dogmatics. In all his
    II. His relation to the congregation.                   preaching he proceeds from the divine testimony and
   III. His relation to Christ.                             explains the truth of the Word of God. Furthermore,
   I. Ris relation to the Word.                             an emotional, mystical treatice  on the life of the con-
                                                            gregation, as appealing as it may seem, can never
   The minister is very intimately related to the Word serve his purpose. Nor may evangelization in the evil
of God. That is the Word which he brings to the con- sense of the word as it is stressed today be his aim.
gregation, but that is also the Word to which he is in He cannot win souls for Christ. The gospel outside of
the most absolute sense subservient. He is personally the full revelation of God is no gospel. The only true
subservient to that Word. There is frequently, as gospel is the Word. Thus his preaching is a testimony
ridiculous as it may seem, a tendency in the minister of God and a proclaiming of His counsel as it is re-
and in the congregation to place the minister above the vealed. `He must ever preach the Word, delving ever
Word of God which he brings. There is on the part of deeper into the mysteries of God's revelation as a wit-
the minister sometimes an attempt to regard and pre- ness of God to the congregation of God. He is not an
sent himself as living a higher, purer life than the apostle who is given to speak and write infallibly, but
congregation. He presents himself t,hen as an angel he is a witness of God sent to bring the Word. He


426                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                                    ...-II_.
draws all his material and his every message out of promises of God. Together they seek the city which
that Word in humble reverence and submission.            hath foundations. With the congregation he has the
   Me appears before the congregation with the same needs, imperfections and weaknesses. He con-
authority of that Word. When he appears before the fesses with her his sins and short comings, he strives
covenant youth of the congregation to instruct them against the same foe in the same battle of faith. And
in the way of God's covenant he comes with this          with her he falters in weakness. The same Word is
authority. As Shepherd he brings the same Word to light and guide for them. The same Word testifies
the sick, despondent, weary and troubled. He com- through the same Spirit. It leads them on  the way
forts, teaches and admonishes as a messenger of God.     everlasting unto the final goal of glory.
Only thus can he perform the sacraments and lead in            Yet to that congregation of which he is a part he is
all worship. This authority is all sufficient. It is the called to bring the Word. That congregation is the
only authority. The congregation does not go home gathering of believers with their seed. The elect of
with the conviction that a thing is true because the God are gathered together also in that congregation
minister says so. Neither does she submit because of by the Son of God. The members are organically a
the power of his personality or oratory. But the con- part of the organism of the body of Christ. The cove-
gregation accepts and submits because God says it in nant youth takes its place as stones in the temple of
His Word. That is the only reason she has for desir- all are prepared and fitted as stones in the temple of
ing to go up to the house of prayer under the preach- God. So that the congregation is not a con-glomera-
ing of the Word. Behind that authority the minister tion of individuals who happen to worship in the same
shields his own person. His only testimony is: "So       place but a gathering of the body of Christ as repre-
saith the Lord." He carries that Word about in his sented in that particular group. That is the true con-
own soul, devotes his time in the preparation for bring- ception of the congregation according to the testimony
ing that Word and seeks only that the congregation be of the apostles. In the epistles they always address
blessed by that Word. With it he opens and shuts the the congregation as "saints," "beloved of God" and
kingdom of heaven for all the hearers. It is a  two- "believers in Christ Jesus." Only as being organically
edged sword constantly dividing. lt is a savor of life the body of believers can the congregation be regarded.
unto life but also a savor of death unto death, foolish- Naturally the minister must view the congregation as
ness for those perishing but a power of God to us being such also. fie does not address her as "dear friends,"
saved. Thus by that Word the flock is separated, led     nor does he aim to evangelize as it is to often pre-
over hill and through vale, by day and night, in sun-    sented today. He feeds the flock and instructs it in
shine and storm, in peace and in danger, in joy and in the way of God's covenant. He presents the living
sorrow. It is fed in pastures green and cherished by bread of the Word, and gathers in the elect of God.
                                                          .
still waters. And led unto and into the valley of              This congregation before which he appears is a
shadows until it finally is brought into the sheepfold part of the church visible. The gathering of believers
of God in glory.                                         is not perfect and far be it from the minister to in the
   II. His relation to the congregation.                 least try to regard it as such. It is a part of the
                                                         church militant which still has an enemy to fight. The
   The question naturally arises: What is the relation church surely has the principle of eternal life within
of the minister to that congregation to which he brings her but is still on earth. The powers of hell and dark-
the Word? First of all, it must be clearly understood ness continually come against her. The battle wages.
that he is a member of that congregation. As a mem- The power of darkness encamps with all his hosts
ber of the congregation he is a member of the body against her, yet she is assured that the gates of hell
of Christ. This he must be aware of and this must shall not overwhelm her. To this must be added the
also be his confession shall he be a blessing unto the fact that the church is still in sin. There is also with-
congregation and a faithful servant of God. Surely in the local congregation at all times a carnal Israel.
there may have been rare cases in which an unbeliever That fleshly element must always be borne in mind
served as a successful minister of the gospel. God is and condemned. Then there is also an element of the
not bound to means. He can use all things to His pur- elect that is still in sin and must come to conversion.
pose. But shall the minister be a blessing and not a And finally the sin within the hearts of believers keeps
detriment he must be a living member of the body of the church in imperfection. The minister knows this
Christ. This must also be evident in all his daily life. to be the case from his own subjective experience as
His speech, walk, talk and thought must be a daily well as from the objective testimony of the Word. Yet
confession. He must be an example to the flock. Then this church in all its trials and struggles, short com-
also he is a member of the congregation which he ings and sins looks forward to the glorious redemption
serves. The spiritual experiences and testimonies of of the inheritance which awaits her. She is clad with
the flock must be his. With the congregation he looks the armor of God. She does not despair for she is
in humble faith up to God and with her he cries: Abba ever urged on by the strength of the hope within her.
Father. With her he gives thanks and with her he As strangers on earth the minister and the congrega-
longs and patiently hopes for the  fulfllment  of the tion look in expectation for the city of our God and


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       427

desire to remain faithful unto the end that no one may ity with his own person and thereby prove unfaithful
take her crown.                                                to his task. Therefore it is of extreme importance
   And now one more element enters in. The minister that he remember his own weakness and present him-
comes to a particular congregation. This congregation self as he is. The congregation must also be aware
has a particular place, a particular history, a partic- that he lives the same life she does with all that is
ular condition and particular needs. These are all connected with it. The congregation must also con-
according to the will and counsel of God and must be stantly remember him in her prayers. Thus only can
regarded as such. They must ever be borne in mind. he faithfully watch over himself and over the flock
The Word must serve also that particular congregation which is given in his care.
as the testimony of God. Therefore the minister must               As to the nature of the &lling whereby Christ calls
know the congregation as it is and bring the Word to           him to service, it has two sides, an internal and an
that congregation as servant of God, being placed in external calling. First of all he is called internally
that particular place in the vineyard of God by the by the Holy Spirit in his heart. This calling is accom-
calling of Christ. He must labor there and serve ac- plished by true spiritual life and devotion to God. It
cording to the will of God in order that that congrega- is' a certain abiding desire to serve in the Lord's vine-
tion may take its own peculiar place in the organism yard. This internal calling is sealed by an external
of the body unto the glory' of its Head. He must build calling. The Lord also supplies the necessary means
up the congregation in the grace and in the knowledge for him whom he has called unto His service. The
of Christ according to all her needs and to the best of minister must necessarily have spiritually and natural
his ability, that he may prove to be a faithful servant gifts shall he devote himself to the service in Christ's
of Christ.                                                     kingdom. He must have spiritual gifts of faith, love
   III. His relation to Christ.                                and hope, but also a certain natural ability to serve
                                                               physically and mentally. Then there must also be an
   In his reIation to Christ the minister is ambassador opened way whereby he can enter into the service. All
and servant. He comes to the congregation represent- his life must serve as a preparation, but also must the
ing his Sender, Christ.  Christ is the King of the natural  abilities which he possesses be developed. He
church, anointed from eternity by God. As King he must have a training in school as well as a daiIy prep-
rules over the church with His Word and Spirit, and aration in prayerful study. He must devote his life
causes all things in heaven and on earth, even sin,            to his calling. In the second place, Christ also calls
devil and hell to serve unto the salvation and glory of to His service through the congregation for which He
the church. Yet Christ also rules through men. In has prepared him. This calling is of importance for
general  aI1 God's people have the anointing of the Holy the minister. Thereby he may be assured that Christ
Spirit so that they need not that anyone should teach has called him. He does not come as one who has
them, but  that the body of Christ may better manifest formed himself into the service, but he receives a place
itself and the church of God may be built up Christ from  His Sender, Christ. This gives him confidence
has also given office-bearers to teach, lead and care for in all his dif%xlt tasks and in the responsibility which
the congregation. The local congregation is a partic- he bears. Thereby he can resist the surrounding
ular manifestation of the body of Christ. It has no            temptations, can fight against all foes which seek his
power above it. The, minister is an organ of the local downfall and can rest assured that only He who has
church which calls him and this minister receives his called him can take his place from him. He stands
calling and authority from Christ. Thus the minister firm in his weakness because he is supported by the
is subject only to Christ. There can be no other never failing strength of Christ through the testimony
authority above him than that of Christ. Classis and of the Spirit in his heart. He devotes himself with joy
synod grow out of the individual congregations. They to the duties assigned to him.
are not a separate power. Because a group of churches              As ambassador of Christ, coming with the living
have the same life  .principle,  the same foe to fight, the Word of God to the living congregation of God the
same confession and the same needs they organize minister has a most glorious task. There is no higher
into a denomination. Yet this organization does not            calling on earth no matter what it may be and there
place a new authority above the minister. Classis can is no greater duty. For as instrument of Christ he
advise but not rule. Thus the minister is subject solely serves in the gathering together of His flocq and in the
to Christ. Thus the minister has no other service than building of the temple of God. He has no other man-
to devote  himself  to the task laid upon him by Christ.       date than the revelation of God. His aim is the eternal
As a living ambassador he comes with the living Word glory of Him who has willed all things unto, His glory.
to a living congregation. Especially as representative         And he may be instrument in the assembling of the
of Christ the minister serves only as a human instru- saints unto the coming of Christ  in the clouds of the
ment. It must not be lost from view that he is also            heavens that they may be taken into the eternal in-
in weakness and sinful. He must be conscious of this heritance unto the praise of God, that Christ may be
himself, lest he  faI1 into sinful, foolish  pride. There  is all in all.
a danger that he will associate his calling and author-                                                C. HANK0

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

.-                                                         might have been readier to tolerate Him as an excited
          !L'HE   MIRACIiE  AND THE ENEMIES                enthusiast; but now they  a&o get frightened, for they
                         OF JESUS                          were the great supporters of the Roman power, and
                                                           the great fearers of popular revolt. And so, when the
       The raising of Lazarus was too conspicuous a mir- meeting of the great council was called in haste, Phari-
acle, it had been wrought too near the city, had been sees and Sadducees found common ground in saying to
seen by too many witnesses, and had produced too one another, "What do we? for this man doeth many
`palpable results, not to attract the immediate and fixed miracles. If we let Him thus  aIone,  a13 men  will be-
attention of  the:`Jewish  rulers. Within a few hours lieve on Him; and the Remans  shall come and take
after its performance Jerusalem couId  be fihed with away both our place and our nation." Neither party
the report of its performance. A meeting of the San- believed that there was any chance of Jesus making a
hedrin was immediately summoned, and sat in council successful revolt, and achieving by that success a  Jib-
as to what should be done. No doubt was raised as to eration from the Roman yoke, as it then lay upon
the reality of this or any other miracles which Christ them. The. Pharisees, the secret enemies of  the, for-
had wrought. They had been done to openly to admit eigner, saw nothing in Jesus of such a warlike leader
of that. But now, when many even of the Jews of * as the nation longed for and required. The Sadducees,
Jerusalem were believing in him, some stringent meas- dreading some outbreak, but utterly faithless as to any
ures required to be taken to check this rising, swelling good issue coming out of it, saw nothing before them
tide, or who could tell to what it may carry them? as the result of such a movement but the loss of such
There were divisions, however, in the council. It was power as they were still permitted to exercise. And so
constituted of Pharisees and of Sadducees, who had both combined against the Lord. But there was some
been looking at Jesus all through with very different loose talking, some doubts were expressed by men like
eyes. The Pharisees from the first had hated Him. Nicodemus, or some feebler measures spoken of, till
He had made so little of their boasted righteousness, the high priest himself arose, - Caiaphas, the  son-in-
had exalted goodness and holiness of heart and life so law of  Annas, connected thus with that  fam.iIy in
far above  alI ritualistic regularity, had simplified reli- which the Jewish pontificate remained for fifty years
gion so, and encouraged men, however  sinfu1, to go to - four of the sons, as well as the son-in-law of Annas,
God as their merciful Father, setting aside the pre- having, with some interruptions, enjoyed the dignity.
tentions  of the priesthood, and treating as things of All through this period, embracing the whole of
Iittle worth the. labored Iearning  of the schools, - He Christ's life from early childhood, Annas,  the head of
had been so unspairing besides in exposing the avarise, the favored family, even when himself out of office,
the ambition, the sensuality that cloaked themselves in retained much of its power, being consulted on  ail
the garb of a precise and exclusive religionism, that occasions of importance, and acting as the president
they early felt that their quarrel with Him was not to of thesanhedrin. Hence it is that in the closing scenes
be settled otherwise than by death Very early, on the of our Lord's history Annas  and Caiaphas appear as
occasion of His second visit to Jerusalem, they had acting conjunctly, each spoken of as high priest.
sought to slay Him, at first nominally as a Sabbath-       Caiaphas, like the rest of hisfamily, like all the aristo-
breaker, then' afterwards, and still more, as a blas- cracy of the temple, was a Sadducee ; and the spirit
phemer. In Galilee - to which He had retired to put both of the family and of the sect was that of haughty
Himself out of the reach of the Pharisees of the cap- pride and a bold and reckless cruelty. Caiaphas cut
ital - their hostility pursued Him, till we read of  the the deliberations short by saying impetuously and
Pharisees and the Herodians.  then taking counsel to- authoritatively to his colleagues, "Ye know nothing at
gether  "how they might destroy Him." Once and all, nor consider that it is expedient for `us, that one
again, at the Feast of Tabernacles and at the Feast of man should die for the people, and that the whole na-
the Dedication, stones had been taken up to stone Him tion perish not." One life, the life of the GahIean,  what
to death, officers had been sent to arrest Him, and the is it worth? What matters it whether He be innocent
resolution came to and announced, that if any man or guilty, according to this or that man's estimate of
should confess that He was the Christ, he should be guilt and innocence ; it stands in the way of national
excommunicated. But as yet no formal determination welfare. Better one man perish than the whole nation
of the Sanhedrin had been made that He should be put be involved in danger, it may be in ruin. The false,
to death. The reason of this delay, for suffering the  hollow,  the unjust plea, upon which the life of
Christ to go at large even for so long a time as He did, many a good and innocent man, guilty of nothing but
was in all likelihood the dominance in the Sanhedrin speaking the pIain  and honest truth, has been sacri-
of the Sadducean element. The Sadducees had their ficed, had all the sound, as coming from the lips of the
own grounds for disliking the person, the character, high priest, of a wise policy, a consultation for the na-
the pretentions of Jesus, but they were not so vehement tion's good. Pleased with themselves as such `good
in their persecution of Him. Caring less about reli- patriots, and covering with this disguise  a11 the other
gious dogmas and observances than the rival sect, thiy grounds and reasons for the resolution, it was  de-


                                           THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         431

     termined that Jesus should be put to death. It re- kers die gereformeerd willen zijn. We vinden het daar-
     mained only to see how most speedily and most. safely om zeer opmerkelijk, dat er steeds onder de Chr. Geref.
     it could be accomplished.                                  broeders en zusters menschen worden  gevonden die,
        Unwittingly, in what he said Caiaphas had uttered wanneer gevraagd  : "Waarom behoort ye niet tot Ben
     a prophesy, had announced a great and central truth onzer kerken?" ten antwoord geven: "Wel, we hebben
     of the Christian faith. He had given to the death de- een goede dominee die net zoo zuiver preekt als uwe
     termined on too limited a range, as if it had been for leeraren."' Alsof wij de maatstaf zijn voor goede  Gere-
     that nation of the Jews alone that Jesus was to die. formeerde prediking.
     But the Evangelist takes up, expounds, and expands            hen in verband met de artikelen  tegenover de broe-
     the words as carrying with them the broad significance' ders die op Cbiliastisch  standpunt staan is het teeke-
     that not for that nation only was He to die, but that nend, dat zelfs in de Chr. Geref. Kerk een leeraar, door
     by His death He "should gather together in one the middel van B&I zijner schapen, ons blad nasnuffelt, en
     children of God that were scattered abroad." Strange langs dien weg  zich wapent tegenover die groep. Wel-
     ordering of Providence, that here at the beginning and     iswaar werden onze  mannen in het heetst van den
     there at the close of our Lord's passion  - here in the strijd  gescholden  voor Anabaptisten en ook we1 hun
     Sanhedrin, there upon the cross - here from the Jew- Godsbeschouwing een wreede genoemd, maar niemand
     ish high priest, there from the Roman governor  - trad tegen hen tot op dezen dag in `t strijdperk. Ze
     words should come by which the unconscious utterers hebben totnogtoe ongestoord door kunnen werken en
     conspired in proclaiming the priestly and kingly aan het zich voorgestelde doe1 beantwoord.
     authority and office of our Lord and Saviour Jesus             Uitgangspunt van dien strijd, onder ons  .welbe-
     Christ.                                                    kend, was: Zal Bijbel en Babel samengaan? Athene
                                                 G. M. 0.       en Jeruzalem? Plato en de heilige schrijvers? De
                                                                wijsheid der wereld en de dwaasheid des kruises? Die
                                                                strijd is naar menschelijk oordeel  door hen verloren.
                                                                De kerk, waarin we van onze prilste jeugd waren  on-
                           ON? BLAD                             derwezen, durfde het bestaan om Gereformeerd te noe-
                                                                men wat Pelagiaansch is. Gevoelde ook geen behoefte
                               iII1                             om eigen standpunt te ontwikkelen. Kan  dat ook niet.
                              (Slot)                            Bet is werkelijk ongelooflijk, dat de Chr. Geref.  leiders
                                                                niets, absoluut niets, ten beste hebben gegeven in de
        In onze eerste bijdrage dezer  artikelenreeks   schre- lijn der beginselen. We mogen althans aannemen, dat
     ven we, dat het ens doe1 was om het ontstaan, het be- een "Question hour" over de "Radio" des Zondags in
     staan en het voortbestaan van onze "Standard Bearer" den namiddag tech zeker niet ten doel heeft  om voor
     voor de aandacht onzer lezers te brengen. Het artikei      het publiek in `t algemeen de Gereformeerde begin-
     van den' eersten Juni was dan ook eigenlijk het slot selen te ontwikkelen, ook niet voor ons, of liever eigen
     dezer geschiedenis. We  waren  zeer kort in genoemde volk, die minstens tweemaal op den dag des Heeren de
     bijdrage en de  reden hiervoor is, dat we de laatste       bediening des Woords bijwonen. Zoo althans behoort
     twee  jaren   onzen  werkkring in het  Westen   hadden.    bet te wezen.        .
     Daar komt nog bij dat de notulen der R. F. P. A. zeer         Zien we om ons heen,  dan klaagt  de kerk over gees
     beknopt zijn, gelijk dit ook het geval is met andere telijke armoede en doen  "man-made" middeltjes, van
     vereenigingen ; critiek ten dezen is dus onze bedoeling verdacht,  alloos, dienst om het geestelijk  leven te ster-
     niet. Alleen een verontschuldiging  onzerzijds, dat we     ken. Zelfs schijnt het zoo te wezen met de AbsoIutie,
     niet uitvoeriger schreven dan we deden, omdat we  ens die een ieder nog maar niet wil aanvaarden en  waar-
     bij de officieele stukken wenschten te houden. De van het eindresultaat  we1 zal  worden,  dat een ieder er
     hoofdzaken gaven we  echter  weer.                         mee handele naar eigen goedvinden en er zoo min mo-
        Er rest ons nog enkele opmerkingen te maken in gelijk een bindenden regel van make. Het scheepje der
     verband met de toekomst of wel het verder bestaan          kerk is  als het ware zonder stuurman.
     van ons blad.                                                  Geheel anders en meer Schriftuurlijk gaf de
        We meenen veilig te gaan, wanneer we ons houden "Standard Bearer" leiding voor onzen  kring.
     aan hetgeen de geschiedenis ons Ieerde, dat wannQer            Er werd bij ons door de onzen  niet gebazeld over
     het ideaal zij om naar de S&rift te leven  en te leeren    den "goddelijken" Plato,  we1 over de goddelooze en
     en a1 onze activiteit daarnaar te richten,  onze toekomst ijdeIe  phiIosofie zijner  volgelingen.  Het beginsel, dat
     zeker is. Daarom  tech zijn we begonnen, zij bet  door-    er in het aardsch natuurlijk leven een terrein is waar-
     dat de kerk, waar we bij behoorden, ens er toe nood-       op geloof en ongeloof elkander de hand reiken en  bei-
     zaakte, om weer de aloude Gereformeerde waarheid op den  samen  werken en aldus God verheerlijken,  wordt
     den voorgrond te zetten, ook door middel van ons blad,     door ons blad niet geponeerd. Beiden, geloovigen en
     gelijk  zuIks, voordat de "Standard Bearer" verscheen, ongeIoovigen,  vormen de eene menschheid, maar waar
I    alreeds op de preekstoel geschiedde. Net is niet waar, ze in oorsprong een zijn, &en in val, Qen in ongeveer
     dat onze kerkengroep bestaat uit een hoop scheurma-        alles, ze zijn en blijven  geestelijk  twee. Kunnen nooit


