I.96                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
- -   --.-  --.."_-...

                      THE MAN ISAAC                         listine lord dared to direct to Isaac this speech
                                                            if in his might he was surpassed by his guest. The
        Isaac even after having arrived at the season of only plausible explanation is that the patriarchs by this
manhood, remained under his father's wing; spent time had become known to the inhabitants of Canaan
much of his time in his mother's tent. His parents as nomads too peaceable and inoffensive to offer de-
continued to do his thinking for him, map out his t,ermined  resistence  to such who would bid them to
course, fix his career, in a word, continued to assert move on. In yielding to the demands  of.Canaan's  set-
themselves as the determining factor in their  &On's tled land owners instead of showing fight, they showed
life at every turn of the road. Happily for Isaac, his themselves up as personages enpowered by grace to
parents were in the deep sense friends of God so live out their lives as pilgrims and strangers in the
that the course of conduct they sketched out for him earth. Isaac, too, quietly quit the Philistine meadows
was at once the way of life. Under their moulding in- and thus showed himself up as one of God's meek.
fluence this son had grown up to be a God-fearing man          The wells were stopped up because the Philistines
ready to serve the redemptive purposes of Heaven.           feared that Isaac might eventually point to them as
        This does not take away that Isaac had received     his titles to the land, where he bad settled. The rea-
comparatively little opportunity for independent son this patriarch was told to leave is also plain
action. Not until his marriage did he pass from under enough: the Philistines were aware that according to
the tutelage of his father to live his own life. But the custom of the land a prolonged residence of
even that stretch of his career beginning with his mar- strangers was sufficient to establish their claim to the
riage was largely an extention of the career of his country where they settled. Eventually, thought  Abime-
father. As to his occupation, mode of living, status,       lech, I and my son will be crowded off our possessions
views and asperations, the son was the replica of his by these strangers should they be permitted to stay
father.      Both were pastoral princes living in tents; for they are mightier than we.
the social status of both was that of a stranger and           "So Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in
pilgriin in the land of Canaan.                             the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there." As Gerar was
        Yet it must not be supposed that this son was the a Philistine city, Isaac was still in the territory of
exact duplicate of his father, raised up for the sole Abimelech. The wells dug by Abraham's servants and
purpose of taking his father's place in the scheme of stopped by the  Phi&tines  were opened and given
redemption. If revelation is progressive, it must fol-      names  sfter the names by which Abraham had called
,low that Isaac was to serve the purposes of Heaven them.           It seems that with Isaac at Gerar, the Phi-
in a manner in which Abraham did and could not, in listine lords were still ill at ease, for they at least per-
a manner congruous with the type of personage he mitted their herdsmen  to claim and to take by force
was. As was pointed out in previous essays, Isaac was two more wells the servants of Isaac dug. Isaac in
the seed, made to appear for the purpose of exhibiting both cases waived his rights to the fruits of his toil
as a type certain features of the suffering Christ, to and moved on not, however, without first giving ffi the
wit, his passive obedience. This explains why he is wells he had dug names expressive of the malignity of -
seen in the sacred record as a most pliable, submissive the adversary. Esek is the transliteration of a Hebrew
(in relation to Abraham) retiring, unassuming and  un- verb meaning to strive  ; and the Hebrew Sitnah is de-
obstrusive personage, easily lead, seemingly without rived from a verb meaning to be ax advemary,  to per-
much efford yielding to pressure from without. Con- secute. S persecuted stranger - that was Isaac in
sider his self-sacrifice on Mt. Moriah. Forsooth, he, too, the land of promise at least at this juncture. Not once,
was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep      however, did he meet violence with violence but con-
before his shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. tinued to yield his ground. That he was not insensible
        Consider, in the second place, his behaviour on the to the wrong he suffered, the naming of the wells
occasion of his being embarrassed by the Philistine plainly show; but rather than avenge himself by the
lords. Blessed by the Lord, he had become very great. mailed fist, he took his injury patiently and thus did
His prosperity, such is the impression the sacred record the thing that was acceptable with God. How easy it
leaves, partook of the character of the miraculous. He is  to pass in our thinking from Isaac to Him Who,
had sowed in the land and received a hundredfold. His when He was reviled, reviled not again ; when He suf-
possession of flocks and herds was great; his servants fered, threatened not, but committed Himself to Him
numerous. His prosperity was more than the Phi- that judgeth righteously.
&tines could endure. They envied him and gave vent              Quitting the scene of strife, Isaac dug another well
to their impious rage by stopping all the wells >&a- for which they strove not. So he called the name of it
ham's servants had digged. The offence  was a most Rehoboth, meaning, ample room. "For," said he, "now
serious one as water is indispensible to life. Isaac is the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruit-
ordered to get him out of Abimelech's territory. "Go ful in the land." How God-conscious he was. How
from us," said he to Isaac, "for thou art mightier than well he seemed to know that no evil could befall him
we." The `question arises how it came that this  Phi- except by the direction of his God; how firmly he be-


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                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                      197

lieved that the Almighty so restrained the adversaries cut them of? in thy truth" (Ps. 54).
that without His will they could not hurt him. How                 Quitting Rehoboth, Isaac went up to Beer-sheba.
     ready he was to admit that the Lord had been in that That he had behaved himself as it becomes the serv-
bitter experience through which he had passed ; that ants of the Lord, that his conduct had met with the
`the Philistine was but the rod of God's love.                 approval of Heaven, that he had placed a right con-
        Not Abimelech, but the Lord had made room for struction upon his  deliverence  from his embarrass-
     him. As for Abimelech and his kind, they would have ment is evident from the revelation he now received.
     crowded him off the earth, had it been in their power. The Lord appeared unto him the same night and said,
     That they would molest a nomad so meek and in- "I am the God of Abraham thy father; fear not for I
     offensive plainly shows that they lived in the dread am with thee, and I will bless thee, and multiply thy
     of him, not because of his violence, for he was a man seed for my servant Abraham's sake."
     of peace, but because they perceived that the Lord was        "I am the God of thy father Abraham . . " Would
     with him so that eventually he would possess their it not have cheered Isaac more, had the Lord said to
     land. That they were acquainted with the promises him, I am thy God? Indeed not. Consider the promise
     Isaac, too, had taken home to his heart and with the made to Abraham, And I will establish my covenant
     hope in which he gloried, is certain. And the mi- between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their
     raculous prosperity of this patriarch was to them the generations, for an eveqlasting covenant, to be a God
     unmistakable evidence that his hope reposed on solid unto thee and to thy seed after thee. The Lord, then,
     ground. They perceived that the Lord was with him. had already declared Himself to be Isaac's God. If
        As for Isaac, the room the Lord had made for him there was one thing that stood out clear in Isaac's
     was to him the sign that this room would be enlarged mind, it was that God was his God; for he knew him-
     so as to include eventually the. gates of his enemies, self to be the promised heir in whom the seed was to
     necessarily so if he was to be fruitful in the land. It be called, `so that what he was in need of on the occa-
     will be seen at once that this finding of room in Canaan sion of his violent ejection from the Philistine territory
     must have been prophetic of bigger things, of a larger was not so much a word from Heaven asserting that
     good, if it be considered that Isaac, yea, let us say, the God  w(ts his God as some proof that his God was of a
     church of the living God dwells in the midst of an un- mind to keep covenant fidelity. So the Lord said to
     principled, suspicious, distrustful, hostile, and at once him, I the God who now speak with thee am He who
     mighty people, begrudging the faithful children of God promised thy father that He would bless thee his heir,
     as much as standing room on the earth. The sole rea- so that my gracious intercourse with thee this day is to
     son that the church is not crowded off the earth is thee the sure sign that I do as was promised and thus
     that the Lord gives it room, be that room as yet ever so keep trust. Be thou therefore at ease. Fear not the
     small. And the church is fruitful in the land. How wrath of the adversary for I, the faithful One, am with
     prophetic of better things to come. How evident that thee to bless thee, and to multiply thy seed.
     the meek shall inherit the earth when the time is at          "For my servant Abraham's sake." In this utter-
     hand for the wicked to be exiled into that region of ance, Abraham appears as sustaining some kind of
     eternal night.                                             close relation to  God%. gracious dealing with Isaac.
        "And he called the name of it Sitnah," meaning What could there have been about Abraham that could
     persecution. No, the meek of the earth are not un- be cited as a reason for the salvation of his seed? And
     mindful of the curtailment of their rights and the the answer is ready: The promise given him, his faith
     violating of their person by the wicked. They are in the promise ; his great desire as father of all be-
     not insensible to the wrong done them. Instead they lievers for his own and his children's eternal  WC+
     remember, and even erect. monuments to their grief being. As was said in another connection, Scripture
     and call upon the Lord to take notice of their plight makes it plain that faith, piety, godliness on the one
     and to avenge them upon their enemies. Isaac did so, hand, and glory on the other hand, go hand in hand.
     and likewise David. Hearken unto his complaint :           The Lord pitieth those who fear Him. They who be-
        "Lord, how are they increased that trouble me. lieve are saved. The poor are blessed. Those that
     Many are they that rise up against me. Many there mourn are comforted. The meek inherit the earth.
     be which say of my soul, There is no help of him in Those who do thirst and hunger for righteousness are
     God. But thou, 0 Lord, art a shield for me ; my glory f&d. The merciful obtain mercy. The pure of heart
     and the lifter up of my head . . . Arise, 0 Lord ; see God, so that it is altogether proper to say that the
     save me, 0 my God ; for thou hast smitten all mine poor are blessed, because of their poverty, and thus
     enemies upon the cheek bone ; thou hast broken the         for their own sake also, that is, for the purpose of re-
     teeth of the ungodly." And again: "Hear my prayer, lieving their poverty, quenching their thirst, and ap-
     0 God ; give ear to the words of my mouth. For peasing their hunger. Far be it from the Lord to
     strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors grieve His children by failing to satisfy the need for
     seek after my soul; they have not set God before Him. Whereas He worketh according to His good
     them . . . He shall reward evil unto mine enemies; pleasure the will and the doing, this need, this hunger


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                   ._-__-             ,_.-.._ -._-.____                                               ".-

 and thirst, is to be defined not surely as a sovereign not deal falsely wth me, nor with my son, nor with
 cause but merely as a good-enough reason for the ap- my son's son: but according to the kindness that I
 pearance of the just in Zion.                                have done thee, thou shalt do unto me, and the land
        As to Abraham, the reason he repeatedly appears wherein thou hast sojourned."
 in Scripture as one for whose sake God blesses His              One thing stands out clear, it is that these Phi-
 people, is the relation he was made to sustain to all        listine kings had a strong presentiment of the patri-
 believers, to wit, that of father. And as father he archs' future greatness and power and therefore
 pleaded on the basis of the promise for the eternal thought it wise to court their friendship. They may
 well-being of his children. And whereas God cannot have arrived at the conclusion that the patriarchs' God
 deny Himself, his prayer was heard. The expression is God in heaven above and in the earth beneath, and
 for Abraham's sake must mean then for the sake of were therefore determined to avoid conflict with them
 the promise made to him in sovereign grace, and for because they realized that in the first and last instance
 the sake of the intercessory prayer he made because they would have to do with this God.
 he believed.                                                    Isaac also, then, is asked to swear that he will do
    That Abraham was placed before the saint of the old Abimelech and his offspring.no  hurt. His first response
 dispensation as one for whom sake he was blessed must was to make them a feast. And they did eat and drink.
 have the effect of training him to look away from self The next morning all rose up betimes and swore one
 to contemplate Abraham, or r&her the promised seed, to another.
 as the channel, and Jehovah as the fountain of salvation.       So Isaac, too, as  well as Abraham, showed himself
 When this seed - Christ Jesus - finally appeared, up as one fully determined to look persistently away
 Abraham receded into the background. It is now from any attempt to found an earthly kingdom and to
 Christ for whose sake we are blessed. He who redeemed set himself up in it as lord. For the promise he made
 us to God by his blood out of every kindred, and tongue, amounted to a declaration that he would never
 and people and nation ; and made us unto our God kings       turn against Abimelech to appropriate by force his
a and priests, has great power with God and may pray people and his iand. It indicates that he, as well as
 as no one can. "Father, I will that they also, whom Abraham, was fully determined to live out his life a
 thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they pilgrim and stranger in the earth; that the kingdom
 may behold my glory, which thou hast given me ; for he looked for was a city having foundations, with God
 thou loveth me before the foundation of the world" its Maker and Builder. He was therefore content to
 (John  1724).                                                continue as Abimelech's guest, as Beer-sheba also was
        In response to the reassuring word of Jehovah,        Philistine territory.
 Isaac  builded  an altar and called upon the name of            Let us observe that as the Philistine king of yore,
 the Lord, and pitched his tent there ; and there he so this Abimelech appeals to his past kind treatment
 digged a well." Here then at Beer-sheba, the former of Isaac as the reason why the latter should consent
 residence of Abraham, Isaac establishes the worship of to deal kindly with him and with his generations. He
 Jehovah, The notice, And he pitched his tent there, had, so he meant to say, avoided furnishing Isaac with_
 leaves the impression that Beer-sheba was chosen as a the smallest pretext for the practice of violence so that
 permanent place of residence. This impression is there could be no reason why Isaac should refuse to
 deepened by what immediately follows: And there bind himself under oath to fair and kindly treatment
 Isaac'!s  servants digged a well.                            of him and his own.
    Here at Beer-sheba an incident occurred that again           Consider Isaac's remarkable response. Instead of
 showed up Isaac as a man of. great patience and for-         asking Abimelech to swing his speech in line with the
 bgarance. Abimelech and Ahuzzah, one of his friends, past violence of his subjects, if he could; instead of
 together with Phichol, the chief captain of the Phi- demanding of this Philistine chief that he publicly
 listine army came to Isaac. In view of the past  be-         acknowledge his claims to the wells his servants had
 haviour of this chieftain, Isaac is greatly surprised dug and thus denounce the violence of his  (Abime-
 that he visits him. "Wherefore come ye to me, seeing lech's) servants, Isaac holds his peace and prepares
 ye hate me, and have sent me away from you?" asked for his visitors a sumptuous meal.
 Isaac. To this Abimelech replied,"We  saw certainly that        Compare Isaac's manner of behaviour with that of
 the Lord was with thee ; su;d we said, Let there now be his father under a similar circumstance. The behaviour
 an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us     of the servants of the Abimelech with whom Abraham
 make a covenant with thee, that thou wilt do us no had had to do, had been as reproachable as the be-
 hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done haviour of the Philistine Abimelech with whom Isaac
 unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away had to do, The former Abimelech had likewise ap-
 in peace; and thou- art now the blessed of the Lord." propriated a well, Abraham in his industry had found.
    Many years ago Abimelech (or his predecessor)             Instead of keeping silence about the matter, Abraham
 had directed a similar speech to Abraham. "Now reproved to his face this king "because of the well of
 therefore swear unto me here by God, that thou wilt water, which his servants had violently taken away."


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This king professed his ignorance of the entire affair, out with all the power of paternal devotion; for
and chides Abraham for having kept the thing from Ishmael was his only child. What he pleaded for when
him. Abraham, however, was not satisfied, and had he cried out, 0, that Ishmael might live before thee !
insisted, therefore, that Abimelech take from his hand was the salvation of his son. His prayer, so we saw,
seven ewe lambs he had set aside as a witness that he was answered.
had digged the well. So he had made this king pub-           As to Isaac, the import of the notice, And Isaac ate
licly declare that the well belonged to him, that he of  Esau's  venison, seems to be that Esau was the
(abraham) might have some tangible proof of this favorite son because he knew how to please his  .father's
king's innocence and integrity.                           palate, so that Isaac's love for this grown-up child of
   The covenant having been made, the former Abime-       his partook of the character of a lust for well pre-
lech returned to his land. That Abraham as Isaac had pared and palatable food wherewith to appease an over-
first prepared for him a feast and thereupon had sent stimulated appetite. In a word, Isaac loved Esau be-
him away in peace we read nothing of.                     cause the latter made it a point to cater to his carnal
   So, then, from the entire conduct of Isaac on the whims. It goes to show that especially in his latter
occasion of his swearing, it again appears that he was days Isaac developed into a lover of sumptuous living
a personage of extraordinary gentleness and patience ; and a too close companion of the wicked.           B e c a u s e
that, in a word, he was a most patient, lovable and the jovial, large-hearted, generous, but withal1 profane
saintly man.                                              Esau appealed to Isaac's flesh, he was selected for the
   "And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac's patriarchal blessing.
servants came, and told him concerning the well which        It must not be supposed, however, that in blessing
they had digged, and said unto him, We have found         l$au, Isaac meant to set his mouth against Heaven,
water. And he called it Sheba ; therefore the name of to defy the Lord and make sport of His oracle. The
the city is Beer-sheba, that is the well of the oath, wicked, they destitute of grace, consciously defy
unto this day."                                           God. Isaac, as to the heart of his dispositions, was a
   Also Isaac then, as his father before him, would saint. How is it to be explained, then, someone may
have this place stand out in subsequent history as the interpolate, that he insisted on bestowing the blessing
sign that he and Abimelech had sworn, so that it was upon Esau? The Lord had declared in understandable
his will too that the covenant struck off be held sacred and unmistakable speech: "Two nations are in thy
by the generation to come. As was said, however, in womb, and two manner of people shall be separated
the book of the Judges, the Philistines appear as from thy bowels ; and the one people shall be stronger
breaking their oath and destroying every recollection than the other people ; and the elder shall serve the
of the old covenant by  t.heir  inroads into the territory younger." Let it be considered that the Hebrew text
of the Israelites.                                        reads, not, and the elder shall serve the younger, but,
   So, then, various events of Isaac's life, singled out the greater  shall serve  the  lesser. The divine oracle
and dwelt upon in this and the precedng article, plainly spake not of two sons, but of two nations. The one
indicate that Isaac was one of God's saints - a man of *IzcLtion  shall be stronger than the other nation, and the      ,,
singular patience, forbearance and gentleness and as stronger or greater people shall serve the lesser. the
such an ensample for all the children of God.             weaker people.
   As was said, however, Isaac did display some grave        Such being the speech of t.he Lord, it can be seen
imperfections in his latter days. As he grew older he at once that Isaac could select his oldest son for the
began to yield more and more to the impulses of nature. blessing without consciously rebelling against the Lord.
His favorite son was the profane Esau in whose tent What happened is that Isaac, lead astray by his carnal
he was much seen, eating of his venison and resolving love for Esau, refused to sense that the superior
as he would eat to bestow upon this son the patriarchal strength and stateliness, yea, let us say, brute violence
blessing. His free and easy intercourse with this son of the latter was the sign that he was to be the father
is to be denounced. His failure to be impressed by of that stronger, greater people destined to serve the
Jacob's plainness shows that his powers of discernment people of which the weaker Jacob was to be the
had lost their keen edge.                                 progenitor. Add to this that, though not the weaker
   In taking the profane Esau to his bosom as the son, Esau was the elder, that further the eldest, son
favorite son, he falls beneath his father. True, Abra- was the heir in the house, and it can at least be ex-
ham, too, it will be recalled, had set his heart on the plained how a man with the fear of God in his heart,
profane Ishmael, so much so that in response to the could so err. That Isaac in blessing, Esau meant not
divine announcement that he shall have a son also of to defy the Lord is evident from this that when he dis-
Sarah, Abraham declares, 0, that Ishmael might live covered his mistake he was greatly perturbed. We read,
before thee. The Lord emphatically re-affirms that "And Isaac his father said to him, (namely, Esau)
Sarah shall bear him a son `indeed.                       who art thou, And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn,
   The two cases, however, are not similar. It was Esau. il& Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said,
but natural that to Ishmael Abraham's heart should go who? . . .  *  yy                              G. M. 0.


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                             .._

 he& Hij het kwade, als voorwerp van Zijn  haat en
 toorn, en tot openbaring hiervan, radend gewild. En             A'CATECHISM ON THE HISTORY OF THE
 in de derde plaats, mag niet  worden  vergeten, dat God           PROTESTANT REFORMED CHURCHES
 ook het kwade  roept en schept op zulk een wijze, dat
 niet Hij, maar de goddelooze de auteur van het kwaad            VI.    CLASSIS  GRAND RAPIDS EAST, AUG. 1924
 is. Dit is maar geen schijn, ofschoon bier voor ons een
 ondoorgrondelijk mysterie mag liggem  maar volle  wer-         1. Did the  Synodical  decisions effect a settlement
 kelijkheid. God toornt verschrikkelijk, in Zijn raad of the controversy that had arisen in the Churches
 en in de realiseering er van tegen de zonde en tegen concerning the theory of Common Grace?
 den goddelooze. En de zedelijke verantwoordelijkheid           By no means  ; neither could this be-expected.
 van den mensch tast Hij nimmer  aan. Wat de  kun-              2.  Why not?
 stenaar, de schrijver, die zich een verhaal denkt met          Because the nature of these decisions was such as
 al zijn karakters,  niet kan, dat is, werkelijkheid  geven to give occasion to further trouble.
 aan de produkten zijner scheppende verbeelding, dat            3. Why were these decisions the occasion for new
 kan God wel, zonder dat Hij, de eindelijke Oorzaak, ge- troubles ?
 meenschap heeft met de zonde.                                  Because of their ambiguity. On the one hand, Synod
        Maar de duisternis is niet het einde. Het wordt had adopted three declarations of doctrine that were
 avond, maar  ook weer morgen. Straks wordt het de Arminian and Pelagian in tendency ; it had declared,
 morgen van den eeuwigen dag. Want God, Die  ge- quite correctly, that the teachings of the Revs. H.
 zegd heeft, dat het  licht in de duisternis zou schijnen, Danhof en H. Hoeksema deviated from these three doc-
 doet de Zonne der gerechtigheid opgaan, om  straks in trinal statements ; it had decided to admonish the two
 vollen glans te schijnen in Gods eeuwigen tabernakel.      pastors to abide by these three points of doctrine,. a
 Ook hier dient de duisternis het licht. In het eerste decision that was never carried out; on the other hand,
 Paradijs gaat de zon onder, maar  om straks in veel however, Synod had not condemned the views of the
1 heerlijker glans weer op te  gaan. Hij verstoort den two pastors as being unreformed, neither had it ad-
 vrede en schept het kwaad, om eeuwig vrede te maken vised to discipline and depose them in case they would
 in Immanuel en alle dingen  in Hem aan Zich te ver-        not submit to the  Synodical  decisions; it had failed to
 binden. De duisternis  gaat voorbij. En dan komt de take action even when the Rev. H. Danhof had de-
 eeuwige lichtstad,  waar de  tabernakel  Gods bij de livered his protest to the Synod, in which he plainly
 menschen zal zijn. Daar zal ook de Theodicee  worden       declared that he did not agree with the three points
 verwerkelijkt. God zal Zichzelven rechtvaardigen en neither purposed to abide by them, but rather to op-
 alle schepsel zal Hem eeuwig  moeten eeren, ook  daar-     pose them with every means at his command  ; and to
 voor, dat Hij het  licht formeerde en de duisternis render its inconsistency more glaring still, it had de-
 schiep, vrede maakte en het kwaad schiep, den vrede, clared that the two pastors were fundamentally Re-
 den eeuwigen vrede uit het kwaad en het licht, het formed !
 eeuwige  licht uit de duisternis deed opklimmen. Gods          4. Did these decisions, then, really afford the op-
 kunstenaarswerk zal dan voor eeuwig schitteren. Want ponents ground for further action?
 aldaar zal geen nacht  zijn !                                  No, indeed not; for the matter together with the
                                                II. H.      demand for disciplining the  t.wo pastors had been car-
                                                            ried to Synod by way of appeal and otherwise ; Synod
                                                            plainly had refused to resort to discipline, neither had
                                                            decided to advise consistories in this direction.; it even
                                                            had declined to follow the advice of its committee in
    Let us be very careful of thinking, on the one hand, this respect; and, since the decisions of Synod are cer-
 that we have no work assigned us to do, or, on the tainly final, the matter would naturally have to rest
 other hand, that what we have assigned to us is not the with these decisions. All parties concerned would have
 right thing for us. If ever we can say in our heart to to abide by the decisions of Synod and, therefore, they
 God, in reference to any daily duty, "This is not my afforded  no ground for action on the part of the oppo-
 place  ; I would choose something dearer ; I am capable nents of the two pastors.
 of something higher"-; we are guilty not only of rebel-        5. Why, then, do you say, that these decisions con-
 lion, but of blasphemy. It is equivalent to saying, not stituted  an  occa.s%on,  for further trouble?
 only, "My heart revolts against Thy commands," but             Because the ambiguity of the synodical  declarations
 "Thy commands are unwise ; Thine Almighty guidance left ample room for the enemies of the two pastors to
 is  unskilful;  Thine  omniscient eye has mistaken the interpret thein BS they liked best, that is, in such a
 capacities of Thy creature ; Thine infinite love is indif- way that they could afford them reasons for further
                                                            persecution of the two ministers.
 ferent to the welfare of Thy child."                           6. Were they at all encouraged to do so?
                                    Elizabeth Charles.          Yes ; especially by the articles written by  pr. 6.


                                    T H E S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         205

Van-Lonkhuyzen  in  Once  Toekomt;   and by those of certainly was the duty of Synod to determine whether
the Rev. I. Van  Dellen in De  Wuchter.   The former or no the pastor were guilty of public sin. `7. Synod,
criticized the work of Synod severely, because it had however, as we have seen, decided upon some am-
not finished its task and had failed to advise to dis- biguous declarations and statements. But in no way
cipline the two accused pastors; this, according to his did it justify the three protestants in their accusation.
position, which was undoubtedly correct, had rendered On the contrary, it expressed that the pastor was
all discipline by consistories and classes impossible. fundamentally Reformed. 8. After Synod the  con-
The latter, however, replied that it had exactly been sistory of Eastern Ave. labored with the three pro-.
the purpose of Synod to leave all discipline to the testants, attempting to persuade them to retract their
proper bodies and to have it initiated by the  consisto-    accusation. 9. However, this was all in vain. They
ries. The latter's opinion, `of course, was a mere per- could not be persuaded and demanded that they be ad-
sonal and subjective interpretation of the ambiguous mitted to the table of the Lord. IO. It is self-evident,
decisions of Synod. It was utterly false; as is very however, that the consistory could not possibly grant
evident from the fact, that Synod considered the advice this request. Thus the matter stood, when  Classis
of its committee to exercise discipline or advice to such convened in Aug. 1924.
exercise by making the case pending with the re-               10. And what about the censure of Mr. J. Vander
spective consistories of the two pastors, but rejected it. Mey ?
Yet, the very ambiguity of the synodical  declarations         He was barred from the Lord's Supper, when he
afforded the Rev. Van Dellen an opportunity to offer refused to admit and confess his sin of making propa-
his interpretation of them with a semblance of truth. ganda against the pastor by giving a rather wide dis-
   7. When was the case first reopened?                     tribution to the protest against the latter even before
   At the meeting of  Classis Grand Rapids East, Aug. he delivered it to the consistory. `After he tried to
20,  1924.                                                  dodge the issue for some time he finally admitted be-
   8. What was brought before this meeting relative fore the consistory that he had five hundred copies of
to the controversy?                                         his protest printed of which approximately one hun-
    The question of the censure of the three original dred had been distributed. This sin of propaganda
protestants against the teachings of the Rev. H. Hoek-      against the pastor had been aggravated by the attitude
sema ; and also the matter of the censure by the  con- he and his wife had assumed since the May-classis
sistory. of the Eastern Ave. Church of Mr. J.-Vander        against the pastor and the consistory, an attitude of
Mey.                                                        hatred and disrespect. The consistory labored with
    9. Will you briefly review the history of this cen- them but without avail.
sure?                                                          11. How did the case come before the Classis  of
    It is as follows: 1. The three protestants, having Aug. 1924?
failed duly to discuss the matter of their protest with        Both by way of an overture from the consistory,
the Rev. H. Hoeksema, sought to have their protest re- accompanied by a letter of information ; and by way of
ceived by the consistory of the Eastern Ave. Church protests from the censured members.
on the basis that it dealt with a public sin the pastor        12. What can you say about the overture, from
had committed. 2. The consistory could not admit this the consistory to  Classis?
ground and demanded of  t,he protestants that they re-         That it was a request to rescind its former decision,
tract their accusation. 3. The protestants refused to according to which the consistory was advised to lift
retract and were barred from partaking of the Lord's the censure of the three protestants. At the same time
Supper on the evident ground that they could not very the consistory had decided to appeal to Synod in case
well partake with their pastor of the table of the Lord Classis  would refuse this request.
as long as they accused him of public sin. 4 ,The pro-         13. And what were the contents of the letter of
testants, then, took" their protest against the teachings information sent by the consistory to  Classis?
of their pastor, as well as a protest against their cen-       It here follows in its entirety:
sure to the Classis  of May 1924. 5. After much wrang-         "Information of the consistory of Eastern Ave. re-
ling this Classis decided to refer the protest against garding its request that Classis rescind its decision
the doctrine back to the consistory ; at the same time,     relative to the censure of the brethren W. Hoeksema,
however, it decided to advise the consistory of Eastern J. De Hoog and H. Vander Vennen.
Ave. to lift the censure over the three protestants.           "The consistory would bring to the attention of
This surely was very inconsistent, since it is evident Classis first of all, that the reason why the above men-
that, before the censure could be lifted it would have tioned brethren were barred from the Lord's table
to be determined whether or no the accusation of public must not be sought in the fact, that they protested
sin against the pastor was proper and true. With re- against the pastor. Thus the matter has, indeed, been
spect to this question, however, Classis  did not express presented and this appears still to be the notion of
itself. 6. The three protestants thereupon took their `many. This allegation was also made on the floor of
entire protest by way of appeal to Synod, so that it the Synod ; and thus it was also presented in that  un-


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Christian little article that appeared in  The  Gmnd          sistory. Besides, they refuse to address the  con-
Rlapids  Pmss  of Aug. 16. This presentation is entirely sistory as brethren. The protest which the three
erroneous. The brethren were barred from the table brethren filed with the consistory a few weeks ago had
of the Lord only because of their direct accusation of first been introduced by the usual `Dear Brethren'
public sin against the pastor and refused to retract          but afterward this had been roughly scratched out by
their accusation when this was demanded of them by a knife. A committee of the consistory was put out of
the consistory. The consistory was of the opinion the house by Mrs. Vander Mey in a most impolite way.
that they could not very well partake of the Lord's           Hardly had they entered when it was told them: `Get
supper together with the pastor as long as they had out! There is the door !' The door was slammed behind
in their heart and maintained this accusation against them and the porchlight was extinguished before the
him.                                                          brethren could come down-the porchsteps. And also
       "Thus the case stood even before the last meeting the article that appeared in  The Grand Rapids Press
of  Classis. At present, however, it has reached a more last Saturday evening, clearly shows what spirit is
advanced stage. For, the brethren took their protest dominant in the brethren. Thus the consistory is be-
to  Classis.    When  Classis judged that their protest ing insulted in every way and a spirit of bitter hostil-
should be referred back td the consistory, and at the ity is manifested. And for these reasons the  con-
same time that the censure over the three brethren sistory cannot admit them to the Lord's Supper.
should be lifted, they were not satisfied  .but took their       "The consistory demands nothing more than that
protest to Synod. By that broadest gathering of our the brethren keep themselves in word and attitude
Churches their protest, in which they alleged, explained within the limits of the synodical decisions. And ac-
and defended that the pastor was guilty of a public cording to these they may no longer maintain and
sin, was treated and finished. The matter of their spread abroad that the pastor is guilty of a public sin
protest, therefore, was a closed case. Synod, however, accordng  to Art. 74 of the Church Order. As soon as
did not support their contention of public sin. For it is they are content with this they will be admitted to the
evident that either of two alternatives must be de- Lord's Supper.
manded in case of a public sin: that the sinner make             "Now it is not clear to the consistory what is the
public confession of his sin ; or that he be disciplined force of the last decision of Classis  with regard to the
by the proper eccles!astical  body. But Synod decided lifting of the censure of the three brethren. It is not
upon neither of these. That body did not discipline clear whether or no this decision is considered to have
the pastor, neither advised to discipline him. Nor did lost its force because the brethren took their protest
it demand of him a public confession. The pastor, to the Synod and their case was treated by that body.
therefore, is still a minister in good and regular stand- At any rate, the consistory requests the Classis that
ing, also after the Synod treated the protest of the this decision be rescinded or be declared void, so that
three brethren. Besides, Synod expressed, indeed, that the censure need not be lifted as long as the brethren
the pastor is  onesided in his views, but also that he is refuse to change their attitude."
fundamentalIy  Reformed. The standpoint of Synod,                14. What did Classis  do in the matter?    ii~~,i~
therefore, certainly differs from that of the three              First, a committee was appointed to consider the
brethren, who brought an accusation of public sin case and serve Classis  with advice.
against him and demanded that he be disciplined.                 15. Did the delegates of the Eastern Ave.  con-
       "The consistory is, therefore, of the opinion, that sistory appear before this committee?
after Synod expressed itself, the brethren must abide            Yes ; they served the committee with all possible
within the limits of that synodical decision and their information and also delivered to them the letter of
accusation of  pubIic sin must stop. This, however, information printed above.
they refuse to do. They want to maintain that the                16. Did the committee appear willing to do
pastor is guilty of a public sin, continue to assume a justice ?                                J
hostile attitude against the pastor and the consistory           When the delegates of the Eastern Ave. consistory
and thus be admitted to the Lord's Supper. This the appeared before them they were favorably impressed.
consistory cannot and may not permit. As long as they It was evident that the committee had no difficulty to
maintain such an attitude against the pastor and the see the point the consistory attempted to make clear,
consistory they cannot be considered worthy partakers that members with bitter enmity in their hearts
of the table of the Lord.                                     against pastor and consistory and with manifest
   "Ali this is corroborated by the attitude the breth- hostility in their entire attitude toward them, could
ren assumed since the last meeting of Classis.  They not be admitted to the Supper of the Lord. But when
do not attend public worship, or are careful to attend the same committee reported in the evening session of
when the pastor is not preaching. Mr. Vander Mey Classis, this impression proved to be utterly false. The
and his wife' were never in the Eastern Ave. church cohittee  had refused to see the point that was clear
again ; both refused absolutely to attend church, he enough for a child to understand. '
per letter, she orally before a committee of the con-            17.  W'hat was the committee's advice to Classis?


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                               207

   The first part of it concerned the censure of Mr. J.          22. Why do you call it sinister?
Vander Mey. The committee advised  Classis  to decide            Because'its advice to the consistory was to admit
that the consistory of Eastern Ave. should remove this        members to the Lord's Supper, that were spiritually
censure. Their ground for this advice was, that Mr.           wholly unworthy to partake of the table of the Lord.
Vander Mey had been disciplined on the basis of a             This is corrupt and evil, for it was virtually an advice
false accusation. It was not true, according to the           to profane the sacrament.
committee that he had distributed the protest against            23. Why do you say `that the advice was impos-
the pastor. At the most he had given only nine copies sible?
of it away tom parties outside of the consistory. The            For the same reason. *By admitting the hostile
second part of their advice concerned the censure of protestants to the table of the Lord, the consistory
the three original protestants. This  ,censure,  they ad- would virtually have to admit that the pastor was
vised, should be lifted as soon as possible. And the guilty of a public sin, which it could not. Considering
ground for this advice was that Synod had supported the attitude of the three protestants it surely was im-
the three protestants in their accusation.                    possible, both for them and for their pastor, to cele-
   18. What did  Classis  do?                                 brate the Lord's death as brethren in Him. Yet, this
   It rejected the advice of its committee regarding is exactly what Classis  decided.
the censure of Mr. J. Vander Mey. In the discussion              24. Why was the decision necessarily the cause of
the consistory brought out, that it made no essential new troubles?
difference, whether Mr. Vander Mey had distributed               Because of its very impossibility. The decision of
nine copies of his protest or a thousand. But, besides, Classis could not possibly terminate the trouble.
the delegates of the Eastern Ave. consistory read an Naturally, the consistory could not and would not fol-
article from their minutes in which they quoted Mr. low the advice of Classis.  Nor was the congregation,
Mr. Vander Mey's statement, that he had five hundred as became evident very soon, willing to partake of the
copies printed of which approximatey four hundred Lord's Supper with three hostile members. Hence, the
were still in his possession. These facts could not very decision of Classis  was the occasion of new protests on
well be denied. Hence,  Classis could not  foIlow  the the_ part of the members that were thus falsely sus-
advice of its committee in this respect.                      tained in their evil attitude by a decision of Classis.
   19. And what was done with the second part of              The classical decisions of Aug. 1924 were the first post-
the committee's advice, relative to the censure of the        synodical step in the direction of the deposition of the
three protestants?                                            cvnsistory. They were the beginning of the end.
   It was adopted. All the arguments of the consistory                                                          H. H.
were of no avail. It made no difference, that the dele-
gates argued that Synod had not supported the pro-
testants in their accusation of public sin ; that they had
not advised the consistory to discipline its pastor;                               ANNOUNCEMENT
that they had declared that he was fundamentally Re-             The Senior Choral Society of the Fuller Avenue
formed; that it was morally impossibIe to admit the Protestant Reformed Church of Grand Rapids will
protestants to the table of the Lord in their hostile         present a miscellaneous program in the Holland Chris-
attitude and bitter spirit. Classis was evidently de- tian High School, February 17, 1931, at 7:45 o'clock.
termined to turn in the wrong direction. The advice              This program is under the auspices of the Semper
of the committee was adopted.                                 Fidelis Girl's Society of the Protestant Reformed
   20. How must be judged of this decision of Church of Holland, Michigan.
Classis ?                                                        There will be no admission fee but an offering will
   It was grossly unjust, sinister, impossible and            be taken which shall be given to the Christian High
necessarily the cause of new troubles.                        School.
   21. Why is it grossly unjust?
    Because it implied that the Classis sustained the
protestants in their contention that the pastor was
guilty of a public sin. This was grossly unjust, be-                                    DE WEG
cause in this way they condemned the pastor without                De weg ten hemel  is geen effen baan
a hearing. Before the Synod, in its meeting of May,                      Met veil'gend lommer voor ons zelfbehagen
1924,  Classis refused to discuss the matter on the               Waar langs met vrome woorden en met waan
ground that Synod was the proper body to decide in a                     Wij d' afgod van ons ik naar boven  dragen.
case of  doctrne.     after Synod they simply sustained
the protestants in their contention and accused the                De weg is Christus!  - Christus heeft bestaan
pastor of public sin, without even considering the                       Te kiezen `t harde pad der oordeelslagen.
matter. And, surely, the synodical decisions afforded              En wie met Hem Cods vree wil binnengaan
them no ground for this decision.                                        Moet achter  Hem z"n aardschen vrede wagen.

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

              LABOR TO ENTER THE REST                                specifically. the Jerusalem above  - the true dwelling
                                                                     place of God. In it is His throne and that of the.Lamb,
                      Let us labour  therefore to enter into that    who sitteth at God's right hand. In it is also a sanc-
                    rest, lest any man fall after the same
                    example of unbelief.               Heb.  4%.     tuary - the holiest, which Christ by His own blood
                                                                     entered obtaining eternal redemption for us. - Over
       Our Saviour entered a rest. The believer, even as this place Christ was set a great highpriest, and there-
occupants of his earthly tabernacle, also enters this fore a pure river of water of life is proceeding out of
rest. He does so in that he ceases all the days of his the throne of God and of the Lamb, satisfying forever
life from his evil works and yields himself to the Lord those who thirsted.
to work by the Holy Spirit in him. Hence, this his                      .W'hen  the children of Israel  I hearkened unto
life is a continual rest and the beginning of the eternal the voice of Jehovah, their very soil was blessed. In
rest. Of the eternal rest-the rest entered by the people such periods Canaan was a territory of unusual fertil-
of God on the day of the destruction of their. earthy ity, a land overflowing with milk and honey. This is
tabernacle - the rest of the land of Canaan was a evidenced by the' fact that the yield of the land per-
figure. Let us attend now, to this figure and notice its mitted long periods of rest.
various features. Doing so, we discover a remarkable                    Every seventh and fiftieth year  (Lev.' 25 :2-23) the
correspondence between it and the realities signified. land was allowed to rest. In  these.periods  the people
       The rest of the earthy Canaan was the termination neither sowed nor reaped yet ate their fill. Canaan,
of a journey made from Egypt `through the wilderness it is plain, was a sabbath land. There was much leisure
to the land of rest. So, too, the rest of the heavenly even in the years of sowing and reaping, for the land
era of peace preceded by struggle. The pilgrims enter- yielded abundantly.                  The question cannot be sup-
ing Canaan did so in the capacity of soldiers involved pressed : Why all this spare time?, -The answer is
in a life and death struggle `with the common foe who ready: These sabbath years were not meant to be
thought to annihilate them ere they reached Canaan  ; periods of idleness. Israel was God's peculiar posses-.
and who had to be uprooted and destroyed before sion ; a people brought up out of Egypt, out of the
Canaan could be entered. Likewise the eternal rest of house of bondage and planted in this land of rest that.
heaven. It was an era of peace without end, entered it might sing the praises of its God and contemplate
upon by those who were able to stand against the viles His glories as" exhibited in His salutary works. Such
of the devil, and who wrestled against principalities, were the lofty and sacred engagements with which the
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of Israelites, exempted from hand labor, must occupy the
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. abundance of spare time afforded him by Jehovah.
Therefore one sees them enter bearing the sword of And the devout of the old dispensation did so. We take
the Spirit which is the word of God, and clad in the                 it that the psalmist was giving expression to senti-
whole armor of God, the girdle of truth about their ments common to every saint of that day when he
loins, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of said : "0, how love I thy law! It is my meditation all
the preparation of the gospel of peace, the shield of the day. Thou through thy commandments hast made
faith wherewith the fiery darts of the wicked were me wiser than mine enemies:  for they are ever with
quenched, and the helmet of salvation. Having put on me. I have more understanding than all my teachers:
this armor, and having prayed always with all prayer for thy testimonies are  my  meditatioiz  . . .  How sweet
and supplication in the Spirit, they stood; and having are thy words unto my taste? Yea sweeter than honey
stood, do enter the joy of the Lord.              The earthy unto my mouth!" (Ps.  119:97-99,   103).
Canaan, and in particular Mt. Zion, constituting with                   Canaan, the land of rest; the Old Testament saint
two other mountains the city of Jerusalem, the Lord freed from manual labor and  filling his time with the
choose as His habitation, called it His rest and dwelt loftiest kind of occupations helped to render this good
there in the Holiest of All above the Ark of the cove- land together with its inhabitants a type, that his  a
nant between the cherubim. This was the specific. place picture of heaven. Let us enlarge on this a little. The
where Israel in its high priest met their God with believer, as an inhabitant of this earth, is, as to his
blood. From the inmost compartment (the Holiest)                     body, soul and entire mode of existence, earthy. His
the officiating priest returned with a divine blessing body of flesh and blood needs nourishment. Heat and
for the assembly awaiting without. The holiest, then, cold, attacking that frail frame of his would soon de-
was Jehovah's basis of operation. Here He laid in and stroy it if unprotected. Thence, the acquisition of
through the priest who had sacrificed His benediction food, raiment and shelter constitute the outstanding
upon His people ; and the poor were satisfied with engagements of the earthy man, - engagements with
bread; the priests clothed with salvation; and the which he is compelled to fill most of his time, would he
saints shouted aloud for joy. However, Canaan, as live. The  ,end of the day hnds his energies well spent.
God's home, the temple, the holiest, the Ark and the If he would keep fit, several of the hours remaining
cloud and the officiating priest were at once so many must  be given to rest in sleep. Though bearing him
features of a picture of the eternal Canaan or more interest in heaven, if of the proper kind, if their main-


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                    215
             -

spring be a sincere wish to please  Go,d, and their the desert period, who because of the hardness of their
standard the law, man's earthy persuits  have never- hearts, did not enter the typical rest of Canaan. With
theless a tendency, to rivet his mind to this earth. this generation the Lord was grieved and said, They do
Pre-occupied, his spirit only now and then will soar always err in heart; and they have not known my ways.
heavenward to become fully God-conscious., Compar- So I swear in my wrath, They shall not enter into my
atively little time remains'  for the direct contempla- rest (chapter 3 :9-11).
tion of things spiritual. Such are the experiences of         The Israelites of the aforesaid period had hardened
the most saintly of men. Even so, the believer, going their hearts, tempted God, though they saw His works
about his earthy duties `is ,not oblivious of God. To forty years (chapter 3:8, 9).
the contrary, he become and remains ever the pilgrim          Let us attend to the detail: of their' conduct and
and the soldier; the light of the world and the salt of inquire about the specific  character of their unbelief.
the earth. Therefore his earthy tasks are so per-             These details are found in Ex. 17, Num. 20 and
formed as to constitute a walk worthy of the Lord Deut.  6. Give us water that we may drink,  said they to
Christ. However, he is for all that, the occupant of an Moses, and added, wherefore is this that thou hast
earthy tabernacle, and; though seeking things above, brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children
necessarily pre-occupied with such things as enter into and our cattle with thirst. The rage of the people
the makeup of his earthy mode of existence.                reached that pitch that they threatened to stone Moses,
   In the new. heaven and earth things' will be dif- who, in turn cried unto the Lord what he was to do
ferent.    The saints, now bearing the image of the with the people. Moses is instructed to smite the rock
earthy, will, in the Father's house, be bearing the in Horeb with the rod, wherewith he had smitten the
image of the Lord from heaven.        The earthy man, riv~er, ,Moses did as he was instructed, and there came
made perfect and glorified, will enter upon a mode of water out of the smitten rock ; and the people drank.
existence known. in Scripture as a building of God, a "And he called the name of the place  Massah and
house  ,not made with  hands, eternal in the heavens. Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of
What may be the elements constituting this new life? IsraeI, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is
To begin with, the body of the saint, sown in corrup- the Lord in this place?"
tion, dishonor and weakness, is raised in incorruption,       A like murmuring took place in  Kadesh,  (Numbers
glory and power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a 20).    The speech they uttered here is equally as
spiritual body (I Cor. 15 :42-45). Flesh and blood are not blasphemous as the speech they uttered in Repbidim.
its constituents for neither do enter the kingdom of Said the-Israelites to Moses: "Would God that we had
God (I Cor. 15 :50). This body is without the belly for died when our brethren had died before the Lord ! and
God destroys both it and the meats (I Cor.  6:13).         why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord
   Being spiritual, incorruptible, glorious &nd power- into this wilderness, that we and  our,cattle should die
ful, it requires not the care and the attention which there? And wherefore have ye made us to come up
the earthy man is compelled to bestow upon his frail out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? It
and mortal frame. Hence, the  persuits  of the natural is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pome-
man - such as the acquisition of food, raiment and granates ; neither is there any water to drink. Again
shelter  - are not those of the inhabitants of heaven, the smitten rock brought forth water.
who are `occupied, as we shall see, in a way compatible       It is to be noticed, however, that upon neither of
with their state of glory.                                 these occasions did the Lord swear in His wrath:  They
   This above-described rest the children of God shall shall not enter my rest. This oath was uttered on the
labor to enter (chapter  4:ll).                            occasion of the murmuring of the people at the evil
   The reasoning of the writer is plain. When the news of the wicked spies who said: "We came unto the
word of the Lord,  Today if ye will hear  His voice land whither `thou (Moses) sentest us, and surely it
harden not your heart,  came to Israel in the prophet floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.
David, God had entered long ago His rest (the rest of Nevertheless the people be. strong that dwell in the
creation) ; and IsraeI  had many years previous, entered land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and
,the typical rest of Canaan, so that the rest, the people moreover we saw the children of Anak there . . . We
of God to which the word of David comes, shall labor be not able to go up against the people; for they `are
to enter, is neither the rest of creation nor the typical stronger than we . . . All the people that we saw in it
rest of Canaan, but the eternal rest entered .by Christ. are men of a great stature, and there we saw the
    Writes the Apostle: "Let us therefore fear, lest a giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers,
promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of and so we were in their sight" (Numbers 13).
you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was          Upon hearing this report, the congregation again
the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the said : "Would God that we had died in the land of
word preached did not- profit them, not being mixed Egypt ! or would God that we had died in the wilder-
with faith in them that heard it" (Hebrew 4  :l, 2).       ness ! and wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto
    Here the writer refers his readers to the Israel of this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our

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

children should be a prey? Were it not better for us eere van menschen! Gij, Heere, moet, als Gij er be-
to return unto Egypt ?" (chapter 14). They even say lang bij hebt, in elk geval zoolang  wachten, dat ik mijn
to one another: "Let us make a captain, and let us re- eigen zaken eerst heb afgedaan !
turn unto Egypt."                                                De menschen bij u moeten vooral worden  ingelicht
       To Joshua's excellent speech, "If the Lord delights over het zeer verpestende van de leer der Gemeene
in us, then he will bring us unto this land, and give it Gratie. De duivel had dunkt mij in zijn woordenboek
us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only            geen voor zijne zaak voordeeliger woord kunnen uitvin-
rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the            den dan Gemeene Gratie. Want, eilieve, wat wil men
people of the land ; for they are bread for us : their nog meer, dan te leven naar den stand der wereld, met
defense is departed frohn them and the Lord is with us;       die wereld mee te  gaan en haar genot volop te genieten,
fear not them" - to this excellent speech the congrega- en dan nog genade op den koop toe ontvangen !
tion responded with, "Stone him! stone him  !"                   Nu weet ik niet of gij reeds eene zendingscommis-
       As was said, it was upon this occasion that the Lord sie hebt. Zoo ja, dan zou  ik u willen voorstellen, om
swore in  Hi8 wrath, "They shall not enter my rest"           een  hulp-prediker  te benoemen bij Ds. Hoeksema,  op-
(the typical rest of the  land. of Canaan). That the          dat deze wat meer tijd krijge en de handen wat vrij
sacred writer of the epistle to the Hebrews associates        hebbe. En zendt hem dan  naar  het zendingsveld. Ret
this oath with the murmuring at Raphedim and komt mij voor, dat het dien  kant uit moet. De gaven,
Kadesh, indicates that this oath covers not only the two die de Heere hem gegeven heeft,  moeten meer vrucht
but the three,`yea  all the murmurings of the congrega- afwerpen. Daarvoor heeft  .God  ze hem gegeven. Ze
tion in the desert.                                           moeten niet  braak  liggen. Zou dat niet kunnen?
       Moses defines these murmurings as a chiding with          Het is nu een kleine honderd jaar geleden,  dat de
and a tempting of the Lord ; Joshua, as rebellion ; the Heere Ds. 1-L De Cock riep in Ulrum. Ook hij werd
psalmist and the sacred writer of the Hebrews, as uitgeworpen, veracht en verguisd. Maar Ds. De Cock
hardening of the heart, as unbelief. On these charac- ging het land door, overal  predikende en gemeenten
terizations of the murmurings of the children of Israel stichtende  onder grooten  tegenstand  van de wereld.
we hope to dwell in a following article: in order that the    Ook daardoor is de Chr. Geref. Kerk in Amerika tot
warning, lest any man fall after the same example of stand gekomen, en in NederIand  p.m. acht honderd ge-
unbelief,  tiay take on a real meaning for us.                meenten.
                                              G. M. 0.           Doch,  helaas ! door de leer der Gemeene Gratie,
                                                              waardoor de gemeenten weer naar  de wereld gaan zien
                                                              en hare werken leeren, zoo bij u als in Nederland, gaan
                                                              de ware  kinderen  Gods weer zuchten. Vandaar de
                                                              noodzakelijkheid van voortdurenden strijd.
        AAN  MIJNE  ONBEHENDE   VRIENDEN IN                      En nu, waarde vrienden, ik hoop hiermede iets  ge-
                         AMERIKA                              daan te hebben in het belang  van uwe kleine kerken-
                                                              g r o e p .
       Waarde vrienden en andere  lezers  van uw blad, de        Maar, vergeeft het mij.; ik woon in het kleine Ne-
Standard Bearer! Ik heb door het lezen van uw blad derland en gij in het onmetelijke Amerika. Uwe en
we1 een groote bewondering  voor  uw moed, dien gij           onze toestanden zijn zoo ongelijk!
openbaart op het standpunt der Kerk, en wensch  u van            Hiermede Gode bevolen en het woord Zijner ge-
harte toe eene duurzame volharding in de kracht van           nade, door uw medestrijder in de verdrukking,  uw
Hem, Wiens strijd gij strijdt. Als ik de verschillende broeder in Christus,
stukken lees, ook over de  zending,  dan denk ik  we1
eens: zoo gaat het goed.  De Kerk moet, zal het goed                                  L. Bakema,  Oldekerk, Nederland.
zijn, ook  zending  drijven. Maar zij moet het doen  met         We  zijn broeder B. hartelijk  dankbaar  vdor  zijn
verstand en  beleid.     En nu wil het mij voorkomen, blijk van medeleven en belangstelling. Het doet goed
aangezien uw kracht nog J&in is, dat gij het bij het          ook eens te hooren uit het oude vaderland. Schrijf
rechte  einde moet aanpakken. En dan zou ik willen maar eens weer. Ons blad staat open.
vragen of het niet het beste zou zijn, om te beginnen                                                         H. H.
met inwendige zending? Het komt mij voor, dat u een
sterken man moet aanstellen, die de Gemeene Gratie               P. S. Andere inzenders en vragers  moeten  s.v.p.
                                                              een beetje geduld oefenen.
grondig kan bestrijden en zoo mogelijk  overal   gemeen-
ten kan stichten.
       Want naar mijn inzien zijn uwe sterkste  tegenstan-
ders in de Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerk. Voorai
zijn zij het, die we1 vroom doen,  maar  altijd bang zijn,       Aan de Lezers! We kunnen uwe Standard Bearers
dat ze bang worden;  die zeer hardop roepen: Heere,           netjes inbinden voor 2 dollar per jaargang.
ik zal u volgen ! Maar ! . . . daar is geld en brood en                      C. 6. Doorn, 906 Dallas Ave., S. E., City.


                            A   R E F O R M E D   S E M I - M O N T H L Y   M A G A Z I N E
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Vol.  VII, No. 10                                        FEBRUARY  15, 1931                                           Subscription Price, $2.50

H                                                                             side of Him and that the gods of Egypt are but vani-
          M E D I T A T I O N                                                 ties, - all this the king still refuses to confess . . . .
                                                                        II        il,lld,  consequently, Moses, no doubt, finds the king
                                                                              at the bank of the river, when according to the com-
                                                                              mand of the Lord he goes to announce another plag&e,
              REPENTANCE IN TERROR                                            more dreadful than the preceding; impending-`bver  the
                       And in very deed for this cause have I
                     raised thee up, for to shew in thee my                   land of Egypt. For it is God's son&and to His w-
                     power; and that my name may be declared                  ant  Moses that he must go early in the morning to
                     throughout all the earth . . . And Moses
                     stretched forth his rod toward heaven, and               stand before the king. And early in the morning the
                     the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire             tyrant is wont to turn to the Nile to worship his gods.
                     ran along upon the ground . . . . And
                     Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and                    To them he still turns. Their aid, vain though it has
                     Aaron,  and said unto them, I have sinned                proven to be, he still implores. Impotent they had
                     this tune, the Lord is righteous, and I and
                     my people are wicked.  Intreat  the Lord,                shown themselves in the battle with Jehovah, yet he
                     for it  is  enough, that there be no more                would marshall their forces to oppose the living God.
                     mighty  thunderings and hail; and I will let
                     you go and ye shall stay no longer.                      Jehovah is God, a god, indeed ; he wotild grudgingly
                                           Ex. 9:16;  23; 27, 28.             admit it.. But He was not God alone, and still the gods
     Jehovah is God!                                                          of Egypt would reveal their superiority . . . .
     He is God alone ; there is no God beside Him !                               And as he prays Moses stands before him, sud-
     And the proud and cruel king of Egypt, that denly . . . .
wantonly oppressed the people of God's choice and care,                           He announces that Jehovah will this time send His
must  Iearn to know by experience and to acknowledge plagues upon the very heart of the king! By the judg-
in humility, that there is none like the God of Israel in ments that would now follow the God of Israel would
all the earth !                                                               surely humble in the dust that wicked and hardened
     Still he hardefis his heart ; still he stands in the heart of Pharaoh. For He is able to humble the heart
proud imagination of his wicked mind, that he is of His people by the wondrous power  of His grace unto
waging a battle with the Lord of hosts, a battle whose salvation ; but He is equally powerful to humiliate and
outcome is, indeed, dubious, but which he repeatedly lay prostrate the ungodly, that would exalt them-
determines to fight till the bitter end. To his dualistic selves against Him, so that they must confess that
conception of the matter the battle is on between Jehovah alone is God. And by this process of humilia-
Jehovah on the one hand, represented by Moses and tion, when Jehovah would inflict His judgments upon
fighting for Israel ; and the gods of Egypt, represented the king's heart, the proud oppressor would be de-
by himself, on the other, resisting Jehovah's will, op- stroyed. If the Most High humbles us by His grace
posing His attempt to liberate Israel from the bondage He makes us live forever; if He humiliates us by His
of oppression.                                                                power He casts us down into destruction!
     Judgment followed upon judgment; plague upon                                 And the king must know, by His judgments the
plague had terrorized king and people; hitherto the Most High will force the confession from his lips, that
gods of Egypt had been defeated and exposed in their there is none like Jehovah in all the earth !
impotency to ward off the dreadful strokes by the                                 The Lord will have His glory from the haughty
hand of Israel's God. The king had to admit : Jehovah king !
is, indeed, God ! But that He was God alone, God                                  Nay more, the Most High will use him as instru-
incomparable, that there is none like Him in all the ment for the proclamation  of. His glory in  all the
earth, that there is no God beside Him, no power out- earth !

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

       For this very cause He raised him up !                     The Lord, He is  the God !
       And all this must be announced to the cruel op-            And Pharaoh in all his wickedness can but serve
pressor, before it come to pass. The Scripture said to the purpose of being a medium for the radiation of the
Pharaoh ! Moses must go early in the morning to ex- glory of Jehovah !
plain it all to the tyrant! He must be disillusioned !            Thus it is with all the power of evil, with all the
He must no longer harbor the thought, that there is forces of darkness. They have no power in themselves.
really a battle on between the Lord and himself. He            They stand not in their own strength. They cannot
may no more, labor under the impression that there are successfully wage war against the Almighty. For a time
two parties, two opposing forces, God and Pharaoh. they must be subservient to the Lord's purpose ; then
,He must learn to know that God is one, that He is His         they must be cast into destruction in the way of
own party, and that he, Pharaoh, has been raised up            Jehovah's judgment !
and stands there in all his wickedness and attempted              For new and more terrible judgments are sent
rebellion to serve the Lord's purpose: that' His power upon the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh is forewarned!
may be manifest and His name may be proclaimed                 That it may become perfectly evident that the God of
throughout all the earth ! . . . .                             Israel is not only sole sovereign but also supremely
       And why is it, that the king does-not yet under- just and righteous in all His dealings with the children
stand? . . . .                                                 of men; that it may stand out with perfect clearness,
       Is he so utterly devoid of understanding?               that the king is cast down into destruction in the way
       Does he not, with wonder and awe, give himself of his wicked rebellion ; and that he might sign his
account of the reason why he and his people still exist?       own condemnation and declare the righteousness of the
       Does he not consider, for such is the true meaning Lord, the king must be warned of coming doom: He
of the fifteenth  verse, that it is only by the good pleas-    must be placed before the implacable alternative: obey
ure of the Lord, who sent all the former judgments             or perish !
upon the land, that he still has any being, that he may
still turn to the river to seek aid with his gods; yea,           And the king chooses to perish !
that he may still exalt himself and harden his heart              He hardens his heart against the warning of the
against the living God? . . . .                                servant of Jehovah !
       Does he not understand, that it would have been            The people shall not goi T will not obey!
an easy matter for this Jehovah, Who was the Author               And the shepherd's staff of Moses is stretched forth
of all the plagues that had thus far struck the land, to to the heavens, the prayer, this time of the mediator of
strike down the king and his people with pestilence the old covenant, for vengeance upon the land of op-
and thus to deliver His own people from their cruel            pression and its wicked king! Even as before the ashes
oppression? . . . .                                            of the furnace had represented the cry of the saints for
       Why, then, did not the Lord thus kill him outright? vengeance and  .justice, so now the staff of the man of
Why, if it is the sole purpose of the Almighty to deliver      God, pointed toward the heavens, is the prayer of the
His people from the house of bondage, did He not intercessor himself, that the Most High may quickly
choose this shorter way?                                       come to avenge His people! But the king does not
       It is, because the Lord, that might thus strike down heed . . . .
the king, is the very Lord that raised him up !                   And immediately the thick clouds gather, as if
       It is because the Almighty, that might kill him commanded by Moses' staff. But still the king does
outright, is the sole Cause of the fact that he has any not heed . . . .
being at all !                                                    And with sudden fierceness the storm breaks loose !
       And that he does have being must serve the pur-         From a sky dark as pitch flashes the lightning, zigzag-
pose of that same God !                                        ging through the firmament in flash upon flash, leaping
       For this purpose have I raised thee up ! That I over the grond in fiery balls, swift messengers of the
might shew my power in thee ! That my name might be quick and fiery wrath of God. And the thunder roars
declared throughout all the earth !                            and rolls unintermittently, peal upon peal, causing the
       Pharaoh ! Proud king ! Abandon thy vain thoughts, land to tremble and the Egyptian dwellings to shake
thy dualistic imagination as if thou wert fighting at all upon their foundations. A fierce wind drives the heavy
against God !                                                  hailstones, such as had never been seen before in the
       Thou standest only because God raised thee up ! land, before it. They strike down and leap up again,
Thou art able to stand only as the Lord maintains thee !       they roll and dance as if mad with joy and drunken
Thou must needs stand and exalt thyself till thou shalt with the wine of God's wrath; they strip the trees, kill
have served the purpose of Jehovah!                            every living being that delayed in the `field, devastate
       Thus the Scripture, thus Moses speaks unto him! the harvest of flax and barley. And still the clouds
       Jehovah is God alone !                                  gathered, and still the storm raged with unabated fury,
                                                               and the lightning flashed through the firmament, and
                                                               the thunder pealed, and the pelting hail descended . . .
                                                 Q


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          219

    All nature was infuriated with the wrath of in sending this terrible judgment of the hail and fire
Jehovah !                                                   upon his people. And the acknowledgment of God's
    And loudly the voice of the Most High was heard righteousness is an essential element of all true
in all the land: I am the Lord !  ' All the gods of Egypt humiliation and repentance. He confesses his sin: I
are vanity ! Let my people go or be finally destroyed ! have sinned! I and my people are wicked ! There ap-
Obey or perish !                                            pears to be more than mere show of repentance here,
    I am God alone!                                         for the king glorifies the Lord and weeps `over his sin
    All the more emphatically the furious storm with and wickedness. And this time he offers an uncon-
its hail and fire bore testimony to this truth because ditional promise to depart from his wicked way, to
the land of  Goshen  suffered no harm. All about, heed the Lord's command and let the people go! I will
throughout the entire land, the storm raged, stripping let you go, and ye shall stay no longer!
every green thing, killing every living being that, un-        Yet, his confession is false! It is nothing but the
heedful of the Lord's `warning, had lingered in the repentance that is wrought not by grace, changing the
open. Yet, in the midst of the country, where lived         heart, but by the terror of the Lord, crushing it into
the people of God, all was quiet!                           the dust!
    The Lord was sending the instruments of His wrath          And his words betray him, while the outcome re-
upon His enemies alone, exempting His people !              veals the hypocrisy of his wicked heart.
   And all the gods of Egypt stood powerless to pro;           For, first, he limits his confession of sin to "this
tect their own or to wreak vengeance upon Jehovah's         time." Said he: I have sinned  this time!  As if true
people !                                                    confession could possibly conceive of such limitation!
   -In the midst' of destruction God's people were safe.    The sinner that truly repents knows and acknowledges
   The Lord is God alone !                                  that his very heart is wicked and perverse, that he
                                                            sinned not once or twice,or even repeatedly, but all
                                                            the time ! And had it not been thus with the groud
                                                            king of Egypt ? Had he not refused to listen to the
   Terrorized into humiliation is the king!                 cries of the people when he wantonly oppressed them?
   The Lord had struck at the very heart of the proud       Did he not know the sinfulness of his way, when he
oppressor of God's people.                                  choked the newborn sons of Israel to death? Had he
   And though he would resist the Most High and             not refused  tb heed the command of Jehovah to cease
exalt Himself against the living God as long as his         from his wickedness and to let the people go? Had he
hardened heart could endure, he must needs be crushed       not repeatedly hardened his heart, making promises
by the arm of the Lord and humble himself in the dust. he never intended to keep? What reason, forsooth, was
    How he must have raved at the announcement of there for the limitation: this time? And, secondly, he
the servant of God ! How he must have met the threat-       still bargains with the Lord at the very moment he
eni@ prediction of coming judgment with cold and utters his confession. "Intreat  the Lord for me, let
proud contempt in his heart and a sinister smile play-      the mighty thunderings and hail cease ; then I will let
ing about his cruel mouth!                                  you go!" He pleads not for forgiveness, but for de-
    How he must have met with disdain the few serv-         liverance from the oppressing hand of- Jehovah!
ants that feared the Lord and heeded the warning,              Not his sin but the judgment burdens him!
seeking shelter for man and beast, before the storm            Not his guilt, but the storm terrorizes his soul!
emptied the vials of God's wrath over the land ! How           And as soon as the storm is past he will harden his
he must have paced the halls of his palace in impotent heart !
rage, like a steed unwilling to become accustomed to           It is the repentance of the wicked, that leadeth in-
the bridle and chewing the bit with foaming mouth in evitably to destruction and death!
a vain attempt to cast it from him ! . . . .                   Yet, even so, he signed his condemnation with his
    Yet, the word of Moses was realized; the storm own hand : The Lord is righteous ! I and my people are
raged and devastated the country ; the lightning leaped wicked ! The Lord must have His glory !
about his palace, the thunder caused it to tremble upon        And all must confess: Jehovah is God!
its foundations; till the king's heart broke, his pride        God alone !
was humbled in the dust and he repented, giving glory                                                      H. H.
to God!
    But it was the repentance of terror!    1
    The sorrow of the world !
    Oh, surely, he humbles himself into a confession.
And,  superhcially  considered, his confession bears the        "Be still, my soul ! Thy God doth undertake
marks of true repentance. For there is in it the humble            To guide the future, as He has the past:
acknowledgment of the righteousness of the Lord. His            Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake,
confession implies that he admits the justice of Jehovah           All now mysterious shall be bright at last.


2% 0                                    T H E '   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

                                                               a name he handed down to his posterity. It seems to
                     ESAU AND  J.ACOB                          indicate that the `affair of his selling his birthright
        Esau and Jacob were children whose destinies were was much talked about at the time of its occurrence.
predicted. Said the Lord to Rebekah in response to So deep was the impression his strange transaction
her inquiry, Why am I thus: "Two nations are in thy made upon his, contemporaries that it would return to
womb, and two manner of people shall be separated their minds whenever they saw him or heard his name
from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger mentioned. So it happened that in process of time he
than the other people; and the greater shall serve the became known by the reddish food for which he had
lesser." As was said in a former article, the Lord bartered away his rights. They called him red. This
spake not directly of the two children but of the approbrious name clave to him all his life, was handed
nation of which they were to be the progenitors. The down to his children to perpetually remind  ,them  that
one nation was to surpass the other in greatness, they were the offspring of one who had traded in
power, strength, yet serve so that the weaker, served, heaven for earth, and thus for hell, God for mammon,
would nevertheless gain the ascendency.  This, it will life for death. So they were the people against whom
be seen, was food for thought Isaac should have masti- the Lord had indignation forever.
cated. Ordinarily the weak in the earth are crushed               The child last born they called Jacob, meaning heel-
into oblivion by the strong. In this case, however, the catcher or supplanter, not defrauder. The name was
stronger was to be subdued and overruled by the given him to signify that, though the younger, his
weaker. Isaac could know, further, that the weaker rights were to be those of the firstborn ; that for these
to prevail was to be the people of God, that further the rights he even in his generations was to engage in a
reason for its rise was to be its close alliance with the conflict. That, though the younger, he was selected to
Almighty, that therefore the great strength it would further as Heaven's instrument the cause of redemp-
ultimately display would be as to its character not tion, again brought into prominence that the selecting
natural and carnal but spiritual. In a word, it could grace of God is not bound by birth, that this grace
have easily been surmized that the Lord was to be the therefore is as to its character absolutely sovereign.
strength of the weaker, that its exaltation to a place This is a matter to which we hope to attend in the
of pre-eminence was to be an achievement of Jehovah, sequence.
so that the strength which the stronger nation was to             It is commonly thought that the name Jacob was
lose in its descend to a place of servitude was to be          given him who bore it as a signification of his crafty,
natural, carnal, brutish as to its character  - the fraudulant nature. Such at least was the view of
strength, beauty and glory, of the world.                      Esau, who said upon his discovery of having been out-
        Rightly considered, the stronger nation (the world)    witted by his brother in the matter of the blessing,
always serves the weaker. As joined with Christ, all "Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath sup-
things are servants to the children of God, work to- planted me these two times: he took away my birth-
gether for their good, and promote their eternal wel- right; and behold, now he hath taken away my bless-
fare  - also sin, the devil, the world, persecution and ing." The construction Esau placed upon his brother's
affliction, whereas God is for His people, nothing can name has found general--acceptance. A single para-
be against them. So the stronger nation can do noth- graph from an otherwise excellent sermon: "And yet,
ing else but serve the weaker because everything serves God choose for His own not Esau, but Jacob, why?
God.                                                           Was it possibly to show us of what shabby material
        It is plain then that there was no excuse for Isaac's He can fashion for Himself saints? For before God
doings ; for the son he took to his bosom excelled in was through with Jacob was just that, one whose name
the kind of strength the nation of which he was to be might properly be mentioned in the same breath with
the father was to lose. He bore on his body the mark those of Abraham and Isaac. Oh truly it was a long
that made it easy for the parents to associate him with schooling. Well might we call Jacob's life, `The educa-
the stronger nation. He was born red all over like a tion of Jacob.' What hard lessons God gave him to
hairy garment. Then, too, from his being the firstborn learn. How severe the discipline. And how slow was he
accrued a pre-eminence that should have aided Isaac to master the lessons. Yet at the last he was no longer
in discovering the son favored by Heaven especially so Jacob but the Israel God  want,ed him to be."
since the heel of Esau had been taken hold of by the              It is plain that the writer of these lines is of the
hand of the child that was last born. This was a clear conviction that the names Jacob and Israel are as to
enough sign that though Esau in his struggle to be their meaning mutually exclusive ; that the name Jacob
born first had by reason of his strength prevailed, he was rendered a misnomer by the burning of the dross
was to be supplanted by his brother. So they called out of him who bore it. According to the prophet
the name of the child first born, Esau, meaning rough, Isaiah, however, both names were honorary titles. We
hairy ; his brother they called Jacob, the heel-catcher or quote: "Yet now hear, 0 Jacob my servant; and Israel
supplanter. Esau's outcry, "feed me with that same whom I have chosen: Thus saith the Lord that made
red" secured for him the name of Edom, meaning  ,recZ,         thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                     221

  thee  ; fear not 0 Jacob my servant ; and thou Jesurun, the habit of spending most of his time in his father's
* whom I have chosen, For I will pour water upon him tent when not on the hunt, the quietness and even
  that is thirsty, and floods upon dry ground ; I will sulkiness of Jacob, his visible preference for the society
  pour my spirit upon my seed, and thy blessing upon of his mother. Rightly considered, however, these rea-
  thine offspring; and they shall spring up as among the sons are but an expansion of the one mentioned by the
  grass, as willows by the water courses. One shall say, sacred writer. Isaac took to his eldest son because the
  I am the Lord's ; and another shall call himself by the latter knew how to cater to his whims.
  name of Jacob; and another shah subscribe with his           Let us take care, however, that we do not denounce
  hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name Isaac's doings without turning to ourselves. How hard
  of Israel" (Isa. 44 : l-4).                              it is to detect and to resist the man with flattering
     Would he upon whom the Lord poured His spirit speech! The man with the engaging smile, the pleas-
  and His blessing call himself by the name of Jacob, if ing speech that gratifies our ear, feeds our pride; is our
  this name was meant to be the signification of all that friend. But the self-assertive personage who dares to
  is now, and mean, and despisable in a man? It can- be himself in our presence, who has the courage to
  not be.                                                  differ with us when he thinks he must, or to lay hid
     The two children grew up. The occupation they fmger  on the dark spots in our behaviour, we dismiss
  chose when arriving at the season of manhood corres- and avoid.
  ponds with their `natures. Of Esau it is written that        Rebekah, the sacred historian informs us, loved
  he was a cunning hunter, a man of the field. Jacob, on Jacob. She must be given great credit for making the
  the other hand, was a plain man, dwelling in tents, proper choice, and for prizing the companionship of
  The vigorous, roaming, perilous life of a hunter had her youngest son. There was something about this
  no appeal for him. He loved the quiet, peaceful and. child of hers that appealed to her. What else could it
  uneventful life of a man who fixes himself down to a be but his quietness of manner, the depth and the
  certain spot in this earth and makes it his home. It stability of his nature, his love for the peaceful pur-
  again indicates that as to sheer brute strength, he suits of life, his interests in the higher things of the
  was the weaker, the less robust man. The choice of covenant, the fact that he had been the choice of
  his mode of living may even be taken as the index to Heaven. Yet it must not be supposed that the love of
  the peculiar bent of his mind. Life in tents afforded Rebekah for this son of hers and of his love for her
  him the time for thought which his deeper nature re- was untainted by sin, and not supported by a zeal un-
  quired. The hunter, on the other hand, is always up mixed with the polutions of the flesh. That Rebekah
  and doing, preoccupied with the emergencies of the was a woman who feared the Lord, and trembled at His
  moment, using his wits to escape the dangers to which word, a woman at whose heart the interest of the cove:
  he is exposed when on the hunt. . Esau's choice is in nant lay very close, is certain. At the heart of her dis-,
  full agreement with the superficiality, the vanity, the positions a believer, she, at a time when the aItar of
  profaneness for which he became notorious. Living God in Isaac's household lay in ruins, and the flame of
  on the surface he needed no time for meditation on the His holy ferver burnt low, came to the fore as the
  mysteries of redemption. In the things of God he took champion of God's cause. Her methods, however,
  no interest. He lived for the flesh. He looked no show her up as a woman in whom grace had not tri-
  further than his natural eye could see. He was con- umphed to that degree that she could rest assured that
  tent when he could sit down. to a sumptuous meal. A the Lord would surely got His way with her son. So
  shallow, profane, yet jovial, large-hearted, big-fisted, she felt constrained to take matters out of the hand of
  impetuous, unstable personage was Esau  - a delight- God. It indicated that her great love for her son was
  ful companion -on the hunt perhaps but a man who at least to a degree fleshly. Her zeal was too im-
  could talk nothing but deer.                             patient to be pure. What other conclusions can we
      Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison. arrive at when we see her defrauding her aged hus-
  Though in the possession of an abundance of unmis- band ?
  takable evidence that Esau was to be the servant,            What in Jacob must have also appealed to her was
  though the plainness of Jacob made it easy for him to the natural inclination of his soul. Because she dis-
  detect the favored son, Isaac overruled by the flesh, covered in him the qualities she loved, he became her
  sets his affections on the rejected  child.    To what favored son. Then, too, his preference for her society
  horrible depth of sin a saint will not fall! According must have flattered her vanity.
  to the plain testimony of Scripture, the sole reason         An event which brings out the contrast between the
  for his choice was the ability of Esau to please his dispositions of the two brothers is an incident that oc-
  palate. He loved Esau  because  he could eat of his curred when both had attained to the season of man-
  venison.    Other factors may have entered in, of hood. Esau came in from the field, weary and hungry
  course, such as the natural amiableness of his from hunting. Jacob sod  lentiles  the savory fragrance
  favored child, his willingness to please, his seeming of which was in the air. Esau passing by smelled food.
  interest in the physical well-being of his aged father, His ravenous appetite becomes an intolerable craving,

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

 that called for instant satisfaction. So he directs to as carnal as it was superficial. The trickery of his
 his brother a plea for food. "Feed me, I pray thee, brother had angered him. So he had carried. on like               t
 with that same red ; for I am faint." The response of an enraged beast. His threat had been that in the
Jacob, Sell me this day thy birthright, seems pre- opportune time he would kill Jacob. Not so many
 posterous. If he thought it proper to set a price on a years later, however, he appears in Scripture as falling
 morsal of food desired by a fainting, starving brother, on his brother's neck. Not one word of reproof came
 how dared he set the price so high, so altogether out of from his lips. The old wound had completely healed.
 proportion to what was to be given in exchange. Was The hurt of his soul was gone. It shows that after all
 he jesting? Did he expect his brother to take him the loss of his right had been a matter of small con-
 seriously? The birthright! It was the  headship  over cern to him. Having come into the possession of his
 the brothers of the tribe, the right of priesthood, and father's substance he was content. What cared he for
 a share in the blessings of the promise, including the promises to be fulfilled after death. Of what profit
 possession of Canaan and the covenant fellowship with were they to him?
 Jehovah, and the progenitorship of Him in whom all            Such had been his reasonings on the occasion of his
 the families of the earth were to be blessed.              coming in from the field. Fanished by hunger, worn
        The account of the transaction leaves the im- out from the exertion of the day, he felt as if he was
 pression that both brothers were in a sober enough going to die if his appetite was not immediately satis-
 mode when the bargain was struck off. Jacob has fied. His only consideration was food. Nothing else
 Esau show his good faith by swearing, and the latter mattered. His natural life was all to him. Food at
 remarks that since he was going to die, his birthright this juncture was worth more to him than all else. Com-
 would do him no good.                                      pared with those smoking  lentiles his birthright faded
        How is it to be explained that Esau could barter into insignificance. What profit should it do to him
 away his grants? That he was acquainted with the were he to die for the lack of food. It was either food
 various articles of the patriarchal blessing is certain. for life or his birthright. As his life to his was the
 They must have been the topic of daily conversation in prized possession, he chose food and lost his soul.
 Isaac's household. Though Esau was not the man to             The question is usually asked what we are to think
 ponder the revelations made to his fathers, though he of Jacob taking advantage of his brother's weakness.
 was a destitute of the spiritual capacity to understand His manner of dealing with his brother is to be de-
 the deep things of God, and to prize spiritual values, nounced. This treacherous and self-seeking craft, his
 Esau must have known that what he gave away in ex- cold-blooded, and calculating spirit are revolting. At
 change for pottage was not merely land but the right the heart of his dispositions, however, Jacob was a be-
 to the fellowship of God, the right to a land where liever; for he prized what his brother despised.
 Jehovah would tabernacle with his offspring, the                                                      G. p/T. 6.
 privilege, finally, to become the progenitor of a seed
 in whom all the families of the earth would be blessed.
 The Lord in the past had spoken plain enough, "And I                                        -.--
 will establish my'covenant between me and thee and
 thy seed after thee in their generations for an ever-         Teach me Thy wny, 0 Lord, nnd lead me in a plain
 lasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed path.  - Ps. 27:ll.
 after thee. And I will establish my covenant between          God only is holy ; He alone knows how to lead His
 me and thee and thy seed after thee in their genera- children in the* paths of holiness.. He knows every
 tions `for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto aspect of your soul, every thought of your heart, every
 thee, and to thy seed after thee." It was this promise secret of your character, its difficulties and hindrances ;
 Esau despised. Therefore he appears in the epistle to He knows how to mould you to His.will,  and lead you
 the Hebrews as a profane man. The appellation pro- onwards to perfect sanctification ; He knows exactly
 fame would not at all have been applicable to him, if how each event, each trial, each temptation, will tell
 all he parted with was some land. It was not merely upon you, and He disposes all things accordingly. The
 land, but a country with God as its resident that he       consequences of this belief, if fully grasped, will in-
 esteemed so lightly. What he under the impulse of a fluence your whole life. You will seek to give yourself
 crave for food did, was to exchange heaven for earth, up to God more  an@ more unreservedly, asking nothing,
 God for bread that perishes, that he might live.           refusing nothing, wishing nothing, but what He wills;
        Later on when he broke out in bitter complaint at not seeking to bring things about for yourself, taking
 the discovery that in his absence his brother' had been all He sends joyfully, and believing the "one step" set
 blessed, it seemed that after all he was not as indif- before you to be enough for you. You will be satisfied
 ferent to the interests of the covenant as he had at that even though there are clouds around, and. your
 first appeared to be. "He cried with a great and ex- way seems dark, He is directing all, and that what
 ceeding bitter cry and said unto his father, Bless me, seems a hindrance will prove a blessing, since He
 even me also my father." His remorse, however, was wills it.


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       235

   In dien tijd leven we nu.                              among them, and wonders in the land of Ham. He sent
   Daarom roepen  we u toe: Wacht u voor het onhei-       darkness and made it dark ; and they rebelled not
lige  getal  6. Zorgt ervoor, dat ge op alle gebied des against his word. He turned their waters into blood,
levens gevonden wordt in het volle  getal  7. Indien ge and slew their fish. Their land brought forth frogs
vereenigt (en waarom zoudt ge niet vereenigen?) , laat in abundance, in the chambers of their kings.  He
uw vereeniging dan gekenmerkt  zijn door het  geheilig- spake and their came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all
de  getal  7. Het volle  getal  van Gods Verbond  over- their coasts. He gave them hail for rain, and flaming
schaduwe u in uw huis en op den weg, in de school en fire in their land. He smote their vines also and their
in de Kerk,  op uw akker en in den molen, in het koo-     fig trees ; and 1 brake the trees of their coasts.    He
pen en in het verkoopen, in alle en iedere openbaring spake and the locusts, and caterpillars, and that with-
van uw leven. Want als Hij dan komt die onze ziele out number. And did eat up all the herbs in their land,
mint, zult ge, waar ge nu weent, opspringen van blijd- and devoured the fruit of their ground. He smote
schap, want ik lees : "En men zal te dien dage zeggen : also the firstborn in their land, the chief of their
Zie, deze is onze God, wij hebben Hem verwacht en Hij strength. He brought them forth also with silver and
zal ons zalig maken ; deze is de Heere,  wij hebben Hem gold ; and there was not one feeble person among their
verwacht, wij zullen ons verheugen en verblijden in tribes. Egypt was glad when they departed; for the
Zijne zaligheid" (Jes. 25 9).                             fear of them fell upon them. He spread a cloud for a
                                               G. V.      covering; and fire to give light in the night. Ps. 105.
                                                              Yet with all these tokens of the Lord's power and
                                                          willingness to save, the children of Israel on the  jour-
                                                          neyntbrough  the. desert to Canaan were wont to say in
                    GOD OR  FIGS                          an emergency, when there was wont, and the need was
   Let us labor to enter the rest of that remaineth to not immediately supplied, or when danger threatened
the people of God. Because of their unbelief, the chil- and from the point of view of nature their plight
dren of Israel of the desert period perished in the seemed hopeless,  - wherefore is this that thou, Moses,
wilderness. With this tragic end of these Israelites hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our
before their eye, the faithful are to fear lest a promise children and our cattle? Setting their mouth against
being left to them of entering in his (Christ's) rest any Heaven, they would in addition ask, Is the Lord in this
of them shall seem to come short of it, That a rest place? Instead of being careful for nothing, instead
remaineth to the people of God is the inevitable con- of letting their requests be made known in every thing
clusion to which the reasoning of the sacred writer by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving unto
leads. The word of the Lord, Today if ye will hear God, they would burst forth in bitter complaint when-
His voice, harden not your hearts, .came  to Israel in ever the situation became a bit trying. Amazing,. if it
the prophet David, ages after God had entered His be considered that, whereas the Lord had so marvel-
rest (the rest of creation) and many years after Israel ously in the past demonstrated His determination to
had entered the typical rest of Canaan, so that the rest bring to pass what He had spoken, His mercy.an-dgood-
the people of God to which the word of David came is      ness must needs follow them all their days and in every
neither of the two aforesaid rests, but the rest that place where they came. They knew, those children of
remains, the eternal rest entered by Christ and His Israel, that to a humble cry on their part the Lord
followers.                                                would respond with quick relief. Yet they repeatedly
   Let us now attend to the behaviour of the children asked whether they had been brought up out of Egypt
of Israel of the desert period and uncover the deep- to be killed. And when the spies reported having seen
seated corruption that prompted their murmurings.         giants, they again went to wailing and expressed the
   This Israel tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord wish that they had died in Egypt.
in this place? The Lord had promised to be not only           Why, when there was need, would the children of
"in this place"' but in every place where Israel would Israel brake out in bitter complaint instead of humbly
come if it keep covenant fidelity. Said the Lord to beseeching the Lord for relief? In a word, why did
Moses : "I  have surely seen the affliction of my people they conduct themselves as they did? And the answer
which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason is ready: Because of their deep-seated hatred for God,
of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; and I - a hatred that in every emergency would challenge
am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the the faithfulness of God and thus show itself up as
Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto     wanton unbelief.
a good land and a large land, unto a land flowing with        Filled with spite, they refused to petition Him for
milk and honey . . . " (Ex. 3 :7-8). And the Lord had the needed relief. Why, they reasoned, should it be
furnished the children of Israel with ample proof that necessary? Having brought us up out of Egypt, is He
He had been of a mind to make good His promises. In not obliged to provide for us? To beg the Lord for
the words of the Psalmist, "He sent Moses his servant; water and bread, hurt their pride. So they questioned
and Aaron whom he had chosen. They showed his signs His willingness to care for them, challenged His ability

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

     to keep trust, and thus tempted Him. They dealt with as in Rephidim and Kadesh these sources did not exist
     Jehovah as one deals with a personage under suspicion,         in places where they had expected to find them. Then,
     respecting whose integrity there is much doubt.                too, there was the monotony, the irksome saneness, of
     Though theirs were the fathers and the promises,               the march. How it must have taxed their patience!
     though they had been eye-witnesses of a most wonder- Finally, Canaan, as was said, was inhabited. The chil-
     ful exhibition of Jehovah's gracious designs, they still dren of Israel had to first  fight the battles of Jehovah
     continue to test out their God as if to ascertain before they could come,to  rest in this land, so that the
     whether He could be relied upon. It would have pleased prospect of a great  .conflict was ever before their eye.
     them had He shown Himself up as unfaithful and                 It can easily be understood why the carnal Israel and
     thus as worthy to be cast off; for it is very plain from even the spiritual Israel when overruled by the flesh,
     their murmurings that they (the carnal seed) would was for returning to Egypt. If what we desire is figs
     fain have left Jehovah in the wilderness and returned and' pomegranates instead of God; if we wont to go to
     to Egypt. Twice did they threaten to make away with heaven not because heaven is the place where the pure
     Moses, and to return to bondage. The Lord, however, of heart see God, but because we gather from Scripture
     cannot be tempted. He cannot in a moment of extreme that heaven as compared with hell is a better place to
     vexation loose His self-control and cast off His  ill- be, it is small wonder that we are for returning to
     deserving people, but continues to keep covenant the fleshpots of this world  - fleshpots from which we
     fidelity. Apostacy  is therefore without a single excuse.- cannot break away  - instead of fighting the good fight,
            It is plain, then, what this sin of tempting God is.    instead of striving to enter in through the narrow gate,
     It is to deny out of sheer hatred the willingness of the laboring to enter the rest. If what we are after is not
     Lord to do the right in the hope that He in vexation God but merely the figs and pomegranates of Heaven,
     of spirit will withdraw Himself so that the denier can why deny ourselves, why  crusify  our members which
     do as he pleases.                                              are on the earth, why endure the chastening of the
            The carnal children of Israel hated God. Canaan Lord, why enrage by our light the wolves among whom
     as a land where they were to be established for a people Christ sent us, why fight the good.fight  and suffer, why
     unto the Lord that He might be their God, had no at- be killed all the day long? Are not the fleshpots of
     traction for them. Only as a land flowing with milk this world, the garlic, and onions, and leek of Egypt, as
     and honey, as a place of figs, of vines, and of pome- good as the figs of heaven? Such is your reasoning if
     granates was Canaan to them a prize to be coveted.             you thirst not for God, but merely for figs.
     It is evident from their murmurings that they had in-             The Lord is suffering His people of the desert
     deed set their hearts on this land so conceived of. In- period to suffer hunger, was disciplining them. For
     censed because of the thirst they suffered, they said to what purpose? Let us hear Moses on the matter.
     Moses, "And why have ye brought up the congregation "And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord
     of the.Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle thy God led thee these-forty years in the wilderness, to
     should die? . . . . It (the desert) is no place of seed, humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in
     or of  -figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates . . . .  "       thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his command-
     What vexed them is the hardships of the journey ments or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee
     through the desert.       The figs and pomegranates of to hunger,  and fed thee with manna, which thou
     Palestine, the material good for which Egypt had been knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he
     quitted, was no compensation for the sufferings of the might make thee know that man doth not live by bread
     life in the wilderness, and for the dangers of a conflict only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the
     with the cursed tribes inhabiting and corrupting the mouth of the Lord doth man live" (Deut. 8 :2,3). The
     land of promise. Besides, figs and pomegranates and writer of the epistle to the Hebrews advances an essen-
     such more could be had in Egypt. There they had tially similar reason for discipline. We quote: "For
     sat at fleshpots, had eaten to the full of garlic, and they (the fathers of our flesh) verily for a few days
     onions, and leek. Canaan was a good enough land, but chastened us after their own pleasure ; but he for our
     it was not worth the price they were paying. True, in profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness"
     Egypt they had been slaves. However, Egypt with its            (Heb. 12 :lO) .
     bondage was much to be preferred to the discipline                The Lord, then, leads His people in the wilderness,
     to which they as the army of the Lord were being sub- suffers them to hunger, to humble them, to prove them,
     jected on the march to Canaan.                                 to know what is in their heart, to make them know
            At times this discipline was most severe; the suffer- that man does not live by bread only.
     ings of the march intense. They were being led through            "To prove thee, and to know what is in thine
     a region parched by the burning rays of a tropical sun.        heart . . . .  " The Lord submits His attach, `be he
     On the march, the need for food and drink would soon elect or reprobate, to a trial, not because He is ignorant
     begin to assert itself. Sometimes it happened that the of what is in his heart, but that what is in his heart
     supply of water ran out. Then they thirsted until new may incorporate itself in action and thus present itself
/    sources of supply were reached. How trying when to his eye as conduct, behavior. If the person proved


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         237

be a reprobate one, the purpose is to bring into prom-      err in their heart, and they have not known my ways"
inence the hidden man of sin. The elect are tried that      (Ps. 95 :lO) .
they may come "in the unity of the faith, and of the           Though vexed, the Lord did not let them be. In-
knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto stead He swore in His  w&h that they should not enter
the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." His rest. So He shut them up in the desert, and their
Chastening in their case yieldeth the peaceable fruit carcasses';fell  in the wilderness.
of righteousness. To understand this, consider that            In the desert . . . . Today that desert is this
discipline, chastening, presupposes sin, a lack of holi- world through which the Lord leads His church mili-
ness. The rod has the effect of bringing the sons in tant. The destination is the eternal rest that remaineth
the dust before God. Humbled, they acknowledge their to those who believe. To the army of the Lord this
transgressions, plead for mercy, hunger and thirst for world is a wilderness of woe, a dry, parched, region
righteousness.    Satisfied, they experience that the void that yields no true bread  - a region therefore where  -
of their life can be filled by God only or, in the words    he who would live must feed upon bread the Lord
of the sacred writer, that man li,ves by every word that miraculously supplies, - the flesh and blood of Christ.
proceedeth out of the mouth of God, and not by com- It is a region, further, where the Lord in disciplining
mon bread. You can do without bread and live ; but His people for the good fight, suffers them to hunger
to cast off God for bread is to perish. These sons when and thirst, to be persecuted, mocked, scourged, im-
suffered to hunger, cry first of all not for bread that prisoned, stoned . . . . Then this good fight: it is an
perishes but for the true bread of life - the living engagement most irksome to the flesh, as it consists
God. They are filled and grow in grace and knowledge negatively in putting to death earthly members, in
of our Lord and thus come unto perfect man, unto the loving not the world, neither the things that are in the
measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. And world - the Iust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and
what was true in the days of Moses, is true today:          the pride of life. Positively it consists in witnessing
men only will engage in conflict with the tribes infest- for the truth and in confessing Christ's name. Faith-
ing and corrupting this earth  - our land of promise.       ful to this calling of his, the soldier of Christ loses his
Therefore the Lord disciplines us that in our grief we worldly friends, , whoever they may be  - father,
may press close to Him and be replenished with mother, brother, sister, yea even that rich but worldly
strength from on high. And the sons endure chasten- elder in the church, or member in the pew. Faithful,
ing; but the bastards who leave Egypt for the figs of       he loses, this soldier, his godless stays in life - the
Canaan rebel1 more and more.                                labor union, godless co-operative societies, his own
   The bastards of the desert period did so. When the wealth, so that ere long he finds himself quite alone.
Lord suffered them to thirst they said to Moses, where- ,No? Did not Christ find Himself quite alone when His
fore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt,     public ministry was drawing to a close? Was not the
to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst.     world ready to  crusify  Him then? Is a servant more
Would God that we had died when our brethren had than his master? Well then, what in the world is the
died before the Lord. The place where thou  hast sense of us trying to philosophy our way out of the
brought us is evil ; it is no place of figs and pomegran- difficulties in which our principles, if lived, involve us.
ates. What they wished were true, they believed and            In one of his parting discourses Moses said to the
expressed, to-wit, that in this evil place the Lord was children of Israel, "Who (namely, Jehovah) led thee
not. It was a murmuring representative of an attempt through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein
to fabricate an excuse for a reluctance to press on with were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where
God to Canaan.                                              there was no water; . . . . " (Deut.  8 :7). Brethren,
   When finally the report of the spies reach their the wilderness through which the Lord leads us is also
ears, when it was told them that the promised land          a great and terrible region. Here the devil goes about
was inhabited, and that the inhabitants were  omen  of like a roaring lion, and the godless like wolves and
giant stature, when, in other words, they perceived scorpions lie in wait for the faithful. It is a place,
that, before coming to rest in Canaan, they would have this wiIderness, where we wrestle not against flesh and
to fight the battles of Jehovah, their impious grief blood, but against principalities, against powers,
knew no bonds, and they said, Wherefore hath the Lord against the rulers of darkness of this world, against
brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword that our spiritua1  wickedness in high places. But why be dis-
wives and children should be a prey. O! how they mayed, brethren? The Lord is in this place! Even
tempted Him ! How they tried to vex Him in the hope today you hear His voice ; even now this voice is in
that He, weary of their murmurings, would disown your ears and reverberates in your soul. It is the
them so that they, without His interference, might re- voice that says: "Labor to enter the rest." To enter
turn to their bondage.                                      the rest is to labor. There is the body of this death
   As He was vexed by their accusation. Hearken that must be put off; the 8cZf that must be denied; the
unto His complaint: "Forty years long was I grieved chastening of the Lord that must. be endured  ; the devil
with this generation, and said, It is a people that do that must be resisted; the serpents and scorpions that


 238                                   T H E   STAXDARD   B E A R E R

  must be trampled; the world that must be hated and ing engagement consists in phylosophying his way out.
  overcome; the Christ that must be confessed ; and the of the difficulties in which his principles, if lived, in-
  truth that must be witnessed for, ere we can appear volve him. In his heart he is sorry that he ever set out
  before His face in Zion. The way to Canaan leads for Canaan. If the Lord would only leave him be, he
  through  a. great and terrible wilderness.                    would return to the fleshpots of Egypt and to his
        Labor to enter the rest. You say your labor is vain bondage. Canaan with its milk and honey and figs is
  as you are no match for the combined forces of iniquity a good enough land, but whereas the way to this land
  - the body of this death, the wolves, the scorpions, leads through a terrible wilderness, the garlic and
  the serpents, the devil and the world? Know that sin onions and leek of Egypt will do.
  is condemned in the flesh, that the devil's day has come,        My brother, if you left Egypt not because you love
  that the woIves  have no power that is not Christ`s, that Canaan's God but merely because you were interested
1 Babylon shall fall, that upon the scorpions Christ long in Canaan's figs, your carcass will fall in the wilder-
  ago pronounced a sevenfold woe in words that issued ness unless you hear His voice not tomorrow but today.
  straight from the presence of the Eternal when He Today if you hear His voice, harden not your heart.
  said, "Woe unto you, scribes and  Bharisees,  hypocrites,                                                 G. M. 0.
  ye serpents, generation of vipers, how can ye escape
  the damnation of hell  ?" Know, brethren, that the
  victory has been won and given you by Christ: that
  whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. Know                            ONZE  ZENDING
  that you have been set in heavenly places with Christ;
  that your life is hidden with Him in God so that when            We eindigden de laatste  maal met een overzicht te
  He shall appear you shall appear with Him in glory.           geven omtrent het werk door onze Zendingscomm. ver-
        His word: labor to enter the rest. If you hear His richt. Het spreekt als vanzelf waar we geen lid dier
  word today, harden not yourt herats. To harden our commissie uifmaken,  we nooit  op QQn hunner vergade-
  heart is to firmly and persistently resolve to set our- ringen  zijn geweest. Wat we dus bespreken  zijn de
  selves against the Lord and to turn. a deaf ear to His ol?icieele  stukken gelijk die ter Classicale tafel versche-
  voice, to place over against His yea our nav. To the nen in de jaren  1928 en 1929.
  voice of God, Labor  to enter  the  rest, the hard-hearted       Volledigheidshalve schreven we, voorzooverre dit
  sinner responds with, I will not labor to enter the rest. noodig was, de geheele zakelijke inhoud woordelijk
        He who hardens his heart reasons and carries on as over. Deden dit niet op ons geheugen afgaande, omdat
  did the children of Israel whose carcasses fell in the ook wij geneigd zijn bij het weergeven van anderer
  desert. Such a one is disposed as were these Israelites. werk,  niet de feiten doch den indruk dien we ontvingen
  He quit Egypt not under the impulse of a love for weer te geven, er iets bijvoegende of ook we1 er iets
  Jehovah, not because of the glorious prospect of event- uit latende, wat in  beide opzichten zeer gevaarlijk en
  ually coming to rest in a land where the Lord taber- ook niet geoorloofd is.
  nacles with His people, but merely for Canaan's figs.            Alles wat we tot dusver aanhaalden waren  de origi-
  Once- on the march he soon shows himself up as unfit.         neele stukken.
  He will not be disciplined, he will not deny himself             Gelijk we zagen, was er  we1 voorbereidend werk
  and take up his cross, and fight the good fight. The verricht, doch meer dan tot voorbereiding is het dan
  scorpions and serpents of the desert he charms with ook nog niet gekomen.
  soothing speech; with the giants in the earth he makes .         Als er een zaak is waarop het langzaam maar zeker
  peace, and thus loses his soul.      When the mighty zou kunnen worden  toegepast, is het de zaak onzer  zen-
  threatens the little flock  he under the impulse of a false ding.
  ferver joined, when the clouds of persecution gather,            Dat ligt natuurlijk niet enkel en alleen  aan de daar-
  he is troubled and says; "Wherefore hath the Lord toe aangestelde commissie maar bij ons  allen  in  meer-
  brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that dere of mindere mate. En zal bet anders worden  dan
  our wives and our children be a prey? Were it not dient ieder op zijn plaats en in zijn omgeving de hand
  better for us to return unto Egypt?" When the Joshuas aan den pIoeg te slaan en te beginnen.
  and his company try to explain to him that offences              Dezelfde commissie bracht nog een rapport op de
  must come so that the best he can do is to be quiet           laatstgehouden Classis-vergadering, Augustus,  1930.
  and press on with God to Canaan, his wrath knows no              Vergelijkender wijze gesproken geldt van de drie
  bonds and he cries, Stone him ! Stone him ! If because rapporten uitgebracht  ter  Classis de spreuk "Lest
  of his principles he  forsees  that he must come to some Best."
  grief, he says to those who would be faithful to the             De broeders spraken uit in dit laatste rapport, dat
  end, "You are going too far, much farther than the het hare (Zendingscomm.) overtuiging was, dat : "Hoe
 Lora would have you go. He is not in that; grief; your meer we ons werk van alle kanten bezien, hoe meer we
  affiictions are self-imposed." In a word, this stubborn gevoelen, dat ons zendingswerk een bijzonder karakter
  pilgrim will not  Z&or to enter the rest. His outstand-       draagt,  en we ons hoofdzakelijk in onzen  arbeid dienen


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        241

alles zijn ze in het midden van een wereld, die, in het              JACOB BLESSED AND ESAU CURSED
booze ligt. Daarom zijn ze op aarde vreemdelingen en
zoeken ze de stad, die fund.amenten heeft, waarvan ze             At the time of which we now write, Isaac was one
door genade levende burgers zijn geworden. De Kerk hundred and thirty-seven years old. The notice, "Isaac
op aarde is nog in ballingschap in het Babel der wereld. was old and his eyes were dim" seems to imply that
En in dat Babel der wereld gaan ze schijnbaar dikwijls the frame of this patriarch had noticeably weakened
onder en hebben ze naar het uiterlijke de overwinning with years, that his former bodily vigor had given
niet. Daarom kunnen ze niet rusten, eer die overwin-           way to a physical debility betokening the approach of
ning, die ze door het geloof altoos hebben, ook ten volle death, though death did not come to him until forty-
geopenbaard zal zijn in den dag van Christus  en ver- seven years after.
langen ze naar de eindelijke openbaring van de heer-              That Isaac's thoughts had turned to the hour of
lijkheid van Christus  en van het Jeruzalem, dat boven his decease, that he felt as if his hour might soon
is en dat vrij is; dat straks uit den  hemel van God zal       strike, is evident from the reason he gave for his
afdalen, als een bruid, die voor haren man versierd is.        resolution to bless his favored son without further
En het blijft nog altijd hunne belijdenis, dat ze  gasten delay. Said he, "Behold, I am old and I know not the
en vreemdelingen op aarde zijn, dat ze hier geen  blij-        day of my death." Though enfeebled by age, his mind
vende stad hebben,  maar  de toekomende zoeken.                was still capable of equivocating, of subtle and treach-
                                                 & II.         erous dealing, of hatching out a scheme for admitting
                                                               Esau into his presence to be blessed without arousing
                                                               the suspicions of Rebekah. The latter surely was
                                                               acquainted with her husband's choice and design. How
            PROSPERITY AND THE WICKED                          often she must have remonstranted with him. He had
       God's law extends over the length and breadth of refused, however, to change his mind so that she
man's existence, The command to serve and to praise lived in constant dread that at any time now he would
                                                               go through with his resolve to bestow the blessing
is inseparably joined to all that man is and is pleased upon him whom Heaven had cursed. So she had ac-
to call his own. Man must love God with all his heart, customed herself to keeping a vigilant eye upon the
with all his soul, and with all his mind, and with all his tent of her lord. Whenever she saw the stalward form
strength. Man shall serve God with his talents, with of her eldest son pass through its door, she would make
his powers of mind and body, with his wealth.  .The com- it a point to place herself within the range of hearing
mand to serve and to praise is attached to all that God Isaac's voice, that she might know what was being
is pleased to bestow upon the sinner. But the wicked said.
one will not serve, neither will he praise. Unto the              As to Isaac, he knew that what he contemplated
sinner the law is an instrument of death. It maddens doing would inflict upon the soul of his wife a wound
him. The law arouses slumbering sin which, having from which she might never recover. From a delight-
been awakened, captivates the entire man and compels ful and faithful companion she might pass into a
its captive to resist the law. Such are the plain teach- sullen, gloomy, spiteful spouse with whom there would
 ings of the Apostle Paul. Prosperity, since it is in- be no keeping house. It was expedient, therefore, that
                                                               he bless Esau in the quiet.
separably joined to the law, which the sinner hates,              That we imagine correctly the state of affairs in
 occasions intense rebellion on the part of the wicked Isaac's household is evident enough. Consider that he
one. Since the law covers man's entire existence, with- had said nothing to Rebekah of his having set a day for
 in the circle of which he is confined, it follows that the blessing Esau. She heard of it for the first when
 sinner is one who continuously and exclusively rebels listening to a conversation not meant for her ears.
 against his Maker.                                            Isaac had been keeping his thoughts to himself; had
       He fears no one and why should He? With Him thus refrained from confiding in his wife. The con-
 there is no respect of persons. He judges the sinner viction cannot be escaped that he had shut her out of
 and his deeds and his thoughts and his volitions and his his counsels. He will bless his son without her knowl-
 desires and his motives and his aims and purposes and edge. How to gain the desired privacy? A thought
 the estimations of  this Judge are correct and the sen- comes to him. He will instruct his son to make him
 tence imposed what it should be.                              savoury meat, and to bring it to him.
       Scripture makes it very plain, that this court is in        Rebekah will say, He eats merely today of Esau's
 session and has been from the very beginning. The venison. So will she feel at ease and suspect nothing.
                                                                   Such may have been the motive of Isaac's instruc-
 very presence of sin means, that God is ever engaged tion to this son of his to appear before the door of his
 in prosecuting, judging, pronouncing guilty or inno- tent with the costumary venison. Rebekah, however,
 cent, sentencing and executing judgment.                      had again been near enough to hear Isaac say to Esau,
                                               G. M. 0.
 c.                                                            "Behold, now I am old, I know not the day of my

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

death; now, therefore, take I pray thee, thy weapons,        but vain effort to shake off his fright and once more
thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field and          steels himself to bless his elder son. It is, however, as
take me some venison ; and make me savoury meat, if he can see the frown on God's face deepen.
such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat ; that       Bresently  there issues from the deep quiet of his
my soul may bless thee before I die."                        immediate environment a voice. Its sound shatters
       Esau departs to carry out his father's instructions. the oppressive silence of the old man's tent and re-
Rebekah immediately sets her mind to work to devise verberates in his soul.
a scheme for frustrating Isaac's design. Her brain              "My father !" it said.
seems to have worked with lightning rapidity; for               Isaac startles. His whole frame begins to shake.
almost instantly she was ready with a well defined  plan Was not that voice the voice of Jacob? What brings
of action. So she rushes into the presence of her son, him here at this inopportune time. Did he come to
informs him of what she had overheard. Her excite- cast himself as an impediment of Heaven upon my
ment is great; for she repeats but half of what had          path ! "My father !" Oh that voice ! It falls upon
been said. Without commenting upon Isaac's resolve,          Isaac's ears as a voice that issues straight from the
she lays before her son the plan. Jacob shall take presence of the eternal. At the sound of it all the
advantage of his father's blindness and personate old misgivings lurking in his bosom revive to shake
Esau. Her plot calls for two good kids of the goats their accusing fingers in his face.
to be made by her savoury meat for Isaac such as he             "My father."
loved. This meat Jacob shall bring to his father that           "Here am I; who art thou, my son?" `Art thou not
he, before his death, may bless him.                         Jacob? What wouldest thou ? Who bade thee enter
       Rebekah's plan of action struck Jacob as being im-    my presence now? Speak !'
possible of execution. Though Isaac was blind, a suffi-         Had the voice replied, `My father, I am Jacob, thy
cient number of sense organs remained to him for second born, the supplanter of thy elder son, I am he
knowing the person with whom he had to do. He                whom thou shalt bless,' - had this been the reply of
could still hear and smell and feel so that Jacob felt       the voice, the sacred historian would have had a dif-
certain that the sound of his voice, the smell of his ferent story to tell.
garments, and the feel of his hairless skin would be-           "Who art thou, my son."
tray him. How preposterous the idea that he could               The voice answers: "I am Esau thy firstborn; I
pass himself off on his father as Esau. Jacob is afraid have done according as thou badest me: arise I pray
of the curse, he thinks he would be sure to bring upon thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless
him if detected. Rebekah becomes impatient. Her me."
son's resistence  plainly vexes her. The situation calls        Surprise mingled with delight overwhelmes Isaac's
for quick action. Soon Esau might return and all soul. Could it be possible that his hearing had de-
would be lost. To allay her son's fears, and to get him ceived him so that after all it is Esau whose voice is
to act, she agrees to assume full responsibility for the in his ears ? The aged man regains his composure.
line of operation she had sketched out. Said she, "Upon The old confidence returns. The reply of the voice,  "I
me be thy curse, my son; only obey my voice, and go          am Esau" has the effect of taking the keen edge off
fetch me them." Jacob is silent and obeys. Soon the ,the disquieting thought that Heaven was interfering.
meat is made, such as the aged Isaac, who is about to        Yet he is not satisfied. That to him the voice is Esau's,
become the victim of his lust for savoury food, loves.       he may ascribe to a defect in his hearing. What con-
In  persuance  of her purpose, and in order to reduce        tinues to puncture his confidence is the wonderful
the danger of detection to a minimum, Rebekah clothes        speed with which the game had been run down, dragged
her son in the goodly garments of Esau, which she has        home and prepared.
with her in her tent, and puts the skins of the kids of         "How is it," he asks, "that thou hast found it so
goats upon his hands and upon the smooth of his neck. quickly, my son?"
The meat and bread she has prepared, she gives into             Jacob had anticipated the question, and can there-
his hand and orders him into the presence of his father. fore instantaneously reply : "Because the Lord thy God
       The way now leads through a veritable thicket of brought it to me."
equivocation and deceit. As to Isaac, he felt ill at ease       Oh! yes, of course, he might have known that!
while waiting the return of his favored son. After all, Still, there was that voice. Whose could it be but
he was not so sure that he was about to act in con-          Jacob's.  The old doubt again rises in his soul. Isaac
formity with the speech of the signs of Heaven. His is in a quandary. He will know if his ears fail him by
doubt, fed by the accusing voice of conscience, took on attending to the witness of his sense of touch.
strength and began to tug at his self-induced assurance         "Come near, I pray thee," he says, "that I may feel
until it seemed as if it would be torn up by its very thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or
roots. Fear mingled with perplexity takes hold of not." Jacob obeys and stands mute and still and limp
him as the thought that after all he might be in error as the fingers of the blind old man stroke his hands,
begins to take root in his soul. But he makes a mighty covered by the skins. Isaac knows not what to think.


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       249,

 More to himself than to his son, he says, "The voice is about the voice she had heard in the period of her
 Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau."        pregnancy, vexed his soul. The greater shall serve
 Again and again he clutches at those hairy skins upon the lesser? Let him then be the lesser to be served.
 Jacob's wrists. There is conflict, between the witness How fortunate, he mused, that his father was a person
 of his ears and the witness of his sense of touch. Whose with sufficient intelligence to see that Jacob was not
 testimony shall he believe, that of his ears or his the man to stand at the head of the clan, and had
 fingers? He knows not.                                      therefore resolved to make him, Esau, the custodian of
    A thought comes to Isaac. He will hear this son on the promised fatness of the earth. The old man had
 the matter. Surely he will tell the truth about himself more will-power than he had given him credit for. He
 if the question who he is be put pointblank to him.         had lived in constant dread that some day his father
     "Art thou my very son Esau?"                            might yield to his mother respecting the disposal of the
    "I am," come back the reply.                             patriarchal blessing. He had stood  firm, however. His
    Isaac is satisfied. "Bring near to me," he says, "and affections for him had proven strong and abiding. Not
 I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless that he had no fault to find with him. Often he had
 thee."                                                      rebuked him for his profanity, and urged him to show
    A sigh of relief escapes Jacob's bosom as he reaches himself up as worthy .of the place he was to occupy.
 for the meat and the wine. He stands silently by, while Often he had spoken to him about the God of Abraham
 his father eats and drinks. Satiated, Isaac bids his whom he must serve. But all this talk about Jehovah
 son come near and kiss him. The scent of the field is and the higher interest of the covenant had wearied
 in the raiment of this son. In this raiment I.saac burries his soul. As often as the conversation turned on these
 his face. "See," he says,  " the smell of my son is as the points, Esau would become sullen and .quiet, retreat to
 smell of the field the Lord has blessed." With the his tent, reach for his weapons  - his quiver and bow
 fragrance of this garment in his nostrils, he feels  cer- - and go out to the field. Yet upon this son, Isaac
tain now that he embraces his favored child. How his continues to set his affections and finally instructs him
 soul cleaves to him ! There can be no doubt that he is to take his weapons, go out to the field, hunt his father
 `the choice of Heaven. He smells like the fields the Lord venison, and be blessed.
 blesses ! So he says to his son: "Therefore God give           Esau had returned with the desired game. Ignorant
 thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth,    of what had happened, he is in his tent now, with per-
 and plenty of corn and wine: let people serve thee, and haps greater care than usual making savoury meat
 nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, such as he knew his father loved. `How the old man can
 and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed eat,' he may have mused as he bent over his roast. It
 be every one that  curseth  thee, and blessed be he that should not be ,held against him that he could see no
 blesseth thee."                                             connection between the eating to the full of the meat
     It has come to pass. Esau, so the erring father he prepared and the bestowal of the blessing, because
 imagines, has the blessing. Let death come to him t,here was none.
 now. What matters it? He has gotten his way.                   Followed by his mother perhaps, Jacob, ,afraid of
     Jacob, eager to get away as soon as possible,- leaves the outcome of his doings, may have scurried to some
 his father's presence. He is scarce gone when Esau          remote corner of his father's ranch.  ' That terrible
 comes in from his hunting, not as on the day of the wrath of his headstrong, impetuous, big-fisted, brother
 selling of his birthright,  - empty handed, exhausted of his ; that curse of his father, - how he feared them
 `from the exertion of the hunt, on the point of death, both. Was he not filled with remorse for having passed
 ready to barter away his rights for some food to save through a thicket of lies and deceit in order to reach
 his life. Nay, he is very much alive today, and jubilant. his goal? Did not Rebekah despise herself for her
 The immediate need is not food as such, but the  quar-      doings of the past hour? Had her faith been stronger
 antee of food, the blessing - the dew of heaven, the she would have known  tha+t no one can bless whom God
 fatness of the earth, corn and wine, the lordship over curses.
 his brethren. These things he now covets. For he is             Satisfied that his meet is as savory as he can make
 very much alive now and feels as if he has yet a long it, Esau sets out for his father's tent, in quest of the
 time to live and therefore may have need of that wine fat of the earth that he may live.
 and corn. And how strong he feels today, how capable            Isaac is alone pondering it may be safely assumed
 of lording it over his brethren, of coming to the fore as the events of the hour. The voice of his son is still in
 the king of his tribe ; much more capable than that         his ears as the voice of Jacob. Strange ! Had there
 sneaking, slinking, treacherous, grasping, minute in- been foul play? It could not be. The hands were the
 sect of a brother of his. W'hat a despicable creature to hands of Esau. The smell of his garment is still in his
 take advantage of a dying brother's hunger as he had nostrils. Let him then dismiss the thought that he
 done. How his mother could take to him is perhaps           had been deceived. If it was Esau, had be blessed the
 more than he could understand.        Esau cared little chosen of the Lord? The greater shall serve the lesser.
 for the society of his mother. Her strange babblings Oh yes, that oracle. As often as it flashes upon his

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

memory, all the old doubts revive to torture his soul. cause he realizes that the promised corn and wine, the
He again begins to reason with himself. Could not fatness of the earth, is lost to him. He cries for the
that speech have issued from  Bebekah's  own agitated bread that perishes. These were no tears of true re-
soul? Why should the Lord have spoken to her and pentance, but tears of anger, malice, bitterness, and
not to him? But let it be His voice she had heard, why hatred. He thought that by his wailing he could induce
cannot my elder son be the lesser to be served? True,       his father to bless him too. "Bless me, even me also
he is a profane, brutish man, holding the higher things     my father." His father had but one blessing - the
of the covenant in visible contempt. Then those women       blessing he had bestowed upon his younger son, to
he joined himself to ! Vain, worldly creatures . . . .      whom it rightfully belonged. So he said, "Thy brother
However, he is still young,' and may yet mend his           came with subtility, and hath taken away thy bless-
ways. As it is, he is no worse than that sulking, slink-    ing."
ing, grasping, younger son of mine. Yet Jacob seems            Isaac's answer is a mixture of truth and untruth.
to be differently disposed than Esau. Can it be . . . . True it is that Jacob had come with subtility; but he
       Presently there is a voice. "Let my father arise, took the blessing to which he had been appointed by
and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless       the oracle of the Lord.
me." The body of the old man stiffens. Was that not            Isaac should therefore have replied, `My son, it is I
Esau speaking to him? Or had he been dreaming?              who am first of all in error. Even before thy birth it
Had that voice come to him from without? Or had his         was revealed to thy mother that the patriarchal bless-
agitated soul transmitted its disturbance to his ears       ing was to go not to thee but to Jacob. Instead of
so that he had been hearing things? He will know.           hearkening to the voice of my God, I hardened my
       Turning his head in the direction from which that    heart and firmly resolved to bless thee. Availing Him-
voice seemed to have come, he says, "Who art thou?"         self of thy brother's subtility and of my physical in-
       "I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau," came back the    ~firmity,  the Lord this day did the thing that was in His
reply, clear and distinct.                                  heart, so that thy brother is blessed, indeed. My son,
       Isaac perceived that he had not been dreaming. A     cease thy wailing. Let each of us repent of his great
violent tremor shakes his frame, which seems on the sin. Thy sin is thy profanity. Thou soldest thy birth-
verge of collapsing. He trembles with an exceeding right, my son, and thus made sport of things holy. As
great trembling. Why does he tremble so? Because            to me, my great sin is my stubbornness, my unwilling-
the full truth rises in his soul. Could it be that after ness to take home to my heart the oracles of my God.
all Heaven had interfered ; that though he meant to         Come, let us go to thy brother and to thy mother who
bless Esau, he had blessed his younger child - the          are in hiding because they fear thy great wrath and
choice of Heaven? Had he then all these years been tell them that their sin is their treacherous dealings,
kicking against the pricks, setting his mouth against their lack of faith. It was my carnal blindness, how-
Heaven? Had he as  un unwilling  instmcment   been ever, that proved to be their undoing, so that my sin
serving the counsels of his God? No, it cannot be. is greater than theirs.
He will not believe it. The thought is to terrible to          `My son, cease to cry for the bread that perishes.
contemplate.                                                Thy soul shouldthirst for the living God whom thou
       So he replies: "Who? where is he that hath taken all thy life didst taunt.  W,ould thou live my son?
venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all         Then thou must dwell in thy brother's tent and attach
before thou camest, and have blessed him? Yea, he thyself to him as the channel of thy salvation. In him
shall be blessed." `Who sayest thou that thou art? only  canst thou be blessed. If thou, therefore, pitch
Who? Esau? What ailest thee? It cannot be! He it thyself over against him, if thou  cursest him in thy
was, whom I blessed, I know. Where is he? Summon soul, know well, my son, that thou shalt be cursed and
him into my presence, that I may once more stroke his shalt perish forever.'
hands. For I know it was he! The taste of his venison          Such, however, was not Isaac's reply. He was un-
is still in my mouth, and the scent of his garment in       fatherly enough to frame a retort that had the effect
my nostrils.'                                               of feeding the flame of Esau's carnal passion. It (this
       But Oh! that voice. It  wa,.s  the voice of Jacob, and retort) focused the enraged Esau's attention on the
the voice of him who now speaks is the voice of Esau. treachery of his brother, as if Jacob was the only one
His ears do tell him the truth. It was his younger son that had sinned. It declared that the blessing right-
whom he had blessed. Yea, and he shall be blessed. fully belonged to Esau. What other conclusion could
Thy will be done.                                           the latter draw than that, whereas Jacob had been
       When Esau hears his father declare in a voice blessed, the Lord must be content, and hold His peace.
pregnant with determination that Jacob shall be              ' Esau's reply is in keeping with his father's retort.
blessed, his rage knows no bounds. He burst forth Said he: "Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath
into a great and bitter cry that could be heard far be-     supplanted me these two times ; he took away my birth-
yond the confines of his fatherfs tent. Why does this right; and, behold, now he hath taken away my bless-
strong, proud, and stalward man carry on so?  Be-           ing."


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                    251

    Both Isaac and Esau excuse themselves but judge seems to demand this interpretation, and it is con-
 Jacob.    However, they condemn themselves wherein firmed by the prediction, by thy sword, etc.  &au's
 they judge him. Both approve the things that are dwelling place was the very opposite of the richly
 excellent, and set themselves up  ?s instructors out of blessed land of Canaan."
 the law, as a guide of the blind, and a light of him          So, then, Esau begged for a blessing, refused to be
 who is in darkness, as an instructor of the foolish and blessed in Jacob, and was therefore cursed.
 a teacher of babes. What Isaac and Esau fail to do,           The land of Edom was to constitute a striking
 however, is to teach and preach to themselves. They antithesis to the land of Jacob. By his sword, there-
 both are agreed that Jacob is a contemptable deceiver. fore, he was to live. War, pillage, and robbery, are to
 Yet Isaac for the past forty years now contemplated support him in a barren country.
 and finally attempted to betray both the Lord and his         Further, he is to serve his brother, but will ulti-
 younger son by bestowing (so he thought) the blessing mately shake off the yoke from his neck. He will do so
 upon Esau. And the latter, though he had bartered unto his own eternal destruction.
 away his birthright for a morsal of food, yet sneaks          "And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing
 into his father's tent to obtain the blessing. He even wherewith his father had blessed him; and Esau said
* accuses his brother of having taken his birthright, in his heart, The days of mourning of my father are at
 while the truth of the matter is that he sold it to him. hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob." Esau in
    So, then, wherein they judge Jacob, they condemn agreement with his reprobate mind, continued to curse
 themselves in that they do the same thing. Esau even his brother in his heart. Cursing Jacob, he was cursed
 resorts to sophistry when he reasons as if he had re- by Heaven.
 tained the blessing when he sold his birthright, as if
 the two did not go together. What a despicable fool.
 And what a miserable weakling Isaac again shows
 himself up to be.                                             Let us attend now to the writing of Paul : "And not
    Esau continues to beg his father for a blessing. only this; but when Rebekah also had conceived by one
 "Hast  thou not reserved a blessing for me?" His in- even by our father Isaac ; for the children being not
 sistence that he, too, be blessed, was his fatal error. yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that
 He wanted to come to bliss apart from, instead of in the purpose of God according to  election.might  stand,
 conjunction with, his brother. Esau is here the type of not of works but of him that calleth; it was said to
 the ungodly, antichristian power that strives to attain her, The elder shall serve the younger.     As it iswrit-
 to peace and honor and glory apart from Christ.            ten, Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated."
    Esau is again told that no blessing remained to him.       Jehovah by the mouth of the prophet says: "And
 Said Isaac, "Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all I hated Esau and laid his mountains and his heritage
 his brethren have I given to him for servants ; and with waste for the dragons of the wilderness.       Whereas
 corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I Edom saith, we are impoverished, but we will return
 do now unto thee, my son?" Esau, however, refuses and build the desolate place ; this saith the Lord of
 to understand. Said he to his father, "Hast  thou but hosts. They shall build but I will throw down and.thcy
 one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, my shall call them the border of wickedness and the people
 father." And he lifted up his voice and wept.              against whom the Lord hath indignation forever." The
    The current view seems to be that what now Isaac passage is significant. Esau was one whom the Lord
 uttered was a blessing indeed. "Behold, thy dwelling rejected. The passage teaches that God's hatred is
 shall be the fatness of the earth,. and of the dew of not mere dislike, a less ardent love but a great indigna-
 heaven from above; and by thy sword shalt thou live, tion, a power effecting the reprobate in this life as well
 and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass as in the life hereafter. The divine hatred was  im-`
 when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt poverishing and striking down, the Edomites wasting
 break his yoke from off thy neck."                         their heritage. Further, the prophets asserts that the
    If this announcement was a blessing, the old father Lord hath indignation against Edom forever.
 overturns his own speech to the effect that no bless-         Now it is a matter of history that Esau showed a
 ing remained to his elder son. Consulting the Hebrew, profane spirit. He sold his birthright. To the people
 the discovery is made that the phrase: "Behold, thy who sprung from Esau was assigned a dwelling place
 dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth," should read, outside of the promised land. They were submissive
 "Behold, thy dwelling shall be away from the fatness to Israel under David. In Malachi's day Edom was
 of the earth." The preposition used is  min, meaning plunged into desolation by eastern conguerers and
 away from. Writes A. Gosman (Lang on the book of thereafter incorporated with the Jewish state under
 Genesis) : "The rnin is the same in both cases, but in John Hyrcranus and finally obliterated from the num-
 the blessing of Jacob, after a verb of giving, it had a ber of nations.
 partitive sense; here after a noun of place, it denotes       Now the apostle sees in what befalls Esau and
 distance, separation." He continues, "The context Jacob a type of election unto eternal life and of re-

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

jection  unto eternal death. The main topic of this hebben prijsgegeven. Of zijn we  aan `t vertragen,
and the preceding chapter is election. The preceding broeders?
chapter leaves no doubt as to this. There Paul asserts  :        Misschien zegt iemand : Het uitgeven van de. S. B.
For whom He did foreknow He also did predestinate of kost tech ook geld. Laat ieder,  waar*  dit kan, zijn vijf
be conformed to the image of His Son. But the rejec- dollar per jaar betalen.           En dat kunnen er nog velen,
tion of Esau and the  elections of Jacob is at once a indien men slechts wil.
rejection to eternal death and an election to eternal            En waar we in onzen arbeid gebonden zijn aan een
life.                                                         bepaalde kring, die vanwege de afstanden het onzen
       The Lord hated Esau before he was born, before he leiders onmogelijk maakt om geregeld uit  te gaan, en
had done any evil so that not his evil but the will of in verschillende plaatsen redevoeringen te houden,
God is the sovereign cause of his rejection.                  daar is onze S. B. althans Ben middel dat ons ten dien-
                                                G. M. 0.      ste staat. .
                                                                 Als we eens wisten hoereel  arbeid  er door ons blad
                                                              bespaard  werd dan zou men de billijkheid van hetgeen
                                                              we schrijven  we1 inzien.
                     O N Z E   ZENDING  .                        We hebben dit al meermalen gezegd. Mogelijk
                           (Slot)                             denkt iemand: dat behoeft dan ook niet telkens her-
                                                              haald te  worden.   Echter zijn we hier van zoo  over-
       De vorige keer hebben we er nadruk opgelegd, om tuigd, dat `bet ons een vanzelfsheid is geworden om
in verband met het werk der zending,  al onze krachten aldus te schrijven.
zooveel mogelijk te vereenigen en op 6% punt samen te            Dan zou er werkelijk kracht van ons uitgaan.
trekken,  om ze dan in QQn actie om te zetten.                   Daarbij komt  nag,' dat waar de Zendingscommissie
       We opperden de gedachte om in ons werk, naast de er op aandrong in haar rapporten om een leeraar  af te
uit te geven brochures, deze op te volgen met een ge- zonderen voor ons zendingswerk, dit voor tijd en wijle
regelde verspreiding van ons blad. En dat natuurlijk nag we1 wat wachten kan.
gratis.                                                          Bewerk het veld  eerst een aantal  jaren langs dien
       We  wezen er op, dat het met het uitgeven van weg en laat uw stem hooren door middel van ons or-
enkele  brochures nog lang niet klaar is, zelfs  beweer-      gaan. Het zou, gesteld nu eens, dat de kerken iemand
den we, dat we daar niet veel heil van verwachten wan-        op het oog hadden, tech een overbodige weelde zijn, om
neer het daarbij zou blijven.                                 zoo iemand nu daartoe  af te zonderen.
       Ge moet, in  verband  met  bet eigenaardig karakter       We kunnen bet in dezen wel aan het verkeerde ein-
van onze taak en roeping,  we1 voor de aandacht houden, de hebben en door kortzichtigheid een verkeerden weg
dat we ons aanknoopingspunt dienen te vinden bij die opvoeren,  doch wat we schrijven is onze vaste  overtui-
menschen  welke bij de kerken behooren die nauw  aan f&g.
ons verwant zijn. Met het noodwendig gevolg, dat we              Zooals wij de zaak bezien, is er nog lang geen be-
langs een opvoedkundige weg, hen geregeld  iets dienen hoefte aan een Zendingsleeraar. Is in onze omstandig-
toe te zenden,  waardoor  ze steeds meer en beter war? heden de taak veel te groot voor Q&man en zijn we-e?
den voorgelicht en dies voorbereid om  zich bij ons  aan van overtuigd, dat nog niemand in onze  kring in staat
te sluiten.                                                   was of is om het tegenovergestelde te bewijzen.
       Daarom zij het  nogmaals  gezegd:  zend ons blad,         Er kwamen in 1929 een zestal,  nu geslonken door
een vijfhonderd of duizendtal exemplaren naar hen die de ziekte van Ds. Cammenga tot een vijftal, mannen
nog buiten  onzen kring staan. Ook in dit verzenden van onze school. Zou er door de plaatselijke gemeenten
gebruike men tact. Niet naar alle plaatsen tegelijk.          (kerkeraden) onder hunne leiding, met onderling over-
Zend b.v. voor een half jaar deze extra nummers het leg, niet veel gedaan kunnen worden  ?
Westen  in, volg dien arbeid op met het beleggen van             In vele plaatsen is er door onze mmen  met kwisti-
vergaderingen waar een spreker optreedt der zake ge hand het goede zaad gestrooid. Hoeveel malen heeft
kundig. Dan na een half jaar zou men een andere b.v. Ds. 1-I. H. daar in Iowa al met gepredikt en ge-
streek b.v. hier bij ons in het Oosten kunnen  bearbe&        sproken ? Onze dienstdoende broeders hebben daar in
den.                                                          die gewesten een groot en vruchtbaar veld. Daar zit in
       Zoo  ongeveer stellen we ons de beste methode van die omstreken  overal  nog zeer veel volk, dat de waar-
werken voor. Is er een betere weg,  last ons slechts heid, dat de genade particulier is, wil hooren.
vab u hooren.                                                    Het is en blijft waar:'  eige-n gemeente eerst;  maar
       Indien  we aldus de zaak aanpakken en met elkander dat is even waar voor onze mannen die ook een  ge-
zooveel mogelijk, een ieder op eigen plaats,  bezig zijn meente hebben en daarnevens den  arbeid   aan onze
verwachten we er veel vrucht van.                             Theologische School plus den steeds terugkeerenden
       Zoo zult ge een veld ontginnen, dat op dit oogen- arbeid verbonden aan de S. B.
blik braak ligt. We kunnen ons ook niet voorstellen              Bestaat er geen gevaar, dat we zoo zachtjes aan
waarom we onze allereerste wijze van werken zoo gauw gaan denken,  dat het al welletjes is, wanneer we slechts


                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       255

     doch eene die door den hoofdredacteur al eerder in de                            THINK ON THIS!
     S. B. werd uitgesproken.
        Ze is deze: Konden de broeders predikanten niet               We quote from  The Literary Digest:
     eens die  dingen  met elkander bespreken  als ze ter             *`Arkansas, there she stands - withering.
     Classicale vergaderingen komen? Wet zou de moeite                "Like a burgeoning tree caught by the blight, a
'    loonen om met elkander de wijze van werken, arbeids-          flower scorced  by fire.
     terrein en alles wat daar direct mee in  verband  staat,
     onderling te bespreken.                                          "Land of dusty desolation, sucked dry by the
        Met en door samenspreking zal het we1 duidelijk drought, rasped by the sharp edge of a cruel economic
     worden  wat er dient gedaan en kan gedaan worden.             fate, her citizens destitute hungry, and helpless.
        Zoo deden het de mannen der Afscheiding en zoo                "By tens of thousands they have turned to the Red
     kon het bij ons vok. Neen, ik bedoel niet, dat iedere Cross for food to keep them alive, waiting in line for
     samenkomst beperkt diende te worden  tot de bespre-           their ten-cents-a-day ration, a tired and bewildered
     king van onze zending.                                        people clinging forlornly to the only thing they have
        Allerlei zaken waar we belang  bij hebben in ver- left -. hope.
     band met ons werk, gemeenten en kerkverband konden               "Such are the larger outlines of a composite picture
     in zulke samenkomsten onder de, oogen worden  gezien drawn for us by Arkansas papers and visiting corres-
     en door ons behartigd worden.                         .       pondents. Similar conditions prevail elsewhere in the
        Zooals het nu is lijkt het er we1 mat op alsof we          drought area, we are told; but Arkansas is hardest hit
     10s naast elkander staan en dat we tech bijelkaar be- of the twenty-two  strickea  States. She has been fight-
     hooren komt alleen hierin uit dat we tweemaal per jaar        ing - or enduring - her way, through the winter, on
     vergaderen.                                                   toward spring with its promise of the new crops that
        We hebben tezamen  Gene  schoone  taak van den will bring surcease.
     Heere ontvangen, die even moeilijk is als  schoon.               "  `Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey,
        Altijd weer is er behoefte aan elkander, met hct where' -
     oog op het moeilijke vooral.                                     "This time, where men, women, and children have
        Niemand is groot genoeg om op eigen  beenen  te `lived for days on turnips, herbs, and roots, and on nuts
     staan.                                                        gathered in the woods.'
        Die zaak is de ons  allen  toebetrbuwde, en we dienen         Thousands of undernourished children are unable
     dan ook gezamenlijk er  aan te arbeiden.                      to attend school because they lack food and clothing,
        Schoon  en moeilijk, doch het laatste ontmoedige ons and many of those who do attend bring empty  lunch-
     niet. Het einde is ook in dezen dat Hij wiens zaak we boxes and `study' during the lunch hour.
     voorstaan, nooit Zijn Kerk aan zichzelf overliet, juist          "Thousands of heads of families have been forced
     dan niet als wereld en duivel brult en de he1 grijns- to `sign up' with the Red Cross, each giving three refer-
     lacht.                                                        ences, in order to obtain the $2 weekly food allowance
        Daarom is die arbeid ook nooit vruchteloos. Hij  be- granted each family, plus l?fty cents for each child, the
     schaamt~  met.                                                maximum being $4.50 a week.              ..-  ~
         Want we hebben Zijne belofte die door Hem ge-                "Mules are dying of starvation, and the survivors
     schonken werd aan Zijn Kerk in alle eeuwen en in alle are so weak they are unfit for work.
     plaatsen : "En ziet, Ik ben met ulieden alle de dagen             "Meat is such a luxury that a rabbit, shot in the
     tot aan de voleinding der wereld. Amen."                      swamps by a lucky hunter, is called a `Hoover hog.'
                                                      w. v.           "For a glimpse of the general situation in the
                          -     -       -                          drought States, we borrow from an article by A.  Rob-
                                                                   bins in  The Nation:
         Say to them that are of a fearful heart,  Ee strong,          " `The outsider may  find it hard to believe that
     fear not.  - Isaiah 35:4.                                     hundreds of thousands of farm folk can be starving
        The crosses which we make for ourselves by a rest-         in this year of grace, 1931, but it is true, neverthe-
                                                                                               .
     lest anxiety as to the future, are not crosses which less.
     come from God. We show want of faith in Him by our               " `Stand in front of any Red Cross headquarters in
     false wisdom, wishing to forestall His arrangements, any one of a thousand communities in the drought area
     and struggling to  supplemer;t  His Providence by  oui and watch'the ragged children, blue with cold and un-
     own providence. The future is not yet ours  ; perhaps dernourishment, who have come to ask for clothing ;
     it never will be. If it comes,  sit may come wholly dif- anxious men, with large families, waiting to receive
     ferent from what we have foreseen. Let us shut our the disbursing order that means food for another week;
     eyes, then, to that which God hides from us, and keeps frantic women begging for medical aid for babies dying
     in reserve in the treasures of His deep counsels. Let of malnutrition or the many forms of disease that at-
     US  worship without seeing; let us be silent; let us abide    tack the underfed and underclothed . . .
     in peace.                                                         " `Even among the small farmers who own and

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

 work their own farms, this has been a year of acute
 distress. The drought ruined their gardens, eat the                                   QUESTIONS
 corn crop in large areas to almost nothing, reduced               `L. EC. of Gr. R., `Mich., asks.:
 the hay crop, and hurt their live stock.                          1. In II Sam. 12:20,  how must it be explained that
        " `On small farm after small farm visited by the        David ceased fasting the' moment he heard that the
 writer in several States, anxious men and women were child was dead, something which his servants did not
 wondering how they were going to "get by." That is u n d e r s t a n d   e i t h e r ?
 the general expression in the drought area.                       Answer.
        ",`If they can just "get by" until spring; if they         It seems to me that David himself supplies the an-
 can just "get by" and make another crop ; if it will           swer to this question, when he replies to the question
 only be a good-crop year, and if prices will only be a of his servants, vs. 22: While the child was yet alive,
 little better so they can get enough ahead by the fall         I fasted and wept ; for I said: who knoweth whether
 of 1931 to see them through the winter of 1931-32, they Jehovah will not be gracious to me, that the child may
 will be satisfied.                                             live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast; can
        " `Gone are any thoughts of new clothes, new'cars,      I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will
 new radios ; the farmers are thinking in terms of *food        not return to me.
 and feed for family andstock.                                     From this it is evident:
        "How famine and luxury rub shoulders is related            a. That the praying and fasting of David was
 by the same correspondent in a description of Hot rooted in the hope that the Lord' might save the life of
 Springs, Arkansas, at the height of the season:                the child. He prayed and fasted for that purpose.
        " `The hotels are full, the clubs a.re busy, so busy       b. That, when the child had died, he had received
 indeed that the Legislature is wrought up about an answer of the Lord to his prayer and fasting,
 charges of gambling. Peacocks strut on the terraces. namely, that it did not please the Lord to restore the
 The shops selling souvenirs are in full swing, and -at child. Hence, David abided by the will of the Lord.
 night there are auctions in the "Oriental bazars" where It would not only have been useless, but also sinful and
 everything from stuffed Mexican birds to imitation rebellious to continue praying and fasting as he did,
 Persian rugs is sold.                                          after the Lord had so plainly spoken.
        " `Expensive cars roll through the streets, convey-        2. In Matthew .19 :28 what is meant by the twelve
 ing well-drest men and women. They look curiously at thrones and b,y judging the twelve tribes of Israel?
 the tattered and thin-cheeked men and women who                   Answer.
 come in from the hills for relief.' "                             We read in Matthew 19:28: And Jesus said unto
        What a deplorable condition in a land of plenty.        them, Verily I say unto you, that ye who have followed
 Where do the Rookefellers  and the Fords come in, in me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit
 this crises? Rockefeller recently gave the modernistic on the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve
 preacher Fosdick a million dollar church. The million- thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
 aire Field of Chicago gave to his city a costly museum            I may remark in the first place, that there is a
 of some millions. Worldly  artandacience,  the godless parallel-passage to this text in Luke 22 :28-30:  -But ye
 institutions of learning of this land of ours, may feed are they that have continued with me in my tempta-
 upon the gold of the millionair. But the poor in the tion ; and I appoint you a kingdom, even as my Father
 land must starve. Our government recently resolved appointed unto me, that ye may eat and drink at my
 to set aside some millions for the relief of these poor; table in my kingdom; and ye shall sit on thrones judg-
 but this simply means that the burden of taxation, ing the twelve tribes of Israel.
 already resting too heavy on the backs of the small               And in explanation we may suggest the following:
 tax-payer, will take. on more weight and crush the                1. That it must be evident that the Lord is here
 man with small means to earth. Even now his prop-              referring to the final state  oft perfection in which His
crty is being sold at public auction because he can pay Kingdom shall be revealed when He comes again. This
 no taxes, and swallowed up by the rich..                       is, denied by some, and it is explained that the Lord
        "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, simply refers to the state of, the Church in this dis;
 pride,  fulness  of bread, and abundance of idleness was pensation, so that the text would mean, that the
 in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen apostles are actually by their word ruling over the
 the hands of the poor and the needy" (Ezech. 16 :46).          Church in the world. But this explanation is not in
        "Go to now ye rich men, weep and howl for your harmony with the text. I would not say, that it is
 miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are altogether inappropriate, for also throughout this dis-
 corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your pensation the Church rules with Christ and the apostles
gold and silver is cankered, and the rust of them shall         occupy a special place of government in the Church.
 be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it But  in.last  instance the Lord undoubtedly refers to the
 were fire . . . .  " (James  5:1-3).                           eternal state of glory. This is especially evident from
                                                G. M. 0.        the phrase:  in  the  regeneration in Matthew 19  :28,


                                    T H E   STANDA.RD  B E A R E R                                            257

which must not be connected with "ye that have fol-
lowed me," but with: "ye shall sit on twelve thrones."                   GOD'S POINT OF VIEW
The phrase means: the regeneration of all things in           In the beginning the Almighty God began to do
the creation of the new heaven and the new earth.          things that were eternally in His heart. In a word,
Jesus, therefore, is referring to the final state of per- the Almighty One began to make history. You cannot
fection in His eternal Kingdom.                            separate God's counsel and history. The latter is the
   2. That  thrones  is a  figurative  expression. The realization of the former. Hence, the two are connected.
apostles shall not literally sit on thrones in the material And the connecting link is the Almighty God in action.
sense of the word, as is evident from a comparison He is the cause and the necessity of things that are
with the Lord's throne. The Son of man shall sit on and were and are to be. Hence, to say that God has a
the throne of His glory ; so the apostles shall sit on counsel is equal to saying that things are happening.
twelve thrones. The throne is symbol of authority And to say that things are happening is equal to saying
and power to rule and to govern. On these thrones the that God is here and at work doing all that is in His
apostles shall judge, an expression which many inter- heart.
preters take in the narrow sense of the word, but which       These things man must know and believe and take
I here prefer to take in the sense in which Scripture to  -heart.  In other words, it is God's will that man
mqre often employs it, namely, of to govern. The Lord adopt His point of view. They tell us that this cannot
here promises His disciples a place of honor .in His       be done. And then they will quote Deuteronomy 29:
eternal Kingdom, not merely a special position, which 29, which reads: "The secret things belong unto the
shall last only through the hour of judgment. This is Lord our God ; but those things which are revealed
especially clear from the passage in Luke, quoted          belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we
above. In the eternal perfection of His Kingdom the        may do all the words of the law." What a foolish
apostles shall sit on, twelve thrones, that is, in all appeal to Scripture. For Moses, here, enjoins the chil-
eternity they shall occupy that place of honor.            dren of Israel and us all to do the very thing which
   3. Hence, by the twelve tribes of Israel, which the our opponents advised us not to do. Moses says that
apostles shall judge or govern in the eternal Kingdom, we shall take the counsel of God as our point of view .
I do not understand the unbelieving nation of the Jews, and look at things from God's side. Let us make this
neither the wicked world, but the Church in glory. The plain. The above Scripture is a quotation from Moses'
two explanations are frequently offered, but are ruled third farewell discourse. Said Moses to the children
by the fact that this judgment or government will last of Israel: "Lest there shall be among you man, or
forever and not merely through the hour of judgment. woman or family or tribe whose heart turneth away
Besides, the unbelieving Jews or the wicked world this day from the Lord our God to go and serve the
would hardly be designated as "the twelve  tribes of God of these nations ; lest there should be among you
Israel." But Israel is the Church and here is the glori- a root that beareth gall and wormwood ; and it comes
fied Church in the eternal Kingdom of the Lord.            to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that
   So that the Lord in Matthew  19:28 refers to a he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace,
special glory and honor for His apostles, as the repre- though I walk in the Znagination of my heart, to add
sentatives of the Church, which they shall receive, drunkenness to thirst; The Lord will not spare him,
when His Kingdom shall have been finished  and per- but then the anger of the Lord and His jealousy shall
fected.                                                    smoke against that man, and all the curses that are
                                               H. H.       written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord
                                                           shall blot out his name from under heaven."
                                                              The prophet, it should be noticed, declares unto his
                                                           audience that God will empty the vials of His fierce
   Nothing doth so much establish the mind amidst anger upon the wicked, as He has been doing in the
the rollings and  turbulency  of present things, as both past, having overthrown the cities of the plain. Moses
a look above them, and a look beyond them; above is engaged in declaring unto the people, at least a part
them to the good and steady Hand by which they are of the counsel of God. It is being told them that God
ruled, and beyond them to the sweet and beautiful end counseled to reveal His wrath from heaven against all
to which, by that Hand, they shall be brought. Study ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the
pure and holy walking, if you would have your con- truth in unrighteousness. And the Almighty is ever
fidence firm, and have boldness and joy in God. You active in doing so. Moses is placing the children of
will find that a little sin will shake your trust and Israel face to face with the God who in eternity coun-
disturb your peace more than the greatest sufferings; seled to punish him who says that he shall have peace,
yea, in those sufferings, your assurance a,nd joy in God though he is walking in the imaginations of his heart.
will grow and abound most if sin be kept out. So These  things, says the prophet, viz., that God over-
much sin as gets in, so much peace will go out.            throws the wicked, are revealed to us and to our chil-
                                     -R. Leighton.         dren for ever.

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

       It is precisely the ungodly who refuse to take the        And that speech they heard and that knowledge
divine point of  View. When things happen the wicked was there present in His creation as the cause of
one says : "The Lord hath not done thus unto the land, causes.         Sang the poet: "The Lord shall rejoice in
and hence, 1' shall have peace, though `I walk in the His u~o&x"  Unto the prophets the heavens declared
imaginations of my heart, to add drunkenness to the glory of God and the firmament  shewed them His
thirst."                                                     handiwork. Day unto' day uttereth speech, and night
       To be sure, there are things not revealed, the secret unto  night sheweth knowledge. And that speech they
things, belonging not to-us but to God. These hidden heard and that knowledge was their portion.
things of God cannot be taken to heart nor can they              The poets of Scripture were no Pantheists, identi-
serve as a point of view for man because he does not         fying God and nature. Consequently there were not
know them. Our opponents accuse us of prying into found among their number  those  who worshipped
God's secrets. I wish to assure  thein that they are nature, paying homage to the stars, the sun, the moon.
unable to prove their charge. Why not be honest and But neither did they expel God from His creation to
face the real issue.                                         shut Him up within certain limits, thinking that crea-
       It is plain that there are but two possible attitudes tion couId  do very well without its Maker. They knew
which one may assume toward the counsel of God: the that He was present and active as the almighty sus-
attitude of the godly man and the attitude of the tainer of that which He had called into being; present
wicked one. It is precisely the wicked who refuse to         is He, so they knew, as the first cause of all causes. It'
look at things from God's side. The outlook of the           is God who urges on the dark, lazy, moisture-laden
godly man, on the other hand, is that of one who             clouds. It is He who relieves them of their burden and
bows and is willing to recognize that history is God the earth is refreshed. And when He gently prods the
in action. Let US adduce examples from God's Word. still air, lo, it stirs at His command. It is God who
We wish  to  show, first  of  all, that the prophets sets in fierce motion the modest ,breeze.             And when
of the Lord adopted His point of view in respect to the the darkness, that somber symbol of death, again
various phenomena in nature. Let us reproduce Psalm covers the earth like a huge black crepe, God has acted.
104, a few verses of this psalm. The poet is extolling And when He wills, quick flashes of lightning snatch
the reign of Jehovah over the forces of nature. The away that glunt veil and the face of the earth is visible.
Lord is covereth with light as a garment. He stretcheth The saints of Scripture knew that God did these things.
out the heavens like a curtain. It is the Lord who Therefore they said, when they heard the deep, low
layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who moan of distant thunder: "It is the voice of God."
maketh the clouds His chariot and walketh upon the              The song of Moses indicates that M&es  regarded
wings of the wind. The Lord maketh His angels the events having transpired as works of God. The
spirits ; His ministers a flaming  fire. The foundations destruction of Pharaoh and his hosts meant that God
of the earth are laid by Him that it should not be           had triumphed gloriously. According to Moses it was
removed for ever. The Almighty covers' it with the           God who had thrown the horse and bis rider into the
deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the sea. The Lord is a man of war.  Ptiaraoh's  chariots
mountains. At His rebuke they fled. -At the VoiCe of and- his hosts hath He ca& itit0  the sea:-,  Tt-`~~ZXh~~
His thunder they hastened away, going up by the right hand of the Lord which had dashed in pieces the
mountains and down by the valleys unto the place enemy. In the greatness of His Majesty did the Lord
which He founded for them. They may not pass over overthrow them that rose up' against him. The enemy
the bound set by the Lord. God sendeth the springs was consumed as  stubb1e when God sent forth His
into the valleys which run among the hills. He wrath. The waters were gathered together by the
watereth the hills from His `chambers, and causeth the blast of God's nostrils. The Lord blew with His wind
grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service and the sea covered the enemy. They were swallowed
of-man ; that he may bring forth food out of the earth. up  wlien the Lord stretched out His right hand. It
The Lord planted the cedars of Lebanon. The moon was the Lord who brought again the waters of the sea
was appointed for seasons by Him. The sun knoweth upon Pharaoh. In a word, God had done it. This
his going down. It is God who makes darkness and it Moses knew and admitted. He looked at the salvation
is night. He lookedth on t.he earth and it trembleth:        of his people from the point of view of God. In respect
He toucheth the hills and they smoke.                        to the salvation of the sinner, the saints of Scripture,
   The poem ends with a eulogy. "I will sing unto every one of them, adopt the divine point of view. The
the Lord as  long as  1  live,  I will sing praise to my     Apostle Paul did so. i4ddressing  the church he says:
God while I have my being. My meditation of Him "For by grace are ye saved through faith ; and that,
shall be sweet :`I will be glad in the Lord. Let the sin- not of yourselves ; it is the gift of God ; not of works,
ners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked lest any man should boast. For we are His workman-
be no more. Bless thou the Lord 0 my soul. Praise ship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which
ye the Lord."                                                God hath before ordained that we should walk in
   Job  also saw God's majesty.                              them" (Eph.  290, 11)`. And then these well known


 -.                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            259

 words of the apostle: "For whom He did foreknow, having performed what was in God's heart, is pun-
 he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image ished. Yet, in carrying out his wicked plans the king
 of His son, that He might be the first born among was doing the thing .that God Almighty willed that he
 many brethren. Moreover those whom He did predes- should do.
 tinate, them He also called: and whom He called, He             In fine, it is the plain teachings of `God's Word that
 also justified: and whom He justified, them He also there is but one main point of view, viz., the`point of
 glorified" (Rom.  329, 30).                                  view of God. The Bible, throughout, centers our minds
       Scripture knows of but one main point of view,         on the counsel of God. In Scripture one is ever face
 viz., that of God. Scripture abundantly asserts that to face with the Almighty.
 man remains a responsible agent. Human responsi-                                                          G. M. 0.
 bility is made necessary by every doctrine of Scripture.
 The existence of hell, such phenomena as sin and guilt
 and works, good and evil, such events as the proclama-
 tion of the law from the summit of Mt. Sinai mean that
 man is the subject of his deeds, that he acts in har-                           INGEZONDEN
 mony with his nature, that what he does he desires,
 wills and thinks. Man is a responsible being. One of               Geachte Redacteur  :-
 the foundation truths of Scripture is the truth  that           Wees zoo  goed en geef mij in dezen de  gelegenheid
 man is a responsible agent. Nevertheless, Gods Word om een  leelij  ke fout te herstellen, dewelke  ingeslopen
knows of but one point of view, one factor, the divine.       is in mijn  artikel in de S. B. van I Febr. 1931. Een
 Even in respect to man's responsibility, the Lord our fout dewelke mijn schrijven met zichzelf in  tegen-
 God insists that we shall adopt His point of view.           spraak brengt, hetwelk ook duidelijk  uitkomt in de re-
 Pharaoh resisted and disobeyed God. That act of dis- pliek van Ds. Vos op mijn stuk.
obedience was his act. He resisted because he willed.            Geheel in het einde van mijn schrijven komt een
 His conduct was in harmony with his nature. Hence, zin voor als volgt : "ens 10s te rukken van de bestaan-
the wicked king is responsible. Nevertheless, we read de ban&n. die ons binden aan eenige co-operatic  of ver-
 that God tirdened his heart.                                 eeniging." Dit had moeten zijn: "ons 10s te rukken
       It is the plain teachings of Scripture that God is van de bestaande  praktijken  of  opmbarkg  van eenige
 King Supreme. He reigns in' nature. In respect to co-operatie of vereeniging."
the destruction or salvation of the sinner, His will pre-        Het is dan ook door deze fout, dat Ds. Vos kon en
vails. Further, God's Word insists that the conduct of moest schrijven in zijn repliek als volgt: "Maar aan het
the devil and of the ungodly shall be viewed from God's       einde van uw critiek gaat ge ook 266 ,aan het `ons 10s
 point of view. The devil and the wicked are His agents. rukken van de bestaande banden  die ons binden,' enz.,
 They do what is in God's heart. God is King Supreme dat het een lust is."
in the moral world. Attend to the following Scripture :          Meer zullen  we nu niet over 1 deze zaak schrijven,
"0 Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff of maar  stilletjes  wachten totdat' Ds. Vos zijn  huis kant
 their hand is mine indignation. I Will send him against en klaar heeft, hoewel  onzes inziens -de br. we1 voordeel
 a hypocritical nation, and against the people of my met ons cntijdig en eenigszins vaag schrijven had kun-
 wrath and I will give him a charge, to take the spoil, nen doen,  met zijn half-klaar gebouw, want ik ben er
 and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the vast van overtuigd, dat bet den br, gaat zooals de
 mire in the streets. How be it he meaneth not so, meeste bouwers zeggen, men moest twee keer  kunnen
 neither doth his heart think so ; but it is in his heart to bouwen voor hetzelfde  geld, want zijn gebouw moet
 destroy and to cut off nations not a few. For he saith, heelwat   aan veranderd  worden,   doch dit  hopen we
 Are not my princes altogether kings? . . . . Where- later eenigszins breeder en duidelijker  aan te toonen.
 fore it shall come to pass when the Lord hath per-                                                Wm. Kooienga.
 formed His whole work upon Mount Zion and upon
 JerusaIem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of
 the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.
 For he saith, By the strength of my hand have I done
 it, and by my wisdom . . . . " (Isaiah 10 :5-13).                       0 Lord, how happy is the time
       It appears that God used this wicked king to punish                  When in Thy love I rest;
 Jerusalem. The king, however, did not know he was                       When from my wea*tiness  I climb
 God's agent. In laying siege to Jerusalem he was be-
 ing actuated by the wicked desire to destroy and to cut                    E'en to Thy tender breast.
 off nations, not a few. In a word, the pagan king                       The night of sorrow endeth there,
 would exalt himself and that at the expense of many                        Thy rays outshine the sun ;
 lives. What is more he regarded himself as capable,                     And in Thy pardon and Thy care
 and gloried in his powers of mind and body. This king,                     The heaven of heaven is won.


   260                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
   I _ _ -                          -
          A CATECHISM ON THE HISTORY OF THE                      a large number of the members of the Eastern Ave.
                                                                 congregation had been present at the meeting of the
             PROTESTANT REFORMED CHURCHES                        Classis East that decided to require of the Consistory
                                                                 to lift the censure of the three protesting members.
            VII.  OF  A  CONGREGATIONAL  MEETING AND             Several had declared their intention to protest against
                           ITS  RESULTS                          this action of Classis.  Rather than have these mem-
                                                                 bers circulate such a protest through the congregation
          1. Did the Consistory of Eastern Ave. decide to the Consistory decided to give all that desired to pro-
   acquiesce in the decision of  Classis East and to admit test an opportunity, in an orderly way. In the second
   the censured members to the table of the Lord?                place, the Consistory was convinced that the congrega-
          There was never a moment when the Co&story tion had the right to know the truth about the whole
   even considered the possibility of executing the clas- matter, and that it was time the congregation were
   sical decision and thus profaning the Lord's Supper.          properly informed. Gradually it became evident that
          2. What did the Consistory decide?                     the enemies would not rest till pastor and Consistory
          To call a meeting of all the members of the con-       were deposed. It was not difficult to foresee that be-
   gregation of Eastern Ave. for the purpose of giving fore long the congregation would have to take a stand
   them accurate information about the entire con- and choose between Consistory and  Classis.                     Many
   troversy and to create an opportunity for those who           rumors were about and these were not conducive to a
   desired it to protest against the last decision of Classis    right understanding of the matter. The Consistory,
   in an orderly way.                                            therefore, decided to inform the congregation about the
          3. Was not this congregational.meeting the object whole matter, in order that they might be able to
of severe criticism?                                             make a conscious and intelligent choice, when this
          It was. Men like the Revs. Manni and Van Dellen        would prove necessary.
   wrote about this meeting in  De Wachter,  Dr. J. Van             7. Can you prove that these are actually the facts
   Lonkhuyzen took the Consistory of Eastern Ave. to of this congregational meeting?
   task for taking this step in Onze Toekomst, and Dr. V.           This is proven from the minutes of the Consistory
   Hepp could not refrain from giving his opinion of it in meeting of Aug. 22. Art, 2 of those minutes reads as
   De Reform&tie. With one accord they condemned the follows :
   action of the Consistory to call such a meeting of the
   congregation as in conflict with every principle of              "The act and attitude of  Classis  concerning the
   Reformed Church Polity. And the language they em- censure of the three brethren were discussed. After
   ployed to express their opinion evinced that they were a long discussion it was decided to call a congregational
   all filled with indignation because of this offense meeting and to inform the congregation about the
   against the rules of Church government.                       status of the case. Several members of the congrega-
      4. On what grounds did these men condemn this tion request that they may protest against the action
  meeting ?                                                      of  Classis.  The congregational meeting will be held on
          They appeared to -have especially two objections: Sept-2, It will be a meeting-of all confessing members,
   1.. That at this meeting a case of censure was submitted male and female. Information will be given at the
  to the vote of the congregation, an act whereby, it was meeting and opportunity offered to protest against the
  alleged, the Consistory divested itself of its own decision of Classis."
  authorship to allow the congregation to rule. 2. That             8. Have you more proof?
  at this meeting woman suffrage was introduced in the              Yes, the meeting itself proves that the Consistory -
  Church, since "women and girls" were asked to be had no other purpose in view than to inform the con-
  present and to vote on the matter.                             gregation and to provide an opportunity for protest.
      5. Were these objections valid?                            This purpose was strictly carried out. A large number
      Not at all. For, in the first place, nothing at  alI responded to the call of the Consistory. The meeting
  was submitted to a vote at that meeting and, therefore, was as orderly as in public worship on the sabbath.
  in the second place, no woman-suffrage was introduced The pastor, speaking for the Consistory, informed the
  into the Church. The Consistory felt no need of sub- congregation about the entire controversy, chiefly by
  mitting the question of abiding by the decision of the reading from the Acts of Synod 1924 and other official
  Classis to a vote of the congregation, because they documents. Not even the enemies could say that the
  were firmly determined on this matter. And the meet- truth was not presented at that meeting as objectively
  ing that was called was not considered a body with the as possible. Besides, the congregation was admonished
  power to decide anything by majority-vote, but a gath- to maintain the spirit of brotherly love and to walk
  ering of individual members.                                   orderly in a time of trouble and disturbance. There
      6. Why, then, did the Consistory call this meet- was no discussion. Neither was there any voting by
  ing ?                                                          acclamation or by ballot. No decision of any kind was
      Chiefly for two reasons. In the first place, because taken by the meeting. Opportunity was given to all


                                         T H E   STANDA. R D   B E A R E R                                         261

  to register their protest by the distribution of cards         12. Did not the calling of this congregational
  on which the following was printed:                         meeting arouse the opponents to further action?
     "Undersigned, member in full communion of the               It certainly did. Before the meeting of the  Con-
  Eastern Ave. Christian Reformed Church, hereby de- sistory of Sept. 12 there was a protest of eleven mem-
  sires to protest against the decision of Classis Grand bers of the congregation. This protest had been pre-
  Rapids East, whereby brethren were sustained in their pared before the congregational meeting was held. It
  attitude against the pastor and Consistory, and the was delivered to the'Consistory  on the very evening of
  latter was advised to admit the brethren to the table the congregational meeting. That evening, however,
  of the Lord.                                                no consistory-meeting was held. Hence, the Consistory
     "At the same time undersigned hereby expresses considered the protest at its next meeting, which was
  that it is his (her) wish, that the Consistory do not       held Sept. 12.
  carry out the decision of Classis,  since he (she) could       13. What can you say about the contents of this
  not celebrate the Lord's Supper with these brethren protest?
  under the circumstances."                                      In its entirety it reads as follows:
                                                                 "The Consistory of the Eastern Ave. Christian Re-
     9. Was there, then, in the calling of this meeting,
  anything that conflicted with the principles of sound formed Church, Sept. 2, 1924.
                                                                 "Worthy brethren  :-
  Reformed Church Polity ?                                       "Undersigned, members of this congregation, most
     Not at all. The allegations of the critics were based emphatically protest against the decision of the Con-
  on the assumption that the meeting was called for the sistory to convoke a congregational meeting on the
  purpose of voting upon what was strictly a consistory- evening of Sept. 2, 1924. According to the armounce-
  matter. The assumption being altogether unfounded, ment this meeting will be held to give the congregation
  the objections based on this assumption naturally are an opportunity to express itself, whether in the con-
  proved invalid. A congregation certainly has the right troversy between Classis and Consistory, i.t will choose
  to be informed concerning a matter `in which it is so for the former or for the latter.
  vitally interested as it was in this case. And no one          "We consider this movement an act of mutiny and  '
  would be ready to deny that the members of a congre- rebellion and to b-e in conflict with every sound prin-
  gation have the right to protest against the action of ciple of Reformed Church government. It can only be
  a  classis, nor that it is expedient that such protest interpreted as an attempt, deeply sinful, to arouse the
  take place under the supervision of the consistory.         congregation, who will hear only one side of the case,
     10. How do you explain, then, that the opponents to rebellion against Classis  and Synod. Our Church
  were so hotly incensed against this meeting?                Order knows of no right of appeal except to  Classis  or
     Because the meeting served the purpose of en- Synod. To appeal to a congregational meeting is
  lightening many that might otherwise  ,have remained illegal, disorderly and can only be conducive to dis-
  more or less ignorant of the truth of the matter and        harmony and schism.
  enabled the congregation to take a united stand against        "Our protest is also directed against the admission
-. the unrighteous- acts and corrupt.. practices of . the of women and-girls to this meeting. .~.Our congregation...
  Classis.    The attacks of the enemies were directed never gave women the right to vote and now such a
  against the pastor and Consistory, but while they critical case as this is to be decided, liable to have far
  aimed at the deposition of the latter, they naturally reaching results, we consider it very careless, arbitrary
  did not like to lose the large congregation. This pur- and an act of mutiny that the consistory on its own
  pose was frustrated as far as saving the congregation authority gives to the women the same rights as to the
  for the denomination was concerned. And one of the          men.
  means whereby it was frustrated was the congrega-              "Believing that the `consistory is making itself
  tional meeting of Sept. 2, 1924. The Consistory might deeply guilty of unreformed actions and wanton as-
  certainly be thankful to the Lord for His guidance, sumption of power, we remain:"
  when He directed them to take this step, entirely              Was signed by Henry B. De  Haan,  Peter Van  Hek-
  within the limits of Reformed Church Polity.                ken, E. De  Haan, William Holwerda, T. Vander Lugt,
      Il. Did many members declare their intention to S. Jolman, B. H. Ritsema, John W. Holwerda, George
  protest?                                                    Bylsma, Jan  Datema,  John Koorndyk.
     Yes ; at the congregational meeting more than eight         14. What characterizes this protest?  c
  hundred confessing members of the church signed the            Especially three outstanding features are charac-
  cards and this number was greatly augmented after- teristic: 1. It is characterized by very strong language.
  wards." The congregation clearly revealed that they The brethren speak of mutiny and rebellion and allege
  stood as one man, as they do to this very day. Even that the act of the Consistory is. in conflict with every
  when they had to surrender the church property to the sound principle of Reformed Church government. The
  comparatively few that remained with the denomina- Consistory is deeply guilty of unreformed acts and
  tion, they remained unmoveable to the last man.             wanton assumption of power! Indeed, the protestants

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

  protest "most emphatically" ! 2. The protestants reveal gregation that was held on Sept. 2, on the following
  their ignorance of the purpose and character of the grounds :
  meeting that was to be held. Evidently, they imagined               "a)      Appeal to the people over against the classical
  that the Consistory was appealing to the congregation, decisions regarding matters that concern the govern-
  that matters were to be decided at the congregational ment of the church is a thing directly conflicting with
  meeting, that a vote was to be taken, that woman all principles of Reformed Church Polity.
  suffrage was to be introduced. All these matters,                   "b) Women and young girls were also urged to,
  against which their protest was directed, were  inmagin-         attend and to vote, entirely in opposition to the old
  ary. 3. All proof for the emphatic assertion that every rule that only male members have the right to vote.
  sound principle of Reformed Church government was                   `We ask the Consistory to treat these matters as
  being violated by the act of the Consistory was want- quickly as convenient. We ask to deliver an answer
  ing in the protest.                                              before or on Oct. 1, 1924 at the address of W. Holwer-
            15. What became of this protest of eleven mem- da, 900 Baxter St., or of F. Boerkool, 634 Fulton St.
  bers ?                                                           The untenable condition in our congregation must soon
            The Consistory invited the protestants to appear be- come to an end, if necessary through the convocation
  fore its meeting of Sept. 25. According to its good of a special classis. To quote the words of our pastor:
  custom, however, the Consistory refused to acknowl- `This cannot possibly continue'."
  edge the existence of a body of eleven in the congrega-             This protest was signed by  f&y members.
  tion and requested that each of the protestants appear              18. How had this protest obtained its fifty signa-
  individually. This, however, they refused and the tures ?
  matter of this protest was dropped.                                 Without the consent of the Consistory four copies
            16. Where there no other protests delivered to the of this protest had been circulated through the con-
  Consistory ?                                                     gregation by the leaders of this movement. This is
            Certainly. At the same meeting of Sept. 12 there noteworthy in view of the fact that these same leaders
  was presented to the Consistory a protest signed by loudly complained of the rebellious attitude of the Con-
` fifty confessing members.                                        sistory, when it refused to carry out the decisions of
            17. Can you tell us about the contents of this pro- Classis and accused the Consistory of mutiny because
  test ?                                                           of its convocation of an orderly meeting of the congre-
            Yes ; the protest here follows :                       gation !
            "The Consistory of the Eastern Ave. Christian  Re-        19. What else characterizes this protest?
  formed Church.                                                      That it proceeds from a wrong, viz., a collegialistic
            "Honorable brethren :-                                 form of Church government. It conceives of the  r"
            `Undersigned, members of the Eastern Ave. Chris- fusal on the part of the Consistory to carry out the
  tian Reformed Church, feel urged to bring the follow- decisions of Classis  as an act of rebellion. And rebel-
  ing matters to the attention of the Consistory :                 lion is possible only against proper authorities. Hence,
            "1)    We request the Consistory to demand of our it evidently proceeds from the wrong notion that a
  pastor, Rev. H. Hoeksema, the  promise.that  henceforth,
 ~.  .-.                                                           classis is a higher court than a con&tory.  -And this .is .--
  both in preaching and writing, he shall abide by the contrary to sound Reformed Church Polity, according
  Word of God and the Confession,  .especially  by the three to which the sole ruling body in the Church is the con-
  points recently established by the Synod of Kalamazoo, sistory. A classis is a broader gathering, not a higher
  concerning the favor of God toward mankind in gen- court. It has advisory power, no judicatory authority.
  eral, the restraint of sin .and the civil righteousness. The Consistory of Eastern Ave. had the perfect right
  We also ask that it be announced from the pulpit that to refuse to follow up the advice of the Classis  to lift
  the pastor will submit to these three points, since we the censure of the three members, who demanded that
  are convinced that only in this way peace and harmony they be allowed to celebrate communion with their
  will return in the congregation.                                 pastor whom they accused of public sin. .
            "2)    We ask of `the Consistory that it submit to        20. What else may be said about this protest?
   the decisions of our larger gatherings, particularly to             That it still proceeds from the notion that at the
   the decision, already taken twice, that the censure of congregational meeting of Sept. 2 any matter was sub-
   the three brethren be lifted. Since this decision of our mitted to a vote of the congregation, though the pro-
   Classis is based on a  Synodical  decision, it is ecclesias- testants certainly might know that nothing had been
   tical rebellion not to submit to it. If our Consistory decided and no vote was taken at the meeting.
  will not submit to this decision, our conscience will                21. Do not the protestants by this protest begin to
   forbid us to celebrate the Lord's Supper with a con- separate themselves from the congregation? a
   sistory that lives in rebellion and we shall be compelled           They do by suggesting that they refuse to celebrate
   to bring our accusation against the Consistory to communion with the Consistory if the latter will refuse
   Classis.                                                        their request.
            "3) We protest against the meeting of the  con-            22. Is there not a new element in this protest?


     ic
     I                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           263

               Yes; for the first time the request appears in this zijn. Wij  weten, dat het gansche menschelijke  ge-
            protest that the pastor of Eastern Ave. be compelled slacht gevallen is in Adam. En dat het Gode heeft be-
            to sign the three points. By this request the chief lieft, naar Zijn raad, om uit dat gevallen geslacht Zich-
            issue is brought to the foreground. For this we may zelven een volk te heiligen, dat Hij verkoren heeft.
            be thankful. After all, other matters, such as the  cen-       Maar, zoo zegt men al spoedig, nu komt u in ver-
           sure of the three members were but secondary. The borgenheden  en'daar   moeten we uitblijven. Men moet
            controversy was essential doctrinal. It was the his- hier niet over spreken. Laat de domine hier soms eens
            torical question of general or particular grace, of total iets van zeggen, het is beter,  dat de leeken  hierop maar
            depravity or the goodness of natural man, that was niet ingaan. En  als men dan  aan de een of andere
            the cause of all the trouble. And it would have been kerkelijke vereeniging behoort, waar men ook een vra-
            deplorable if this chief issue had  .been  side-tracked by genbus heeft, dan moet men daar geen vragen in doen,
            concentrating the attention upon secondary matters. die betrekking hebben op de verkiezing. Want dan
            In the end it must needs become evident that the pastor durft men ronduit te zeggen, dat zulke vragen niet
            and the Consistory of Eastern Ave. were deposed only moeten  worden  gedaan. Men verbiedt dan hen, die
           because of their opposition to the three points, that is,    zich nog vasthouden  aan het geloof eenmaal den  heili-
            because they strictly maintained the Reformed truth. gen overgeleverd, om hierover te spreken.
                                                           H. H.         Is het niet treurig, als men niet meer spreken mag
                                                                        over wat tech het hart is van alle ware godsdienst?
                                                                        Want  wat is de godsdienst zonder dat men.een  recht be-
                                                                        grip heeft van de uitverkiezing? Een leege bolster, een
:                                   INGEZONDEN                          vorm zonder inhoud. Neem het hart uit een plant en
                  Geachte Redacteur !                                   de plant gaat dood. Snijd het hart uit een mensch en
                                                                        de mensch sterft. Zoo is het ook op  geestelijk  gebied.
               Mag ik voor onderstaande een plaatsje  in ons blad ? Daarom is er ook zooveel dood geestelijk leven. Men
           Bij voorbaat mijn dank.                                      zegt, dat men niet op de uitverkiezing moet ingaan,
               Is de uitverkiezing een verborgenheid ? Is het alge- want dat zijn verborgenheden. Is dat waar? De  H.
           meen  aanbod van genade een mysterie?                        Schrift  staa,t er vol van. Hoort wat de apostel zegt in
               God  drieeenig  heeft Zichzelven  willen verheerlijken Rom. 16:26.  Hij zegt, dat het is geopenbaard, ja, dat
            in de zaligheid, maar ook in de verwerping van men- het is bekend gemaakt onder al de heidenen. Of lees
            schen, om daardoor bekend te  maken t den rijkdom Rom. 9:22,23:  En of God, willende Zijn toorn bewijzen
            Zijner genade over Zijn volk, maar ook Zijne gerechtig- en Zijne  macht  bekend  maken,  met vele lankmoedigheid
           heid over de vaten  des toorns. Dit blijkt zeer duidelijk verdragen heeft de vaten  des toorns tot het verderf
            uit de H. Schrift en ook uit de historie. De Heilige toebereid. En opdat IIij zou bekend maken  den rijk-
            Schrift zegt, dat de Opperste Wijsheid van eeuwigheid dom Zijner heerlijkheid over de  vaten der  barmhartig-
           Zijn vermakingen heeft gehad met de  menschenkinde-          heid, die Hij tevoren  bereid  heeft tot heerlijkheid.
            ren. En ook in de gansche H. Schrift wordt ons ge-             Is dit nu eene verborgenheid ? Spreekt de apostel
            leerd, hoe God besloten heeft in Zijn eeuwigen raad, om hier met raadselachtige woorden? Kan men dit met
            uit het verdoemelijk menschelijk geslacht op een Hem verstaan en begrijpen? Men weet  we1 beter, maar
            behagelijke wijze een uitverkoren volk te heiligen in men stelt het liever zoo voor, dat gij maar moet  geloo-
            tegenstelling met de vaten des toorns, die Hij verwierp ven en alsof het  geloof  een daad is van des menschen
            tot verdoemenis.                                            vrijen wil. Men verstaat niet meer, dat het geloof niet
               Het fundament van den raad Gods is God Zelf in is de grond onzer zaligheid, maar een gave Gods, waar-
            Christus. _ Hij is het beginsel, Die ook het begin is der door Hij ons de zaligheid deelachtig maakt; waardoor
            schepping Gods, Openb.  3:14. En daar er bij God geen de zondaar zijne zonde ziet en bekent,  dat God hem
            verandering is of schaduw van omkeering, daarom rechtvaardiglij k kan verdoemen ; waardoor hij weet,
            staat het fundament Gods vast, ja zoo vast als God dat er in hem gansch geene gerechtigheid is. Daarom
            Zelf. En waar God aan Zijn Zoon verordineerd had, ziet hij dan geheel van zichzelven af en roept uit: 0
            om Hem een Koninkrijk te geven en de ware  onderda-         God: wees mij, zondaar, genadig ! Men verstaat ook
            nen er van met genade en heerlijkheid te kronen en de met meer, dat de goede werken vruchten zijn van de
            vijanden van dat Koninkrijk te verderven, daar heeft zaligheid. En waarom met? Omdat het niet meer ge-
            God ook besloten, dat alle dingen  zouden moeten mede- predikt wordt. En waarom wordt het niet meer gepre-
            werken tot de realiseering van dat Koninkrijk.  da, dikt? Omdat men dan geen raad weet met het alge-
            zelfs het goddelooze rot, de duivel en de he1 zijn niet meen  aanbod van genade. En ook weet men geen raad
            anders dan middel in Gods hand tot uitvoering van Zijn meer met de theorie, dat de natuurlijke mensch nog
            raad, zoodat ook zelfs de zonde middel moest  worden,       goed kan doen, als men al deze dingen predikt. Daar
            om het gansche menschelijke geslacht verdoemelijk knijpt de schoen. Want als men Gods Woord  recht
            voor God te stellen.                                        snijdt, dan kan er geen plaats zijn voor een  algemeen
               Waarom? Opdat het oordeel Gods rechtvaardig zou aanbod van genade. Want  indien  de goede werken


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                                                                                                  makes a desperate attempt to persuade himself that he
                M E D I T A T I O N                                                               is doing the best he can, and  finally  tries to soothe his
                                                                                                  own conscience by washing his hands in  innocency;
                                                                                                  Herod is in a much more advanced state of wickedness
                                                                                                  and his only concern is to assure himself that he has
                                JESUS AND  HEFiOD                                                 no evil to fear of this Jesus, concerning whom he had
                                       And when  Herod  saw Jesus he was ex-                      heard so many wonderful things . . . .
                                   ceeding glad; for he was  desi.rous  ta see
                                   Him of a long season, because he had heard                          Herod  was exceeding glad when he saw Jesus!
                                   many things of Him;  and he hoped to have                           Leave out the name of Herod, and simply read: "He
                                   seen some miracle done by Him. Then he
                                   questioned  Eim with many words, but He                        was exceeding `glad when he saw Jesus, for he was
                                   answered him nothing. And the chief priests                    desirous of a long season to see him"; and what would
                                   and scribes stood and vehemently accused
                                   him. And  Herod  with his men of war set                       be your natural conclusion about this joy at seeing
                                   Him at nought, and mocked Him and ar-                          Jesus? Would it not be, that here there was a hungry
                                   rayed Him in a gorgeous rqbe and sent Him
                                   again  to Pilate.                        Luke 28:8-11.         soul, sin-burdened, looking for the Saviour, longing to
                                                                                                  hear  from'Him the word of forgiveness of sin and
    The joy of an evil conscience!                                         *                      salvation of the soul, now rejoicing because the pious
    Thus it must, no doubt, be interpreted, when we wish of a righteous soul is finally fulfilled? How else
read, that  Herod, that fox, was exceeding glad, when he could it be explained? What a joy there is in the hearts
saw Jesus.                                                                                        of the disciples, when finally they are assured of the
    Pilate, the Roman  -.governor,  had sent Jesus to resurrection of their Lord, when they see Him again,
Herod,  who had the rule over Galilee and Perea. It Whom their soul loveth ! And what spiritual ecstacy
appeared, that by doing so Pilate could realize two pur- there is in the sight of Jesus by faith for the broken-
poses at the same time. He could effect a reconcilia- hearted and contrite soul, hungering and thirsting af-
tion with Herod, with whom he lived at odds, probably ter righteousness !
because of a question of jurisdiction ; and he could un-                                               Yet, here, in the joy of Herod at the sight of Jesus
burden himself of the troublesome task of judging this we meet with a gladness of a radically different nature.
Jesus.                                                                                                 It is the joy of an evil conscience!
    Much in common these two rulers have. Roth are                                                     Herod's  rejoicing must be explained in the light of
wicked. Neither of them is concerned about the ques- his sinful past. Strange though it may seem, his joy
tion of truth and righteousness, though their position is the joy of wickedness. Hardly does it seem possible,
imposes upon them the task of judging others. Both but in  Herod  we meet with the phenomenon of the
of  them are most deeply interested in their own posi- thoroughly wicked exceedingly rejoicing at the sight
tion, safety, honor, the friendship of Ceasar. But, how- of Jesus ! For a long time, indeed, the tetrarch had
ever much in common they may appear to have, the been desirous to see the Lord. But Jesus had always
difference between the two is still greater than the avoided him. Yet, in this last hour, it seemed but
similarity. Pilate is after all the Roman,  Herod is the proper that also the murderer of the Forerunner should
son of an Idumaean father and a Samaritan mother. receive an opportunity to express his opinion about the
The Roman governor is deeply troubled when Jesus is Lord. And the king is glad with the occasion!
brought before him and the Jewish leaders demand                                                       His joy must be explained in connection with his
that He be sentenced to death ; the Idumaean is ec- peculiar character and sinful record.
ceeding  glad, because of the opportunity to meet the                                                  He was the son of  Herod  the Creat, that cruel
Lord that is now unexpectedly offered him. Pilate monster, though able and powerful ruler, and of the
                                                                                                                                                                         .
                                                                                                                                     ,

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

     Samaritan Malthace, one of the ruler's ten wives. When             Formerly, he had desired to see one of His miracles,
     Herod  the Great had forever closed his cruel mouth but really, now this proved unnecessary.
     and jealous eyes, his kingdom was divided and Herod                For he could tell at a giance,  that his fear had been
     Antipas became ruler of Galilee and Perea. He had              baseless, that this man was not really John the Bap-
     inherited all the meanness of his father and, perhaps,         tist.
     surpassed him in cunning and levity of character. The              Besides, he. assured himself, that of &is man he
     Lord calls him "that fox." Besides being cunning, de-          had nothing to fear. For there stood Jesus, bound,
     ceitful, selfish and cowardly, superstitious and gen-          weak, pale, suffering, wholly in the power of His ene-
     erally weak, his chief characteristic was moral levity.        mies. And Herod, when he saw Jesus, was exceeding
     There was no moral depth to the man. He never could glad . . . .
     take a matter in dead earnest. On men like  Herod                  Just like many, that take a look at Jesus, just to
     things leave no impression. In reality they are very assure themselves, that He is not the Christ the Scrip-
     hard in wickedness. They are like heavily steel-clad tures present Him to be !
     warboats, in whose steel-coat bullets may be embedded              And close up their consciences, at rest  in-their  sin
     but through which they cannot penetrate. Thus it had               The joy of an evil conscience !
     been with Herod. John the Baptist had shot his bullets
     of truth and righteousness, aiming directly at  Herod's
     heart. He had fearlessly witnessed against him, not
     only because of his illegal marriage, but also because             Unanswered questionings !
     of many other sins and evils.        And, indeed,  Herod           For Herod  asked the Lord of many things.
     heard John the Baptist gladly. He Qked to hear him                 The king,.in the greatness of his joy, of a sudden
     preach, though the Baptist rebuked him severely. But became  extremeIy  interested and very  Ioquacious.
     it made no lasting impression. John's bullets of re-              And Scripture does not deem it necessary to inform
     proof went flat against the steel-coat of Herod's  wicked us about the contents and purpose of these questions.
     heart. The preaching of John the Baptist provided him When the Saviour tried by the Roman governor the
     extraordinary entertainment, but never moved him to Word of God quotes the questions of the judge and we
     even a semblance of repentance !                               are able to follow the procedure step  by. step. But of
        But John the Baptist he had killed!                         this hearing before the Idumaean it tells us not a word.
        He had hated to take that step, not because of any Merely we are told that  Herod used many words.
     serious moral scruples, for such  Herod knew not, but,            And why should this investigation be recorded?
     first, because he was'afraid of John,  that righteous             No doubt the questions of the king were wholly  ir-
     man ;  filled he was with a superstitious fear of the reIevant  with respect to the main issue. Jesus was sent
     consequences for himself should he kill him ; and, sec- to  Herod  to be judged. And the entire mob of the
     ondly, because he feared the people, for they believed elders and chief priests had accompanied Him and
     that John was a prophet. Yet, he loved his sin more stood vehemently accusing Him. And  Herod  was only
     than he feared John. And thus, also to -please his interested in himself, to dispel his own fear and super-
     wicked wife, he had put the Baptist in prison. And at stitious dread of the phanthom John, of the spirit of
     the occasion of Salome's dancing and the well-known the Baptist. He probably asked Him, whether He were
     request of her mother, he had put him to death.                John, whether He were the Messiah, whether He
        Then he had heard of Jesus and His mighty works ! actually could perform miracles and whether He would
        And  Herod  was Illled with perplexity. His evil con- not satisfy his evil curiosity by showing him one of
     science left him no rest. His superstitious'nature urged the signs He could do ? And all the while the funda-
     him to the conclusion, that this Jesus was no other than mental question in the fox's mind was: have I anything
     John the Baptist raised from the dead. Some of the to fear from you? . . . .
     people shared his opinion ! And he was troubled with              And Jesus answered him not a word!
     an annoying fear. The phantom of John the Baptist *               He stood speechless over against the many ques-
     pursued him day and night, the spirit of that preacher tions of the king, merely looking at him in serene
     of righteousness was conjured up before his wicked majesty.+  LI
     imagination repeatedly and tool! the joy out of life for          Oh, the Lord might have `spoken !
     him. He was afraid. He said to himself: John have                 He might have answered all the king's questions.
     I beheaded ; but who is this, of whom I hear such He might have assured the fox that He was not John
     things? And he desired to see him, Lu.  9:9. Oh, he the Baptist, that He was, indeed, the Messiah and that
     would want to meet this Jesus to look at him, to ascer- all His works witnessed of Him.                 He might have
     tain whether it was really John that was risen from preached to the king as John had once before, speaking
     the dead, to kill him if it should prove necessary, - of truth and righteousness and of judgment to come !
     but at all costs his conscience must be set at rest . . . .    He might have warned Herod of hell-fire and told him,
        And now Jesus is sent to him !                              that soon He, Who now stood before the king as a help-
        And he looks at Him and is exceeding glad !                 less victim, would soon sit at the right hand of God


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       267

and appear with the clouds of heaven to judge the girl, refuses to sit as judge over Jesus and to sentence
quick and the dead . . . .                                 Him to death. After all, Herod  was a fox. The silence
   But, instead, the Lord answered him not a word! of Jesus, expression of the Lord's profound contempt,
   Why should He?                                          had left upon him a double impression. On the one
   Had He not instructed His own disciples not to cast hand it had impressed him with the hidden power of
their pearls' before the swine, last they should trample this Man and after all his questions his fear of Jesus
them under foot? What did a swine like Herod  know was not allayed. On the other hand, it had provoked
of the preciousness of the pearls that could drop from his wicked heart to an evil hatred and when he fmally
the lips of Jesus? Did not the Lord know  Herod's          ceases to question the Lord, there glitters in his foxy
heart? Did He not discern the purpose of the wicked eyes a sinister purpose . . . .
king? No,  Herod  did not question Jesus to know the          He will not sentence Jesus. Why should he add
truth about. Him; he was not hungering and thirsting more torture to his evil conscience?
after righteousness; nor did he have the possibility in       But he will give vent to his wicked hatred and ex-
view to execute judgment and righteousness and re- press his opinion of this Man of Galilee. With his
lease Jesus . . . .                                        soldiers he sets Him at nought. He so exposes Him,
   His joy had been the gladness of an evil `conscience, that He becomes the object of utter contempt and re-
the joy that he would have nothing to fear of this Jesus, proach and that it appears plainly, that there is no
concerning whom he had heard such marvelous things. power in Him at all. He mocks Him. He puts a
   His questions could proceed only from the same gorgeous robe on Him, the robe of contempt. And thus
motive. He wanted to know assuredly that he could he expresses that the notion that this Man as a king is
feel safe in the way of his sin !                          utter folly. .Irr his deepest heart he is still afraid of
   They are the questions of the wicked!                   this Man ; but in all he does he offers it as his opinion
   What purpose, then, could an answer serve? Not that this defendant is nothing but a poor fool, utterly
to bring the king to repentance, which he would not. powerless and harmless. Whether He is guilty or in-
Not to persuade him to do justice, for which he cared nocent, worthy of death or righteous, is a matter of
not. Not to bring him to a knowledge of his wicked- no importance. But according to  Herod's  clearly ex-
ness, for of it he was not ignorant.                       pressed opinion, it is perfectly safe to satisfy the de-
   The swine would trample the pearls under foot!          mands of His accusers and deliver Him up to be cruci-
   The murderer of John the Baptist, whom the Lord fled. And as the embodiment of this opinion, with the
had once called "that fox," is not deemed worthy of a royal mock-robe about His shoulders, "that fox" sends
single reply !                                             Him again to Pilate! . . . .
   He, Who never failed to reply to the questions of          Herod  and Jesus !
the seeking soul, leaves the many words of  Herod  un-        A world, that takes sin with levity and rejoices in
answered !                                                 iniquity, rejoicing to see the Lord only to ascertain
   Till the day of reckoning !                             that it has nothing to fear from Him; hearing the truth
                                                           gladly, only to put it out of the way as soon as it be-
                                                           comes troublesome in the way of sin ; always attempt-
                                                           ing to stifle the voice of an evil conscience, fruitlessly
   Cowardly mockery !                                      questioning Jesus . . . .
    For  Herod  and his soldiers set Him at nought!           Finally rejecting Him to believe the lie and go to
   He does not sentence Jesus of Nazareth, even hell !
though the elders and chief priests loudly demand that        How different is the joy of the seeking sou1 that
He be condemned to death.                                  finds Him and is saved !
   Rather would he send this tangible token of                The joy of eternal life!
Pilate's respect for Herod  and his authority back to                                                       H. H.
the Roman governor and politely acknowledge in turn
his full jurisdiction in the troublesome case of Jesus
Who is called the Christ.
   In this respect the two rulers agree: neither of
them is delighted to assume the responsibility for the               Nought, nought I count as pleasure,
death of Jesus. Pilate, though otherwise esteeming it                  Compared, 0 Christ, with Thee ;
a matter of little import to shed innocent blood, long               Thy sorrow without measure
hesitates to pronounce Jesus worthy of death, makes                    Earned peace and joy for me.
repeated attempts to escape from his troublesome posi-               I love to own, Lord Jesus,
tion and to shift the responsibility. Herod, although
flattered, no doubt, with this token of the governor's                 Thy claims o'er me and mine;
respect, and though he would otherwise pay the price                 Bought with Thy blood most precious,
of a righteous man's life as the reward of a dancing                   Whose can I be but Thee?


280                                   T H ' E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

                                                            helpfulness and not as a battleground of theological
                                                            chitchat."
       Recently we read the following in a  propaganda-
sheet for modernistic views of God, the Bible and              We may note in the first place, that with all the
Religion, a paper that is occasionally dropped in our       respect the author of this article claims to have for
mailbox free of charge:                                     the Bible, he appears to be no very careful reader of
                                                            it, nor to be very intimately acquainted with it. Notice
       "Higher criticism has not destroyed or reduced the how he makes Daniel say: "a living dog is better than
Bible, it has exalted and enriched it. Unless we evaluate a dead lion," a text which, as any normally instructed
the parts of scripture with the knowledge of who wrote catechumen would tell you, is found in Eccl.  9:4.
it,  .when was it written and why was it written, our Notice, too, how he quotes Paul as saying: "We are
appreciation of its deeper meanings cannot be com- sown in corruption, we are reaped in incorruption,"
plete.                                                      whiIe anyone who is acquainted at all with Scripture
       "Silly indeed is the idea that the Bible was first and is committed to the daily reading of it knows that
written by God himself and bound in Morocco - as he said: "it is sown in corruption, it is raised in in-
silly as the idea that Dutch or some language will be corruption." Notice the distortion of the presentation
spoken in Heaven. Obviously those who wrote the of Scripture in the words: "or see the growth in the
Bible had fingers deft to the Will of God and hearts idea of God from Sinai  - where He showed his
which were in tune with the Infinite, but progressive physical back but hid his *face in the cleft of the rock."
revelation did not stop with the canonization - it is In that most beautiful passage of Ex. 33  20-23 which
still continuing and will till the end of time.             the author of the above passage evidently never seri-
       "There is much confusion today about the Bible  - ously studied and never even began to understand, we
among preachers as well as laymen. Texts are avoided do not read of a physical back of God, neither do we
or else are just used as pegs to hang personal sermonic read, as again anyone that is at all acquainted with
ideas upon. In spite of this confusion and despite the the Word of God well knows, that God hid His face
dust on the Bible in so many homes, it is still the Book in the cleft of the rock, but that He put Moses in that
of Life and is essential to straight thinking on the cleft and covered him with His hand.
matter of religion  - especially in the Western World.         Notice, further, how ill acquainted the author is
We cannot escape the Bible.                                 with the belief of true Christians, that the Bible is the
       "Within the scope of the Bible there is growth - Word of God.          He evidently attributes to the silly
note the development of morality from Deuteronomy idea, that the Bible -was first written by God himself
to the Sermon on the Mount. See how the immortal- and bound in Morocco,  - in other words, that the
ity hope grew from Daniel's `a living dog is better than    Bible as we now have it was ready made, printed and
a dead lion' to Paul's `We are sown in corruption, we bound in heaven ? A sentence, by the way, in which
are reaped in incorruption' - see the growth in the the author reveals how sillily ignorant some people, in
prayer idea from a superperson God to whom Moses our enlightened modern age, still are of the orthodox
must carry the needs and desires of his people to a conception of Scripture.
Spirit that is communicable to all peoples without in-         Nevertheless, the article is deceiving in that it
termediary `the Father who seeth in secret shall re- would almost leave the impression, that it is in the
compense thee openly' - or see the growth in the idea way of the higher critics, that we are truly impressed
of God from Sinai - where He showed his physical with profound respect for the Bible.
back but hid his face in the cleft of the rock  - to the       And the contrary is true.
new testament advancement of spiritualization `God is         . Higher criticism is, from a scientific point of view,
Love.' Who could suppose that this emergent evolution in many respects silly, baseless, the presentation of a
would stop with the canonization of the parchment and mere human philosophy of the Bible; and from a reli-
the papyrus records - it continues today, folk are still gious point of view it is the denial of the truth that
inspired as of yore, One evil in doctrine and dogma the Bible is, indeed, the Word of God. It deprives us
is that it eliminates this progressive revelation of the of Scripture, of the God of Scriptures, of the Christ.
Infinite.                                                      For instance, the author of the above article, tells
       "Intelligent thought on the Bible as a source of in- us that our appreciation of the deeper meanings of
spiration will take the dust from its cover, bring its Scripture cannot be complete, unless we know who
helpfulness and peace into  ,troubled  hearts and really wrote scripture, when it was written and why it was
make it for America today what it was for Massa- written. And the implication is, that higher criticism
chusetts under Jonathan Edwards, for Rhode Island informs us about these facts.
under Roger Williams, for Scotland under John Knox,            But the author may know, that precisely the con-
for Germany under Luther and for England under trary is true.
John Wesley. We need the Bible as a book of practical          Take, for an example, the books of Moses. The


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           281

clear and repeated testimony of the Bible is, that the                   REPLY TO REV. H. J. KUIPER
author of the first five books of the Bible was Moses.
But the higher critics very learnedly deny this, cut up          H. J. Kuiper, to my great surprise, has replied to
the Pentateuch into many little scraps, inform us that my comment on an article from his pen bearing the
most of the history recorded in these books is a myth title+ "Petitioning President Hoover for a National
and even are able to assure us, that a man like Moses Day of Prayer."
never lived ! And, mark you, for these amazing asser-            As to this reply, it  excells the original article as to
tions, they do produce no proof; they  simply approach the errors and equivocations with which it is laden.
you with their great names and stupendous erudition Let us attend to the contents of this response.
and want you to take their word for it!                          Writes Kuiper : "We were taken to task some time
   They deny that Moses wrote the Pentateuch, but ago in a monthly magazine for speaking well of the
they do not know who wrote it. They deny that it was petition of our Men's  ,Federation  to President Hoover
written fifteen hundred years before Christ, because to recommend or prescribe a national day of prayer
such a conception does not fit in their philosophy, but and to urge the entire nation to unite to God in earnest
they do not know at all,  ,whem   it was written.             supplication for a  return  of prosperity. We were repre-
   And the most serious result of it all is, that they sented as a dangerous religious leader who even goes
deny Christ. For it can be established beyond' a so far as to urge prayer for that which no man should
shadow of doubt, that our Lord believed that Moses pray for, because `it is no blessing at all. Does not the
wrote those first books of Scripture, and that,. to Him, Bible teach us to pray: `Give me neither poverty nor
they are the Word of God.                                     riches, but feed me with the bread that is needful for
   Now, from the standpoint of these higher critics, me'? Since prosperity is the same as riches we erred
either Christ did not know any better, - and then you grievously when we encouraged prayer for prosperity."
cannot believe in Him as the Christ indeed ; or He               We beg to remind Kuiper that we took him to task
intentionally deceived the people,  - and it is evident, for much more than for his speaking well of the peti-
that also in that case you deny Him.                          tion to President Hoover to urge the entire nation to
   The author presents to us the view, that the revela- unite to God in earnest supplication for a return of
tion of God, as we possess it in the Scriptures, still prosperity. We chided him for teaching that this day
continues, meaning, of course, that the word of men prosperity and contrition go hand in hand ; that the
today, is as good and better than the word  .of Moses, nations of today are so many theocratic states whose
the word of the prophets, of the apostles, yea, of Christ contrition the Lord will reward with material pros-
Himself. We are inclined to ask: where?                       perity; that finally the outward conversion of the un-
                                                              godly finds acceptance in the sight of God and without
    But I will not emphasize that side of the matter. fail turns out to be the source of rich blessings for
Rather do I call attention to another misrepresentation the entire nation including the godless; that, in other
of the matter, that is very deceitful.                        words, the outward repentance of the wicked is of
    In the closing paragraph the author of the article great value as it is the key that will open the door to
writes : "Intelligent thought on the Bible (the thought the treasure houses of the earth. These views we
of higher critics is meant, H. H.) . . . . will . . . . characterized as shockingly mercenary, which indeed
really make it for America today, what it was for they are. We quoted Scripture to prove that when
Massachusetts under Jonathan Edwards, for Rhode the godless prosper they curse God. Read again Ps.
Island under Roger Williams, for Scotland under John 73.. Yet they should be told to repent not that they
Knox, for Germany under Luther and for England may praise but that they and we all may prosper.
under John Wesley."                                               Can it be that the spiritual sensibilities of the
    Yes, but for all these men, let it be clearly under- reverend have been blunted by his theory of common
stood, the Bible was not what it is for modernism to- grace even to the extent that he failed to sense that
day, but it was the inspired and infallible Word of God. the sentiments circulating through this counsel of his
They did not believe in the author's evolutionary philo- are brutally materialistic, positively shocking to every
sophy of an ever progressing revelation, but based Christian man and woman? It seems so. The brother
themselves on the truth that the Church is built on the ought to feel thoroughly ashamed of himself for at-
foundation of the prophets and the apostles of which tempting to pass off on his readers such a nasty putre-
Christ  Jesus is the chief cornerstone. A church founded faction. In what strange and forbidden channels this
on the mere notions of sinful human beings was, for theory of common grace wont lead the minds of its
them, the false church, that is, an institution which exponents ! Astounding !
claims to be the Church and is not.                               Kuiper continues : "We had no intention to reply
    But the article to which we here refer is a vivid to this attack, considering that it came from one who
illustration of the deceitfulness of modernism.               as a minister of the gospel has had some experience in
                                                     H. H.    the use and interpretation of words and should know
                                                              better. But since a few of our readers have written us


 282                                    T H E   STANDA'RD   B E A R E R

 about this matter, wondering what we meant by pros- plying to my attack in his paper. It pleases us that the
 perity, and since Prayer day is at hand and the official    article I censured was so ill-received by the readers of
 announcement of this special day in last week's Bunmer      The Banner.  Not, of course, that we take delight in
 called for a `Special plea for,return'of prosperity,' we Kuiper's grief. Far from it; But it pleases us to dis-
deem it advisable to shed some light on this question." cover that in the Christian Reformed Church there can
        According to Kuiper then my criticisms were the still be found a goodly number of men and women able
 issues of a doleful ignorance respecting the meaning of to recoil from the kind of views coming to the surface
 the term prosperity. In one who as a minister of the in Kuiper's article.
 Gospel has had some experience in the use and inter-            Kuiper wrote that he deems, it advisable to shed
 pretation of words, this ignorance, he means to say, is some light on the question. Very good. Wouldn't it
 inexcusable. I should know better. Hence, I am pretty be fme if he would also resolve to actually shed some
 much of a dunce. Well, we will see.                         light?  To deem advisable  is one thing; to do the ad-
        I wonder whether it took but a few such wondering visable thing,  quite another. How sad that Kuiper
 readers to set Kuiper to replying to my attack. I don't failed to do what he deemed advisable. Instead of
 know, of course, but I wager that if he had written,        shedding some light on the matter, all he does in his
 "But since many or several of our readers have written response is to equivocate, distort Scripture, and assail
 us about the matter," he would have come much nearer the .truth. His article represents a desperate attempt
 the truth. Consider that the policy of the brethren in on his part to neutralize by fallacious reasonings the
 the Christian Reformed Church is one signified by the bad effect of his blunder. His attempt, of course, ended
 term doodzwiigen..  Of late years therefore no one of in dismal failure. Having read his article one has the
 their number has appeared in print with a reply to any- feeling that more than ever the light is hidden under
 thing we have been writing. Not that they take no a measure. To illustrate, a reader of The Banner asks
 notice of our magazine. By all means they do, even whether, in view of the fact that we have an over-
 though their names, barring a few exceptions, do not supply of food to such an extent that the farmers burn
 appear upon our subscription list. And among them- their wheat while millions of people lack the very neces-
 selves, they `comment upon and discuss the contents of saries of life, we should as a nation pray for prosperity
 our paper. Don't you suppose we know, brethren?             or go to the rich and tell them to feed the poor and
        A guest of one of the professors of Calvin College condemn them with the words of James. Kuiper's re-
 called the attention of his host to a pack of Standard ply reads: "The fact that our adversity is to a great
 Bearers stored away in a remote corner of his book- extent self-afflicted does not mean that it is not a
 case. "Hush," said the professor, "I don't want my visitation of the Lord. The fact that there are many
 son to know I have the paper in the house." Ja ! But rich in this country and that there is an oversupply
 this is another thing.                                      of food does not at all mean that our only duty in the
        For the aforesaid reasons, it is my conviction that matter is to rebuke the rich. Even if there is plenty of
 Kuiper had to do with more than a few inquisitive food in storehouses, the poverty of those who cannot
 readers. In this my conviction I am strengthened by buy is just as real as if there were nothing to eat.
 what I read in the sequence of his reply. Attend to Prayer and work should go together. If an unfair dis-
 this : "Another reader has asked whether we must tribution of wealth is in part the cause of financial de-
 `consider this adversity as self-afflicted because we do pression we should do our utmost, within the limits
not use the blessings of the Lord  aright?' He calls at- of law and justice, to bring about a more equitable dis-
tention to the fact that we have an oversupply of food tribution of material goods. But if we should work
to such an extent that the farmers burn their wheat while we pray we should also pray while we work.
while millions of people lack the very necessaries of To the Christian at least, this ought to be self-evident."
life. He asks: `Should we then as a nation pray for             What in the world.may  it be that Kuiper is driving
prosperity or should we go to the rich and tell them to at here? That ought to be self-evident to the Chris-
feed the poor and condemn them with the words of tian? The very thing that wasn't clear to Kuiper him-
James  1:6?' Writes Kuiper in reply: "We sent the self, namely,  how's nation laden down with foodstuffs
brother a personal answer which we hope satisfied him. and crying, "Too much, too much of everything" may
Since then we have heard others use this same argu-. pray for prosperity? How unreasonable the man can
ment and therefore take the liberty to publish the an- be at times ! Kuiper expresses the hope that his per-
swer just referred to . . .  "                               sonal answer - the answer he afterwards deemed ad-
    Doesn't this response of Kuiper plainly indicate visable to publish - will satisfy the brother. I can
that what moved him to reply to. our attack was the assure him, however, that his hope is vain.
evidence that his writing had shocked the sensibilities         Let us now attend to the main argument of Kuiper's
of too many of his readers for him to keep silence? reply can prove our accusation.
Indeed. Could he have felt sure that the dissatisfaction        It should be borne in mind that what Kuiper ob-
was not general, he would have prolonged the attempt jects to is my contention that according to his article
to satisfy the few by personal answers instead of re- he would have the nation pray for  prosperity  in the


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                      283
                       _._

sense of  abundance, riches.  Kuiper maintains that agement which expends money to advantage and in-
what he meant by prosperity is not  riches,  abutime,        curs no waste.
but merely daily  bread,  food as much as is needful for        So then the word economy is derived from a Greek
man, until the evening of each day. He adds that the word meaning house and signifies the management of
word  prospetity  has a  fured meaning and further that a house or household.
this fixed ,meaning  is not abundarzce,  but daily byead,       The American nation is a family, a household with
the very thing Christ teaches us to pray for. He in- several departments such as the department of agricul-
sists therefore that my attack was misdirected ; that it ture, of industry, of trade, of commerce.
does not at all apply to him ; that therefore I really          We saw that the primary meaning of the word
owe him a public apology.                                    prosperity is to carry to or forward (Greek, profero)
   Let us now attend to Kuiper's article and see how to increase, to grow, to make gain.
matters stand.                                                  What it means to pray for economic prosperity is
   Kuiper sets out with a question, "Should we pray evident. It means to pray that the American family
for prosperity?" And his answer: "All depends upon or household, as to its several departments, may grow,
what the term means." He continues: "But is there increase, make gain. Now Kuiper shall have to admit
any uncertainty about this?"                                 that when an industrial plant grows it becomes in an
   The last question is rhetorical. It is therefore ever greater degree a source of profit to the owner or
equal to the statement, `There is no uncertainty about owners, so that, no matter what he may bring in to
this.' Kuiper, of course, had me before his mind when the contrary, to pray for economic prosperity is to
he wrote this. What he meant is, as was said, that pray for material gain, riches.
prosperity has a fixed meaning; that detaching the              Kuiper asserts in his article that when a nation,
term from this meaning, I af3ixed  to it a meaning it that is, a household, does not prosper, it lanqnishes.
does not have, to wit, that  of riches, abundance,  in Is this true?           And our answer: not  necessariIy.  In-
order that my attack might have a basis to repose upon. dustry (to confine ourselves to this department of our
   Let me set out with saying that the meaning I gave American household) may neither prosper nor
to the term in question is one I took from my diction- lanquish, increase nor decrease, but hold its own. But
ary. It is :                                                 the trouble is that the world, the natural man, is not
   1. Prosper  - Latin prosper0 from.  p~rosperus,           satisfied with an industry that merely holds its own,
from the Greek prosfero, to carry to or toward ; #pros       and makes no gain. The world wants to soar forward
and fero te bear.                                            economically. To this I called attention in a former
   a. To favor, to render successful.                        article. The captains of industry wont their plants to
                                                             prosper, make gain. Hence, they do al they can to
   b. To be successful, to succeed.                          keep their plants running at top speed and that at the
   c. To grow or increase, to thrive, to m&e gain; as minimum cost. The craftsman at his bench and the
to prosper in business, or agriculture, commerce, and mechanic at his machine is timed. As I remarked in
manufactures.                                                a former writing of mine, the workman, laboring on a
    2. Prospering.  Rendering successful ; advancing commission basis, exerts himself to the utmost, ani-
in growth, wealth, or any good.                              mated by the prospect of a large pay envelop. While
    The primary meaning of the word prosper then is in this state of over-exertion his capacities are meas-
to thrive, to make gain, to succeed.                         ured and standardized. By means of this standard the
    The subject of Kuiper's articles was the widespread less efficient of his class can be weeded out and thus
economic depression in our country and in the world production speeded up. And the very wage that was
at large. Let me quote him: "The first is addressed to used to inspire him to fully expose himself as to his
our President, Herbert Hoover, and petitions him `to capacities for work, is cut and thus reduced to such
include in the customary Thanksgiving Day proclama- proportions as the employer deems proper. Ah what
tion a call for acknowledgment of our national sins and a despicable and low way of doing! To this you will
to pray for the removal of the widespread economic de- eventually stoop if you wont to prosper.
pression in our country and in the world at large.              Further, in order to keep his plant  agoing as a pros-
    What now may be the meaning of the word perous, growing institution, the industrialist must
economy. We quote (the dictionary) :                         manage somehow to keep production and consumption
    1. Greek: oikos house and nomos rule.                    in step. How is this done? By high-pressure salesman-
    a. Primarily, the management, regulation, and ship; by an irresistible kind of whimsical and gro-
government of a family, or the concerns, or the con- tesque advertising; by encouraging the consumer to
cerns of the household.                                      purchase  on the installment plan. I added, lead on by
    b. The management of pecuniary concerns, or the his unsatiable crave for gain, this industrialist awakens
expenditure of money. Hence (I am still quoting the by his fantastic advertising the lust of the consumer
dictionary)                                                  for the fineries of life, to urge him thereupon to go in
    c. A frugal and judicious use of money ; that man- debt for the commodity he cannot well afford.

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

            Isn't it as plain as can be that modern prospsrity    dictionary, he follows it up with a line of sophistical
     comes up out of the abyss. This prosperity has de- reasdning  terminating in the proposition that pros-
     parted.      For its return Kuiper would have us in perity is daily bread; that to pray for prosperity is to
     general pray. Before I am through, I will prove con- pray merely for daily bread, that is, bread needful for
     clusively that by quoting his own statements that this me until the evening of each day.
     is what he would see return. If economic prosperity             Follow with me the line of reasoning circulating
     does not mean economic gain, material gain, it means through Kuiper's article.
     nothing at all. Kuiper, however, instead of coming to           1. "My dictionary states that to prosper means to
     the fore with a clean confession, attempts to cover up be in a flourishing condition." Just so, brother. But
     his sin by informing his readers that a prayer for what does it mean to be in a flourishing condition. You
     economic prosperity is a prayer for daily bread. He should again have quoted your dictionary. To say that
     knows better. How dare the man identify a prayer to prosper is to jlourish  is like saying a cow is a. cow
     for economic prosperity with Christ's prayer, "Give us and a  horse is a horse,  etc. Such defining gets one
     this day our daily bread." To pray, "Lord, give us nowhere.
     this day our daily bread," is to pray, "Lord, give us           2. "When a nation does not flourish it lanquishes.
     bread as much as we need until the evening of this If it lanquishes, if poverty and want cast their shadow
     day."                                                        on thousands of homes . . . . "
            A prayer for economic prospetity  springs up from        In the present sjtuation  this can only mean that
     sheer unbelief. He who prays this prayer is one who when the wheels of the industrial plants of the rich
     becomes uneasy and fretful when the prospect that come to a `standstil, when the rich no longer prosper
     there will be bread, extends no further than the eve- as to their earthly goods, that is, when their riches
     ning of the day. He looks beyond this point in search no longer increase, want and poverty cast their shadow
     of the evidence that for days, yea weeks and months on the thousands of homes of labor. Shameful enough.
     and years, there will be not merely daily bread, but But what does this really have to do with the matter
     material abundance for all. He wonts to. see the evi- at hand. What we are interested in now is what it may
     dence that the wheels of industry will keep running mean to prosper or to flourish. Brother, quote the dic-
     indefinitely.                                                tionary please. Or can it be that what was meant is
            It is plain, then, that according to the testimony of that whereas to lanquish means to suffer poverty, to
     the dictionary the term economic  prospetii;y  is the prosper is to grow rich. This can't be either. As was
     signification of material riches, abundance. Of course, said, Kuiper's article represents a mighty attempt on
     the rich man, the man with abundance, need not neces- his  part to prove  that to prosper  is not  to grow rich.
     sarily be a millionaire. One with a radio in his hou;je,     Besides to lanquish does not necessarily mean to suffer
     with a good car in his garage, and with, let tis say, a      poverty. The rich, as to their worldly goods, lanquish
     thousand dollar either in the bank or invested in land today; yet they are not poor. This nation, taken as a
     or in a house, may consider himself rich.                    whole, lanquishes today. The wheels of industry have
        What now, according to Kuiper, is the tied mean- come to a standstil; worldly goods are loosing their
     ing of the term  pro.sperSy. Wrote he: "My dictionary value ; the supply of foodstuffs is decreasing. Never-
     states that to prosper means to be in  a flourishing con- theless, this nation is still enormously rich.
     dition."                                                        3. "Our Heidelberg Catechism evidently uses the
        Just so. The question arises, however, what it may term prosperity in the same sense, . . . "
     mean to be in a flourishing condition. Instead of first         Please, in what sense, brother? Don't you realize
     defining for his readers the expression to  @x&h.            that thus far you have given to the term in question
     Kuiper, it will be noticed, goes off on a tangent and        no sense at all?
     begins to prate about things that have no bearing on            4. "This implies that prosperity in itself is a bless-
     the matter at hand. Fact is that, according to the           ing (as adversity is a calamity) for which we owe
     dictionary, to flourish in a pecuniary,. commercial, and humble thanks unto the giver of all good and perfect
     industrial, sense means likewise to increase in earthly gifts."
     goods, to grow rich. So, then, if, as the dictionary has        Brother, you are again reasoning besides the point.
     it, to prosper is to flourish, and if to flourish is to in- The question you raised is not,  Is prosperity  a bless-
     crease in earthly goods it follows that he who prays ing'? but, How does  the dictionary define prosperity?
     that he may prosper is one who desires that his earthly Aside from this, material prosperity, whatever  you
     possessions may increase. Such a one prays for riches. may take it to be, is not Cn itself a blessing. You know
        The truth of the matter is then that the dictionary better. If you were right, the wicked who prosper are
     is against Kuiper. Yet in his article he comes to the the blessed of the Lord ; and a man like Asaph, who
     fore with the open dictionary in his hand and with his was plagued all the day long, and chastened every
     mouth full of bold speech about my ignorance respect- morning, is cursed by Heaven. Prosperity is a bless-
     ing the meaning of the term prosperity. And instead ing unto those only capacitated by grace to praise.
     of re-enforcing his speech with quotations from the You know this.


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        285

   5.     "The Scriptures themselves represent prosper- the Psalms to prove that a prayer for prosperity is
ity as a blessing for which we may ask God in prayer." indeed a legitimate prayer. As the great majority of
   Without first informing his readers how he uses my readers do not subscribe to the Standard Bearer,
the term prosperity, Kuiper  writes  that Scripture per- and have no kndwledge of the fact that in the Psalms
mits us to pray for prosperity. He backs up his state- prosperity means abundance, my appeal to the  Psalms
ment by quoting the Psalms. In a previous article I will satisfy them.
pointed out, whereas in the Old Testament dispensation          I am going to send up this article of mine to The
material prosperity was the other side of a typical sal- Banner. If it is placed I will publish a notice in The
vation, the saint of the Israelitish theocratic state Banner   and in the Standard Bearer that the above
prayed for material prosperity ; that, further, in his soliloquy, is not his.
prayer the term appears as the signification of mate-           Further, Kuiper threatened to quote the dictionary
rial abundance. We again will quote: "Save now I be-         on the meaning of the term prosperity: Instead of
seech thee, 0 Lord, I beseech thee, send now pros- carrying out his threat, he avoids this book of valuable
perity" (Ps. 118  :25). And again: "That our garners information like a plague and places before his readers
may be full affording all manner of store; that our a scripture from the Corinthians, which scripture he
sheep may bring forth thousands in our streets" (Ps. to&ures  out of shape in order to make it say what he
144 : 13). Sheep bringing forth thousands is prosperity wants it to say.
in the sense of abundance.      The type  - material            Not even according to Kuiper's own commentary,
abundance  -, having served its purpose, disappeared does the term prosperity in the scripture he quoted
in the interest of the heavenly reality. What we of the signify daily bread. We quote: "But God had pros-
new dispensation pray for is not the material pered them (the Corinthians). God had supplied the
abundance, but our daily bread. What we seek and physical wants of all and they could all contribute
set our affections upon are these heavenly realities, this something to the relief of the impoverished mother
spiritual abundance. Kuiper is aware of this for he church in Jerusalem, which was no longer enjoying
read my article. Why then does he persist in quoting prosperity and consequently was dependent .on the
the Psalms in favor of his view that the believer of charity of other congregations. That man is pros-
today may pray for prosperity? He is  wilfully mis- perous who can supply  h.is own physical wants and is
leading God's people.                                        not in need of charity, but,  on the contrary, is able to
   Kuiper may bring in as an excuse that I should contribute at least something to the relief of the needy"
notice that he uses the term prosperity as the signifi-      (Italics Kuiper's) .
cation not of  abudunce  but of  daily  bread.  To this I       Fact is that a man who can supply his own physical
would reply that even then he has no right to quote wants and in addition contribute something to the re-
the Psalms in that in the, Psalms material prosperity lief of the poor has  abundance.  That which he con-
always means  abundance.                                     tributes is his  abundance,  be it ever so small. A man
   6. "To all these passages from the Old Testament need not amass a thousand or a million dollars before
we add one from the New, I Cor. 16 :2. Upon the first he is allowed to speak of his abundance. This seems
day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store,     to be Kuiper's view. Strange that Kuiper, though he
as he may prosper, that no collection be made  tiPhen  I set out to prove that prosperity means daily bread,
come."                                                       actually proved that material prosperity means
   Kuiper's commentary reads: "Here is as clear a abundance.
proof as any one  may  want that prosperity means not           In fine, Christ's prayer and the prayer for pros-
riches, but the enjoyment of the necessaries of life.        perity are two altogether different prayers. Christ
Were all the members of the Corinthian church rich? taught His followers to pray: "Give us this daycour
Of course not ! Bcit God had prospered them all . . . " daily bread," that is, `Give me this day bread needful
   So then, Kuiper finally comes out of his corner and for me until the evening of this very day.' The prayer
tells his readers what he means by the term prosperity. for prosperity is a prayer that our bread, our houses,
Blerely the enjoyment of the necessaries of life. Why our lands, our valuables, in short, our worldly posses-
didn't he hold this before his readers at the beginning? sions may increase. To pray that we may prosper is to
Anot.her question: Where'as  in the Psalms, prosperity pray that we may grow rich.
means material abundance, how is it to be explained             Let Kuiper show that he has the courage of his
that Kuiper quotes from the Psalms to prove that we convictions by notifying the President that all he
may pray for the necessaries of life? All he needed to meant is that the nation should pray that each indi-
do is to place before his readers the prayer of Jesus : vidual may have bread needful for him until the eve-
"Give  us this day our daily bread." Can it be that          ning of this day. Kuiper would also have the nations
Kuiper reasoned thus in his heart: I will put fdrth  a confess its sins. Let him show that he has the courage
desperate attempt to convince my readers that pros- of his convictions by notifying his  countrymen in  gen-
perity may also mean  daily  bread?        Whereas my eral, and in particular the rich, that they should in-
readers may not believe me, I will in addition quote clude in their confession of sins the  resolve to forsake


r 286                                    T H E   STAXDARD   B E A R E R
   the sins confessed, a resolve therefore to use their       trialists  - instead of for common folk. Should he not
   wealth to relieve the needy. This they can do by plan- at least have put his poor readers on their guard if a11
   ning and financing state and national improvements.        of. a sudden he felt himself overpowered by an irre-
   All would then have work. The present economic de- sistible urge to act himself up in  The Banner as pro-
   pression would soon be a thing of the past.                fessor of economics to talk science?
       Kuiper than proved that prosperity means mate-             Irrespective of what Kuiper may say to the con-
   rial abundance. But even though he had succeeded in        trary, it is evident enough that what he had before his
   proving that the accepted and fixed meaning of pros-       oye is materi;al  wealth not in the scientific but in the
    perity is daily bread, the question remains whether in popular sense. Attend once more to this: "We see
    his original article he used the term in this sense. And more clearly than ever before that though prosperity
    the answer is ready: It can be proven beyond a doubt is a strong temptation to neglect our spiritual life . . `7
   that he did not.                                              I ask the brother in all sincerity whether  dc&y
         Proof  1. Kuiper (see his original article) would    I~~cnd,  that is, bread that is needful until the evening
   have the nation pray for a return of prosperity, that      of this day, is a strong temptation to neglect our
   is, for a return of something that has departed.  What     spiritual life. No, not daiIy bread, but wealth in the
   has left the nation? Daily bread? Not at all. There        popular sense is that.
   is still enough in the land for all. No one needs to          Whether we use the term wealth in the popular or
   suffer hunger today. What departed then is economic in the scientific sense, the fact remains that a person
   growth, the growth of industry, commerce, business,        with worldly possessions is rich.
   the increase of these things, in a word, prosperity in        "If it is wrong to pray for its (prosperity, G. M.
   the accepted sense. For the return of this, Kuiper 0.) return when God has been pleased to withdraw
   would have the nation pray.                                it or withhold it, it could not be right to render thanks
         Proof  3. An article that is very plainly a continua- for it when it is sent," wrote Kuiper.
   tion of  his first article on the matter of prosperity,       The truth of the matter is this: A prayer for pros-
   contains the following notice: "We see more clearly perity is a forbidden prayer. Yet the child of God
   than ever before that though prosperity is often a petitions the Lord for grace that in the event he is
   strong temptation to neglect our spiritual life, .material prospered, he may use what is given him in the Lord's
   u?ealth is, nevertheless, one of the requisites for the service. He prays, this saint, that his riches may not
   expansion of the Kingdom of God" (The Banner, Dec. become a snare unto him; that in his prosperity he may
   26, 1930).                                                 continue to remember and cleave unto the Lord. Kui-
         This is plain speech. "Material wealth" is one of per must remember that what he discredits is not my
   the requisites for the expansion of the Kingdom. What writing but the prayer of Agur : "Lord, give me neither
   is material  wealth  but riches.                           poverty nor riches." What the believer with grace in
         Kuiper, however, even flatly denies that he used his heart praises the Lord for is not prosperity as such
   the term  material wealth  in the sense of riches. His     (Kuiper's view) but prosperity when it comes un-
   reply to a certain reader, who asks him whether the sought, as an instrument the Lord causes to work for
   very fact that he spoke of prosperity as material          his good. But for this very reason he also praises in
   weaIth does not prove that he used the word prospetity     adversity. Yet he  p&ys for neither prosperity nor ad-
   in the sense of riches, - his reply to this inquirer versity (Kuiper's view). The real desire of his heart
   reads : "We answer that it does not. We used the is that he may be led on the way everlasting by the
   term not in the popular sense, but in the more scientific Lord's counsel whatever that counsel may contain for
   and economic sense.       Thus understood  wealth  does him - adversity or prosperity, health or sickness, life
   not mean a great abundance of material blessings, but or death.
   `all property having a monetary value,' or `all con-          Finally, Kuiper, we saw, insists that he used the
   sumable utilities which require  Iabor for their produc- term prosperity in the scientific sense as the significa-
   tion and can be appropriated and exchanged.' It means tion of all property having a monetary value, that is, of
   the same as earthly possessions."                          property worth money. Kuiper  shou1d  know that this
         Kuiper continues : "It may be well to add that conception of prosperity is out of the world and not
   wealth in this sense is not only essential to our bodily out of God. It means that as in our present world, the
   existence (for which reason our Lord taught us to measure of wealth is the dollar so that a nation with
   pray for our daily or needful bread), but also to the      granaries  fuI1 to overflowing still considers itself poor
   pro,gress  of the Kingdom of God . . . . The prayer if its foodstuffs, when measured by the cold coin, are
   for wealth in this sense of She word, for material pros- without value. If only worth money constitutes pros-
   perity, is not only permitted, but commanded in the perity, you will be thankful in that degree that your
   fourth petition of our Lord's prayer."                     sheep and wheat have value when measured by the
       The first question that clamors for an answer is:      dollar. Taking the coin as the measure of wealth, a
   Just when did Rev. Kuiper begin to imagine that he is      nation laden down with foodstuffs will still be com-
   writing for a group of scientists, economists,  indus- plaining and crying for more prosperity if sheep and


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       287

grain are without a market. This is happening today.             A CASE OF  TORTURIr(r'G  SCRIPTURE IN THE
Finally, take the dollar as the measure of wealth, and
you will not thank the Lord for fresh air and water in                         INTEREST  OF A THEORY
that these things cost nothing. To think that Kuiper
should use the term prosperity in this unchristian                Rev. Ghysels' meditation in the last issue of The
sense.                                                         Bamner  reads in part as follows:
   Kuiper, finally, also takes a whack at our theology.           "The author of Psalm `73 was not only a musician
As this article is already much too long, my reply may and a writer of psalms, he was also a child of God. He
be found in another article, an article to appear in the was a deep and earnest soul. He was a true believer.
next issue of this magazine.                                   Oftentimes, however, he was troubled with doubts. His
                                                 G. M. 0.      mind oftentimes was greatly puzzled.       The human
                                                               mind is so constituted that it would like to understand
                                                               everything. Most of the searching that is done along
          HET LEDIGE GRAF DES HEILANDS                         scientific lines today is a result of the urge of the
          Daar blikt mijn oog gedurig heen,'                   human mind to get at the facts. We must marvel at
            Daar mag  ik gaarne peinzend staan.                the magnitude of the work that is being done in these
          Niet met Maria nog te weenen                         days in every department of science.
            Om wat de zonde heeft gedaan ;                        "Asaph's difficulty was the same that has bothered
          `k Wil liever met een Paulus  roemen,                hundreds before him and after him. How does it come,
            De waarborg der gerechtigheid.                     if God is good and wise and  strong,  that bad men
          `k Wil Jezus mijn  verIosser  noemen,                should prosper and good men should suffer? It seems
            Mijn Goel tot in eeuwigheid.                       that in this world the wicked are prosperous and
          Ginds staat Jesaja vingerwijzend,                    happy. They live in utter disregard of God's  wil, and
            Schoon levend onder `t oud verbond,                still they apparently get along well. Many live by the
          De zege des verlossers prijzend,                     fruits of their crimes, and no punishment seems to
            Als hij bij `t leege graf reeds stond.             befall them.     Political grafters live day by day in
          Hier mag ik ook van Paulus hooren:                   wickedness, and yet they live in fine houses and ride
            Houdt immer in gedachtenis!                        in high-priced automobiles. In fact, there are some
          (Wijl dwaalleer and'ren moog bekoren)                men who even scoff at all that's holy. They set their
            Dat Jezus tech verrezen is !                       mouths against the heavens, and they say, `How doth
                                                               God know? and is there knowledge with the Most
          0 grijpt dan moed, schoon  veel ontviel ons ook      High ?'    Yet their sky seems to be clear and their
            Wat moge komen  - nu geen nood!                    sun seems to be always bright.
          0 jubel nu geloovig mijne ziel:                         " `But I,' says Asaph, `have sought to lead a righte-
            Mijn Heiland  overwon  den dood  ;                 ous life. I have cleansed my heart, and I have washed
          Zijn ledig graf perzekert  tevens,                   my hands in innocence, and yet, although I have sought
            Aan allen  met geioof  begaafd,                    to serve God earnestly, I have been plagued all the day
          Verrijzenis ten eeuw'gen leven,                      long, and my afflictions are present every morning."
            Schoon men de dooden thans begraaft.                  "That was the riddle which troubles Asaph  - the
          Straks ! Spoedig zal de Heiland komen                riddle of divine providence. He was not the only one
            Aan `t eind des tijds om ook ons graf              who has been troubled by this riddle.
          Te oop'nen, en Zijn volk te loonen,                      "How did Asaph get from the one to the other?
            Ontheven van verdiende straf.                      How did he get from the darkness to the light, from
          Dan  zullen wij in zielsverrukking,                  despair to spiritual ecsacy.7 To get from the one to
            Aan d' overzijde der Jordaan,                      the other he had to go through an experience . . . .
          Al gaat het hier ook door verdrukking;         _         "What was Asaph's experience? How did his soul
            In  witte Paaschgewaden staan.                     which had been battered by t,he storms of doubt and
          Dan - .in den eeuw'gen grooten morgen                perplexity  come out into the open, into the sunlight
            Verheft mijn ziel het nieuwe lied!                 of peace and joy?
          Ontsla'an van alle aardsche zorgen,                      "For one thing he gave up the attempt to solve the
            Om, wat het in Gods  hemel  ziet,                  riddle with his own mind. He came to see that God
          Met Mozes en d' Apost'len schaar,                    was infinitely greater than man . . . .
            Met kind'ren Gods uit ieder land                       "Moreover Asaph was comforted by the thought of
          Vereeren wij den Middelaar,                          a future life. He says: `Then understood I their end.'
            Gezeten  ana Gods rechterhand.                     What he means is this - if things do not look right in
                                                   R. V.-T.    this world, they will all come out right in the end.

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

  There is a day of reckoning coming. The wicked will teries of the world which we can never understand
  receive their retribution. Apparently prosperous now, anyway."
  living in utter disregard of God's commandments,              It is plain what Ghysels was up to. `The scripture:
  some day they will be consumed with terror. `Surely "Surely thou didst set them in slippery places, thou
  thou didst set them in slippery places, thou dost cast did& cast them down into destruction," he shoves
  them down into destruction. As a dream when one ahead ,to the judgment day, instead of making it apply
  awaketh, so, oh Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt to the present life of the wicked, and continues to prate
  despise their image.                                       about a riddle, an unsolved problem.
        "Let this thought revive our faith also  - the          Fact is, however, that the problem was solved. The
  thought of a future life. We sometimes forget the perplexity that loomed up before Asaph's mind was:
  future in our concerns about the present. Let us not How can God prosper the wicked, or: How can God
  forget it. What happens here in this life is not God's show favor unto the reprobate ungodly?
  last word. All we see is the tangled threads of life.          The solution given? It is this: "The Lord does not
  God is weaving the pattern. The vision of the finished show favor unto the reprobate ungodly. Prosperity is
  pattern awaits the day when we shall know as we are to them a slippery place upon which the Lord sets
  known.                                                     them and cast them down into destruction. In other
        "This thought brought Asaph back to his feet again. words, the Lord prospers the ungodly in His wrath.
  And after the conflict, God was more precious to him This is the light that Asaph left the sanctuary of God
  than before. The flickering flame had revived, and with.
  burned clearer and brighter than before the storm.             According to Ghysels, the only new light Asaph re-
  He now  felt the reality of God's presence and love more ceived was that there is a day of reckoning coming for
  than ever. He realized that to be near to God was far      the ungodly, as if this was not a matter of common
  better than to be worried about the mysteries of this knowledge in those days.
  world which we can never understand anyway, and so             As to the righteous, all things work together for
  it is that he is able to exclaim as he does in the text." their good. Again I say, this was the light Asaph
                                                             received.
        Let us offer our comment.                   +.za         The question arises, why Ghysels did not come be-
        Rev. Ghysels set us with pointing out to his readers fore his readers with the line of reasoning he found
  that Asaph had a problem, a riddle. True he had. It running through this psalm. .The reason is evident.
  is as Rev. Ghysels says, what greatly perplexed him This reasoning completely overturns his theory of com-
  was the spectacle that the wicked prosper, and that mon grace. Fact is, however, that in withholding from
  adversity is the portion of the righteous.      His own his readers this reasoning, this divine wisdom, he fed
  experience was a case in point. All the day long he them with a stone instead of with bread, and thus
  was plagued and chastened every morning.           In his tortured the Word of God.
  unholy haste he concluded that he had cleansed his
  heart and washed his hands in vain. He thought to              When Ghysels wrote that Asaph realized that to be
  know this but in vain. In vain did he seek a solution. near to God was far better than to be worried about
                                                             the mysteries of this world which we can never under-
        So far Ghysels reproduces correctly the current stand anyway, he, Ghysels, wrote something that he
  argument of this psalm.                                    took not from this psalm but something that he him-
        At this point, however, the reverend lets go off the self fabricated.
  Scriptural line and passes off on his readers a reason-
  ing of his own, - a reasoning that comes down to this          The truth of the matter is this, when Asaph was
  that the problem with which the Psalmist labored re- slipping, the Lord held him by his right hand, so that
  mained. Though Asaph went into the sanctuary of God Asaph remained standing. That is to say, when this
he received no light on the matter perplexing him. saint's soul was tortured by doubts and fears, God
  Having left the sanctuary, he knew no more than be- came to him with His word of wisdom, with His
  fore respecting the so-called riddle of providence. How counsel. Into this counsel Asaph was led by the Lord.
  the wicked could prosper and the righteous be plagued That he saw things in their true light, his doubts and
  all the day long was as much of a problem to him as        fears vanished.
  ever. He, the Psalmist, still walked in the dark.              In his doubts God was continually with him, and
        Such is indeed Ghysels' reasoning. The riddle re- had holden him by his right hand, and set his soul upon
  mained then. Attend once more to  t.his: "Moreover a rock.
  Asaph was comforted by the thought of a future life.           Saved, Asaph rejoices in his God. He has the
  He says : `Then understood their end.' What he means assurance that also in the future the Lord will con-
  is . . . . there is a day of reckoning coming . . .  " tinue to lead him by His counsel, and afterwards re-
  Then this: "He (Asaph) realized that to be near to ceive him to glory.
  God was far better than to be worried about the  mys-                                                G. M. 0.


