SJ                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
-.l---._.-l-..""   ..-.-...-.....--_____-          --" ..__ -...-- -...                                               --..^  ._-....
                                                                           But when one investigates and peruses the speeches
                                                                     of these men, disappointment is the result. He soon
              E D I T O R I A L S   -  41 reaches the conclusion, that these men got along so
                                                                     charmingly only because, after all, their convictions,
                                                                     as they expressed them that evening did not differ so
                  Charming Tolerance                                 widely, that a serious clash must needs be the result.
                                                                           Rabbi Waterman, apart from being of the seed of
      What was supposed to be a "Religious Forum" was                Abraham according to the fl,esh, is not really a Jew.
recently staged at the Armory of Grand Rapids,  Mich.'                     Mr. Darrow is not really an Agnostic, though he
      Three men appeared successively on the same plat- prides himself of being one.
form and before the same audience. The first was of                        Nor is Rev. James W. Fifield a Protestant in the
the seed of Abraham, called himself a Jew, and was                   real and historic sense of that word.
supposed to be a teacher in Israel, Rabbi Philip F.                        To begin with the Agnostic. An agnostic is sup-
Waterman ; the second was a lawyer, widely known posed to be a man whose philosophy is a profession of
because of his effective pleas in behalf of criminals,               ignorance. He claims that we can have no knowledge
and presented himself to his audience as an Agnostic, except of phenomena. He neither asserts nor denies
Mr. Clarence Darrow ; the third, a Vwbi Divini Min.- anything. He is not dogmatic. He merely shakes his
&&r, James W. Fifield, was supposed to represent                     head and says: I don't know. He does not assert that
Protestantism. A fourth, a Catholic priest, had also                 God is, neither does he deny that He exists. He does
been scheduled to speak at the same gathering, wisely not deny the existence of an unseen world, nor does he
withdrew himself at the eleventh hour.                               postulate its reality. If you ask him, whether there is
      Each was given half an hour, in which to express               a life after this life or whether our present existence
and give an account of his particular convictions.                   ends it all, he answers with a shrug of his shoulders.
      The Jew was to answer to the question: why I am                Only those things he accepts that lie within the limits
a Jew?                                                               of the human mind and whose reality can be demon-
                                                                     strated or logically proven. With respect to all other
      The lawyer was to make clear to his audience, why notions he refuses to assume a position.
he is an Agnostic.                                                         Such an agnostic Mr. Darrow claims to be. But is
      And the minister of the Word was assigned the                  he? Did he speak as an agnostic in the Grand Rapids
task of answering the question: why I am a Protest-                  A r m o r y ?
ant?                                                                       We receive the impression that Mr. Darrow was
      Undersigned was not present at the meeting. But                quite dogmatic, if we may judge from the reports of
an adequate impression of what was spoken by each of his speech in the papers.
the three men that evening might easily be obtained                        For instance, he said: "Nobody ever chose any-
from the rather elaborate reports of it that appeared thing in this world. He does whatever comes to him.
in the papers the day following.                                     I think the idea of anyone choosing a religion is non-.
      One of these papers introduced its report of the               sense." This is not agnosticism. It is the dogma of
meeting by stating, that the three men in expounding                 determinism very dogmatically expressed. It is an
their convictions had exemplified the possibility of emphatic denial of man's moral nature. An assertion
iolerance  by vast intellectual difference. Men may be               of Darrow's pet dogma ; man is a machine. He cannot
of opposing views and convictions and yet  iind one an- demonstrate or prove the truth of this dogma. It is
other's society enjoyable, charming and stimulating.                 merely his way of thinking. But it is surely no
      And at this one begins to wonder. The questions                agnosticism.
forces itself upon one's mind: how' is this possible?                      He asserted that today there is no intelligent person
A Jew, an Agnostic and a Protestant, meeting one an- that believes the Bible literally. In other words, faith
other, not merely for the purpose of expressing a few in the Bible, according to the would-be agnostic is due
conventional platitudes, but to express their deepest                only to lack of intelligence. This is a very emphatic
convictions, embracing one another in the fellowship                 condemnation of the entire orthodox Church, not only
of a charming tolerance and finding one another's of today, but of all ages, yea, of Christ Himself, for it
views positively stimulating?                Is there really some    can easily be demonstrated that the Lord believed the
higher intellectual, spiritual, religious level, a higher Scriptures. But it certainly is no agnosticism. Mr.
sphere, where Judaism, Agnosticism and Protestant-                   Darrow could not possibly demonstrate or prove this
ism cease to clash and to be mutually exclusive, where               statement. It is merely an expression of his own un-
they meet in a higher unity and did these three men                  belief, only assuming the form of the most bigoted
ascend to that higher level, when they spoke from the                dogmatism conceivable. Mr. Darrow would probably
 platform of the Grand Rapids Armory that evening? like to be considered a broadminded man, at least, he
      We feel that the matter is serious and worthy of               insists that he is an agnostic, but the fact is, that he is
 our investigation,                                                  so dogmatic, that he leaves no room for a possibility


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   BRARER                                             50
--.- . .  __1_..----- . --  .-........-  -"-----....__ _I_ ._.-.__ -_.__ll-...-"l..-    __-..._.
of intelligence, outside of those that agree with his that does not believe in the Old Testament. He does
views on Holy Scripture.                                     not appeal to the authority of Moses and the prophets.
   According to the report of the papers he must have Neither is he quite sure, whether God is a force or
said : "I am an agnostic because I cannot help thinking.     power, or whether he is a personal being. Hence, on
I don't believe there is any such God in the universe." the platform of the Grand Rapids Armory he was not
This is not agnosticism, but atheism. Mr. Darrow a Jew.
positively asserts that he does not believe there is a           And the Rev. James W. Fifield? Is he a Protest-
God. He could not possibly demonstrate this denial.          ant?
He could not in any way prove that he has a basis for            Protestantism is characterized by its protest
his unbelief. Here he merely makes a confession. It          against the authority of man, of the Church, of the
is the confession of the Atheist. Nothing more.              Pope in matters of conscience and of religion and by
   He also spoke of Christ.         Said the would-be its profession of the Word of God as our only infallible
agnostic : "With the, figure of Jesus as a man no one        rule of faith and life. It believes in the infallible
finds fault. He was an idealist of a high order, and         authority of Holy Writ, in the total depravity of
had a rare faculty of stating doctrines of kindness,         natural man, in the Cross, the resurrection, atonement
mercy and human understanding. But nothing more.             by the blood of Jesus through saving faith in Him;
Would you belittle him by calling him a god?" Here,          wrought in the heart of the sinner by almighty grace.
it may be remarked first of all, Mr. Darrow contradicts      Protestantism is a historical term. Mr. Fifield may
himself. For, just a moment ago he belittled Jesus as        apply the term to something radically different from
a man, by positively asserting that no man of intel-         historic Protestantism, but he has no right to do so.
ligence believes the Bible. But Jesus did ; and the con- And it is easily demonstrable, that in the historical
clusion is evident. But apart from this, Mr. Darrow sense (and other Protestantism there is none) it in-
is forsaking his agnostic stand and principles alto- volves the profession of all the principles mentioned
gether in these statements. He asserts that Jesus is         above.
not God. Not only can Mr. Darrow never demonstrate              Well, then, is Mr. Fifield a Protestant?
this statement or logically prove it, but he makes this         He certainly was not on the platform in the
dogmatic assertion in the face of all the testimony of Armory.
Jesus and the apostles against him! What a dogma-               Of the three men he was most vague in his present-
tician is Mr. Darrow !                                       ation of what he believed. But he never mentioned
   And, finally, the lawyer was also very dogmatic the Holy Scriptures as an authority for faith and life
with respect to the idea of a future life. He denied the and he does not believe in them ; he never mentioned
reality of a future life most emphatically. The sooner sin and the cross of Christ as the power of salvation,
one rids himself of the notion the better for  his peace     neither does he believe in the atoning death of the
of mind, according to Darrow. Again, the agnostic Lord. He did say that there is no place in modern life
disappears entirely and the bigoted dogmatician clearly for a soothsaying religious philosophy, and I am afraid
speaks.                                                      that he meant Protestantism by  Titus characterization.
   No, Mr. Darrow is no agnostic. He is merely an            He did say, that the repulsive type of Christianity no
unbeliever, an atheist, and very dogmatically so !           longer exists, and I strongly surmise, that he referred
   Is Mr. Waterman a Jew? Not outside of his being to real and unadulterated Protestantism. He did say:
a descendant of Abraham.                                     "I believe that we shall never come to a fmal statement
   What is characteristically Jewish? Faith in the           of religion ; religion will always be greater than the
promises of God to the fathers, belief in Moses and the sum-total of its definitions. But I still believe it is the
prophets, that is, in the Old Testament. Belief in the fool who says in his heart there is no God. The  fact
personal Jehovah as their God with rejection of Christ.      of God is reasonable and verifiable. Man has always
   But what did Rabbi Waterman say? "There exists created God in his own image . . . . "
today a great misconception of Judaism, a delusion               In other words, on the platform of the Armory
that it is the religion of the old testament. That is        Mr. Fifield subverted the faith of Protestantism. The
wrong, for the old Judaism involved a complicated            latter believes that God created man in His image ;
priestly ritual and prophetism. The Jewish religion is Mr. Fifield believes that man creates God in his image.
no exception to the law of social evolution. Judaism is And in this he certainly was right, only the god he so
based on the idea that God is one. We have a feeling creates is like himself, and therefore, not God but an
that there is a power, a force, perhaps a person, who        idol.  And" in this statement Mr. Fifield denied the
is guiding the destiny of all, and this power or being       fundamental principle of Protestantism, namely, that
is a single unit . . . . Judaism lays very little stress God revealed Himself in Holy Scripture and that we
upon creed. What you believe is a minor item. Its learn to know Him, not by creating our own image of
ways are ways of pleasantness and its paths are paths        Him, but through His own revelation to us.
of peace."                                                       No, on the stage of the Armory there was no clash,
   Hence, Mr. Waterman is a descendant of Abraham even though three men, claiming to be of widelv dif-


5.4                                  TH@  STANDARD   BEARER
             " ^..- ..-.
ferent opinions and convictions, spoke before the same            Hij heeft de artikelen, die Dr. Kuyper schreef in
audience. But the reason that there was no clash must de Gerefo,rmeerde  Ii"erkbode  van Rotterdam over mijn
be sought in the fact, that the agnostic was  no              boekje, Gcnade  Geen  Annbod,  gelezen. Of hij mijn
agnostic, the Jew was no Jew, the Protestant was no           boekje ook gelezen heeft, durf ik niet zeggen.  We1
Protestant.                                                   houd ik mij overtuigd, dat hij met den inhoud bekend
       And the charming tolerance and possibility of en-      was, want hetgeen thans de inhoud van dat boekske
joyment of one another's company must be explained,           uitmaakt, verscheen vroeger reeds in den vorm van
not from the fact, that they lived on a very high level       een artikelenreeks in de  Standard Bearer; En ons blad
of broadminded spirituality and intellectuality, but          wordt reeds geruimen tijd door Dr. Beets ijverig  gele-
simply in the patent fact, that in the most fundamental       zen. Om dezelfde reden  houd ik mij ook overtuigd,
matter they all agreed.                                       dat hij niet alleen Kuyper's critiek op mijn boekje
       All three agree in the denial of the Scriptures and    heeft gelezen, maar  ook bekend is met de beoordeeling
of the Christ of the Scriptures.                              van Dr. Greijdanus over hetzelfde. geschrift van mijne
       They united in the sphere of unbelief.                 hand. Tevens weet ik, dat de schrijver in de  M~I~sion-
       The only one that could not have been tolerated on     ary  Month.Zy mijn antwoorden gelezen heeft op de  kri-
that platform, that could not have been comprehended tiek van Kuyper en Rietberg. Hij had dus al het mate-
in the charming embrace of the three speakers and             riaal, dat noodig was, om een volledige voorstelling
whose company would have been enjoyed by them as              van de zaak te geven en dan een oordeel te vellen en
little as he would have enjoyed theirs, is the true  Pro-     ook zijn lezers in staat te stellen, om een zuiver oordeel
testant,  the professor of the name of Christ.                te vellen.
       The religious forum was antichristian.                     Doch dat doet hij niet.
                                                  H. H.           Hij geeft zijn lezers geen  idee van den inhoud van
                                                              mijn boekje.
                                                                  Ook stelt hij hen niet in kennis met hetgeen door
                                                              Dr. Greijdanus werd geschreven over hetzelfde  ge-
              Aan Dr. Hendrik Beets                           schrift.
                                                                  Noch ook laat hij mij spreken, ofschoon ik breed-
       Dat Dr. De Jong een ander gebruikte, om mij een        voerig geantwoord heb op hetgeen de heeren uit  Neder-
slag in het aangezicht te geven, was erg genoeg. Ik land  hadden  geschreven ten nadeele van onze  voor-
dacht, dat het niet zeer  doctoraal  was, om zulk een stelling.
taktiek te volgen. Maar ik kon me daarbij nog troos-             Hij  haalt eenvoudig Dr. Kuyper  aan, om dan bij
ten door gedachtig te zijn  aan zeker  Hollandszh  zijn lezers den indruk te wekken, dat het  nu  tech  we1
spreekwoord, dat ik hier niet zal herhalen.                   duidelijk zal zijn, dat mijne beschouwing den toets der
       Maar nu begin ik waarlijk te denken, dat zulk doen     waarheid niet kan doorstaan.
juist we1 doctoraal  is, want Dr. Beets volgt in de laat-        Eerst stelt .hij Dr. Kuyperaan  zijne lezers voor. _
ste Missionary Monthly, die ik onder de oogen kreeg,          Hij schrijft als volgt :
dezelfde taktiek.                                                "Van Ds. Bultema gesproken, dachten we  aan een
       Ik heb mij waarlijk de oogen eens uitgewreven, om ander predikant, die zich ook niet Wilde nederleggen
zeker te zijn, dat ik met droomde.                            bij de uitspraak der Synode zijner kerkengroep, Ds. H.
       Want van Dr. Beets had ik dit niet verwacht. Het       Hoeksema. Dr. A. Kuyper Jr. schreef drie artikelen
wou er bij mij niet in, dat ook hij niet beter op de          in de Rotterdamsche Kerkbode, onder den titel  A!gc-
hoogte  zou zijn met ons geschil hier en met het  eigen-      meen Aanbod  over stellingen door Ds. Hoeksema in de
lijke punt, dat in het geding was tusschen mij en wereld gezonden. Elk kent Dr. Kuyper als waardlg,
Keegstra en tusschen de Protestantsche  Gereformeer-          bedaard en degelijk. Wat nu is zijne conclusie?  Hier
de kerken en `t eerste der Drie Punten van Kalamazoo,         volgen  een paar citaten. We geven ze zonder commen-
1924, dan dat hij een verkeerde voorstelling van Dr.          taar, behalve,  dat we het een en ander onderstreepten,
A. Kuyper Jr. van Rotterdam ten opzichte van dat, omdat die hoofdpunten in `t geschil betreffen."
verschil  zou overschrijven in zijn  Rondsehouw,   om dan        En dan volgen de tamelijk breede citaten uit de
tot zijne lezers te zeggen: zoo ziet ge nu lezers, dat        artikelen van Dr. Kuyper, waarvoor ik de plaatsruimte
Ds. Hoeksema het mis heeft en wij gelijk hebben.              van ons blad  nu niet weer zal gebruiken.
       En, indien hij  we1 beter wist, (en dat moet hij          Alleen de slotparagraaf van Dr. Beets moet ik ook
wel), dan had ik van hem niet verwacht, dat hij tech          nog aanhalen, want die is der moeite waard. Daarin
maar win&e zou doen met het ellendig  geschrijf van           schrijft hij als volgt :
Dr. A. Kuyper, die in zijne artikelen heelemaal niet              "Die Latijnsche uitdrukking beteekent : den wijze
toont, dat hij bekwaamheid bezit om over ons geschil genoeg. Zullen we met ons allen  als Gereformeerde
te oordeelen.                                                 menschen in Noord Amerika wijs genoeg zijn om ons
       Maar,  het is niet anders. Dr. Beets doet hetzelfde bij die uitspraak neer te leggen? En de strijdbijl over
als  Dr. De  Joncz  deed in De Wachter.                       betwiste  punten   van  minder  belang wat rust  geven,


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                   57
                                                                                                         ~~-. ._ ._. -
                                                        ?-'  j.       The great crisis in the history of the Canaanites
                       Joseph                                      was their extermination. This crisis could not come
                                                                   until it should have become evident that a fierce visita-
   In the preceding article stress was laid on the fact            tion of God was doubly deserved. This, of course, is
that according to the inner law of agreement by which              the same as saying that God could not strike until the
the sacred writers were guided in their selection of time He in His sovereign good pleasure had appointed.
typical materials, Joseph's life is a type of the history          The view that events outside of Him  - events not
of Christ. Still other values of this life were noticed.           covered by corresponding eternal decrees - compel
It was seen to be a remarkable exemplification of the              Him to settle upon a certain plain of action, - this
maxim, Man proposes, God disposes.                                 view is as absurd as it is wicked.
   Finally it was pointed out that the life of Joseph                 Consider further the divine word that came to
is a most striking demonstration of the fundamental                Abraham, "And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace. .
law of God in guiding the elect from suffering to joy, But in the fourth generation they shall come hither
from humiliation to exaltation. As was said, the again; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full."
church had need of these exhibitions of the great                     According to this announcement the destruction of
power and wisdom of God as it was about to go down                 the Amorites was to be an event to take place in the
into a land that was to become for it a house of bond- fourth generation; and the arrival of the Israelites at
age. In this house the oppressed and afflicted church the borders of Canaan would signify that for these
would keep before its eye God's ways with Joseph and tribes the hour of divine visitation had struck. Such
wait for the salvation of the Lord.                                is indeed the plain implication of the above-cited divine
   There is still another great lesson that the life of            announcement.     Israel should "come hither again"
Joseph yields. It is that the Lord delivers the just one when the Amorites would have filled their iniquity and
from his enemies; lifts him up above those that rise               thus would be ripe for the judgment. The Lord then
up against him; that the violent man who persecuteth               had allotted to the Amorites a certain length of time
the righteous commits great folly and unless he repents for the tilling of their iniquity.
will be overtaken by his sin and destroyed.                           Now the very fact that He temporarily removed
   We now advance the immediate and the final rea-                 His people from the land of Canaan shows that for
sons for the appearance of Joseph on the stage of                  some reason or other it was not His will that they
sacred history. In raising him up, the Lord supplied               should increase abundantly, multiply, and wax exceed-
Himself with an instrument for the bringing of His                 ingly mighty under the same roof, so to say, with the
people out of Canaan in the land of Egypt. For more                Canaanites. Therefore, had He not effected this change
than one reason this change of residence was effected.             of residence, He by His own doings would have been
   To begin with the land of Canaan was in the pos-                compelled to do away with the Canaanites before the
session of the Canaanites. If this land was to become              time allotted them for the  filling of their iniquity had
the home of the typical people of God, it had to be                expired. The growing holy race would have crowded
purged from the cursed tribes infesting it. The Lord,              the Canaanites  ; the latter could not have been  exR"Eted
however, could not extirpate these tribes until they to yield their ground- without a struggle that would
should have tilled their cup of iniquity. To be sure,              have terminated, in their premature destruction.
the earth and its  fulness  is His. He is the living God               However, from the repeated apostasies of the Jew-
who doeth according to His will in the army of heaven              ish nation at a latter date, it is evident that this nation,
and among the inhabitants of the earth, whose hand                 with the exception of the elect nucleus concealed in it,
none can stay and unto whom none can say, What                     was a corrupt stock from the beginning. It may be,
doest thou?    Nevertheless He cannot exercise His                 too, therefore that, had the children of Israel not been
sovereignty in such a way as to give man a just reason             removed to Egypt, they would have prematurely so
for complaint. He has mercy upon whom He will have                 corrupted themselves that the Canaanitish tribes as so
mercy, and whom He will He hardens. Yet He har-                    many scourges in the hands of the Almighty would
dened and destroyed a sinner whose sin enters in, not have been made to triumph over them. However this
to be sure as a determining factor but surely as a good            may be, it is certain that, in view of the peculiar turn
enough reason. God would not make away with these the Almighty had thus  far  made the events of history
Canaanitish tribes in such a way as to furnish the                 take, the land of Canaan, with the Amorites flourish-
world looking on with a semblance of a reason for say-             ing in it, could not do service as the cradle of the
ing that He deals unjustly with .His creatures. The                Israelitish nation.
eradication of the Canaanites had to be a matter of                    It was Egypt that the Lord had selected and pre-
undeniable justice. It was this and even more; it was              pared to serve His people as a temporary abode. And
a proof, a mighty demonstration of the intense holy-               a most proper abode it indeed was. The ruling dynasty
ness of God, and thus a type of the judgments of the               of this land, favorably inclined to Joseph because of
Almighty, destined to overtake the world at large                  the services he had rendered it, was in power long
when it, too, shall have filled its cup of iniquity.               enough to permit the children of Israel to increase


58                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                 ______.........____...  --  ^    ^- ..--_......                      _-..._.-.......  -..-_---.-_-  .._...--.............-- ^ ",_
abundantly without any outside interference. Further, people  - save them unto His everlasting glory. "Even
from the notices of Scripture we gather that the land for this same purpose," said the Lord, speaking of  L
of Goshen  was not at least to any great extent occu-                    Pharaoh, "have I raised thee up, that I might show my
pied so that in this land, eminently suitable to the                    power in thee, and that my name might be declared
shepherd, the Israelites could multiply without rub-                    throughout all the earth."
bing shoulders, so to say, with the Egyptians. Finally,                       *In advancing these possible reasons for the removal
the danger that Israel would blend with the Egyptians of the seed of Abraham to Egypt, we do not, of course,
was remote. Because of their occupation, and because mean to say that some possible event or other lying
of the animal-sacrifice in which their religion involved beyond the control of the Almighty, compelled Him to
them, they were at once a most abominable people in proceed as He did ; all we mean to bring out is that
the eyes of the E,ayptians.                                              the scheme of things, He in His sovereign good pleas-
      But undoubtedly the Lord's outstanding reason for ure had sketched out for Himself, together with the
bringing the children of Israel in Egypt was that He                     relation, which the various elements constituting this
was about to construct for the benefit of His church a scheme, sustained to each other, compelled Him to act
grand type of salvation. Here in Egypt He would as  He  did. This is the same as saying that the sole
prepare Him the materials He needed for this type. necessity for the line of action He followed, was Ris
Of these materials He would avail Himself to make                        own sovereign will.
history ; and this history, when completed, will turn                                                 -               -
out to be the type He had contemplated.
      The new king that will not know Joseph, the                                   Let us now consider the details of Joseph's his-
Pharaoh of the oppression, will transfix Egypt into a tory. The sacred narrator sets out with the notice
house of bondage for God's people. He will afflict this that Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a
people and make it to serve with rigour. He w-21 make stranger, in the land of Canaan. This son walks in
its life bitter with hard bondage, in mortar and in                      the steps of his father. In distinction from Esau, who
brick, and in all manner of service in the field. He                     by his sword had established himself in Mount Seir,
will say to the Hebrew midwives: "When ye do the                         Jacob sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange
office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, . . . . if it                   country, dwelling in tents, looking for a city that hath
be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter,               foundations, prepared to die without receiving the
then she shall live . . . .  " He will charge all his                    promises, but seeing them afar off and embracing
people, saying, "Every son that is born ye shall cast                    them, and confessing that he was a stranger and pil-
into the river . . . .  " And the children of Israel grim in the earth.
shall -sigh by reason of the bondage ; they shall cry,                              Joseph, the elder son of Rachel, who had died, and
and their cry shall go up unto God. And He will hear whose grave could be found in the way to Ephrath,
their groaning, and remember His covenant with was now seventeen years old. How Jacob loved this
Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. He will look                        son, "more than all his children, because he was the
upon the children of Israel and have respect unto                        son of his old age." Parents are wont to dote, to be-
them.     And they shall see what He will do unto                        stow excessive love upon the youngest child. For this
Pharaoh. With a strong hand he shall led them go,                        child in distinction from the grown-up son and daugh-
and with a strong hand he shall drive them out of the ter still possesses and exhibits to the parent those dis-
land. Thus the Lord will bring them out from under                       positions and qualities so very appealing to the par-
the burdens of the Egyptians, and He will rid them                       ental heart. The young child trusts and cleaves to the
out  o,f their bondage, and He will redeem them with a parent.                           It receives the parent as its confident and
stretched out arm, and with great judgments. And He                      pours out its heart to him. The parent is the child's
will take them for a people, and will be their God, and                  hero and only lover, and, when danger threatens, its
they shall know that He is the Lord their God which                      shield and  defence.  How artless the child, as com-
bringeth them out from under the burdens of the                          pared with the man ; how frank, how unsophisticated,
Egyptians, Ex. 6 :5-9. And this people shall sing, "The how responsive, how undivided in its natural affections
Lord, is my strength and song, and he has become                         for the parent! But alas, as the child matures it grows
my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him                       away from its parent.               Other interests engage its
an habitation: my father's God. I will exaIt  him . . . attention.                          And the man leaves  - his father and
Thy right hand, 0 Lord, is become glorious in power:                     mother, and as one flesh with his mate, takes his place
thy right hand, Lord, has dashed in pieces the enemy."                   in life as a substantial and independent unit of society.
      The sum-total of events that enter into the make-                   This, of course, is as it should be. Is it to be wondered
up of the aforesaid type, brings into sharpest relief                    at that parents will do,te upon the child of their old
all the features of the divine scheme of redemption.                     age? Consider that the parent is old. He feels his
The entire program so enhances the power and wisdom age. A feeling of growing helplessness and depend-
of God, that to the believing mind there can be no                        ence has crept over his soul. How natural that his
doubt that  l-Ie is able to save to the uttermost His                     heart goes out to the younger child, the child of his old


                                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                       59
- ..__ ^ ..--.....-.-_  ____.._- ^-^ ..." -.....__._ "-."-"                        -"...-  . .._.    -.... -.." .-... ",~.I__ ..-......_ ".- . .._......-
age, especially if that child, as was the case with                         home they, for the sake of their aged father, would
Joseph, is a stalward youth, on the threshold of man- tame themselves down perhaps. Away from home they
hood, yet not too old to have lost those qualities and                      would throw all restraint to the wind and  permit their
dispositions peculiar to the child.                                         pent-up corruption to sally forth and incorporate in
     Then, too, the written record of Joseph's life are                     self in evil deeds. What the nature of their crimes
interspersed with notices compelling the  6onclusion                        was, is not stated; but from the notice, "And Joseph
that he was a youth who possessed physical beauty and                       brought to his father their evil report" it appears that
great personal charm. This his doleful experience with their wickedness had assumed such proportions as to
Potiphar's wife strongly suggests. Further, one of the have arrested the attention of the natives far and wide.
outstanding impressions that the record of his life                         Their atrocities seemed to have become the talk of the
makes is that he was a most  loveable  and gracious                         regions they had entered with their flock. For what
personage  - cheerful, buoyant, responsive, alert, will- Joseph brings to his father is not a report of their
ing, modest, and withal1 wise and supremely capable.                        evil doings but their evil report.
His demeanor was that of a prince; for the tunic pre-                           Into the company of these wicked men Joseph was
sented to him by his father, became him, so that his                        thrown at the  ,tender age of seventeen. He may be
brothers, when they saw him in it, mocked not but                           tmagined feeling ill at ease in the society of his god-
grew more hateful toward him. Small wonder that he                          less kin. When they were together, he would sit
was the beloved child.                                                      silently by them, visibly annoyed by their uncouth
     However, Jacob's surpassing love for this son was                      talk and low jesting. How the first report of their
more than a natural affection of an aged parent for a                       evil doings had grieved his soul!
younger affable child. The deeper reason why Jacob                              So it came about that they soon discovered that he
felt himself drawn to this son, was the latter's genuine                    was not one of them. Yet at first they in all likelihood
piety. It is certain that Joseph, even at that early                        took no notice of his censorious reserve. But when,
age, feared the Lord. It was this that set him off from after one of their tours with the flock their aged father
his brothers, who at least at the time of their disposal summoned them into his presence and questioned them
of Joseph were without a single exception crude,                            respecting their conduct away from home, they hated
witied, and barbarous men. Forsooth, the Lord had                           Joseph in their hearts and soon began to hold him in
set Joseph as sheep among the wolves.                                       visible contempt: for who else but he could the tatler
    Jacob, though he loved Joseph more than all his                         have been. Whether he had remonstrated with them
children, did not exempt him from pastoral duties.                          before reporting their atrocities to Jacob is not stated.
When but seventeen years old, Joseph was bidden by                          In all likelihood he had ; but perhaps they had mocked.
his father to join the ranks of his brethren and help                       And after his disclosure of their evil doings, their
feed the flock. So he did. Dan and Naphtali, sons of mockery may have become so very cruel as to make it
Bilha, Rachel's handmaid, and Gad and Ashur, sons                           quite impossible for him to be with them alone in the
of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, were his companions and
                                                                  ~-        field, so that he had finally besought his father to send
custodians in the field.                                                    them-forth without him. And his father may have
     Though Jacob soon set his favored son to work, he                      hearkened to him and kept him at home much to the
could not refrain from giving expression to his greater satisfaction of his brothers.
love for him, and adorned his person with an elegant                            The course of events as we now imagine it, agrees
tunic. What is to be our appraisal of this expression                       with the notice that Joseph was sent to his brethren in
of preference? It is our conviction  that the sacred                        Shechem to see whether it was well with them. .  Bad
narrator bids us to condone the deed, or at least warns                     he been feeding the flock with them as in times past,
us against regarding it as the real cause of the break- he would not have been at hand to be sent by his father
ing forth of the hatred Jacob's sons bore their younger to his brethren.
brother; for he (the sacred historian) follows up the                           So they hated him for his righteousness and be-
notice, "Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his                          cause, being righteous, he had testified against their
children" with "because he was the son of his old age."                      riotous life. True, the sacred writer seems to asso-
The import of this addition seems to be that Jacob                          ciate this hatred with Jacob's surpassing love for his
merely did what aged parents in general are wont to                         younger son, with the tunic, and with the dreams he
do in their weakness, namely, dote upon and fondle the                      dreamed.      However, a careful consideration of the
babe of the family, the young child of their old age.                       various statements comprising the narrative, will
The grown-up son or daughter who takes offense at                           bring to light that what the holy writer would have us
the exhibition of this weakness (if it is a weakness) is know is that the deep reason for their hating him was
a sorry fool and shows himself up as one whose heart this clash between his righteousness and their cor-
is not right. And at this juncture the sons of Jacob                        ruption  ; and that this tunic and those dreams where
were fools, wicked men who hated Joseph because merely the prods by which this hatred was stirred into
their works were evil and their brother's righteous.                        violent motion. Consider that what we. are first  toId
     Wicked men  these sons of Jacob were. When at                          is that  "Joseph   brought unto his father their evil


60                                       TBE  S T A N D A R D   BEARER
-._._.  --lll__ .-.-._ -.__-^._---..-           ." ..^ _~" -"               _---
report," and that this notice is followed by the state- vain, proud youth, strutting about in his waking hours
ment, "Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his            with himself before his eye as the future king of his
children, because he was the son of his old age; and        tribe, as a most extraordinary personage with a most
he made him a coat of pieces. And when his brethren unusual future. Had this been the train of thought he
saw that their father loved him more than all his with great satisfaction to himself and for no good rea-
brethren, they hated him and could not speak peace- son whatsoever had been so persistently  persuing that
ably unto him. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he even during sleep it reappeared before his eye? If so,
told it his brethren: and they hated him yet  _ the         he was at heart a vain, proud, prudish lad ; yea, a verit-
more . . . .  "    The assertion, "And they could not able snob, impossible as a companion, and altogether
speak peaceably unto him" indicates that the vile           worthy therefore of the ill-treatment afforded him by
beast in them, roused by the forbidding voice of right- his brethren. Of this Jacob was aware. After having
eousness, and infuriated by that coat and by the words      listened to Joseph's second dream, he thought, so it
of him who wore it, was now growling at its innocent seems, that possibly these dreams might betoken a lad
prey. As with Cain, so with these brethren, sin laid        who had been vaingloriously boasting in himself; for
at the door, and was about to leap forth and devwdr         he said to him, "What  is this dream, that thou hast
the righteous one.                                          dreamed ?"      `What makest thou thyself. Who dost
      It could be expected that their hatred would be       thou think thou art and art to be.'     "Shall I and thy
fanned into a white heat by Joseph's words describing mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down our-
his dreams. Forsooth, they were most unusual dreams selves to thee to the earth?" `Shame on thee. Purge
for a lad of seventeen years. Attend to his telling of thyself of the vain imaginings and be humble as it
them : "For behold," he said to the listening group of      becomes thee.'
brethren, "we were binding sheaves in the field, and,          We imagine, however, t.hat even while uttering this
lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and behold,     rebuke Jacob's heart smote him; for he well knew in
your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to his heart that the rebuke was ill-deserved. Joseph was
my sheaf." The brethren were quick to sense the mean- no snob, but a gracious, humble, upright youth who
ing af this train of thought that had passed through        feared the Lord. Of his essential goodness he had
his mind during sleep. We can imagine them laughink         furnished his father with an abundance of evidence.
him to scorn as they say, "Shalt thou indeed reign over Jacob therefore observed his saying, pondered it as
us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us?" The coming from a lad to whom the Lord had spoken. For-
thought that he, at the sight of whom they  woEId           sooth, the after-history of this lad shows that these
tremble with unholy indignation, was being visited by dreams were not of him but of God. But we don't even
dreams in which he stood out as one who was to have need this after-history to prove that these dreams were
the dominion, drove them mad.                               of God and that therefore the <mean insinuations of
      To aggravate matters, he soon dreamed another         Jacob's rebuke did not apply to this youthful organ of
dream, and again told it to his brethren, and said, "Ee-    revelation. The fact that he with such amazing frank-
hold, I have dreamed a dream more ; and behold, the ness %&s these dreams to his hateful bG&hren,  indi-
sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance cates that they  f!illed him with astonishment so great
to me." This dream, too, Joseph told to his father,         that he cannot keep silence. His astonishment shows
and to his brethren. Even his father was now per-           that what these dreams betoken, to wit, his personal
plexed and knew not what to think. His first impulse elevation to a place of pre-eminence, he had never once
was .to rebuke his son. This impulse he followed and        imagined.
said unto him, "What is this dream that thou hast              Of course, another possible view is that it was a
dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren            carnal elation, mixed with a mean desire to torment
indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the            his brethren, that prompted him to speak. This view,
earth?"                                                     however, must be set aside as altogether inconsistent
      "And his brethren envied him but his father ob-       with the holy nobility all his other recorded actions
served the saying," stored it away in his soul and betoken.               Our purpose, of course, is not to idealize
pondered it. It shows that Jacob was in a straight          Joseph. He, too, as well as any other saint had but a
betwixt two respecting the character of these dreams.       small beginning of the true obedience. All we mean to
Consider that ordinarily the image that appears before bring out is that Joseph was one of the most remark-
the eye during sleep is merely the fantastic projec- able saints of Scripture. If  sume men are holier than
tion of a train of thought that the dreamer has at others, and if there is still another class of believers
some time or other in his waking hours been following constituted of the holiest of saints, Joseph, I would say,
so that ordinarily the dream is the man, and may be         belongs to this third class. He is one of the most re-
taken as the index to the thoughts and the intents of freshing personages of sacred history, the kind of a
his heart, and the gage of the aspirations of his soul.     saint that will again restore your faith in the power of
Was this the character of Joseph's dreams? If so,           God to reclaim a man from death and to cleanse his
Jacob knew that this beloved son of his was after all a soul from all its native corruption.


                                                               TBE  S T A N D A R D   BEA$ER                                                                  61.
-.-..." ..--..._. --_- ._.................  ^ .-^~     ^     ".-."                          -....._..  - ^_     ._^^.^ .._.................. ^ - ..-... --
      Joseph, though but seventeen years old, was the one
champion of righteousness in Jacob's family, the                                         Algemeen Genade-Verbond?
prophet of the Most High God, the friend of Jehovah.                                 Broeder F. La G. van Gr. R., Mich., schrijft ons:
The secrets of the Lord were with this youth. And in
the  innocency  of his soul he rebuked evil and prophe-                                 "Geachte Redacteur  :-
sied. For this, as his Saviour would be, he was hated                                "Zou u zoo goed  willen zijn, om onderstaande vra-
and despised by his brethren, misunderstood by his                                gen te plaatsen en te beantwoorden in ons, door mij
father, and finally delivered by his brethren to the                              gewaardeerd, blad?
heathen. Herein, first of all, he was the type of Christ.                            "1. Wat wordt bedoeld met het verbond der Alge-
      His brothers, says Scripture, not only hated but                            meene Genade?
also envied him. Their envy is significant. It shows                                 "2. Stellen zij, die daarvan spreken, dat  Christus
that deep down in their hearts they knew that his                                 ook Middelaar is van dat Verbond?"
dreams were of God, and that he was worthy of the                                    Laat mij, in antwoord op de eerste vraag, allereerst
elevation of which these dreams were prophetic be- het woord geven  aan Dr. A. Kuyper  Sr. Hij schrijft
cause he was righteous. What these brethren should                                over dit zoogenaamde Verbond der Gemeene Gratie
have done is to take home to their hearts his denuncia- als volgt (Gemeene Gratie, I, 286, v.v.)  :
tion of their wickedness, forsake their sins, honor his                              "Als Noach  met de zijnen uit de; arke is gegaan, ver-
dreams and ponder their meaning. Instead, they re- neemt ge niets dan taal ter bemoediging en ter gerust-
sented his reproof, hated his person, misconstrued                                stelling. Hiertoe nu bestond aanleiding. Het feit
and mocked his revelations. In doing so, they set them-                           tech, dat heel de bestaande samenleving verzwolgen en
selves against the coming to its own of the kingdom verdwenen was, en dat  Noach  met zijn klein gezin
of God, the covenant of Jehova, by the exaltation of daar plotseling eenzaam en verlaten op de uitgeledigde
righteousness in the person of Joseph. What made                                  aarde stond, die nog altijd de teekenen der verwoesting
the reception of these prophesies doubly hard for them vertoonde, en die de lijken van mensch en vee in gansch
was that they involved Joseph's person ; and this per- groote menigte droeg, moet voor Noach  en de zijnen
son they hated because they were wicked. They there- zoo onvergelijkelijk aangrijpend en hartverscheurend
fore begrudged him the favor of Heaven. His right-                                zijn geweest, dat ge het u zoudt kunnen voorstellen,
eousness in which they should have taken delight, and zoo krankzinnigheid aller deel ware geworden. Zouden
the prophesy they should  k&ve received, and the effect ze dus den levensmoed en de levensenergie  terugkrij-
of whipping their hatred and envy into a satanic rage                             gen, om na die ontzettende gebeurtenissen een nieuw
so that now they were ready for murder.                                           leven der menschheid  te beginnen, dan was het noodig,
                                                                      G. M. 0.    dat hun God in genade opzocht en hun wankelende
                                                                                  schreden  op den pijnlijken weg ondersteunde. Daar-
                                                                                  aan beantwoordde de verschijning des Heeren na den
                                                                                  zondvloed dan ook geheel. Schier enkel woorden van
                                                                                  bemoediging en vertroosting komen aan het geredde
                           HOPE DER OPSTANDING                                    menschelijk geslacht toe, er, de gerrLeene gratie werkt
                                                                                  van deze ure af niet meer, gelijk ze reeds sinds eeuwen
                  Ik ben stof ; dit sterflijk vleesch                             werkte, maar ze wordt thans ook uitgesproken, en als
                       Zal tot stof eens wederkeeren.                             gratie,  als genade geopenbaard.
                   Maar gelijk Hij Zelf verrees,                                     "Dit is natuurlijk geschied in den vorm van een
                       Wekt ook mij de stem des Heeren,                           Verbondsluiting.
                   In het rijk der heerlijkheid                                      "Als God met zijn schepsel in een Verbond treedt,
                   Is een woonstee mij  bereid.                                   is zulks een daad van gunste, van neerbuigende  goed-
                                                                                  heid, van genade. Genade nu voor den zondaar, is
                   Als mijn lichaam zinkt in d' aard, -                           zonder Verbondsluiting zeifs ondenkbaar, eenvoudig
                        `t Is mijn vast geloofsvertrouwen,  -                     wijl  alle grondbetrekking, alle principieele betrekking
                   Blijft mij een gebouw bewaard.                                 tusschen God en menschen, zelve op het verbond der
                        En `t gelooven wordt aanschouwen,                         werken berust, en uit dien hoofde alle zonde het karak-
                   `k Zal  aan `t stof der aard ontvlien                          ter van bondsbreuk draagt, en deswege geen herstel
                   En dan eeuwig Jezus zien.                                      van betrekking mogelijk is, zoo niet een ander verbond
                                                                                  voor het geschonden en verbroken verbond in de plaats
                   `t Oog bestraalt door hemelsch licht,                          treedt. Het is op dezen grond, dat onze lateri  godge-
                       Zal `k mijns Heilands omgang smaken,                       leerden het Genadeverbond, hoewel het eerst bij Abra-
                   Aangezicht tot aangezicht,                                     ham vermeld staat, tech reeds van het Paradijs gedag-
                        Van volmaakte liefde blaken.                              teekend hebben . . . . Wat slechts betreurd kan wor-
                   Dan van `t sterflijk vleesch ontdaan,                          den is, dat zij, met een open oog voor de hooge beteeke-
                   Kleeft geen zwakheid mij meer aan.                             nis en den vroegen oorsprong van het genadeverbond,


                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                    67

                         Contribution                            concerning it. But I said no such thing. I must kindly
                                                                 ask Mr. P. first to read my answers before he hurries
   Mr. A. P. of G. R., Mich., writes us as follows:              to the typewriter to  criticise  and formulate new ques-
Editor of the Standard Bearer :                                  tions or the same questions in a different form. I think,
           Dear Sir:-                                            that I may expect this in all fairness. What I wrote
   Without comment on your introductory personal                 is this: *`The truth, that grace is never common, but
remarks to the answers to my questions, allow me, in             always particular, does not depend. upon elucidating
the light of your answers to ask the following:                  answers to questions we may raise, but upon the clear
   1. Since God sincerely means his demand of con- testimony of the Word of God from beginning to end.
                                                                 This must be accepted first. If then some matters are
version and faith for all men, can we then say as Art.
8 of III, IV has it: "That it will be acceptable to God not clear to us and raise questions in our mind, we may
that all who are called (all hearers) should comply              try to answer them. But whether we can or cannot
with the invitation?"          Is that God's ethical will of answer these questions of our own mind, the truth
rightousness and holiness? Is that not what we call              stands: grace is for God's people only."
"de wil des bevels"? Since Calvin himself recognizes                 Did I demand of anyone simply to accept that there
the apparent conflict for our minds (not for God of is no common grace, in this statement? I certainly
course) of this problem, should we be ashamed to                 did not. But I maintain, that the clear testimony of
recognize it? (See his commentary on Ez. 18 as also              the Word of God must be accepted, regardless of pos-
his                                                              sible questions we may raise. And this statement still
        Instz'tutes.)
   2. Since every human being owes to God thanks                  stands. Mr. P. does not ask me to show him from
for all that he is and has, must he thank God for the             Scripture that grace is always particular. He does not
fact that he is chosen to eternal perdition and that he argue from Scripture at all (for notice, that his ques-
receives the means to lead him thereto? Or may he                 tions are really arguments and objections). He raises
and must he consider all God's gifts as undeserved                questions about a clear doctrine of the Word of God,
favors which God in his grace and longsuffering still             and for him it evidently depends on elucidating an-
bestows on him regardless of all his sin and guilt?               swers to these questions, whether he shall accept the
   3. The ethical will of God's righteousness and the             testimony of the Word of God or not. To this attitude
will of His counsel are they not called by Calvin "ap-            I replied in my answer of Sept. 1. And I simply main-
                                                                  tained, that we must first accept the clear testimony of
parent contradictions?"            If God according to His
ethical will does                                                 the word of God and then see in how far we can an-
                         not will murder, but has in certain      swer possible questions.
cases decided that a murder should take place, does
not God will and not will such an act? Does not the                  With regard to the questions of Mr. P. let me re-
same hold concerning God's ethical will concerning the            mark first of all, that they are virtually the same as
complying with the gospel invitation? If God can will those answered in the number of Sept. 1. Yet, I shall
that which He wills not; concerning the gospel invita-            try to answer them also in the form. in which they ap-m
tion, simply because He has not decreed that all should pear above.
be saved, then how can he will that we do not kill                   1. With respect to the first question, I am afraid
(according to His ethical will) whereas He yet decided that it is based partly upon a misunderstanding of the
and willed that some should. If one is nonsense, isn't Canons III, IV:8, caused by the corrupt translation in
                                                                  English :
the other also?                                                                "that all who are called should comply with
        Note: I cannot agree with you in your fourth in-          the invitation." This is surely a corruption. Mr. P.
                                                                  may assure himself of the truth of this statement by
troductory remark that we must first believe that there
is no common grace and then ask questions concerning comparing with the Holland translation: "dat de ge-
                                                                  roepenen tot Hem komen."
it. That is to my mind the cart before the horse ;                                                 This is quite different
                                                                  from the English:
first elucidation, then conclusions as to what we con-                                   "should comply with the invita-
                                                                  tion." The gospel is no offer, and it is no invitation ;
sider to be the truth.                                            it is a calling of God, in which God demands repentance
        Thanking you in advance.                                  and faith. And Art. 8 simply states, that as many as
                             *  *  *  *  *                        are called by the gospel are unfeignedly called to re-
        Answer.                                                   pentance and faith, for this is acceptable with God.
        This contribution of Mr. P. is a reflection on my         He is displeased with impenitence and unbelief. Re-
answer given to similar questions as the above in the             pentance and faith are pleasing to  Him., And this
Standard Bearer of Sept. 1, p. 528. For the connection repentance and faith constitute the "coming of those
I refer the reader to that number.                                that are called." Let me add to this, that not the
        Before I answer the questions, let me reflect upon        English translation but the Holland is a  torrent
the footnote of Mr.  P.`s contribution. He interprets             rendering of the original Latin.
my statements as meaning, that we must first accept                   Now, what is there in all this that we must be
 that there is no common grace and then ask questions             ashamed to recognize? Or what is there in these


6s                                                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
.....             .~- _.-............- -   .__^.............-.-.^. ..-......................""-.-    ----.....---...... . . ...-.-........".~-.-.- ._............................................
statements of the Canons that we do not recognize?                                                   unchangeable will of righteousness and holiness; the
The last part of the first question by Mr. P. seems to                                               second is His sovereign prerogative and grace. What
proceed from the assumption, that we are ashamed to                                                   we do declare to be nonsense is that God is gracious
recognize this. I cannot even see the conflict of which in the preaching of the gospel to all, and that in grace
Mr. P. is speaking. That it should be acceptable to                                                  He offers salvation  to all, that He graciously invites all,
God's ethical will, that men should repent and believe,                                              and then refuses to give what He offers. For this is
is nothing mysterious. That He should be terrible dis-                                               the same as saying, that God wills and wills not in the
pleased when men do not repent and believe under the                                                 same sense, and this is impossible. This is the non-
preaching of the gospel, is also quite intelligible. That,                                           sense of the first point of 1924.
therefore, He should damn those, that are impenitent                                                          If the writer quotes Calvin, I wish he would men-
is no mystery. And that He should give grace to some,                                                tion book and page. I cannot accept general state-
and not to others, so that they actually may come to                                                 ments and believe that they are Calvin's. ,4nd there-
Him in repentance and faith, is not in conflict with this                                            fore,  1 cannot answer questions that contain such gen-
acceptable will of God at all. In other words, it is                                                 eral statements. But if Mr. P. wants to know what
God's acceptable will that men shall repent; but it is                                               Calvin said about these matters, he ought to read
not His will to bestow His grace upon all so that they                                               Calvin's Calvinism.
may repent, and that in order that God may also show                                                                                                                                                 II. H.
His righteous indignation upon all the workers  o,f
iniquity.
         2. Also the second question I virtually answered
in the number of Sept. 1. Mr. P. there asked the same
question. Only, it seems to me, that in the present,                                                        De Nederlandsche Geloofsbeli jdenis
form of the question he begins to answer against God.
He asks: "must he thank God for the fact that he is                                                                                            ARTIKEL  1 (Vervolg)
chosen to eternal perdition and that he receives the                                                          Verder noemt de Belijdenis de  ahacht  Gods. Door
means to lead him thereto?" This question is surely                                                  deze belijdenis wil de kerk des Heeren eigenlijk zeg-
not asked for the purpose of receiving elucidation, but                                              gen, dat er geen macht of kracht is, noch in mensch of
for the sake of contention.                                                                          dier, noch in engel  of duivel, buiten God. Zijns is alle
         Yet, even in this question Mr. P. errs gravely. He                                          macht in  hemel  en op aarde. Daarom ook zegt de
seems to proceed from the assumption that man is only                                                dichter  in Psalm 115 : "Onze  God is tech in den hemel  ;
obliged to praise and glorify God, when he may regard                                                Hij doet al wat Hem behaagt." Volgens de Gerefor-
himself as favored and the recipient of gifts of grace                                               meerde belijdenis dus mag men nooit het dualistisch
and longsuffering. If he read my answer in the num-                                                  denksysteem toegedaan zijn, dat in God niet alleen
ber of Sept. 1 he would not have come to this view. I                                                macht en kracht genoeg is om sterker en machtiger te
stated clearly, that man must praise and thank God,                                                  zijn dan de sterkte en macht van eenig schepsel. Dit
because He is. God and is worthy to be praised  azd                                                  zou  dus ongereformeerd zijn. Maar God is almachtig,
extolled ~TZ all His glorious l;+rtues.  And man is obliged                                          in den zin dat er geen macht is buiten Hem. De
to consider his whole existence and all he possesses as                                              mensch,  noch goddelooze,  noch  rechtvaardige, heeft
means, whereby he must serve and glorify God. This                                                   geen macht dan alleen in zooverre de Heere hem die
he does not do. On the contrary, if he receives no                                                   macht geeft en het elk oogenblik blijft geven. De
grace, he will employ all these means in the service of                                              duivel heeft zijn bestaan en zijn voortbestaan enkel
sin. And as he uses all these means in sin and cor-                                                  en alleen  aan God te  danken.                                                         Er is geen macht
ruption and enmity against God, the Lord uses all                                                    of kracht in de stad die de Heere niet geeft. En niet
these means to his eternal destruction. Thus the matter                                              alleen wat de macht van het redelijk schepsel betreft,
stands from an ethical point of view and before the                                                  maar ook de macht en kracht van het onredelijk
consciousness of the ungodly. And all this is entirely                                               schepsel is enkel en alleen van God de almachtige. De
according to the counsel of God. And considered from kracht des vuurs, die het kind Gods den marteldood
this viewpoint, my answer is, that the ungodly is also                                               doet sterven, is enkel van God. De stormwind, die
obliged to glorify God because He damns Him to perdi-                                                het corn van den  landman  ter aarde slaat, is niet een
tion. And this God will make him do, for all the                                                     kracht der natuur alleen, maar is de kracht van God
world must ultimately acknowledge God's righteous-                                                   alleen. "Want de Heere der heirscharen heeft het in
ness.                                                                                                Zijnen raad besloten, wie zal het dan breken? en Zijne
         3. As to question 3, it seems to me, that it rests                                          hand is uitgestrekt, wie zal ze dan keeren?" Jes. 14 :27.
upon the same mistaken notion of the gospel "invita- Zoo alleen kan en mag men verklaren de z.g.n. wonde-
tion" as the first question. We never asserted that it ren die ons vermeld zijn in de Heilige  Schrift.  God
is "nonsense" that God wills repentance and faith and heeft  alle   macht. Zoo is de beteekenis van Gods  al-
calls men unto it, while He does not bestow grace upon macht. Indien dit niet waar was, zou Sions kind niet
:tll  to  come  to repentance and faith. The first is His                                            moeten  sidderen en  vreeien, ziende op de groote en


70                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                 ~-.          .-- ..__.......  "..""--." -..-- .__^.....__....._--...  - -...- -.----.-- .                        ___-
              The Fulness of Time  '                                            for union with the Godhead, for truth and for right-
                                                                                eousness. Secondly, some account must be made of
      Most historians maintain that at His coming Christ traditions and recollections, however faint, coming
found the world in a state of preparedness. Attending                           down from the primal revelations to Adam and Noah.
to the various delineations on this state, one discovers But the third and most important source of the heathen
that what is meant is that in the years preceding the                           anticipation of truth is the all-ruling providence of
advent of Christ, the pagan world had been rendered God, who has never left Himself without a witness.
receptive to the truth through the previous develop- Particularly must we consider, with the ancient Greek
ment in the history of nations. So the church historian                         fathers, the influence of the divine Logos before his
Neander. Declaring that although Christianity can be incarnation, who was the tutor of mankind, the original
understood only as something which is above nature light of reason, shining in the darkness and lighting
and reason, something communicated to them from a every man, the sower scattering in the soil of heathen-
higher source, it yet stands in necessary connection dom the seeds of truth, beauty and virtue."                                    '
with the essence of these powers and with their source                                The historian Walker declares by implication that
of development,. he continues: "The connection of the world at the coming of Christ largely demanded,
which we now speak consists in this, that what has by was crying for, a religion that taught one righteous
their Creator been implanted in the essence of human                            God; possessed a definite revelation of the will of God,
nature and reason, what has its ground in their idea                            that is of the true God ; inculcated a world-denying
and destination, can attain to its full realization only virtue, based on moral actions agreeable to the will and
by means of that higher principle, as we see it actually                        characted of God ; held forth a future life with re-
realized in h3m who is its Source, and in whom is ex-                           wards and punishments; promised a real forgiveness
pressed  t.he original type and model, after which                               of sins ; possessed a redeemer-God into union with
humanity has to strive. And accordingly we see the whom  men could come by certain sacramental acts ; a
evidence of this connection, whenever we observe how                             religion finally that taught the brotherhood of all men.
human nature and reason do, by virtue of this, their These are the things that the pagan world was sup-
original capacity, actually strive, in their historical                          posed to be crying for. Hence, Christianity must pos-
development, toward this higher principle, which needs                           sess or take on all these traits if it was to conquer the
to be communicated to them in order to their own                                 Roman Empire or to become a world religion.
completion ; and how by the same capacity they are                                     The flower of this spiritual aptitude, of this re-
made receptive to this principle and conducted onward ceptivity, for the truth of God, for the Christ as set
till they yield to it, and become moulded by its in-                             forth in the gospel - an aptitude that had been in
fluence."                                                                        process of formation through the centuries  - con-
      The historian  Schaff  reasons in the same vein.                           stituted the sign, such is the prevalent view, that the
Though he sets out with defining heathenism as a                                 fulness   of time  had come, that God could therefore
religion in its wild growth on the soil of fallen human send forth his Son into the world  - the pagan world
nature, a darkening of the original consciousness of - ready to embrace Him and to take home to its heart
God, a deification of the rational and irrational crea-                          His gospel of peace.
ture, and a corresponding corruption of the moral                                      This, we said, is the prevalent view - a view to
sense, giving the sanction of religion to natural and                            the  defence  of which even the late Dr. Bavinck arose.
unnatural vices, he nevertheless maintains that "there                           Though admitting that Scripture's  appraisa1  of the
was a spiritual Israel scattered throughout the heathen character of heathendom is most severe he neverthe-
world, that never received the circumcision of the                               less goes on to say that "Juist de algemeene openba-
flesh, but the unseen circumcision of the heart by the ring die zij leer-t  stelt ons in staat en geeft ons recht,
hand of that Spirit which bloweth where it listeth, and om al de elementen van waarheid te erkennen, die ook
is not bound to any human laws and to ordinary                                   in de heidensche religies aanwezig zijn . . . . Immers
means."      The notable representatives of this group                           de godsdienststichters  waren  geen bedreigers en geen
were such personages as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle,                              werktuigen van Satan, maar  mannen die, religieus
Pimdar, Sophocles, Cicero, Virgil, Seneca, Plutarch.                             aangelegd, voor hun tijd en voor hun volk een roeping
They were personages whose beautiful and true sen-                               hadden te vervullen, en op het leven der volkeren dik-
tences may be called "the testimonies of a soul con-                             werf een gunstigen invloed hebben uitgeoefend. De
stitutionally Christian," of a nature predestined to verschillende godsdiensten, met hoeveel dwaling ook
Christianity.                                                                    vermengd,  .hebben  tot op zekere hoogte de religieuze
      According to the historian we now quote, the ele-                          behoeften bevredigd en  troost  in de smart van het
ments of truth, morality and piety scattered through- leven geschonken. Niet alleen kreten van  wanhoop,
out ancient, may be ascribed to three sources. "In the maar ook  tonen  van vertrouwen,. hoop, berusting,
first place man, even in his fallen state, retains some vrede, onderwerping, lijdzaamheid, enz., komen ons uit
traces of the divine image, a knowledge of God, how-                             de heidenwereld tegen. Al de elementen en vormen
ever weak, a moral sense or conscience, and a longing die essentieel zijn aan de religie, Godsbegrip, schuldbe-


                                                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                  II
_--^ -...........-._  - _.. ".- .^................  -_,...... ..-...  "-        --~-                           __^__ _I__.-.-  ..___  __II ._._ _I -.-.--........--  .-
wustzijn, behoefte  aan verlossing, offerande,  priester-                                          The spiritual-moral condition of pagan humanity
schap, tempel, cultus,  gebed, enz., komen verbasterd,                                          Scripture describes as darkness, ignorance, foolish-
maar komen tech ook in de heidensche godsdiensten ness, sin and unrighteousness. "This I say," wrote
voor.  Zelfs ontbreekt het  bier en daar niet  aan  be-                                         the apostle to the Ephesians, "and testify in the Lord,
wuste voorzeggingen en treff ende verwachtingen van that ye henceforth walk not. as other gentiles walk, in
een betere en zuivere religie. Daarom staat het Chris- the vanity of their mind, having the understanding
tendom niet uitsluitend antithetisch tegen het  heiden-                                         darkened, being alienated from the life of God through
dom over; het is er ook de vervulling van . . .  Wat                                           the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness
ginds gezocht wordt, is hier te vinden. Het Christen-                                           of their heart : who being past feeling have given them-
dom is de verklaring van het Ethnicisme, Christus is                                           selves over into lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness
de beloofde aan Israel en de wensch  aller heidenen . . ."                                     with greediness."
       The above-cited selections, though they set  fort.h  a                                      How anyone with these scriptures before him will
view that must be set aside as false, are interspersed maintain that at the time of Christ there was concealed
with statements that, when taken by themselves, arc in the pagan world a spiritual Israel loving the appear-
true. True it is that man, even in his fallen state                                            ance of the truth in Christ, is indeed a puzzle.
retains some traces of the divine image, a knowledge                                               The view of Schaif  seems to be, not that the heathen
of God, and a moral sense of conscience; that the                                               by nnturr!  moved in their religion and ethics toward
divine Logos before His incarnation was, the tutor of the redemption that was to appear in Christ, but that
mankind, the original light of reason shining in the                                           hidden in the gentile world was to be found a regen-
darkness. But the view that the truth He had sown                                              erated nucleus, a spiritual Israel, prepared to respond
had taken root in the soil of heathendom (such is the to the gospel message by the knowledge of God man
implication) ; that humanity, by virtue of their original                                      in his fallen state retained, and by the influences of the
capacity, implanted by the Creator in the essence of                                           divine Logos before His incarnation. However, as was
human nature and reason, strove from the beginning said, the plain declaration of Scripture is that the
toward the higher principle (the life of regeneration}                                         heathen, though they knew God, did not glorify Him
and that by this capacity was made receptive to this                                           as God; but, becoming vain in their imagination,
principle ; that, at the coming of the Christ, heathen-                                        changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an
dom, the humanity outside of Israel, was longing for image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and
union with the Godhead of Scripture, for truth and                                             four-footed beasts, and creeping things.
righteousness; that this humanity in its `cuhure  and                                              Morally, too, the heathen had sunken deep. Such
religion was moving through the centuries, toward elements of truth, and morality as they possessed, did
God, toward Christ so that when He came they were at                                           not grow on the soil of their nature; for that nature
hand to throw themselves in His arms and be saved -- even at the time of the appearance of Christ, instead
this view is contradicted by Scripture.                                                        of being changed, was as corrupt as ever. Paul's pic-
       The light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness ture of heathen morality is frightful enough. Having
comprehended it not. The apostle was describing the                                            changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped
heathen world of his day when he wrote: "For the                                               and served the creature more than the Creator, who is
wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all un- blessed forever, God gave them up unto vile affections.
godliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the                                              The result was that their women changed the natural
truth in unrighteousness ; because that which may be use that which is against nature. And the men, leav-
known of God is manifest in them  ; for God hath ing the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust
shewed  it unto them . . . . Because that when they                                            one toward another ; men with men working that which
knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were                                           is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recom-
thankful; but became vain in their imaginations and                                             pense of their error vrhich  was meet. They were given
their foolish heart was darkened. The heathen gods                                              over to a reprobate mind, to do things which were
are all vanity ; their works are nothing; their molten not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness,
images are wind and confusion. Isa.  4129. They fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness ;
shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed,                                            full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whis-
that trust in graven images, that say to the molten                                             perers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud,
images, Thou art my God, Isa. 42  :17. The gods of boasters, inventers of evil things, disobedient to
the heathen are devils, Deut. 32:17. The things the                                             parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers,
gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to without natural affection, . . . . Rom. 1:2&K
God, I Cor. 1020.                                                                                  Fact is,     that with the exception of the
        If the pagan gods are devils, it follows that the                                       remnant hidden in Israel, and of the scattered few
pagan religion is the antithesis of the religion of                                             outside this commonwealth who had come into the
Christ. The two therefore can coincide at no point.                                             possession of the law and the prophets, the civilized
It cannot be true-therefore that the Christian religion world of that day both religiously and morally, had
took on the traits of the religion of pagan humanity.                                           sunken as low as could be. The humanity in whom


92                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                   .----.-   .--___-.                      -     -                  ~ . - - - . . . -
this civilization had taken on flesh and blood was               crave for water that but feeds the flame of carnal lusts.
therefore in a state of dissolution and tottering on its                 As to the gods with which the natural man desires
foundations, as. a result of the curse of the Almighty           to be united, they are merely the mental chrystaliza-
operative in it. But this is a matter to which we                tions, the projections of what his flesh craves.
attend in a following essay.                                             It is plain, that the expression, Fulness of time,
      Humanity, in short, had not been moving in its             shall have to be dissociated from the above view of the
morality and natural religion in a direction toward              state of affairs in the heathen world, and be linked up
but in a direction away from truth and thus from Cod             with the truth.
and from the Christ who was to come. Sin, instead of                                                             G. M. 0.
being checked, had attained to the zenith of its develop-
ment. So, of course, the Almighty had willed it for
reason to be laid bare in the sequence.
      Those who maintain the contrary have been led                                            Contribution
astray by the outward show of righteousness and by
the apparent nobility of the strivings and aspirations                           Dear Editor:
of such personages as Socrates and Plutarch. It is the
seemingly good fruits that appeared.on  a tree that was                  I have read with much interest your editorial of
wholly bad, that prompted the late Dr. Bavinck to                     September 15th and I certainly agree with you that
assert : "De heidenwereld is in haar oorsprong,  karak-               without regeneration there is no brotherhood of man
ter en bestemming een groot probleem."                                yet I cannot help but disagree with your assertion that
                                               Fact is, how-
ever, that there is no problem here  at all if Scripture              there is a surplus even of money. Perhaps there is a
be taken at its word that as the tree, so the fruit.                  surplus of some things. Personally, I would prefer to
Bavinck admits this. We quote: "Op  zichzelve  is de                  speak of underconsumption but that there is a surplus
oplossing, welke de Schrift er van geeft, niet alleen                 of money I strongly deny.
niet ongerijmd, maar zij beveelt zich zelf door haar                     Allow me to state a few facts which can easily be
eenvoud en hare natuurlijkheid  aan."                                 verified: In 1920 the Federal Reserve Banks had in
      Bavinck continues :                                             circulation  $3,293,523,000.00  and on July 30, 1930,
                             "Tech heeft de philosofie,  zoo-
we1 die van de historie aIs van de godsdiensten, zich                 they had in circulation  $1,320,265,152.00.  No over-
met deze oplossing niet tevreden gesteld en eene andere               production there !
beschouwing voorgedragen, welke Iijnrecht tegen die                      The  scarpiy  of a metal determines its preciousness,
der Schrift overstaat."                                               So, too, with money. Banks do not go broke because
                              The view of Scripture is that
the tree of heathen culture and civilization is bad and               of an oversupply of money but the very opposite is
                                                                      true. Senator Vanderberg's recent agitation that the
throughout the entire process of its growth, remained
bad and continued to bear fruit in agreement with its                 existing rediscount privileges  shouId  be broadened  to
                                                                      include rediscount for real estate mortgages should
essential nature. The tree grew; sin developed.                       further prove that there is an undersupply of money.
      The dogmatician we now quote as well as the ex- And even President Hoover now speaks of liberaliza-
ponents of common grace in general first accept this tion of the rules to permit reserve banks to handle a
simple solution of Scripture and thereupon turn about wider variety of securities.
face and pitch themselves headlong against it. This
they do in their theory of common grace. As a result                     Deflation of the circulating medium accompanies
                                                                      depression. Inflation of the circulating medium accom-
of a general operation of this grace, they say, the tree panies prosperity. In other words, decreasing the
that as to its essential nature is wholly bad, bears                  number of dollars is a factor in. depression and in-
fruit that is good. Rightly considered, the theory of                 creasing the number of dollars is a factor in pros-
common grace is a compromise between the findings
of worldly philosophy and the  pIain declarations of                  perity.
                                                                         This increasing of the value of money was pre-
Scripture respecting the character of the flower of valent even in the days of Amos the prophet who
heathendom.                                                           speaks to those who make the shekel great, Amos 8 :5,
      True it is, that the natural man has his yearnings. which undoubtedly was done by making these shekels
He longs to be united  wi%h god. He craves salvation. few in number.
However it is a salvation and a god of his own cor-                      According to the American Monetary Reform
rupt imaginations that he craves and desires to be                    Association, during the last ten years, more property
united with.                                                          has been lost in the United States by this process than
      The carnal man thirsts. This carnal thirst - is                 the Soviets took from the old order in Russia. Per-
it not the fever of spiritual death, the wages of sin,                haps another fruit of common grace?
the operation of the curse of the Almighty? The f?re                     But again, the amount of circulating medium is
of heil, that burns. forever- what it is but a thirst for about to be increased. That must be brotherly love.
which there is no relief, a pain that will never be eased.
Blessed the man, delivered from this thirst, death's                                                      A. H. De Borst.


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                                                                               only to discover upon more careful and candid self-
                                                                               examination that my satisfaction of soul is a mere
                                                                               carnal rejoicing in an abundance of earthly things ! . . .
                                                                                    We may be satisfied, without being content!
                                                                                    The former may be  mereIy  carnal; the latter is
              Christian Contentment                                            truly spiritual. The former may be dependent upon
                                                                               things, circumstances, conditions, upon the very state
                         For I have learned, in whatsoever state               wherein we are:  the latter is independent of all ex-
                      I am, therewith to be content.Phil. 4:llb.               ternal things, for it is from within the heart itself;
                                                                              the former changes into dissatisfaction and grumbling
    I have learned to be content !                                            as soon as external circumstances become less favor-
    Shall we, repeat it after the apostle?                                    able, the latter is constant and enables us to shout
    Are we able to make this confession, this expression triumphantly: I am content with whatever state may
of contentment with whatsoever our lot may be, with be mine!
our state and position in this present world, our                                   Contentment is a state of the heart ; it is one of the
own? . . . .                                                                   most beautiful Christian graces !
    Be not too hasty !                                                              Let a man possess more than heart could wish ; let
    Perhaps it were better to change the positive state- him live in luxury and abundance; Iet his house be
ment of the servant of the Lord into a humble prayer: equal in splendour and beauty to the most elaborate
Lord, teach Thou me, that truly, without secret mur- palace of royalty; let joy and prosperity be his lot and
murings of the flesh, without protestations of my lech- let the shouts of merry symposiasts resound through
erous heart, I may rejoice in that still delight of a spirit his banquet-hall day by day, - yet you would r&t say,
that is content with whatsoever may be Thy dispensa- that such a dives is content. Things do not cause con-
tions !                                                                        tentment even though they satisfy to the point of satia-
    For the heart is deceitful, more than anything!                            tion. On the other hand, let it be said of another, that
    And not an easy lesson it is to learn to be content his punishment is awaiting him every morning, that
with whatsoever state may be ours !                                            his dwellingplace is a lowly hut, that he desires to eat
   Perhaps, we are inclined erroneously to consider as of the crumbs that are wasted on Dives' table. and to
contentment of spirit what is mere satisfaction of our have the dogs lick his sores, that he spends his days in
carnal desires. When I rejoice in an abundance of misery and anguish, - yet the conclusion would not be
things, when prosperity is my constant companion on warranted that this poor Lazarus is  filled with discon-
life's path, when the way seems smooth, and the sun of tentment. Even as things do not cause contentment, so
my life rises every morning `with brighter joy; when the latter cannot be destroyed by lack of external
there is plenteof  labor for my hands ; when there is means to satisfy the carnal desires.
no want of bread ; when no sickness attacks my frame ;                              Contentment is the grace of perfect submission.
when the Grim Reaper always passes by what is dear                                  It is the spiritual power constantly to adjust the
to me ; when sorrow and grief seem to flee away ; in a thoughts of our. mind, the desires of our heart, all our
word, when the dispensations of the Most High over longings and aspirations to the will of God.
me aIways appear to be in agreement with my own will                                It reveals itself in a tranquil joy. It is rest, peace,
and desires, - then it may seem as if I might confess perfect quietness of spirit. It does not grumble *and
with the apostle, that I have learned to be content, complain. Neither is it given to loud acclamations of


74                                                                T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
,I" .._.... - ..-....... ....--" .-.__" ..." __-.......  -.._^-___-^-  _-___.... -_                    "...".."... .._.    _--- ..---- .." . . ""~" ..-.-.-. - . ..-.-
exuberant joy. Rather is it the spiritual state of quiet,                                 Shall we not rather bow our heads with the humble
restful joy with respect to all God's dispensations over prayer in our hearts:
us, with respect to the way we must travel, with regard                                   Lord, teach Thou me t.o be content?
to position and name, home and possessions, food and
drink, with respect to all the various vicissitudes and
experiences of life . . . .
       Instead of allowing the lust of the flesh to dominate                              Contentment in every state !
and the carnal desires to reach out for more posses-                                      How is it possible? Where is the secret of this
sions, higher glories, better states, contentment always spiritual tranquility of mind and heart, that always
rejoices because it is the grace whereby the inner self finds peace and rest, that always knows how to be
with all its desires and aspirations is brought into triumphant in all circumstances of life?
harmony with the outer state.                                                             Surely, true contentment is not of the natural heart.
       Hence, the apostle may write: 1 have learned, in                                   In the world you look for the manifestation of this
whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.                                        spiritual power in vain.
      . Many and various are the states of our life and                                   Just walk the crowded streets of our cities and
existence in the world. Ours may be the state of the carefully watch the faces of your fellow-men that pass
master, clothed with power and authority to rule over you as each hurries to his proper destination. Or sit
others, or that of the servant, called to obey and be in in a crowded train and compare the different states of
submission. We may be in a state of honor or in a mind as they are reflected in the facial expressions
lowly state in which our lives are almost spent in of your fellow-passengers. You meet with some, whose
oblivion. One's state may be that of the rich of this entire outward appearance is a testimony of the fact,
world or of the poor and despised. Or again, we may that they are full of the world's goods, that they have
be in a state of freedom or imprisonment, in sickness never known the-struggle for bare existence, that they
or in health, in joy or in sorrow, in prosperity or have more than heart could wish, and that even the
adversity,  - in many digerent  states and conditions present economical "depression" does not seriously  o
and circumstances. And these states are either favor- af?ect  their state and mode of living. You see others,
able or unfavorable, pleasant or unpleasant to the flesh. whose apparel and mien bespeak a state of poverty and
And the apostle makes no distinction. There is no con- distress. While between these two  elrtremes  men of
ceivable state that would alter his spirit of content- various stations in life cross your path.
ment into one of discontent. For he has learned to be                                     You are in quest of an expression of contentment.
content, no matter what may be the state and condi- And nothing should be easier to find for the tranquil
tion of his existence.                                                                 joy and peace of a contented soul readily reflects itself
       Nor is this assertion the vain boast of one that was in every part of that soul's mirror, man's face.
but very superficially acquainted with the darker side                                    And what do you  find? . . . .
oE life, with the more distressing modes of existence,                                    Here you find, written all over his face, the expres-
that knew of no trouble and was a stranger to suffer- sion of the self-satisfied rich fool, who daily addresses
ing.                                                                                   his own soul thus: "Soul, thou hast much goods laid .
       0~ the contrary, the apostle could draw up a long ul~ for many years ; take thine ease, eat, drink and be
list of sufferings and  aflictions,  of persecutions and merry." On the face-of another you find the traces
tribulations, of imprisonment and  scourgings, of of long practiced gluttony and self-indulgence, the
dangers and deprivations. And even at the very gratification of appetites that grew more ravenous
moment when he wrote down this confident expression with the constant attempt to satisfy them. The features
of constant peace and tranquil joy in whatsoever state of another `witness of a greed that knows no bounds
he might be, he was deprived of his liberty and a pris- and that can never be satisfied ; while still another
oner in Rome for Christ's sake . . . .                                                 shows the drooping lines of unmistakeable weariness
        He knew how to abound and how to be abased, how and depression of spirit. All this and more, even to
to go hungry and how to have abundance.                                                fear and worry, you may find expressed in the features
        Yet, whatever his state might be, always he could of them, whose eyes stand out with fatness. and who
be content and triumph over all external things.                                       may wallow in luxury and abundance. On the other
        Is it possible fur you and for me to apply this to hand, the faces of those that are  deprixed  of the goods
ourselves ?                                                                            of this world witness of worry and anxiety, bitterness
        Can we take the apostle's confession on our lips? of spirit, dissatisfaction with conditions, rebellion or
        Shall we not rather humbly confess, that we have also of stoical indifference or submission to the in-
only begun to learn this lesson?                                                       evitable.
       Are we not frequently like willful children, stub-                                 But in vain you search in the world for that cheer-
bornly insisting on the realization of our desires, ful expression of tranquil peace, that is, independent of
grumbling and dissatisfied when God's way is not our external circumstances, that may and does triumph
way?                                                                                   over them all and bears the testimony of the apostle's


                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   " B E A R E R                                                                   ..1.75
-114.- -  ._.....--~._.".~   ".."-" I-        _.___... - ...--_ - __-._-....                  --......._---.  I____  ._.._-.._-111..........  - ..-- II__ __-......-
confession: I have learned, in whatsoever state I am,                           In the world you may meet with the attempt to
therewith to be content!                                                imitate this practice of contentment.                           The Epicurean
     Nor need you look about yourself in order to dis- strives to maintain a proper balance between his de-
cover that the flesh, that natural man does not possess sires and their gratification by moderate self-indul-
this power of contentment in all conditions of life.                    gence. The Stoic makes a desperate attempt to harden
       It requires but a  littIe introspection, a little careful himself against all suffering and to meet all the evil
self-scrutiny to reach the same conclusion.                             of his life with profound contempt. But they must
       For our natural heart is enmity against God and, needs fail, for the wicked have no peace, saith my
therefore. foolish, deceived, serving divers lusts and God! . . . .
lyleasures. it  departed and always departs from the                            And the Christian? . . . .
Fountain, the overflowing Fountain of all good, it                              Oh, the apostle does not merely say, that he is con-
Whom alone our deepest soul can be satisfied. And tent with all things, that he always was content in
having separated itself from the Highest Good,  apart                   whatsoever state he might be, but that he has learned
from Whom there is neither life nor bliss, it strives it! He was content through the grace of Christ, in-
vainly after a satisfaction of the flesh through the deed, that strengthened him, so that he was able to do
treasures and pleasures of this present world. It all things, so that he knew how to abound and how to
rejects the eternal and seeks the temporal; it refuses be abased; yet; also for him life- had been a school
the heavenly and seeks the earthly : it despises the and he had learned. He had also known the time,
things that are above and strives after the things that that he had not been content with the angel of Satan
are below . . . .                                                       that buffeted him, and that in the way of repeated
     How can the heart of man have peace, as long as it prayer and bitter experience he had learned to know
has no peace with the living God?                                       that God's grace was sufficient to him . . . .
    How can it find joy in separation from the Fountain                         Shall it be different with us?
of eternal life?                                                                He was delivered, indeed, in principle. He is, to be
    How can there be contentment, as long as the heart sure, partaker of the grace of Christ. And through
of man deceives him into the vain pursuit of a futn that grace he may fix his eye of faith and hope on the
`+%organct,  that Ieaves him stand in despair on the hot things eternal,. on the inheritance incorruptible and
desert-sand of a world that is cursed because of sin? undefiled and that fadeth not away. Risen with Christ,
    No, but contentment is a spiritual power that is the he seeks the things that are above and not the things
fruit of peace with God in our Lord Jesus Christ. I that are on the earth. And being justified by faith
can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth and having peace with God, he is assured that God is
me!                                                                     for him, and He will surely give him all things with
    There is the secret of this wonderful power!                        Christ. And in that blessed confidence he knows that
     For in Christ I have peace with God. And having all things must be subservient to his salvation ; that
peace with Him, I know that He is for me! And if he may be content with all things and every state of
lie is for me, who or what can be against me?  A'11 his earthly life and existence . . . .
things must work together for good to them that love                            But the flesh is weak!
God, and well may I be content with all things, in                              And the child of God is not perfectly delivered from
whatsoever state I am !                                                 the body of this death and from the power of the flesh.
     Through Christ I am delivered from the foolishness                         Hence, he must learn, always learn. Learn in
of seeking the things below and loving the world. And watching and prayer, that he may not fall into tempta-
all the states of my present existence are merely means tions, learn frequently with bitter experiences and
to prepare me and lead me onward to the state of final tears of sorrow. Till he shall have reached the end of
glory !                                                                 the way.
     The knowledge of His love in Christ Jesus is suffi-                        Then contentment shall be perfected in eternal sat-
cient to create within our hearts the peaceful joy of isfaction !
spiritual content.                                                              With the beauty of the Lord !
     Contentment with all things!                                                                                                                  H. H.

                                                                                      .-,.
                                                                                  EEN KRACHT 
    I have Iearned!                                                                                      GODS TOT ZALIGHEID
    In whatsoever state  1 am, therewith to be content !                        De tweede druk van dit boekje is klaar en gereed
  Even though contentment is a spiritual power voor uitgave.
and habit, a gift of God's unspeakably rich and                                 Mogen we de broeders, die hiervoor inteekenden,
abundant grace in Christ Jesus, yet its actual experi- vriendelijk verzoeken nu hun geld OP te  zenden aan
ence and practical application in life is a lesson, that Fr  ,&ins,  2145  Lake Drive, S. E., Grand Rapids, Mich.
must be learned.                                                                                                                    De Commissie


76,                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                                     .~ ._"..I__-  __..___  ^ .._^." _-..-        --. ---..^. -
_.                                       -...._ ____^^.----.            principles, that it is developing in a wrong direction ;
IFIE  -                                                 -            - that, therefore, we may not rest satisfied with the
                                                                        present condition and status of what is called Chris-
I---- tian education, but must put forth all our efforts to
                 -._-. - ..^... ---._                        ""-.       approximate the ideal of true Christian instruction.
        The Christian School Mowment                                    If this is possible by a method of reforming the pres-
                                                                        ent system, I would deem this the more desirable way ;
                          Why a Failure?                                if this proves to be impossible, the obligation is upon
                                                                        us to begin an independent movement on fundamentally
       A few introductory remarks, before I expostulate sound principles.
with you and myself on the superscribed subject, may
not be superfluous.
       First of all, l& me emphasize that the remarks I
am about to make in these articles are rooted in and                        Recently my attention was attracted by a rather
proceed from a deeply seated conviction that we must, &ring caption of an article in the  Grand Rapids
indeed, have true Christian instruction, higher and Press  : "KUIPER POINTS TO NEW PERIL ; Says
lower, for our covenant-children. This conviction on Christian Schools Are Facing Moral and Financial
my part was no secret as long as I was tolerated in' Chrisis."
the Christian Reformed Churches; it has not changed                         Naturally, the headline aroused my curiosity.
 in the least, now I have been expelled from the fellow- What  ,YLCW  peril could threaten our Christian Schools
ship of those churches. Although, therefore, it will be now ? The article contained a partial report of an
already evident from the superscription above this address delivered by Mr. R. B. Kuiper, president of
article, and will become clearer still from the article Calvin College, before a  .meeting  of the Michigan
 itself, that I am not at all satisfied with the present Christian Teacher's Institute, held in Grand Rapids.
 condition of the Christian School and am deeply con- According to the report the speaker stated that the
 cerned about the future when I consider the basic moral peril threatening the Christian School consisted
 principles that control the Christian School movement in the fact, that our people are losing conviction that
 and the direction in which it is  raZjidly developing; the Christian School is necessary for Christian educa-
 yet it is not my purpose to destroy but to build up.                   tion. Among the causes of this decline in the interest
       Secondly, my remarks are not made for the com- our people evince in the cause of Christian instruction
 fort and consolation of those, that loudly bewail the the speaker enumerated the following.
 present status of our Christian Schools, elaborate upon                    1. The attempt to introduce religious education
 their faults and shortcomings and really secretly re- in the public schools, which would seem to make the
 joice in the fact, that they may so lament and criticize, separate Christian School superfluous and only cause
 because they find in it a convenient excuse to save a unnecessary expense.
 few pennies and send their children to the public                          2. A tendency in the churches to place all em-
 school. Such an attitude cannot be assumed by those phasis on missions at the expense of Christian educa-
 that  are really convinced of the necessity of Christian tion at home.
 Instruction.         If these people were convinced of the                 3. An inferiority complex in the hearts and minds
 principle of Christian education, they would not follow of many of our people caused by the superiority in
 the way of least resistance, but the dangers that equipment and buildings of the public schools.
 threaten the Christian School as it now exists, its                        4. A failure to realize the greatness of the
 weaknesses and faults, would only be an incentive to threatening danger of modernism.
 greater effort and urge upon them the question: what                       5. A growing desire to conform to the world in
 can we do to save our Christian School and to put it the realm of education.
 on a firm and proper basis? Fear of encouraging such                        The speaker also offered some suggestions as to
 people in their attitude and of probably increasing what ought to be done to face and counteract this new
 their number has Iong restrained me from expressing peril. He emphasized that there is need of some
 my opinion with respect to the present condition of straight thinking, especially in order that our people
 our schools. However, I will no longer keep silent. might see the patent distinction between religious and
 Only, let me emphasize that it is my conviction, that as                Christian education.        Ali religious education, the
 long as we have nothing more ideal than the Chris- speaker meant to emphasize, is not Christian instruc-
 tian School as it actually exists today, it is certainly tion; it may as well be modernistic. In the second
 the place, where all our children ought to be in- place, the speaker asserted, that there must be a new
 structed.                                                               emphasis on the necessity of distinctiveness.       Our
       Finally, it is my conviction that there is something Christian Schools must become more distinctive, for
 fundamentally wrong with our present Christian School in their distinctive character they have their only
 system, and movement, that it is based upon wrong reason fro?: existence. And so he finally suggested that


                                        tPl-m  STANDARD   BEARER.
 - ~ -....._ --.-..^  .._. --_ ."---                                                                                               77
                                            ---._- -..................--... ---..-"                                             -..- .._
in our Christian Schools 211 instruction ought to be                                        Aanbod en Punt I
given from the viewpoint of its relation to God  ; every
subject that is taught must be viewed in that                                    Onlangs lazen we in een behandeling van de  Zon-
relation.                                                                dagschoolles in  De Wachter,  officieel kerkblad der
    No doubt, the speaker said, many things that are                     Christelijke Gereformeerde kerken, het volgende : "We
true, in fact, that are so true that they lie on the very                hebben dan ook in de prediking niet een aanbod van
surface of the situation.                                                genade.       We mogen een aanbod afslaan. Maar een
                                                                         eisch tot geloof en bekeering van Godswege.
    But, in the first place, it `may be remarked, that his                                                                   En wie
                                                                         dien eisch, dat gebod veracht, is ongehoorzaam. Maar
remarks pointed to no new peril whatsoever.                      The zoo dood zijn wij in de zonde, dat we allen ongehoor-
peril is very old. I know not, whether the speaker pre- zaam blijven, totdat God ons hart opent."
sented his remarks as indicating a recently arising
danger, or whether the caption must be laid at the                               We wreven ons eerst eens de oogen uit, knepen  ons-
door of the                                                              zelven eens in de  wangen  om ons te vergewissen, dat
                 Press'  responsibility. Neither does this
make any difference. The fact is, that the danger is a we niet droomden, ,en lazen nog eens. Doch zoo stond
very old one. I do not exaggerate the matter if I state het er nu eenmaal. Ds. K. Bergsma  had het zoo ge-
that the rather general interest of our people in the schreven. En bet publicatie-bestuur van De VVnchte~
cause of Christian education, that is already on the                    had het zoo laten doorgaan naar den drukker.
decline, according to the speaker, is itself of a rather                         Toen ik eens nadacht over dit schrijven in verband
recent date.      When I became minister. in Holland, met den schrijver, verwonderde het mij  tech niet  zoo-
Mich., sixteen years ago, to mention the cause of zeer dit van zijne hand te lezen.
Christian instruction from the pulpit was considered                         In de eerste plaats  meen  ik mij te herinneren, dat
similar to lighting a match in a powder magazine. And Ds. K. Bergsma  altijd de beschouwing,  die hij in boven-
well I remember how it was considered an act of special staande aanhaling uitdrukt, is toegedaan geweest, reeds
courage, when I devoted  sn entire sermon to the sub- van zijn studentenjaren af aan. Ds. B. en  onderge-
ject. But the cause of Christian education became teekende hebben samen  op de schoolbanken gezeten in
more popular. The trouble is that the increasing in- het gebouw, dat thans in gebruik genomen is door de
terest in the cause of Christian instruction on the part Christian High School te Grand Rapids. Als mijn ge-
of many people was no indication of a spreading con- heugen mij niet misleidt, had hij het in de Dogmatiek-
viction of the necessity and understanding of the prin- klas destijds reeds te kwaad met den professor, als het
ciple of the Christian Schools ; but must largely be ging over het algemeen en welmeenend aanbod van ge-
attributed to the fact, that the Christian School itself nade. En ik  meen,  dat hij er  toen  reeds nadruk op
assumed a more popular aspect. While at first these legde, dat de prediking  we1 een eisch tot geloof en  be-
schools had a very poor equipment and not infrequently keering is, maar dat men niet kon spreken van een
were conducted in basements of churches, the school aanbod van  genade. Als ik thans over die dingen na-
apparatus was gradually perfected and buildings arose denk, verwondert het mij, dat men hem ooit door school
that need not necessarily discourage .people with an heeft gelaten en toegelaten tot de bediening des Woords
inferiority complex, or, stating it more correctly, one en der Heilige Sacramenten in de Christelijke Gere-
does not have to bear the reproach of Christ any more formeerde kerken. Maar zoo staat het.
to send his children to a Christian school. It needs                             En in de tweede plaats  meen ik ook Ds. B. te  ken-
cause no surprise that this wave of superficial interest nen, als iemand, die zijn overtuiging niet onder stoelen
is of brief duration. However, there always were and of banken  steekt. Daartoe is hij te veel Fries&.  Zoo-
there still are a number of people, that stand for Chris- dat het mij  tech ten slotte niet zoozeer verwonderde,
tian instruction from principle and deeply rooted con- dat deze uitdrukking van hem voorkwam in De Wach-
viction. This nucleus must wake up. The rest may be                      ter.
converted to the principle and unite with them; or they                          Maar dit is ten slotte ook een kwestie van minder
may not be converted and refuse to co-operate, whether belang. De zaak, waar het maar op aankomt, is, dat
they be among the common people or among the                             dit zoo niet kan blijven. Wie A zegt, moet ook B  zeg-
leaders. But the men that understand the principles gen en moet bereid zijn om het alphabet op te zeggen
of Christian instruction and are convinced of its necea-                tot aan Z toe. Hier moet meer gebeuren. En dat we1
sity must gain control of the movement and insist upon beide, van de zijde der kerken, die door Ds. B. tot  op
instruction that is really Christian. And let all that zekere hoogte officieel worden  vertegenwoordigd in het
are fearful and trembling return from mount Gilead schrijven van de Zondagschoolles; en ook van de zijde
even though they be two-thirds of our small army. It van Ds. B. zelf. De kerken hebben Ds. B. aangesteld,
shall not worry us. The cause of God's covenant is om de Zondagschoolles te schrijven in  De  Wadder;
one of principle, not of pounds or numbers.                             er staat op die les dus een zeker kerkelijk stempel;
                                                                        wat er in voorkomt wordt  aan bet lezend publiek aan-
                       (To be continued)                                geboden als kerkelijk goedgekeurd en aanbevolen.  Zij
                                                        H. H.           zullen  het zoo niet kunnen laten gaan. En Ds. Bergsma


.-r
          ,.  "                                     THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                 79 :
       _"_.-" .___,... "".."" ..-.. "-__.. -_ ___._I ____._^__...____...__..... l__l-___"  -... -11___- .."I_-  .".- .-~.- _ --_- ..." ----^ ^ -.    ..".-
       kelijke discipline tot den bloede toe (ik bedoel dit in the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not
       figuurlijken  zin) op hem toepasse, opdat ook deze forth good fruit is hewn down, and  c,ast  into the fire."
       ergernis uit den  kring  der kerken moge  worden   ge-                     The truth circulating through these sayings is the
       barmen.                                        ".  _                       heart of the discourses of a11 the prophets that had
           Zoo kan het niet blijven.                                             spoken in the name of the Lord. But this truth
                                                                   II. II.        carnal Israel would have nothing of for the reason
                                                                                 that its implications are that God has mercy on whom
                                                                                  He will have mercy and that the evidence that mercy
                                                                                  has been shown is a life consecrated unto  a. God Who
                           Joseph in the Pit                                     demands truth in the inward parts.
                                                                                      As to Jacob's sons, this time they remained away
           Our  previouc: article was taken up with the ill-will longer then they were wont, so it seems. And Jacob's
       the ten sons of Jacob bore Joseph - an ill-will first soul filled with anxious care as with increasing atten-
       aroused by Joseph's bringing unto his father their evil tion he contemplated the possible reasons for their
       report and subsequently so vivified by his dreams and prolonged absence. Had they met with some disaster?
       by the spectacle of his pperson as adorned by the coat Possibly the thought took hold of him that the natives
       that they - these brothers - set themselves to make. of Shechem, vexed by some new  offence  had con-
       away with him at the first opportunity. This oppor- solidated and in a body meted out punishment of some
       tunity soon presented itself.                                             kind. The more he thought of this, the greater his
           Jacob's sons had gone to feed the flock at Shechem, anxiety became, until finally his sole engagement may
       a place where not so very long ago they had inaugur- have become scanning the horizon for a glimpse of the
       ated a wholesale slaughter that the natives, it is cer- returning flock. Day after day went by and still his
       tain, had not forgotten.            In leading their flocks to sons failed to make their appearance. Jacob may at
       Shechem, these brethren, therefore, show considerable first have promptly dismissed the thought that -Joseph
       courage. They must have been put at ease by the could be sent forth to ascertain the state of affairs of
       evidence that in their behalf the terror of God was the children in those remote pastures. The possibility
       upon the cities round about them ; that the God of their that harm might befall him on the way was, he knew,
       father stood between them and the inhabitants of the far from remote. And Joseph was his darling- son.
       land so that the latter could do them no hurt. But in- Yet he would fain know what was keeping his sons.
       stead of considering that, whereas the Lord was with The aged Jacob was, in all  likehhood,  in a straight
       them, they of all men should take care to show them- betwixt two. Now that he was being tortured by the
       selves up as lovers of truth and justice,, and right thought that these sons might have been overtaken by
       living, and thus as lovers of a righteous God, they disaster, he yearns for them as never before. Yet how
       seemed to take the protection the Lord afforded them he dreads to expose the child of his old age to the
       as a license for sin, and the Lord Himself as their dangers of a journey to Shechem! But the burden of
       stronghold to which they could repair when, as the care was daily. taking on new weight and perhaps
       result of their  astrocities,  danger threatened. They crushing him. So he finally said unto Joseph, "Do not
       seemed to think that, whereas they  wer,e the natural thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come and I
       offspring of Abraham  - a man and whose seed the                           will send thee unto them." Joseph immediately re-
       Lord had  binded Himself to by a promise of salvation                      sponded with, "Here I am." Though he realized well
       - God was compelled to condone their crimes and be enough the perils of the journey that he was bidden
       their friend. Their. perverse conception of God had to undertake, he did not demur. His quick and obe-
       firmly embedded and thus perpetuated itself in the dient response may even be taken as the evidence that
       heart of their reprobated'generations.                  It did so, not- he shared his father's great anxiety and was. therefore
       withstanding the fact that from the very outset the eager to go. So his father continued, "Go, I pray thee,
       holy prophets had all along insisted that the angels of see the peace of thy brethren and the peace of the
       the Lord are encamped about those who fear Him, flocks ; and bring me word again."
       and that this fear, is the issue of the sovereign mercy                         Soon the necessary preparations for the journey.,.
       of an Almighty God. "For they are not all Israel, leave been made. The lad is now ready to depart.
       which are of Israel; neither because they are the seed Jacob, it may be imagined, once more clasps the child
       of Abraham, are they all children: but in Isaac shall to his heart, and sends him out of the vale of Hebron.
       thy seed be called. That is they which are the chil- ,4nd the lad goes with the coat his father had given
       dren of the flesh, these are not the children of God : but him wrapped about his person. How he prizes this
       the children of the promise are counted for the seed." coat! As any other youth of his age could be expected
       "And think not to say within yourselves, We have to do, .if left to himself, he seems to have worn it in '
       Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God and out of season.
       is able of these stones to raise  up children unto Abra-                        When Joseph came to Shechem, he immediately set
       ham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of himself to locating his brethren. Now from this, then


80                                    THE  S T A N D A R D   REARER
-.".---  .----                   I    ____-.. __I _... --ll__ll_..^-.---
from that elevation he scanned the fields of Shechem                  Reuben's voice prevails. They agree to lay no hand
in the hope of catching a glimpse of the flock. But to upon him.
his great dismay this flock was nowhere to be seen.                   Let us now try and form a mental representation
He knew not what to think and therefore perhaps                  of the scene here enacted. Joseph is now in the pres-
thought the worst.        Shah he return and report to ence of his brethren. It may be imagined that, as was
his family that his brethren were nowhere to be his custom, he courteously and cheerfully greets them.
found? In all likelihood he feared the doleful1 effect If they responded at all it may have been with a growl.
a report of this kind might have upon his aged father. Somewhat frightened perhaps by their ill-humor, he
So he continues in his anxiety to wander about aim- inquires after their well-being and goes on to tell them
lessly, now in this, then in that direction. Unbeknown of the purpose of his coming. Their father is harrassed
to him, perhaps, he was being observed by a man - with anxiety and care because of their long absence.
possibly the keeper of some inn where his brethren by Having had his say, the lad is silent. He now perhaps
turns had lodged - who happened to be passing noticed for the first time that they were abnormally
through the fields in which he wandered. The man sullen. He may have never seen them in this mood
came to him and asked him saying, What seekest thou? before. An exceptionally cruel scowl darkened and dis-
The question of the stranger gendered in him a new figured their features. There was a strange, hard
expectancy.       Possibly the man could tell him what gleam in their eye. The child's heart  f?.lls with evil
he wanted to know. So he eagerly replies, "I seek my forebodings. A strong feeling that evil is about to
brethren," and adds almost in the same breath, "Tell befall him, creeps over his soul. As a tiger set to fall
me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks." And upon his victim, they watch his every move. He knows
the man said, "They are departed hence ; for I heard             not what to make of them and wished he were gone.
them say, Let us go to  Dothan."                                     Presently some of their number step forward, lay
      Joseph, it is certain, was elated. Then they at their hands on him, and begin tugging at his tunic.
least were safe. Without delay of any length, he  sets The lad is sorely afraid and in his fright attempts to
out for  Dothan  to bring  t,hem his greetings and the elude their grasp. But their grip is too sure and firm.
greetings of the family, and to see their  peac,e and the Besides, they are strong men and he is but a youth.
peace of the flock and rejoice.                                  Ruthlessly they strip him out of his coat. Next they
      As the man had said, he found his brethren at order him to march' on and simultaneously let him
Dothan.      It may be conjectured that when he first know in what direction he shall proceed by pushing
caught sight of them he was glad. Little did he sur- him toward yonder pit. With a voice that quivers he
mize what was awaiting him at this place.                        asks them what they contemplate doing with him.
      As to the brethren, they seem to have been to- There is no response and the lad burst out in tears.
gether when he arrived. Presently one of their num- Powerful hands, clamped about his arms, are drawing
ber calls the attention of the others to the form of a him forward. Presently the .pit is reached and now
youth approaching them in the distance. Forsooth, it the full truth in all tis horrible implications rises be-
is he whom they hate. The tunic that reached to his fore the child's mind. They will cast him in the pit to
ankels tell them it is he. Ha ! he cometh,  this master die? The child pleads for his life, but it is as if they
of dreams. Oh, those dreams. How they despised do not hear. In his bewilderment he calls for his father
him for his dreams! The old satanic grudge they all to save him, and they mock for their hatred is intense.
along had been nursing, now revives and takes com- Visibly annoyed by his wailing, they bear down on him
plete possession of them. There is murder in their now and cast him into the pit. Having thus disposed
`eyes. The lad is still afar off when one of their num- of him, they repair to yonder shade, sit down and eat
ber suggests that they by all means avail themselves bread, with the firm resolve to let him waste away in
of the opportunity that now presents itself to them to the pit. This is the spirit that will one day crucify the
make away with him. "Come now, therefore, let us Christ.
slay him and cast him into some pit, and we will say,                Joseph is in the pit sunk in the mire where there
`Some evil beast hath devoured him." The suggestion is no standing. He cries until he is weary, until his
meets with general approval. They say with on accord, throat is dried and his eyes fail. He is full of heavy-
Kill him, kill him we shall !                                    ness. He looks for some to take pity, but there is
      R.euben  voices his protest, not because he was dif- none ; and for comforters but he found none. He has
ferently disposed toward the lad then the others, but become a stranger unto his brethren, and an alien. unto
because, being the eldest son, he knew not whither he his mother's children.
should go, if the child were not. So he will rescue him              Was not this grief of this child prophetic of the
out of their hands and therefore says to them, "Shed grief of the man of sorrow Who, because he had d+
no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilder- clared the name of God unto his brethren and in the
ness, and lay no hand upon him." He said this that, midst of the congregation had praised Him, was com-
unbeknown to them, he might lift him up out of the passed by dogs and inclosed by the assembly of the
`pit and send him on his way to his father.                      wicked who pierced his hands and feet, parted His


  .__. -_.. ._ _ ."                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   '                                     `81
-.-." _-..__ -__---- -    -                                         .._.  "----                 -
garments among them, and cast lots upon His vesture? distress who prayed, and who, when once set on high
       Joseph in the pit. It is well. So the Lord would with his enemies at his feet, gloried not in himself-
have it ; for Joseph, the chosen vessel, is to be exalted ;    but in his Saviour and Benefactor, and was able to
but first he must be abased. And these wicked brethren, forgive those who had ill-treated him.
who laugh at their victim, whom they have cast into a              So the Lord took him and cast him. in a pit, Here
cistern, to scorn, and who now feels so confident that he learned his first great lesson ; here in this  pit,
of his dreams nothing will come, - these brethren, stripped of that tunic, his natural pride received its
though they know it not, are merely so many instru-            first hard blow. Here he was made..  to realize+:more
`meats of which the Lord avails Himself to humble keenly than ever before that through the saying, God
and degrade his servant that He may set him on high helps those who help themselves, circulates a vain
for the sake of His covenant and thus for the sake of philosophy ; that at the low level to which  he.. was
His name.                                                      brought human wisdom and ingenuity do not `avail.
       The exaltation of Christ, too, began from the bot- Here in this pit a feeling of his utter nothingness and
tom of a miry pit, from lowest hell, to which He,              helplessness steals over hiss soul so that he hangs on
though by Himself without sin, had voluntarily de- the Lord and prays, "0 God thou knowest my. fool-
scended as the Surety of His people. The servant cer- ishness ; and my sins are not hid from thee; My prayer
tainly, is no greater than his master. What saint is is unto Thee, 0 Lord, in .an acceptable time;. 0 Lord,
without his pit, that low level in his life where the in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of
floods  overflow him.                                          thy salvation. Deliver me out of the mire, and let me
       It is for Joseph's profit that he is made to go down not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me,
into the pit; sink to a low &eve1 where none can save and out of the deep waters. Let not the waterflood
but God alone. Before the Lord can use him he must overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and
be taught to denounce the man who says, by my wti- let not the pit shut her mouth upon me. Hear me, 0
dom and hy my ,might, as the supreme fool, in order Lord ; for thy lovingkindness is good : turn unto me
that, as one raised up and set on high, he may not glory according to the multitude of thy tender mercies. And
in self, but may say, The Lord hath mightily exalted hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in
me.                                                            trouble  ; hear me speedily."
       Would he have vaingloriously boasted in self, had          Though this prayer as to its exact form may not
he been raised up without first,having been cast down? have been his, it is certain that it is expressive of his
And the answer is ready: Joseph appeares upon the groaning in that pit. For this groaning perpetuated
stage of history a believer, as one therefore who warred itself in the generations of just men  - men, who like
the warfare of his God from the very outset. Because he, suffered for righteousness' sake. The inspired
he had declared the name of the Lord unto his breth- spokesman of this company, one who gave to' this com-
ren, he was hated. However, though as to the heart mon grief adequate expression, was David, so that
of his dispositions a believer, he, too, had but a small what they all suffered and how in this'~suffering  they
beginning of the true obedience. Pride lurked also in felt and were disposed may be known from the in-
his bosom. And it is inconceivable that his inordinate spired utterances of this spokesman,- The outpourings
self-esteem did not at all bestir itself when his father of his soul in a like distress form a kind of glass in
adorned! his person with the tunic, and again when which we see reflected the heart of each of them.
those dreams came to him. And when he told those                  Joseph might pray for deliverance and believe that
dreams, his voice may have been vibrant with an undue his prayer would be heard. "Call upon me in the day
sense of his superiority. Joseph's position as a son in of trouble," says the Lord to His people, "I will deliver
the house of his father was most precarious. His thee, and thou shalt glorify me." But' let this people
brethren despised and tormented him.  ,.It is not so bear in mind that the deliverance the Lord may bring
sure that he was always able to bless his persecutors may be one worked by death. As to Joseph,  ,he could
instead of repaying them in their own coin.            His know that his life would not terminate in the pit as in
father had singled him out as the favored son hnd set his dreams he had stood out as one who was to have
him off from his brethren as a person of some distinc- the dominion. He, therefore, might beseech the Lord
tion. It would have been nothing short of a miracle to deliver him from the miry ,pit into which they had
had the lad, thus flattered, always appeared as clothed plunged him. And his prayer is heard. After a little,
with humility. However this may be, he was in the he hears voices coming toward him. He is seized -by ,a
need of chastisement as well as any saint. And where- new expectancy. His hope revives..  ,Looking   ;up; he
as he was to receive a name above every name in spies his brethren at the mouth of the pit. Two, per-
Pharao's kingdom, he had to be first laid.low  in the haps three, he notices, prepare to lift him Up out of
deep where the waterflood overflows a man, in order his prison. The lad is overjoyed. They had looked
that his exaltation might appear to  ,be solely the away from their original purpose? Perhaps all they
achievement of the Lord, and might partake of the had wanted to do is to terrorize him for some hOUm
character of a salvation brought to a saint in great and therefore were now ready to send him-on  his"WaY
                                                                                                             ,,

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

home.     He is again above ground and once more natuurlijk dezelfden, die het  wezen  des geloofs vonden
breaths the pure, dry air of the open fields. However, in de kennis of het zeker weten,  of ook in de bloote
if he thinks that their malice has for this time spent its toestemming der waarheid. Anderen, die meer nadruk
force, he is sorely mistaken. During his absence they legden  op het element des vertrouwens, beweerden, dat
had agreed among themselves to dispose of him merely het geloof een hebbelijkheid of een daad is van den
in a different manner. Ishmaelites merchants from wil. Terwijl nog weer anderen nadruk  wilden  hebben
Gilead on route to Egypt will take him off their hands gelegd op de mystieke ervaring en zaligheid des har-
for some twenty pieces of silver. This had been the ten, die door het geloof wordt gewerkt in het hart des
suggestion of Judah. "What profit,`" he had said to zondaars, en daarom de eigenlijke zetel des geloofs in
them, "What profit is it if we slay our brother, and het gevoel verlegden.
conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the  Ishmael-       Zooals dikwijls het geval is,  zoo  mag ook met het
ites, and let not our hand be upon him ; for he is our       oog op deze verschillende beschouwingen des geloofs
brother and our flesh." And his brethren were con- worden  opgemerkt, dat ze niet altijd blijk geven van
tent. Strange reasoning, this. Does Judah fail to behoorlijke onderscheiding en dikwijls scheiden, wat
realize that the manner in which they now dispose of we1 logisch onderscheiden, maar daarom nog niet ge-
him involves them in a  @me as great and hideous scheiden kan worden. Als men er  b-v. nadruk op legde,
as a letting him waste away in the pit? A life of dat dezelfde gave of hebbelijkheid of eigenschap niet
slavery in Egypt, - what is it but a living death? As tegelijkertijd in verstand en wil haar zetel kan hebben
the after-history of Joseph shows, this, too, was of en dat het geloof daarom  bf een hebbelijkheid van het
the Lord.                                                    verstand Bf een eigenschap van den wil moet worden
                                             G.  M. 0.       geacht, dan werd niet in het oog gehouden, dat het
                                                             geloof  geen natuurlijke gave of eigenschap is, maar
                                                             een geestelijke hebbelijkheid, die naar de voorstelling
                                                             der Schrift,  niet in verstand of wil haar zetel heeft,
               Zaligmakend Geloof                            maar in het hart des zondaars wordt gewerkt. Want
                                                             met het hart gelooft men ter rechtvaardigheid en met
      Er is in den loop der tijden reeds veel geschreven den mond belijdt men ter zaligheid, Rom. 1O:lO. De
over het zaligmakend geloof en allerlei beschouwingen Schrift  die altijd nadruk  legt, niet op het natuurlijk-
werden ontwikkeld aangaande  de'n aard en het  wezen         psychologische, maar op het geestelijke en ethische van
des geloofs, de elementen des geloofs, den zetel des ge-     des menschen bestaan en werken, spreekt bij voorkeul
loofs in de menschelijke ziel, zoowel  als over het ver- van het hart. Dat hart is het centrum  van al zijn be-
band van.het geloof tot de weldaden des heils, die door staan en  Ieven uit geestelijk-zedelijk oogpunt  be-
het geloof  worden  ontvangen en genoten.                    schouwd. Uit het hart zijn de uitgangen des levens.
      De een zocht het wezen  des geloofs in de toestem- Uit dat hart heeft ons denken  en ons willen, ons lieven
ming der waarheid. Het geloof is eigenlijk niets an- en ons haten, ons begeeren en ons neigen zijn ontstaan
ders dan een bloote werking des verstands, waardoor          en krijgt het alles geestelijke en ethische richting. Van
hij, die gelooft de. waarheid toestemt en aanneemt. uit dat hart worden  dan ook verstand en wil beide be-
Een ander,hield  staande, dat het geloof wezenlijk niets heerscht. Dat hart is geloovig of ongeloovig. Het
anders is dan een zeker  weten  of kennen. Een derde keert zich af in geestelijk-ethischen zin van den Ieven-
Iegde  er nadruk op, dat de eigenlijke aard des geloofs den God, houdt de waarheid in ongerechtigheid ten
niet moet worden  gezocht in toestemming, noch ook onder en heeft de leugen Iief; of het keert zich naar
in een zeker weten of kennen, maar in een hartelijk          Hem  tee in  Christus Jezus, zoekt  Zijn aangezicht en
vertrouwen des  harten. Nog weer anderen verbonden hongert en dorst naar de gerechtigheid.  Als we dit
deze verschillende beschouwingen en vonden in het voor oogen houden, is er hoegenaamd geen reden  om
zaligmakend geloof alle drie elementen van kennis, het geloof te beperken tot verstand of wil, maar staat
toestemmen  en vertrouwen; terwijl sommigen daarbij het veeleer zoo, dat vanuit het hart des menschen de
opmerkten, dat toestemmen eigenlijk reeds in het zeker geestelijke hebbelijkheid des geloofs beide verstand en
`weten   ligt opgesloten en zij  daardm liever slechts de wil beheerscht.
twee elementen van' kennis en vertrouwen in het ge-             Door dit uit het oog te verliezen, verliep men niet
loof aanduidden.  Zelfs heeft men niet minder dan zelden in wat we zouden mogen noemen een puur  natu-
zeven, of ook zelfs negen e!ementen  in het zaligmakend ralistische of  psychoIogische  beschouwing en ontledihg
geloof  ontdekt.  We1 een bewijs, dat er bij lange na van het zaligmakend geloof, die dan op dood en dor
geen eenstemmigheid heerscht, als het er op aankomt intellectualisme,  of op het oppervlakkige practicisme,
' om een bepaling te geven van dit stuk der zaligheid.       of  oak op een valsche en aandoenlijke mystiek uitliep,
      ZOO ook was er altijd verschil van gedachte over de al naardat men meer nadruk legde op het verstand, op
 vraag, of de zetel des geloofs moet worden  gezocht in den wil of op het gevoel des menschen. Voor den eer-
 bet vex-stand of in den wil, of ook we1 in het gevoels-     sten ontaardde dan het geloof in een natuurlijke kennis
vermogen,      Zij, die het  eers&   vpgrstqnden,   waren en toestemming des verstands, een voor waar aanne-


                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         91

zonde tot Mar voile openbaring kon brengen, of aan-
stonds ten verderve zou kunnen varen, dat de schep-                      The Fulness of Time
ping zou veranderen in een chaos of ook in een he1 zou *       True it is, so we wrote in our former article, that
verkeeren. Elerst  in den weg van organische ontwik-        man, even in his fallen state retains some traces of the
keling van ons geslacht in verband  met alle dingen ken; divine image, a knowledge of God, and a moral sense
ook de mate der ongerechtigheid vol  worden.  Adam of conscience ; that the divine Logos before His incarna-
stierf we1 den dood in het Paradijs, zooals God (niet       tion was the tutor of mankind, the original light of
geprofeteerd) maar gedreigd had. Zoo wezenlijk stierf reason shining in the darkness. But the view that the
hij in het Paradijs den dood, en bet geslacht in hem, truth he had sown had taken root in the soil of heathen-
dat niemand zelfs het leven zal zien, die niet wordt dom (such. is the prevalent view) ; that humanity, by
wedergeboren en  inden Zoon gelooft. Maar in zijn virtue of its original capacity, implanted by the Creator
doodstaat ontwikkelt hij  tech naar den raad des  Hee- in the essence of human nature and reason, strove from
ren en maakt hij de mate der ongerechtigheid in en the beginning toward the higher principle (the life
door den loop der geschiedenis vol. Maar tevens voert of regeneration), and that by this capacity was made
God den raad der verkiezing uit, handhaaft en  beves- receptive of Christianity; that, at the coming of Christ,
tigt en.volmaakt  Hij Zijn verbond in Christus Jezus. heathendom, the humanity outside of Israel, was long-
En ook daarbij moet alle schepsel Hem tijdelijk dienen, ing for union with the Godhead of Scripture, for truth
naar Zijn raad.                                             and righteousness; that humanity in its culture and
   De tegenwoordige wereld is dus het terrein,  waar-       religion was moving through the centuries toward
op God Zijn raad tot realiseering van Zijn eeuwig Ver-      God, toward Christ, so that when He came it was at
bond in Christus uitvoert, en alles is Hem daartoe mid-     hand to throw itself into His arms and be saved -
del, engelen en menschen, duivelen en goddeloozen,          this view was shown to be contradicted by the plain
zoowel als rechtvaardigen in Christus, maar ook alle declarations of Scripture respecting the nature of the
schepsel in hemel  en op aarde.                             morality and religion of the. pagan world at the time
   Ook is de strijd, die ontstaat, doordat God naar of Christ.
Zijn Raad het Verbond der genade realiseert in den             Let us now show that the aforesaid view is also
antithetischen weg van zonde en genade een'  geestelijk-    contradicted by the sacred record of the conversions
ethische strijd. Het is eenvoudig onzin, om te beweren, of various pagan individuals of the apostolic age.
dat het Satan er om te doen  zou zijn geweest, om Gods There is first of all the case of the jailor who, hearing
scheppingsplan te verijdelen, en mensch en schepping the Word of the Lord Paul spake unto him, believed in
ten verderve te voeren. Dat ware zijn eigen verderf the Lord Jesus Christ and was saved. Had this man
geweest. We1 zal dit metterdaad het lot zijn van alle been rendered well-disposed toward Christ by some
goddeloozen, zoowel als van den duivel en zijne enge-       form of pagan religion of which he, before his conver-
len, want bun plaats zal zijn in het eeuwige vuur, in sion had been a devotee? Indeed not. His manner of
den poel, die brandt van vuur en sulfer, maar dit  ligt behavior, certainly, betokens the bitterest hostility.-
niet in de bedoeling van den duivel. Dat is Gods straf. Thrusting Paul and Silas, upon whom had been laid
Het is niet des duivels bedoeling om menschen na            many stripes, into prison, he made their feet fast in
he1 te sleepen,  maar om op het t&rein  van Gods SC         the stocks. Consider in this connection the conduct
ping koning te zijn in geestelijk-ethischen zin des of the citizens of this  jailor's  city.          The damsel,
woords. De mensch meet in de schepping en met alle possessed with a spirit of divination, had for many
dingen   zich voor hem buigen en hij moet de vorst der days cried out in the streets of Lystra, "These men
wereld zijn. Ook uit dit oogpunt is de voorstelling,        (Paul and Silas) are the servants of the most high
alsof het Satans bedoeling ware mensch en schepping God, which show unto us the way of salvation." How
ten verderve te voeren, eenvoudig onzinnig. Neen, did the men of Lystra respond to this testimony? The
ook de  machten  der duisternis  willen de gaven en masters of the damsel from whom the spirit of divina-
krachten der schepping ontwikkelen en over haar heer- tion had been ejected, seeing the hope of their gains
schen. Maar ze staan in dit hun pogen niet in Gods shattered, were sorely vexed and delivered Paul  ,and
verbond en aan de zijde Gods, maar als vijanden Gods Silas to the magistrates saying, "These men, being
en doen de begeerten van hun Vader den duivel.              Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, and teach cus-
    Maar ook deugt Kuyper's exegese van het Noacbie-        toms which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to
tisch verbond niet. Do& hierover nog een volgende observe being Romans." And the multitude rose up
keer.                                          H. H.        together again them - Paul and Silas  - and the
                                                            magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to
    Let not the fear of  man's frown, or the love of beat them. Consider that to these violent men Paul
man's praise, chain our tongues, or paralyze our hands. and Silas had been pointed out as God's messengers of
Our labor shall not, cannot be "in vain in the Lord,"       redemption by a damsel whose testimony had been
since the Word has so fully assured us that it will be sealed by her own healing. With these servants the
rewarded.                                                   men of Lvstra would make awav  for no other reason


 92                                                        T&E  S T A N D A R D   Bl3AiXER
 -............ ..^--"  . ..._.." ___-_...............__-._. -_ .-.. _--..- ..." -"-" .--- ___-  ---.-. -..           ._. -.- _-.-.-    ___i_ ~.-~-
 than that their private interests and the religion of preceeding  the advent of Christ, had been seeking,
 Paul clashed.                                                                                   grouping after God, and crying for the redemption of
       When the men of Athens heard of the resurrection Christ so that when He finally came He found this
 as preached by the apostle some mocked and others pagan world on the very threshold of His kingdom of
 said that they would hear them again on the matter; light. To state it simply and plainly: was Cornelius'
 and the Greeks of Corinth, all of them so we read devoutness and longing for redemption and for God,
  (Acts 18  :17)  took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the the flower of a natural religion ; and was Cornelius
 synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. In after all nothing but a noble pagan with a longing
 short, wherever the Gospel appeared, unbelief would after God, awakened and nourished by the tenets of a
 bestir. itself to defy in the name of the multitude the natural, pagan religion that Scripture calls darkness.
 Christ that was preached, and to smite to the ground Rightly considered, this is exactly what the theory
 His servants and  confessers.                                                                   under consideration comes down to. Attend once more
       The exponents of the view we here assail may reply to the following selection from Bavinck's Dogmatics:
 that the opposition the Gospel on its course through "Juist de algemeene openbaring die zij leert stelt ons
 the gentile world encountered, is counterbalanced by in staat en geeft ons recht, om al de elementen van
 the fact that this same Gospel also turned out to be "the waarheid te erkennen  die ook in de Heidensche religies
 power of God unto salvation to every one that believed aanwezig zijn . . . . Al  the,elementen  en vormen die
 to the Jew first and also to the Greek," so that, they essentieel  zijn  aan de religie, Godsbegrip,  schuldbe-
 `say, the view that the gentile world in its religion had wustzijn, behoefte  aan verlossing, offerande,  priester-
 progressed to the very threshold of the kingdom of schtip, tempel, cultus; gebed, enz., komen verbasterd,
 God and were waiting to be admitted still stands.                                               maar komen tech ook in de heidensche godsdiensten
       In replying we may set out with aKirming that the voor. Daarom staat het Christendom niet uitsluitend
 number drawn by the Gospel message was indeed big. antithetisch tegen het heidendom over; het is er de
 What is more, many of those drawn give unmistake-                                               vervulling van . . . . Wat ginds gezocht wordt is hier
 able evidence of having been prepared, rendered recep- te vinden. Het Christendom is de verklaring van het
 tive for the truth, give evidence therefore of possess-                                          Ethnicisme, Christus is de beloofde aan Israel en de
 ing the life of regeneration. Consider first of all the wensch  alle? heidenen." If the import and meaning
 case of Cornelius. In the words of the sacred record, of this reasoning is' not that after all the Christian
 "There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, saint is a refined pagan and the Christian religion a
 a  centurian   of  the band called the Italian band. A modified and refined paganism, - it, this reasoning, is
 devout man, and one that feared God with all his without meaning. Observe that what the selection
 house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed asserts is that as to their essence the Christian religion
 to God alway."                                                                                  and the pagan religion are one and the same, that the
       To this man and his kinsmen and near friends, former is the  fulfilment  of the latter. The fault of
 Peter at...the. command of God, preached the Gospel. this reasoning is that it repases  on an altogether artifi-
 While he spake the Holy Ghost fell upon all them which cial classification of religions. Religions, it should be
 heard the Word. These were baptized in the name of bqr_e  in mind, are spiritual-ethical entities. Their
 the Lord. From the notice, "And they of the circum- cl&$ification,  therefore, should be based on some
 cision which believed were astonished, as many as etl-ucal-spiritual  similarity. Doing so it will be found
 came with Peter, because that on the gentiles also was that the Christian religion falls in a class all by itself
 poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost," from this                                               and therefore cannot be the flower or the fulfilment
 notice it is evident that these converts were gentiles. either of any one of, or of the sum total of, the pagan
       The gentile Sergius Raulus, deputy of the isle of religions.
 Paphos, desiring the hear the Word of God, called for                                                 A priesthood, let us say, may be an element essen-
 Barnabas and Saul. Of Lydia, whose heart the Lord tial to religion if religion be defined merely as the serv-
 opened, that she attended unto the things which were ice of a god, but the element essential to the true reli-
 spoken of Paul, it is said that she worshipped God.                                             gion is not a mere priesthood, but a true priesthood.
 The great number of Greeks of the city of Thessalon-                                                  Let us return to Cornelius. He, of course, was not,
 ica, who believed (Acts 17) were "devout Greeks." as to his longings and asperations, the outgrowth, so
 To these examples others could be added. Fact is that to say, of paganism, but the product of the regenerat-
 in many instances the notice, "and they believed" ing grace of God.                                                        His pious longings had been
 seems to signify the breaking forth of a saving faith awakened and fed not by the tenets of some pagan
 that previously had been moving in the direction of the religion, but by the knowledge of the law and the
 kingdom of light. The question is, however, whether prophets as derived from the Jews, who were every-
 this phenomenon fmds its explanation in and can be where found. It is certain that Cornelius was but
 adduced in favor of the theory or view that, as pagan on2 of many who had thus been prepared  for  the
I religion and culture are supposed to plainly enough Gospel.' The dispersion, begun with the conquest of
 indicate, the gentile world, throughout the centuries the Assyrian and Babylonian monarchs, had been


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D         B E A R E R                                     9"
                                                                                                                      . i)

  furthered by many rulers. It is estimated that at the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we
  time of Christ there were six times as many Jews out- were children, were in bondage under the elements of
  side of Palestine as within its borders. A notable part the world: but when the  fulzcss  of time was come,
  of the population of Alexandria were Jews. They had God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under
  settled in Syria and Asia Minor. They were to be the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that
  found in Rome. Few were the cities of the empire we might receive the adoption of sons."
  where their were no Jews. This Judaism of the dis-               In this passage occurs  the expression  fulnoss  of
  persion had the sacred Scriptures. It took with it tiete. Here time is manifestly conceived as a measure
  everywhere the synagogue.       These synagogues had that had to be full ere the Son could be sent; and the
  about them a large number of proselytes and Judaized filled measure was at once the time the Father in his
  converts, the  devout men made mention of in the Acts good pleasure had appointed.
  of the Apostles. It is certain that the soil had been            Time, however, is more than a succession of units
  prepared for the Gospel not by paganism, but by the of time. It is the duration of things. So conceived
  Old Testament Seriptures as expounded by Jewish mis- the term limr: in the expression fuh-wss of time denotes,
  sionaries.                                                   as the setting of the text in which the term occurs
     Such a missionary was Apollos, a Jew, "born in plainly indicates, the duration of the state of minority
  Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scrip- of the Old Testament church. While in this state the
  tures. This man was instructed in the way of  the Church was under a schoolmaster or governor who
  Lord; and being fervent in the Spirit, he spake and          brought it to Christ; and this schoolmaster was the
  taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only law. By this same law the reprobated portion of the
  t,he baptism of John" (Acts  1834, 25). This man Israelitish  nation had been hardened so that when
  came to Epheses and  begarr   t,o speak boldly in the Christ appeared, they were capable of crucifying Him.
  synagogue ; whom, when Aquila and  Pricilla had heard, These preparatory engagements of God in this pre-
 they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the Messanic period must to be sure even be &tended to
  way of God more perfectly. And when he was  dis- the nations. The successive steps in the development
' posed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, ex- of their history finally terminated in a world condition
  horting the disciples to receive him: who when he was signifying that the hour appointed by the Father had
 come,  .helped them much which had believed through struck.
 grace: for he mightily convinced the Jews, and that              In fine, the expression fulness  of time certainly im-
 publicly, sheming  by the Scriptures that Jesus was the plies that the precise time when he appeared had a
 Christ.                                                       pecuIiar relation to His appearance ; that the prepar-
     What we here present are  ,matters  of common atory steps, through the previous development of the
 knowledge.     Yet  historicans  and dogmaticians, who history of the church in particular and of the history
 ov.ght  to have known better have prated in their works of the world at large in genera1 had been directed
 about the soil of Christianity as having been prepared precisely to this point and proceeded so far in order to
 in a positive sense by the lie, by darkness, by the  idle+- .admit of this appearance - the goal and central point
 by Belial, in a word, by the tenets of a pagan religion. of all.
     It is estimated that at the close of the first century       Let us delineate a little on these matters.
 about one-tenth of the populatipn of the civilized $$$d          The minor is under  t&e control and guidance of
 had embraced Christianity. If the pagan world was tutors and governors  who.act  for him. He is not pes-
 crying for the redemption of Christ, the question mitted to manage his own affairs being immature as
 arises how it is to be explained that the nine-tenths         to his mental equipment. He does not know as he
 despised the riches of His goodness, and  clave to their ought; is incapable in a relative sense of judging and
 false gods.                                                   appraising correctly; fails to discern implied truth ;
     The theory in question is impossible from every neglects to press on toward a conclusion ; fails to  silr-
 conceivable point of view. It  must,needs  imply that mize an effect and lacks perspective. His point of
 the pagan world as a whole had undergone the in- view is liable to be faulty and his horizon limited. In
 fluences of regenerating grace, as longing for salva- a word, he does not know. It is, therefore, not safe for
 tion of Christ is certainly the earmark of regeneration. him to act for himself. The major is one with a
 It is plain enough that the theory cannot possibly be matured soul and therefore capable of attending to his
 maintained.                                                   affairs. Not that a youth, let us say of six years old,
     Let us now see what Scripture may mean by the             does not know at all and is altogether incapable of
 expression fulness of time.                                   judging and rendering a  UJrrect  verdict. Fact is that
     The expression must be associated first of all with every minor, no matter how young, is a potential
 the Israeiitish nation. Wrote the apostle to the Gala-        major. Only, he is lacking in ripeness, and cannot be
 tians : "Now I say, that the heir, as long as he is a expected, therefore, to fully realize the meaning and
 child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be import of a contemplated course of action. The law,
 lord of all : but is under tutors and governors until the consequently,  refrtses to hold him accountable for his

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

actions respecting the management of his property.            C,hurch of the old dispensation. Says Peter, speaking
      Min.wity and majority are two words used by the         of the prophets of the Old Testament: "Of which salva-
theologian as significance of two disparate states or         tion the prophets have inquired and searched diligently,
conditions of the church. True enough, the notices of         who prophesied of the grace that should come unto
Scripture respecting  t.he church, justify the place of       you : searching what or what manner of time the Spirit
these terms in the vocabulary of the dogmatician. Says        of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testi-
Christ : "These things have I spoken unto you, being fied beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory
yet present with you. Rut the Comforter which is the          that should follow . . . . which things the angels de-
Holy Ghost whom the `Father will send in my name,             sire to look into" (I Pet. 1  :11,  12b).  Says Christ:
he  dud1 teach you  all things,  and bring all things to      "Many kings and prophets have desired to see the
your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto                 things which `ye see, and have not seen them"  ,( Matt.
you . .  *  . Henceforth I call you not servants ; for the    13 :17). Calvin's comment, on these scriptures reads
servant knoweth not what his lord doeth; but I have           as follows : "But still more closely does God's good-
called you friends; for all things that I have heard of       ness toward us (the believers of the New Testament
my Father I have made known unto you . . . . I have           dispensation) shine forth in this case, because much
yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear more is now made known to us than what all the
them now. Howbeit when he the Spirit of truth is              prophets attained by their long and anxious in-
come he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not       quiries . . . .
speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that                "These two things ought to be clearly noticed: he
shall he speak  ; and he will shew you things to come"        declares that more has been given to us than to the
(John 14 :26 ; 15 :13, 15 ; 15 : 12, 13). This promise was ancient fathers in order to amplify by this comparison
fulfilled on the day of Pentecost when the  HoIy Ghost the grace of the gospel; and then what is preached to
entered the Church  - the body of the exalted Christ us respecting salvation, cannot be suspected of any
- and began teaching it and bringimg to its remem-            novelty, for the Spirit had formerly testified of it by
brance  all things. The church knows now as it knew the prophets . . . .
not heretofore in  t,hat the promised teacher  - the                "The prophets ministered to us more abundantly'
Spirit - had come to guide it into all truth. A com- than to their own age and that this was revealed to
parison between the conduct and speech of the them from above; for in Christ only is a full exhibition
friends of Christ and the speech and behavior of these of those t,hings  of which God then presented but an
same friends of our Lord on the day of Pentecost, obscure image . . . .  "
brings to light that the Church on this day matured.                Two things stand out clear : (a) The Old Testa-
To the pre-Pentecostal Peter, as well as to the other         ment saints did not have Christ as the direct object of
disciples, the cross of Christ was an ocense; the grave,      their vision. Salvation was presented to them in a
a tragedy. To this Peter, prophesy yielded no other figure. They searched diligently but without success
message than that of a Messiah reigning as an earthly what the Spirit signified. These significations, true
king at Jerusalem ; and of an Israel restored to its          enough, were veiled  ins a figure. However, there  .was--.
former earthy glory. The speech of Jesus to the effect a veil upon the minds of these saints as well, so that
that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be standing finally in the shadow of the cross and in the
rejected by the elders, and the chief priests, and &trance of an empty tomb, the church became none
                                                               +
scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again the wiser. It was not enough that Christ had become
- this spee:h  greatly exasperates Peter. Taking Christ the direct object of vision. He must open the eyes or
aside, he administers unto him a stern rebuke. The the church will not perceive. In fme, the church in
disciples at this juncture would frequently quarrel t.his epoch is a minor. It does not know as it ought.
among themselves as to who would be the greatest in It is incapabIe  of judging  correctIy  the things of the
the kingdom of heaven, and to be seated either at the Spirit ; cannot discern implied truth; lacks perspective.
right or left hand of its king, seemed to be the height Its point of view is faulty ; its horizon limited ; its
of their ambition and to them the high point of attain- apperceiving mass comparatively small ; its knowledge
ment. On the morning of the resurrection the message meager. We say with Calvin that it was indeed proper,
of the risen Christ comes to them as a great surprise ; while Christ, the Sun of righteousness was yet absent,
and they must even see and handIe  the Christ ere they that the full light should shine as at mid-day. Yet in
will beiieve.                                                 its state of minority, the church was nevertheless, a
      The question arises whether the pre-Pentecostal potential major. The term minority must be made to
disciples must, as to their grip upon the truth, be apply to the true church only. The unregenerated un-
placed in a class by themselves. The answer is ready: godly one is no saint in the making.
"Not so." Fact is that their knowledge of the redemp-               That the church passed through a state of minority
tive labors of our Saviour and their insight into the is evident from the notices of Scripture respecting
character of the blessings of the kingdom must be Jehovah's dealings with Israel. Comparatively speak-
taken as a fair sample of the mental equipment of the ing, God does things for Israel instead of in and


                                                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                        95
II_ .........--..-.." - ..-.-... "...""  "..--.-.."  ..-....._"                          .." ..." ...-."  .--.."  ._.-...  ^ .._ ^..^- ..__...... -._--- ~ .._. __"_
through it. He taught  Eph..ra?m to go, taking them
by their arms. He was unto them as they that take                                                     De Nederlandsche Geloofsbelijdenis
off the yoke on their jaws  (Hosea   11:3a,   4b). As to                                                                                    ARTIREL II
the patriarchs, when they went from one nation to an-                                                 D
other, from one kingdom to another people: He suf-                                                         OOR  WAT  MIDDEL  GOD VAN  ONS  GEKEND  WORDT
fered no man to do them wrong; yea he reproved kings                                                                                  Wij kennen Hem door twee middelen.
                                                                                                                                   Ten eerste door de schepping, onderhouding
for their sakes; saying, Touch not mine anointed, and                                                                              en regeering der geheele wereld: overmits
do my prophets no harm. Moreover, he called for a                                                                                  deze voor  onze  oogen is  als een  schoon
famine upon the land ; he break the whole staff of                                                                   <Q            boek, in hetwelk alle schepselen, groote en
bread. He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who                                                                                 kleine, gelijk  als Ietteren zijn, die ons de
was sold for a servant . . . . Israel also came to                                                                                 onzienlijke dingen  Gods geven te aanschou-
Egypt and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. And                                                                                  wen,   namelijk,  Zijne eeuwige kracht en
                                                                                                                                   Goddelijkheid,  zooals  de H. Apostel Paulus
he increased his people greatly ; and made them                                                                                    zegt in, Rom.  1:20;  welke  dingen   alle  ge-
stronger than their enemies. He turned their hearts                                                                               noegzaam zijn om de menschen te overtui-
to hate his people, to deal subtilely with his servants.                                                                           gen, en hun alle onschuId  te benemen. Ten
He sent Moses his servant and Aaron whom he had                                                                                    tweede, geeft Hij zichzelven ons nog klaar-
chosen (Ps. 105).                                                                                                                  der en volkomener te kennen  door:  Zijn  Hei-
                                                                                                                                   lig en  Goddelijk  Woord, te  weten,  zoo veel
       That the church of the old dispensation was being                                                                           als  011s van  noode  is in dit  leven,  tot zijne
dealt with as a minor, is also evident from the follow-                                                                            eer, en de zaligheid der zijnen.
ing: It, the church, was not permitted to choose by a                                                  Zoo luidt het tweede artikel van onze  geloofsbelij-
lawful election its officers  - the king, priest and                                            denis.          En wij merken op, dat  bet artikel niet  be-
prophet. God, then, did not select through, but apart spreekt de vraag of wij God kunnen of moeten  kennen,
from the church, which in turn acquiesced in the                                                 maar gaat liever van de veronderstelling  uit ciat wij
choice made. Unto Moses the angel of the Lord ap- Hem kenneti. Irnmers  dit artikel begint reeds door te
pears in the burning bush.                                         Without the people's belijden:  wij  kennen  Ham. Dus ook dit artikel spreekt
knowledge, Moses is called, and sent unto Pharaoh vad uit het oogpunt van degenen die Hem kennen  als
that he may bring forth God's people, the children of den eehigen en waarachtigen God, Wien te kennen k;et
Israel out of Egypt. The notice  ,of Scripture respect- eeuwige leven is, Joh. 17% Maar de inhoud van dit
ing the Divine calling of the Levites reads as follows:                                         artikel gaat over  hoe  wij, of door wat middel wij, dien
"And I behold, I have taken the Levites from among                                               God nu kennen. Het handelt dus over de openbaring
the children of Israel, instead of all the firstborn that die God ons heeft gegeven van Zichzelf. God moet
openeth the matrix among the children of Israel:                                                 zich aan ons openbaren, anders ware er nooit kennis
thergore  the Levites shall be mine . . . .                                     (Lev. 3 :        van God mogelijk. Want Hij is de oneindige, en alleen
12). Again God acts alone and so He does throughout. het oneindige Iran' het oneindige kennen. Wet onein-
The voice of the body of the church is not heard. What dige  wordt   nooit van het eindige gekend dan  alleen
is more, the church of that day was not even permitted als de Oneindige zichzelven aan ons openbaart op  zulk
to discipline, censure and, if necessary, depose its                                             een wijze dat dit gevat en verstaan kan worden  door
officers. A delinquent king, priest or prophet had to het eindig schepsel. Daarom moet die openbaring  ge-
be tolerated until the Lord saw fit to remove him. $&e                                           schieden door creatuyrlijke~  taal, teeken of symbool.
erring king Saul ruled until the day of his  dG&.                                                Zulke teekenen en symbolen heeft men nu in de schep-
Likewise Eli the high priest.                                                                    ping, beide  redelijke  en onredelijke schepselen, en zulke
        Further, God's law was so minutely regulative of taai heeft men in het Woord onzes Gods. Daarom
the forms of worship that the conviction cannot be spreekt onze belijdenis uit, dat we God kennen door
escaped that the church of that day was indeed being twee middelen.
dealt with as a minor. Nothing is left to the descre-                                                   Allereerst  kennen wij Gpd door de schepping, on-
tion of the church. For every detail there is a precept. derhouding en regcering  dcr geheele wereld. Als ge
 For example, the tabernacle, in all its fine particulars, de vraag zoudt, doen  : waarom heet de schepping eene
 is the realization of `a pattern  shown  Moses on the openbaring Gods, dan is het antwoord: juist omdat ze
mountain. Such were God's ways with the church of schepping  is vah den Allerhoogste. Zij is het kunstge-
 that day. For the Spirit which leads into all truth wrocht des Heeren.                                                                       En deze schepping geschiedde
 was still to  come. God spoke to the church instead of door het Woord- en in den Geest. Immera alle dingen
 in and through it and revealed his thoughts apart from zijn door het Woord gemaakt en zonder Hetzelve is
 it. For, though there were believers in that day, the geen ding gemaakt, dat gemaakt is. En niet alleen  is
 body of Christ in which the Spirit dwells as an en- die schepping gemaakt door het Woord (d. i., het
 lightening principle was a thing of the future.                                                 levendmakend ,woord, i.e., de Zone Gods) maar dat
        Hence, the common believer did not prophesy, for Woord was ook de levendmakende geest van  a1Ie  din-
 he was not a prophet, and the service of the temple                                             gen die geschapen werden. Zoo leest men in Joh. 1 :l-
 was performed by the priest only.                                           G. M. 0.            9. Daarom is de schepping de openbaring van de  ge-


